"It was so embarrassing," Marinette said to her childhood best friend sitting across the table. "I knew I should have just kept my mouth shut, but no! I just had to be an idiot and step into non-professional territory with my boss."

"But," Nino commented setting his glass back down, "as you pointed out, Adrien is Alya's best friend. Even I'll admit he's a pretty cool guy. And we've been trying to get you two to meet for ages."

"I know. And somehow, I felt like that was enough of a greenlight to try to make conversation with him, but I was a bumbling idiot. As usual."

Nino snorted. "You've been a lot bigger of a bumbling idiot. Trust me."

Marinette glared at him. "Gee. Thanks."

He sighed. "Mari, let's face it: the only reason you feel this way is because you cried. Had you not cried, we wouldn't be having this conversation. The reason you cried was because you are ignoring the fact you're not over him."

That caught her so off-guard her only reaction was to sit shock still while her eyes resembled dinner plates.

Nino gave her a sympathetic smile. "You aren't as far along in the healing process as you claim to be. I'll say that I'm proud of you for willingly talking about you and Nath, but you're still hurting. You still miss him. A lot."

Her gaze hit the table as her heart twisted in uncomfortable ways. Yes, she did miss Nath, but he was gone. She had to accept that fact, better sooner than later. She'd taken her ring off for that very reason.

Yet it didn't stop her from wearing it as her safety net.

"Most of the time," Nino continued, "you're really good at holding it together, just like you did after you saw Nath's work all over Adrien's house."

She could feel the burning in her eyes and grabbed the ring tighter while trying to block out her tremendous meltdown after her interview. She thought she'd been ready. But seeing that, particularly the kitchen, brought back a flood of memories that reduced her to tears.

She tried to focus on the fact it was growing easier to walk into Adrien's house every day and seeing Nathaniel's work everywhere she went.

"There's no shame in crying, you know."

"Just not in public." Marinette looked back up at him with the beginning of tears blurring her vision. "Please," she begged.

Nino sheepishly glanced over the restaurant they were sitting in. "I just want you to know it's okay to miss him. You don't have to force yourself through mourning."

Those words lodged in her mind, but she forced them into the back for now, opting to take a sip of her tea and stare at the table while focusing on keeping the tears at bay.

"There they are."

Marinette looked up just in time to see Nino wave to someone behind her. She knew Alya was coming, but what did he mean by 'they'?

"Hey!" Alya said, taking a seat next to Nino and snuggling up against him in greeting. "Sorry we're late. Had to drop off Emma at her granddad's."

Marinette froze in place. Emma...

"You should have brought her," Nino said, wrapping an arm around Alya's shoulders. "You said you wanted her to be the flower girl, anyway."

"Really?"

Marinette looked up to the voice, only to see her boss-and it would behoove her to remember that fact-take the empty seat beside her.

"She'll be thrilled."

"I know she will," Alya said. "But I'll tell her later when she isn't forced to sit through a bunch of other 'boring' wedding stuff."

Adrien chuckled. "Very true."

Marinette tried not to act as uncomfortable as she felt. However, with the look Nino sent her, she wasn't certain she was succeeding.

"So," Alya began smacking her hands down on the table. "If it wasn't obvious already, we want you two in the wedding party."

"But, with a slight change," Nino added. "We've talked a lot about this. And it's not conventional, but we don't really care."

Marinette's brow furrowed and head tilted. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell Adrien shifted, leaning in with curiosity.

"So, Adrien," Alya began. "I want you to be my Man of Honor."

"And Marinette, I'd like you to be my Best Woman."

There was a long moment as those words sank in.

"I mean," Alya started up again, a bit nervous at the lack of response. "We know it's kinda flaunting tradition, but we each agreed we wanted our best friend at our sides, ya know? Not that there would be anything wrong with you two swapping positions, but-"

"We get it," Adrien said, interrupting her rant.

Marinette nodded her agreement. "I mean, if that's what you two really want-"

"We do," Nino and Alya said together.

"Then we'll do it."

Alya squealed her excitement. "I knew you two would agree."

Before the conversation could continue, the waitress came up to gather their order. Marinette and Nino gave their orders somewhat slowly in an attempt to give Adrien and Alya time to skim the menu.

The second she left, orders in hand, Alya launched into planning mode, dumping all her ideas out for Marinette and Adrien. It was clear the pattern of flaunting tradition didn't just end with Marinette and Adrien taking non-traditional roles, but Marinette had to admit she liked the picture Alya was painting. There was just one little detail.

She would be spending a whole lot of time with her boss.

Her perfectly plotted out speech she was prepared to give him tonight, the one about how she was sorry to have stepped across professional boundaries and how they would do best to remember that they were in a strictly business relationship, flew straight out the window. They would practically be walking down the aisle together, not to mention spending several days and countless hours helping the bride and groom pull this day off without a hitch. They would be at every prior gathering, meeting, party, and rehearsal.

And for the most part, they would be paired together.

She sighed. So much for being strictly professional.

