When Marinette woke up the next morning, she couldn't understand why her eyes seemed to be glued together. She rubbed at them fiercely trying to remove whatever godforsaken crust was joining the lids together.

"Tikki?" Marinette hissed in a whispered voice. She didn't want to shout too loud, after all if Adrien woke up and heard her calling a random name he'd most likely be the 'Wonderboy' he was and come bounding it wielding his trusty sword and declaring that he shall battle the dragons and thorn bushes in search of her 'Tikki'.

She was yet to hear anything from her kwami so attempted one last time. If Tikki didn't come and help her then she'd need to get up and try to find the ensuite to clean her eyes out. She was sure it was to the right of her bed, or was it the left? Anyways, it was definitely in front.

"Tikki?"

One ... two ... three ... nothing ... five ... six ... seven ... where had the kwami got to? ... eight ... nine ... ten.

That was it! She was getting up and making her way to the bathroom, cleaning her eyes and then searching for food. Now she just needed to decide whether she was going to venture out to the right of the bed, or the left.

"Eenie, meenie, minee, mo ..." swinging her hand from left to right she finally came to the decision that she was going right.

Swinging her legs off the bed, she stood up and held her arms out in front of her. Attempting to open her eyes again, they pulled apart slightly and she was looking forward through a slight slit. Perfect! She could see the door in front of herself and congratulated the executive decision she'd made to go that way.

Finally reaching the bathroom after only stubbing her toe once (score!) She loaded the sink with warm water and searched through the hotel toiletry selection for cotton wool. Two balls were sitting nicely next to the shampoo, conditioner and body lotion, and Marinette grasped onto them for dear life.

Dunking them into the water, she lifted the now wet cotton balls to her eyes and wiped gently across the crust, loosening it and allowing her eyes to open. She looked in the mirror and smiled. Thank God her eyes looked like a good layer of concealer would fix them up. She pulled and prodded them, unsure what could have caused such a catastrophic crusting.

"Marinette, you're awake." A small red blob flew behind her and Marinette followed the reflection in the mirror.

"I was calling for you Tikki. My eyes were glued together this morning." She continued looking in the mirror and soaking her eyes as she questioned one more time with cotton wool as she questioned Tikki about the events of the previous night. "Was I crying?"

Tikki flew to sit on the tap in front of Marinette, her face full of guilt. This kwami couldn't tell a lie if her life depended on it.

"Of course you didn't Marinette, you'd know if you were crying right?" Tikki nervously picked up an earbud and twirled it in her hands.

"Tikki? I know you're lying to me, I just don't know why you would be?"

"You had a nightmare," Tikki said, still keeping her eye contact away from Marinette.

"But I didn't wake up."

"That's right, you didn't," Marinette looked down at the kwami to see the ladybug attempt to smile. The look currently on the kwamis face was similar to Wallace out of Wallace and Gromit and she was starting to wonder if she should feed Tikki cheese rather than cookies.

"Tell me," Marinette demanded.

"You don't want to know," Tikki went to fly away, only for Marinette to grab the small kwami and pull her back to face off with her holder.

"Tikki?"

"Fine. You were screaming and crying in your sleep and Adrien, well, he got a little worried. He was going to break down the door so I unlocked it and he kind of consoled you whilst you were asleep, rather sweet actually."

Marinette let out a growl and covered her face with her hands. This was not good. Her nightmares usually involved a lot of thrashing around on the bed, screaming, crying and all out begging for a new life. She didn't mean it, of course not, it was always just replays. Replays of akuma's, of near misses, of losing Chat Noir and, of course, her head to head with an akumatised kitten.

She still wasn't sure how the chain of events led up to Chat turning from comforting black to frosty white, but she'd never been so scared in her life. It plagued both her waking and sleeping thoughts, and even though she knew the timeline had passed, it still was always in the back of her mind. The fact that their love was so strong, so powerful, it blew up the moon was not something to be messed with. In any other circumstance this would be romantic, however in the context it actually happened, it was anything but.

"How much did I embarrass myself? Oh, God Tikki! Did I let out my identity?"

Tikki rolled her eyes at her chosen and Marinette couldn't help but feel as though Tikki was mocking her slightly. Did she want her to reveal her identity?

"No Marinette, it was all fine. He calmed you down, tucked you up and went back to sleep himself. He was really worried about you, he was a true gentleman."

