Author's Note: Hey, Guys! I'm back! So this is a new fanfic I'm starting, and I hope you like it. I want to dedicate this story to a really good friend of mine, without her, I would have lost the drive to write a long time ago. She inspires me and supports me, and she's literally the best thing ever. Thanks, Dora! --From Boots.

Anyways, this story will be mostly fluff, so enjoy!

Adrien hurried across hallways, trying to get to his father's office quickly. It wasn't often that he was called into his father's office anymore; not now that he was a senior member in his father's company. The only time his father talked to him was with the other senior members in the conference room.

Adrien sighed, and shook his head a bit, as he passed other people rushing here and there, also trying to please his father.

It seems not much had changed from his Lycee days, as a high school student.

Still afraid, still taking orders, still letting him control your life. He thought bitterly.

It's not that he didn't want to take over his father's company, because he did. Over these past few years, after graduating high school, he had learned so much. He had gotten to travel all across the world, and learn new things about fashion, about managing a company, about new cultures and people, and about how much work every single person put into this company. He felt proud to be working alongside them and he wanted their approval. Every one knew that he would, some day, take over the company. But Adrien didn't just want to inherit the company, he wanted to earn it;  he wanted to deserve being in charge of a company. He was done with getting everything just because "his daddy got it for him". So he had started from the bottom, just like everyone else, and worked his way up. And here he was, seven years later, and one of the youngest senior board members, at 25.

He was proud of his achievements, but the one person he was still longing for approval from, only met him with cold indifference.

Speaking of cold indifference, Adrien thought, as he stood outside the looming, closed doors that led to his father's office.

He took a deep breath, adopted a neutral expression, and knocked on the door.

"You may enter." Adrien could almost see the disappointment and disdain seep through the cracks through the door, as his father bade him entry.

Adrien steeled his spine, and pushed the doors open. A clean, put together man sitting in a clean, put together desk with clean, put together papers and clean, put together pens; was the disheartening sight that greeted Adrien, when he stepped into the room.

He closed the doors behind him, and silently made his way to the highly uncomfortable, but oh-so-fashionable, black chairs that were positioned in front of his father's desk. Before sitting down, he gave a small nod to Natalie, his father's assistant who stood off to the side of his father. As Adrien sat down, he thought he saw a look of concern flit across Natalie's features, but when he looked again all he saw was professional neutrality. Adrien sat in the chair, perched like the well trained bird that he was; back straight, shoulders back, head up, hands folded, and legs tucked gracefully. A well trained, caged bird.

"You wanted to speak with me, Father?" He questioned politely.

His father sat back in his high back chair, coolly regarding him, causing Adrien's skin to prickle with nervousness.

"You know that I will one day leave my entire company to you."

Yes, fa--" Adrien started before Gabriel interrupted.

"Don't interrupt, Adrien," Gabriel held up a hand, prepared for the comment that it was he, who had interrupted Adrien, "I will leave my company to you, however you are no designer."

Oh. So that was it.

Adrien started to worry, doubts that had been circling in his mind for years, were starting to come to head. It was true that he was a senior member on his father's board, but he didn't design clothing. He worked in the technical and financial aspect. It wasn't that he didn't have an eye for fashion, he was a model after all, but creating designs on his own...he just couldn't do it. He could see clothing, from a technical and CEO standpoint, such as if the garment was high quality and if a collection would make it on the runway. As a model, he could tell when a garment was fashionable and if pieces looked good together, but no matter how he tried he could not come up with original, unique designs. He knew how to dress and smile politely but he didn't know how to create pieces of art through fabrics, patterns and stitching. He could not design anything himself. If he were to take over his father's company, he would take over all of it. Including Gabriel's position of head designer. This was obviously going to be a problem.

Gabriel continued on, oblivious to his son's panic.

"...you are no designer. There is also the issue, that our biggest rivals the Moneau's, would love nothing more than to destroy the Agreste company. And due to your inexperience, it could very well happen. " Gabriel finished calmly.

