Marinette had a bounce in her step as she walked into the Gabriel Fashions building. Not only had she woken up on time, but she was able to eat breakfast and braid her hair back into a bun that rested on the base of her neck. She knew that today was going to be a great day.

"Oh, Mlle. Marinette." Nathalie stopped her before she went up to her workspace. "Don't forget you have a meeting with Adrien at noon."

"So much for a great day," Marinette muttered. She headed to where Genevieve and Camille were and sat her bag and phone on the table with a loud thump. Camille looked up in surprise.

"I thought you were supposed to be working on the Gala?" she asked.

"I am," Marinette replied. "But you have a deadline and if you think I'm not going to help you finish this line you're crazy."

"Thanks, Mari." Genevieve took her eyes off her work and looked up and down at Marinette.  "Nice hair," she commented, smiling as she went back to sewing the seams of a dress.

"What?" Marinette sat down and pulled out her laptop.

"Nothing. I just think it's nice you want to look good for Agreste." Marinette's mouth goes slack and she playfully slaps Genevieve on the arm.

"Gen! You're no better than Alya!" she groaned, trying to sound annoyed. Her lips curved upwards in betrayal. "I have a boyfriend."

"For real?" Camille asked.

Why was that news shocking? What was wrong with Marinette that no one seemed to believe she was in a relationship? The nerve.

"Yes. Luka Couffaine." Marinette failed to hide her amusement when Camille and Genevieve both turned to face her. "You know, you could at least pretend to be less shocked."

Luka had become an uprising star and it came as no surprise to Marinette that her co-workers knew who he was. Yes, she was dating a popular singer. She had also dated a popular model once, and that didn't go so well...

"Sorry, it's just what!"

"What's your Insta, woman? I need to see this for myself." Genevieve pulled out her phone and quickly opened the app with a practiced motion.

"At MarinetteDesigned. And we're at work, so could you two please fawn over my love life after five? Thank you!"

"Oh no." Gen shoved the phone into Marinette's face. "Tell me these are fake."

Marinette moved her head back so she could see what it was. Before her was her post of her and Luka at one of his concerts. Marinette wore a red knee-length dress and Luka had on his black leather jacket and skin-tight pants.

"What's wrong?" Marinette teased. "Can't handle that I have a man?"

"You walked on...girl, no." Gen quickly scrolled through her phone and pulled up very old pictures, pictures that weren't supposed to exist anymore. There was her past, Marinette's arm holding Adriens, beaming wide as they walked down the red carpet.

"That's from a few years ago. It means nothing."

The woman ignored her. "Cam, look at this." Gen handed the phone over to Camille who did a terrible job at hiding her thoughts.

"No. Nope. He is not that hot."

"Okay, bye now!" Marinette snatched the phone, setting it on her table, but not before getting a glance of the picture. Adrien, shirtless, holding her in the ocean.

Wow. He is so...

"Get yourself together Marinette!" she muttered, turning the phone off, driving her focus back to the laptop in front of her.

But in the back of her mind, the image of Agreste and her being so happy wouldn't get out of her head.

*******

When she got up to Adrien Agreste's office, all she found was a note that said: "Be back soon" and took that to mean Agreste was messing with her. She pulled out her checklist and notes she made on the packet Nathalie gave her, opting to look over them once more before Adrien got back and made her day terrible.

Just as she finished reading through them a second time, Adrien burst into the room, making her jump.

"I was worried you weren't going to wait," he said, seating himself in the big leather chair. The audacity.

"As if you wanted me to."

The corners of his lips moved upward in an obnoxious smirk, one that Marinette wanted to slap right off his handsomely stupid face. Why must he be so...

"Oh, I didn't. But my father wouldn't be too pleased if he found out we skipped our job because you hate me."

"I...You're the one that hates me!" Marinette pulled out her notes and passed them to the blond. He skimmed them then tore the sheets of paper in half right down the middle.

"Why would you do that! I had everything worked ou–"

Adrien leaned forward on his desk, eyes gleaming. "We do things my way, princess, or you tell my father you quit." He watched carefully as her face morphed from surprised, to confused, to outraged.

"You know I hold all the cards here. Deal with it." He tossed the papers in the trash and got serious. "Now, how about we get out of here."

Marinette was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"I hate being in this stuffy office all day long. If I'm to do something a little more...creative, then I think a change of scenery would do us some good."

"I don't need a different setting to do my job," Marinette retorted.

"Because yours is just coloring pictures." He grabbed his coat and was out the door before Marinette could say anything, leaving her no choice but to collect her things and follow.

"The nerve," she muttered, not caring if Adrien heard her or not.

"You know, you could try to move a little faster." Adrien hit the down arrow on the elevator and stepped in, Marinette following suit. "Or is that not possible with those short legs of yours."

"Okay, listen here Agreste." She slammed herself against him, holding him against the wall. "I'm not trying to make this job any harder than it has to be. Yet you are the one who keeps taking jabs. Quit it and grow up. We're adults, not dumb teenagers. Get used to the fact that I'm not yours and never will be."

"Oh?" Adrien raised his eyebrows. "Are you saying you wished you were still mine?" He looked down at her, but not by much, as she was nearly level with his nose with those black stilettos on.

Marinette stepped on his foot with her heel, causing him to make an inhuman sound, before moving to the opposite corner of the elevator. "In your dreams, Agreste."

