((Preface: Marinette and Adrien do not know each other's identities))

"So, when Adrien said he wanted to 'hang out more', do you think he meant like in class or to study or-"

Alya takes Marinette by the shoulders, "Get a grip, girl." She leads Marinette and sits her down on her bed. It was the day after Chloe's party and Marinette still hadn't calmed down after her dance with Adrien. It didn't help her that Adrien also remarked that they should "hang out more" before parting ways for the night.

Marinette bounces her leg, "I can't!" She buries her face in her pillow, "That dance, our dance," she mumbles into the pillow, "I felt something, something real. I didn't think I could want Adrien more than I already had, but I was wrong, soo wrong."

Alya sits on the bed next to her, smiling, "I could tell. I think I saw something in Adrien's eyes too..." she teases.

Marinette hits her with the pillow, "Don't say that!" She can feel her heart already threatening to jump out of her chest at just the thought. "He was just...nice. It was just a nice moment between friends, nothing more." her smile wavers before collapsing onto the bed again, "Ughh, what I wouldn't give to just live in that moment forever."

A notification on Marinette's phone goes off on her desk. Alya leans over to see what it is and laughs, "Girl, I think the universe heard your plea..."

Marinette bolts upright and scrambles for her phone, nearly dropping it when she sees the notification is from Adrien. "Ahh, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do?"

"Uh, open it." Alya suggests, never getting tired of how head over heels she is about Adrien.

Mari gives a decisive nod before opening the notification. "It's a text! From Adrien!" She reads the message ten times before daring to say the words aloud, "He...he wants to meet up after school tomorrow to get ice cream..." she's frozen stiff, a huge grin plastered on her face.

"That's great, Marinette!" She hugs her, "I'm so happy for you!"

It takes a second before Marinette comes out of her daze, "Wait. Do you think this is like a date?"

Alya laughs, "Heck yeah, girl. You've just got yourself a date with Adrien Agreste."

She freezes up again, falling stiff as a board onto her bed.

"Marinette, time for school!" She hears her mom call from down stairs.

Marinette rises from her bed slowly, groggily. Tikki flies up to her, "Rough night?"

She nods, "I couldn't sleep. I would keep thinking about Adrien and how maybe if it goes great that we would have a second date but it could also go horribly wrong like I make a fool of myself or there's an Akuma-" she's interrupted by a large yawn, "I got hardly any sleep."

Tikki tugs on her hand, "Come on, you've got to get ready for school."

Marinette complies, slowly but surely, she gets herself out the door and on her way to school.

She enters her first class just as the bell rings, sliding in next to Alya. As the lecture starts her eyes are already drooping. Alya elbows her, "Couldn't sleep?"

Marinette shakes her head 'no'.

"How are you planning to stay awake for your date, exactly?"

She straightens up in her seat, "I could never be too tired to go on our date." She rubs her eyes.

The teacher shoots them a look before returning to the lesson.

The final bell rings, signaling the end of the day. Marinette gathers her things from her locker, a tad jittery, unsure if it's from the coffee she had during lunch or the anticipation that had built up over the school day.

"Hey Marinette," Adrien says as he come up to her at her locker.

"Adrien!" She slams her locker shut.

"You ready to go?" He smiles, "I was thinking of going to that shop around the corner, Glacier Sucré?"

Her eyes widen, "I love that place! My parents and I go there after dinner sometimes."

He laughs as they start to head out of the door, "You'll have to let me know what's good to order then; I haven't been."

"Everything's pretty tasty I personally like their strawberry ice cream the most, but I do like to try other flavors every so often and sometimes share with my parents, and the owner knows my family because we come pretty regularly and he gives recommendations and-" she stops herself, taking a breath, "So what flavors do you like?"

"I'm more of a mint chocolate chip kind of guy, myself." He expresses, the late afternoon light catching his similarly golden locks. Marinette catches herself staring as they approach the shop. He reaches out and opens the door for her, clinking the bell on the door frame.

Marinette blushes; stepping into the shop she is immediately greeted by the owner at the counter, "Marinette! What a surprise." He spies Adrien as he follows her in, "Ah, and who is this?" He smiles knowingly.

She can feel her blush spreading, "This is Adrien."

"You better be treating Marinette well, eh?" he chuckles. "So, what can I get for you kids?"

Adrien gestures to allow Marinette to order first, "I guess I'll have the usual, strawberry please." She smiles before stepping aside to allow Adrien up to the counter.

He takes a moment to look over the tubs of ice cream behind the glass, "I'll have some of that mint chocolate chip, please."

"Excellent choices. Why don't you two have a seat on the patio, it's such a nice day today." He comments as he starts scooping their order.

