I keep forgetting to write this! A guest commented on how unfair to Marinette it was from Chat Noir to use all his nicknames on Ladybug. But in the show, it's Chat Noir that calls Mari "Princess" and Ladybug "My lady" etc. Adrien himself doesn't call Marinette anything else than her name. Since Chat Noir isn't going to interact with Marinette directly in this fic, I put the "Princess" in his relationship with Ladybug! Hope this clears that up :P
On Tuesday, Adrien woke up with a smile on his face for the first time in days. He had slept well and felt reeled up with energy. Marinette and he had tackled down an awful lot of work the day before, agreeing on several fabric samples to get delivered for her to put together mock-ups for his father's approval. They had finalized the two first duet of designs, and Adrien was quite fond of the dress she had come up with for the female picnic date. Her male counterpart was just as great and both outfits matched really well, but his favorite was definitely the breezy light sundress.
As he got ready for the day, the blonde toyed with his phone a few minutes absentmindedly, lost in thoughts. He finally reached a decision, and opened his messaging app:
[Chat Noir] I'm trying one last time. I just wanna know if you're okay, I'll leave you alone after this if that's what you want.
He didn't even have enough time to put the device in his pocket before he heard the familiar chime:
[Ladybug] KITTY thank god
[Ladybug] I'm so, so sorry. My phone got smashed to pieces and I didn't have another way to reach you since I couldn't access my contact book and I received the new one just yesterday evening (had to beg my provider for an hour to keep the same number so you could actually reach me) and I've been waiting ever since for you to contact me so I could have your number back and I didn't know it was possible to ramble by sms but apparently it is
[Ladybug] Forgive me?
The blond stared at his phone for a good five minutes in disbelief. He had been worried sick about her for almost a week and nearly lost Marinette over it all because of a goddamn broken phone? His first instinct had been to snap at her and ask her if she had ever heard about making backups of data. His recent fallout with his colleague, however, had taught him to keep his temper in check if he truly wanted to keep his friends. So Adrien instead took a minute to cool off, typing back:
[Chat Noir] Of course
[Chat Noir] Been really worried, though. Thought something serious happened to you.
[Ladybug] What could possibly happen to me serious enough I wouldn't be able to text back?
[Chat Noir] You could have been abducted by E.T.
That was good. As long as he kept being silly, she won't guess he was a little mad at her.
[Ladybug] It's seriously the first hypothesis that brushed your mind kitty?
He fed a loudly whining Plagg before typing back:
[Chat Noir] Nah. Actually I thought you had eloped with your boss and wanted nothing more to do with your poor stray.
[Chat Noir] Yeah, definitely that. Or someone had broken into your phone, read our conversations and had you locked up in an asylum.
[Ladybug] The asylum is way more realistic than eloping.
[Ladybug] Are you sure you're my chaton? Mine knows pretty well I don't do love shits and weddings.
If Adrien hadn't been sure before that he should be focusing more on the real people in his life instead of devoting all his affections to pixelated words, this sealed the deal.
[Chat Noir] Asylum it is then. Only fools never change their minds.
Safely tucking the device away, he let himself out of his apartment and headed to work. The young man made a stop at his favorite coffee shop, picking up his usual order plus a latte for Marinette. The barista asked him with a knowing look if it would be a usual addition prompting him to innocently nod with a soft smile. It wasn't until he pushed the door of his office minutes later that he understood why she had weirdly congratulated him on his way out: she probably thought the latte was for a hypothetical girlfriend. Shrugging it off as an insignificant detail, Adrien deposited the warm beverage in front of an oblivious Marinette that was currently absorbed into frowning at her phone.
"Good morning Mari. Are you okay?"
Glancing up at him, the designer sighed:
"Yeah, though I think I upset a friend by accident, she replied as she took noticed of what he had put before her. Hey, what's with the latte?"
"I bribed you with caffeine, remember?"
The bluebell eyes widened as she gasped, horrified:
"I was kidding about that Adrien! Oh my god, I'm so sor-"
Smirking, the young man lifted the cup and pushed it into her hands:
"I know you weren't serious, Mari. I bought it for you because I wanted to. And my favorite barista added it to my usual order, so you can safely expect one every morning from now on."
"Adrien…" Marinette growled in warning.
"Ah! It's too late to do anything about it now!"
He ducked to avoid the pencil she'd thrown at him, laughing heartily, and booted up his computer.
Yes. He really should be focusing on real relationships.
Marinette spent the essential of Wednesday trying to coax out of him where he intended to take her for dinner as they worked. Adrien successfully dodged all her questions, simply stating that it was a surprise and he intended it to stay that way. He kept smiling mischievously as she glared at him, only caving in when she asked him to at least update her on the dressing code.
"Dress and tie, definitely."
To his surprise, his partner groaned upon hearing his reply:
"You do know I'd be fine with a pizza playing Ultimate Mecha Strike at either of our places? I want us to spend time together to get to know you, not your wallet."