Marinette looked in the mirror and saw that pink hue take on her cheeks again. Why was he having this much of an affect on her? She wasn't thirteen anymore. She was twenty three, with a business and a box of Magic Tricks! She could handle Adrien 'beautiful' Agreste being kind to her.

"Where is he now?" Marinette emptied the warm water out of the sink, only to fill it up a second later with cold water. This pink glow was not going, just like her decade old crush. Adrien really was doing one on her and even after she told him last night she was going to be a spinster she was already regretting it.

Perhaps she'd been premature to make the decision? Maybe there was room for a relationship in her life? But would she want it with someone she just met?

She couldn't deny the chemistry between them. They wouldn't be anymore explosive if they were hydrogen and oxygen, but it wouldn't work. Adrien was a dream. A wonderful 'live in the moment' dream, but that's all he would ever be and she needed to get that out of her head.

"He left about an hour ago." Tikki explained nonchalantly, messing with one of Marinette's hair ties.

"What?" Marinette shrieked, running out the en suite and to her phone on the bedside table.

Eight o'two

"Eight o'two? The shoot doesn't start until eleven? I thought we were leaving at ten?"

"Maybe Adrien had a reason for going so early?"

"Yeah," Marinette thought, "to get away from the psycho in the cabin." Adrien probably was terrified he'd end up like James Caan in Misery, Marinette was truly beginning to sound like Kathy Bates.

"Has he messaged you at all?"

Looking on the home screen of her phone she noticed the small red dot on the message app. The number inside read 'six'.

Lifting her left hand she placed her thumb into her mouth and began to chew on it. A nervous tick which started a couple of years ago. During her final BACs exams in Lycée, she'd managed to take the nail down so far her parents were worried she'd end up having to have it removed. Tikki flew into the girl's face and smacked the hand out of her mouth.

"Hey," Marinette exclaimed, looking over the messages sitting waiting for her.

Three from Alya.

One from her Maman.

One from Luka.

And finally one from Adrien. She decided she'd start with that one.

Adrien
Hey sleepy!! I hope you're ok? I was called in early this morning as they wanted to get some shots as the sun rose. The car will be back at ten to pick you up. I have left a cheese and fruit platter in the fridge that I made this morning, feel free to help yourself to whatever though, room service included. See you soon, A.

Marinette smiled. Such a simple message but it still made her heart flutter. Next she decided to read her maman's, before tackling Alya's and maybe Luka's, though that might be a more 'leave on read' and she'd see to that later.

Maman
Hello sweetheart, good luck today. We hope you enjoy the experience, loads of love Maman and Papa x

"Awwww, my parents are so sweet," Marinette smiled as she texted a quick response back thanking her parents and informing them that she missed them but was having a great experience so far.

Next she read Alya's. What was that girl on? Marinette felt her face heat up as she read the messages and mentally made a note to talk to her best friend about boundaries and what to text and what not to text within the normal social realms. She knew Alya could be a little pushy and intrusive but this ... this was something else entirely.

Finally she pulled up Luka's message.

Luka
Press is going mad about you and Adrien. Keep safe, M.

Marinette let out a 'huh?' noise. That wasn't what she expected but she couldn't help but think it was really sweet of him.

Marinette
Thank you Luka, I promise I'm looking out for myself.

Now that was dealt with it was time to eat and shower. She made her way to the kitchenette and opened the fridge. On the top shelf was a mouth watering platter complete with a note.

Bon appetit, A x

•••••

Two hours later, Marinette had arrived via Adrien's driver at the photoshoot location and her breath was immediately taken away. They were above the main lodge on one of the ski slopes, the sun was reflecting dangerously on the fallen snow and Marinette was glad she'd brought her sunglasses with her. She looked around and noticed cameras, spotlights, make-up artists running around, and Nathalie Sancoeur.

"Ms. Dupain-Cheng, we're glad you could join us. I understand Adrien has been a good host to you." Nathalie, although in her static state, had a little warmth in her voice as she mentioned Adrien, and Marinette couldn't help but smile. He could warm even the most frozen of hearts.

"He has, and I am glad to be here. The shoot looks amazing. Is it going well so far?" Marinette was bundled up in her thickest scarf, mittens, and padded puffer jacket. Her pink beanie keeping her head warm and was edged with her trademark pigtails sticking out of the bottom.

"It would be," Nathalie said, tapping away on her tablet, "if the female model had bothered to turn up. We've been waiting over an hour for her, and can't continue without a female."

"Has Adrien done his solo shots? Could you do those whilst you were waiting?"

