The first time that Adrien Agreste went to the book store, he didn't notice her. No- that's not quite true- he had a vague memory of hearing the ding as the bell chimed above his head, his eyes swept over the front counter, littered with bookmarks and pens, across the hundreds of new and used books as the shelves supporting them minutely dipped under their combined weight, and over the few people, who sat curled up in plush armchairs, reading and basking in the gentle sunlight that filtered in through large, rounded windows.

He supposed that she must have been in one of those chairs- she reminded him often that that was the first day that she had seen him- but he had other things on his mind. He could smell roasting coffee and hear the whir of an appliance mixing a drink and his mouth watered. Walking further back into the deceptively large store, Adrien passed bookshelf after bookshelf on both sides. His eyes swept over the sections: 'fiction', 'history', 'self-help', 'cooking'… each bookcase boasted a different subject.

'There's time for that later.' He chided himself mentally and, as the machine whirred to life once more, Adrien remembered why exactly he had stopped in: coffee. He was in great need of a cup of coffee. Nino had recommended that he try the vanilla dark roast at this particular store months ago, and Adrien was ashamed that he hadn't been able to heed his friend's suggestion earlier- his schedule always had a way of keeping him from the things that he most wanted to do.

Perhaps that was his own fault, perhaps he should be more forceful with his father and refuse to do so many activities on top of his modeling career, and perhaps he shouldn't still be vying for praise after years of disinterest. Before he knew it, he was in the very back of the store, large display cases predominately showing off delicious looking pastries and snacks in neat, tidy rows.

"Can I help you, sir?" The low, disinterested voice cut through machine noise and Adrien's thoughts respectively. His wide, surprised green eyes flitted over to take in the springy brown hair, the flawless caramel skin, and the bright brown eyes of the barista. She wore a simple white polo, black slacks, and a flowery purple apron tied snugly around her waist.

"Uh," Adrien took a moment to collect his thoughts and glancing back down to the baked goods. "My- my friend suggested the vanilla dark roast…" Trailing off awkwardly, his hand motioned towards the food. "What would you recommend I eat with it?"

Seeing the small, determined grin stretch across the barista's confident features, Adrien knew he was in for a treat.

"I know just the thing; what size would you like your coffee?" Turning away from him, yet still well within hearing range, the worker sauntered over the grab small bag before striding over and bending down to open the display and grabbed three chocolate macaroons.

"A medium please." His mouth was already watering as she placed the sweets on the counter and went to grab the hot beverage. How had Nino neglected to mention the baked goods- he'd have to text him about it and ask.

Glancing around, Adrien took note of the hand drawn letters and designs plastered along the back wall featuring their products, prices, and specials. Each letter was crafted with such precision and care that it looked manufactured- if not for the small smudge through the middle of 'cappuccino' in the bottom left corner- he would have sworn that it was.

"Here you are, sir." The woman placed his coffee next to the small plate of sweets and smiled happily at him. She didn't make any movements towards the cash register and he waited a few seconds before finally voicing his question.

"Thank you; what do I owe you?" If possible, her smile grew a bit more, her hands stuffed down into the pockets of her apron, gloves crinkling, and she swayed onto the balls of her feet before shaking her head.

"It's on the house." Oh. His body straightened as her words sank in and he could feel the heat flush across the bridge of his nose; was she trying to flirt with him? Before he could thank her, her eyes glinted, taking in his reaction, and she scoffed. "No, not from me- it's policy- every first time customer gets their order on the house; my boss has a whole thing about it, but it's really better if she explains it herself."

"Oh," the blond locks on his head bounced lightly as he nodded his understanding, "Thank you….?" The question hung lightly in the air and the girl behind the counter smirked at him.

"Alya. I hope you come again." Alya slipped her hands from her pockets, picked up a small wash cloth, and waited as he hesitantly reached forward to pick up the bag with his macaroons and the cup of coffee. The laminated paper cup was warm under his finger tips and an involuntary shiver ran down his spine.

"Thank you, Alya. Have a pleasant day!" Turning to head towards the front of the building once more, Adrien dipped his head to breath in the smell emanating from the hot beverage. There was something about the smell of bookstores and coffee that calmed his nerves. They both melded into an intoxicating aroma that permeated into every inch of his lungs and expelled any worry or anxiety that he had felt earlier in his day.

With one last sweeping glance of the bookstore and its occupants, Adrien pushed his way back into the outside world. The ding of the bell once more sounded above his head and he had to squint through the suddenly blinding sun to find his way back to his limo. For once he was glad that his father insisted on having him driven everywhere- it gave him the perfect opportunity to enjoy the snack that he had just picked up.

The vanilla dark roast was heavenly. One sip had him basking in the glow of taste buds rediscovered- the next sip had him groaning in delight as the warmth trickled down his throat- a bite of the perfectly crafted chocolate macaroon had him salivating for another.

Fishing his phone from the pocket of his designer jeans, Adrien clicked into his messages and found the one for his best friend.

'Stopped into that Ladybug bookstore you told me about. Why didn't you tell me it was heaven?'

Clicking the power button, he once more picked up the soft pastry and took another bite while debating if it would be better to finish all three of them at the same time or to spread them out throughout the day. Another sip of his drink and he was lost- all right now sounds perfect- that Alya sure knew exactly what tasted fantastic. The blip of his phone alerted him to a new text.

'Finally. Dude, I told you about 4 months ago man. Did you meet Mari?'

Adrien scowled at the screen. "Mari?" He whispered to himself, feeling the weight of the name on his tongue. Who was Mari and why hadn't Nino mentioned the person before?

'No- some girl named Alya helped me- Vanilla dark roast and chocolate macaroons. Who's Mari?'

One of the tires hit a pothole and Adrien was jolted, spilling a splash of his coffee down his wrist. Shrugging, he bent his head to flick his tongue out to lap up the hot beverage before frowning. A brown stain of liquid had already seeped into the wrist of his white button down- he'd have to change it and let the dry cleaners know not to overlook it. Another blip sounded out around him.

'Oh nice! Alya's awesome; I've been trying to get her number for ages. Mari's the owner- cool girl as well- say hi if you go back again.'

Huh; the owner. Adrien wondered what she was like- probably nice, considering the first free order- he vaguely wondered where she had been while he was there- maybe she had the afternoon off. He couldn't remember seeing anyone else who looked like the worked there- though he had admittedly been more focused on the coffee.

'Will do man, thanks for the recommendation- my taste buds are loving you right now.'

He clicked off his phone and went back to enjoying the warm, content feeling of sipping languidly out of his cup and munching happily on his snack. Soon he would have to leave the back of his limo, he'd have to go through hours of hair, makeup, and last minute alterations before the show that his father was presenting in that night, and he'd be forced to endure the company of people whom he couldn't care less about.

But none of that mattered right now. Right now, Adrien was giving himself a break, head tilted back against the soft leather headrest, ears filled with the gentle hum of the tires gliding along the pavement, and belly full of the most delicious coffee and macaroons that he'd ever had.

He may not have seen her the first time that he visited the bookstore, and she lovingly teases him of that anytime that they are asked how they met, but he swears, his entire world shifted that second time he stepped through that door.