Chapter Text
The first time he saw them, the only thing that Adrien could think was that is the biggest dog that I have ever seen and she is so tiny how is it not dragging her behind it?
The dog was easily the height of his chest, and the young woman walking it could have only come up to his shoulder. But she was just cheerfully walking along beside the dog, chatting and laughing happily with a redheaded young woman. The dog was a big black beast—he didn’t know the breed then, nor did he particularly care, but it whined pitifully when its equally dark-haired owner paused to read a street sign. She just giggled and reached out a hand to ruffle its fur, and the giant's tail wagged happily.
Adrien’s hat blew away, and he cursed, looking for it. It would be just his luck if the hat flew beyond his reach, leaving him to be mobbed by his fans on the way home.
But no…there it was, caught against the corner of the building next to him. In a few short steps, he’d snatched it up and dusted it off, smashing it on top of his golden locks as quickly as possible. Something drew his eyes back to the woman and her dog, though, and he found the giant thing staring at him, tongue hanging out and tail wagging. It gave a light bark, and then turned to follow the woman and her friend.
The second time, it was raining.
He found himself drawn back to the little park, even though he’d never been fond of the rain. Adrien doubted that he’d see them again, but the slight chance that he would was enough to send him wandering some of the slick trails, peering through the trees until he came across the clearing in the center of the park. A fountain stood proudly in the center, still running despite the downpour, and he tugged his hood farther over his face and walked over to it.
Before he reached it, he heard a high pitched squeal, and then laughter. His green eyes sought the sound immediately, and there they were, girl and dog, in matching ladybug patterned raingear.
Frolicking.
That was the best word he had for what they were doing, splashing through puddles. She wasn’t even holding onto the leash, and her hood had fallen. Her dark hair was plastered to her pink cheeks, her mouth opened in a bout of laughter that sent a strange jolt through him.
And then the huge dog noticed him.
He knew now that it was a Newfoundland—notoriously gentle, supposedly good with kids—but this dog was definitely bigger than the average, and it was heading towards him.
“Tikki, what are you doing?” the young woman’s voice came through the rain, but the big dog just barked happily, circling around behind Adrien and then nudging him forward.
“Whoa!”
The giant dog, Tikki, barked again, running back around the boy and leaping into a puddle. Water splashed up on its owner, and the woman giggled, splashing some water back at the energetic creature before looking up at Adrien and pushing wet hair from her face.
“I’m sorry about that! Tikki really loves to play. She’s a good dog, even if she is such a giant!” The young woman laughed, reaching over and rubbing between Tikki’s ears.
“No, it’s fine!” Adrien said quickly, laughing as the dog bounded back over to him, wagging her tail. He reached out tentatively to pet her, and she barked happily, bouncing around in a circle and splashing him. “You don’t have to apologize, she’s just being playful!”
She nudged him forward again and he stumbled a bit, but Adrien couldn’t help laughing as the dark-haired woman gasped and rushed forward. She caught his arm and looked up at him, her wide blue eyes filled with apologies, and suddenly he couldn’t think straight anymore. Her lips were moving and he wasn’t hearing anything she was saying, even though he knew he needed to be paying attention.
“—re you sure you’re alright? She’s such a big dog and I know she’s a handful but—“
“I’m fine, really!” he found his voice, and he started laughing. “She just thinks I should be playing too, isn’t that it?”
He straightened and she removed her hands from his arm as her Newfoundland frolicked away, splashing in puddles as she went, running up to them excitedly and nudging the woman’s hand insistently before rushing back out to the water, and then repeating the action with Adrien. He couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled forth and finally, with a smile at the dazed woman, he stepped out with her dog and started splashing in puddles, too.
He didn’t care about his photoshoot in two hours. He didn’t care that he didn’t know this young woman’s name. He didn’t even care that his hood fell down and his hair was plastered to his face, or that he’d probably get a cold after this.
This was the most fun he’d had in a very, very long time, and it was all because of this woman and her excitable beast of a dog.
