Rainy Days

If Only to See Her

"Yes, thank you Ariel, much appreciated."

Adrien reached out and took a plate from a servant employed by his father, having to have hot chocolate and random assorted snacks sent to his room since he wasn't actually allowed free reign of the house. The older woman smiled at him, bowing her head and silently leaving to return to her duties elsewhere.

Adrien turned and shut the door with his foot, trying not to seem too eager as he walked back into the main space of his room with the treats. His heart leapt on sight when she came into view, still not used to seeing her casually sitting on his sofa, and his heart quickened when she smiled at him over her shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't want it?" Ladybug asked him, reaching out to take the warm mug of rich brown liquid and inhaling the fancy smell. Must be expensive. "I know you could only ask for one to avoid looking suspicious."

"It's all yours!" he insisted, circling around to sit on the other end of the couch and placing the plate between them on the cushions.

A few of the things crowding the plate made sense, being pastries and baked treats that would go well with hot chocolate, but there were also a few more filling things since he had just asked for 'Whatever'. He hoped the meats and cheeses didn't seem over the top, but at this point there wasn't much he could do to avoid that impression.

He looked up when Ladybug sighed, adorably smiling and bouncing a little on the cushions when she took a sip of the drink. It was the perfect temperature and incredibly sweet, warding off the last of the chill she had gotten from hanging outside his window.

"This is great!" she complimented, letting herself relax a little more. Her confidence was bolstered now that she knew Adrien must be far more nervous than she was, and she wanted to make him comfortable by being as casual as possible. "It's so sweet, mine never turns out this good when I make it."

She took piece of fancy meat she had no name for, her hunger overpowering her desire to not mix flavors. She didn't want to say anything or ask for food, but she had actually skipped lunch that day to work on things and had intended to eat once she was home. She had been so excited for her Ladybug plan that she hadn't even eaten during her hour and a half opportunity to do so. It was excellent, but she still had no clue what it was once she had bitten into it.

"If there is anything else you would like, food wise or anything just ask," he said with a slight chuckle, noticing her going for another piece of meat despite drinking something so sweet. As he expected she just gave a polite, 'Thank you,' but requested nothing, probably not wanting to impose. If she didn't place an order eventually he would just guess something random and insist she have it.

"You must be quite the fencer," Ladybug said after a short but comfortable silence, gesturing behind them to his various fencing trophies surrounding his computer area and was unsurprised to see him shrug humbly, pride still hinted in his tone.

"I've been fencing for a few years now, just practice really. Helps me stay fit."

She laughed, setting the mug in her lap and leaning against the arm of the sofa to more easily face him.

"Well it's reassuring to know I probably won't have to worry about you during akuma attacks too much. I'm sure you're more than capable of fending for yourself. Probably even put Cat Noir through his paces."

Adrien couldn't help the grin, finding it funny to be compared to himself.

"That's flattering," he chuckled, "being compared to a fighter like Cat. He's pretty impressive."

Ladybug rolled her eyes, giving her own chuckle. "Oh I'm sure he'd love to hear that."

"Do you not agree?" he asked, keeping his tone playful but dying of curiosity. Was this wrong? Was this like spying?