At the age of 23, Adrien thought he was pretty independent finally living separately from his father. He had his job, friends and Marinette to whom he still hadn't confessed after years of silently loving. Then one night a phone call changes everything. A forced, "you don't really have an option if you value your life" marriage to a childhood friend whom he hadn't seen in years or prove that you have your own fiancée until the sun goes down. Marinette will help him. That's what best friends are for, right?

She shouldn't be home yet - Adrien thought but decided to knock first anyway. No one opened.

"So far so good," he whispered to himself and pulled out his own key. The blond poked in his head first before entering and looked around. The space was desolated.

"Marinette?" he called her name just to make sure he was there alone. Receiving no answer, Adrien grinned to himself.

Great. I have a few hours then.

The young man carefully put a few bags and a bouquet of flowers on the floor and was about to take his shoes off when an overexcited dog appeared out of nowhere and knocked him down.

"Hey, Tikki." Adrien couldn't stop laughing as he tried his hardest to prevent the invader from licking his face all over. It's not that he didn't enjoy her affection because he did. A lot. However, today he had to look perfect. No messy hairstyles and sloppy drool on his jaw allowed.

"There, there, girl," he petted the puppy. "I am happy to see you too! Really, really happy. Now let me go, please."

Tikki, a one-year-old ginger cocker spaniel, stepped back and gave Adrien a chance to get up.

"Today is the big day, girl," the blond said once on his feet. "Today I'm finally going to tell your mommy the truth."

The puppy barked and ran off into the apartment. A gentle smile tugged at the corners of Adrien's lips. Tikki was growing up to be a wonderful dog that both he and Marinette loved to pieces. That spontaneous decision he made a year ago passing by an outdoor adoption event at a local shelter was really a godsend. A cute little puppy with huge mischievous eyes and a red bow on her collar, playful and lively, the one who loved to express her affection, was the perfect present for the love of his life on her first day at her new workplace. Thanks to Master Fu, the owner of the "Miraculous" shelter, who was quite helpful and understanding, Adrien was able to adopt Tikki and surprise Marinette on the same day. Ever since then she was their first baby. The second was Plagg, a grumpy black kitten adopted from the same shelter, which Marinette gave to Adrien a few weeks later to repay the favor.

"Woof, woof!" Tikki barked right behind Adrien as he was putting the last of his purchases in the fridge.

"Awww, Tikki," Adrien cooed as he knelt beside the puppy and pointed to a leash in her teeth. "Want to go for a walk? Good dog, Tikki," he petted her behind the ear. "Let me just put mommy's flowers in a vase and I'll walk you. But not for long," Adrien warned. "We still need to cook her a delicious dinner. Ok?"

The dog happily yelped and put her leash in front of Adrien.

For her part, Tikki was extremely happy to see her daddy. While she liked living with her mommy, Adrien's quite frequent visits just weren't the same as him being there constantly so she really looked forward to them. He was always so kind and playful and Tikki loved him from the first time they met. The way her daddy looked at her with those big emerald eyes of his made her want to stay with him forever, to daily shower him with affection and love, to be his very best friend ever. Don't get her wrong, Tikki loved her mommy a lot but daddy was special. So special that she loved to show him off to the neighboring pets at every opportunity. Just as she did now, while the two of them headed down to the streets and made a quick run around a couple of blocks before returning back to the apartment, much of Tikki's disappointment. She proudly ran in front of daddy, keeping her head high, all the way home. If Tikki could she'd love to stay longer, she'd run free all day, wagging that tail and licking strangers' hands, playing with children and making friends with other dogs as long as daddy was there by her side. However, today was not a day for that. Today was somehow special, her daddy had said, so she'd listen to him just this once.

Getting back home, Tikki settled safely out of the way and curiously observed Adrien as he took some weirdly shaped products humans loved to eat called "vegetables", boxes and bottles out of the fridge and began to cook. He chopped those "vegetables"; he boiled some water and put some long yellow sticks in. Mommy loved those sticks and often made them. Tikki even tried them once but wasn't really a fan. Blah, she scrunched her nose at the memory but almost jumped up seeing what daddy did next. He took out some deliciously smelling meat, put some stuff in it and rolled the mixture into balls. The aroma was mind-blowing and Tikki's mouth started watering. Now that human food obsession she could understand. Those balls always did smell good and the last time she sneaked a few out of mommy's plate they tasted even better.

That was her only excuse.

"Woof!" she politely asked for one.

"No, Tikki," Adrien answered. "You are not allowed uncooked meat and you know that."

"Woof, woof!" Tikki begged again, this time more sternly.

"Don't even bother, girl," he smiled. "I'm not that easily purr-suaded and I am not a softie, no matter what mommy says."