Natalie stepped up, her stylus moving rapidly, as she started to spew off information.

"The Moneau's sales have gone up 40% in the last two years, and they are the second most prestigious fashion company and line in all of France. First being Agreste, of course. However, critics reviewing them are all positive, calling them the next big thing and recent polls indicate that the French public are beginning to prefer them over Agreste. If our line isn't successful in the next Fashion week for Spring/ Summer this September, our company will begin to decline."

"Exactly, thank you, Natalie." Gabriel said as Natalie stepped back.

"I understand, but what does this have to do with me? How am I supposed to do anything? The only thing I can do is increase our advertisements and maybe send some advertisements to other countries to try and get our name circulating, or maybe social medi--"

"Again, Adrien, I wasn't finished." Gabriel interrupted coldly. "As we were saying, we have to overcome Moneau in the Spring/Summer Fashion week. But to do so, we will require assistance from our top designers, as not only will they be assisting my line but they will also be creating their own to walk the runway, while representing Agreste."

"Right,so--"Adrien almost sighed when he was interrupted yet again.

"Please, Adrien. So our esteemed designers are invaluable to us, making them a target for Moneau. Moneau has already tried coerce our designers into designing for them. However, there is one designer that I am extremely worried about. She is our best designer, and so far, we've been able to protect her from Moneau's eyes, but it won't be long before they find out about her. Which brings me to the point of you, Adrien. She is my best designer, and you need a designer in order to inherit my company--"

"So, you're saying that she will be my partner?" Adrien asked dubiously, he would have never thought his father would ever offer part of his company to someone outside of his family.

"Not exactly, I can't leave my company to someone not part of the Agreste family."

"So...?" Adrien hated how long winded his father could be sometimes, it took him forever to get to the point.

"So, you will marry her."

Eh? Marry? His mind went blank as his face froze into the polite expression it had been wearing through this entire meeting.

"Tying her to the Agreste name through marriage, will protect both her and you. And it also helps clear up the issue of leaving the company to you, if the company is left to you both, the CEO and the top designer. The transition and business from there on out, should be much smoother." Natalie smoothly cut in, sensing Adrien's rising panic and trying to diffuse it with logic.

It wasn't working.

"The wedding will be held three months from now, in July. We will have to deal with the press, of course. But I'm sure Natalie and your normal publicity team can handle it. You wi---"

"Wait, a moment! Don't I get any say in this?" Adrien exclaimed, trying to be heard for once.

""Adrien, this is for the good of the company." Gabriel finished coldly.

"But I've never even met this girl! What the hell is this, the dark ages? Are you going to marry me off like some...like some...Disney princess?" He spluttered indignantly.

"Don't be so dramatic, Adrien. Besides, if I recall, you have met this girl before. She is a very hard worker, I'm sure you'll get along fine." Gabriel's harsh gaze almost didn't leave room for arguing.

Almost.

"Okay, so maybe I've met her for five seconds when you introduced us, at some time or another, but we're talking about marriage, father! The person who you spend you're entire life with!" Adrien's voice was rising, and he saw the danger flashing in his father's eyes, but at this point he was beyond caring. How dare his father try and control every aspect of his life! How could his father just decide that he was going to marry someone, what about what he wanted? What if he wanted to marry someone because he loved her? Why did he always have to sacrifice himself, his wants and needs, for the good of the company? A company that wasn't even his yet!

His father's sigh interrupted his internal rant, "Adrien, I'm not saying you have to stay married to her. After the company is stable again and the danger of the Moneau's has died down, probably in a couple of years or so, and after I retire, we can stage a divorce." His father stated as if it were obvious.

"It's a fake marriage. You want me to marry this girl, act as if I love her long enough so the Agreste company is stable, act as if I love her long enough for her to be paraded around in front of the press, act as if I love this girl long enough so that you can pass on your company to us so that she has the Agreste name, then you want me to divorce her, just fling her aside." Adrien finished coldly.