The third time Adrien saw the young woman—how did he not get her name that day in the rain?!—she and her dog were at a playground near one of his photoshoots, and the duo were both playing with the children there. He found himself watching the way she giggled, and he sighed.
Part of Adrien desperately wanted to go over to the woman and her dog and talk to them and play with the children together, but he had a photoshoot in about ten minutes and he had to keep readjusting his hat and pulling his collar up higher because his fans were starting to show up. It seemed that Chloe had once again blogged about the location of his next photoshoot on the Adriblog. He should really learn to keep things from her, but it was hard when the blonde had been his only acquaintance growing up.
The redhead he’d seen with Tikki and her owner the first time he’d ever spotted them suddenly appeared, handing the dark-haired young woman a steaming cup and a magazine as one of the children tackled her around the knees. She laughed and started interacting with the children as the other woman beamed and seemingly thanked her profusely.
Tikki glanced at the street café where he was hiding, and when their eyes connected she excitedly wagged her tail and barked.
The young woman quickly leaned over and petted her, shushing her with a soft smile and glancing towards the tables where he sat. He looked down quickly, his heart racing, as he tried to remain completely inconspicuous. He couldn’t be mobbed when the photo crew got here, after all. His father would stop letting him head to his photoshoot locations without the car, and he’d no longer be allowed to indulge in his love of people watching.
But he really wanted to go up and talk to her again.
He had just resolved to at least get up and walk by Tikki, her owner, and the woman’s friend when his phone started to ring. He lifted it from the table beside him, read Nathalie from the caller ID, and answered immediately.
“Hello?”
“Adrien, this is Nathalie. We were just informed that the photoshoot has been rescheduled for next week because the photographer is ill and his replacement is in Maui. You’re free to do what you please for the next few hours, but your father requests your presence for supper tonight.”
She was always to the point—but he was ecstatic. It gave him a chance to go talk to the woman and her friend, maybe interact with the children a little.
Luck was, for once, on his side.
“Understood, Nathalie. Thank you.”
“Goodbye, Adrien. Enjoy your day.”
“You too, Nathalie! Goodbye.”
He hung up the phone and then sent a quick text to Chloe: My photoshoot was cancelled! I’m busy with a few things, though, so I can’t talk.
Within a few moments, he received a notification for a text and a notification that her blog had been updated. A quick glance showed that her text was full of boring complaints about how she wished they could hang out, and her blog update was a short announcement that his photoshoot had been cancelled, along with a few photos from a previous shoot to tide the ladies over until the next time.
Groans sounded from a table slightly behind him and several members of the square’s crowd started to disperse.
When he finally paid for his coffee, he also bought a box of cookies as he made his way over to the group across the street. Most of the children had already been called away by parents, but about three others remained, playing with the redhead and the dog while the dark-haired young woman flipped another page of the magazine, smiled, and took a sip of whatever drink her friend had brought her.
Tikki noticed his approach and barked excitedly, rushing over to him once he was on the appropriate side of the street.
“Whoa, Tikki!” he laughed, holding his hat to make sure it didn’t fly away. He didn’t want the few fans hanging around to rush him, after all. Once he was sure his hat was secure, he reached down to scratch the large hound behind her ear. She let out a pleased whine and licked his hand.
“Tikki, what are you doing?” footsteps sounded, and the dark-haired young woman was coming toward him, her magazine abandoned on the bench, as she came over and started to apologize. “I’m sorry, she’s really friendly, I promise—“
“I know,” he chuckled. “We played in the rain the other day, didn’t we?”
She inhaled quickly and looked up, her blue eyes wide, and then a grin spread across her face and pink lightly dusted her cheeks. “So we did! I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you…oh! I didn’t get your name, did I?! Mine’s Marinette!”
She held out her hand, beaming up at him in a way that made his stomach turn over.
“Adrien,” he took her hand, but she gasped when he said his name and peered closer at him. With a smile, once he’d released her hand, he put a finger to his lips. “Don’t give me away, now. They all just started leaving!”
She flushed as red as the ladybug patterned scarf she was wearing, but she nodded vigorously and smiled brightly.
“It’s n-nice to see you again, A-Adrien!”
