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Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 2

Marinette approached her parents as Adrien got on his phone to let Nathalie know of his decision.

"Thank you so much... I can't believe you just did that," gasped Marinette.

"It's nothing," shrugged Tom. "I would like to think that if the situation was reversed, Mr. Agreste would do the same."

For some reason, Marinette didn't look altogether convinced of that. "Um... not everyone has your big heart, Papa. Mr. Agreste was just about to ship his son to another country," she argued.

"In the name of protecting him," Tom countered. "I may not agree with the method, but certainly the principle."

Adrien looked up from his conversation. "Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng?" he asked. "Could I have one of your phone numbers, please?"

Sabine reacted first, handing her cell phone to Adrien. He thanked her, punching her number into his own phone and messaging it to Nathalie... and as he returned it, Sabine's phone lit up with a flurry of messages.

"Oh, my," she marveled. "What is all this?"

"My father's assistant, being severely overprotective as usual," sighed Adrien. "You can just smile and nod at a lot of it, I'm sure. Especially my dietary restrictions, which I implore you both to ignore completely. Some of what she asks, I'll tell her you did 100% of it if you promise to pretend you never saw it."

"They're not feeding you at home?" frowned Sabine. "You are a skinny little thing, after all."

"More like they are very particular about my appearance, and that includes my weight," Adrien explained. "There are nutritionists who pore over my meals to make sure that everything's balanced. Sometimes I swear that if I get a snack from the refrigerator at night, I need to get a receipt."

"He is a model, after all," Marinette added.

"A model who will be absolutely thrilled to eat like a normal person for a few days," beamed Adrien. "I promise that I'm not at all as picky as they are. Anything you make would be great!"

"But if we return you newly rounded from sampling all of our bakery wares, we're in trouble. Got it," Tom chuckled. "I'm sure that's not their only concern."

"Apparently not," Sabine said, staring at her overactive phone.

"Oh, boy," groaned Adrien. "The first time I stayed overnight at Nino's house, Nathalie tried to make them sign a non-disclosure agreement. I can only imagine what she's firing at you now. I am so sorry about this... I do not want to be any trouble."

"You won't be," replied Sabine. "I want you to be sure of that. You are not our burden; you are our guest. A very welcome one." She stared at her phone once more, looking at the latest set of messages. "Now, why does she want to know my National Registration Number?"

"What?" Adrien grumbled, then started typing his own responses back at Nathalie.

Marinette looked up at her father. "You're still sure about this?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

"I am," Tom told her, putting his arm around her. "Don't worry about that."

"Okay!" Marinette told Adrien, leading him upstairs. "My parents' room is on this floor, as is the room you'll be staying in. There's a full bathroom in their room and in mine upstairs, so... um... I guess I'll let them decide which one you'll use."

"As long as the door closes behind me, I'll use either," Adrien assured her. "I'm not very high-maintenance when I'm not dealing with photoshoots."

"This is where you'll be..." Marinette opened the door to a small room containing a guest bed and some simple furniture. "It's nothing fancy. When my Nana comes to stay with us, this is where she stays, so I hope it doesn't smell too much like her favorite fragrance."

"That's fine if it does. And I don't think I need much room; all I'll have is whatever the Gorilla's bringing in that suitcase," he pondered. "Maybe he can bring more... but maybe they'll decide that he's been exposed and he can't get near me again for a while."

"I do have a closet full of clothes... I can dig through it and see what's neutral enough for you. There's definitely some unisex stuff. What's baggy on me might be a little tight on you, so sizing might be tricky..." worried Marinette, "and I can't really help you on underwear."

"I certainly wouldn't expect you to," Adrien replied, feeling slightly awkward. "I'm sure there are at least a couple of outfits in the suitcase, and I can do my own laundry."

"Good. I do mine, too. I'll show you where the washer and dryer are later," smiled Marinette. "Now, my room is up the stairs... but you know that, you've been in it." As they climbed, she giggled, "I think Papa made them creak a little on purpose in case I ever had a boy stay over."

An elfin impulse seized Adrien. "But what if one creeps up on little cat feet?" he asked.

Marinette stared back, startled... then grinned. "Oh, when he visits he uses the balcony entrance," she teased him. "C'mon!"

Upstairs, Adrien took in what was more of a familiar environment to him than Marinette knew. "I really like your room," he told her. "It's such a great space for creativity."

"You think so? And thank you," Marinette replied.

"Absolutely! The lighting is great, everything's spaced out just so... you can sew, you can draw, you can stretch out on that chaise lounge and just think," Adrien pointed out. "Your bed is up and out of the way for when you want a little extra privacy. And some fresh air is just a balcony hatch away."

"But your room is so much bigger than mine," backpedaled Marinette. "And that great view from your window..."

"Which reminds me... have I ever properly invited you there?" asked Adrien. "You were there the day that Party Crasher attacked..."

"Oh," moaned Marinette, facepalming. "Please don't remind me of what I did to get there."

"Please," smiled Adrien. "You were so cute that day, how you snuck in. And I would love to have you over someday, just to hang out... once all of this craziness is over."

"I would like that very much," Marinette cooed. "If you still want to be around me, after seeing me up close for days on end."

"What do you mean?" Adrien asked, looking genuinely puzzled. "You're doing me a great favor just by letting me be here."

"Oh, I don't know," she mumbled. "We spend time together at school, but we don't get a lot of chances to talk there... when we've gotten to know each other, it's been a little here, a little there. Small bites. But now you'll get to know the whole me, warts and all."

"Somehow I don't think that's going to be a problem."

The look on his face made Marinette's hormones escalate from a simmer to a rolling boil.

"Um... hey, let's go find that washing machine," she muttered, hoping that her facial glow wasn't lighting the way there.

The Agreste sedan pulled up outside the family bakery, and the four of them stepped out to meet it.

"Good afternoon, Mr... um..." began Tom, suddenly acutely aware that he didn't know the man's name.

The Gorilla said nothing, as was his wont. He gave Tom a small smile and acknowledging nod, then headed to the trunk to fetch Adrien's belongings. Adrien stepped forward to help him.

"He is a man of very few words. I don't think I've ever heard him speak," Marinette whispered to her parents. "But he's very protective. If he likes you, that means quite a bit."

"Noted," Sabine whispered back.

Adrien came back with a small carry-on bag in one hand, with his bodyguard right behind him with a larger one. "If I'm needed, this is where I'll be, obviously," he told the Gorilla. "Nathalie will call me constantly to make sure everything is just right, and I promise to stay inside and away from any danger."

The Gorilla gave him a raised eyebrow, and Adrien continued, "I promise. No sneaking out like you know I do at home sometimes. This is serious business."

Huh, thought Marinette. Adrien sneaks out of his house? I wonder where he goes?

She watched as the hefty bodyguard shifted his attention to her, and kept herself from flinching. He pointed to Adrien, then held his arms as if cradling a small child, rocking them momentarily.

"Sir, I... assure you that none of those will happen while Adrien is staying here," Sabine ventured, causing both kids to turn red and approach purple.