"Wooof," Tikki almost cried. Daddy was lying. He always gave up after fourth or fifth ask. Always.

"No," Adrien turned to mock frown at the puppy. "And don't you dare to look at me like that, missy. Those big sad eyes won't work on me today."

The blond quickly turned away but Tikki still saw it. A small smile tugging at the corners of his lips - a sign that Adrien almost surrendered. Tikki cheered up and rose to her legs. Her tail started to wiggle as she approached the man. She scowled a little more searching Adrien's eyes but he ignored her, instead, reaching up the cabinet to take out a few plates. Tikki pouted. It seemed like her daddy was trying his hardest today to resist her charm. There was only one thing left to do then - a direct attack on his kindness. The dog jumped up and caught Adrien's pants in her teeth. She tugged lightly, scowling.

"Tikki, stop it," Adrien warned balancing the fancy china Marinette kept for special occasions in one arm while holding onto the counter for stability with the other. Even with his height, the supermodel/CEO-in-training had to stand on his tiptoes to get what he wanted. That specific set was held on the highest shelf for a reason. It was used strictly for very special occasions. Now, however, Adrien was taking it out because today he felt he had to use it. This evening would be absolutely the most special for quite a while.

Despite the warning, Tikki jumped on Adrien again and tugged harder, seemed to be only encouraged by it.

What happened next was hard to describe. By unfortunate coincidence, Tikki hit the weak spot behind Adrien's knee and his leg gave way. Losing his balance, Adrien fell down but not before grabbing onto the shelf and bringing the whole thing down with him. The cabinet and the china. All of it, not just the fancy set. The man quickly curled into a ball and covered his head with his arms as the remnants of plates and cups came crashing down to the floor. Something big hit him hard somewhere in the middle of his back. A few moments later all the crashing and breaking turned into a dead silence.

Adrien looked around. Tikki was nowhere to be seen. Neither was there a single unbroken piece of dinnerware. It all was smashed.

"That," he rubbed the back of his head. "Won't be easy to fix."

The sound of the opening door and the voice of his princess calling out did not make him feel better at all.

Well, today was certainly not one of her ordinary days. Marinette hadn't been in such an awkward situation in quite some time so as she slowly walked up the stairs of her apartment building she had one thought in mind - a nice, quiet evening at home, a simple dinner and cuddles with her puppy while watching a nice relaxing movie. No distractions and tough decisions, just peace and quiet. That was the only thing she desired right now. The girl reached her door in sweet anticipation. Well deserved peace and quiet was so close…

Marinette froze instantly. Behind the door there was no peace and quiet. Behind her door something was crashing, falling and breaking. Quickly tugging on the handle to check if it was closed, Marinette pulled out a key and, keeping her cell phone nearby just in case, she opened the door.

"Alya?" was the first name that came to mind. Her best friend often dropped by unannounced. In fact, all three of her friends could spring on her without a warning. Even when she wasn't home their visits wasn't that unusual, all of them having a spare key to her apartment. They simply let themselves in and waited.

"Close, but not really," she heard Adrien's voice instead.

A relieved sigh escaped her lips as the tension slowly started to withdraw. Pleasantly surprised to have Adrien over so soon again, Marinette put her bag to a side and headed to the kitchen. The scenery, however, had her stop dead in her tracks again. One of the cupboards was down on a counter; some parts were even down on the floor, which was covered with ceramic debris, pieces of dishes and cups. Tikki was guiltily hiding her head a few meters away. Flustered and covered in white dust from head to toes, Adrien nervously rubbed the back of his neck while still sitting on the floor with the most perplexed expression on his face.

"I can explain?" he offered to her silent question.

"What happened here?" Marinette whispered.

"I was cooking us dinner?"

"And?"

"I might have pulled that cabinet down by accident," Adrien nervously muttered out. "I'll fix it tomorrow. I promise."

"All of my dishes…" Marinette kneeled down to pick up a few of the remnants of previously gorgeous antique china her mother gave her as a present for moving into her first apartment.

"I'll replace them," Adrien added quickly. "Tomorrow. I promise. As soon as stores open. Honestly. I'll buy you all the china you want. The prettiest one we can find…" He paused and lowered his eyes in shame. "It was an accident, Mari. I am so sorry."

Marinette lifted her eyes to look at Adrien and the corners of her lips twitched in a smile. He looked so guilty and apologetic, even a bit miserable, that it was kind of cute, even cuter than Tikki, and that puppy was the cuteness champion. Marinette giggled and was about to tell him not to worry when she noticed a few small cuts on his face and his right arm.

"Oh my gosh, Adrien! You are hurt!" she moved closer and quickly inspected the man. The cuts weren't deep but they required some basic treatment. He was also covered in white powder and small glass pieces, which definitely needed to be cleaned.

