9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.

Lucky Us

By: Princess Kitty1

Chapter 9

Chat NoirRE: 201512 minutes ago

Good morning, my Lady! As promised I am outside the Louvre, waiting for someone to come open the door so I can give them your drawing. I stayed up all night making my case for why it should be hung up beside the Mona Lisa. I also prepared a separate case for why this is no laughing matter, and another for why they shouldn't have me escorted from the premises.

Well, okay, I'm not outside the Louvre, but you know where I wish I was? In bed. Shouldn't I have become a morning person by now? Teach me your ways.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: 2015Just now

Good morning, Chat Noir.

I'd like to hear your case for my drawing.

Type it up and send it to me as an attachment by the end of the day.

Double-spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman.

Only then will I teach you the secrets of being a morning person.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: 20153 minutes agoAttachment: TheCaseForLadybugs

Sorry this took me so long. I typed it up on a Word document and was about to send it when I realized that if I emailed it to you as an attachment, my real name would show up as the author of the file. So I copied the text onto a new document on one of our work computers and sent it from there. Incidentally, do you know how hard it is to lie to a no-nonsense secretary who's known you for years and is very good at her job?

The things I do for love.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: 2015Just now

But you didn't do it for love.

You did it for my morning person secrets.

Which I will now share with you because I was KIDDING about the essay and I feel like a complete asshole.

Ladybug's Secrets for Being a Morning Person

1. Stop staying up until midnight to email me.

2. Wake up early enough to watch the sunrise. Give it your undivided attention.

3. Exercise (but not on an empty stomach).

4. This is all a load of crap.

5. There are no secrets.

6. You're either born a morning person or you aren't.

7. I'm so sorry.

I loved your essay. How were you able to come up with all that so-called social commentary?

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: 2015Just now

You'd be surprised by all the bullshit I can come up with on the fly. …actually, no you wouldn't.

Don't be so quick to dismiss your own advice, my Lady. I've never tried any of these things before, so who's to say one or more of them aren't legit? We must put it to the test.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: 2015Just now

"We" is one person too many.

(You do mean every suggestion but the first, right?)

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: 2015Just now

You know me so well. :)

x.x.x

Tuesday evening found Marinette waiting for Adrien as she put away the remaining dishes. He'd texted her that he was running an hour late, which suited her just fine. The last week before closing always saw an increase in customers—mostly regulars who were desperate to get their final fix before they had to spend August at another bakery. More customers meant more dishes. A small price to pay for the freedom at hand.

She could see herself already: waking up late, spending her mornings up on the balcony with her flowers, her sketchbook, some music, and a handful of snacks. She could go out for breakfast. She could go out for lunch. She could wear her pajamas from sun up to sun down if she felt like it.

But first she had to endure a few more days of relentless teasing from Manon, who'd been outraged that Adrien hadn't kissed Marinette during their movie date and had a whole list of seduction techniques for her to try on their second date.

Marinette couldn't tell her it wasn't like that between them. Adrien was… funny, sweet, good company, and unfairly handsome even when dressed like Tom Cruise in Top Gun. But he wasn't interested in her. He hadn't shown any indication of it beyond what was required for their little ruse.

Then again, she may not have been reading the correct signals, considering the one guy who did show interest in her was painfully obvious about it.

A knock on the door. Marinette put down her stack of plates and hurried to let Adrien in.

"Sorry," he said as soon as she had the door open. He wore a suit jacket and tie that had come mostly undone sometime during the day. In his hand he carried a plastic bag from which emanated the unmistakable aroma of food. Marinette's mouth watered. "Back to back meetings and half of them ran late. I think I'm starting to understand why my father would rather be feared than liked. It makes people punctual." He sighed, then held up the bag of food. "So I brought us dinner."

Marinette stared at him as he walked past. "Us?"

"You haven't eaten yet, have you?" he asked.

She hadn't. Marinette blushed and whipped off her apron. "That's very sweet of you."

"It was the least I could do for making you wait." Adrien flashed her a quick smile. "Hope you like Lebanese."

A few minutes later they were seated at his favorite table, food containers open and framing a list of potential date restaurants. Adrien pointed at the third name on the list. "I've been to this place a number of times with my father. Great food, perfect atmosphere, and the staff treats you like royalty."

"Do they charge you like royalty, too?"

His cheeks reddened. "Right. Forgot about that."

Marinette smiled around a bite of food. She looked over the rest of the names. She'd only been to two of the listed restaurants before, and neither had the sort of atmosphere that inspired romance. "Alya's mom works here"—she pointed at the fourth name on the list—"but if she even suspected Alya was going on a date, she'd put on enough pressure to make Alya sabotage her chances with Nino out of spite."

"If it helps, Nino isn't that easily deterred," Adrien supplied.