Adrien wasn't oblivious; he could tell that Marinette was not comfortable with this. Specifically, if the sideways glances were any indication, with being around him. He wondered if it had anything to do with last night. After all, their conversation flew straight past the professional boundary into the heart of the personal territory.

"What did you do to Marinette?"

Adrien rubbed his eyes. He knew this was coming. Alya was the human equivalent of a hawk. There was no way Marinette's behavior towards him would escape her notice.

"Marinette is not that squirmy," Alya continued. "So what did you do to make her uncomfortable."

"I stepped into personal territory," he admitted.

Alya quirked a brow yet never took her eyes off the road. "What did you ask?"

"I asked about her late husband."

A silence stretched between them, Alya surprisingly speechless.

"I regret it," Adrien said. "I thought since she's the best friend of my best friend's fiancé that it might be okay to befriend her."

"I mean, I'm proud of you for actually making the effort to make a friend because heaven knows you need more of those, but couldn't you have asked something different? I know you're not that socially awkward."

Adrien grimaced.

"How did that even come up?"

"She asked about Chloe."

Alya paused, her lips pursed in thought. "Okay. So she started it?"

Adrien nodded, not that she could see. "And I told her everything. So, I had the bright idea to ask her about Nathaniel, and she practically ran out of the house once she started crying."

Something dawned over Alya's expression. "I think I'm getting the picture. How much did she tell you?"

"From how they met up until their honeymoon where they traveled on a houseboat. The same houseboat I'm going to assume caught fire?"

Alya nodded, stopping at the light and turning her attention to him "No one knows how it happened. Some speculated a gas leak while others think Nathaniel's turpentines caused the fire. Either way, that was her home that she lost. Both Nath and the boat. She was left with nothing."

Adrien turned to look out the windshield. "I feel like such an idiot."

"Don't," Alya said, noticing the green light. "Honestly, knowing she willing to share is somewhat of a comfort. It's another slow step to her actually healing. I'll talk to her, though. Get it all straightened out before you see her tonight."

"Do you think that's necessary?" Adrien asked.

Alya nodded. "If I made a guess, she's embarrassed."

"Why?"

Alya shot him a sweet look. "You're so innocent. Never mind. Don't worry about it. Just know I've got it."

Adrien wasn't certain what there was to 'get' but let it go.

When they got to his father's house, Adrien stopped Alya before she could exit the car. He had a promise to his father to keep, after all, and he didn't want his father to bring up that conversation with Alya.

"Spit it out."

"I... um... wanted to ask you a favor."

Alya's brow furrowed. "And that is?"

Adrien sighed, collecting himself and his pride. "I... I've been thinking about starting to date again."

Her jaw dropped and eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Really?"

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, unable to meet her gaze. "And since I don't exactly get out much... um..."

"You wanted to know if I would set you up?"

He glanced up at her with a sheepish smile. "... Yeah."

Her mouth twitched into a smile before she went into full plotting mode, eyes narrowing and mouth pursed. "Hmm. Let me see what I can do."

Adrien looked at the clock for the umpteenth time in the past hour. He was running late and being late to the event his father was hosting would be absolutely embarrassing.

"Will you calm down?" Marinette said.

And then there was Marinette. She seemed to have done a one-eighty since lunch, reverting to her normal, relaxed state instead of being wound up like a spring. He absently wondered what Alya did. "Sorry," he said. "I got a late start on dinner for Emma."

"I could have brought something," she said. "I should have brought something."

"You're fine," Adrien said, hastily throwing on his overcoat. "I should have started earlier. Now where are my car-"

Marinette held up his car keys and his wallet, which Adrien took in relief.

He didn't expect her, however, to straighten his overcoat, smoothing it out along his shoulders in a strictly professional manner. "Take a breath," she said, reaching up to undo the black bowtie that did not want to remain straight. "You're getting worked up over nothing. You'll get there in plenty of time."

His heart was doing very not-acceptable things right now as he stood shock still out of habit while Marinette fixed his hair. He felt like he was fifteen all over again, standing still like the model he'd been raised to be and getting flustered of the attentions of a girl.

But experiencing those two things at one time was a very new feeling to him.

"There," she said, smiling at her work the same way the designers used to do. "Now get going."

Adrien managed to give her an appreciative smile-or at least he thought he did-hoping that his face wasn't red. "Thank you." With that, he headed into the kitchen where Emma was eating her dinner in order to give her one last hug before he left. "Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, daddy," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly.

He pulled free and kissed the top of her head. "Have fun with Marinette."

"I will."

There was a comfort in that as he then ran out to his car. He practically sped to get to the event, but he made it just in the nick of time, taking his seat right before the clock struck six and garnering a strict look from his father in the process.

"Sorry," Adrien quietly apologized. "I tried to get here as fast as I could."

His father hummed. "Well, you are technically on time."

