As always, I don't own the image or Miraculous.

This is a longer multi-chapter fic guys, I hope you enjoy the ride.

Professor Adrien Agreste loved his job. Usually. Being a physics teacher was all he ever wanted. Watching the faces of his students when they understood how to do an equation they had thought impossible and knowing that he had helped put that look on their face, it was a priceless feeling. Tonight he didn't enjoy his job. It was necessary but his least favourite aspect.

Parents Evening.

Those two words were enough to strike fear in the heart of the most stalwart of teachers. Between disinterested students and over anxious parents, it was always a stressful evening.

This was a new school for Adrien, having only recently moved back to Paris from Nice, and his dread was only amplified by the fact that he would probably be recognised from his modelling days. His desire to teach where his face wasn't quite so famous was the reason he had moved away all those years ago. But now he was back, and already he had been approached by several parents to talk about his modelling, to not-so-subtly flirt with him and to discretely pass him their number, whether they had a partner or not.

He sighed deeply as this happened a fourth time. It had been thirteen years but he couldn't help but wish an akuma would attack and he could escape.

It didn't help that over the years Adrien had only grown more handsome. Standing at over six feet tall with barely an ounce of spare flesh on him, he was a veritable Greek god of tan skin and lean muscle. He wore his golden hair shorter now, which complemented his chiselled features, no longer softened by youth.

Looking up from where he had thrown the scrunched up number into a waste basket under his desk, he was met by a pair of bright, blue eyes under a heavy, midnight fringe. For a moment he was sucked back into the past where he knew those eyes somehow, before the young girl spoke, snapping him back to the present.

"Hi, Professor Agreste," the girl chirped happily. "I've brought my Maman with me today."

Adrien smiled at his student.

"Good evening, Celeste," he greeted, "and to you Mme. Kurtzberg," he gestured to the seats in front of him. "Won't you take a se-" He spared a glance at the marginally taller woman and found himself once more caught in a pair of bluebell eyes.

"It's Dupain-Cheng, actually," she corrected, and a small smile quirked her lips when he nodded his recognition, mouth slightly agape.

"Marinette?" he wondered aloud before quickly pushing out his chair and clumsily getting to his feet. "Is it really you? It... it's been so long," he exclaimed, coming round the desk to stand in front of her.

"Oh, only about thirteen years, but who's co-" she was abruptly cut off when Adrien pulled her into a hug. While the years had given her confidence and she didn't stutter anymore, she had been unprepared for his sudden attack, and when she pulled back from Adrien's embrace, Marinette's face was flushed a deep red. She played nervously with a charm bracelet around her wrist.

"Um, hi," she greeted, waving awkwardly. It was then that they noticed their audience. Celeste stood next to them and gawped up at the suddenly uncertain adults.

Realising he was being unprofessional, Adrien reached to rub the back of his neck in an unconscious gesture. Some things never change.

"Please, sit down," he gestured once more to the seats in front of his desk and took a seat in his own chair. He shuffled the papers in front of him, rifling through until he found the one he was looking for.

"Ah, okay, Celeste," he smiled up at the two bluenettes in front of him, briefly marvelling how alike they looked, and wondering at his own obliviousness that he hadn't realised the girl he had been teaching for weeks was in fact the daughter of one of his school friends. "You've been doing fairly well in physics this term," he began and the young girl blushed, smiling happily. "You're enthusiastic and try very hard, although you do have a tendency to get distracted."

Adrien's smile turned knowing as he looked at Celeste and she blushed harder. Marinette shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She too had had a habit of becoming distracted in school, thanks to the handsome blonde sat before her right now.

Celeste had never mentioned having a crush but from the looks her daughter and Adrien were sharing, that was what Marinette was inferring.

"Sorry, Professor," Celeste mumbled, rubbing her arm, somewhat embarrassed at being caught out by her teacher. "I'll try harder to focus," she insisted, gazing up at him adoringly. It was obvious she had a great amount of respect for her physics teacher. Adrien's smile turned warm.

