When they reached the Louvre, Adrien parked his car in a secure car park and they made their way to the front entrance.

He checked his phone for the tenth time since parking and still no reply from his girl. He'd never been so impatient in his life. He needed to hear from her. Perhaps he'd see her at the Louvre? Though he didn't know what she looked like behind the mask, so that wouldn't help.

They made their way into the museum and looked for what they were after. Marinette had been very quiet since the visit to her parents. She just couldn't get her head around Adrien. His personality was all over the place. One minute he was insulting her, then helping her, then being sweet and wholesome. Then she thought a little deeper about it, she was actually the one insulting him not the other way round.

She pulled out her phone to see if Alya had messaged about how she and Nino were doing. Nothing from Alya but another message from her Prince. She read it and giggled.

"What's so funny?" Adrien appeared over her shoulder and she quickly hid her phone.

"Nothing that concerns you!" She said, bopping him with her finger on his nose exactly like she would Chat Noir.

She had no idea why she just did that. Adrien reeled back in shock as she began typing on her phone.

She looks cute when she's smiling, Adrien thought. Before mentally slapping himself. He had no idea where that just came from, how could he be infatuated with so many girls, when he never used to take notice.

Marinette put her phone in her bag and instantly Adrien's buzzed with a message.

You're behind now my Prince, we have 2. If you don't play to win, don't play at all.

He texted back and kept an eye on Marinette. The delivered sign appeared on his phone at the exact moment she grasped her phone out of her bag.

"This can't be!" Adrien said to no one in particular.

Plagg stuck his head out. "You going to find out?"

Adrien just stared at Marinette and then looked back at his phone. He could use his last question, but wanted to hold onto it.

Behind the mask at the ball he was more Chat than Adrien. He needed to find out what she thought of Adrien.

He wanted this girl but only if she wanted him for, well, him. Not the model, and not the cat. At the moment he could tell Adrien was not her favourite person, he needed to change that.

Pulling himself together he went over to her. She was standing in front of an Ancient Egyptian display.

"Did you know that although marriages in ancient Egypt were arranged for stability and personal advancement, there is a lot of evidence that romantic love was as important to the people as it is nowadays." Adrien came and stood next to Marinette and looked at the display in front of him.

"No I didn't. Is love important to you?" She turned to look at him.

"Of course it is." Adrien looked into her bluebell eyes and didn't understand how he'd missed it. Her eyes were beautiful. His face showed puzzlement and confusion at Marinette's question.

"I didn't mean anything by what I said. It's just you being ... you, wouldn't it be in your fathers interests for you to marry someone from your social standing." Marinette explained.

"If it was up to my father then yes. We came to an agreement last month that I would continue working for Gabriel as long as I had freedom to live my personal life as I wanted. He agreed and made me sign a contract," Adrien huffed. He could still remember the day he had to "make a deal" with his father for freedom to a personal life.

"I'm so sorry." Marinette said, placing one hand on his upper arm. His biceps were like steal, she let go almost instantly not knowing if she could control herself if she continued to hold on.

"At least I've got the freedom to do fun things like this, and go to university. I've lived a rather sheltered life." He lets out a fake laugh and rubs the back of his neck.

Marinette's heart broke. She'd completely misjudged him. One trait of her Ladybug-ness was to not judge people without knowing them, yet as Marinette she kept making these mistakes. After a moments hesitation she grabbed his hand.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Not unless you can turn back time."

"Not quite at the moment," Marinette mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing!" Marinette quickly answered. She stood staring at the display and then had an idea. "Want to go and have some fun?"

"I don't know if I should be excited or scared?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Just say yes, Adrien."

"Yes, Adrien."

She smacked him on the arm. "You're a pig, do you know that?"

"Can't say I've ever been called that before but I shall take it as in you mean I'm a Babe." Adrien was enjoying the rare freedom to be himself, a little mix of cheeky cat and fashion gentleman.

"Babe? What?" Marinette was completely confused.

"You know. The film about the pig, 'Babe'." Marinette just stared at Adrien, before bursting out laughing.

He did really like her laugh and the more he spoke to her, the more he could see the girl from the masquerade.

"Come on piglet, lets go and find André."

"The ice cream man?" Adrien had only been once to André's and he was given the most delicious Ladybug ice cream.

