Basically, Ladybug and Chat Noir are the Head Waitress and Waiter at the Miraculous Café, a themed café that’s p big on providing ‘superhero-grade’ service. While the hosts do entertain, these two will not hesitate to kick people out for being unpleasant. Their best entertainment? Shameless flirting while they serve and/or prepare drinks for customers working totally in-sync.

The masks manage to hide their identities in this AU. Adrien doesn’t need the job, but he likes interacting with people and making them smile (Master Fu maybe met him after a photo shoot and recommended him to work there). Marinette does this job to help get through schooling. Obviously, Volpina, Queen Bee, etc. can be included (should be included for shenanigans). Thought of Alya becoming Volpina after losing a previous job and Marinette ‘hearing’ about Miraculous hiring. Queen Bee could be Chloé and she’s a totally different person in the café than school/etc. Turtle, Peacock, and Butterfly can be up in the air.

Miraculous Café is at risk of being closed because of commercial competition from Akuma Café (of course). Now, they’re a pretty rigorous competition with good food, but people seem to come and go. If they can get their hands on the secrets of Miraculous Café’s success, the small shop will be in trouble.

...

"Hey! Sugar boy!"

He glances around the coffeeshop, and sees the girl with the laptop waving him over. "Adrien, actually," he corrects her, as he sits down.

"Adrien?" she smiles. "Marinette." She extends her hand. "I can't believe we didn't exchange names last time."

"I think we got a bit caught up once the topic of anime was brought up."

She rolls her eyes. "I can't believe you never saw Pokémon, everyone saw Pokémon!"

"Says the girl who never watched a single episode of Sailor Moon."  Her eyes sparkle as she laughs, ponytails bouncing. Marinette, huh? He grins across the table. "We should exchange numbers this time, too."

"Hmm... alright, Adrien." She pulls a pen out f her bag, scribbling her number on a napkin. "Text me."

...

It's been two weeks, and every lunch hour, they meet at the coffeeshop. They text almost constantly, and he's decided that he loves her. Sure, they're only sixteen, but she's adorable, and sweet, and incredibly cocky. She likes cartoons and superheroes, she designs clothing, and takes her coffee black and bitter, as opposed to his sugar. Her parents are bakers, so she gets more than enough sugar at home.

"That explains how sweet you are!"

"Oh, shut up, Adrien." It was said with a smile.

He walks into the Miraculous Coffee House, and sits at their table, waiting for her. She comes in a few minutes late, and smiles, sitting across from him. "Hey, sorry, I had to talk to a teacher after class... so, you said there was something you absolutely had to tell me?" she raises an eyebrow, folding her hands. "I'm listening."

"Marinette... well, we've been talking for a few weeks now, and I wanted to say, I really, really-"

He was cut off by the door slamming open, as a maniac waved a gun around the store. "Where is Chloé Bourgeois?" he demanded, eyes flashing. "Where is she? She eats here, I know it! Where are you hiding her?"

The store went very quiet. Adrien gripped Marinette's hand very tightly, trying to convey to her that it'd all be fine, they'd be okay...

"WHERE IS SHE?" the gunman shouted, suddenly turning the gun on the customers, each in turn. "If nobody tells me, I'll just start shooting!"

Nobody moves a muscle. Nobody's heard of a Chloé Bourgeois...

"Alright then!" he laughs. "Fine! I'll take out the other pretty blonde!"

Adrien's eyes widen as the gun is pointed at his chest, and he hears a scream, "No!"

The gun goes off, and the next thing he knows, Marinette's arms are around him, and she's bleeding, oh god, she's bleeding-!

"A-adrien," she gasps out. "I... I love... you..."

She goes limp, and he panics, checking her pulse, she has to still have a pulse, oh please...

"Now, anyone else want to spare blondie's life? Tell me where she is, or I'll shoot him too."

"We don't know!" Adrien shouts. "We have no clue who Chloé Bourgeois is! You psychotic murderer, get out!"

"Don't talk to me like that!"

The gun is aimed at his head, and everything goes black.

...

The Miraculous Coffee House is closed for business.

After one teenager was killed, and another severely injured by a deranged gunman, they had to shut down.

It was rare to see her while he was on the night shift. It looked like she was working on a project that was taking a while. She’s already been there for an hour and a half. 

Adrien finished wiping the surrounding tables and tossed the rag into the laundry bin behind the counter. 

He ran a hand through his hair before approaching the girl’s table.

“Good evening,” he said.

The girl started and looked up at him, eyes wide. “Oh, um, hello!”

“I’m sorry to interrupt. I was just wondering if I could get you anything. You just seem a bit busy.”

Relief seemed to fill her eyes. “Oh, that would be great.”

Adrien took down her order and retreated behind the counter. He fixed her drink–her usual–but he decided to make the macchiato a little special this time. He topped the drink with milk foam and used caramel and chocolate syrup to draw a small cat on top.