"It's nothing se…"

"Shower. Now." Marinette stood up and tugged Adrien forward as well. "You have about fifteen minutes before I come in to look at you and treat those."

"Yes, ma'am," Adrien reported and escaped before Marinette could wipe that suddenly emerging grin off his face.

"Men and their puppies," Marinette sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Adrien was 23 years old, a successful supermodel, a CEO of the fashion empire in training but he was still sometimes such a child that it was hard to believe. Marinette could understand Tikki's silly behavior from time to time. After all, she was just a one-year-old pup but Adrien… Speaking of puppies.

"Tikki?" she turned to the puppy silently lying beside the door. The moment Marinette laid her eyes on the dog the latter covered her snout with paws.

"I know it was you, Tikki," Marinette accused.

Tikki only deeper buried her face and scowled lightly. A look of amusement crept onto Marinette's face as she knelt down and pet the dog behind the ear.

"Did you at least say you were sorry, missy? You know, you can't just mess around so much that people get hurt."

In response, the puppy only raised her big sad eyes and stared right at Marinette until the girl groaned in defeat. She wasn't immune to that trick and to her shame, Tikki had seemed to figure it out.

"Alright," she sighed. "I'll forgive you for the dishes and the cabinet but you have to say sorry to Adrien, deal?"

"Woof," Tikki sprung on her feet and wiggled her tail.

"Good," Marinette chuckled. "Now go to the living room and stay there until I clean this mess up."

As soon as Tikki dashed away Marinette took another look around the kitchen. Cabinets – ruined. Dishes – smashed. There were even flowers all over the floor. Flowers she didn't remember having prior to this moment. Dinner? Oh! Apparently, there was food cooking… That could be saved. Partially. She quickly hid away the unaffected part of the meal and, picking up a broom, got to work. In about fifteen minutes the kitchen was back to a decent condition and enough spaghetti and meatballs to feed two grown adults were saved and served on a plastic serving platter. That huge tray was the only suitable object for serving a meal that had survived the "Tikkidrien"-caused kitchen apocalypse. The water in the bathroom wasn't running anymore for quite some time so Marinette grabbed a first aid kit and headed that direction.

"Adrien?" the girl knocked on the door. "Can I come in?"

"I think so," the blond opened the door. Marinette stepped forward and stopped dead at the threshold. She blinked a few times just as her heart skipped a beat or two. Damn that perfect body of the hot international supermodel that was still wet and dripping, every muscle impeccably toned and that gorgeous, disheveled blond hair that had a habit of driving her insane! Adrien smiled shyly, finishing drying his hair with a towel. Shirtless and inexcusably attractive. In the middle of her bathroom.

"Um…"

"Where is your shirt?" Marinette mumbled blushing furiously.

"There is a huge rip at the back," Adrien replied. "And I don't have anything else to wear. Plus you wanted to see my injuries and I suspect there is something on my back as well, 'cause it hurts a bit."

"Right," Marinette whispered and stepped closer. "Turn around. Let me see."

As soon as Adrien turned Marinette almost gasped. His back was marred with a wide cut across its upper part. It wasn't deep enough to require stitches but it needed to be treated nevertheless. Marinette opened her first aid kit and started the process.

"I'll try to be as gentle as possible," she reassured him. "Let me know if it hurts too bad and I'll stop. Ok?"

"Mmmhhh," Adrien hummed and tensed up. He closed his eyes in anticipation and frowned. Judge him but that was one of his most guarded secrets. Adrien Agreste didn't like the pain the so-called "disinfecting" medicine caused. Never had and probably never would. It was funny really but even the slightest sting of that stuff was enough to frighten the living daylights out of him. He could easily go through extensive workouts, have every part of his body hurt the next few days and not even notice that. But bring out the antiseptic… The pain of the injury didn't even hurt him so much. Adrien suspected there was some underlying childhood trauma involved but no one really mentioned anything in particular to him and he wasn't about to go out of his way to interrogate his father. Gabriel probably didn't even know anything anyway. It was always his mom who watched over him. Well… until she disappeared about nine years ago.

Adrien shook his head.

Focus, Agreste! After the pain you just endured some twenty minutes ago, buried under the avalanche of dishes and a kitchen cabinet, a little burn should feel like nothing.

Unfortunately, not even that thought could calm his nerves. Dishes disaster was a painful accident but it was all over before Adrien could even realize what was happening and avoid it. Burning, stinging, evil antiseptic application to an open wound, on the other hand, was about to be done to him purposely... by the woman he loved and cherished above everything else but was currently considering escaping from. Technically, a sudden thought hit him, he could run away and come back only after the cuts get better but then… he was supposed to be an adult and suck it up.

