Marinette straightened out her red and black laced blouse, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Behind her, Alya sat on Marinette's bed, nodding her head in approval at Marinette's outfit choice. The blouse was neatly tucked into a black pleated skirt, matched perfectly with white flats. Her hair was tied expertly into a french braid, done by yours truly.

"You look great; definitely gonna sweep Adrien off his feet!"

"Alya," Marinette chuckled softly, tucking away stray hairs from her braid. "For once, this isn't just about Adrien."

Alya raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe it is a little about him... but I really need to impress Monsieur Agreste. He's my idol! And probably the most intimidating person in all of Paris."

"I get it," Alya nodded. She stood up and walked over to Marinette. "The worlds most notorious fashion designer. Being his junior intern for the day."

"And I have Adrien to thank for that. If it weren't for him, Monsieur Agreste probably wouldn't have ever considered me."

"That's not true," Alya frowned. "He's seen your work before, Marinette. He is insanely impressed by it. Remember the derby hat?"

"I guess," Marinette huffed. "But still. You saw how he reacted to Nino. He doesn't take too kindly to friends of Adrien."

"That's Nino," Alya rolled her eyes.

Marinette let out a soft chuckle. "Well, I think I'll be fine. As long as he doesn't look at me the wrong way."

"Who? Gabriel or Adrien?"

Marinette stayed silent, unable to answer that question herself. Her eyes then darted to her wall clock and they widened in panic. Her heart began to thump quickly. "I have to be at Monsieur Agreste's studio in 10 minutes and it's across town! Why do I always do this to myself?!"

"Girl," Alya laughed, pulling out her phone. She turned on the screen, showing the clock. "That clock is too fast. We still have plenty of time."

Marinette released a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. But, can we still leave now? I don't wanna take anymore chances."

"Of course," Alya chuckled. "Let's get a taxi."

*

The girls stepped out of the taxi and looked up in awe at the Gabriel Fashion Offices; three different connected buildings stacked neatly with glass and concrete. It shined in comparison to the rest of the city. A plethora of stories climbed up into the sky, the rectangle windows reflecting the sun's shine.

"Good luck, girl. You got this," Alya smiled warmly, leaning in for a hug. She squeezed her best friend comfortingly. "I'll be in the coffee shop a few blocks down gawking at the newest edition of Garçons de Plage Chaude 2017."

Marinette laughed as her eyes followed Alya who had already skipped behind her. "Hot Beach Boys?"

"You got it," Alya winked, waving as she walked away down the sidewalk. "Now go chase your boy!"

Marinette blushed, quickly turning around and facing the building. She expelled a puff of air and composed herself. "Here we go. You got this," she told herself, taking a shaky step forward.

She made her way up to what seemed to be the main door. She tried to locate a doorbell, but didn't see one so she just knocked.

Marinette lifted her petite hand and pounded three loud knocks on the glass door. She cringed when the sound was louder than she had anticipated.

When no one answered the door immediately, her heart began to quicken. Was she at the wrong place? What if she knocked so loud that she annoyed Gabriel Agreste and he wasn't gonna let her in? She began rubbing her hands together nervously, trying to peek in through a nearby window. She snuck across the freshly cut grass and stood on her tiptoes, peering inside. However, the glass was so tinted that she could not see anything apart from a few outlined figures.

The door a few inches away suddenly opened, and Marinette felt the air leave her body. She was still peeking through the window! She probably looked like such a creep! She laughed embarrassingly and jogged back over to the front door.

A man with black hair, round glasses and a bit of beard stubble stared at her in confusion. His eyebrows furrowed, making him look grumpy.

"Sorry," she said to the man. "I didn't think there was anyone here."

"What a ridiculous assumption," the man stated, his voice deep and raspy. He also had a very thick Italian accent. "This is a professional building establishment of the esteemed Gabriel Agreste. Which brings me to my next question... for what reason are you here, young miss?"

Marinette blinked a few times. "Oh, uh, I'm Gabriel Agreste's intern for the day."

"Really?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow in interest. "And he said this to you?"