"I'm glad to hear it. You could do really well if you can manage to apply yourself a little harder, but all in all, I'm very pleased." They briefly discussed grades and future projects until their ten minutes were up. He started to rise from his seat.

The mother and daughter pair in front of him took his cue and stood as well, Marinette holding her hand out to shake Adrien's.

"Thank you so much for taking the time to see us today," she said, smiling at Adrien. "It was so nice to you see again... I mean, I like to you... no, I mean... Ugh," she had thought she was past this. She didn't have a crush on him anymore... did she? No. It had been thirteen years. A lot changes in thirteen years. "It was nice to see you again, Adrien," she finally managed.

Adrien smiled down at her. It was nice to see the Marinette he remembered. He couldn't believe so much time had passed since they had all gone their separate ways. A pang of nostalgia hit him.

"It's been great seeing you too," Adrien winked at her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Oh," he bent over his desk but before Marinette could wonder what he was doing he was upright again and once more holding out his hand to her. When she didn't immediately take what he was proffering he grasped her hand with his empty one, turned it palm up and placed the piece of paper into her hand. He then closed her fingers around her paper, holding her hand closed in both of his for a moment longer than necessary.

"My number," he instructed. "It would be really nice to catch up again." He rubbed the back of his neck again self consciously. "If you want, of course."

Marinette smoothed out the ripped off slip and smiled down at the line of digits.

"Thank you," she breathed, her smile bright as she looked up into his face. "That would be nice." They stood in silence a moment more.

"Maman?" The pair jumped at Celeste's sudden interruption and both had a slight blush on their cheeks as they turned to face her.

"Sorry, Celeste," Marinette said, "I think we've seen everyone now, let's go home." And the two girls turned to leave. Adrien watched her go, allowing himself the appraisal that he had held in up to this point.

Her hair had grown longer and she wore it down. He followed to where it reached between her shoulder blades. From there his eyes drifted down Marinette's shapely form. She had more curves than when they were teenagers. She was still petite but as she walked away he couldn't help but be drawn to the sway of her flared hips and the rounded curve of her bottom. When she reached the door she stopped and his eyes snapped up to where hers were now looking back at him. He had been caught ogling. Adrien grinned sheepishly and waved, the tips of his ears glowing. The corner of Marinette's lip twitched up and she sent off a small wave of her own before heading back out the door.

Marinette switched off the car engine and rested her hands briefly on the wheel.

"Well," she started, turning to face her daughter. "That went pretty well."

Celeste eyed her mother warily.

"Yeah," she agreed hesitantly. "Not too bad."

"All the teachers had really positive things to say about you. I think we should celebrate!" She smiled down at the younger girl. "What would you say to some ice cream?"

"Ice cream sounds great, Maman." Celeste hesitated briefly. "How long have you known Professor Agreste?"

Marinette sighed and looked at their house through the windshield of the car. The porch light had switched on at their arrival but would be turning off soon.

"Let's go inside and talk, okay?"

Celeste nodded her head and they simultaneously opened their respective doors and silently headed into the house. Marinette opened the door and held it for her daughter, following her inside.

"Go sit in the lounge, I'll grab the ice cream, 'kay?" Marinette asked, already heading towards the kitchen. There she grabbed the tub of rocky road out of the freezer and two spoons. Then, on an impulse, she poured milk into a pan and put it on the hob to heat. Adding a few scoops of instant hot chocolate, she removed the pan and poured the contents into two mugs, adding whipped cream and marshmallows. Marinette tucked the tub of ice cream in the crook of her arm and clasping a mug in each hand, headed back towards the living room.

Celeste was sat on the sofa, feet tucked up next to her and the throw laying over her lap. The two of them had developed a tradition of just this. It was an all encompassing tradition. If they were celebrating, or upset, angry or just in the mood for a good chat they would grab some ice cream and the blanket, snuggle together and talk for hours. It was a tradition they both loved.