Marinette recovered first. "I think that what he meant was 'take good care of him,' Mom," she managed.

A grin from the Gorilla indicated that Marinette had won that round of Charades.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 3

The summons to the dinner table brought Marinette and Adrien there quickly.

"I'm glad that I had bought a little extra," Sabine smiled, setting down a platter containing several steaks. "I like to make at least one extra serving in case something goes wrong, or someone's extra-hungry. Or if we happen to have an unexpected guest." She pointed out the filets' arrangement and added, "Adrien, I wasn't sure how you liked your steak, so the ones on this side are a little rarer than on that side. Choose whichever you like."

"They all look good," Adrien told her, visibly happy with everything he saw at the table. He selected one from the middle of the platter, then joined in passing the side dishes from person to person.

"So, would this pass muster with your staff nutritionists?" Tom asked after a couple of minutes, pleasantly.

"I don't see why not," replied Adrien. "Everything tastes delicious, and there's a nice variety. I might get lectured on portion size if I was there instead of here, but they don't have to know about that."

"Do you have exercise programs as well?" asked Sabine. "Something to burn off extra calories? Not that you look like you'd need to."

"Absolutely. I have weekly karate lessons, and that can be quite a workout... my sensei is not the most forgiving," he explained. "I study fencing as well, and while that doesn't sound like the most strenuous of sports, it can be more tiring than you'd think against a skilled opponent. Marinette got to see that firsthand one day."

"Oh, yes! That was the day we met Kagami," Marinette agreed. "She and Adrien had a match that ranged all over the building, like something out of a movie! I was tired out just following the two of them around."

"All of that, and I enjoy running. Distance, not sprinting," added Adrien. "You never know when a little extra endurance might come in handy."

"I would imagine. Of course, being young and fit helps with that," chuckled Tom. "Neither of which I've been for quite some time."

"Some of that is that you're just naturally large and strong, dear," Sabine winked at him. "Some of that... not so much."

"Speaking of Kagami..." Tom continued, ignoring Marinette's Do we have to right now? expression. "I understand that the two of you are dating now."

"We are... kind of," Adrien replied. He gave Marinette a questioning glance, which she interpreted as And how does he know that?

"You and Kagami are both good friends of mine," Marinette said, hastily. "So when I'm telling them about what's going on in my life, both of you are part of that."

"That makes sense," smiled Adrien. "Mr. Dupain, I don't know if we're officially 'dating' yet, but she's made it very clear that she'd like that very much. I'm being cautious and trying to go slowly with her, so we're not... committed yet, I guess you could say?"

"Why not?" asked Tom. Marinette and Sabine communicated with their eyes across the table, Sabine watching her daughter taking careful mental notes on all of this.

"Oh..." stammered Adrien, looking a little uncomfortable. "Um... making sure that everything... feels right, you know? I've never dated before. I'm still figuring out how all of this works," he explained. "And with the way that my father keeps me so busy, I'm not sure that it's fair of me to try to date anyone."

"And there might always be someone else who is interested, huh?" smiled Tom... cutting that short when he caught Sabine shooting him a curt look and a tiny hand gesture.

"Okay! So... Papa, what do you have in mind for dessert tonight?" asked Marinette, diving onto the first available subject change.

"Yes, yes, everything is fine. Yes, I have the suitcases, and that's more than enough clothes for me for a while. ...I can do laundry on-site, that's not a problem. ...Of course I know how."

Marinette hovered just outside of eavesdropping range, allowing Adrien to finish his evening conversation with Nathalie.

"Dinner was excellent. Mrs. Cheng is an excellent cook. ...No, I didn't overeat. ...Steak. Medium. ...I didn't weigh it."

Once Adrien had eased Nathalie's worries for the moment, he hung up and saw Marinette waiting patiently. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "She wants to know every little detail."

"Please, don't apologize. Keeping her happy keeps you here," she smiled. "Everything's okay so far?"

"They're satisfied. She said that my father is happier with me remaining close by... though he is keeping his options open, and watching the news. He's feeling fine so far, but he has a test scheduled for tomorrow to make sure. So I may not be here very long after all, depending on how that goes." Adrien paused, then said, "And I'm not quite sure how I feel about that."

"Oh?" Marinette wondered. "You wouldn't rather be at home?"

"Well, home is home, I won't argue there," said Adrien. "But even with all of the craziness, being here just feels so... comfortable to me. And like you said earlier, we really haven't had many chances to just spend time together, right? Whether I'm here for another day or for a lot longer, I'd like to change that."

Marinette looked like she was on the edge of melting. "I've wanted that for a long time," she glowed back. "So... what would you like to do tonight?"

"Whatever you'd like," Adrien shrugged. "Video games, we could watch a movie, we could just hang out and talk... or do you have anything else in mind?"

"Hmmm." Marinette considered their options. "Papa," she called to her father, "I know you said you'd like us to help in the bakery tomorrow. When would you like us down there?"

"Well," mused Tom, "I'll be starting my morning tasks around four."

Marinette got the giggles at Adrien's wide-eyed reaction to that.

"But I didn't invite you here to do that to you," her father smiled. "Get a good night's sleep, and I'll give you something to do when I see you."

"Sounds great," Marinette replied, then turned back to Adrien. "So we're not in a big hurry, like if we had to be up at the crack of dawn. Come up with me and we'll find something to watch?"

"Lead on," grinned Adrien.

As they entered Marinette's bedroom, Marinette told Adrien, "Leave the door open," which he did. "We're less likely to draw snoopers if they know there's nothing to snoop on," she laughed.

"Which there isn't... that I know of," wondered Adrien.

"But do they know that for sure? Remember that time you were here practicing for the school Mecha Strike tournament, and they kept checking on us every few minutes?" asked Marinette.

"They were?" boggled Adrien. "I thought they were just being very good hosts."

"I'm their only daughter. You're a teenage boy. If they weren't curious, I'd be worried," she reassured him. "But I think they really like you. They must, to invite you to stay like this!"

"I'm very glad they did."

Adrien watched as Marinette pulled the chaise lounge over in front of her TV, then sat down on it and patted the seat next to her gently. "What kind of movie should we find?" she asked.

He plopped down next to her. "Some kind of comedy, maybe? Things are so tense lately, we could all probably use a good laugh."

"Sure! Let's find one." She called up one of the streaming services and started scanning through the choices. "Something old, something new?" she asked.

At that moment, her phone rang. "Oh! It's Alya. Here, find me something, okay?" she asked, passing the remote to Adrien as she answered the video call.

"You heard the news, right?" Alya asked her, visibly excited.

"I did. No school for two weeks, at least, and we're all supposed to stay at home as much as we can," Marinette confirmed.

"This feels so weird. I mean, I completely get why they're telling us to do that, but... the way that so many things are being shut down, it feels more serious than anything I've ever known," sighed Alya. "We have supervillains blowing up half of Paris once a week, and this seems more dangerous. It's something that even Ladybug can't just purify and wipe away."

"I truly wish that she could," Marinette said, in a very quiet voice.

