Zoe was a mess. She had intended to confess to Marinette months ago, at the encouragement of her Stepfather, Andre. That was right around the time that Monarch had stepped up his game as well as her half-sister Chloe having her breakdown. Andre had lost his job as Mayor and had returned to just managing the hotel and starting to write a sequel to Solitude. He had tentatively asked Zoe to play the daughter of Emilie Agreste's character in that movie as well and they had spent hours going over the role. Then school had started up again and even though they did not have formal classes anymore, Marinette was busy with fashion and Chinese lessons while she was focusing on acting.

So the months had passed and it was now October 1st. There was a big costume party being held at the Grand Paris Hotel on Halloween and Zoe really wanted Marinette to be her date. She had texted Marinette this morning and had asked her to meet at the local coffee shop for pumpkin spice lattes. She knew nothing else but coffee could drag Marinette from her bed early on a rainy Sunday morning. Zoe hummed as she donned her jacket and pulled a hood over her blonde locks.

She felt a small hand patting her side. She looked down at Pollen whom was smiling up at her. That was the other reason she had been so busy lately. Ladybug had insisted all of the fledgling heroes receive formal training from herself, Chat Noir, and Su-Han. There was also training maneuvers and war games as well. It was fun but she knew how serious it could be too. After all, she had been the Black Cat holder briefly.

"You are going to do wonderfully, my Queen." Pollen interrupted her train of thought. "Your beloved will be delighted at your affections and become your own Queen."

"I don't know, Pollen. What if she likes someone else?"

Marinette had come out to her in confidence last month, that she liked girls and not guys. This was a surprise as everyone was sure she had feelings for Adrien. Zoe had been working herself up to this confession ever since. She could not bear the thought of another girl at Marinette's side. She gave Pollen a quick kiss on the head and headed out into Paris.

The rain had made the streets shine and a cool breeze blew through and bit into Zoe. It was clean and crisp though, so she hardly minded. There was less traffic after the changes by the new major, so at least she didn't have to worry about someone speeding and soaking her as they passed. She arrived at the coffee shop fifteen minutes early. This shop would be abuzz with both tourists and natives taking advantage of the limited Pumpkin spice drink. Zoe had met Marinette at this place enough that the barista started preparing their drinks as she walked in.

"Hey, Helen." Zoe called as she removed her coat. She had chosen a trendy gray sweater dress with matching leggings and boots. A white belt sat across her waist. "Thank you for getting those ready for us."

"Least I can do for my favorite couple. Hopefully, it will be official soon?" Helen cocked an eyebrow as she handed Zoe the drinks.

"I sure hope so. I plan to confess to her today."

"I think you're in with a good chance, if that helps. I know Tom and Sabine as they vendor our pastries, and their daughter getting out of bed for anyone on a day like today must be true love."

Zoe felt her cheeks sting with heat at the thought. True love. She would be over the moon if that applied to her. "I… I hope so."

Helen laughed and swiped at the counter with a cloth. "You'll be fine! Tell you what, if she says no I'll pay for those drinks myself."

"Thank you, Helen. That means a lot."

"Anytime, kiddo. Just make sure you keep bringing Marinette here."

"Like I would go anywhere else." Came a voice from the door as the bell chimed. "The things those other shops try to sell are barely even bread. Not as good as my parents Chocolate Croissants."

Zoe's heart thumped hard as the raven-haired girl came in. Her blue eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were pink from the cold. She removed her jacket and Zoe found she was in a red version of the same outfit she was wearing. The only other difference was her belt was black and not white. For a moment, Ladybug flashed in Zoe's mind and she shuddered. She had often fantasied about her, Marinette, and Ladybug being very alone together.

"Hey, Zoe." Marinette stepped in and embraced her. Zoe sank into those warm arms and inhaled. Marinette always smelled of fruit and warm bread. She felt safe as they touched. "Thank you for getting me out of my room. I was starting to see Chinese letters in places they did not belong."

Zoe giggled and handed Marinette her latte. "I understand. My stepfather has been drilling me on the role for his sequel movie. I think I can quote Emilie's line from the first movie by heart."

Marinette gave her a warm smile and took a sip of her drink. Now was the time. Zoe took a deep breath and smiled at Marinette.

"Marinette, I need to confess something to you. I should have told you this last month, but I was a bit of a coward. You shared something very precious with me, and I should have shared my own secret with you as well. I also like girls Marinette. In particular, I like you. Actually, it's more than that. You reached out to me when no one else really did. You accepted me despite my family and what Chloe had done to you. You've been the best friend I could ever ask for. I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Marinette set her coffee down and reached over to take Zoe's hands in hers. "I had a feeling, that you felt the same as I did. But I didn't want to assume. I told you I liked girls to see how you would react. And I was so glad to see how happy you looked. I fell for you Zoe. In your kindness and the way you support those around you. So yes, I would love to be your girlfriend because I love you too, Zoe Lee." The two leaned in and kissed tenderly, their very first.

There was cheering from the coffee shop at large. Zoe felt her face burn with blush but she held tightly to Marinette's hands in her own.

"Just so you know, Zo." Marinette said as she brought one of her hands to her lips and pressed a gentle kiss on the back. Zoe shuddered in delight, already loving her pet name. "I intend for us to win that couple's costume contest at the Grand Paris Hotel. You up for the challenge?"

Zoe smiled brightly. "With you at my side, Mari, I could take on the entire world!"

Hello, I hope you enjoyed the first day of the Zoenette ship month! This will be a serialized story that takes place over the entire month of October. I hope you join me for all 31 stories.

Tomorrow: Girlfriends.

Very special thanks to XaranAlamas on A03 for helping me by beta reading. Please go check out their stuff.