Celeste and Marinette each grabbed their spoons and almost simultaneously scooped a generous amount of whipped cream and marshmallow into their mouths, both humming in contented delight.

"So," Celeste began, breaking the silence between the two of them. "Professor Agreste?"

Marinette looked up from where she had been gazing into her hot chocolate, debating where to start. She placed her mug on the coffee table and settled herself more deeply into the sofa.

"Adrien... that is, Professor Agreste... went to school with me at College Francois DuPont." Celeste's eyes widened at the prospect of her mother and her teacher going to school together. "I was best friend's with Alya and Adrien was best friends with Nino. A little while into our first year together, Nino and Alya started dating and Adrien and I became friends. We were all really close." Marinette's eyes held a faraway look as she thought back to that time.

"The thing is, I had a huge crush on him from almost his first day at school. He was homeschooled until he was fifteen." Her cheeks tinted pink at the memories of everything she had done because of her school girl crush. It was really quite embarrassing when she thought back over it. Maybe she didn't need to go into too much detail with her daughter.

"Did you tell him?" Celeste asked, her own expression a mix between shy and hopeful, and Marinette couldn't help but think she was thinking about her own crush. The older woman shook her head sadly.

"No, I never did. And I regret it so much. I wish I had realised at the time that you regret the things you don't do, far more than the things you do. When we were eighteen he left to go on a year-long tour for his modelling," Celeste looked at her mother in wonder.

"He was a model?" she squeaked in excitement and Marinette smiled bashfully.

"He was gorgeous even then," she admitted, sighing dreamily. "But he was so much more than that. Anyway, when he finished his modelling stint, he went away to study to become a teacher and never moved back to the area. This is the first time I've seen him since we left school thirteen years ago."

Celeste was struck dumb by the revelation.

"I think that's enough of that for now anyway," Marinette decided, picking her slightly cooled hot chocolate back up off the table. Let's watch the film. With Celeste in agreement, the two turned to face the television.

Marinette hit play for the DVD and the two settled back to watch their favourite film, When Harry met Sally. As Marinette listened to Harry's speech about men and women not being friends, she thought back to her best friend and partner from her superhero days, Chat Noir. She was always reminded of him when she saw this film and wondered what could have been.

It didn't happen very often, despite having been back in Paris for three months now, as their schedules conflicted quite a bit, but after he finished with Parent's Evening, Adrien met with Nino at his local bar. The two were sat at a table drinking beer out of the bottle and were currently enjoying a companionable silence. The blonde relished the time he had with his oldest civilian friend, and seeing him reminded him how much he had missed him. They always kept in touch through text and occasional skype, but nothing compared to seeing the DJ in person.

Adrien settled his bottle on a coaster on the table and swiped his thumb through the condensation that was forming.

"You'll never guess who I saw at the school's Parent's Evening tonight," Adrien began, seemingly out of nowhere. "Do you remember Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

"Ha, of course, Bro. I had a crush on her when we were at school together," Nino reminded the blonde. "Remember how you coached me on that zoo date we went on? Total disaster," Nino laughed, tilting the brim of his cap up slightly. "She's still Alya's bestie. We don't see so much of her with the kid and all, she's always pretty busy trying to make ends meet." Nino leaned forward confidentially. "I don't think Nathanael is all that helpful. You remember Nathanael?"

Adrien nodded. "Red headed artist right? Wasn't he the Evillustrator?"

"Right," Nino pointed his finger at Adrien like a pistol. "You would remember the akuma victims. The way I remember it, you were totally crushing on Ladybug."

Adrien's face flushed red and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, I mean... didn't you?"

"I guess," Nino turned his cap the other way. "That tight ass in all that spandex?" A spike of anger pierced Adrien in the chest at his former partner being spoken of in that way but he shrugged it off. "We were what, sixteen? Seventeen? What teenage boy wasn't affected? Some teenage girls even."