"All done," Marinette declared suddenly.

"What do you mean 'all done'?" Adrien asked in disbelief. "I didn't feel any pain."

"You shouldn't have, silly."

Marinette giggled and showed him a tube he never saw before. "This is a cream antiseptic. It doesn't sting at all."

Bewildered, Adrien took the lifesaving medicine and inspected it carefully. "Where did you buy it? I need that too. Tons of it."

"At any pharmacy, Adrien," the girl answered and took the thing away. "Now let me see your neck and arm."

Adrien complied, relieved that someone in this world had a mercy on him and invented the miracle called a cream antiseptic. He turned around and closed his eyes again. This time, however, not due to his fear of unpleasant experiences but to enjoy the feather light touches of Marinette's fingers. They skimmed over his skin, lightly applying the cool mixture onto his cuts, bringing out the most pleasant sensations. Adrien breathed out the tension trying hard not to purr or worse to moan. That had to be the most delightful and intimate experience he had ever had with Marinette and if him getting injured meant she would treat him this way every time, assuming there would be a cream kind of antiseptic, Adrien wasn't sure he could resist it from time to time. Even despite the pain that must precede the heavenly pleasure of her touch to his bare skin.

"Done," Marinette declared. "Wait here. I'll go to see if I can find you a big enough shirt to fit in."

"Are you sure you've got all of them?" Adrien whined. That was way too quick. He might need to pull another cabinet off the wall later.

"I am pretty sure I did. Now wait here. I'll be right back."

"Fine," Adrien pouted and looked into the mirror.

"You forgot my face," he shouted right away. There were a few little scratches on his cheeks and one on his forehead. "I'm a model, Marinette. My face needs to be treated too so it doesn't inflame and scar later."

"It's your face," Adrien heard Marinette shout from her bedroom. "It's right in front of you. You can do it yourself."

"You are so cruel—" he whispered to himself and took the tube of the miracle cream, "—to tease me like that and run away."

"What did you say?" Marinette asked standing in the doorframe a moment later. She held a white t-shirt in her hands and a curious expression on her face.

"Nothing." Adrien blushed. "Nothing important. Just wondering why haven't I known about this amazing cream before?"

"Okay," Marinette laughed and pushed the shirt in his hands. "There. It's one of those oversized t-shirts I like to sleep in. Sorry about that," a cute pink tint suddenly started to spread on her cheeks. "I know it's not new but it should fit and it's better than having to wear your ripped one. So change and I'll wait for you in the kitchen. There's a dinner to eat from what I could see."

Marinette left but Adrien continued to stand and stare after her. That woman was a terrible tease and, honestly, he secretly suspected she enjoyed torturing him. Not that she was aware of the extent of his feelings for her in the slightest, simply because Adrien had never confessed them, being too afraid to spoil everything. After all, he fell for those gorgeous eyes and that charming confidence about the same time she finally stopped stuttering and freezing around his persona, which meant she finally stopped hating him. Adrien wasn't a fool to risk being disliked by Marinette again. There was no way in the world he would have admitted his feelings then. He had to wait until she at least liked him as a good friend.

That stupid gum incident! He should've never touched that stuff. One good intention gone wrong and eight years later he was forced to keep his heart in check and his mouth shut just so he could still be around Marinette a few times a week.

Thankfully, Adrien thought that his time had finally come. Marinette and him had slowly but surely become really close over the years. They started out in a group of four, Nino and Alya included. Then those two appeared to ditch them more often than not, which neither Marinette nor him protested to. Who would, actually, when they clearly saw the reason? Two lovebirds eager to dump their third and fourth wheels to be alone. That fortunate coincidence left Adrien free to spend some quality time alone with Marinette under the pretense that he was "used to" spending a few days a week with his friends and she was the last one left who was willing to tolerate him. Poor Marinette, of course, agreed out of her bottomless, kind heart and, despite feeling guilty sometimes for taking such an advantage of her, Adrien couldn't be happier.

These days a random visit wasn't a surprise anymore. Adrien could come any day and cook them a dinner or bring popcorn for a movie night on her couch. They went shopping together, exchanged random gifts, laughed and cried together. Adrien was there helping Marinette out when she broke her leg back in her first year of university. He was there for her graduation. He was the first one to congratulate her on an amazing job offer from his father (without any involvement on his involvement, honestly). Her first paycheck they spent together. He was the first one to know that she would be moving into her very first rented apartment soon because with her salary she could finally afford it. He was her first guest in the said apartment and now, unfortunately, he was the first one to wreck it. To his shame he didn't even regret that. Every scratch and bump was totally worth it. Adrien blushed and shrugged his shoulders.

Focus, Agreste!