Marinette's phone buzzed and she lifted it out of her lap. A text from Manon. She dropped it again. Chat Noir had been sending her ridiculous cat memes all day, so she'd retaliated with an elaborate story about how she'd been interviewed for a news article on her way home, and linked him to the website so he could see what she looked like.

The link, of course, led straight to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up."

Stupid cat deserved it.

"Oh!" Marinette grabbed her phone, pulled up her internet browser, and typed in a name. "I just remembered this place I went to with my boyfriend a few years ago. Decent prices, delicious food, and all the atmosphere you could ever want."

Adrien smirked at her. "Boyfriend, huh? Should I be fake jealous?"

"Hmm… considering he was marriage material, sure, if I bring it up on our date." Marinette held her phone out to him so he could check out the restaurant's website. Adrien took the phone, but didn't look at it.

"So what happened?" He'd dropped the smile in favor of caution. Marinette was amazed at his ability to physically appear ready to apologize. She smiled, but it was more tightlipped than she wanted it to be.

"Nothing extraordinary," she said. She waved at the phone. "Go on, tell me that place isn't perfect."

Adrien reluctantly lowered his eyes and examined the screen, swiping it with his thumb. His brows shot up. "Wow. It's just a picture and I feel seduced."

Marinette could confirm that the seduction was more powerful in person, but she wasn't about to bring up the past again. Today, she was all about the future. She took her phone back from Adrien. "So when should we meet there? Sunday at, say, seven o'clock?"

He rubbed his chin. There was a bit of stubble there, Marinette noticed, and before she could stop her mind from wandering she imagined what that stubble would feel like against her cheek, her neck, her—"How about six instead? I'm going out of town the next day and need to be up pretty early. Six gives us time to do something afterward, in case Alya and Nino really hit off."

Marinette crossed her arms. "You're going out of town? When were you planning to tell your fake girlfriend?"

"Well I meant to tell you last Sunday, but you had places to be." Adrien arranged his face into a serious expression. "Marinette, I'm going out of town next week. You'll have to fly solo on the matchmaking front for a while, but I promise to provide as much back up as I can."

Marinette collected the empty food containers and carried them to the trash. "Where are you going?"

"We're filming a commercial for the new Gabriel men's fragrance at Chateau Margaux," he said, but he didn't sound very excited about it. Marinette dropped the containers in the bin and walked back to the table. "Lots of standing around in the sun, lots of trying to look airbrushed instead of sweaty, lots of pointless shots of me staring pensively at the horizon."

Marinette clasped her hands together. "Can I see?"

Adrien raised an eyebrow at her, but he turned to the curtained window and did his best impersonation of someone who was thinking very hard about something very important. Marinette burst out laughing. "See?" he yelled, his cheeks coloring. "It's stupid!"

"How is it stupid? You just convinced me to buy five bottles of cologne, and I don't even know five men," Marinette said. Adrien pretended to sulk, which left her to wonder: Did Adrien dislike his job? He'd been modeling since he was a preteen, and he was excellent at it, without a doubt. But he never talked about his job. He wasn't too thrilled to be filming a commercial. He came to her bakery to get a moment's peace away from his hectic life.

She wanted to ask about it, but ultimately decided not to. He hadn't pursued the subject of her ex-boyfriend, so she wouldn't pry into his affairs either.

"So," Adrien said, "Sunday at six. Yes or no?"

Marinette nodded. "It's a date."

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: 2015Just now

You suck.

YOU SUCK, LADYBUG.

YOU.

SUCK.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: 2015Just now

You're the one who fell for it, chaton. :-)

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: 2015Just now

You know what? I don't have to take this. Consider our friendship over.

I'm going to wait for some other random girl to email me. A girl who won't Rick Roll me. A girl who respects me.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: 2015Just now

Aww come on, don't be like that, babe! I was only kidding!

Babe!

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaabe!

x.x.x

"So, promise you won't judge me. I'm a reporter and I just can't help myself. You know that."

Alya threw herself onto Marinette's sofa and kicked off her shoes. Marinette waited until she settled down to continue sketching. It was Friday night, and they'd gathered to plan her outfit for Sunday, since Marinette was throwing a party for her employees on Saturday evening. They'd all worked hard the past year without Tom and Sabine; they deserved to celebrate the achievement.

"Let me guess," Marinette said, "you internet stalked Nino."

Alya held up a finger. "Only because his business handle sounded familiar." She turned to Marinette with wide eyes. "Did you know he was invited to South by Southwest last year?"

"Am I supposed to know what that is?"

"It's a big music festival in the United States."

"So… no."

"Would it kill you to get in touch?" Alya flopped over with a dramatic sigh. "I'm going to ask him for an interview. Since he's working on the music for the fashion competition, I may be able to get some insider information."