"And then there's that I'm, like, just what am I supposed to do by myself for two weeks?" Alya continued. "Which sounds selfish to say... and it kind of is... but I can't be happy that I probably won't see much of my boyfriend this month, you know? Or you, or all my other friends."

"Well, look at it this way... At least we live in the internet age. We can see each other and talk like this, or do stuff online. We have a lot of toys that previous generations didn't," argued Marinette.

"Yeah, that's true. So how are you keeping busy tonight?" asked Alya, a little more happily.

"Oh..." said Marinette, pausing and stealing a glance at Adrien, who grinned at her. "You ready for this?" she whispered to him.

"Yeah," he laughed, quietly.

"We're just picking out a movie to watch," deadpanned Marinette.

Alya paused for a beat. "...We?" she asked, with visible curiosity.

Marinette turned her phone to her left, allowing Adrien to smile and wave to Alya.

"Hi! I live here now," he exclaimed.

Three, two, one... thought Marinette.

Chapter Text

Stuck in A Bakery (With You), Chapter 4

After some conversation, Marinette hung up her phone... and then she and Adrien laughed so hard that she nearly fell off the chaise lounge they were sharing.

"The look on her face!" gasped Adrien, howling with laughter. "If she hadn't had her glasses on, her eyes might've popped out."

"You'd think that I'd kidnapped you, or something like that," cackled Marinette. Not that I haven't had the thought once or twice, she grinned to herself. I could put my mask on and slip through your bedroom window... But the thought and the nerve to do it are different things.

"Locking me up in your tower, like Rapunzel," Adrien continued. "'After the plague is over, I'll need one of these to repopulate the Earth.'"

That did send Marinette sprawling. Adrien reached out and helped her back up, both of them still laughing but catching their breath. They shared a moment just grinning at each other.

"This may seem like a weird question..." ventured Adrien, carefully.

"Go ahead, ask it," said Marinette.

"...Was it just me, or was her reaction not just surprise?" he wondered. "Like, she was... excited about it, too, and trying not to show it in front of me."

Marinette measured her words carefully. If you were that perceptive with me all the time, she thought, or if I was a little more brave and a little more honest, you wouldn't have to ask that question.

"Alya... has been hoping that you and I would... get together for a long time now," she admitted, softly. "She thinks that we'd be perfect as a couple."

"That's not... the first time I've heard that," Adrien replied. "And not just about Alya."

The look of surprise on Marinette's face encouraged him to continue. "Nino's brought it up a few times, about me asking you out. So have some of our other friends. I think part of it is 'everyone else is pairing up, let's get you with someone awesome before Chloé snatches you up.' I shouldn't have to tell them this, but that's never going to happen."

And I can't say that I've never thought about the possibility, he thought... but you've told me twice that you don't look at me that way.

"Y-yeah," Marinette said, nervously. "I know both of you better than to even think that. You're not that crazy, and you know that she is."

"Chloé is a lot of things," reflected Adrien. "And not all of them are as bad as what she shows the world. But, yeah, she's the opposite of my 'type.'"

"What is your 'type,' then?" breathed Marinette. "I mean, knowing what I do about Kagami, I think I know... but I'm curious."

As Adrien spoke, she watched him carefully... and saw no calculation in his eyes, no guile, no saying what he thought that she wanted to hear.

"Chloé turns almost everything into a big game. Whatever she does, any situation she's in, what can she do to get ahead or push someone else down?" he said. "Like life's one big race and she always has to be the winner. She has some reasons for why she's the way she is... but that's no way to live."

He gave Marinette a sincere smile. "Now, the kind of girl who thinks of others first, who's passionate about what she believes in, who says what she feels... who's the first in line to defend those who need help or to set something right. She can run away with my heart without even trying."

"Huh," Marinette replied. "I like the way that you think."

I guess I check some of those boxes... sometimes, she pondered. But 'says what she feels' doesn't describe me with you.

She forced a smile of her own. "I can see how Kagami turned your head," she added. "She's certainly not afraid to go for what she wants... but she thinks of other people, too. She plays to win, but not to hurt the other players."

Adrien looked a little surprised by her statement. "Yeah, she... she's got a lot of those things. And I am glad that you've gotten to know her. She has a softer side but she's pretty cautious about letting it show."

"Definitely," agreed Marinette. "She's a good person."

She... wasn't who I was describing, though, thought Adrien. Kagami is special to me... but she's not Ladybug.

Looking into Marinette's eyes, he felt the need to add, Or my 'everyday Ladybug.'

Marinette watched emotions flow across Adrien's face, and shifted nervously where she sat.

"Maybe... we ought to restart the movie," she evaded. "I think we've missed about half of it."

"Or we can just watch it another time," Adrien suggested. "It looks like I'll be here long enough that we'll get other chances."

"I'm..." Marinette mumbled. "I love having you here like this, but I do hope that your father is okay and you can go home soon, too. When do you think that they'll know about him?"

"I'm not sure," Adrien shrugged. "I've heard the tests can be done in hours, or they might take a little longer to process. And it depends on who else he's been in contact with; if other people in his life turn up positive, he might have to be retested, or quarantine himself anyway for safety's sake. I imagine that the warehouses and business offices will shut down for a while, and he'll have a fit about that, but... what else can he do?"

"Yeah, this is all so... new to all of us," Marinette sympathized. "You don't think... that you could've been exposed if he was, do you? I mean... I'm not worried about me! That's not how I meant that."

"Oh, I know," said Adrien, with a smile that faded as he continued. "For him to pass something on to me... that would suggest that he'd been in direct contact with me in the last couple of days. So... that's definitely a 'no.'"

"Oh," Marinette replied, quietly. "I'm sorry that I brought that up."

"Don't worry about it," Adrien reassured her. "That's just how he is any more. I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't have to be."

Adrien's eyes were soft and inviting. "It means a lot to me that you worry about me like that," he told her. "I want you to know that."

Marinette gathered up what bravery she had left lying around her room. "I only have one Adrien Agreste in my life. I have to take good care of that one," she blushed.

"I couldn't feel safer than right here," Adrien replied. "Being around you and your parents like this... it's like, this is what family's supposed to be like. Like how my mother and father were back when I was a little kid... but so much more than that."

"Oh," stammered Marinette, "we have our moments. But I am glad that you feel that way. This has to be so hard on you, and I just need to be here for you."

"One of many reasons that I like you so much, Marinette," beamed Adrien.

"The feeling is mutual," she smiled back.

It was as if the words JUST KISS ALREADY! had sprouted wings and were swooping around the room wildly, brushing by each of their ears in turn. Unfortunately, they were too lost in each other's gaze for the phrase to register in either brain.

"Um..." Adrien said to break the silence. "Now, I know that I stand no chance against you at Ultimate Mecha Strike III..."

"...oh! Yeah... you're probably right about that," grinned Marinette. "But that's not the only game I have here. There's a new online RPG I picked up recently, Scepter Quest... but I haven't started it yet. It's one of those games where I didn't know when I'd have time to really get into it."

"Hmmm," pondered Adrien. "Time happens to be what we have the most of right now. Want to show it to me?"

