The sound that left Marinette Dupain-Cheng's lips upon waking up snuggled against Adrien Agreste's chest the next morning was previously unknown to the human ear.
Sadly enough, it wasn't Adrien's most unpleasant wake up call to that day (try having your father's assistant wake you up at three a.m. while you're stark naked, with news of a photoshoot where you'll have to dress up as a panda. In August.)
Nonetheless, waking up to the warm, soft and screeching body of Marinette's snuggled against his chest effortlessly ranked amongst his five most favorite wake up calls of all times. She was curled up against him, her eyes still somehow soft and caring despite the unholy scream that had just left her lips.
Horrified, Marinette instantly clasped her hands over her lips, ignoring how Adrien's smacked her in the face as she squealed inelegantly, "Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry!"
Laughing heartily, Adrien grinned at her. "No biggie, Mari. Though I think I might've gone deaf."
"OH MY GOSH I'M SO SORRY, your father is going to hate me and then I will never work in fashion and-"
"Mari," Adrien cut her rambling short, "I'm just kidding. No one's going deaf, no one's gonna hate you, and it's still really early. You can sleep a little more, then we're going to get up, get dressed and have a nice breakfast with your parents before heading to my photoshoot."
Even her impromptu pillow (commonly known as Adrien's chest) couldn't muffle Marinette pitiful whimper upon hearing the friendly jab, which prompted a loud chuckle from Adrien. Groaning, she buried herself further into the chaise, blushing deeply.
"Adrien, it's too early for this. Actually, this entire lifetime is too early for this. I'll just go back to sleep for a few years now, okay?"
He chuckled lightly, fully expecting her to resume her freaking out. However, the very early hour coupled with the excitement of the previous day quickly claimed her back, and despite her best intentions she drifted back to sleep against his chest, dozing off peacefully until her alarm finally rang about an hour later. Adrien, who had spent that time reveling into the warm cosiness of her room, chuckled lightly when she groaned upon hearing the familiar sound. It then took a bit of coaxing on his part, but eventually he managed to get her out of her chaise and make the perilous journey down the stairs.
Landing eyes on both teens, Sabine smiled warmly at them. "Morning Sunshines! Slept well?"
"A few sore muscles from the odd position of our arms, but unscathed otherwise," Adrien answered as he and Marinette sat down, the latter barely able to put a foot in front of the other.
"Oh, by the way, son," her mother said. "Your father's assistant called earlier to ask if you needed anything in order to get ready for the day. I let her know that Marinette and you had perfectly handled the clothing issue, and that Tom and I were more than able of providing anything else you would need," Sabine stated matter-of-factly as she placed a full plate in front of Adrien.
He gasped, staring at Marinette's mother with an incredulous gaze. "How did you know Mari and I had sorted out the getting dressed problem?"
Sabine smiled, turning her back on the young man to prepare another plate for her daughter. "I know my daughter, Adrien. She's a talented seamstress, and she's the most resourceful young lady I've ever seen."
"Mama, stop bothering Adrien," Marinette's voice came, somewhat muffled from in between her crossed arms on the counter. "And please stop talking like I'm not here. I'm sleeping, not dead."
Grumbling, Marinette shot her bad hand forward, her head dropping on the counter with a loud thud. Bites of her breakfast traveled steadily from her plate to what he assumed to be her mouth, veiled by a curtain of black hair. If a few spoonfuls missed their originally intended trajectory and hit her nose instead, he was none the wisest-that she'd know, at least.
Adrien tore his gaze away from his friend and chuckled as he began to eat his own meal, "Is she always like this?"
"In the morning?" Sabine asked. "This is an easy morning per our standards. I usually have to wake her up once or twice after her alarm goes-"
"Still not dead!" Marinette protested, earning herself a hearty laugh from both her mother and Adrien. The remaining of the breakfast went into a comfortable chatter between the fully awake pair, while Marinette slowly roused to reach some semblance of awareness.
Once they were both sated and she was finally a fully functional human being again, they went back to her room to get ready for the day. The skills they had developed just the night before came in handy, both of them sliding into their newfound routine like a well-oiled machine as Adrien blindfolded himself in a heartbeat to let Marinette quickly slip into a sleeveless summer dress, before she returned the favor as he put on his jeans and a shirt she had previously altered for him to accommodate their predicament. He brushed her hair confidently, lending her a helpful hand to tie them into a simple bun, while she finished fastening the buttons on his sleeve that he couldn't reach.
They miraculously managed to escape unscathed from Tom and Sabine fussing over them as they left the bakery, and as they walked down the street hand in hand (Keep imagining this is Chat Noir, Marinette!) they chatted casually about everything that came to mind, from his fencing, her designing projects, his piano lessons to her earliest experiences in baking.