“It’s nice to officially meet you, Marinette,” he felt his grin spreading wider than it had in a long time, and he gestured over to her friend and the three children, holding up his box. “I saw you guys over here and I thought I’d bring a snack.”
“You didn’t have to do that!” she immediately cried, flushing, but then she smiled that same bright smile that sent a strange feeling through him. “I’m sure they’ll be happy, though. Why don’t Tikki and I go introduce you? Or should we tell them a different name?”
The playful wink she gave him this time as she exuded a playful sort of confidence was so very different from the shy woman he’d spoken to a second ago, but he saw the red rising in her cheeks and an apology making its way to her lips, so he chuckled.
“I don’t think they’re old enough to recognize me. Your friend might, though.”
“T-true,” she smiled, this time a little shyly. Tikki licked Adrien’s hand once more and bounded ahead of them as they walked. “Do you mind?”
“Not really. As long as she doesn’t start screaming,” he paused, then glanced at the young woman—Marinette—from the side, “Wait…she won’t start screaming, will she?”
“No, no, no!” Marinette chuckled. “Alya’s not really the fangirl type, unless it’s for fashion design. Her first instinct will be to ask for your picture, since she’s a blogger, but she’ll respect it if you tell her no. Usually.”
“Hate to break it to you, Marinette,” Adrien smiled at her, “but I’m the son of a famous fashion designer, and I model for new fashion. Unless she’s more focused on women’s fashion—“
“She is,” the dark-haired girl cut in quickly. “Well, mostly. She runs what she calls the Ladyblog—“
“Does she really?!” Adrien couldn’t help himself at his outburst, and he flushed a little when Marinette looked up at him in surprise. “I mean, I uh, follow her blog. The designs on it are fantastic, and the fact that the model in all of the pictures is also the girl that makes the designs? I’m kind of jealous, to be honest. And the way she maintains anonymity by wearing that ladybug mask? It’s no wonder people are calling her Ladybug.”
“Oh, I, uh, wow,” the woman beside him managed, and he glanced town to see her examining her shoes, her face the reddest it had been. “Y-you must really like her designs, since you follow them so closely!”
He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. She just giggled, and he decided that he really liked the sound.
“Marinette!” the redhead called, glancing over, “Would you mind introducing us to your friend?”
The three children—all little girls, he noticed—giggled as Marinette’s friend shushed them with a grin.
The duo reached the group as one girl ran up to Adrien and tugged at his hand. She beamed at him, a bright smile with two missing teeth, and asked him, “Hi, mister! How do you know Marinette?”
“Manon,” Marinette smiled gently, “it’s polite to ask before grabbing onto someone!”
“It’s fine,” Adrien chuckled, kneeling down beside the children. “You want to know how we met? Well…it was a rainy day, and she was playing with Tikki in a park. Tikki came up and splashed me until I started playing, too! That’s how I met Marinette!”
The girl, Manon, giggled as Marinette groaned. A glance showed that she was covering her face, bright read streaks still showing between her fingers. He grinned.
“I’m Alya,” the other woman introduced herself as Manon went to giggle with the other two girls. “The other two are my kid sisters. I run the Ladyblog and you, sir, look like you could be a model. Would you be interested in modelling some of the male line that Ladybug is working on?”
“Alya!” Marinette hissed, and the redhead just laughed.
“I am a model,” Adrien chuckled, lifting his head and grasping her offered hand. “I don’t know that I can take that job, though, no matter how much I’d like to. The name’s Adrien.”
Her jaw dropped and her grip on his fingers faltered as she stared from the blond man to her flushing friend.
“I…wait…what?”
He just smiled as charmingly as he could, winking and putting his finger to his lips.
And then Alya blinked, started laughing, and did exactly as Marinette had assumed and asked him if she could take his picture. He let out a playful groan and told her that she could, but only if she would promise not to post it online, although Marinette was urging him not to give in.
All in all, it was the best day he’d had in a long time. Before they had to part ways, when Marinette was due to drop Manon back off at her home, Tikki gave him a very affectionate farewell, and he had to rush back to his apartment in order to shower before his dinner with his father. He still counted himself as incredibly lucky for the day he’d got to spend in relative peace.