"Yeah, that's something fun we can do together," she agreed. "Help me pull this over by the computer," she asked him, indicating the chaise lounge.

The two maneuvered the seating accordingly and sat close together as Marinette called up the game. As they went through the tutorial together, Adrien's foot curled around Marinette's, the kind of casual touch that once would've sent Marinette to the ceiling... but on this occasion, it felt too natural to both of them to react.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 5

As Adrien concentrated on the computer game, a gentle knock at the open door distracted Marinette. "Come in," she called, seeing that it was her mother.

"Ah, good. You two found something fun to enjoy together," Sabine said, peering at the screen. "One of your games?"

"It's called Scepter Quest. Swords and magic, and you can play with people all over the world. We're trying out different character classes. I made a Geo-Mage and a Psychic Healer; Adrien was a Vanguard Knight, and now he's trying out the Verminmancer."

Sabine backed away slowly, holding her hands up. "Oh, you know that I don't even pretend to understand that kind of thing. You're having a good time, though?" she asked.

"Yeah, definitely. This is something we can play online together once Adrien's back home... when and if we have the time," explained Marinette. "These kinds of games can be very addictive sometimes, if you're not careful."

"For sure," agreed Adrien, turning his head towards Sabine for a moment to be polite. "We're really just dabbling in it for now, but it has a lot of potential."

"Well, your father and I are turning in. Try not to be addicted to it all night, okay?" Sabine asked Marinette. "We are kind of hoping to see the two of you tomorrow before noon."

"We talked with Papa about that," confirmed Marinette. "We'll get a good night's sleep before too long, I promise."

"Good night, then, Mrs. Cheng," said Adrien. As he turned back to the game, Sabine waved a beckoning finger towards her daughter, silently.

"What's up?" asked Marinette in a low voice, once the two of them had moved closer to the door.

"I had never gotten much of a chance to get to know Adrien before today. You had told me everything about him but his blood type, of course, but now that I've been around him... oh, I completely get it why you were head over heels! He's quite the charmer," her mother smiled. "Is there anything else that he needs before we call it a night?"

"Not that he's mentioned," mused Marinette. "I've shown him his room and he's all set up there. Do you have a preference as to which shower he'll use in the morning?"

"If you're comfortable with him using yours, I have no objections," said Sabine. "As long as you only use it one at a time."

"MOM!" gasped Marinette, visibly shocked. "I wouldn't... he wouldn't... and besides, he has a girlfriend! Mostly!"

"I'm teasing you, dear," giggled Sabine. "I trust you on that, and I know that you know better. But this'll be an adjustment for all of us, so play fair with us and we'll play fair with you two, okay?"

"We will. I promise."

"All right, then. Good night."

Sabine kissed Marinette's forehead gently, then toddled back down to her own bedroom, announcing in her own way that the range of parental radar for the evening had been somewhat reduced.

Marinette wandered back to the chaise lounge and sat down, a thoughtful look on her face.

"So," Adrien asked innocently, "it's just you and me now, huh?"

"Looks like it," she smiled.

"What would you like to do next?" he asked her.

"Well... I did have one idea in mind."

Her voice had just the slightest tinge of huskiness to it... but having never heard even that much from Marinette before, Adrien's game character abruptly stopped moving.

He turned towards her, and she gave him what she hoped was a sultry expression before switching to an innocent grin.

"After you're done trying out the Verminmancer, can I test out the Pyrolich next?"

Downstairs, in the bakery...

"I don't believe this! You are incorrigible."

"I am hungry, is what I am," complained Plagg. "Best bakery in Paris, I keep hearing. But I look in their refrigerators, and what do I find? Not a lot of cheese, and what they do have is pretty plain stuff. That's what."

"You are in heaven itself right now," gestured Tikki, waving her tiny hands at the wide variety of delectables around them. "A veritable smorgasbord of sweetness. Anything that you could ever want... and you're complaining?"

"This is your heaven," countered Plagg. "Mine is a cheese shop on a hot summer day."

"Whine all you want," Tikki smiled. "Look on the bright side; you came this close to getting shipped off to another country today. You may be in quarantine here, but you certainly won't starve, and you know that Adrien will be treated very well."

"Yeah, he will. They're good people," Plagg conceded. "I can see where your girl gets it from. And maybe Adrien will finally open his eyes while he's here, and something'll blossom."

"You think so?" pondered Tikki. "Marinette is very intent on not hurting Kagami or complicating the issue. And she still can't just tell Adrien that she likes him that way. Is Adrien reconsidering things?"

"He's hard to read. He likes Marinette, he likes Kagami. He's still got Ladybug on the brain," shrugged Plagg. "At their age, things can change fast."

"We do have one actual problem, though," noted Tikki. "Besides your appetite."

"I'd like to know what outranks that," growled Plagg.

"Marinette and Adrien are cooped up together in this house, right?" she explained. "So if an Akuma shows up... how do they get away from her parents and each other to transform, then get back here undetected?"

"Well, they could... oh," realized Plagg. In his head, he pictured Adrien climbing up to the balcony and transforming... and Marinette then climbing up and finding empty air. Or Ladybug and Chat landing on the balcony at the same time, each wondering why the other is there, and doing an impromptu Alphonse-and-Gaston 'after you' routine... "I'll have to think about that."

"Please do," Tikki directed him. "We'll need at least two ways out and two ways in."

Plagg stared back, blankly. "I don't think as well on an empty stomach," he whimpered.

Tikki just rolled her eyes.

About two hours later, Marinette gave Adrien a weak smile. "I'm enjoying this... but my eyelids are drooping," she admitted.

"Me, too. Maybe we should try and get some sleep?" Adrien agreed. "I do want to get up at a reasonable time and help out. Should I go downstairs and use the bathroom on the main floor to get ready?"

"I talked with my mother about that. You can use the one in here, if you want, and in the morning as well. Just, like... knock if my room door's closed, so you don't catch me changing or something like that," said Marinette.

"Oh, absolutely. I'll be right back, then."

Marinette waited while Adrien went downstairs... then returned a few minutes later, wearing a short-sleeved pajama set and carrying a toothbrush. "Do you want to go first?" he asked her.

"No, go ahead," she replied. "I'll probably take a little longer. Girl stuff."

After a moment, through the closed door, Marinette asked, "Have you talked to Kagami yet?"

"I messaged her," a muffled voice replied. "To let her know that I'm in a good place and make sure that she and her mother were okay. She said to tell you she says 'Hi.' If she's up when I get into bed, I'll probably talk to her for a few minutes."

"Good. Tell her 'hello' back for me, and I hope they're doing well there, too."

Once his evening routine was complete, Marinette walked him downstairs to his room. "Okay... you know where the kitchen is, if you need a drink or a snack. You know where I'll be. Towels are in the hall closet over there... Is there anything else that I can get you?" she asked, running down her mental checklist.

"I will be fine, thank you," smiled Adrien. "You're already doing so much."

"Not really," Marinette demurred. "It's just a place to stay, and the basics."

