Then There Was You

Chapter 8

Returning back to his office, Adrien was surprised to find the bathroom door was still shut. He thought he could hear voices inside, but figuring Marinette probably rang her mum, he knocked and called through the door. "Everything okay?" There was a squeak and a scrambling noise.

"Fine, everything's fine...um, I couldn't find the robe so I borrowed a shirt." Adrien wondered why she sounded so nervous.

"No Problem. I've ordered dinner so just come out when you're ready." Adrien decided to kick off his shoes and discard his tie. He hated wearing ties, but put them on for meetings. Plopping happily on the couch, he started undoing his top buttons while he scrolled through his phone when the bathroom door finally opened and Marinette stepped out.

Adrien had seen a lot of things through his time as a model. Girls in swimsuits and lingerie walking around half naked was not unusual and he had barely raised an eyebrow at them. When he fixed his eyes on Marinette, however, any doubt he had about his feeling for her stopped along with his heart.

She was wearing an emerald green satin formal shirt that hung like a bed shirt on her. He'd forgotten he even had that shirt because it was slightly too big. He had meant to return it ages ago for alterations but now he was thanking any and every deity in existence he hadn't. Not only did she look incredible in his shirt, not to mention his Chat colour, but her slightly damp hair was draped loosely over her shoulders. He knew without a doubt he'd fallen for her hard, and he just prayed that she felt the same.

"I've...a...I've ordered Chinese. You like Chinese don't you?" Marinette looked at him amused as his red face deepened. Ugh, you idiot, he chastised himself. "Of course you do, scrap that...ah...come and sit." He patted the space beside him. Marinette sat with her foot tucked under her so she could face him. She was quietly pleased to see he seemed almost as nervous as she was. "Feeling better?" He asked, desperately trying not to think about what, if anything, she had on under the shirt. She nodded warmly at him, hoping to act normal and not like she isn't just wearing one of his shirts. It even smelt of him.

"Much better, thanks. Is someone able to dry my dress?"

"Nathalie is taking care of it. Rachael will bring it up when it's ready." Marinette looked surprised.

"Nathalie's still here? But she was here really early this morning. Does she ever sleep?" Adrien was touched that Marinette seemed genuinely worried about Nathalie.

"Yeah, she works too hard and I don't think my father gives her enough credit for that or even appreciates all she does. I actually found her asleep at her desk and I have a feeling that happens a lot more than she would care to admit. I'm worried she's going to get burned out though. She always gives everything 110% without complaint." Marinette reached out her hand and placed it on his.

"Sounds like someone else I know." That warm tingling feeling came back all over him. How could just the touch of her hand make him feel this way? He tried to steady his breathing, swallowing and searching to find his words.

"Marinette, there's something I need to tell you, well two things actually." Marientte's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "Oh no, nothing bad. At least I hope not." He started playing with the ring on his finger. Marinette recognised that as a nervous twitch and she wondered what he had to say that made him so worried to say it.

"My father got the impression from a magazine article that I was flirting with a lot of girls at school and 'playing the field' as he put it. I don't need to tell you how far off the mark that is, but once he gets an idea in his head, there's no arguing with him. He basically told me I had to find a girl and stick with her because it would be good PR for the company." Marinette sat back slightly into the seat. If she had already started to dislike Gabriel Agreste, this just sealed the deal in her mind. Who does this to their son?