Fake Dating

23 - Adrien

Marinette entered the dressing room still towelling her hair. She realised that singing in the rain hadn't been the best idea in her life, but sometimes she got carried away by the fans' enthusiasm. This time it could lead her to catching a cold which wouldn't be welcome a day before some important meetings at Midem.

Suddenly, she froze. In her dressing room, on the only chair in the place, there was Adrien sitting and smiling at her.

"Hi..." he greeted shyly. Just like he had done at their first meeting.

"You... You're here for real?" she stuttered, unknowingly stepping closer. He instantly stood up and made a step towards her too.

"I'm not sure..." he smiled embarrassed and combed his hair.

"But... How? Why?"

"I saw your interview..." he blurted out and they both blushed terribly.

"Oh..." she murmured.

"And I thought..." he hesitated and made another step towards her. "I thought that I might ask you..."

"About what?" she asked breathless, looking up.

"If all that you said was true..."

"You could call..." she whispered and touched softly his cheek.

"My dad took my phone..." he confessed, and she burst out laughing.

"How old are you? Five?"

"You don't know my father..."

"And I'm not going to do it soon..." she winced. "Besides, there are a million of possibilities to contact me. Nino, Plagg..."

"Nino lost his phone as well. And Plagg forbade me to call you. Then you didn't accept the flowers and I started wondering if all of that was true or only my wishful thinking..."

"What flowers?" Marinette spotted.

"That day when I was flying to London, I found a florist at the airport. I bought roses and they sent the bouquet with a note to your house. When I called them later about the delivery they told me that it hadn't been accepted."

"Wait a moment!" she stopped him, when she recalled a question of one of journalists during the press conference. "You were in London? When?"

"My flight was in the morning, just after our last..." he hesitated blushed a bit. "...meeting. My father prepared the journey immediately after seeing our photo..."

"Tikki packed me the same day. I was eating breakfast when she brought me that tabloid with Alya's article. An hour later we were on our way to the airport."

"So maybe it was a reason you didn't get my flowers... I'm so sorry that I doubted you. For a moment I was thinking you just hadn't accepted them..."

"I would, Adrien. Whatever was written in that note it would save me a lot of sorrows..."

"I'm so sorry... It's all my father's fault!"

"I can't believe he got that picture so early in the morning that he managed to organise your journey!"

"He got it even earlier. In the evening before I came back home."

"How's that possible?"

"It seems that his connections reach far. Farther that we could imagine. Sometimes I'm terrified when I think how many people my father knows. That evening I understood how hopeless all that plan had been. Such a set-up wouldn't be ever successful, because my father would prevent even a slightest paparazzi's attempt to take a photo. I think Plagg didn't know about my father's power either. For the first time in my life I saw him horrified."

"Same with Tikki. She didn't even try to fix the situation. No, she practically ran away from Paris. I thought it was over... Yet... You're here..." she smiled warmly and again touched his cheek.

"I had to come. When you want to say something for the first time, you shouldn't do it on the phone..." he confessed and she felt breathless. "You couldn't do that on the phone either..." he added with a loving smile touching her palm on his cheek. "Nor I couldn't do this..." he whispered at the end then he leaned in and kissed her.

She climbed on her toes and put her arms around his neck as if she didn't want to let him go ever again. Adrien embraced her waist with one hand, and put the other one into her hair. Suddenly, he realised that she was still soaked, so – reluctantly – he broke a kiss and whispered keeping his lips only millimetres from hers:

"You should change, before you catch a cold..."

"I've already forgotten that you can spoil all the fun..." she giggled. "But you're right. I should change these clothes. Just give me ten minutes!" she promised and kissed him shortly.

"Maybe I'll survive..." he joked, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Your ladybug has smeared..." he murmured like he had done the day they went to Versailles and he touched her hair.

"It's the rain's fault..."

"Yeah, I saw you singing at the edge of the platform. You have no idea how much I wanted to leave backstage and come to you."

"You should!"

"Your manager didn't let me..."

Marinette burst out laughing, or at least attempted to do so, because she sneezed instead.

"I think we should work on your assertiveness." she commented.

"First, we have to make you change your clothes!" Adrien answered back.

Then he kissed her cheek and left the dressing room. He sat down on the nearest box and began wondering how long these ten minutes would last. Suddenly, Tikki appeared next to him, as if she had been waiting for the results of their talk.

"So?" she asked.

"I think it'll be OK." he smiled happy. "Thank you for letting me in."

"I didn't do it for you but for her. Actually, it doesn't matter anymore..."

"Can I take her for a walk?" he asked immediately, as if he was afraid that in a moment it would be too late.

Tikki glanced at him unsure, but finally she nodded.

"Just walk her home before midnight..."

Adrien looked at his watch and frowned. It was almost eleven.

"That may be difficult..." he muttered.

"I was joking!" Tikki patted his arm. "Just don't go far away, OK? Tomorrow we're having a meeting on Midem, so Marinette should be refreshed. Besides, it looks like still raining..."

"Not a typical weather for Nice, right?" Adrien smiled under his breath. "Don't worry. I have an umbrella. I won't let her get wet."

The manager bit her lip not to laugh. Those kids were just adorable! She couldn't believe that such a wonderful yet fragile love could grow from a silly idea – like a little plant that those two young people had to take care about. Just on their own. Yet, Tikki stayed positive, when she saw that Adrien had already found some determination in himself to stand against his father. That was a good sign. Where would it lead them? Nobody could foresee...