Nathalie looked Marinette over, and she felt herself shrivel back into her coat. If the plummeting temperatures didn't make her cold then Nathalie's glare most certainly would.

"We're not amateurs, Ms. Dupain-Cheng, we know how to make use of our time."

"Oh, um - I didn't mean - "

"Nathalie," a voice sounded out the tablet currently in the stone-faced ladies hands and both Marinette and the assistant looked down at Gabriel Agreste's face. "Use Marinette."

"What?" Both women echoed the others' thoughts as they turned to look at each other. The sound was loud, drawing attention to those around them.

"She models her own outfits, she will be quite capable of modelling these." Gabriel didn't have a hint of emotion in his voice and Marinette couldn't help but feel like a transaction. "Plus, her colouring against Adrien's will look good, just make sure they're sitting down, she's too short to be standing next to him."

Ar, so, Gabriel Agreste was sizest ... she should have guessed.

"Wouldn't it be easier to use a taller model?" Marinette asked.

"No."

And just like that, the conversation was over.

"Hey, Marinette, you made it. Did you enjoy breakfast?" Marinette turned sharply to the right, coming eye to eye with Adrien and his halo of blonde glowing hair. If she thought the sunlight on snow was dazzling, it had nothing compared to sunlight, snow and Adrien's blonde mane. It wasn't legal for anyone to be looking that good. He bent down, placing a kiss on her cheeks in greeting and the smile he gave her as he pulled back melted the snow under Marinette's feet, or at least it felt like it. She had a sudden urge to fan herself; was it hot out here, or was it him?

"It was great, thank you, Adrien."

"Ms. Dupain-Cheng is going to be modelling with you, can you take her to hair and then wardrobe please? Her makeup is fine." With that, Nathalie turned and stalked away, leaving Adrien and Marinette standing side by side as she left.

"She's a lovely lady," Marinette said, "really warm and fluffy."

Adrien gwaffed and placed one hand on Marinette's lower back. "Come on, let's get you ready."

Date five - Model Behaviour

Marinette had been stripped, redressed, pinned, pulled, prodded and tightened, and she decided at that moment she was never, ever going to become a model. So much for just standing around looking pretty, she felt like a mistreated Barbie doll. The outfit she'd been shoehorned into was a snowsuit. White with turquoise accents, and she couldn't deny its beauty. The only issue ... it was for a long legged giant, not a tiny pipsqueak like herself.

"What do you think?" Adrien appeared next to her as the wardrobe department began to turn up her trousers. "Did a child design these, or are they worthy of your incredible standards?"

"I don't know if you're being serious or sarcastic?" Marinette said, thanking the dressers as they finished the turn up and moved away.

"Definitely serious, I think for once my father has some sort of realisation of what people would actually like to wear."

Adrien was wearing a male version of her outfit, and Gabriel was right, the contrasting colours of the two of them made the outfits pop. They looked good, very good.

"What do we do now?" Marinette asked, stepping off the podium and onto the ground. The small cabin they were using as a dressing room was warm from the log fire, and suddenly Marinette felt confident. Her own reflection was staring back at her from the full length mirror and she watched Adrien come and stand beside her. She couldn't help another quick look into the mirror and see how lovely the two of them suited each other.

"Are you ready?"

She took a deep breath. Was she ready? She wasn't a model, she didn't do this type of thing, but what was there to lose?

"Are you going to be with me?" She asked her companion.

"Of course, if that's what you need I wouldn't leave you. You can do this though, you look amazing and you have a dazzling smile. What could possibly go wrong?" He placed his hands on her shoulders and she enjoyed the pressure he was creating. It was real, it was support. It was similar to that of Chat Noir. Her kitty always made her do better than she ever expected and with Adrien by her side she was sure she could do it now too.

"I'm ready," she explained, smiling at the reflection.

"Then let's do this."

They made their way out the cabin to be greeted by many members of the team fawning over them, including the photographer Vincent who was expressing their 'look' as something equal to Tom Holland and Zendaya.

"I think they like us," Adrien whispered in her ear.

"No, they like you," she responded, plastering on a smile and heading over to where Vincent and the other photographers were waiting. Luckily the snow boots they'd placed her in had been padded out with three pairs of thick socks, so she could tread over the deep snow with relative ease and without the worry of creating snow angels with her face.

"Bella, you are beautiful. With your hair and the snow, we'll have our very own Snow White. I hope our handsome Prince is good enough for you."