"Did you have to do that, woman?" He groaned, observing his black shoes to see that there was a small dent from where her heel went in.

"Don't call me woman. I'm not an object."

Adrien sighed. "For goodness sakes, must you always try to make me sound misogynistic?"

The door opened and Marinette calmly walked out.

"I don't have to try because you already are." She turned around at him, noticing how he failed to hide his small limp. What a wimp. "Now, where to blondie?"

"Am I an idiot now?"

"What do you mean now? You always were." And with that, she walked out the door with a small wave to the receptionist.

"Where do you think you're going?" he called after her.

She didn't turn around. "Getting us a taxi. You can't walk with that pathetic limp." Does that mean she actually cares about him?

It was as if she could read his thoughts because Marinette turned around then and tilted her head to the side.

"Don't think anything of it," she said. "I just don't want you slowing me down."

"Ha ha." Adrien rolled his eyes but had a small smile on his face. He got into the cab after her and gave the driver an address to which Marinette raised an eyebrow.

"Why are we going all the way downtown?" she asked. Adrien simply gave her a cryptic smile.

"You'll see."

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at what appeared to be a small cafe, it hidden away from the rest of the world, secluded behind a tall store front.

"What is this place?" Marinette dared a glance at the blonde and saw a sparkle in his eyes.

"A place I'd go to get away from the world. I actually brought you here a few years ago, although I doubt you'd remember."

Not sure whether or not that was an insult, Marinette crossed her arms and looked at the sign on the door.

"Cafe of Love." The name struck a sort of familiarity and it dawned on her that this was where Adrien had taken her on their second date.

Why were they here now? What is he up to?

"Come on." He opened the door but thankfully didn't hold it for her. If there's one thing she can't stand more than him, it's him being nice to her.

"Hello, Adrien! We haven't seen you here in quite some time!" an older woman greeted, her eyes crinkling when she smiled.

"Hi Mary. I don't know if you remember Marinette."

"How could I forget such a pretty young woman?" She grabbed two menus and told them to sit wherever they'd like.

Adrien and Marinette placed their orders and finally got down to business.

"Okay, so lucky for you, I have a second copy of my notes." Marinette pulled out a packet of paper, identical to the original one Adrien had torn.

"Of course you did," Adrien said sarcastically with a smile and roll of his eyes.

Marinette ignored him as she skimmed over the first page. She could feel his eyes on her, his gaze burning deep into her soul.

"We need a place to host the event so step one is finding the perfect venue." Marinette dared to look up and meet Adrien's gaze.

"And you know of a so-called 'perfect venue'." He made quotations with his fingers. "Just....let me handle all of this Marinette. I can take care of it myself."

What the heck was he saying?

"Why! So you can ruin it and make me look bad?" Marinette stared at Adrien earnestly. "I need this job, Agreste. Without the money..."

He leaned back as Mary brought them their drinks, his a black coffee, Marinette's a vanilla latte.

"I understand that you aren't...stable."

"Excuse me?"

Adrien cleared his throat. "Financially, I mean."

"Yes. I'm sure that's what you meant." Marinette flicked the thought away as if it were a fly.

"Let me handle this. You clearly don't like my presence and it'd just make our lives so much easier, don't you think?"

Marinette pondered that thought for a moment before shaking her head. There's no way she's going to turn down a chance to be a part of something great.

"You don't understand, Adrien. You don't understand a lot of this."

Adrien picked up his mug and took a long, slow sip before addressing the statement.

"What I don't understand," he started carefully, placing his mug back on the table. "Is why you were so furious that you had to slap me in front of everyone and make a scene."

Was he serious? Was he freaking serious?

"Do not play dumb with me," she said through gritted teeth. "You know what you did."

He refused to get riled up by her words. "What did I do, Marinette," he said strongly. "That made you so angry? That convinced you I was the worst man on the planet."

"You're hardly a man." Marinette glanced at Mary who was in the back washing dishes, no doubt pretending she wasn't listening to their conversation. "Because a man wouldn't go so low as to ruin the dignity of a young teenage girl."

Adrien sighed and Marinette took a few deep breaths. Stay on task.

"Now, there are several different locations where we could host an event, but only one can do."

She handed Adrien a list of venues and he read through the whole thing, forcing himself to focus.

"We can eliminate at least five of these." He pointed to some of the names that were more outdoors than in. "It's winter."

Marinette felt stupid for considering them, then surprised because Adrien didn't try to make a jab at her about it.

"You're not going to tease me for that?" she asked, eyeing him cautiously.

He smiled in an odd way. "Nah. Too tired."

From what? Doing nothing all day?

"We're down to ten venues, princess."

"Don't call me that, Agreste."

She took the papers and put them back in her bag before finishing her coffee. Adrien followed her lead and paid the check.

"See you Mary!" He left her a rather large tip.

"Thanks Adrien." The woman eyed him then Marinette who was already out the door. "Don't lose her."

Adrien glanced at Marinette. "I'll try not to."

"You coming Agreste?" She hollered.

He hurried out to where she stood with her arms crossed.  "Where to now, princess?"

"We are going to do some sightseeing for the perfect venue."

"Just don't lose an eye trying to find one."

"I wish. Then I wouldn't have to look at you."

Adrien knew one thing:  he was going to make this the grandest event with Marinette by his side, no matter how much she despises him.