"Yes, actually," Marinette beamed proudly.

"Lies," he chuckled. "Gabriel has not had an intern for 10 years. He stated himself that he does not wish to waste his talent on young artists like yourself."

"Did I?" a deeper, stern voice said from behind the Italian man. The distinctive voice definitely belonged to Gabriel Agreste. He appeared out from the corner of a room and swiftly approached the two.

The Italian man at the door quaked in his boots, turning around to face Gabriel. "Oi, Monsieur, I did not realize you were finished with your work."

"You're very lucky I don't fire you after this little stunt, Bruno," Gabriel stated, narrowing his eyes in disapproval.

Marinette gazed at the unfolding event, frozen in shock.

"Very sorry, Monsieur. You know I love to joke with the little kids these days," Bruno explained, his voice dropping in pitch significantly.

"Well for your sake, I'd recommend developing a very dry sense of humor from now on since you claim to be such a clown," Gabriel attested. "Leave at once."

Bruno nodded obediently, still quaking with fear. "Y-Yes Monsieur Agreste."

Gabriel composed himself, straigenting his candy cane striped tie. "I apologize for the inconvenience, Miss. Marinette. Bruno has been a pain for too long. I really am considering firing him for all the mischief he causes."

"I-It's fine, Monsieur," Marinette squeaked, feeling starstruck. Her idol was standing right before her eyes. She could barely keep eye contact! And she could not erase the ridiculous smile that continued to grow on her face.

"Very well," Gabriel nodded sternly. He backed up, allowing Marinette to enter the building. "Follow me and we can begin."

He crossed his arms behind his back and swiveled his body around, walking silently through the long narrow hallway. Marinette followed, allowing space between them so she wouldn't lose focus and accidentally step on the back of his shoes or something. After all, she was fangirling in her head.

Who would've thought a day could turn out so perfect? She gets the opportunity to intern for her fashion idol and possibly spend time with the boy of her dreams. Marinette hasn't been this lucky in a long time.

"And that's why we stay strictly on this side of the building," Gabriel gestured ahead of her. He pointed to a big lounge area.

Marinette was daydreaming and had not heard what Gabriel was just talking about! Maybe she could catch up if she just asked...

"Oh, wh-"

"Don't ask," Gabriel interrupted, sighing. "Its a very long story Miss. Marinette."

Marinette silenced, not wanting to stir up a temper. She tried to remain calm. Her eyes glanced at the lounge area. There were white couches, large windows, a big desk, and a mini fridge. It looked very cozy. As long as she stayed in that side of the building, she should be fine, right?

They began walking again, however Marinette's heart started to beat feverishly as she recognized a certain voice.

"Thank you Nathalie," Adrien Agreste said, his voice echoing off the walls of the spacious lounge room. His head then peeked around the corner and he smiled at Marinette.

She couldn't breathe. He was smiling at her! His gorgeous, green emerald eyes and soft blonde hair--

"Miss. Marinette?" Gabriel asked, snapping her out of her daze.

She blinked profusely. Dang! She needed to stop zoning out.

"Yes?" she replied immediately.

"Is it alright if Adrien accompanies us?"

"YES!" she squealed loudly, then covered her mouth in surprise. "I mean, of course!"

"He will be our model for the day," Gabriel said. He then pointed to a rack of clothes sitting off to the side. "For the first portion of your internship, I want you to grab some articles of clothing and match them together. Adrien will model them, of course. I want to see your sense of style and get an idea of where you're coming from."

"O-Okay," Marinette stuttered, her knees feeling weak. Talk about pressure. "I'll see what I can do."

She glanced over at the rack of clothing, her heart racing in panic. She slowly breathed in and out.

Before getting to work, and after calming her nerves, Marinette stole a quick glance at Adrien. However, he noticed and turned his head towards her. She panicked, but before looking away, noticed that he gave her a little wink.

Her heart began racing wildly again. On top of that, her cheeks turned a bright red as she practically buried her head into the rack of designer clothing. So much for calming her nerves.