The fourth time he met them, he didn’t.
He had just been released from a photoshoot and had managed to escape Chloe and her posse by slipping into a park. It was damp out, and they weren’t about to get their new shoes muddy, not even for him. So he walked between the trees, enjoying the pleasant temperature and slowly recognizing the fountain coming into view in the clearing ahead.
And then, when he broke free into open air, the wind was knocked out of him and he found himself slipping and falling on his rump. At first he was mildly annoyed, but then there came the very pleased sound of a large dog and the black creature planted her rump firmly beside his, sticking her nose against his neck, in his ear, and generally in places that were oddly ticklish. Adrien laughed out loud when her ladybug patterned ID fell into view and wrapped one arm around her, ruffling her fur while she huffed in a happy way.
“What are you doing out here, Tikki?” he asked her playfully as she knocked his hat off and his fake glasses askew. “Where’s Marinette?”
As if on cue, a voice shouted in the distance, “Tikki! Tikki, where did you go!”
“You ran away from her?” Adrien turned to the dog incredulously. As if she knew exactly what he was talking about she stiffened, then avoided his gaze, whining pathetically. The blond reached up to scratch her behind the ears with a chuckle. “Just stay here with me, then. She’ll find us in a few minutes, and then you can apologize. Okay?”
Tikki nuzzled him, once more full of cheer, and he laughed.
“Where did you get to, Tikki?!”
“Marinette!” Adrien decided to take pity on her, slowly standing and looking around for her. “Tikki’s with me by the fountain!”
He heard footsteps thumping heavily on the ground then, and from a nearby path he saw the dark-haired girl, flushed with her hair in disarray, wearing her ladybug patterned raincoat again, rushing towards him. Her blue eyes widened in surprise and he realized, belatedly, that he must look like hell after Tikki’s rather enthusiastic greeting.
“Oh my God, Adrien!” she gasped, pausing to catch her breath with her hands on her knees. “I’m so sorry, did she jump on you?! Tikki! You know you’re not supposed to do that!”
Tikki whined and went over to wrap herself around Marinette’s legs, and the girl stumbled forward. Adrien reacted on instinct and, moments later, he held her under the arms as she caught herself by grasping his arms.
“Whoa, there,” he chuckled lightly, “falling for me already?”
Oh God what did I just say?
She jerked her eyes up to meet his, and he saw that flush from last time blossoming on her cheeks. He knew his cheeks were at least faintly pink this time, though, and he struggled to find something to excuse his rude behavior. But then she snorted, and then she started giggling, her blush spreading to her ears, and after staring at her, stunned, he finally started to chuckle with her. She straightened, supporting herself on her own two feet, but neither of them moved their hands just yet.
He kind of liked it that way.
And then he yelped as a force pushed him forward and Marinette let out an extremely adorable “eep” as she wrapped her arms around his torso to help him maintain his balance. His arms reflexively wrapped around her shoulders, and he heard Tikki bark happily.
“S-sorry!” he said quickly as she released her and straightened. She withdrew her hands just as quickly, stammering an apology with her face bright red as she turned to lightly scold the Newfoundland that was happily frolicking around them.
She had to leave soon, she managed to tell him. She had to help her parents at the Dupain-Cheng bakery, which they owned, but she would see him around sometime? He nodded, and explained quickly that he should probably go shower before his meeting with a magazine that was going to show some of his father’s new designs that Adrien, of course, would be modeling. They shared an embarrassed laugh and parted ways.
Adrien wished he had the courage to ask for her number, but he still thanked his lucky stars that it was him Tikki had bowled over and not some other random guy.
That dog might actually be his best friend.
Adrien was not expecting the fifth encounter. He’d been walking by a bakery—one that was giving off a positively delectable smell—while chatting with Nino when suddenly, a deep bark sounded. Nino nearly jumped out of his skin, but Adrien turned to the sound and found, sitting right outside the bakery they were near, a giant black Newfoundland with a ladybug patterned tag at her throat.
