Adrien wandered about the kitchen, baby monitor placed upon the work surface as he made his usual morning coffee and croissant. He couldn't help the constant need to check it — just as he had the majority of the night. Was it on loud enough? Was the battery fully charged? Was she breathing?

He felt sorry for Marinette. He was up and down, in and out of the bed like a yo-yo, the need to check on his 'daughter' completely overwhelming him — a mistake of googling sleeping babies before bed. He'd checked the temperature in her bedroom eight times; how she was sleeping twice and god knows how many times he touched her to check she was breathing. It was amazing that he had managed to grab any sleep at all

Not just that though, after making his way to the bedroom the previous night, he'd placed the monitor on the bedside table and headed towards his redesigned closet. When he returned, he could hear the slight sound of sniffing almost as if she was crying and it tore his heart apart.

He took his time in the bathroom, allowing his own emotions to come to surface. He'd forced Marinette into this life without even asking her what she wanted to do. She should have just told his father the truth. She should have said it was all a lie, that she had no idea who he or this child were — but she didn't. She'd welcomed it. Welcomed him. Her family too.

A sigh left his lips as he moved to the opposite side of the kitchen, and switched the oven on, proceeding to open the 'ready made' can of croissant pastry onto the cutting board. He gave it a quick roll out into a thin base, before grabbing a knife and slicing the mix into triangles. Turning his head, he continued to study the 'Guide to Emma Agreste' beside his workstation. This morning's light reading: How to get Emma to do a poo if she hasn't in a couple of days. He'd have to remember to stock up on prunes.

"What is that?" An amused voice sounded behind him — though maybe it was disgust. He turned around and came face to face with Marinette, or more eye to eye. She looked as though she was dressed to go to the arctic. He was sure it wasn't the temperature in the apartment, after all, he kept it at the exact temperature his best friend Google told him.

"Croissants. Would you like some?" he asked, pointing the knife down towards the board. It was then he noticed the colour of her cheeks. She was red — way beyond the usual pink he'd grown accustomed to over the past day.

The awkward stance only got worse as she crossed one arm over her chest and used the other hand to cover her eyes. He was standing topless in low riding shorts, something she would have seen many models in during fittings so why was she reacting this way to him ?

"That's not a croissant. That's a monstrosity."

Adrien watched as she peered through her fingers, before he turned back and continued with the croissants, edging his knife carefully through the pastry roll and twisting it to make the shape.

He shrugged. "I like croissants, and this is the quickest way to get some."

A hand suddenly appeared, placing itself gently over his own and stopping his cutting. "Go and get dressed. We're going to my parents, you don't need to worry about crap in a can anymore."

Adrien snorted. When this side of her came out he couldn't help but marvel in it, it was something he wanted to see more of. She was witty, playful and straight to the point — even if the point was sharper than the knife he was using.

"Fine! Insult my baking." He smirked, watching as the corner of her lips twitched upwards.

"I don't think this can be classed as baking," she giggled. "Do you have any idea how to use a kitchen?"

He crossed his arms and rested one hip against the counter. "Are you implying I can't cook?

"Maybe? Am I right?"

Staring at her for a couple of seconds, he turned and moved back to the oven, switching it off before looking over his shoulder. "Set me the challenge and I'll cook you into oblivion. I'll make you the nicest meal you won't know what hit you."

"Does it come from a can?"

Before Adrien could respond, a loud giggle erupted from the monitor, the lights flashing straight to red and making both adults jump.

"I'd almost forgotten about her," Adrien laughed, moving towards the hallway. "You can use the shower and get ready then we can swap. Should I get her changed?"

Marinette's beautiful wide smile transformed into a pout. "I - um - I don't think -"

Her stammering was back and he felt the fluttering in his heart from the wild feelings she was causing in him. He had no idea how he was going to survive this, or go back to real life. After less than a day he was already attached to both the humans sharing his apartment.

"Are you questioning my fashion sense, Ms. Dupain-Cheng? You do realise I'm a model, right?" he quipped.

She walked towards him and patted him on the shoulder, her sass back in full force. "Which, M. Agreste, means you're someone's toy to dress up and play with. Just keep her entertained for a short while. I promise I'll be quick."

She smirked at him, turning around in her blanket armour and sauntering towards the staircase. As she reached the first step, her foot came down on the sheets and ripped them from her body leaving her in a pair of tiny pink silk shorts and a matching camisole top.