Adrien leads the way out, passing some other customers heading in, including a man in a suit. They take a seat at one of the lace-like metal sets of table and chairs. Subconsciously she starts fiddling with her clothes, actually unsure of how to hold herself in the situation.

"Marinette?" Adrien coaxes her attention.

"Yes?"

He pauses, as if trying to find the right words, more cautious than she had ever seen him before, "I- we've known each other for a while now. I think it's been almost a year since I started attending school here, with you, and everyone else," a moment, "and I just felt like it's time we got to know each other better, or more."

Marinette catches herself not breathing. She takes in a shallow breath, squeaking out "I totally feel the same."

The bell on the glass door chimes, "Here we go, a strawberry-mint milk shake for Marinette and Adrien, on the house." He sets a tall glass of swirled green and pink ice cream, topped with whipped cream and two straws.

Marinette is left speechless. Adrien offers to speak for them, "Thank you! This looks amazing."

He grins, "Enjoy, you two." The bell on the door chimes as he returns inside.

"After you." Adrien insists, gesturing to the straw sticking out towards her.

She starts sipping the milkshake, sending a chill down her spine, "Mmm"

Adrien leans in and starts sipping from his side, leaving just inches between their faces, locking eyes for more than a moment.

Marinette looks away, backing off her straw. "Adrien, I- this is nice, nice to be, to have, just the two of us-"

"That's exactly how I feel," he reaches across the table, taking her hand. He pauses for a moment, feeling the weight of her hand in his, as if something deep inside of him recognized the touch of this hand...

"Marinette...?" He starts, "Do you...are you-"

The door to the shop shatters with an explosion of glass. Adrien leaps across the table to shield Marinette before she even has time to react. Once the glass settles he takes her hand and starts running them across the street, out of the way of whatever was happening.

They turn back and see the shop owner emerge, akumatized. His hands had formed into large metal scoops and overall seemed to be made of a frosted over ice.

"My shop can't be shut down if everyone in Paris is frozen! Let's see how they feel about their local Ice Scream Man now!" A large snowball forms in his scoops before he flings them at a passerby. The snow engulfs them before falling away to reveal an icy version of the person who was.

Horrified, Marinette guides them around a corner and they crouch down, out of sight of the Ice Scream Man. "You should be safe here for now. I'll go and get help." She starts walking away.

"No!" Adrien holds her wrist, "You shouldn't go out there by yourself. Besides, I'm sure Ladybug is on her way."

Marinette bites her tongue, "Uh, yeah, I'm sure Chat Noir is on his way." She rationalizes.

"Oh yeah, him too." He adds quickly, still holding her wrist. "Um, actually I'll go and get help; stay hidden." He runs off before she can protest.

Tikki flies out of Marinette's purse, "I'm sorry your date got interrupted."

She sighs, "It's fine; I just wish I was more lucky as Marinette." She stands up, "Better transform. Who knows what's keeping that cat. Spots on!"

Ladybug jumps onto the rooftop and follows the trail of frozen citizens. While in pursuit, in the corner of her eye she sees Chat coming up behind her. "What took ya?" She calls back to him.

"I could ask you the same M'lady." he smirks.

She rolls her eyes, "Let's just get this guy. I was kinda in the middle of something."

"Like what? Were you on a date or something?" He jests.

She immediately turns her head away from him, feeling her cheeks warming. "No." she denies, "Just had some homework I wanted to do."

He's silent for a moment. "It's okay if you date other people, you know, not that you need my permission, I'm just saying that you don't have to worry about hurting my feelings, and I hope I don't hurt yours..."

She raises and eyebrow, "Are you moving on from me or something? I can't say I'll miss the constant flirting."

He cracks a genuine smile, "I guess I am." He chuckles, "And don't worry, you'll always be My Lady, M'lady." He winks.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" She shouts, throwing a lawn chair into the air, restoring all the frozen citizens.

"Till next time." Chat bows before launching himself off into the distance.

Ladybug makes her way back to the Glacier Sucré, transforming back a few blocks away from where she was supposed to meet Adrien.

She hears Adrien's voice calling out. "Marinette? Marinette?!"

Rounding the corner, she sees him "Adrien," she smiles with a sigh.

He runs to her and holds her hand, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, are you?"

"Yeah." He smiles. "It's too bad about our date."

She feels her heart melt a bit. "Yeah, our date."

"We should get together after school more often, don't you think? And not be interrupted by the threat of being frozen."

She bites her lip, simply nodding her head. "I think I would like that." She squeaks out.

"Let me walk you home."

Hand in hand they walked along the streets of Paris in the glow of the setting sun.