“Tikki!” Adrien smiled, reaching out a hand to the dog. She sniffed it and then licked his fingers excitedly, and he just laughed and scratched behind her ears.
“How do you know Marinette’s dog?” Nino’s voice asked curiously, and he stepped forward to pet the excited hound. Adrien, however, looked quickly to his best friend in surprise. Nino knew Marinette? That was news. “And I thought you were a cat person…though I never understood how. Plagg causes so much trouble! And I’ve never met a cat that likes cheese so much.”
“You know Marinette?” Adrien found himself asking, and when Nino glanced at him in surprise, the model found himself flushing. “I mean, I uh, went for a walk one day in the park in the rain, and Marinette and Tikki were playing around and splashing in puddles. You could say that Tikki kind of, uh, made me play, too?”
“Then are you the one that Alya got a picture of? She kept laughing about how she got a picture of a famous model because Tikki made a new friend, and she would never tell me who it was.”
Adrien blinked at him, and Nino just laughed.
“Oh, Marinette, Alya, and I all went to school together since grade school. This is Marinette’s family’s bakery, by the way. It’s got to be one of the best bakeries in all of Paris—and I get a great discount because I’ve been Mari’s friend for so long.”
“That sounds awesome,” Adrien murmured, still absently scratching behind Tikki’s ears as he looked at the bread and sweets displayed in the windows. He wouldn’t deny that everything looked positively delectable.
He jumped when Nino elbowed him, and when he looked over at the DJ, he didn’t like the knowing smirk.
“C’mon, Adrien!” he turned to the door. “We’ve got some time, and I haven’t stopped by in a while. They’ve probably got something new I haven’t tried, and if Tom’s got something new out on the shelves, I’m not gonna miss it!”
Adrien sighed, a flush on his cheeks, as he stepped into the shop behind Nino.
If the smell outside the bakery had been amazing, it was nothing compared to standing on the threshold. The smells of freshly baked breads and desserts wafted around him, and Adrien felt like he was in a baker’s paradise. There were so many different treats surrounding him, and he had the urge to try some of everything.
“Nino!” a cheerful, recognizable voice called from the front of the store. Adrien realized that Nino had rounded a corner. “What’ll it be today?”
“Hey, Mari! I brought a friend in today!” Nino laughed, waving behind him, where Adrien was still out of side. He was glad, because he flushed. “We’re looking for a quick pick-me-up before we have to get back to work. Has Tom got anything new out lately?”
“Well, we do have a seasonal special. There’s some in the oven right now, but it should be done shortly!” another voice, a deep, male voice said with just as much cheer as Marinette. “And any friend of Nino’s is always welcome here!”
“Haha, thanks,” Adrien finally rounded the corner, laughing lightly and trying not to flush.
“Adrien!”
The dark-haired girl flushed at her quick exclamation, but the pretty smile on her face made even coming into the bakery worthwhile. Her ladybug earrings matched the color on her cheeks for just a second before her cheeks paled, and he thought he might faint. Instead, he smiled back at her, ignoring the way that the back of his neck suddenly grew very, very warm.
“Ah, this is Tikki’s new friend that Alya was talking about?” another voice said, and a short Asian woman slipped out from behind the counter with a tray of fresh cookies. “The one you met in the park?”
“Y-yes, Mom! This is Adrien,” Marinette’s voice was slightly higher-pitched than her usual tones, and Adrien found it secretly adorable.
“Well then, it’s very nice to meet you, son!” Tom, or so Nino had called the big man beside Marinette, beamed welcomingly at him. “If you’d like a sample of something, just ask Marinette! I’ll be in the back with the new batch of our special, Nino, so if you have another…oh, five or so minutes, I think I’ll be able to bring you one fresh from the oven.”
“Thanks a lot, Tom!” Nino beamed as Adrien managed a simple thanks.
“Boys,” the tiny older woman, Marinette’s mother, addressed the two as she walked back through, “before eating anything, you should go wash your hands! I saw you playing with Tikki out front. You know how to get on through to the house, Nino, so why don’t you lead the way?”