"I could've ended up hundreds of miles away from home today, not knowing when I'd be back," Adrien countered. "Instead, I'm here, I'm very comfortable, I'm very lucky, and I have the best company I could ask for. That's not a little thing."

"Then, in that case... I'll wish you good night, and I'll see you in the morning," beamed Marinette.

"You, too. The sweetest of dreams," echoed Adrien.

He stepped forward and hugged her... briefly, but enough to send sparks running through her... then stepped back slowly. Another spontaneous grin-off competition began, both of them wondering inside if a hug was enough.

Through willpower alone, Marinette made her legs start moving. "Good night, Adrien," she called as she returned to the stairs... her willpower also keeping the words "May I tuck you in?" away from her lips.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 6

"Take a deep breath, Marinette."

Tikki hovered directly in front of Marinette, who was curled up on her bed, just short of completely hiding beneath her covers.

"It's only for a few more minutes. It's not only very easy for you to resist any temptation right now, it's important that you do," Tikki lectured her. "You understand that, right?"

"Yes," Marinette said, very quietly. "This is a situation that I created by extending an invitation. It's nothing that we both don't do every day. It's no big deal."

"Good. So..." Tikki continued, patiently.

"It's no big deal that, right now, Adrien Agreste is naked in my shower." She stole a tiny glance at the bathroom door, then made her head turn away. "Right over there."

"It would be rather strange if he was otherwise in your shower," suggested Tikki. "Don't you think so?"

"Yes, it would..." managed Marinette.

"And he's not doing that to be alluring or to tempt you in any way. He's just freshening up, and in a minute your bathroom door will be open and he'll be mostly dressed. You saw him bring his change of clothes in with him."

"Yes. Yes, he did. I am being completely silly about this," breathed Marinette, a little bit giggly. "I am going to be mature."

"Mature does not mean cracking the door open right now and asking 'Do you need anything?'" Tikki grinned. "No matter how sure you may be that he could use an extra washcloth."

"I'm all stocked up on towels and washcloths. Everything's good," Marinette told herself. "Just a routine day."

"And then you can go in and take your shower next, and you two can head down for breakfast."

"Uh-huh! I will..."

Tikki watched Marinette's eyes glaze over as she processed And then _I_ will be naked mere meters away from Adrien Agreste.

"Let me start again," sighed Tikki.

Having weathered the storm of temptation and not been found wanting, and after a short but lovely breakfast with her mother and Adrien, Marinette headed downstairs to the family bakery with Adrien right behind her.

"Hello, Papa," called Marinette as they exited the stairs. "We're here to help you with whatever you need, so you can go up and relax for a little while."

"That sounds good," smiled Tom. "Marinette, I think I'll have you help customers until your mother comes down, all right? You know the products and their prices well enough."

"Makes sense to me," replied Marinette, assuming the position.

"Adrien, would you come back in the kitchen with me?" he asked. "There are aprons by the door; grab one and put it on, so that you don't get your clothes messy."

"Sure thing," Adrien said. He watched as Marinette mouthed You've got this silently at him, then turned and followed the big man into the back room.

"All right," Tom began, once Adrien was suitably attired and attentive. "I figure that this will be the best place for you for now; there are a handful of things that you can help me with, and that way you can tell your father that I'm keeping you away from any potentially-infected customers. Not that I am expecting any of the rest of us will be at risk, either," he added quickly, "but it's the principle of the thing. Is that okay with you?"

"Certainly," replied Adrien. "I'll help you out however I can."

"Good!" beamed Tom, then shifted to a more serious appearance. "Now, first off... I seem to recall visiting your classroom and teaching everyone there how to make macarons. You did take thorough notes that day, right?"

"Um..."

Adrien watched as the burly baker towered over him, a frown beginning to form on his face, and cringed.

"Then it is a good thing that I've already made all of my macarons for the day," grinned Tom, abruptly. His smile widened as he watched Adrien's visible relief. "I'm just testing your sense of humor, young man. It's very nice of you to even want to help us like this, so do relax and I hope that you'll enjoy yourself."

"I don't want to say that I'm bad in a kitchen... but it's probably true," conceded Adrien. "With the chefs that my father keeps on staff, I don't get a lot of opportunities to practice."

"We all start someplace simple," declared Tom. "And in your case... I think some basic cookie dough will be a good starting point." He strode over to a filing cabinet, rummaged through a pile and emerged with a battle-worn sheet of paper, covered in plastic. "My grandmother's recipe," explained Tom. "I memorized it decades ago, but you're not me."

Adrien took it from his outstretched hand and looked it over. "It looks pretty straightforward..." he noted.

"It is. Mixing it isn't difficult at all; it's simply a matter of the right ingredients in the right proportions. Now, follow me," Tom beckoned, "and I'll show you where we keep everything."

Not too long after Tom went upstairs for some nourishment, Sabine came down to join Marinette. "How's it going?" she asked. "Anything unusual?"

"Not really," Marinette answered. "Maybe fewer customers than normal... but some of them bought a LOT of things, so it kind of balanced out."

"About what I expected so far," noted Sabine. "Good; I'm glad you had an easy time of it. Thank you for helping, by the way."

"Oh, no problem," smiled Marinette. "I'm an old hand at this."

"How's our new hand doing?" Sabine asked, nodding her head towards the kitchen.

"Not too bad! I snuck back and checked on him once when the store was empty, and he was doing fine. Dad has him making big batches of cookie dough."

Sabine pondered that for a moment. "Hmmm," she said, "For that big order we had for Wednesday, I'm guessing. I don't know that they're going to come and pick it up."

Marinette looked puzzled... then grasped what her mother meant. "Who needs a ton of cookies for a big event that's going to be cancelled, if it hasn't been already?" she agreed. "Yeah, that's a problem."

"I'm pretty sure that we'll use it all up anyway... with your frosting designs on them, cookies tend to fly out of here," smiled Sabine. "And we'll have you two down here today to get creative with them. I'll take over the counter here in a few minutes, and you can go back and..."

A loud SP-SPLORT! sound was heard from the kitchen, followed by a "Gaaah!"

"Or... maybe I'll let you go check on him now," Sabine declared, sending Marinette running.

Marinette burst into the kitchen, ready to help, and only barely managed to suppress a loud hoot of laughter. Adrien was standing next to a mixer with two long, thin strands of goo on the front of his apron... and a third splayed across his forehead and right cheek.

"I, um... may have made a small mistake," Adrien declared.

"Stay right there! I'll help you," giggled Marinette, grabbing a nearby dish towel. When she reached him, she ordered "Hold still!" and began dabbing it gently onto his splattered face. "What happened?" she asked him, once most of it had been cleared away.

"Oh, I mixed something up. Literally," explained Adrien, sheepishly. "The first four batches of the dough are in the refrigerator over there. This one, I messed up the proportions on the ingredients, and it was a little too runny... so I added a little more flour and turned up the mixer, hoping it would thicken it up some, and..."

"...And you ended up wearing some of it when the beaters splashed it up," Marinette finished the thought for him. "Don't worry about that, I've done it myself more than once. Far from the worst mess we've made." Her eyes twinkled as she continued, "When I was little, you should have seen me the day I bumped the counter and a three-level cake started to fall... and I tried to catch it."