"Why don't you just ask Adrien for insider information? He's putting the whole thing together." Marinette added some beads to the bodice of her dress. Once her parents came home she'd have more time for sewing, and she planned on taking full advantage of that. Homemade Christmas presents for everyone, whether they wanted them or not.

Alya picked up Marinette's yo-yo. "Please, what time is Adrien going to have for interviews when he's spending his free hours trying to seduce you?" She grinned. "Not that he has to try very hard."

Marinette didn't even grace her comment with a look. "Just because I'm attracted to him doesn't mean I'm desperate to get him in bed with me."

"You're right. A beautiful specimen like Adrien Agreste should be enjoyed slowly. And passionately."

"Alya!" Marinette whacked her with her sketchbook. Her phone, which sat on the armrest for easy access, let out a chime.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: 20152 seconds ago

I hit my funny bone on the edge of my closet door and I think I'm dying. My whole arm is tingling. I'm worried it's going to spread to my heart and cause it to explode. Should I lock myself in the bathroom to spare Plagg the gruesome sight of his beloved father's chest bursting open in a fountain of gore?

x.x.x

LadybugRE: 2015Just now

No.

But you could put some ice on it and stop being a baby.

x.x.x

Adrien rubbed his elbow and gasped in pain. No pity from his Lady, eh? At least she was consistent.

"Dude, are you crying?" Nino asked from the sofa.

Adrien shot him a tearful glare. "No." He continued kneading his bruised skin as he searched his closet for what to wear on his second pretend date. Marinette had excellent fashion sense and knew how to dress herself well. He couldn't stand next to her looking like a slob. "Now what was so important that you had to come over immediately?"

"Alya texted me."

Adrien turned away from the closet. "You couldn't tell me that the moment you walked in?"

"I had to let the mystery build." Nino waved his phone over his head. Adrien went over and took it. "She asked if she could interview me. What the heck does that mean?"

The text was straightforward enough. Adrien read it one more time, then pressed the phone back into Nino's hand. "It means she went to the trouble of looking you up online and discovered what a stud you are," he said. "This is the same woman who interviewed the legendary Jagged Stone last weekend. She thinks you're on par with him."

Nino hummed, unconvinced. "But an interview is strictly professional. She won't be thinking of me as boyfriend potential."

"Then put the moves on her before the interview. You have a show coming up, right?"

"Wednesday, yeah."

Adrien swung himself over the top of the sofa and landed beside Nino. "Invite her," he said. "Give her a VIP pass or something. Let her see what you can do in person. Then when she's super impressed with how talented you are and primed to say yes to a date, ask her to dinner. And no chickening out just because I won't be there in person to run interference!"

Nino made several long, drawn out thinking noises. Plagg emerged from under Adrien's bed. He sat at the foot of the sofa and stared at Adrien, tail swishing back and forth. Adrien moved over. Plagg hopped onto the space between him and the armrest and wedged himself there, purring. At least somebody cared that he'd whacked his elbow hard enough to see the ends of the universe.

"I don't know," Nino said.

"What if you invite Marinette? I can ask her for a favor. She'll help make you look good." Adrien picked up his phone to email Ladybug.

"Nah, don't bother your girlfriend over stupid things like that."

He blinked. "My what?"

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: 20151 minute ago

I don't think you understand how hard I hit that door. I saw stars, buginette. I thought those kinds of things only happened in cartoons.

x.x.x

"Who are you texting?" Alya asked.

Marinette put her phone down. "No one." Technically true: she was sending an email, not texting.

Alya crossed her arms. "Uh-huh. So you just happened to be staring at your phone with a lovesick smile for no reason," she said, then gasped. "You're texting Adrien, aren't you?"

Now that their fake dating status made such a thing plausible, Marinette could easily go along with Alya's assumption. "Sure am. We're hammering out all the details for Sunday. Making sure we know where we're going and, uh, making reservations. Yeah." She paused. "Wait, did you say lovesick?"

x.x.x

LadybugRE: 2015Just now

You saw stars?

Get yourself to the emergency room!

When they ask you why you're there, tell them you have a booboo and you need a kiss to make it better.

x.x.x

"Marinette isn't my girlfriend," Adrien said. "We're just getting to know each other better."

Nino tilted his chin towards Adrien's phone. "You've been texting her all night."

"No I—" Adrien stopped himself before he could spill the beans about Ladybug. Why not go along with Nino's assumption? It saved him the trouble of coming up with a new excuse. "I haven't been texting her all night."

"What's the big deal? If you're that into her, just let her know you want to be exclusive."

"It's not that easy." He gestured vaguely to the extravagance of their surroundings. "Dating me comes with… complications. I don't think Marinette wants that kind of attention drawn to herself. Plus, she'll have to win my father's approval and, well, you've met my father." The thought unexpectedly depressed him. Marinette was a nice, pretty girl, the kind his mother would have fawned over. But Gabriel Agreste saw nice, pretty girls with smaller incomes as gold diggers in sheep's clothing. Even Marinette wouldn't be safe from his scrutiny.