“Sure, Sabine! Thanks!” Nino waved, then took Adrien by the sleeve. “We’ll be back soon, Marinette!”
“I’ll be here!” the dark-haired girl beamed at them as Nino led Adrien to a door near the back. Before they went through, the blond model saw Marinette’s mother murmur something to her and the young woman went a bright red, hissing something indignantly and embarrassedly at the older woman.
He heard Sabine’s chuckles as the door closed behind him, and then suddenly he realized that he was in her house. Marinette’s house. Or, well, at least her parents’ house—he didn’t know if she lived with them or not, now that he thought about it.
“So…” Nino’s voice came from in front of him as the DJ released his shirt. He looked backwards over his shoulder at Adrien with a huge, knowing grin. “Marinette, huh? I thought your type would be more glamorous, like one of those models you always work with.”
“Hey!” Adrien hissed, the heat in the back of his neck only intensifying. “I, uh, don’t know what you’re, uh, getting at—“
“Chill, man!”
Nino chuckled, and then he started laughing, completely at Adrien’s expense, and Adrien knew that there was nothing he could say to stop it. He’d lost his composure completely in the face of Nino’s sort-of accusation, so there was absolutely no way to refute it now. In fact, his complete inability to come up with anything to say made it even more obvious to Adrien himself that he might kind of have a thing for her. Even though they’d probably three full conversations before and they kept meeting because of her dog.
“Here’s the bathroom,” Nino finally composed himself, opening a door to his right. “Get in there and wash your hands, and I’ll hit up the kitchen sink.”
“S-sure,” Adrien could only agree, and Nino smirked knowingly. Adrien only groaned pointedly, which caused his friend to chuckle and slip off to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, the two were reentering the bakery and Nino was dragging Adrien to a section that he was sure the blond would like. In reality, he was forcing Adrien to endure the pungent smell of many different cheeses and different ways they were baked into these breads, even though Adrien had dealt with enough cheese to last him a lifetime because of his cat’s strange preferences.
“Nino! Adrien! There you are!” Marinette’s voice came from the front of the store.
“Here we are!” Nino said playfully, striding up towards the counter. “Got any suggestions for us today?”
“Well, Dad already put together a variety bag,” she gestured to a large paper sack on the counter next to her. “On the house today to commemorate Adrien’s first visit to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, he says.”
Oh, God.
Adrien’s mind went reeling when she cast a wink in his direction, but he laughed along with her because he didn’t think he’d be able to find actual words to reply. His pulse was thudding extra loudly in his ears and, although he’d swear to Nino that he had no idea what you’re talking about I’m not blushing later, he knew that this woman in front of him was causing it.
“H-he doesn’t have to do that!” Adrien finally found his voice, waving his hands. “I’ve got plenty of money—“
“Dude,” Nino nudged him, and Adrien snapped his mouth shut, glancing indignantly at his best friend. “Marinette’s parents are just like that. Tom’ll never take your money once he’s decided it’s on the house for the day, so just come back some other time and buy more of you want to thank him.”
“Take it from Nino,” Marinette giggled, her cheeks a light pink, “he knows from experience.”
“Yup! By the way, Marinette, is the seasonal special in here or is it coming out in a few?”
“It’s in the bag already,” she beamed that smile that Adrien was fast falling for, and he couldn’t look away. “Dad put two of them in there so that both of you can try one. He also put several different types of bread in, individually wrapped, of course, so that the flavors don’t mingle, for Adrien’s benefit since he hasn’t been here before.”
“Tom thinks of everything!” Nino exclaimed, and then called back, “Thanks, Tom!”
A loud laugh was heard from the bakery, and the deep voice returned, “You’re welcome, boys! Come back soon!”
“We will!” Adrien found himself calling back, missing how Marinette’s face colored when he did.
“Well, Marinette, I’ll see you later!” Nino grinned at her, hefting their bag of bread in his arms. “We should all get together for dinner sometime soon! It’s been a while since the three of us have spent time together. And we could invite this dork over here, since he never goes out.”
“Hey!” Adrien found himself flushing even more than before at that, but when he heard Marinette’s light laughter, any anger he’d actually held just melted away.