"Not Alya?" Adrien queried, raising one eyebrow.

"Alya," Nino confirmed, smirking slightly. "My girl was obsessed. Think she probably had a little thing for Chat Noir as well but it was Ladybug that she was always fan-girling over. I'm surprised she ever looked twice at me," his cheekbones were dusted with pink. "But then I've got Ladybug to thank for that anyway, after shoving us into a cage together for an afternoon."

Adrien nodded, having heard the story in detail before.

"Anyway," the DJ continued, "Yeah, Nathanael isn't around all that much. I don't think he has much money, so after the split Marinette struggled a bit. She seems to be doing okay now though." Nino adjusted his cap again.

Adrien tried not to let the information affect him too badly, but he felt guilty that he had allowed himself to lose contact with someone he considered to be a friend. He should already know these things about Marinette. For the first time in a long time, he regretted leaving Paris in the first place. He would have liked to have been able to support his friend.

"So," Nino cleared his throat, deciding that a slight change of conversation might be a good idea. "You still see much of Chloe?"

Clearly this was not the right direction to go in. Adrien groaned, a pained look coming onto his face, and he dropped his head into his arms that were folded on the table in front of him.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes," Nino quipped, patting the blonde's arm consolingly. Adrien's voice was muffled when he replied.

"Ever since I've gotten back, it's been non-stop," he lifted his head to look despairingly at the DJ who barely concealed his chuckle. "I mean, she still messaged me loads while I was away, but it had gotten less since I stopped modelling. Now I'm boring Professor Agreste with a lower income and no celebrity status, I think she moved on. Now I'm in Paris again, I don't know... she seems to be trying to pick up where she left off." Nino didn't miss the bit where 'she' left off.

"Last I heard she was dating some tennis player or other," Nino contemplated aloud.

Adrien made a sound of agreement. The pair were interrupted by the jingle of a text alert coming from Adrien's phone. He groaned, anticipating yet another text message from his oldest friend asking him to dinner. It wasn't that he didn't like spending time with her, but her attempts at romantic involvement were just not something he was interested in. Reluctantly he pulled his phone out of his coat pocket, swiping his thumb across the print reader to unlock it.

Unknown Number: [Hey, was good to see you today. We should catch up sometime. Marinette]

As he read, a slow smile crept onto Adrien's face and a feeling of warmth settled into the pit of his stomach. He quickly started tapping out a reply, thoughts of Chloe Bourgeois forgotten.

Putting the phone down, Marinette released the breath she had been holding as she typed out her message. A flood of nerves had her hovering over the send button for a few moments before she resolutely pressed it down. Her heart leapt in the anxious knowledge that she couldn't take back what she had just done. It was silly anyway. The message was light-hearted, casual. There was no way anything could be read into it. She should know, she has re-read that message seven times before she pressed send. It was just, there was something about Adrien Agreste that made her feel like a clumsy teenager again, rather than the still somewhat clumsy adult that she had become.

Half an hour before, Celeste had made her way to bed and Marinette had changed into her pyjamas, getting ready to relax for an hour or two before she headed to bed herself. The impulse to text Adrien had been growing in her the whole time they had been watching the film and she had given in to that urge.

Now she had bitten the bullet, she turned to make tea, determined not to watch her phone and wait desperately for a reply. That didn't stop her every nerve ending being attuned to her phone, her ears pricking at every sound.

Just as she was pouring the milk into her cup her text alert sounded, causing her to jerk and milk to spill over the side. Cursing herself for being so highly strung and making a mess, she forced herself to not check her phone until her tea was made and the milk cleared away. Once the cloth was back in the sink and the milk carton safely in the fridge, Marinette took her cup and her phone and carried them both back into the living room. It was sweet torture to deny herself checking the message until she was settled, but she was determined to act like the rational adult she wasn't.

