9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Life has been insane with changing jobs, a knee injury (from which I'm now recovered thankfully), and packing to move again. Hopefully, we'll get back to somewhat regular scheduling.

Also, I have a beta now! So a large thanks to shamelesslyromantic.

"I did not expect her to flake out like that."

Adrien sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He'd been sitting at the agreed-upon restaurant for the past twenty minutes waiting for his blind date to show up, only to get a phone call from Alya telling him the whole night was a bust.

This was exactly why he was so reluctant to date again.

"I hope that she really did mean something important came up," Alya continued. "Otherwise, I'm wringing her neck for pulling this stunt. How dare she stand you up! Especially with your dad being so nice as to take Emma for the evening."

"I guess the bright side is Emma getting the opportunity to spend the night with her grandfather," Adrien said, his voice clearly conveying his resignation.

"If you want to look at it that way," Alya grumbled. "But you were supposed to be spending the night with someone, too. It was hard enough to find someone I deemed worthy. Now my only decent candidate has flown out the window."

"You can't be perfect all the time, Alya," Adrien teased. "One of these days, it was bound to catch up with you."

Alya scoffed. "One mark to mar my perfect record. Shame."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to relieve my father for the night."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and get something there?" Alya asked. "You don't really get enough alone time these days, and I've heard their ravioli is to die for."

"I've eaten alone enough in my life," Adrien said, eying the host stand with the intent of flagging the hostess down and apologizing for the trouble. "I'd much rather eat at home even if Emma is finished. No use in staying for a date that isn't going to… show…"

He had to pause, oblivious to what Alya was saying over the phone as he watched a lovely woman in a red cocktail dress approach the host stand.

"Hey, I'll call you back later, k?"

"What is it?" Alya asked, but Adrien barely heard as he hung up. By now, the hostess was walking the stunning young woman towards one of the tables nearby.

"Marinette," he called out.

Both women turned toward him in surprise. "Adrien," she said, giving a smile in greeting.

"Are you alone tonight?" He asked, noticing the single menu in the hostess' hand.

She nodded. "I am."

He motioned towards the other side of the table. "Would you do me the honor of spending dinner with me?"

She hesitated. He could have seen it coming. While it had been three weeks since that awkward Saturday night, she was still a bit shy around him.

However, tonight she surprised him once again with a nod and an, "I'd love the company."

A large smile spread across his face as the hostess sat Marinette across from Adrien before returning to her station.

"Fancy seeing you here," Adrien remarked.

"Yeah," Marinette replied, setting her purse down on the seat next to her. "What brings you out tonight?"

"A botched blind date."

Marinette cringed. "I'm sorry."

Adrien shrugged. "Just my luck. I tell Alya I'm considering getting back out there, and this was the result of attempt number one."

"Second time's the charm?" she offered with a hesitant smile.

The sound he made was a cross between a scoff and a chuckle. "I don't know. Alya said she doesn't know anyone else who wants to date a single dad."

"I doubt that."

Adrien quirked a brow. "You know of any woman who would be willing to take on a divorcee and a child from said failed marriage?"

Her eyes narrowed in thought and her mouth pursed into a thin line. "No," she eventually said, shaking her head. "I don't. But that doesn't mean there aren't any."

Adrien hummed. "Maybe, but I'm not holding out much hope. This isn't like dating the first time. I'm damaged goods."

"That's a lie."

The intensity underlying her tone caught him momentarily off-guard, but that quickly passed and was replaced with a rueful expression. "Most women want their own families, not a child from their spouse's previous marriage. Then there's the women who only love my name and money and can't wait for Emma to be out of the house."

"So what I'm hearing is most women you meet are either horrendously biased or pretentious gold diggers, neither of whom are even remotely worth your time."

"Precisely," Adrien confirmed. "But, enough about me and my pathetic lack of a love life. What brings you out tonight?"

She looked like she wanted to argue but dropped the topic instead. "Parents' wedding anniversary," she answered. "I plan on giving them the house to themselves for as long as possible. Alya recommended this place and so I thought 'why not' and made a reservation."

"Hello," a waiter said, appearing at their table. "My name is Theo. I'll be taking care of you tonight. Can I you lovely couple started with drinks? A glass of wine, perhaps?"