The main point was – Adrien believed that they were finally at the point in their lives when Marinette wouldn't cringe at the thought of him thinking of her more than a friend. Way more, actually, and if he dared to dream she might even give him a chance to make her fall for him. He smiled at the thought. He'd made up his mind. Today he would confess. The evening didn't start out right but he'd make it better somehow and would admit to Marinette at last that he had been in love with her for years. He pulled the t-shirt over his head. It fit. It was actually even a little loose and it smelled like Marinette – sweet and homey. Adrien grinned into the mirror and tried to make his hair presentable. He knew he was considered to be "hot", being an international supermodel and all, but today he had to look his best because today was special. In a few moments, minutes, hours… Adrien wasn't really certain when exactly but today, if he was lucky, Marinette might accept him.

"Hey," he waved shyly, walking into the kitchen.

Marinette smiled and pointed to the table. "Hey. Feeling better?"

"Yeah, kind of. Thanks," Adrien responded and sat at the table looking around. The kitchen was ruined. The cabinet he pulled down tugged the neighboring ones and they were barely holding on. In fact, Marinette was just finishing taking the stuff out to relieve the pressure and prevent another disaster. He'd need to replace her kitchen as soon as possible. Adrien only hoped Marinette wouldn't get in trouble with her landlord before he could do that. He'd also need to buy her new dishes because, as it seemed, she had none left. A big serving plate full of spaghetti and meatballs at the center of the table clearly proved that.

"Look, Mari. I am really, really sorry about this," he eyed the ruined kitchen cabinets. "It really was an accident, Mari—"

"One more word and I'll start to think otherwise, Agreste," Marinette interrupted before sitting down across the table and handing him a fork. "You don't need to apologize, Adrien. I know it was an accident. Have you forgotten who you are talking to? I am the master of those. 'Clumsy Mari' from my college days has done much, much worse."

"Ohhhh," Adrien giggled. "I remember that girl. She seemed a little shy all the time but had a strange habit of falling for me."

Marinette snapped her eyes to him and instantly blushed.

"I mean falling at me- on me- like physically on my body- agh! I am not implying anything- or something…" Adrien stuttered going crimson himself.

"Oh, just forget I said anything," he muttered out and dug into the dish in front of him. Marinette's laugh brought him out of his misery as soon as he took his first bite.

"You—" she couldn't stop chuckling. "You look so adorable when you pout."

"Like a kitten that's been wronged," she added a moment later calming a bit down. "Don't worry. I know what you are talking about. I was there to witness her embarrassments myself, remember?"

"It feels like we switched places recently for some reason," Adrien frowned.

"I doubt that. You still have a long way before you reach my level, Agreste."

Marinette smiled and stuck her fork into a mountain of spaghetti. She twirled it around but stopped just before taking it out simply staring at the pasta. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts suddenly. Adrien observed her curiously noticing for the first time in the day that she was sad for some reason. Her eyes were sad. Her smile was sad. Her mood was dejected.

"Hey, Mari?" he asked quietly. "What's wrong? If it's about those cabinets—"

"If you say another word about that—" Marinette warned pointing her fork at him. "—I am taking outthat magazine!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Adrien gasped.

"Do you want to tempt fate?" she smirked.

"Fine," Adrien relented after successfully losing a short staring match. "But if it's about those cab—"

"Chat. Noir," Marinette singsong.

"Shutting up," Adrien squeaked and returned to his dish. That particular experience was not something he wanted to remember. However, Marinette enjoyed herself immensely every time it came up. Just as she did now. She giggled happily and, looking at her sparkling eyes and easy smile, Adrien smiled himself. At least she didn't look so gloomy anymore.

"It's not the cabinets, Adrien," Marinette explained a few moments later. "I just had the most awkward day ever. That's it."

"Such as?"

"I don't really want to talk about that," the girl sighed. "It wasn't a highlight of my year, you know."

"You'll feel better if you let it out," Adrien offered.

"Nah, I am fine," Marinette smiled but it didn't reach her eyes this time again. The sadness was slowly creeping back and Adrien had to do something.

"I'll tell you one of my secrets in exchange. My biggest secret in fact," he cocked his head to the side. Here was a perfect opportunity to start the conversation he needed and to make Marinette feel better. He wasn't about to pass on it.

"Your biggest secret, Chat Noir?" Marinette was clearly intrigued. Adrien could tell even from her using the nickname she pulled only on special occasions. "Is it good? Will I like it?"

"I sure hope so," Adrien felt his insides tighten. She'd better like it cause if she didn't he was screwed. "For once, it's something no one else knows about me."

"Huh, really?" the girl hummed. "Not even that MM magazine?"