And neither, in theory, would Ladybug.

Nino frowned. "So what then, you're just going to marry Chloe because she's the only girl your father doesn't scowl at?"

"At least when Chloe has me assassinated for the insurance money it won't come as a surprise to anyone."

Nino shoved Adrien into Plagg, who glared at the both of them for interrupting his nap. "You're killing me, dude! When did you become such a pessimist?" He stood from the sofa. "I'd rather see you enter the priesthood and swear celibacy than marry Chloe, so if you don't tell your pops about Marinette, I will."

Adrien scooped Plagg into his arms and leaned in close to his ear. "He wouldn't." He looked at Nino. "You wouldn't!"

Nino folded his arms over his chest. "Try me."

They glared at each other. Plagg, still half asleep, started purring again. Nino sighed and checked the time on his smart watch. "I have to go. Can't spend all my time trying to convince a grown ass man to stand up for himself."

"Yeah," Adrien grumbled. He waved Nino off and sagged back against the sofa with a sigh. Nino talked big, but he was just as scared of Adrien's father as everyone else was. If he did make good on his threat, it'd take him a while to gather up the courage to do it. Adrien figured he had until he got back from Chateau Margaux to come clean about his fake relationship.

On the bright side, telling his father he met a nice, pretty girl at a bakery would be much easier than admitting he was in love with someone he met on the internet and had never seen in person.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: 2015Just now

Only if you're the one doing the kissing. (Hey, my lips are kind of bruised too…)

x.x.x

"See? There you go again," Alya said.

Marinette whined and slapped her cheeks, which were admittedly a little warmer than they needed to be. "It's not a lovesick smile, it's an entertained smile. There's a difference." She shoved her phone between the couch cushions so she wouldn't be tempted to look at it again.

"I don't get what the big deal is. If he's texting you that much, he's definitely into you. Why not tell him you want to be together? Or better yet, just plant one on him." Alya let Marinette's yo-yo unravel. It refused to come back up and spun in circles over the floor. "If you need me and Nino to conveniently disappear during your date, I can arrange that."

"Yeah, I bet you…" Marinette trailed off as the brilliance of the plan struck her. Alya and Nino, disappearing together. Bonding over their little scheme. Meanwhile she would be left alone with Adrien, having a perfectly nice time together. "You'd do that for me?" she said to Alya.

Alya wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Have I ever not had your back? Just say the word and we're gone."

Inwardly, Marinette rubbed her hands together and cackled. Outwardly she leaned into Alya's embrace and did her best to keep the smirk off her face. "You're the best," she said.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: 2015Just now

Doesn't it embarrass you to say that to someone you've never seen?

What if I look like a hag?

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: 20154 minutes ago

People with beautiful souls are incapable of being ugly. It's scientific fact.

Oh, hey, I wanted to tell you ahead of time that next week is going to be busier than normal for me. If I can't reply to emails during the day, don't freak out. I'm not dead, just working. You'll be bored to tears without your constant source of amusement, I know, but be strong, my Lady! I'll be back to wooing you on the regular next weekend.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: 2015Just now

Thanks for letting me know.

Since all I do is sit around waiting for you to email me, I can finally go grocery shopping.

It's been so long since I've eaten…

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: 2015Just now

You're hilarious. -.-

x.x.x

LadybugRE: 2015Just now

Really though, thanks.

I'll try not to miss you too much while I work on my entry for Gabriel Agreste's design competition. ;-)

x.x.x

Adrien grabbed his computer monitor with both hands. "She's entering?" He pushed his chair back from the desk and launched himself out of it. "She's entering!" he yelled. He let out a triumphant laugh, yanked Plagg off the bed, and ran a lap around his room with a startled cat. "She's entering the competition!"

Sure, there was still no guarantee that he would get to see her. He knew that. Only the best of the best would make it to the final round, and Adrien wasn't the one judging.

But even so, he felt like she was that much closer to him. He didn't know how he'd be able to sleep the next four weeks knowing that the fate of their meeting was to be decided by a panel of prissy designers.

He put Plagg back on the bed and jogged over to his abandoned computer chair. His hands shook with excitement as he typed the most normal response he could muster.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: 2015Just now

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

To Be Continued

A/N: Greetings. It's been another two months! Those of you who follow me on Tumblr know that I'm in a graduate writing program and have to write a 200 page novel while also taking two other demanding graduate level writing courses. Those of you who don't follow me on Tumblr… now you know why it's been two months.

I will continue to prioritize school over fic writing. However, the good news is that my classes are designed to get easier as the semester progresses. I'm also planning on having the first draft of my thesis novel done before November 18th. So by next month there should be a lot less work to do!

You should whisper your thoughts to that review box down there. Then follow me on Tumblr (geek-fashionista).