The dinner began, Gabriel starting off with some speech that Adrien didn't care to pay attention to. It was for show, anyway. Just like Adrien's smile as he pretended to pay attention to his father. This pattern continued for the entirety of the night. By the time ten o'clock rolled around, Adrien was exhausted from playing his least favorite game: navigating facades. Unfortunately, someone dropped their guard for a mere second and began a verbal sparing match with Mr. Rossi, obligating Adrien to enter the fray.

Adrien did his best to defuse the quarrel between the two investors, a task made twice as difficult by the way Lila was hanging on his shoulder begging for him to stop the madness. He managed to complete that task, managed to avoid Lila's 'kiss of appreciation', and managed to get himself sent home by his father.

Thank goodness.

It was approaching ten-forty by the time he parked the car in the garage. He allowed himself a moment to slump forward and rest his head on the steering wheel. This night wasn't over yet, after all. He really wanted to talk to Marinette. He needed to talk to her. The last thing he wanted was for things to be awkward between them, and they needed to clear the air before they continued on.

He forced himself to stand and march into the house, fully expecting to meet Marinette at the table, where she had been the last few nights. Maybe she had even found her sketchbook that he has set in clear view on the counter and was drawing away. However, the kitchen was empty and the sketchbook still in the spot Adrien had put it last night. Curious, he wandered toward the living room, only to pause because the scene in front of him was easily described as precious.

Marinette was laying down on the couch, arms wrapped up around Emma who was curled up on Marinette's chest with Plagg dangling from her arm. Adrien wondered absently if it would be acceptable to take a picture.

However, he didn't have the chance. Marinette shifted, turning her head in his direction before cracking her eyes open.

Adrien forced himself to move, to lift Emma off Marinette's chest and cradle the limp girl against his own. She fussed, her little eyes scrunching shut as she grabbed at his shirt, but thankfully, she didn't wake. He took her upstairs, placed her in her own bed, and tucked the covers over her. Tenderly, he pressed a lingering kiss to her head. "Sweet dreams, Emma," he whispered before he turned to leave.

Only to see Marinette standing in the doorway with Plagg.

He grinned his thanks before taking the offered cat and tucking it under the covers with Emma. Once that was done, the two adults slipped silently out of the room.

"She came down a while ago crying about a monster under her bed," Marinette explained as they descended the stairs. "I let her stay with me a little bit with the intent of taking her back up to her room later. Except, she fell asleep, and since I didn't want to disturb her, I just let her be."

"If that ever happens again," Adrien said, "you can take her back to her room and use Plagg to scare off the monsters. At least, as long as she's not in tears."

"I'll keep that in mind," Marinette said, reaching for her bag hanging on the coat rack. "I'll see you Monday, then."

"Wait," Adrien said, reaching to cover the door handle with his hand. "Can we talk a moment?"

Marinette regarded him curiously. "About?"

"What happened at lunch today."

A red tint colored her cheeks as her gaze hit the ground.

"I have the distinct feeling that we crossed too many boundaries last night and I made you uncomfortable."

Marinette took a deep breath. "It's hard talking about him," she said, looking back up at him. "I knew it was out-of-bounds to ask about Chloe. But, our friends are engaged and I went to school with Chloe and somehow, I thought that it would somehow be acceptable to ask."

"I had no problem with that," Adrien assured. "I know I may technically be your boss, but at the same time, Alya is my best friend just as Nino is yours. Furthermore, as of now, we're the main people in their wedding party, and no matter what, I know both of us want to be there for them."

"True," Marinette relented.

"So can we try to build... whatever sort of relationship we need to to make that possible for them? Because I feel like the possibility of having a strictly professional relationship at this point has flown out the window at this point."

Marinette finally smiled, and Adrien felt like a winner. "Also true," she agreed. "I'm willing to make that work."

Adrien's shoulders relaxed. "All right. Is there any other air we need to clear between us? I would rather do that now instead of later, or worse, in front of our engaged friends."

Marinette shook her head. "I think that it's just something we'll have to work out as we go and hope we don't make fools out of ourselves."

Adrien grinned. "I think you're right."

He swore she still wore a rosy tint as she reached for the door handle. "I guess I'll see you Monday, then."

"Wait one moment." With that, he hustled into the kitchen, picked up the forgotten sketchbook, and held it out for her to take. "You forgot this last night."

"That's where it went," she said, taking the pink sketchbook from his hands and placing it in her bag. "Thank you. I was wondering where I left that."

"Of course," Adrien said, watching Marinette reach for the door. "Drive safely."

"Will do," Marinette confirmed as she marched out into the late summer's evening. "Good night."

"Good night."

Just as he always did, he watched her get into her car and drive off into the night. By the time her taillights disappeared, he shut the door. Only then did he go upstairs to change out of his tux.

By the time he was ready to turn out the lights for the night, his phone buzzed with a text. Just thought you'd like to know I got home safely since you asked last night

Adrien felt a blush roll across his cheeks. I appreciate that. Have a good night.

With that, he put his phone down and turned off the light, setting down into the plush mattress and hoping to get a decent amount of sleep. But that didn't stop him from snatching his phone the second it dinged with a text.

You too