Day 3 of AU Yeah August: Single Parent

It's a Date

At exactly 4:05 in the morning, Marinette groggily dumped the formula into the bottle of water and shook it up. Then she reached into the bassinette and cradled the whimpering, wiggling bundle against her chest.

She went through the motions of feeding and burping, and then rocked the cranky infant to sleep. Marinette's tired eyes drifted to the alarm clock, and she sighed. It was already 4:38.

The young woman collapsed into her mattress and drifted off into a fitful sleep, at least it should be at least another two hours until the baby needed feeding again.

Marinette awoke at eight, feeling oddly refreshed despite the frequent interruptions to her sleep. The baby grumbled, and Marinette muffled a laugh.

Grumpy babies were just as cute as happy babies, in her opinion. Marinette prepped the bottle with a smile and scooped the whining infant up in her arms.

"Good morning, Giselle," Marinette cooed.

The baby girl paid her no mind, too absorbed in her breakfast to acknowledge Marinette's presence.

That was okay, since it gave her some time to decide what to wear that day. She threw open her gigantic closet and stepped inside with the baby in hand. Marinette smiled when she spotted the perfect blouse and skirt combo.

She used her chin to prop the bottle up, freeing her hand to grab the selected articles of clothing. The front facing carrier wouldn't squish the ruffles at the sleeves of the pale blue blouse, and that was good enough for Marinette.

Giselle yawned and Marinette rubbed her little head affectionately, a bittersweet smile on her face.

Marinette dropped a kiss on her brow and placed the baby in the bouncer so that she could get ready for the day. Giselle cooed while the young woman applied her makeup and pulled her hair into a sleek bun.

Soon, Marinette was buckling the carrier around her waist and sliding the babbling infant into place. She snagged the diaper bag from its place by the door and strode out with a spring in her step. She took the subway to the office, and stepped into the bustling building with a grin.

"Ms. Dupain-Cheng! I thought you were still on maternity leave," the secretary exclaimed, eyes wide with surprise.

Everyone froze in place, apprehension filling the room like a thick cloud of smoke. Marinette rolled her eyes at her employees' reactions and placed a hand on her hip.

"You should take all the time you need, Miss. We can handle things here," said Adele, one of her lead designers.

Marinette patted the woman on her shoulder and offered her an encouraging smile. "I know you have things well in hand, but I'm the one collaborating with Gabriel on this line," Marinette explained.

Adele relaxed at that admission, enough that she was able to properly appreciate the cute little bundle attached to Marinette's chest.

"Aw, your new daughter is so adorable! She even looks like you," Adele cooed.

Marinette giggled. "Are you kidding? I think the only thing we have in common is eye color," she exclaimed.

It was true; Giselle's light brown hair and button nose truly resembled the Dupain side of the family, which meant that she only shared eye color with Marinette.

"I can see a little bit of resemblance around the eyes," the secretary said diplomatically.

Marinette sighed and stroked the sleepy infant's head.

"She looks like she's taken to you really well," Antoine said, making his presence known. "But are you sure she'll be comfortable around so many people?"

"I can't very well miss my meeting with Mr. Agreste," Marinette said.

She'd just managed to convince her staff of her ability to conduct a meeting with an infant strapped to her chest when the doors swung open. Gabriel Agreste strode in with his small entourage.

Adrien brought up the rear and beamed when he laid eyes on Marinette. She greeted Gabriel with a welcoming smile and a handshake.

His eyes immediately dropped to the infant settled against her chest and he gave her a questioning look.

"I heard you were still on maternity leave, Ms. Dupain-Cheng," he said coolly, concern barely visible in the emotionless plane of his face.

"It's hardly a normal maternity leave, Mr. Agreste," Marinette replied with a sad smile.

The man dipped his head respectfully. "Yes. My condolences to you and your family, Miss Dupain-Cheng," Gabriel said.

"Thank you," she said. Marinette gestured to the elevator, "Shall we get started?"

Mr. Agreste nodded and headed toward the elevator, shadowed by Nathalie.

Adrien stepped forward with a tentative smile and peeked down at the drowsy baby. Marinette watched as his small smile grew into a full-blown grin as he watched Giselle yawn.

"She's so tiny," he whispered, green eyes alight with excitement as he met Marinette's gaze.