André had told him his love was true, but he already knew that. He wanted to take Kagami but she didn't believe in anything magical and refused to schedule it in.

Marinette nodded and led Adrien out of the museum and on the search for André. After a quick check of her phone she saw he was on the Le Pont des Arts bridge. It was only a short walk from the Louvre so they made their way over.

Conversation flowed easily as they made their way to the ice cream man. They had discussed how their end of high school exams went, both did really well and why they chose FUA. Neither of them mentioned about their alter egos.

"Awww what do we have here? Blackberry and peppermint, an explosive mix that's a fact but often times it's the opposites that attract."

"Want to share one, Adrien?"

"Yes please." Adrien looked like a kid in a candy store and Marinette giggled.

"I've seen you two before. You, Marinette, peach for his lips and mint for his eyes," Marinette blushed realising he had pretty much described Adrien.

"... and you, sir," André continued, "Strawberry with black chocolate chip! Blackberries for her hair, and blueberry ice-cream just like her sky blue stare!"

"Well, thank you André. Marinette, shall we walk?" Adrien paid André and moved his hand to Marinette's lower back, leading her along the river. 

The walked down the steps and sat on the edge of the river. They both sat in silence looking at the boats as they passed by.

"I have green eyes you know." Adrien broke the silence.

"Really?" Replied Marinette sarcastically, taking a scoop of the ice cream. She giggled and looked at him. "They're very nice too." She continued as she ate her spoon of ice cream.

"Did Marinette Dupain-Cheng just compliment me?" Adrien acted shocked at Marinette's words causing her to roll her eyes.

"I'm just stating the obvious, porcelet."

They continued to eat the ice cream in silence.

"So why do you like my father so much?" Adrien, again, was the one to break the silence. He knew his father was a complete asshole so wasn't sure why such a sweet girl would want to work for him.

"Can I just state for the record, I do not like your father. I admire his skills and talents. As a person, and I don't mean to offend you by this, but he's an asshole."

Adrien choked on his latest scoop of ice cream. This girl could seriously read his mind.

"No offence taken. I was just thinking the exact same thing." Marinette chuckled and looked out to the distance.

"I can't believe he pretty much kept you locked away. Being imprisoned in your house by your father, I can't even imagine."

"Yeah. Luckily I managed to break out at 14 to go to school and make good friends, such as Nino, but even that didn't happen without a fight."

Marinette noticed the sadness in his eyes and felt the need to fix it, to fix him. She reached out and held his hand, keeping her gaze straight ahead. His stomach was free falling. This girl was life for his dead soul.

Great m, he thought, now she likes me because I'm broken. Just my luck!

"You must love him very much to do anything you can to please him. Do you ever do anything for yourself?" She stared intently at his face as she spoke.

"My father pushed me into additional school work, piano and fencing. I found a love for piano, I played a lot with my mother before she disappeared.

My father was never the same when my mother went. He turned cold and distant. I began to have to schedule appointments to see him and get scolded if I don't uphold the families name. Sorry Mari, I shouldn't keep rambling on. I don't want to drag your mood down with mine."

Marinette's heart ached. She wanted to help Adrien and decided, as Ladybug, she would do everything in her power to bring his mother back. Adrien needed his mother, and Gabriel definitely needed her too.

"Adrien, you're human and you have feelings. I know we're not exactly friends, per say, but I'd be more than willing to be a pair of ears if you need a rant."

"So we're not friends?" Adrien looked at Marinette with sadness clouding his eyes.

"Well this is our first civil conversation so I'd say at the moment we're close acquaintances."

"I can live with that! As long as there's chances of possible upgrades." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she scoffed.

Grabbing the remainder of the ice cream she pushed it straight into Adrien's face. Quickly jumping up so she could run off in the direction of Adrien's car.

After the shock had wore off, Adrien jumped up and chased after Marinette. She was surprisingly fast, but not as fast as him.

He reached her, grabbed her around the waist and spun her around to face him. Both were laughing and breathing heavily from the chase. Marinette reached up with her index finger and scrapped some ice cream from Adrien's cheek.

"Hummmm...." she sighed placing her finger in her mouth, "minty."

They stared into each other's eyes and stopped laughing. Adrien still had his arms round her waist and their chests rose and fell in sync.

The night intensified around them as they just stood, staring. The electricity flowing between them was enough to light all of Paris, and neither of them could move from the spot.