"Agh!" Adrien groaned and dropped his head on a table. He cursed the day he decided to accept a photo-shoot offer from that organization a long time ago. His father absolutely refused to even consider it but did Adrien listen? He was a newly turned young adult after all and he now could make his own decisions so he went against everyone. To his vindication, it was his rebel stage but even he should've known better than to dress up as a black cat nicknamed Chat Noir, cat ears and a tail included, for one of those women's magazines designed for them to drool over hot guys. An exclusive interview and pictures of Adrien "Chat Noir dressed in tight black leather" Agreste was still a sore spot on his resume. Marinette just happened to have a copy of that disaster and threatened to take it out every time she felt like teasing him, which didn't happen often but still, he dreaded it.

"Not even them," he smirked. "Come on, Mari. A secret for a secret. We're friends, aren't we? Friends share secrets."

Marinette seemed to consider the offer, silently chewing on her food.

"Ok," she agreed after a few minutes. "But my story is nothing pleasant."

"I'm sure it's very interesting," Adrien beamed. A level up in their relationship – the sharing of dark secrets. She was sure to accept his feelings at this stage or at least not to cast him away in disgust.

"Ok, so do you remember that new designer from London your father hired a few months ago?" Marinette started.

"James something?" Adrien wasn't sure about his name but he did hear his father gush about the guy a lot. His talent was extraordinary according to Gabriel and unquestionably worth the high salary he was promised in order to move from England to France.

"James P. Watson," Marinette scrunch her nose. "Yeah, him."

"What about him?" Adrien didn't like where it was going already.

"Well—"Marinette bit her lower lip and looked to a side, "—he might have ambushed me today in my office and confessed his undying love in the most romantic way possible."

The girl blushed and refused to look at Adrien for what he was extremely thankful because his face wasn't a face to gaze upon and not to ask if he was alright. Pale and nervous, he asked the next question with a crack in his voice.

"And what did you say?"

Marinette sighed heavily and bit her lip even harder.

"What could I say? I don't know him that well to return his feelings. I barely spoke to him before. How could I be in love with a man I know nothing about?"

"So you rejected him?" Adrien made sure. If the only issue was that she didn't know the other person well, then he still had a chance. Marinette knew him probably better than his own father did.

"After my initial response James offered to get to know each other better before I give him my final answer," Marinette continued. "So I had to tell him the real reason why I can't return his feelings, which is a pity cause he really is a nice guy."

"And the real reason is?" Adrien held his breath.

"The real reason is the fact that I am not looking to get into a relationship right now," Marinette looked straight at Adrien. "I like my life the way it is right now. I have you, guys, and all the people I need to be happy," she sighed and looked at the dish in front of her. "Plus, I have my career to take care of first. My field is a very competitive one, I can't get distracted, right?"

"Right," Adrien whispered after a little pause when he could finally tear his eyes away from blushing, nervous Marinette. If he'd promise not to distract her more than he already was doing then, maybe, he still had a chance? He could be a part-time boyfriend. He could actually help her if she would let him.

"But the most awkward part is not even that," the girl added. "Now I have to avoid him whenever possible."

"Why?" Adrien was surprised. "He isn't harassing you, is he?"

"No, of course, no," Marinette said. "Quite the opposite, actually. He is a great guy and he will get over me eventually but meanwhile, I don't want him to be reminded of my rejection every time we meet. The less we see each other the better so I've got to minimize our meetings unless it's absolutely necessary. Won't you agree? It'll be better for him, easier this way."

"Makes sense," Adrien mumbled nervously biting hard on the inside of his cheek. That… that just evaporated his chances.

Marinette smiled sadly and dug into the spaghetti again. He followed her suit to remain calm because on the inside he was panicking. Marinette wasn't looking for a relationship and she was planning to avoid the guy who was brave enough to confess to her to make it easier on him. That was something to consider… a lot to consider, actually. In a way Adrien pitied him but he also felt suddenly very grateful to the one James P. Watson. The unfortunate enamored English designer made it possible for a similarly hopeless French supermodel to avoid the disaster. A heartbreaking disaster, nevertheless. James' failure stopped Adrien from carelessly pouring his heart out. And that was good because if he did, he could've lost Marinette. She wasn't looking for a relationship, so she would surely reject him too. Worse, she would've avoided him as well. And that was something he wasn't prepared to accept. Adrien could live through the rejection. He would not survive the avoidance. Thank you, James P. Watson.

"So—" Marinette continued. "—I told you my secret. Now it's your turn."

"Right," Adrien panicked. His secret was now confidential information, not to be disclosed anytime soon. "Well- you see- my secret- my secret isn't that great," he mumbled desperately searching for a solution.

"I bought you your favorite dessert," he tried. "The Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. And flowers. There were flowers somewhere here."