Marinette looked towards the ground, a small smile playing on her lips, maybe she did look good. She was sure they would tell her if not.

"Told you so," Adrien whispered in her ear, as he led her towards the chair lift, position one for the advertising shots. "Let me help you up." Placing his hands on Marinette's hips, he hoisted her up and into the chair before swinging himself up next to her.

"Hey," she said shyly, only for Adrien to repeat the formality, his eyes shining in the brightness of the snow.

"Okay, Adrien and lady, please just look like you're having fun. Act naturally and we'll take photos around you." Vincent began to snap and move around.

Unknowing what 'act naturally' really meant, Marinette moved herself awkwardly around, speaking to Adrien out the side of her mouth, attempting to keep her smile plastered there for the shots.

Vincent stopped and sighed, looking back at the small screen situated on the back of his camera. "No, no, no! This is too staged. Lady," he called up. "You need to relax, you look like Adrien's going to push you off the ski lift."

Marinette gulped and looked at Adrien in apology, her lips twisting in a grimace.

"Just relax Mari, it's easy freezy lemon squeezy."

Oh, no! He did not just pun! Marinette rolled her eyes and stared out in front of them as he continued. Out of all the times he could strike up his pun count he decided now would be a good idea.

"'Tis the ski-son to be jolly!" He continued.

There was no way he was going to break her. Chat Noir hadn't yet, so there was no way she was going to let Adrien Agreste.

"You know, I went to the cafe this morning and was shocked," she turned her attention to him, waiting with anticipation for where he was going with this. "There are no rules there: it is frost come, frost served."

That was the one! That was the pun that broke her. She began to giggle before it turned into a full throttle belly laugh. Adrien smiled as she placed her head into his shoulder.

"Aw, finally, I came, I thawed, I conquered."

Marinette continued laughing into his shoulder, as she battled for words.

"That was awful!" She whispered, pulling her head away and smiling at Adrien. Puns seriously were her weakness and in such a dire time as this, she needed it.

"Don't be so frosty, Ms. Dupain-Cheng."

"Be careful Agreste, that's a slippery slope you're going down!" She watched triumphantly as Adrien moved away from her, giving her the once over. She was proud of that one, and she was sure both her father and Chat would be mighty impressed too..

"Woah, the girl puns well, and there I was thinking you only had 'dad jokes'! That was a hidden talent, Marinette."

"Hidden, yes, talent ... well I don't think you can call punning a talent."

"I'm sure Chat Noir would disagree ," he wiggled his eyebrows at her and she couldn't help the smile again. Suddenly this awkward situation was actually turning into something quite fun.

"Don't you use my secrets against me, Ladybug Lover." This time it was his turn to laugh, and laugh he did.

"I'd marry her tomorrow if she'd let me," he sighed and looked into the distance which was lucky because her face was about to melt the snow and cause a tremendous avalanche.

"Well, I'm not sure she's dating." Marinette said. The words came out a little harsher than expected, but lucky Adrien hadn't seemed to notice.

"Probably not, plus why would she want a loser like me when she could be with Chat Noir? The guy has it all."

"While that is true," Marinette answered, a twinkle in her eyes, "you're not a bad catch either." She bumped her shoulder into his and he wrapped an arm around her pulling her into a side hug.

As they settled into each other and Marinette was engulfed in his amazing smell a scream filled the nearby area.

"Why is someone else up there? I was supposed to be modelling with Adrien today." The high pitched nasally voice reached their ears and they pulled apart.

"Who's she?" Marinette asked, as herself and Adrien watched the tall female strop in front of their ski lift. She was wearing what looked like a hotel bathrobe and slippers, the kind placed in your wardrobe to wear to the spa. One thought came to Marinette's mind and that was that she must be freezing.

"Ms. Vanessa," Nathalie had made her way over and looked the female up and down. Considering the depth of the snow, Nathalie moved with unsettling ease. "You did not arrive on time for the shoot, we had no choice but to recast." Vanessa's mouth dropped open and her head turned to face Marinette.

"What?" The model stomped through the deep snow and Marinette swore she was turning blue. If she didn't head back inside soon she'd have an uncanny resemblance to Smurfette. "You!" She pointed up to Marinette, who pointed back at herself in confirmation. "Yes! You! Get off! I'm modelling with Adrien."

"Ms. Vanessa, I suggest you go back to the hotel and dress appropriately." An assistant came over with a coat and some winter boots for Vanessa to put on.