"Oh, wow," marveled Adrien, some of his dignity returning slowly. "I can only imagine. Vanilla frosting?"

"Pink, strawberry," replied Marinette. "Three baths later and I think I still had a bit of it in my hair."

Once the laughter from that mental image had passed, Marinette gave him a warm and sympathetic smile. "Don't worry about it. We would be washing that apron up tonight anyway, and you're not hurt or anything?"

"Just my pride," Adrien said.

"That's good. Now, let's see what we can do about this batch of dough."

Marinette ran a spoon through it and held it up, examining the consistency as bits of it dripped down. When Adrien reached a gloved finger out towards it, she whapped his hand with her free hand, lightly. "Please tell me you haven't been doing that!" she worried.

"No, no, I haven't!" Adrien backpedaled. "I've been keeping everything as sanitary as I can... that was just on reflex."

"In better times, I get to lick the spoon once in a while," she confessed, "after the dough itself is put away. But right now, especially, we need to be super-careful about what touches what. If Papa saw a drop of dough hit your finger and splash into the bowl, he'd throw the whole thing out and put you on garbage duty, gloves or not!"

"Understood. I'm so sorry, Marinette," he apologized in a low voice. "It won't happen again."

Watching Adrien's face fall... Marinette crumbled on the spot. "Hey! Hey, it's okay," she soothed him, his reaction hitting her harder than his lapse of judgment.

Wow... he took that SO much harder than I meant it! she worried. Like he's used to even little mistakes being pounced on at home!

"You are absolutely forgiven," she half-whispered, leaning close to him. "That was such a minor thing, and you're new at this. And I don't think I would even know how to be mad at you, okay?"

"Okay," Adrien replied, a smile returning.

"And your instincts weren't far off here," declared Marinette, looking back at the bowl of cookie dough. "Can you pass me the sifter and a little more flour?"

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 7

After supper was over, Marinette and Adrien stood together at the sink, washing and drying the evening's dishes.

"Hey," Marinette nudged him. "After we're done, would you want to come upstairs with me? I wanted to set up a group chat with whoever's on from our class. That way we'll all know how the rest of us are coping with this."

"That sounds like a great idea," smiled Adrien. "I know that I've talked to Kagami and Alya, and I've messaged Nino to see how he was doing, but I was curious about the others."

"It shouldn't take long. Then we can do... well, we can each do whatever," replied Marinette. "I mean, we can come up with something together, or if you need some space, that's fine, too."

"Do you need some space?" Adrien wondered. "Because I can back off if you do..."

"No! No, that's not it at all," Marinette added, quickly. "I'm really enjoying your being here with us! I just... wanted to make sure you were comfortable, that's all. That all-Marinette, all-the-time wasn't too much for you."

"I could say much the same about me," Adrien countered. "I don't want you feeling like you have to entertain me. I don't think I could ever get tired of being with you, but, you know... you might need some private time, too."

"All right. We're good, then," Marinette grinned. "If either of us needs alone time, we'll ask for it and we'll get it. Otherwise, you're stuck with me for a while."

"Oh, the horror," Adrien grinned back.

Upstairs, Adrien parked himself on one end of the chaise lounge, next to Marinette. "How are we doing this?" he asked her as she called up the application. "Video, or just audio?"

"Actually, let's see who's in chat first. I think that this only does video up to ten people, so if we get more than that, we'll stay in message chat," explained Marinette. "Let's start with..."

[Alya] Hey, girl! How's the love nest going?

Marinette gave Adrien an embarrassed look. "And... here we go," she mumbled. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Adrien didn't appear fazed. "She's just teasing you, right? I can handle that if you can," he replied.

She managed a smile before continuing.

[Marinette] You know better than that. I'm setting up a group chat to touch base with everyone... are you free right now?

[Alya] Sure. I'll help with the invites.

Between the efforts of the two of them, the room filled up quickly...

[Kim] Hey, what's up, everybody?

[Rose] Hi! I'm so glad to hear from you all!

[Juleka] Hey

[Mylène] Hi, everyone!

[Max] Greetings.

[Kim] Hey, little buddy!

[Alix] You rang?

[Max] Hi, Kim.

[Nathaniel] Hi!

[Alya] Nino, you here?

[Rose] Is everyone doing okay?

[Nino] 'Sup.

[Sabrina] Hello! How are you all?

"Hrmm," Adrien mused. "Did you invite..."

[Chloé] I have arrived. You may begin now.

"Yeah, I did," Marinette grumbled. "Mostly because I know what she'd do if I didn't, and she found out about it."

"I'm proud of you," said Adrien, only mostly joking.

[Marinette] Hi! This isn't anything super-important...

[Marinette] I just figured I'd try and be a good class representative and check on everyone while we still have a class.

[Alix] Hah!

[Kim] We're only supposed to be out for two weeks, right?

[Max] That depends on how things go. More like that in two weeks they'll reevaluate the status.

[Rose] Oooh.

[Alya] That makes sense, though. They don't know how far this thing is going to go yet.

[Marinette] So... shall we go around the room and catch up? Anyone know anyone who's caught it yet? Any good stories to tell?

[Alya] So far, so good here... though I would not recommend going grocery shopping right now, like we tried last night.

[Alix] Unless you're out of toilet paper already... Then it's kind of a must.

[Juleka] Ewww.

[Alix] Well... isn't it?

The group exchanged stories for the next half-hour, verifying that everyone was in good hands and in a safe place.

[Nathaniel] Okay... who are we missing from this?

[Mylène] Ivan. He's at his uncle's house. I talked to him a few times already; he's doing fine.

[Rose] Good.

[Chloe] And Adrien! I am VERY worried about him.

[Chloe] I tried calling his house and they said he wasn't home! As IF.

[Alya] Oh, don't you worry about Adrien. He's doing just fine.

[Nino] I did talk to him. He's okay.

[Chloe] And what is that supposed to mean, Alya?

[Alya] He's happy where he is right now. Happy as a clam! Shacking up, I guess you could say.

[Marinette] ...!

[Chloe] Oh, he's with that Kagami girl? HOW?

[Chloe] I cannot believe that he would risk his life and sneak out just to steal a few kisses. You must be mistaken!

[Alya] I didn't say that he was with her. ;)

[Mylène] Then what are you saying, Alya?

[Alya] How about we all go to video chat?

[Marinette] ...Can we do that? We have... twelve people on, and video only goes up to ten at once.

[Alya] More like thirteen.

[Kim] Are you sure? I only see twelve online.

[Sabrina] It's okay, I can drop off. I have some chores to do.

[Sabrina] Thanks for checking on me, and keep in touch, please!

[Max] That makes eleven...

[Chloé] ...Well? Who else?

[Alya] I'll go. Have fun, Marinette!

[Marinette] You said "let's all go to video chat," and now you're leaving?!

[Alya] I already know. :p

[Rose] Know what?

"You..." muttered Marinette, then turned to Adrien with a tight smile. "Well, I think we're about to start tonight's main attraction. C'mere, you."