"That's your secret?" Marinette stared at him in disbelieve. "First of all, I knew that. I saw the cake in the fridge and flowers on the floor earlier so that is not a secret. Second, you can't be serious. That doesn't even qualify as a secret."

"Well—" Adrien nervously rubbed the back of his neck, a habit he seemed not be able to subdue.

"You didn't have a secret to start with!" Marinette gasped. "You tricked me, Agreste!"

"Oops," Adrien chuckled apologetically. Let's go with that. Being a trickster is better than to admit he was about to repeat James P. Watson's mistake. "You caught me."

"Adrien! That's so unfair," Marinette pouted.

"Hey, I just wanted to make you feel better," he argued back but Marinette frowned even more and ceremonially turned away.

"I am not speaking to you for ten minutes, Agreste."

"Hey," Adrien laughed. "Listen, let me make it up to you, Mari. You can ask me any question and I'll answer it."

Marinette turned back and cocked her head to the side, clearly interested.

"Anything?"

"Anything," the blond confirmed.

"Ok," she grinned and sat back. Marinette placed her hands on the table, put her chin on them and curiously observed him for a minute with narrow eyes. Adrien felt suddenly nervous. Please, just don't…

'The only thing I don't know about you—" Marinette grinned. "—is if there is a special one in your life."

…ask him about that. Adrien dropped his head down.

"Looks like I've hit a jackpot, kitty," the girl teased. "So, tell me."

"Kitty?" Adrien raised an eyebrow. Anything to avoid answering that question.

"Would you prefer Chat Noir?"

"Kitty is fine," Adrien agreed.

"So be it. I am still waiting, kitty."

"There is no getting out of this?" Adrien sighed.

"Nope."

"Fine," he started. "I do have someone special."

Adrien kept his sight on the remnants of the pasta and that last meatball in a middle. If he hadn't however, he would have noticed how suddenly Marinette tensed up and that sparkle in her eyes changed to an intense worry.

"It's really complicated, actually," he continued. "I've known and loved her for ages but, unfortunately, I can't be with her. At least not right now."

"Why?" the girl muttered out.

"Many reasons," his lips sadly twitched. "But the main, I think, is that she doesn't see me as anything more than a friend."

"What's her name?" Marinette blurted out before she could stop herself and froze in panicked anticipation when Adrien's eyes snapped to her.

"I can't tell you her name, Mari," he begged. "Please, don't make me. It'll only complicate everything even more and could ruin whatever friendship we still share."

"So there is a possibility I know her?" Marinette asked.

"A very high probability, yes," Adrien looked to the side. He wasn't good at lying. "Can we please not talk about it anymore?"

"Ok," Marinette gave up almost right away. There was no way in the world she could resist those eyes and the way he looked at her. "But from now on I am calling you kitty out of revenge. You only gave me half of your secret."

"You're not serious, are you, Mari,?" Adrien frowned.

"So you would prefer Chat Noir, right?" Marinette smirked trying to lift the tension between them. When did she become so uneasy around him again? She thought she was way past that stage a long time ago.

"I really, really dislike you right now," Adrien pouted as Marinette exploded with a laugh. A few moments later they fell back into one of those comfortable, understanding silences they shared from time to time, slowly finishing their meal, both of them having more than enough on their minds.

"Hey," Adrien suddenly said pointing to that last meatball. "This reminds me of one particular movie my mom made me watch when I was small and couldn't say no."

"Oh, really?" Marinette snorted. "Can you do it now?

Adrien didn't answer right away. He narrowed his eyes and stared back at the laughing girl.

"Only to a few certain people and you know it," he grumbled. "You shouldn't be allowed to even comment on that, Mari. Aren't you the one who loves to exploit that certain quality of mine the most? Of course, if you don't like it—" Adrien smirked, "—I can always become more like my father."

That seemed to make Marinette stop chuckling immediately. Having been working for Gabriel for some time now, she knew the man better than she'd liked to. Her face instantly became serious as she apologized: "Alright, you win. I'm sorry."

"Did you at least like it?" She asked a minute later. "The movie, I mean."

"It was a bit sappy for me back then and definitely not something I'd choose to watch on my own, but I did think that Tramp was pretty cool."

"Typical male." Marinette giggled. "I actually happen to like it a lot. All of it. Not just the pretty Lady and her puppies. What was your favorite scene?"

"Hmm," Adrien tried to remember. "I think the part where Tramp kills the rat."

"Really? Why?" Marinette inquired eyeing that last meatball.

"Well, while Tramp didn't have a lot to offer Lady he protected her when it really mattered. He risked everything, his life even, for her safety and comfort. I think that's pretty amazing," the blond looked straight at Marinette, his eyes telling her a lot more than his words could ever express. "Someday I'd like to do that for those I love too."