As Marinette was relating a particularly funny anecdote about how she had managed to make an entire flour bag explode on herself at the age of four, Adrien gently squeezed her fingers in his, a forlorn smile dancing on his lips.
"You and your parents seem to be pretty close," he said softly.
Her heart clenched painfully in her chest, and she mentally cursed herself. Why did she have to be so insensitive? "I'm sorry, Adrien, I shouldn't have said any-"
"No!" he cut her off hastily. "I really like your house, actually. It feels really homey, and your parents have been really cool with me."
Marinette smiled at him as they reached the Trocadero. "Yeah, they're really great. You know, I really look up to them."
"Dreaming of taking the reins of the bake- huh?"
An assistant hurried toward them, cutting Adrien off. "There you are Adrien! We're setting up the equipment in that alley, over there. You and your friend are expected for hair and makeup in two."
Multiple things happened at once the moment those words registered in the teens mind. Marinette froze right on the spot, and Adrien stumbled over thin air. Both of them stared blankly at the assistant, before Marinette managed to stammer, "I'm s-sorry? I'm expected for w-what?"
Directing them to a nearby alley between two tall brick buildings, the crew member sighed exasperated, "We can't cut those handcuffs, and you know how much Mr. Agreste hates unnecessary photoshop. He asked us to include the young lady in the photoshoot. Hurry up, kids, we're wasting precious time here."
Marinette blushed deeply, but seeing the smile that lit up Adrien's entire face, she couldn't bring herself to let him down. Pushing her apprehensions away, she smiled softly. "I'll do my best."
"That's all we can ask from you, I guess," answered the assistant with yet another sigh, before vanishing in the crowd.
A few tents and workstations were scattered around the street, and from their point of vantage they could see Pierre, the photographer, setting up his spots. Marinette and Adrien wordlessly followed the directions to a privacy screen that had been cut in half to allow them to rest their joined hands over it comfortably, with crew members buzzing on either side like bees in a hive.
The second a makeup artist spotted them, they were quickly coaxed on both sides of the screen, pushed into high-back chairs and instructed to stay as still as possible. While her hairdresser tugged less than gently on the band securing her bun, she remembered Adrien's earlier question.
"I don't plan on following my parents' steps," she said softly, unsure if he would hear her at all amongst the ambient cacophony. "If you're looking at my professional aspirations, your father is more along the right lines. I'm ... my parents have been together for a really long time, you know, and yet they still look at each other like they're their own little universe, you know? I want that, I want someone to love like that someday, and I'm rambling again, sorry."
Adrien's laugh came from the other side of the screen, unbidden. Memories of another time, on a rainy day, another laugh and an umbrella flashed at the forefront of her mind and Marinette found herself blushing deeply. She dutifully ignored the knowing smirks of the makeup artists, and tried to keep her furiously beating heart in check.
On his part, Adrien was thinking about Marinette's word choice. She hadn't said that she wanted someone to love her. She was looking up at her parents, and dreamed of loving someone like that. That made his head slightly dizzy, his heart suddenly longing painfully.
An exasperated sigh from his hairdresser brought him back to reality, and he chased those ideas at the back of his mind.
Until the moment the assistants lowered the privacy screen between them. Adrien knew right then and there that he was totally and utterly screwed.
Marinette had always been a pretty girl, downright adorable, even.
But right this second, she was smoking hot.
They had cladded her in a form-fitting pitch black corset laced at the front by a neon green satin ribbon. The curve of her legs was enhanced by matching leather leggings with an opening slit on the outer side. A green plaid mini-skirt was blissfully hiding her assets from the world, otherwise Adrien wasn't quite sure that his thoughts wouldn't have taken a dangerous and rather inappropriate path. A wide belt rested on her hips, accentuating the sinful curve of her waist.
She wore flat military boots tied up with a green string, and a strip of black leather enhanced with a silver heart circled her neck, making the line of her jaw pop up. Her left wrist was decorated by various silver chains and leather stud bracelets.
The hairdressing crew had teased her hair on the top of her head in a messy updo, creating a faux mohawk that only added to the definite rock'n'roll vibe they had been striving for. The makeup artist hadn't done a half-assed job either, making her unique blue eyes pop beautifully with stunning black and gray smokey eyes. Her lips were painted a shade of red that suddenly seemed to scream danger to Adrien.
Had breathing always been this hard?
Little did he know, Marinette was having a crisis of her own, staring at him as she tried to keep her furiously beating heart in check.
Adrien was as far as one could get from the proper young man he was at all times.
