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"𝚜𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚊 𝚋𝚊𝚍𝚊𝚜𝚜

𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚋𝚒𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝"

-𝖗.𝖍. 𝖘𝖎𝖓

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When they arrived at the park there were a decent amount of people around. Marinette surveyed the area with a keen eye before deeming it safe for both Alya and Manon to go off to the other kids.

As soon as they left, Marinette began her stretches and warmups, once her body was warmed up, she dug her phone out of her pocket and set her playlist, popping in her earbuds. She jogged in place for a second, knees high, then began her track. A full lap around the park at her current pace should take ten minutes, twenty if she stops halfway to do other exercises throughout each lap. Her usual goal is to make 10 laps which takes an hour and a half at the least (she sprints the final lap).

She didn't want to keep both Alya and Manon here that long, though. It would be unfair to Alya, who was being incredibly helpful, and Manon as the child would probably get bored after so much time spent in one place. So, shortening to five laps should be good.

She'll just have to add an extra hour for dance practice.

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He's taking a drink from his water bottle when he sees her and promptly begins coughing after sucking in a breath which caused water to go down the wrong pipe.

After assistants and stylists frantically try to calm him down and hitting his back (although gently) he regains normal breathing and thanks them for their help with an embarrassed flush. One of the makeup artists come over to retouch with some powder among other things, he does his best to stay still but he can't help but look over to where he saw her.

Marinette was here.

Just his luck that she would be there the day he would have a shoot. How was he supposed to concentrate when he was aware of her being nearby?

He finds her once again after losing sight when his head was turned to reach a certain part of his face and, unlike his usual self, finds his eyes trailing down to the visible skin of her legs as she kept at a steady jogging pace around the park.

His Adam's apple bobs, and he looks away, beating himself up for doing something so...so perverse. There was no way he would be able to survive this shoot without multiple breaks.

No, he was more professional than this.

His photographer seemed to notice his flustered state and immediately went to comment on it with a prominent frown.

"My boy! What iz ze matter, you were doing zo well!"

Adrien cleared his throat, "Sorry, Vincent, I think I just need some water."

The man smiled, waving his hand, "Perfectly okay! Water break, zen we get back to ze shoot!"

Flooded with relief, he goes to the snack table that is set up on the set near the equipment that Vincent brought. Plagg peeks out from his shirt with a knowing glint in his green eyes. "Don't think I didn't see you eyeing up that girl."

"I did not!" he hissed to his Kwami.

Plagg rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Denial will get you nowhere." Seeing that he was being ignored, Plagg tucked himself back into Adrien's shirt and left the boy to sip his water before returning his awaiting bodyguard and photographer.

"Ready, Adrien?" He nodded and began to shift naturally into different poses as Vincent, being very eccentric, shouted some weird encouraging words.

"Alya, Alya! I want one of those Mireille balloons!" there was a shout from a younger voice behind Vincent, and the man seemed annoyed by it but continued on.

"Shoot, I didn't bring any money with me, Manon. Let's ask Marinette if she does. Look she's coming around, perfect timing!"

"Yay! Marinette, Marinette!"

Vincent seemed to have had enough with the people behind him and whirls around with a growl, "Silenzio! Can't you zee we are working!"

Manon immediately withered from the man shouting at them and Alya shot the man a surprised look, frowning, "Sorry, we-"

"Excuse me, why are you yelling at them."

Alya's mouth clamped shut and everyone turned to a stoic-faced Marinette, but for those paying attention or that know Marinette more, they would notice her eyes were cold and narrowed at the photographer. Adrien's breath stuttered because now that she was closer, it was like the first time they met when she had been jogging around the park before sitting with him.

"Zat child iz too loud! Take it away zo I can work in peace!"

"That's no reason to yell at a child," Marinette stalked up to the man, brows pinched together and mouth twisted into a scowl, "You could have said, in a nice and patient tone, that you are trying to focus and to please leave so that you may do so."

"And what do you know about ze arts? Photography iz a zkill, zomething that takes ze utter dedication to perfect!"

"I'm a dancer, I know thing or two about dedication and skill," Marinette backfires immediately, unrelenting and standing her ground. "I understand that it takes time, and you need to focus. I get that, I really do. But you," she pokes her index finger to his chest, "do not yell at my friend, to my charge who is under my care like that. You do not talk to anyone like that, and if you call this child, Manon, or any other human being an 'it' again, you best bet I will make sure you never get another fucking job as a photographer anywhere. You get me?" With every word she took a step forward, her calm face slowly twisted into a scowl, eyes full of promise.

Everyone was silent, Manon stared up at Marinette with admiration and awe—along with Alya and Adrien. Vincent was known to be a photographer not to argue with. This was what he did for a living, he knew what he was doing, and no one questioned his decisions.

But after that moments' silence, Vincent blinked, a sparkle in his eyes, "Model for me." Marinette rolled her eyes (as if she had heard those words before, Adrien noted).

"I decline."

Vincent gasped dramatically before glancing over at Adrien, "Zen—Zen model wit' Adrien!" The blond flushed at the idea...and the sudden attention from Marinette as her eyes flitted over to him for a moment before darting back to Vincent.

"Still declined."

Adrien deflated as the photographer squawked, "You don't want a picture, let alone model with, Adrien Agrezte?"

Marinette simply shrugged, "I already have one. Besides, he's in my class, what's special about him? He's just another guy who happens to be the son of an as—a famous designer." Adrien lights up when he hears her words, the echo in his mind. He's just another guy. But he deflates when he recalls what she said beforehand.

'I'm not special to her?'

"Clazzmatez?" he parroted, "Ah! I remember you now! Your zchool hired me for your clazz pictures, you pushed ze blond girl."

They all turned to Marinette accusingly, she showed no shame or guilt as her lips twitched at the memory, "She called me graceless, I don't take insults lightly." Vincent nods in understanding while Marinette turned to Alya and Manon, "What did you need?"

Manon shyly looked at her feet, seemingly ashamed of the reason they are now in this situation, "C-can I get a Mireille balloon?"

"Balloon? Sure," she reached into her pocket to take out a mini-wallet that was very compact for when she didn't want to carry much. She took out some money and handed it to Alya, "You guys can get some ice cream too, the weather is nice."

Manon hugged Marinette around the waist, squeezing tightly and looking up at her, "Thank you!" Marinette awkwardly pat the girl's head before the shorter grabbed Alya's hand and they rushed over to the carousel where a man was selling balloons. Vincent pursed his lips as he thought of ways to convince the girl to model with Adrien. She was perfect! She had delicate features, like a doll, and a lithe build.

Before he could open his mouth, there was a loud crash, shaking the ground, causing them to try to keep their balance. Marinette whipped around when she heard the shrill screams behind her and she swears she could have felt her heart drop to her stomach, her breath hitched.

"ALYA! MANON!"