A soft blush covered Marinette's cheeks as bit her lower lip. There were times when she liked to pretend that she didn't imagine hidden messages behind Adrien's words but that was sometimes. In reality, she knew that Adrien saw her just as a friend and nothing more. He never treated her any differently than any other girl. But then again, she would argue that he was Adrien, this incredibly kind and selfless man who wouldn't hurt a fly. He was extra nice even to Chloe back in the days before she moved to Italy. The only difference between her and all the other girls was the amount of time they spent together but that was solely due to Alya's scheming. For better or for worse.

Adrien's tonight's confession, however, only proved what Marinette suspected already - his heart was taken by some other lucky girl a long time ago. Probably before they even met. All those years that she loved him and harbored the hope that one day he might return her feelings were only her pointless dreams. Marinette had never had a chance to begin with. She really should stop lying to herself from now on and be happy that Adrien considered her to be one of his friends and was willing to spend some of his free time with her. Marinette treasured those moments but more often than not they hurt because he was right there across the table yet she could never reach him. His heart was far, far away.

At this point of time, Marinette didn't know how much more of that realization she could take.

"Yeah, that's was pretty cool of him," she whispered a bit later returning back to her meal. The less she thought about her heart's dilemma the better.

"And what's your favorite scene?" Adrien asked.

"Mine?" Marinette stopped to think. "Well, I guess I'll go with that iconic dinner they shared. Not that heroic as the rat incident—" she noted playfully, "—but I loved how in a simple gesture Tramp showed Lady just how much he cared for her."

"If that's the case—" Adrien used his fork to roll the meatball closer to Marinette's side. "—would you like to have the last one, My Lady?"

"My Lady?" Marinette blushed.

No hidden message, Marinette, remember! Get a grip, girl!

"You have a nickname for me. It's only fair I have one for you," Adrien gave her one of his charming smiles. "Plus, My Lady is a much more appropriate one than calling a grown man a kitty."

Marinette's expression was unreadable for a moment as she observed Adrien until she smiled.

"Ok, I'll call you Chat for a cat but a grown cat. Deal?" she offered.

"As you wish, My Lady," Adrien grinned.

The rest of the evening the pair spent in their usual carefree way, forgetting all the troubles. They finished their meal, cleaned the kitchen and settled on the sofa with a movie. About half way through Marinette peacefully fell asleep on Adrien's shoulder. Nothing out of ordinary. It was late, she was tired and they had seen "The Princess Bride" about ten times already. Adrien still finished the movie. He even waited until after the credits rolled before carefully lifting Marinette up in his arms and walking over to her bedroom.

As he often did, Adrien tucked his princess in, swaddling her under few blankets just as she liked, and sat on the edge. He loved moments like these, quiet moments of absolute faith in each other. He loved how much Marinette trusted him. Falling asleep on him and giving him the key to her apartment was just a speck of how much faith she put in him. She wasn't naive, Adrien knew that, but when Marinette opened up and gave someone her affection she let her guards down fully. She didn't worry about keeping herself awake at all cost late at night because she believed that he would take good care of her. Marinette was tired - she slept, knowing that Adrien would always protect her. It was adorable in a way. He loved her even more for that.

It also gave him a chance to gaze upon her sleeping face from time to time because when Marinette slept she was even more beautiful than usual. Adrien smiled to himself and brushed his thumb lightly against her cheek. Amazingly gorgeous.

"I love you, princess," he whispered.

"But—" he added quietly, "—I can't tell that yet. One day I will though. For now, sleep tight, My Lady."

Adrien slowly stood up and left the apartment. His own wasn't that far away but, knowing that he usually left Marinette's place late, the man preferred to take his car. He made it home pretty quickly with no traffic to obstruct him and only walking into his living room finally understood why no one called him all day today. He forgot his cell phone on his kitchen table. Adrien tiredly glanced at it and frowned. 25 missed calls from Natalie and 15 directly from his father. Something must be really wrong. His father never calls him more than twice in a row. There were even a few messages left. Adrien quickly listened to them. Most were asking him to call back as soon as possible. The last one, however, did not.

The last message from his father informed him calmly that due to Adrien's unavailability today he was now happily engaged to Mlle. Chloe Bourgeois.

The stage is set. Now, what can go wrong?

Eizabeth from Tumblr created an amazing art for this chapter. Go check it out if you haven't seen it yet - eiz abe t.t um bl r (dot com)/ post/158126255788/why-is-adrien-shirtless-and-dripping-with-water-in

I love to communicate with my readers so feel free to rant in the comment's area.

Please note: English is a strange and wonderful language where many words have multiple meanings and slang can change depending on your country of origin. It is my third language so while I will do my very best, there may be mistakes made along the way. If you notice any miscommunications or incorrect word usage, help a girl out.