Finally she allowed herself to read the text, the teenager in her squealing at getting a message from Adrien Agreste.

Adrien: [Hey, Marinette! Was a really nice surprise to see you again today after so long. I'd love to catch up sometime. You know my work schedule, so just let me know when is good for you]

The smile on Marinette's face couldn't be bigger. It was time to admit to herself that maybe, even after all this time, she might still have a tiny little crush on the former model. Before she could reply another alert popped up.

Adrien: [I'm having a drink with Nino right now. He says hi]

Marinette's smile softened at the mention of her old school friend and best friend's fiancé. She didn't get to see Nino and Alya as often as she'd like with their conflicting schedules, but she still loved spending time with them.

Marinette: [Say hi from me :) I'm working tomorrow but I'm free most evenings in the week as long as I can get a babysitter. I'll try and find one and let you know]

She was pleased with herself for coming across cool and collected, knowing that it was only thanks to the anonymity of text messaging. But... still.

Adrien: [Great, I look forward to it]

Marinette decided to leave it there, not wanting to come across as desperate. Instead she picked up a novel she had been reading on and off in her spare time. Then she put it back down again. She switched on the television and started flicking through channels trying to find something to watch. Absolutely nothing appealed to her.

She had long since finished her tea, and despite her long day - she had worked a shift in the restaurant before going to the Parent's Evening - she wasn't feeling the least bit tired. In fact, she was wired and antsy.

Maybe a bath would help relax her. She really needed sleep as she had to be up early to take Celeste around to Nathanael's house and then go to work at the restaurant again.

She poured herself a small glass of wine and headed up the stairs.

Her bathroom always managed to sooth her. It was decorated in slate grey tiles with some bright green features. The green reminded her of Adrien's eyes but she decided not to focus on that. The whole effect was like stepping into a forest lagoon, the bamboo shelving she had in there adding to the effect. Marinette lit a couple of scented candles on the counter next to the bath while the tub filled with warm bubbly water. Sitting on the edge of the bath and sipping her chilled wine she could feel the tensions of the day already leaving her body.

Once the bath was full she slipped out of her pyjamas, piled her hair on top of her head in a messy bun and eased herself into the water, emitting a relieved sigh as she did so. This was exactly what she needed.

Twenty minutes later, water starting to cool, she reluctantly hauled herself out of the bath and towelled herself dry. The wine glass was empty and her body was relaxed. Marinette snuffed out the candles and redressed in her pyjamas.

She took the wineglass back downstairs and loaded in to the dishwasher and was about to head back up when she remembered she left her phone in the living room. She used it as her alarm and it was a must as even now she was terrible at getting up in the morning. Out of habit she lit the screen up and found she had another text message. Opening her phone she smiled broadly, discovering it was from Adrien.

Adrien: [Just wanted to say goodnight. So... goodnight :)]

That he thought of her just before he went to bed sent her giddy teenage heart into overdrive, partially undoing the work of the relaxing bath.

Marinette: [Goodnight x]

She had put the kiss on the end automatically. It was something she did with almost everyone she messaged. The text had sent before she thought about it. Realising what she had done she planted her face into her hand and groaned aloud. There was nothing she could do now. Sending him another message would come across as weird. Maybe he would just brush it off. Maybe he wouldn't even notice it.

It was fine.

Absolutely fine.

She wouldn't be able to look him in the eye when she next saw him.

If she ever saw him again. He might see the kiss and get the wrong idea. Well... the right idea but still. He might just think she's looking to date him and that wouldn't be something he wanted to do and it would be awkward and he would avoid her and she'd have to transfer Celeste to a new school.

She was over-thinking it and she knew it but her angst was real.

Across Paris, Adrien opened the message Marinette had sent and couldn't control the large smile that graced his face.

Wow, this chapter was way longer than I thought it would be but I'm pretty happy with it. I'm really excited for this story so please review. I live for the reviews, favourites and follows. Thank you for reading.