Unbeknownst to his dietician and anyone that needn't know, Adrien loved going to coffee shops. Particularly, he frequented a small, underappreciated one with very little traffic a ways away from his own home. It was often the only piece and quiet he was allowed, and Nathalie and Gorilla gave him the benefit of it whenever he had the free time. He enjoyed his time in a space where no one seemed to care who he was or what he did, so long as he bought something. The owners had little interest in being busy as long as they had customers, and valued good service and good food over money. They also didn't happen to make a huge fuss over a model frequenting their establishment.

At this coffee shop, Adrien had a spot he preferred. It wasn't that it had his name on it, nor that he expected that no one else sit at it, but it was a spot he preferred. His spot was where two armchairs and a small table sat in the back of the coffee shop. Most people didn't like to sit so far away from the window, but Adrien didn't really want the attention enough to risk sitting in the warmth of the sun.

On one of his regular visits to this secluded café, he found his spot had been taken. From the angle by the door, it was hard to see who had actually been seated there, which is part of why Adrien adored the spot so dearly, but he could make out the sight of another person's coffee, books, and legs. There were plenty of seats in the rest of the café, but it had his spot that had been occupied. It was just his luck. Without wanting to think too much about it, he went to order a coffee and pastry before deciding to face the intruder.

Adrien put on his most determined face and started toward the table. He had no intention of causing a scene or making a negative impression, but even if he wasn't going to tell the person off, he still wanted to be able to sit in the back. And if this stranger was going to be a regular, he needed to stake claim to his territory. Rounding the corner, he nearly spilled his coffee when he saw Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Immediately, Adrien's expression went limp.

Marinette's head shot up at the sudden movement in her peripheral vision and her cheeks reddened at the sight of him.

"Adrien?" she said incredulously.

"Marinette!" he cried, changing his mind about being upset. "Do you mind if I have a seat?" For a moment, she stared blankly at him, and he could almost see the gears working to try and figure out why he had spoken to her.

"Oh! Yes, of course! Right. Has a meet! I mean, have a seat," she stuttered. She probably tried to greet him somewhere in that stream of words, though he couldn't have been sure. A grin stretched across his face and he sat on the couch across from her.

"Thanks." Silence fell between them, and it was suffocating. "I didn't know you knew about this café," Adrien confessed. Marinette hid behind her book only slightly.

"I only found it today. Being in a new place inspires me more." She indicated toward her sketchbook.

"That's really nice. Do you like it here?"

"Yea, the aesthetic is really quaint."

"I like it too." The renewed silence that fell upon them then was more comforting than the last, as if they didn't need to speak, and there was an ease between them. What had to be said had been said.

And so, they sat; Adrien with his coffee and book, Marinette with her sketchpad and pastry.

This little piece of comfort continued for months, a routine having formed in their weekly meeting.

"Good afternoon, Marinette."

"Good afternoon, Adrien."

Nothing changed otherwise. They hardly spoke outside of greetings, comments on pastries the other had, and short goodbyes. Things worked. Things were peaceful. Things were nice. He liked things.

And then things got stagnant. And he got anxious. And he started to notice things.

Like, the expressions that Marinette made when she was drawing, and the pure concentration and bliss that crossed her eyes. Like, the freckles that dotted her cheeks and how they stood out if he stared long enough. Like, the way her eyes lit up every time she looked up at him, and how much he started to like how blue they were.

He was so screwed.

A small part of him wanted to ask her out, but knowing the way she usually was at school, it might not have ended well. Adrien considered this action for two weeks. Two weeks too long. Several times he opened his mouth to speak, only to produce a couple strangled sounds before closing it again. He needed to change his game plan. A date might have been too intense.

Adrien took a heavy and deep breath on the third week of his revelation. Today was the day, and nothing would stop him, not even himself.

"Marinette?" Slowly, the girl looked up from her sketchbook, her eyes half lidded as she broke the concentration she had on her latest piece.

"Yes, Adrien?" His stomach did backflips at the sound of his name. The way she said it made his gut clench and curl.

"Do you think I could buy you a coffee?" Her eyes flickered to already steaming cup on the table and panic filled her face. Adrien held back every desire to freak out. "I mean, sometime. Not today. Some other day. It doesn't have to be here. We could meet at another café. Or maybe a restaurant. Up to you." Blood rushed to his cheeks, and he noticed a similar occurrence in Marinette's. She smiled a smile that reached her eyes.

"Dinner sounds great."