Marinette chuckled at his reaction. "She is. I'd offer to let you hold her, but I don't want to risk her good mood," Marinette admitted.

Adrien's smile grew. "Really? You'd let me hold her?" he asked.

Marinette's heart melted at the excitement in his tone, and once again she entertained the thought of what a great father he'd make.

Her eyes drifted to the entourage that waited by the elevator, and then back to Adrien's sweet smile. It was a bit unorthodox, but perhaps the time had finally come to make her move.

Marinette had never fallen out of love with him, even after she'd graduated and gone on to University. Even now his smile could make her heart skip a beat, but she was no longer the shy awkward girl she'd been in when they met.

She could do it.

She could ask him out.

Marinette cleared her throat and prepared herself for the task she was about to undertake, daunting though it may be.

"Of course. I don't have any dinner plans tonight, if you'd like to join me. Giselle goes everywhere I go," she said, internally wincing at the unnecessary assurance that Giselle would be there.

Adrien's eyes widened as her words settled in the air between them, and she could've sworn that someone wolf-whistled in the distance. She couldn't be absolutely certain, since she couldn't hear much over her own racing pulse.

"I'd love to join you and Giselle for dinner," Adrien said with a coy smile. "As long as I get to pay."

Why would he want to pay for her food? Oh, he was flirting. Marinette breathed a sigh of relief and smiled back at him.

"I suppose I'll agree to that," Marinette replied, bouncing on her toes in excitement.

Adrien winked, "Then it's a date."

This time, she was sure she heard a wolf whistle. Marinette whipped her head around to glare at Antoine, who only grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.

Gabriel cleared his throat. "Adrien, if you're quite done flirting with my rival, I'd like to get on with the meeting," he said.

Marinette hid her smile behind her hand and headed over to join Gabriel at the elevator.

"Sorry about that, Mr. Agreste," she said, not feeling sorry in the least.

Adrien looked properly contrite as he strode alongside Marinette, but when she snuck a peek at his face, she could tell that he wasn't sorry either.

…

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Marinette realized that Giselle's diaper was far from powder fresh, and had to excuse herself from the table to change it. Adrien seemed unbothered, and even asked what drink he could order for Marinette while she was away.

Marinette finished changing Giselle's diaper and took a deep breath before stepping out of the restroom and heading to her table. Adrien sat where she left him, a serene smile on his face as he read over the menu.

She knew the second he heard her approaching, because he perked up and flashed her a dazzling smile. Adrien stood to pull out Marinette's chair, and she flushed at the special treatment. Instead of going straight back to his seat, he hovered a little bit after she sat down.

"Ah, I've already had time to look over the menu. I could hold her while you figure it out, if you want?" he offered, giving Marinette a hopeful smile.

She smiled at his thoughtfulness. "Sure. Have you held a baby before?" she asked.

Adrien's smile brightened even more. "A few times," he said.

Marinette hummed and passed Giselle over to him. Her heart warmed as he cradled the little one to his chest and smiled down at her.

"How old is she?" he asked, eyes locked on Giselle's little face.

"Almost four months," Marinette answered.

The baby started fussing, and Adrien gently smoothed Giselle's hair before adjusting his grip in an effort to make her more comfortable. It worked, and Giselle cooed happily while he took a seat across from Marinette.

Marinette smiled. "You're a natural, Adrien," she murmured, transfixed by the lovely scene before her.

The young man sighed wistfully and kept his eyes on Giselle.

"That's nice to hear," he said. "I've always wanted to be a parent, but I kind of have limited familiarity with that concept."

Marinette's eyes widened in surprise at his admission, and he suddenly seemed to remember himself.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Adrien said in a panicked tone. "Complaining about my messed up home life is probably really bad date etiquette."

Marinette shook her head at him. "Maybe if we hadn't been friends for over ten years, it would be." she joked.

He tilted his head in question, still looking adorably flustered by his perceived social faux pas.

"I think anything goes after knowing each other for as long as we have," Marinette explained.

Adrien's gaze dropped to the table, but his sullen mood was interrupted when the waiter returned to take their order. Said interruption dispelled the heavy mood, and Marinette was feeling playful again by the time the man left.

"You know, I've always wanted to be a parent too," Marinette said.

To her delight, Adrien flashed her a genuine smile.

"Really?" he asked, looking rather curious.

Marinette nodded. "It's why I was so quick to adopt sweet little Giselle after her parents passed away," she explained.