"Oh," Marinette began, clearly growing flustered. "Um—"

"I think I'll wait a moment on the wine until I decide what to pair it with," Adrien spoke up, trying to steal a look at the rosy color on Marinette's cheeks while attempting not to be obvious about it.

"A very good decision," Theo replied. "And for the lady?"

"Same, thank you," was all she managed.

"Then I'll be back in a moment."

Once the waiter had vanished off into the back, Marinette looked down at the menu in front of her. "I… guess I should make a decision, then."

Adrien picked up his menu, having yet to look it over despite having already spent a good amount of time here. "Apparently, the ravioli is good."

By the time the waiter returned, both of them had their order ready. Theo suggested complementary wines with each dish, gathering agreement from Adrien and Marinette before excusing himself.

Once Theo disappeared from the table, Adrien turned back to Marinette, briefly examining her dress in the manner of someone very well versed in the fashion industry. "For the record, you look lovely tonight," Adrien said.

Her cheeks darkened while her eyes widened in surprise. "Well… um… thank you. Y-you look rather dashing yourself."

"On or off the record?" he teased.

"Off. I can't let anyone know I just called my boss 'dashing'," she said with a flustered smile.

Adrien smirked. "A: no one here knows you're my employee. And B: you have the restaurant as your witness."

Marinette looked around, seemingly taking in the decently busy restaurant for the first time. When she turned back, that rosy hue still dusted her cheeks but her eyes sparkled with something. Confidence? Amusement? Maybe both.

But heaven help him, it was dazzling.

"No. No. And no." Marinette argued, grin stretching her cheeks wide. "I fully, completely, and utterly disagree."

"How? It was the best in the series."

"No, it wasn't. It was an updated version of the one before that."

"You thought three was the best? Really?"

"It was the best overall."

"Four was better. Better graphics, better moves, better controls."

"But it didn't offer anything better. Ultimate Mecha Strike Three was the last game they really cared about and everything afterwards was just to make money."

"Blasphemy!"

Marinette couldn't hold down her laughter any longer. Because here she was arguing with her boss about video games in a classy restaurant.

Adrien took the last sip of his wine. "You know what I think," he said, setting the empty glass beside his clean plate. "I think that you are saying that because you couldn't best me if you tried."

She straightened at the challenge. "You think you're better?"

"Absolutely," he retaliated with a grin.

"When was the last time you ever picked up a video game controller?"

He considered this for a moment. "A few months ago when I got to visit Nino over my lunch break."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Please. Anyone could beat Nino. When was the last time you had a real challenge?"

"Are you offering?"

"If you think you can take it."

"Done."

"Your place or mine?"

It took Marinette a full ten seconds to process that she had, in a sense, just agreed to a date with her boss. A second one, actually, if she counted the fact she had willingly agreed to dine with him tonight.

She watched as understanding dawned over his face, too. "That came out wrong," he said, misinterpreting her shock.

She shook her head. "No, um… it's not that," she managed. "It's…umm… you know, never mind," she brushed off with a fake grin. It was two friends hanging out together. That's what this was. Nothing weird at all.

Adrien didn't look convinced but still nodded. "I'll see when my father is available to watch Emma and get back to you?"

"Sounds good," Marinette said, successfully hiding her uncertainty in her voice.

Thankfully, Theo appeared at the perfect time, offering dessert as all servers do. Marinette thought now would be the perfect time to take her leave. To decline dessert and ask for her portion of the check. But Adrien never let her get a word in, taking the menu and asking for a moment.

With a grin, he set the menu down between them. "Does any particular thing strike you?"

She gave him a partial smile. "I… I don't know. I feel like I should be going."

His grin faded. "Oh?"

"Yeah," she said, unable to get out much more than that.

It was as though someone had put a dimmer on his bright aura. "Was it something I said?"

"No," she said. "No. It's not that. It's…" She fought for the words to explain.

He waited, patiently yet anxiously for her answer.

"It's… umm," she stuttered. "This," she gestured to the restaurant and the menu, "I mean… I was fine because we're friends and we can talk over dinner and it's not like this was a date." She had to pause to swallow. "But… now, we're talking about another date and… and it's all just hitting me…"

"It's too much," Adrien realized setting the menu aside. "I'm so sorry. I never intended to make you uncomfortable. I should have realized—"

"It's fine," she said, "But… could we just ask for the check?"