Adrien suddenly felt as he just had an epiphany. So that's what was bothering her! Looking up at her, he smiled softly:
"I'm perfectly aware of that Mari, don't worry. I promised you a fancy dinner, and though a pizza and video games do sound nice, we'll have to keep that in mind for another time."
[Ladybug] You ARE upset with me, huh?
[Chat Noir] … a little.
Glancing at the time, Adrien suddenly decided they had done enough for the day:
"It's almost four o'clock already Mari. Let's call it quit for today? It'll give us both time to shower and change."
His friend nodded at him, still frowning lightly. He noticed her being a little stiff as she put away her drawing supplies, but decided against pushing further. If he truly wanted to gain her whole trust, he had to respect her space.
Locking their office door behind them, he glanced back at her:
"I'll pick you up at seven?"
She seemed to be clearing her mind of grim thoughts for a second, and when green met blue he read nothing but kindness in them:
"Sure, I'll be ready. See you then."
When he stepped out of his shower, Adrien checked his phone quickly before focusing back on shaving and getting ready for his date -friendly date his mind instantly corrected himself- with Marinette.
[Ladybug] I'm really, really sorry I worried you
[Ladybug] Will it help my case if I tell you I've written down your number and tucked it away for safety so it won't ever happen again?
[Ladybug] also: coccinelle_fashion zmail . fr
[Ladybug] so you'll have another way to reach me in case something go wrong again. (with my luck something WILL go wrong sooner or later)
[Ladybug] I missed you so much
The young man couldn't help himself from smiling fondly at his screen. His lady was truly one of a kind, leave it to her to pick up on his foul mood and single out the exact reason he was annoyed with her. He didn't want to obliterate her from his life altogether. Surely there was a way to balance things out into a healthier relationship for the two of them?
[Chat Noir] I let you suffer long enough :-P Of course I forgive you princess, I know you didn't vanish into thin air on purpose.
[Chat Noir] Don't scare me like that ever again though.
[Chat Noir] sexiest_kitty_ever zmail . fr so we're even.
[Ladybug] … you didn't dare
[Chat Noir] you bet I did
[Ladybug] Hate to abandon you mon chaton, but I have plans for the night. I'll text you tomorrow?
[Ladybug] We're good?
[Chat Noir] Yeah, don't worry bugaboo
[Chat Noir] I missed you too. Happy to have you back my lady
At seven sharp, Adrien was knocking on Marinette's door.
And his brain almost fried when she opened it.
She had traded her usual ballerinas or kitten heels for blood red high heels pumps. Her black strands were gathered at the back of her head in an elaborate bun and she had applied a little more makeup than usual, the eyeliner making her eyes brighter and her lipstick painting her lips red. A single ruby dangling on a silver chain was hanging at her neck while a delicate silver bracelet was circling her left wrist.
But her dress made his breath hitch in his throat and his mouth go dry.
Black as could be, the mid-thigh length dress was hugging her curves perfectly. The long sleeves accentuated her slender arms and the scoop neckline plunged just deep enough to be alluring without being too revealing. But what made the dress special was the lace. One of the sleeves was entirely made out of lace, letting her pale skin show underneath. A well-placed triangle opening started just below her bust and ran across her flat stomach to her opposite hip, covering her midsection with sheer black lace.
"You're gorgeous."
The words were out before he even realized it, and he noticed with delight that Marinette was faintly blushing.
"Thanks, Adrien. You clean up pretty well yourself," she added as she gestured to his dark gray suit and bright green tie. The young woman took the arm he was offering her as he escorted her to his car, refraining himself from grinning too much.
When he pulled out in front of the restaurant a few minutes later, Marinette's eyes instantly widened:
"There's no way you got a table at L'Epicure with a two days notice! You have to make reservations six months prior!"
The blond smiled at her as he helped her out of the car and handed his keys to the valet.
"I had to pull a string or two, but Nino gushes non-stop about your amazing cooking skills. I figured you'd really enjoy fine cuisine at its finest."
By then, his friend was grinning openly at him, answering softly with her blue eyes shining:
"That's very thoughtful of you Adrien, thanks."
They were seated in no time and fell into casual chatter as easily as they did on the boat a week before. They talked about their respective families over the entree. He shared his best modeling anecdotes as they ate the main course, making Marinette laugh on more than one occasion. When the waiter brought up the salads, he found the pair exchanging strategies for the latest Ultimate Mecha Strike. They shared the cheese plate while Marinette explained him the difference between two types of sewing. When the dessert came, they were actively bickering about which anime was the best and why. Adrien was listening attentively to her talking passionately about what she liked, what she couldn't stand, what her projects were, and as he sipped on his glass of wine, he found himself bewildered at just how amazing the young lady was.
Two chapters within 24h? Yup! I actually had a day off today and spent the better part of it writing. I also drastically altered the outline of the remaining of this fic and I really like where we are headed now :)