He was wearing black jeans adorned with a flashy silver zipper and red seams. They hung in just the right spot on his hips, making Marinette drool uncontrollably at the mouth-watering sight. His boots matched hers, loosely laced with a ruby-red lace. His muscular chest (how could he be sexier in a shirt than without, honestly?) was enhanced by a form-fitting black shirt with a collar that pooled into a loose turtleneck on his shoulders. The hairdressers had brushed his hair into a swept back updo that made his long blond locks look like a mohawk, and a fine line of pitch black eyeliner made the rich shade of his green eyes look even deeper.
But what really took the cake, at least in Marinette's opinion, was his black leather jacket. It made his shoulders seem even broader than they were to begin with, and the fine scarlet stripe going down his right sleeve made Marinette gulp in recognition. The left sleeve was ripped right below the shoulder, fastened with a line of small buttons, adding a dangerous edge to the outfit.
"Is... Is this a Ladybug themed photoshoot?"
The photographer sighed loudly, "We had to work around that lovely handiwork you put yourself in, Adrien. We were supposed to do the Victorian shoot today, but since you managed to handcuff yourself to this lovely young lady, your father requested we ... rock things up a little."
Adrien gulped.
This couldn't be good.
Right on cue, Pierre clicked his tongue disapprovingly, and said harshly, "Okay, I want this young lady with her back to the wall, with a knee propped up, and you standing between her legs, leaning on your arm, your hand beside her head on the brick. I want love in your eyes, I want passion."
They both exchanged a panicked glance. This involved much more physical contact than they were used to.
But not with Chat Noir. Just imagine he's your silly kitty.
Smirking, Marinette gently nudged Adrien. "Hey, let's just spark a chain reaction here, alright Adrien?"
He blinked at her slowly, before smiling broadly. Did ... did she really make a pun?
Just like back at the museum, the pun caused the awkwardness between them to dissipate, and they tried to obey Pierre's instructions as well as they could.
Adrien took the demanded pose seamlessly, falling into an easy routine he had gone through countless times over the years. Marinette, on the other hand, had tensed like a guitar string in front of him, the line of her jaw set in stone.
"Hey, relax," he gently said between shots, lifting his chin as per Pierre's instructions.
She willed a tentative smile on her face, trying to figure out what the heck was a sultry look. "I'm... I'm really trying but they-"
His fingers found hers around the handcuffs, and he whispered, "Forget about them, just look at me. We're in this together, okay?"
She nodded, putting her entire trust in her friend. As Adrien gently guided her through the different shots, helping her with Pierre's confusing directives and giving her tips and tricks, there was a subtle but definitely there shift in the atmosphere surrounding the pair.
To the onlookers, their bodies seemed to revolve around each other like a well-rehearsed performance, posing in front of the camera like they have been born to be partners.
After the first set, Pierre instructed Adrien to lift Marinette by the hips, holding her against the wall and resting his forehead against hers. She giggled slightly when he grabbed her, their eyes trained on each other.
"You okay?" he whispered breathlessly, holding the pose for a really pleased Pierre.
She smiled. "Yes, you?"
He nodded, and they moved onto the next pose, sitting next to each other, her legs propped up and her back leaning on his side. Between shots, he whispered softly for her ears only, "This is the most fun I've had at a shoot. Ever."
The day went by without a hitch, Pierre practically buzzing with excitement behind the camera. The last picture, one of Adrien and Marinette facing each other and holding hands, earned them coos and awws from the crew.
But they were oblivious to their surroundings, staring into each other's eyes. Being there, together, it felt right. Adrien leaned in, completely under her spell, and-
"Adrien! Little sneaky boy! If I had known you only needed your girlfriend to be at ease during couple shoots, we would have brought her in way sooner!"
"She isn't-" Adrien began at the same time Marinette all but blurted out, the magic gone. "I'm not-"
"This is to say," the young man resumed, gulping painfully and ignoring the little voice at the back of his mind telling him how unpleasant the truth was, "She's a friend."
Pierre shrugged, already busying himself into putting his camera away. "If you say so, boy. That kind of chemistry doesn't lie, though. She truly brings the best out of you."
As Pierre put his equipment away, he was blissfully oblivious to the matching fiery blushes on the teens' faces, who both had suddenly a new found urge to change back into their civilian clothes.
Reaching with his free hand to scratch his neck, Adrien stammered, "S-s-so it's g-getting late, wanna head at my p-place for dinner?"
Marinette was blissfully saved from having to answer, which she wasn't quite sure she could have managed without making an utter fool of herself, by the Gorilla's arrival. Adrien held the door open for her, and when she slid on the backseat, careful of avoiding tugging on their joined hands, he hoped she didn't hear the loud thumping of his heart in his ribcage.
Unbeknownst to him, she was wishing the exact same thing with all her might.