Day 17 - Life Swap

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Adrien didn't want to pull his eyes away from her when he heard the knock on the door. Regardless of whether she was just a picture in a magazine at the moment, she still captivated him.

He got up from the couch, hurrying to the door as it was knocked on again, more impatiently. Adrien opened it to find Nino with Chris standing behind him, pouting.

"Hey, bro," Nino smiled, and Adrien couldn't help but smile too. "Are you busy?"

"A little, why?" he answered, stretching a little from having been sitting on the couch for a while.

"Looking at pictures of Marinette does not count as busy, dude," Nino teased, Chris tugging on the hem of his shirt. "You're free, and we're going to the park," he announced, and Adrien chuckled as he grabbed his shoes.

"Sure, but why?" he wondered, making sure he had his phone in his pocket. He finished tying his shoes before Nino answered, and he stood up to see his best friend with a mischievous look on his face.

"For one, I'm babysitting Chris and don't wanna do that alone," he started, making his little brother give him a look. "And two, I may or may not have seen a certain someone at the park for a photoshoot on my way here." Adrien's heart stuttered, his eyes going wide.

"Really? Right now?" he asked, probably more excited than he should've been.

"Yes, right now," Nino laughed, starting down the stairs to the main floor. Adrien closed the door behind himself, a wide grin pressing into his cheeks. He'd heard that Marinette had designed more originals and was going to be modeling them soon. If he could get even a glimpse of her, on a beautiful day like that, he'd feel blessed.

The three of them made their way downstairs, passing through the Agreste family coffee shop on their way out. He saw a flash of his mom's blonde hair at the register, realizing he hadn't seen her yet that day.

"Be safe, sweetheart," she called, and he stopped to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"I will, Mom," he smiled, too excited for his own good. "Oh, and tell Dad that I'm gonna destroy him during our Ultimate Mecha Strike III tournament later!" he teased, hearing his mom laugh in reply. The door closed behind him as he caught up with Nino, the three of them crossing the street to the park.

Before he knew it, she was there, in his sight. The sun was making her more than radiant, leaving her skin glowing and her hair shining. Her back was turned to him, but he could tell what she was wearing was definitely something she'd designed herself. He couldn't believe how talented she was.

She was lounging on the fountain, looking perfectly nonchalant as she demanded the attention of her photographer by simply existing in the brilliance of the sunlight that seemed attracted to her frame.

Adrien didn't realize he was blushing until Nino started laughing.

"You really are hopeless, my guy," he sighed goodnaturedly, shaking his head. Adrien flushed more, rubbing the back of his neck. "Why don't we go say hi?" he suggested, and his best friend's heart started racing.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking back over at her. She had turned a little, and he could see the pink of her lips and her long lashes brushing her cheeks as she blinked. "Okay, yeah. Let's go," he said, a little nervous but determined.

They all started walking, Chris grumbling to himself. When Marinette's full frame came into view, he felt like the air left his lungs. Her blue eyes were breathtaking, brought out by all the colors he was sure she'd so precisely put into her outfit, and he felt like he could drown in them. But he kept walking forward, watching her yawn and thinking even that was adorable.

"Nino! I'm bored!" Chris exclaimed, and Marinette turned to look at them, only a few feet away.

"Oh, hi guys!" she smiled brightly, giving them a small wave. He felt himself blushing a little, raising his hand to wave back.

"Hey, Marinette," he smiled, wondering how she could look so pretty without even trying.

"What are you all up to?" she wondered, her photographer glancing at them impatiently.

"Just chillin', or at least, we're trying to," Nino told her, glancing at Chris yanking on his arm again.

"Cool!" she grinned, standing up and stretching her arms above her head. Adrien felt his stomach twist into knots when her shirt lifted to show her midriff, looking away and laughing a little to himself. He was such a mess around her, even if he kept most of it inside. Well, he tried.

"The weather's beautiful today, ri--" she spoke, starting to move towards them but tripping over something. Adrien rushed to catch her, grasping both her hands and stopping her fall halfway. She blinked up at him, breathing out.

"Are you falling for me?" he spoke, the words seeming to come out without him really wanting them to. He'd only said it loud enough for her to hear, but he wished he hadn't said it at all. Why was his Chat Noir coming through at a time like that?

Her bright blue eyes were wide as they stared back at him, and just as he thought that she might have been blushing, she giggled. Even though he was mortified, it was one of the cutest things he'd ever heard.

"You're funny," she laughed, straightening herself and letting her hands fall from his. He took a few seconds to laugh with her, glad she hadn't taken him seriously. But if she'd actually been blushing because of him, he might have found himself in a puddle on the ground.

"Thanks for catching me," she smiled, winking at him. He felt his heart skip a beat, or maybe two, and couldn't remember how to breathe for a few seconds. He didn't need her to blush for him to melt, that wink had done it all on its own.

"You're welcome," he nodded, smiling at her. All of a sudden, she looked behind him, the light in her eyes changing. Although it was surprising in its intensity, something in him couldn't deny its familiarity.

"Get out of here!" she exclaimed, pushing him behind her with a force he didn't expect her to have. He followed her line of sight, looking to the sky to see someone hovering there. He knew right away that he needed to transform, but Marinette was in danger too, the villain leering down at the two of them.

Adrien took Marinette's hand, pulling her into a sprint towards the entrance to the park. They both took cover behind an advertisement for Marinette's new perfume as Adrien searched for a way to bring his alter ego into the picture. He looked to Marinette, seeing a determination in her eyes he didn't expect.

"You should go hide at my parents' coffee shop, just across the street," he told her quietly. She looked at him, furrowing her eyebrows.

"What about you?" she wondered, and he smiled, trying to reassure her.

"I have to make sure Nino and Chris are okay," he told her, looking back towards the park to try to locate them. He felt the air around him shift a little, his eyes going wide as he realized she'd just kissed his cheek.

"Please stay safe," she said softly before leaving his side, starting to run towards the coffee shop. He placed a hand over his cheek, feeling himself begin to blush again. He directed his attention to the situation at hand once more, feeling even more determined than before.

As he called on Plagg to begin his transformation, his desire to protect Marinette increased tenfold, and he knew nothing could stop him. 

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i hope you all enjoyed! thank you for reading! 

mel x

Adrinette April 2020Where stories live. Discover now