His heart almost ran after her as she pulled it all back on and quickly made her way up to their bedroom. Their bedroom. He was well and truly fucked.

Instead, he did the right thing by heading to the nursery. Opening the bedroom door, he came face to face with a wide awake Emma holding what looked like... no. It couldn't be.

"Emmie, Tikki." A small red kwami was thrust into his face, as Emma held onto the small thing for dear life. He was slightly surprised that the kwami's eyes weren't popping out.

"Emma, where did you get Tikki from, baby?" Scooping her under the arms, Adrien lifted her up and over the cot before settling her feet onto the floor. He crouched to her level and looked her in the eye, one hand outstretched. "Can I have Tikki please?"

The child held the kwami in a vice grip.

"No!" she stubbornly said, holding the kwami closer to her chest.

"Emma, Tikki's not a toy. You know that. Can I have her back, please?"

"Mine!" Her voice went slightly louder, Adrien glancing at the door and praying Marinette hadn't heard her.

"Hey little kitten, can you let go of Tikki, please? For me?" Plagg appeared from up above, Adrien guessing he'd phased through the ceiling to come and see what the noise was about.

Emma looked between the two kwami's and her papa before relinquishing Tikki and allowing her to escape. Adrien let out a breath in relief.

"Thank you, Plagg," the little red dot said.

"You're very welcome," the hovering stomach replied.

"This is all lovely," Adrien interrupted, lifting Emma and taking her over to the changing table. "But why are you here Tikki? Shouldn't you be with Ladybug?"

A part of Adrien's heart screamed that Ladybug was actually upstairs right now, in his shower, getting ready for the day — naked . That he was fake dating his partner, who he was madly in love with, and sleeping with every night for the foreseeable future. But that would all be too good to be true.

"Oh, um —" The kwamis looked suspiciously at each other and Adrien really felt like he was onto a winner. There was no way the kwamis would get out of this. He was right and he was about to arrange the engagement to her, there and then, so Emma could have a proper family.

"Actually," Plagg said, "I asked her to come over last night. I needed to let her know about Emma, and Tikki being the kwami of creation wanted to come along and see the child."

"And I fell asleep," Tikki added, following on from her counterpart.

"Hummm..." Adrien was quite certain there was more to it than that, but the squeal of delight from the little ray of sunshine on the changing table stole his attention.

"So what were you two talking about?"

"Oh, I just wanted Tikki to let Ladybug know that you might be a little tied up if there's an Akuma."

"If you say so," Adrien said amused. He was pretty sure what they were saying was not at all the truth, but, right now, he had to figure out how to get a nappy on and off Emma without having to scream for Marinette's help. He could do this. He was a grown man for goodness sake, he'd consulted Google and he'd read the guide from the other Adrien. He was as qualified as anyone else!

Tilting his head from side to side, he looked at the nappy and realised there were no tabs. Huh?

"Need some help?" The voice of an Angel sounded behind him and Adrien turned his head to see an ancient goddess standing in the doorway. Marinette was dressed to impress, obviously using some of her other universe's clothing instead of what she had on yesterday, and dear Lord did she look good!

Her high-waisted black trousers were accented by four little gold buttons, the wide flare of the leg cascading down and widening out over toeless heels. Her top was a long sleeve pink satin; the sleeves puffing out and cupping on the wrists. The addition of a matching pink neckerchief sitting proudly in a bow on the side of her neck. She looked high value and high fashion. She looked beautiful!

"You look wonderful!" Adrien hadn't even realised he'd spoken as the words drifted from his mouth like a melodramatic scene in a movie. His voice high in awe and eyes moulding into the shape of hearts.

"Oh, um, thank you." The soft, shy girl was back once again. This girl was an enigma and he was determined to solve the puzzle. "I'll carry on with Emma so you can shower."

Glancing down and around the changing table he was relieved to have seen both Tikki and Plagg had made a getaway. Adrien began to walk past only to stop and look back at Marinette heading towards Emma in the most adorable way. Her smile widened and he felt his heart jolt, he'd never experienced something like this before and he suddenly felt like the luckiest man in the universe. The confused mixture of feelings gave him no respite as he tried to understand what was happening.

Heading to the shower, he tried to concentrate on the day at hand and the meeting with his father's investors. And one thing was for certain, he wasn't thinking about the pink tie which had appeared in his wardrobe, the perfect match for Marinette's pink top and the one he was most certain he wasn't going to wear. That's what he told himself at least.