"Of course," Adrien assured. "And as for the game night, I say we forget about that as well."

Marinette wasn't quite certain how to respond to that.

"Did you two decide on a dessert?" Theo said, appearing like magic at the table. "One to share, maybe?"

That was the other thing: Theo kept referring to them as a couple. With the way things looked, he probably thought it was s safe assumption. If she were being honest, Marinette would likely have done the same in his position considering that she had gone all out dressing up for the outing and Adrien…

Well, she wasn't lying when she called him dashing. Not then, and not now.

"Actually, we've changed our minds," Adrien said, handing Theo the menu. "I think we are going to forgo dessert tonight. Thank you, though. Could we have the check, please?"

"Of course, monsieur," Theo said with a slight bow before heading off towards the kitchen.

Minutes later, Adrien was politely walking Marinette to her car. "Thank you for dinner, by the way," she said.

"It was the least I could do to thank you for spending the evening with me. As friends," he ended with a smile.

Marinette had to admit that she had enjoyed the night, too, until an overwhelming mix of emotions had sprung up. "Again, thank you. That was very kind of you."

"You're very welcome," he said, stopping before her red bug. "I suppose this is where we part. Father will be happy to see me home early."

Early. Marinette pulled out her phone to look at it, only to groan when she realized she promised her parents more time.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," she said, dropping her phone back into her bag and meeting his eyes once again. "It's just… I still have a while before I can go home."

Adrien frowned, his gaze falling to the ground. "I…" he cleared his throat. "I'm fully aware that I should let you go, leave you be and all. But… I don't know… would you object to my company for a while longer?"

Marinette's jaw moved, but no words came out.

"I understand if the answer is no," he quickly said. "Really, I do. I just… if you want something to do, I wouldn't mind keeping you company."

"I…" she started. Her heart fluttered nervously. On one hand, all she wanted to do was run home as fast as she could and try to tell herself that this wasn't a date. That she wasn't betraying Nathaniel.

That she wasn't married anymore.

Quickly shoving that thought down, she tried to focus on the fact she still did have time to burn, and company would be nice to help the time go faster. She may have been prepared to spend the evening with her nose in her sketchbook, but she had enjoyed Adrien's company throughout the night. And they were friends. He was supposed to have been on a date that wasn't her. That would never be her. Therefore, she wasn't on a date and she could handle this. She could do this. "Umm… what would you suggest?"

"I… um… Well, in case you haven't noticed, I have a sweet tooth," Adrien began, shooting her a sheepish smile. "I know an ice cream shop right down the road that's really good and… really casual. Like, not date-like… so, I don't know…"

"I mean…" Marinette stuttered out, shuffling her feet. She could do this. It wasn't a date. It wasn't a date. "I have time I need to burn."

"We could get back to discussing video games?" he suggested. "That's a safe topic, right?"

"Yeah."

"And other simple stuff like that?"

A flicker of a smile appeared. "Ok. Yeah. Sure. Ice cream. Are you… um… talking about that little shop on the corner of—"

"With the gelato and—"

"I know which one that is," she answered. "I really like that place."

"I do, too," Adrien agreed. "So… umm… I guess I'll meet you there?"

"Yeah. Okay."

"Okay." With an awkward nod, Adrien spun on his heel to walk towards his car while Marinette got into hers. Once he was out of view, she dropped her forehead onto the steering wheel. "Come on, Marinette," she scolded. "Pull yourself together. You can do this. You can go out with a friend. It's not a date. You'll be fine."

And whatever you do, she mentally added as she turned the keys in the ignition. Do. Not. Cry.

Adrien shut the door to his car and hung his head, hands resting on the steering wheel. "That went well."

Frankly, he wasn't certain how much facetiousness to put into that sentence. On one hand, the entire night was fine. He'd had a nice long talk with Marinette about video games and general nerdiness. On the other hand, the awkward strain between them had been palatable. And that all boiled down to one thing.

She hadn't healed.

This wasn't a date. It wasn't even supposed to happen. Yet there they were, in a very date-like setting that Marinette nowhere near ready to face. Even after they made their way to the ice cream shop, he could tell she was still tense. And the night had ended abruptly when a couple of young women gossiping in the corner had pointed to them and started making various comments.