"I will not go back to the hotel. I demand you get this nobody off my Adrien and let me do my job."

"Who are you calling a nobody?" Marinette retorted in response. How dare she!

"Well you are! I bet you haven't been on the cover of Vogue." Vanessa took her feet out of the slippers and into the boots. Technically Marinette had, as her alter ego but unfortunately she couldn't let that little gem out into the open.

"I haven't," she lied, "but at least I follow Monsieur Agreste's orders and actually turned up on time."

"Why you little bitch!" As Vanessa went to grab Marinette's legs, a flash of red and black shot past her and she face planted into the snow with a scream. Yikes! Marinette unstood who the red was, but the black? Was Tikki chasing rats again?

"Vanessa, get up please and go back to the hotel before you make yourself ill. Your contract is void since you failed to show at the right time." Nathalie headed over to the commotion, contacting something or someone on the tablet. If Marinette had to guess she would say it was Gabriel.

"It's not my fault!" She shouted out, taking the coat from the assistant and placing it over her now cold and damp dressing gown. Her face was definitely turning blue, and her teeth were chattering. "For some reason, my phone exploded in the night and was just a pile of ash, the same thing happened to my clothes. It was as though an explosion happened in the room but didn't hit me!"

Marinette felt Adrien shift uncomfortably in his seat, the sudden movement causing the lift to sway. She grabbed hold of Adrien's arm and closed her eyes, flashbacks to the flight playing in her mind. She didn't have many more secrets to share with him. Well, apart from the big doozy, but even drunk she would never let that one out.

"I think it's time you leave." Adrien said his demeanour was a lot more closed off than she was used to.

"Fine, but this isn't the last you've heard of me! I'll sue you for everything you're worth, Agreste." She was led off the set but a couple of assistants as Nathalie called for Vincent to continue.

"Things turned to ash, how strange? It must have been an electrical surge or something?" Marinette wondered out loud.

"Yeah, it's almost like magic." Adrien spoke out the side of his mouth and she could almost feel the snap as if it was aimed at someone, but she wasn't quite sure who.

Before she could question further, Vincent called for a change of scene and both Marinette and Adrien jumped into the snow from the seat. She watched as Adrien stalked off in front a slight coolness shadowing over his movements and usually warm character, which brought Marinette to one question. What did he know?

After a quick change into their next outfits, they were led towards the fireplace within the cabin and asked to sit down besides each other. Marinette let out a little chuckle as she looked at Adrien. It seemed Gabriel was heading for the tacky Christmas jumper market as she studied Adrien and his bright red jumper complete with a flashing fireplace on the front. She looked down at her own metallic snowman, before lifting her eyeline to his and smiling. Oh they looked like something, she was just unsure what that something was.

"That's fetching on you," he said.

"Fetching? What are you? A mean girl?" Marinette laughed and moved closer towards him, Vincent entering into the room and instructing the two to move closer still and to 'snuggle'. Marinette looked down at the rug she was currently sitting on, before turning her head to Adrien. He smiled as he shuffled closer, resting back with his hands positioned behind him.

"Lady," Vincent instructed, "put your head on his shoulder."

Marinette did as instructed, tilting her head and placing it upon Adrien's broad shoulder. It felt familiar, like she'd done it before, kind of like her head was made to fit there.

"Now turn your head, and Adrien, look down at her like she's your favourite Christmas present."

Adrien twisted his head, and her breath caught in her throat as she saw the look of desire in his eyes. She had no doubt his look was one that made all the girls swoon, and she felt so honoured to be on the receiving end of it.

"I wouldn't mind finding you under my tree," he whispered into her ear, brushing his nose against hers. Marinette's eyes widened as she looked up at him, her heart hammering in her chest. Perhaps falling for Adrien Agreste wouldn't be a bad thing.

She felt her eyelids lower as she moved in closer towards him, her stomach churning with unknown feelings. She gulped. He gulped. And their mouths were mere centimetres away.

A loud and excited laugh broke them apart as Vincent bounced around the room.

"You two are fabulous, these pictures ... They look so real! Bravissimo!"

Marinette placed her nail in her mouth and bit down as Adrien stretched up to the back of his neck. That had gotten close. Far too close. Marinette couldn't help but scald herself for her behaviour. She couldn't do this. She was leading him on. But there was something about him, something that continued to pull her to him, some unknown magnet attracting her to something she couldn't have.

But she wanted it and she wanted him ... so bad.