“That sounds like it would be nice!” she grinned at Nino, and then cast her smile Adrien’s way. “Just give me a date and a time, and I’ll make sure I’m free!”
“Sure thing! See you later!”
“Bye, Nino!” Marinette waved, “See you later, Adrien!”
“Y-yeah!” Adrien grinned back at her, waving. “See you later, Marinette!”
Saying see you later sounded so much more like a promise than he could have ever hoped for, and, despite denying everything when Nino teased him, Adrien felt like he was walking on air at the prospect of getting to see her on a planned outing sometime in the near future.
The next time he saw Tikki and Marinette, he was in the middle of a photoshoot.
He was in a slump. That morning, he’d received a message from his father, through Natalie, that had quite thoroughly ruined the rest of the day, and probably the rest of his week. He’d been told that he was apparently not working well enough, that he needed to sell the clothes better with the way he wore them…or that his father would have to find another model.
It was a great morning, and needless to say, cracking the bright, carefree smiles that the photographer wanted was not an easy feat.
The photographer was about fed up with it when a bark sounded, and Adrien grinned slightly without realizing it, glancing over to seek the source of the sound. He didn’t realize when the camera flashed, because his eyes had found Tikki, where she was walking calmly beside Marinette. The dog glanced over towards him but thankfully didn’t start running or pulling the petite woman behind her, and he beamed before turning back to the photographer.
“Keep it up!” the man exclaimed, and Adrien was thoroughly confused before he realized what must have happened. A light flush spread across his cheeks and he couldn’t help but laugh at himself, just a little.
And then he used that to his advantage, knowing that, had Tikki’s bark not alerted him to their presence, his father would have heard about another poor photoshoot, and then Adrien would have had to hear another indirect message about how much of a failure he was.
As it was, though, maybe he could sneak away at the end of the shoot and steal a few moments with the large dog and her owner?
And, as luck would have it, the photoshoot practically flew, especially once Marinette had taken a seat at an outdoor café across the street, Tikki at her feet, and waved shyly at him. He had no idea what kind of smile he’d worn then, but he was willing to bet that it was embarrassing and nothing like the playful smiles he’d been wearing when thinking of her dog. All Adrien knew was that the photographer loved it, and he was free to go a lot earlier than expected.
He took the car a few blocks away after the end of the shoot, slipped into different clothes, wrapped a scarf around his neck, and put on a hat before slipping out of the backseat, waving to the chauffeur, and walking back towards the café that Marinette had been sitting at. Just as he neared the square, he saw the dark-haired young woman and her black dog round the corner, and upon noticing him, Marinette beamed.
“I thought you’d still be around!” she said softly as she drew near. She glanced around at some of the people passing. “That shoot looked great!”
“Thanks to you,” slipped out before he could stop it, and then he chuckled a little, reaching up to put his hand behind his head. “It was going awful before Tikki barked…and then I saw the two of you and…well, this might sound really, really crazy, but every time I see you guys, something good happens to me. I think Tikki’s my lucky charm!”
She stared at him blankly with her wide, expressive blue eyes before she started to giggle, and then she placed her hand on his arm.
“That’s really funny,” she managed, glancing up at him through her lashes—something should kill me now or else this girl will—and smiling in that way that sent his heart racing. “I’ve been thinking the same thing lately!”
His green eyes met hers and held hers as a dopey smile spread across his face, and then the two both started to laugh.
“Would you care for a coffee, my lady?” he finally asked her, flashing her a charming smile and offering her his arm. “My treat, of course.”
She flushed, but smiled back at him as she tentatively linked her arm with his. She didn’t verbally respond, but her actions were enough. His stomach flipped over at the soft smile she was giving him, and he couldn’t help but continue to grin disarmingly back at her.
When Tikki insistently moved forward, tugging Marinette along because of the leash, they both laughed and started to walk at the Newfoundland’s casual, steady pace. Marinette’s slender arm linked nicely with his own, and their shared warmth was enough to stave off the slight chill in the air—and if it hadn’t been enough, the pink dusting their cheeks was enough to make up for it.