As the barista-Adrien, his name tag said- placed the mug in front of her, Marinette couldn’t help the pang of familiarity she felt. There was no reason for it, but he reminded her of someone. She’d been thinking it for some time, now, since she’d been coming to this coffee shop. 

But as she worked on her final designs, she noticed the way he moved so fluidly. It was so familiar to her somehow. Even his voice…

“Here you are.” He placed the macchiato in front of her.

She smiled at the image of the cat in the foam. “This is very cute! Thank you!”

“Ah,” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks. I thought I’d try something new.”

“It seems like a shame to drink it.”

“So, um, do you mind if I ask what you’re working on?”

“Oh,” Marinette shuffled the papers around. “it’s some designs. I’m a fashion student at the university, and I have to turn in my final designs, but I’m stuck. So mostly, I’m just sketching until I work things out.”

“These are great,” Adrien said, glancing through her designs. He had seen his father’s sketches before, and these were on par with what he’d seen as a kid. “What are you stuck on?”

“I have to come up with a theme for all of my designs, and I can’t find one that will stick. It’s either too kitchy or too over the top. I just need to find a nice medium between overdone and innovative.”

“Hmmm.” Adrien pondered her designs a bit longer, “well whatever you come up with, I’m sure it will be great." 

"Thank you.” Marinette smiled at him, a new wave of confidence surging through her. 

“I didn’t catch your name.”

She held out her hand. “I’m Marinette.”

“Nice to meet you, Marinette.” Adrien took her hand, but rather than shaking it as she expected, he bent over it and kissed the back of her hand in a move Marinette had not seen in a long time. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

Marinette watched as he returned to his post behind the counter and took a delicate sip of her macchiato. He really did remind her of someone else. The resemblance was far more obvious after that last move. The only thing missing was a lousy, groan worthy pun. 

It had been about three months since Ladybug had seen Cat Noir. Even longer before that. She hated to admit it, but ever since Hawkmoth was defeated they were growing apart. Without a super villain to bring them together regularly, life was getting in the way. Maybe Marinette was seeing the similarities between this barista and her partner because she missed the silly cat. She missed the days of joking around on patrol, the flirting, and even his terrible puns. Maybe next time she saw him she should reveal herself to him. After all, the threat was gone. And she missed her best friend. How wonderful would it be to be able to call him and vent during these stressful late hours. Or to grab a coffee with him before classes in the mornings.

She was just wondering what the alley cat would look like in civilian clothes. The years had been good to him, after all. She imagined he would look good in anything.

Her eyes were drawn back to the barista. She imagined him to be a more clean cut version of her partner, if that were possible. 

Marinette was suddenly struck with inspiration. Her pencil flew across the page as fast as the ideas came into her mind.

Adrien was entranced by the young girl in the shop. The way her eyes were drawn in such seriousness as her pencil danced across her page. It reminded him of the way Ladybug’s eyes looked after she called for her lucky charm. It had been such a long time since he’d seen eyes like that. He wasn’t sure what had given her such inspiration, but he was glad it struck. 

He watched her finish off her macchiato and go through half of the pages in her notebook. She barely looked up, and he was glad for it. It meant he didn’t have to hide his interest as he watched her. He imagined what another dark haired girl was doing at this time. He hoped she was sleeping. She deserved the rest after all those years of crime fighting. But if she was awake, he wondered what she would be doing. Maybe she’d be like Marinette, working on her final projects in a coffee shop somewhere in Paris. He liked to think they were connected in that way.

Adrien contemplated this as he poured himself his own cup of coffee. When he was with Ladybug, he was balanced. She was good luck, he was bad luck. She was brighter than the sun, and he was as dark as a moonless night. She followed her head, and he followed his heart. Perfectly in sync, yin and yang. He missed her. 

How long had it been since he’d seen her? Three months, about. As he sipped his coffee, occasionally glancing up at the girl who reminded him so much of His Lady, he decided that maybe he should go out and patrol the next night. Perhaps he would run into her.

The clock turned to three in the morning before Marinette put the finishing touches on her sketches. Her line was entirely based on her partner, and she couldn’t be more proud of what she’d put together. Designing a Cat-inspired line as an homage to her best friend after all these years seemed a good tribute to her favorite super hero. 

Adrien had come around to check on her a few times. She figured it must be a bit boring to be the only one on the night shift with so few customers. After clearing her work space and packing her bag, she sketched out one last drawing. It spoke the words that she could never say aloud while giving away nothing at all. It was a sort of “thank you” for reminding her of her cat, and inspiring her project, but one that he likely wouldn’t understand. Marinette left her tip on the table and waved goodbye as she walked out the door.

Adrien wiped down the table and collected the tip Marinette had left for him. He was about to take the finished cup back to the sink when a slip of paper caught his eye. He picked it up to find a small sketch of a black cat and a ladybug chasing one another around in a circle. It had clearly been left with the tip on purpose.