Not even Marinette's make-up could hide the redness in her eyes.

Adrien had quickly whisked her out of the shop, walking her to her car again and bidding her a good night. While she had managed to force a smile, it was flimsy at best.

He'd felt rather guilty because he was certain she was going to start crying again, but he also could guess she would prefer to do that alone.

Adrien let his head drop the rest of the way to the steering wheel. It felt like a selfish confession, but he couldn't deny, not even to himself, just how much he'd enjoyed the night with her. He was slowly beginning to realize that Marinette was a very special young lady. Beyond her beauty was a caring heart, a tease, a competitive streak, and a boldness that had barely been revealed. Add that on top of what he already knew about her—her natural mothering instincts, to be precise—and Adrien…

Adrien found himself with a fledgling crush.

It was a shame that it would go nowhere. Hopefully, he'd manage to squash it one way or another because he knew he'd only end up hurt in the end.

Eventually, he pulled himself together enough to drive home, pulling into his garage a little after nine. He entered the house, walking through the kitchen into the living room where he was certain his father was.

Only to freeze at the sight of Nathalie sitting on the loveseat.

"Ah, Adrien," his father said, setting his tablet down on the side table next to the armchair he enjoyed so much. "You're home."

"Yes," he said. "How was your evening?"

"It was enjoyable," his father said. "We went out to an Italian place Nathalie enjoys. It was quite satisfactory."

"Emma had a good time?"

His father nodded.

"Then I'll count the night as a success."

Gabriel frowned. "Was your date not so?"

Adrien took a pause. "She didn't show up."

Nathalie's eyes widened while Gabriel's narrowed. "Then where on earth have you been these last two and a half hours?"

Adrien mentally cringed, suddenly wondering if he should have just kept his mouth shut. "Well… Marinette Kurtzburg, Emma's nanny, happened to show up, alone, at the time I was about to leave. And… I may have invited her to dine with me."

Nathalie rose a brow. "And how did that go?"

"We enjoyed each other's company. It just…" At this he sighed, leaning against the wall. "Midway through the night, she felt like she was on a date. And while we did spend more time together after that, it was clear she wasn't comfortable with it."

His father nodded. "Understandable. She's at least in the process of healing. Admirable for her situation."

Adrien frowned at his father. "What do you mean?"

Gabriel quirked a brow. "I mean she is young and lost her husband in a sudden, tragic accident. Normally, those two things combined make for the longest mourning and healing times."

"Oh," was all Adrien said as his gaze hit the ground.

He could feel his father staring at him. "It wasn't an insult. Merely an observation."

Adrien just nodded before looking back up at his father. He quickly regretted the action, however, and rapidly grew uncomfortable under the studious gazes of both his father and Nathalie.

Eventually, his father stood. "Well, as pleasant as this is, I'm growing tired. I think Nathalie and I will be taking our leave."

"Thank you again for watching Emma."

"Our pleasure."

Adrien saw them out, watching as they got into Gabriel's car and drove off into the night. Quietly, Adrien shut the door and immediately felt a wave of exhaustion hit him. He started up the stairs when he felt a buzz come from his pocket. He pulled his phone out to glance at the message, only to stop mid-step when he noticed the sender.

Home safe and sound hiding in my bedroom. ;)

Adrien smiled. A weight on his shoulders lifted at the little emoticon at the end. Somehow, the casual symbol proved that they were still friends. They still could be friends. That she wasn't going to put professional barriers between them again.

That it was going to be okay.

I'm glad to hear it. Thank you for spending the evening with me. I had a good time.

While waiting for a response, he was able to change out of his date-night attire and pull on some comfortable pajamas.

If you wanted to, I'll be okay with playing video games together some time.

Adrien paused at that, staring at his phone a long while. Are you sure?

He waited patiently for the response, finishing up his bedtime routine and flopping down on his mattress before receiving her reply. We're friends, right?

He couldn't help but grin. She was trying, and he admired her greatly for it. Absolutely. Tell me when you're ready to challenge me.

I'll get back to you on that?

Done.

Then I'll bid you goodnight. See you tomorrow.