Inspired by Reba McEntire's "Somebody" Music Video

Disclaimer: I own none of the ML universe

Adrien walked in to Dîner Miraculeux on autopilot. The great thing about routines was the ability to continue on with your day even after your heart was torn to pieces. He was still young, only twenty-five, but at that moment he felt at least twice that.

He was forced to grow up fast by his father, who insisted he get his Master's in Business and assist in managing the Gabriel Clothing Brand by twenty-three. The result was years of constant homeschooling and grooming. He managed through somehow, but he found no enjoyment in what he did. His one solace was that he was able to meet Lila Rossi along the way. She was his one haven, showing him the joy of letting loose every now and then, and convincing him that after he finished what his father wanted for him, he'd be able to take the reins of his life for himself. Every encouragement, every glimmer of hope, every thought that he wasn't alone, each and every one of them turned out to be a lie.

He thought he had stumbled across Lila by chance at one of his father's business gatherings. Lie. He thought she was the only thing in his life he had picked rather than his father. Lie. He was convinced she loved him for him and not his last name. Lie.

He let out a sigh as he sat in his usual seat and turned to stare out the window. His father had chosen her purposefully, to get close to his son and convince him that he wanted to be with her. She was to marry into the Agreste name and assist in molding his decisions after his father's influence waned. Everything she could ever want would be hers, as long as she played her part.

The sound of a plate being set down drew his attention to the waitress beside him. She was familiar, from her midnight pigtails, to her meek smile, to the positive aura that seemed to surround her every time he saw her.

"Good morning Mr. Agreste!" Her small voice danced in the space between them. "Right on time, as usual. You sure are punctual, that's for sure."

He looked from the plate of eggs in front of him to the mug the waitress was currently filling with coffee. Every day was the same. Wake up, breakfast at the diner, work, lunch provided by his job, more work, reading the paper on his way to his apartment where he would most likely continue working, dinner near his apartment, sleep, repeat. Now that Lila was no longer in the mix he supposed he'd have to create a new dinner routing, but everything else would stay the exact same.

"Yes, punctual indeed," Adrien murmured before turning back to his plate. "Uhm, Miss Marinette," he started, his words laced in confusion. "I think you may have made a mistake with my plate." Besides the usual eggs sat a fresh buttery croissant that should not have been there.

"No mistake sir." Marinette giggled. "Even you could use some variety now and again. Don't worry, it's Marinette tested and approved."

A small smile slowly tugged at Adrien's lips. "Thank you."

He noticed her send him a side glance as she finished with filling his coffee. "You look a little down today. If you'd like, I'd be glad to lend an ear."

He considered lying to her, but couldn't see any reason to. From what he knew of Marinette, she was a nice girl and was often seen cheering up the diner patrons on their off days.

"I'm afraid it isn't much of a story. I had someone special to me that turned out to not be anything like what I thought. It seems to be a recurring problem in my life to be honest. I'd say I'm about ready to give up trying." He didn't know how he expected her to react; perhaps she'd laugh and try to play it off as him exaggerating, or explain to him why he shouldn't complain so much, she might even try digging deeper into his circumstances. The next words out of her mouth surprised him though.

Her expression became a mixture of thoughtfulness and understanding. "Oh trust me, I've been there before. Despite how you're feeling now, keep on lookin'. It may seem unlikely, but who you're lookin' for could be a lot closer than you think. They might be in the next car, or on the morning train. You could be walking be them in a coffee shop every day for all you know, looking at them but never really seeing. I'm sure that somewhere out there is your somebody. Once you find them, you'll see just how much your world can turn around, so don't give up."

With that, Marinette left Adrien and continued on with her shift, but her statement hung in the air even after she was gone.

"My somebody..." Adrien mumbled before starting on his meal.

Across town later that day, Adrien entered the elevator at his apartment complex, paper in hand. Without thought, he opened its pages and began reading, or at least tried to. His mind continuously returned to the conversation he'd had with Marinette that morning. Her assurance that strangers could be that important in someone's life fascinated him.

He looked up from his paper at the girl standing beside him. She looked familiar, with her blonde hair pulled back in to a ponytail and clear blue eyes. Her bee-color scheme helped her stand out in his memory. He often rode the elevator with her, and had noticed she lived two floors above him. As he read her face, he toyed with the idea of her being the somebody he was looking for all along. The thought alone gave him strength and helped him realize there were some parts of his life his father didn't mold. He smiled before leaving the elevator, feeling much lighter than he had at the beginning of the day.

He continued on with his routine, although he now payed far more attention to the people around him. He found a simple joy in imagining the endless possibilities. Walking into the diner for breakfast, he reflexively scanned over its occupants, looking at everything and nothing at the same time. He was so focused that he didn't notice the girl in front of him until she turned around and ran right in to him. The next thing he knew, they were both covered in the food she'd previously been carrying.

"I am so sorry!" Marinette said from where she'd fallen down, immediately zoning in on his ruined dress shirt. "Oh my God, I'm such a klutz."

Adrien kneeled down to help her with gathering the fallen plates. When their eyes met they couldn't keep from laughing. Marinette's face had small streaks of food scattered on herself that kept Adrien from keeping his composure, and his own food covered attire was certainly a rare sight to see.

"It's alright. Trust me."

"But your shirt-"

"I like bold fashion statements. I thought this outfit was missing something anyways."

"Perhaps, but food?!"

"We look to be in a bit of a pickle, but one sticky situation isn't going to ruin my day."

Marinette's laugh sent his heart into overdrive.

"You've got a little-" Adrien reached up to wipe away some of the food on her cheek and found his previously hammering heart freezing once they made eye contact. He'd never noticed how beautiful her eyes were "Bluebells," he muttered.

"Mr. Agreste?" Marinette questioned.

"Adrien." He slowly helped her to her feet and took note of her slightly confused expression. "You can call me Adrien. It is my name after all. Would it be alright if I started referring to you as just 'Marinette'?"

The hopeful look in his eyes made her laugh again. "Of course Mr-I mean Adrien."

He smiled at her blushing features. "I think I found her by the way."

"Found who?" Marinette asked while sweeping up the scattered food.

"My somebody." He noticed how her face fell slightly at his statement. "It turns out that, in a way, I did walk by her in the coffee shop every day." A light entered her expression as she looked up at him. "She's actually the one that was bringing me the coffee." Marinette's face was instantly covered with a rosy hue.

"I see you," he said softly.

"I see you too." She smiled.

And there it is! Sorry if it seemed kind of short, I don't normally write oneshots.

For anyone confused by the last lines, it's referring to when Marinette talked about "looking at them but never really seeing". And yes, it was Chloe in the elevator. Although I don't ship them, I felt she was a good choice for that part.

Have a great rest of your day/night everyone!

Remember to R&R/Follow&Favorite.

~Sana