Adrien's mind was filled with memories of her lips against his and her tongue playing in his mouth. He needed it, he needed it like he was an addict. This girl was his, he needed to claim her.

She was having a similar internal battle. The way Adrien was looking at her was what she dreamt of all her life. His eyes sparkled and she could see the reflection of herself in his glowing greens. She wanted, no needed, to taste him. All of him.

"Get a room!" The mood was broken and they both stepped back from each other.

A group of young teens walked past them taking them out of the moment. Marinette looked everywhere apart from at Adrien, whilst Adrien scratched his neck and looked out at the river.

Marinette's phone buzzed.

"It's Alya," she announces to Adrien. "She and Nino are on their way back to campus."

Adrien and Marinette walked back to the car in tense silence. Both knew the moment between them was above anything they had experienced before.

At least Adrien knew he was on his way to the friend zone with this incredible girl. He just needed to keep going, one step at a time... then a thought came into his head.

What about Ladybug?

—————————————————

Adrien and Marinette arrived back before Alya and Nino and made their way to the student union.

"Want a drink?" Marinette asked Adrien.

"Yeah, sure. Could you grab me a Bud light please? I'm just going to use the restroom."

Adrien walked to the toilets as Marinette made her way to the bar. She ordered the two drinks and took them over to a table.

"Is this seat taken?" A tall athletic guy with brown hair was standing over her.

"Unfortunately yes, sorry." replied Marinette politely.

"Unfortunately, eh? Perhaps you should have my number and we can make this meeting fortunate." He looked down into Marinette's eyes.

"I'm sorry but ..."

"Kim?" It was Adrien, and of course Adrien knew this guy. Adrien seemed to know everyone, Marinette thought to herself, rolling her eyes.

"Agreste? Hey man! How are you?" Kim and Adrien gave each other a hug, slapping each other on the back.

"Sorry Agreste, but this chicks mine, she was just about to give me her number." Marinette tried to think how she was going to get out of this.

"Mari, I can't believe you would give another guy you're number on our first date." Adrien turned away from Kim and gave her a wink.

"Geez, Adrien, man. I didn't know she was yours. I'm really sorry." With a quick dismissal he walked away.

"Phew, thank you. You saved me there." Adrien sat next to Marinette and picked up his glass.

"That's what close acquaintances do isn't it?" He smirked as he said it and she felt her stomach lighten.

"How about we try to be friends?"

"I like the sound of that more." He placed his arm over the back of Marinette's chair.

The spark was there again and both could feel themselves being swept towards each other. Marinette looked at Adrien's lips as he slowly dragged his tongue against the lower one.

"You two are looking cozy." Alya was standing behind them with an out of breath Nino.

Nino was attempting to talk but nothing was coming out. It looked as though he'd been running for miles.

"Here you go Alya." Adrien passed over their items and Alya ran to hand them over to the Scavenger team. They were first to bring back the items, therefore winning round one.

After a quick drink together to congratulate themselves on their win it was time to head back to their dorms. Each had a full timetable the next day.

As Nino and Alya 'made out' their goodbyes, Adrien walked over to Marinette.

"I really enjoyed tonight. I'm not going to lie, I was a little apprehensive." Marinette laughed.

"You and me both." He smiled back at her. He then continued "I'll try and make it to your class tomorrow but my schedule is pretty jam packed for the rest of this week."

"Don't worry about it. I've still got a lot of designing to do and patterns to make. We can just leave it until next week if that's better?"

Adrien's heart dropped at the thought of not seeing her until next week.

"Perhaps we'll see each other some point over the weekend then. Especially with these two."

Marinette placed her hand over her mouth and giggled. Alya and Nino finally let go and they all made their separate ways back to their dorms.

Once inside, Adrien said goodnight to Nino before entering his room and letting Plagg out.

"Looks like we have two lovebirds already," Plagg said, mockingly.

"She's just a friend ..." Adrien stated before finishing with a quiet "at the moment."

Plagg scoffed at Adrien and went to find cheese. Getting into his nightwear he climbed under the covers on his bed.

Just as he was drifting off to dream beautiful thoughts of Marinette his phone buzzed.

The best nights are usually unplanned, random and spontaneous.

He smiled at the message from his Princess. He couldn't agree more.