"Adrien, she knows very well that this marriage is only for the sake of the company and that it will not last forever. You're not "flinging her aside", you will just be co-operating with her as a partner, instead of partnering with her as husband and wife. But she will still be considered an Agreste, it all works out." Natalie cut in again, sensing the danger between the two Agreste men.

"And this girl, this designer, she agrees with all of this?"

"Yes, now, Adrien, I have work to do. Natalie will arrange a meeting between you two and will plan the rest of your schedule. Natalie, please escort him out."

"Fathe-" Adrien started to stand up out of his chair, not finished "discussing" this topic with his father. He was cut off, by gentle hands pulling him towards the door.

"Come along, Adrien." Natalie said gently. Adrien, shocked, at Natalie's uncharacteristic gentle demeanor, realized that their was no arguing with this. His father's mind was made up. Adrien was going to be married to a complete stranger.

Adrien sagged and let Natalie lead him out of Gabriel's office and into her own.

What kind of person agrees to marry a complete stranger, he wondered. One who wants part of the Agreste company. He thought bitterly.

"It took a lot of convincing, you know." Natalie started as she looked over her hands at the bitter boy sitting in front of her.

"What?"

"It took a lot of convincing for her to agree. She said that she didn't want to force you to marry her, just to protect her from the Moneau's. Your father didn't even tell her about the inheriting part until after she agreed. She didn't show it, but I had a feeling that she was outraged that your father wanted to link you two together for the sake of her having the Agreste name, so that she could inherit the company. You see, Adrien, your father had never even mentioned to her that he wanted to leave her part of the company. So she was shocked that he was leaving her part of the company and I'm sure she was somewhat excited, but I'm also sure that she was insulted that he refused to use her name. He actually told her, that he couldn't sully the Agreste company, with a common name."

"Then she should have said no, if he was that awful to her." Adrien muttered.

"She had already agreed, besides, she looks up to him and he is her boss. She was probably, a little afraid that if she spoke out towards him, that her job would be in danger."

Both, Adrien and Natalie, were silent for a while. Before Natalie finally broke the silence.

"It won't be so bad, Adrien. And like your father said, its not forever." Natalie said with a bit of desperation and pity in her voice.

"I know but its just...marriage, Natalie. It's something so sacred and important, and my father is just throwing all that away to save his ass. I always thought that that was one aspect of my life he couldn't touch. He couldn't decide who I would marry, I could marry whoever I want. I know, it was a childish delusion, just a silly dream. But I'm twenty five years old! You would think by now, my father would think that I was able to handle leading my own life; but here I am still under his thumb.  And I really do feel bad for this girl. I'm used to having my life completely ruined by my father, but she isn't." He said miserably. "Speaking of her, who is she, Natalie, and when do I get to meet her?"

"Well, actually, Adrien, I think you already know her." Natalie said slowly.

"My father said something similar, but I don't know any designers in this company personally. And I've never met the same one more than twice, how am I supposed to know her?"He really didn't understand why no one would tell him who this girl was. Why was everyone dancing around the subject?

"Well, I suppose you could say that you knew her, once. I'm not sure if you two are still acquainted."

Knew? Adrien started going back through all the people he has met over the years, but why would any of them be designers for his father's company? Models, producers, make up artists, designers with their own companies, nothing fit. His mind was jerked back into the conversation, when Natalie continued.

"I assume you remember Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

Marinette.

Dupain.

Cheng.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Suddenly happy, color-filled memories exploded within Adrien. Memories of a boy with headphones, and a girl, practically glued to her phone and a shy, stuttering, cute, pig-tailed girl who put everyone before herself. A girl whose big, beautiful, blue eyes, crinkled when she laughed. A girl who he had not seen in a long, long time. A friend. A friend, with a smile that made you want to smile too, no matter what you were feeling. A friend that always tried her best. A friend that helped him so many times. A friend who was always there for him. A friend with whom he had lost touch with after he left high school. A friend whom he missed. A friend, a girl, a designer; named Marinette.

He was marrying Marinette Dupain-Cheng.