Adrien glanced down at the baby girl with a sympathetic expression. "Poor thing," he murmured.

Marinette hummed her agreement and rested her chin in her hands. "I didn't know my cousin very well, but my Papa is really torn up over it," she said, gazing thoughtfully at the flowers that sat in the middle of the table.

"If it's not rude of me to ask, how did you end up with Giselle?" Adrien asked. His expression told her that she had every opportunity to avoid the question if she so chose.

"Well," Marinette flashed him a serene smile. "My parents were next of kin and they were fully prepared to take her in, but I managed to talk them into letting me take over custody of Giselle. They have a bakery that needs to be run every day of the week, and that doesn't really leave a lot of time to take care of a baby."

"They could manage, of course. My maman would've had to cut back on her hours, and they really do best when they're working together. My main argument was that I'm the owner of my company and can afford to take a maternity leave."

Adrien chuckled, "You're amazing, Marinette. I mean, you've accomplished so much. You latest line was critically acclaimed, and now you're collaborating with my father and juggling being a single parent."

Marinette giggled, her face warming at the praise. "You make me sound like some sort of Wonder Woman," she said.

Adrien leaned forward, careful not to jostle the cooing baby. "You're definitely the most wonderful woman I've ever met," he said fervently.

Even with the pun he'd used, Marinette struggled for words under the intensity of his gaze. Despite her best efforts, she kept drawing blanks on how to respond. She was saved from her floundering when the waiter brought her food, and they both dug in with gusto. Giselle let Marinette eat half of her food before she decided to scream her displeasure.

"Oh, it's time for her to eat," Marinette said as she rifled through the diaper bag for the formula.

She fixed the bottle and reached out to take Giselle, but Adrien asked if he could have the honor of feeding her. Marinette giggled and shook her head at his antics, but handed the bottle over easily enough. He smiled down at the baby with a tenderness rarely seen in anyone who wasn't a parent.

Seeing Adrien taking care of her adoptive child did strange and delightful things to her heart, and the less logical part of her brain hoped he'd hang around more so that she could see more of his paternal side. Adrien would be such a wonderful dad.

Marinette felt a dopey smile stretch over her face as Adrien tenderly dabbed at the formula that dribbled down Giselle's little chin, and a lovelorn sigh escaped her lips unbidden. Adrien's eyes darted up to meet Marinette's and she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Everything okay?" he asked with his eyebrows pulled together in concern.

Marinette nodded her head so quickly she worried it would fall off.

"Yes! Yep! You're perfect! Uh, I mean, everything's perfect!" she said, giggling nervously in an attempt to cover up her mistake.

Adrien offered her a fond smile, and then returned his attention to Giselle. They spent the rest of their dinner talking about their lives and telling silly stories from their school days. Time seemed to fly by as they laughed together and swapped embarrassing tales. Before Marinette knew it, they were standing outside the restaurant and Adrien was offering to drive her home.

"I know Giselle doesn't have her car seat, but it's dark and I'd feel better if you weren't walking home alone," he reasoned.

The streetlights caught his eyes and Marinette smiled at the unbelievably sweet man who stood before her. Oh, how she wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go.

"That sounds great, Adrien," she said.

Marinette climbed into the car with her cooing baby strapped into the carrier, and Adrien made a show of double-checking her seat belt before he pulled out of the parking space.

"I'm going to drive really slow, okay?" he said, glaring out at the road with a determined expression on his face.

Marinette muffled a laugh at his over-cautious driving, but she was secretly very touched by his concern for the littlest passenger. They arrived at her house a lot later than she'd anticipated, but it was worth it to witness Adrien's careful driving.

Ever the gentleman, Adrien opened the car door for her and walked her up to the porch.

They both lingered in the doorway after she unlocked it, and the space between them seemed to be charged with energy. Giselle was sleeping soundly in the carrier, so there was nothing to distract Marinette from the way Adrien seemed to flounder for words.

"Would you maybe…like to do this again sometime?" he asked.

Marinette was amazed by the fact that an actual supermodel looked nervous about whether he'd get a second date. How could this absolutely wonderful young man ever doubt that she'd want to go on another date with him?

Marinette leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. He gaped back at her, green eyes wide with surprise. She knew her face was on fire, but she was determined to be smooth this time.

Marinette winked, "It's a date."