Adrien Agreste was exactly like Marinette was expecting. 

When Marinette walked into the entrance room, there he stood like a thin, metal pole, not talking to any of the staff around him. Tutor Plagg stood over to the side, and next to Adrien, who wore a light blue vest over a white button-up, perfectly-hemmed fitting black slacks, and shoes so shiny that Marinette sent a quick prayer that everyone's elbows were okay, Plagg looked like a henchman. Some people were into those chaotic professor vibes, but next to perfect Adrien... 

Once seeing Marinette, Adrien gave a nice smile that threw her back. He bowed deeply when she stood in front of him, and he looked up into her green his. His eyes were a deep blue, but they didn't sparkle; they seemed hard, and Marinette forced herself to look into them due to custom. His smile deepened, and a little sparked jumped into them, and Marinette, who realized he was waiting for her to bow back, flushed instantly. 

She gave her customary curtsy, holding gently to her red dress. Luck. This would have to be a lucky day (well, few months really) if she were to get through this dating... no, courting... thing with Adrien. She held out a hand for him to take and give an air-kiss. He took it with his right hand, which was not customary.

She tried her hardest not to look at his left arm -- or at least, where his arm used to be. 

Marinette remembered when it happened. Three years ago, it hit the tabloids, quick, even all the way out on the outskirts of the kingdom, in her small little village. 

"You'll never marry him," Alya said, sticking her tongue out playfully at Marinette, who gave a dramatic huff and stuck her nose in the air.

"You never know," Marinette said, holding the doodle of her biggest crush - Adrien Agreste - that she'd done during class. Marinette took a small glance back down at it, proud of her drawing improvements. She knew that anyone could tell who he was supposed to be, even if it wasn't a perfect drawing. "Maybe we'll have a Cinderella story, fall madly in love at a ball, and live happily ever after. Have you ever thought about that?" She was only half joking. 

Alya let out a bark of laughter. In seconds she was doubled over, holding her stomach as she tried to breathe. Marinette giggled, too.

"And, what?" Alya said through airy breaths as they started walking again, a happy light shining in her eyes. "You're a poor little servant girl with an evil step-mom? Needing to be rescued by a prince?"

Marinette giggled. "Cinderella saved herself."

"You're not a servant girl, and your parents love you," said Alya bluntly. She turned her head briefly as she realized they were passing by the medicine shop, where Alya made eye contact with her long-time crush, Nino. 

Marinette smirked as Alya's crush waved shyly. Alya glared at the smirk, so to avoid too much bantering, Marinette waved her hand dismissively and pulled a water bottle out of her battered-up leather book bag, careful not to get her doodle wet. "Yeah, but I can fantasize."

The dark-skinned girl rolled her eyes as she looked at the sky. "Fantasize all you want. I'm not against it! How about this: if you ever get to drive in a pumpkin to a ball... heck, if you ever go to any ball, then I'll do everything in my power to meddle so that you and Adrien Agreste fall in love. How does that sound."

"That sounds like one heck of a deal," Marinette said. "I'll even make you a dress so you can..." She trailed off. 

Alya waited for Marinette to continue, but after glancing at her best friend, she followed Marinette's gaze. 

To the old television in the shop's window. In big, glaring letters, there were six words:

ADRIEN AGRESTE INJURED IN GAS EXPLOSION

The girls stopped and stared at the screen in horror as it continued, the disturbing photo of a destroyed building briefly interrupting the screen before a middle-aged reporter spoke, subtitles following underneath as he spoke. Marinette took Alya's hand in comfort, who squeezed back just as hard. 

This morning at 11:10 AM, a confirmed gas leak exploded at May Tailors off of 13th and 7th street. 

Police report that there are 4 confirmed dead,  7 injured. 

Adrien Agreste, son of Gabriel Agreste, is in critical condition as we speak. 

Firemen state the cause was likely due to a cigarette being lit inside the building with little ventilation.

They are still searching for more evidence. 

There is no suspicion this was due to ill intent. 

We extend the victims and their families our condolences. 

In other news... 

A freak gas explosion killed 4 people, injured 7, and Adrien Agreste was on the cover. But... who else was hurt? Someone's mother was probably in there. Marinette's heart stopped when she remembered her mother was supposed to go to the big grocery store, right around there. Was she okay? 

"Oh my gosh, Maman," Marinette whispered, and Alya, being the proactive friend as always, pulled Marinette as they ran towards Marinette's house, dropping everything in their hands

Marinette's mother was okay that time. She'd changed her mind last minute and decided to leave a few hours later than planned, and Marinette had never been so grateful for her mother's knack for procrastination. But despite her gratitude, Marinette also never doodled her big middle school crush again, and any time she saw any news about Adrien Agreste, how he lost his arm, how he was recovering, how he was dating someone new, how he graduated college, she could only remember that he was the one people cared about, despite everyone else who had lost family. And she couldn't stand it, because he never tried to fix it. 

"It's nice to meet you," Marinette lied politely, standing straight from her little curtsy and taking her hand back. 

Adrien's green eyes met hers, and there was a closed-off look behind the light. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but his cheeks were slightly pink. Did he wear blush? Marinette tried to remember if it was a common thing for young men to wear any kind of makeup, but she couldn't remember if Plagg had ever spoken of something like that during their lessons. 

"You as well, your highness," he said, shyer than Marinette suspected. She tried to not narrow her eyes suspiciously.

"Well! What a pleasant introduction!" said Tikki. "I think we'll take this to the gardens, no?" 

With a wave of his hand to follow Tikki, who started her fast walk, Plagg told the two young adults that he'd be watching them... and according to his glare at Adrien, it would be closely. 

Tikki slowed when she realized that they weren't going to be following as quickly as she was, so she slowed down, her clopping slowing with her. 

Adrien was silent as they walked, looking forward with a perfectly straight back. Marinette felt herself subtly standing straighter to match the perfect form, knowing that she had way fewer years of practice than he did. 

They were lead through the gardens, past the green leaves, tall bushes, perfectly trimmed trees, past the vegetables, and into Marinette's favorite part - the flowers.

In a circular maze, the tall bushes with flowers all along them smelled like a sweet late-spring air. In random rows and shapes in the circle, there were lower beds, in wooden crates, with fairy statues here and there. The lower beds were color coded with varying shades of purples, pinks, blues, yellows, oranges. The vines grew as if to touch the son, and Marinette briefly wondered if the winter snow ruined some of them, but she had to have faith in these plants. They had to be stronger than she thought; otherwise, they'd be gone.  

This was the only part of Marinette's new life that sometimes reminded her of home, but she was rarely allowed outside of the castle walls, except when she had to do horse-riding lessons - not that she was able to come over here during that time. Marinette had been here only twice. Once, not too long after she woke up, and she felt so lonely and scared that she escaped in the middle of the day. She wasn't gone for long, but it was the first time she'd ever seen this place. The second was right after the queen accepted her father's engagement. Everyone was so excited, they forgot about Marinette, and she escaped for a few hours before dinner, laying down silently in the grass next to the hydrangeas, letting the sounds of the soft wind distract her from her aching loss she'd never recover. 

There, in the center, was a glass table with iron garden chairs. Marinette and Adrien sat in the proper positions, staring at each other awkwardly

_ 

I wanted to update because turned 25 yesterday! I'll have another update later this week for more Adrien and Marinette content >:) Please comment, they would be so appreciated. 

I have some fanart for this, by the way. Let me know if you want to know where I post them. <3