She clicked the [Video Chat] button as he leaned in closer...

One by one, classmates' eager faces popped into the subwindows... and, one by one, Marinette counted off expressions of profound surprise. Rose let out a little squeal, then clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Hi!" Adrien greeted everyone. "I would have said something earlier, but Marinette had the keyboard."

"I would have scooted over!" protested Marinette.

"Hey, man!" Kim grinned. "You sly dog! Your dad let you go out and make a..."

Marinette glared at him. "Be careful how you finish that sentence," she warned, playfully.

Alix laughed, "I'm pretty sure he wasn't about to say 'booty call.' Right, Kim?"

"Nope! Not me," he replied, shifting nervously. "Wouldn't have dreamed of that."

"I was visiting Marinette when the word came down about the quarantine," explained Adrien, "and that my father may have been exposed to it. So I..."

"Oh!" exclaimed Rose. "I am so sorry for you, Adrien!"

"That doesn't mean that he has it," he continued. "He's getting tested today; we're just being extra-careful. He almost shipped me off to another country for a while to try and keep me away from it... but Marinette's parents offered to let me stay at their house, instead. And to my utter astonishment, my father accepted their offer."

"No!" exclaimed Chloé, registering considerable disbelief. "All you had to do was ask, Adrien! We would have had lots of room for you here! In a so much nicer-"

"Hey!" growled Alix.

"It is! Adrien is used to living in the lap of luxury, not some... bakery," scoffed Chloé. "I mean, at least Kagami's family has a sense of-"

Adrien leaned forward with an angry look on his face. "And... goodbye, Chloé," he said, clicking the mouse on the X by her name and watching her window close abruptly.

"Damn," Kim exclaimed, looking aghast, while Alix started a slow-clap on her end.

"All of a sudden, the room smells so much better," Juleka smiled.

Post-fumigation, chatter continued for another few minutes before several classmates noted that they needed to drop off.

"How about we all do this next week, same time?" suggested Adrien. "I mean, we all have each other's phone numbers, so we don't have to wait to talk... but this felt good gathering up like this. Someone had a very good idea," he added, pointing at Marinette.

"Yeah, I think we all needed this," Mylène agreed. "I'll bug Ivan to join us next time."

"Good night, everybody!" cooed Rose. "Stay healthy!"

Marinette clicked the video chat off on her computer... then let her head sink slowly to her desk.

"Are you all right, Marinette?" Adrien wondered, caught off-guard by her reaction. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," her muffled voice answered. "Just that I wasn't sure how I was going to mention that you were staying here, and thanks to Alya, it's just sort of... out there now! And now half our class thinks that I kidnapped you to throw myself at you, I guess."

"What?" asked Adrien. "No, I think they know that... I explained that... Kim's always making jokes, and Alya teases you quite a bit, but I don't think that anyone thought..." He paused, looking concerned. "If anything bothered me about that, it was Chloé. She can go straight to hell, as far as I'm concerned."

Marinette sat up again. "It's fine," she sighed. "I'm used to her being rude and snotty by now. I've had years of practice."

"No, it's not fine," Adrien insisted, in a firm voice, and suddenly she couldn't look away from him. "You and your parents have been nothing but wonderful to me. I don't know what I would be doing without you right now. Chloé has no idea how grateful I am... or how disgusted I am with her. No one puts you or them down on my watch."

Marinette's eyes shone, and a hint of a smile returned. "Thank you, Adrien," she managed. "That means so much to me."

"Besides," he grinned, "how do they know I'm not here throwing myself at you?"

Instead of laughter, Adrien saw Marinette's head droop once more... and looked a bit puzzled by her reaction.

Because every one of them knows that if you were, she thought, we'd be far too busy kissing to chat right now.

And every one of them knows that that won't happen.

Marinette took another few seconds to recompose herself, then turned back to Adrien. "I'm fine, Adrien. I promise I am, really. I just... I just need a few minutes to sit and think about some things, okay?" she asked him, quietly.

"Did I-"

"No, Adrien," she declared, cutting him off quickly upon hearing the alarm in his voice. "You didn't do or say anything wrong. In fact, you were kind of my hero just then," she smiled, looking a little embarrassed. "It's so not you. I... look, I'll meet you in just a little while, okay? Then maybe we'll go downstairs and see if my parents want to watch a movie with us, or something like that."

"I would like that. If you're sure that I can't help..." he asked, still looking concerned.

"It's fine. You're a sweetheart, Adrien Agreste," Marinette told him, reaching her hand out and touching his cheek gently. "Go on. I'll be right there soon."

Adrien headed for the door, not turning his head from her until he was in the doorway, then gave her a half-wave and went downstairs to his room.

Marinette watched him go... then let her gaze drift out into space, at nothing in her room in particular.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 8

Once the room was silent and Adrien's descending footsteps could no longer be heard, Tikki floated over to Marinette's side.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked Marinette, very quietly.

"I thought that I knew where my feelings were at," replied Marinette, just as quietly. "I thought I had it under control now."

Tikki fluttered down onto her knee, allowing her to continue.

"I watched him fall for Kagami. I watched her kiss him, I saw them sitting together all cozy with their ice cream. I know that they're together now," said Marinette. "And I'm happy for both of them. They both so need a little bit of joy in their lives. They're from the same kinds of worlds. They understand each other."

"If this is about Chloé sticking her nose up about your parents running a bakery..." suggested Tikki.

"It's not that," answered Marinette, with a hint of a sniffle in her voice. "Chloé is Chloé. Like I told him, I'm used to her being a bitch. And I know that Adrien never thinks of me that way. He's not... on safari, going to school with common folk; he's a normal person deep down. Such a good person."

"...I could just choke Alya right now," she continued. "She just stirred everything right back up."

"Why, because the class knows that Adrien is staying here?" Tikki wondered. "He was right there next to you on the couch when you set up the call. You were going to tell them yourself, right?"

"Sure. But the way Alya shoved it out there, talking about our 'love nest,' about our 'shacking up...'"

"Nobody thinks that Adrien is here for some kind of tawdry hook-up," insisted Tikki. "I think that everyone knows better than to think that."

"It just threw me right back into how I was all year long, when everyone else knew how I wanted him so badly but that I couldn't tell him that. And then the way that he defended me, those big green eyes looking down at me, those sweet things that he said... it reminded me of why I did. Why I still do," lamented Marinette.

"It put the dream back into my head. And I hate that now it's back... when I know better."

Adrien flopped down onto the guest bed in his room, looking visibly troubled.

And we're right back to our disconnect, he moped. Damn it - everything here was going SO WELL! I felt like Marinette and I had broken through all the awkwardness between us. That we were on the brink of something special, something unique between us! And now...

Arrrrgh! his brain growled. I just HAVE to figure this out. Something set Marinette off just now, and really shook her up. What was it?

It wasn't Chloé's insult in and of itself. Like she said, she's used to  Chloé's attitude problem  by now. We all are. I'll give  Chloé  a piece of my mind later, but right now just isn't the time for that.

