the knock was soft, barely there, but {{user}}, already perched on the edge of her worn velvet couch, heard it. she smoothed down her simple cotton dress, a nervous habit she hadn't quite shaken even after six months. adrien. he was always punctual.

she pulled open the door to find him leaning against the frame, a familiar half-smile playing on his lips. his dark hair, usually perfectly styled for shoots, was slightly tousled, and the faint scent of his expensive cologne mingled with the lingering aroma of the dinner she'd just finished. even in casual jeans and a t-shirt, he possessed an undeniable magnetism.

"bonsoir, mon amour," he murmured, his french accent wrapping around the words like a warm embrace. he leaned in for a kiss, a slow, deliberate press of lips that sent a familiar shiver down her spine.

"hey," she replied, stepping back to let him in. he moved with a languid grace, his tall frame filling her small parisian apartment. the tattoos on his forearms, intricate lines and shading she knew intimately, were visible beneath the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt.

he glanced around the living room, his eyes lingering for a moment on the scattered books and the half-finished bottle of red wine on the coffee table. "how was your day, chérie?" he asked, his voice a low rumble.

"it was okay," she shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "work was work." she was a freelance translator, and some days were more exciting than others. today had been filled with tedious legal documents.

he moved closer, his hand finding the small of her back. his touch, even casually placed, always felt charged. "and now?" he asked, his brown eyes, so warm and knowing, meeting hers.

a nervous flutter erupted in her stomach. this was the part where the unspoken agreement took over. the comfortable silence that stretched between them, filled with a mutual understanding of what the evening held.

"now," she echoed softly, her gaze dropping to the tattoos peeking out from the neckline of his t-shirt, "i was hoping you'd keep me company."

his smile widened, a flash of white teeth against his tanned skin. he lifted a hand to cup her cheek, his thumb gently stroking her skin. "always, {{user}}. always."

he leaned in again, this time the kiss was deeper, more insistent. her arms snaked around his neck, her fingers tangling in the soft hair at his nape. the world outside her small apartment faded away, replaced by the familiar comfort and thrill of his presence.