The Meet Cute [An Adrienette Story]

Saturday 1st December [Adrien]

Alya's pregnancy was a shock ... to everyone. Alya was only a couple of weeks from having the baby and Adrien knew Marinette was not going to be happy that she'd missed out on supporting her best friend. He always felt a smile creep up onto his face whenever he thought of Marinette with a small child. She would make an amazing mother, so caring and understanding.

He missed Marinette more than he ever thought possible. She had become his moon and his sun, and Adrien had to admit absence definitely made the heart grow fonder. There was just so much about her to miss; her smile and her laugh. Her constant positivity and her cute stumbles, along with the constant butt kickings she'd deliver on Ultimate Mega Strike. Each day he'd wonder between Marinette and Ladybug. He never knew he could miss two people so much. With them gone he felt empty, he felt broken.

Both girls had disappeared at the same time ten months ago and not a day passed where they weren't the first thing and last thing he thought of. He'd wake up thinking of Marinette and her bright, pure smile and he would fall asleep looking at the moon and thinking about the wonderful nights spent with his Lady. He hoped they thought about him too, and selfishly, he hoped they were both still single.

Adrien had been persuaded to set up online dating profiles. His friends were worried he was missing out on the whole dating scene. He'd also been set up on numerous blind dates, each as disastrous as the previous. He became that desperate for his friends to stop pressuring him, he'd reunited with Kagami. But again, it didn't work. He knew it wouldn't, there was a reason it didn't work the first time and the same reason hit the second.

He couldn't kiss her on the lips. He'd tried, he really had but every time they got close he pulled away. Cheeks - fine; near the lips - fine, but actually on the lips? That was a no go zone. Kagami swore it was Marinette, and with said girl disappearing she really, truly believed it was her shot with the blonde model. She dumped him after four months and swore that was it. No more chances.

Ladybug, however, had been summoned to the Guardian template two days after the final battle with Hawk Moth, and one day before the two heroes were due to reveal themselves. The whole evening had been planned, it was as romantic as Adrien could have possibly made it. Candles, flowers and delicate pastries were ordered. But the evening before she'd written him a note. She'd had explained that she would be back and that she would miss Chat, he knew it was the guardian's doing, they'd been after her for months. Adrien slept with the note under his pillow every night, dreaming about the day she returned.

Marinette was a different case all together. Only Tom and Sabine knew where she'd gone and neither would say. Everyday Adrien took a trip to the Tom and Sabine Patisserie quizzing them to see if they'd heard off Marinette. Unfortunately they never knew much, but they could give him small updates to go along with his breakfast croissants.

One joy of no longer modelling meant no longer having to watch his eating habits. Not that he needed to worry, he still did regular outings as Chat Noir making sure that Paris knew their heroes were still watching over them along with avid trips to the gym. He'd made an announcement that Ladybug was going into training and not to fear, if they needed her she would be back and ready to attack.

The Dupain's had become Adrien's surrogate family. They'd always got on well due to Adrien spending a hefty amount of time with Marinette. However, with the frequent visits to the bakery they took more of a shine to him and they realised just how much he cared for their daughter. It was every parents dream. He began to go for regular meals with the Dupain's, once or twice a week to be exact.

As for the remainder of Adrien's real family, once his mother had been found in the Agreste basement, she was taken into intensive care. She wasn't dead, but in a coma. A coma that no medical professional knew how to pull her out of. He wasn't giving up hope though. Ladybug would be back and have the answer. He knew she would.