THINK, Adrien. What was it that she said to you?

"Half our class thinks that I kidnapped you to throw myself at you, I guess."

Adrien stared up at the ceiling, processing that.

Something about... that. Something about that idea bothers her so much.

That other people think that she's got a crush on me. Or that I think that.

This is three times now that I've seen her get all shaky about that concept; once on that day at her locker, after Jagged's TV show aired and I asked her directly. Again that day in the wax museum, and I'm STILL trying to figure out some of how THAT ended up! And now, today... and it really bothered her that it came up in conversation with everyone.

Why does that bother her so much?

"Do you know better?" asked Tikki. "Has Adrien ever told you that he isn't interested in you? Or that he wouldn't like it if you liked him that way?"

"Has he ever shown me any signs that he's wanted to be more than good friends?" countered Marinette. "Has he ever asked me out, or invited me to his house, or, I don't know, not started up a relationship with someone else knowing that I was right there?"

"I could say the same, Marinette. Have you ever asked him out on a real date? Told him that you want to be more than friends? You've told him a couple of times that you didn't," Tikki argued. "It's hard for me to blame him if he's taking you at your own word."

"I know," Marinette sulked. "And you know that I have tried. In a Valentine, in a letter, in a slow dance with him, in birthday gifts, in a lot of ways."

"Just not in your own words, heart-to-heart, eye-to-eye," said Tikki. "And maybe that's what he would need to hear to understand it better."

"Not right now, he doesn't need that," Marinette replied. "He's dating someone else now. He's stuck in this house with me until God knows when; all we need is for me to blurt out something stupid and make things totally awkward between us! He'd drive himself to the airport to go stay with those relatives."

"I'm not saying 'go down right now and dive on him,' Marinette," chided Tikki. "I agree with you, it's a delicate situation on a lot of levels. And if close friends with him is what you feel you need to be right now, for your sake and for his and for Kagami's, that's never a bad thing to be."

Tikki fluttered up towards Marinette's face. "But you are communicating so much better with him now. Better than you ever have before. So, I'm just saying... maybe the two of you should try communicating sometime soon, about something very important to both of you."

"I'm just going to hurt him if I bring it up," Marinette sighed. "I should leave it alone. Now, especially, while we're stuck with each other and Kagami can't be here to defend herself."

"Defend herself from what? From Adrien caring for you and her? I'll give you a little hint; I think that she knows that already," Tikki said, flatly. "But what I'm saying is, you're trusting Adrien to make the right decision... but he doesn't have all the information he needs to do that. And that's been true all year long."

"I don't know, Tikki, I... I'm scared," admitted Marinette. "And I don't know the right thing to do."

"You saw his face just now. Any time that you're troubled, he's troubled. He thinks the world of you, Marinette," counseled Tikki. "So, one way or another, as just a friend or as maybe something more... you need to reach out."

"Plagg?" whispered Adrien. "Can I ask you something?"

The Kwami floated up to Adrien's side. "Sure, go ahead," he offered. "I'm a little weak from hunger, but I'm listening."

Adrien gave Plagg a perturbed look. "Look, we're in quarantine right now," Adrien argued. "I can't just run down to the nearest cheese shop and fill the Dupain-Chengs' fridge with Camembert."

"What's stopping you? Sneaking out is something you're good at," Plagg grumbled. "But, fine... I'll limp through another day or two of cookies before I fall over."

"Enough, okay?" said Adrien. "I need your advice. Why would it bother Marinette so much that people thought that she had a crush on me?"

Plagg froze in place. "That's what you want to know now?" he marveled. "Finally?"

"Yeah," mused Adrien. "I mean, there's nothing wrong with me, right? I like to think that I'm a nice person, that I'm a good friend, that I'm not terribly hard on the eyes... that I would at least be someone interesting to spend time with. And she does seem to enjoy my company almost all of the time that I'm near her."

"Nah, it's not anything like that, I'm sure. You can see it in her eyes every time she talks to you. She really likes you, Adrien," hinted Plagg, with the subtlety of a thrown brick. "I mean, really likes you."

"And I really like her. A little more every single day since I met her," Adrien smiled. "But we just keep hitting this bump in the road and lurching backwards, and I don't understand why."

He pondered the puzzle for a moment. "You don't think it's that she... isn't into boys in general, do you?" ventured Adrien, tentatively.

Plagg let out a huge laugh. "No... I don't think that's it," he cackled. "Not that it would be bad if she was, but... just, no. It's not that."

"And she doesn't have a boyfriend already. I'm pretty sure that she would've mentioned it if she'd had one all along; Alya certainly would've," continued Adrien. "Or Nino. Or all the classmates who seem to think Marinette and I would be a perfect match. Everyone seems to think that except for Marinette... and me, I guess."

"You guess?" wondered Plagg. "You're not sure?" You're so close, Adrien, he thought. Keep going!

Adrien stared back at Plagg. "I hadn't... well... ever really thought that hard about it," he conceded. "Not while I'm in love with Ladybug. And Ladybug gets so upset when I don't take 'no' for a final answer from her... so I do want to take Marinette's 'no' seriously. Especially now that she's said it twice."

"Ah, well..." muttered Plagg. "Look at it this way. She's said that twice... right after she had a big, public, embarrassing shock. They showed your pictures on her wall live on TV, and you were right there in her face, asking her about them. The whole thing with the statue; you saw how shaken up she was when you startled her then. Have you ever asked her about it when she's not all emotionally charged up?"

"Which means that I shouldn't ask her now," Adrien considered. "I saw her face up there. She wasn't looking happy at all."

"You don't have to rush it. You're going to be here a while, I'll bet," Plagg replied, "and even if you aren't, you'll see her every day at school once you go back. You can come and visit her here, like you have been. The right time to ask will jump out at you, eventually."

"If I should ask at all," pondered Adrien. "Or I could just shelve the subject and not risk upsetting her again."

"You do what you think you need to do," Plagg said. "But what I think is - oop!"

Approaching footsteps stopped him in mid-sentence, and he dove straight through the bed and out of sight.

Marinette stepped forward and knocked gently on the open door. "Hey," she greeted him.

"Hi," Adrien replied. "Please, come in," he asked, sitting up and patting a space next to him on the guest bed.

She stepped into the room and sat down beside him. Adrien was glad to see that her mood had improved somewhat, but still felt as if he was walking on eggshells.

"Are you all right?" he asked, lightly. "I don't mean to push or pry... you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine, Adrien," Marinette smiled. "I just... I just needed to work through a couple of things in my brain. Things up there can get complicated."

"I want you to know that if you ever do want to talk something out... whatever it is... I'm always listening," soothed Adrien. "And I'll always be interested."

"I know," she breathed... and by instinct, she leaned over against him, her head resting on his shoulder. "You are a wonderful person, Adrien. I'm so glad that I know you."

As if of its own doing, Adrien's arm stretched across her back, supporting her gently.

"...Maybe we can talk one of these nights. Go up on my balcony on a nice night, perhaps," she ventured, "and look at the stars together."

"I would like that very much," answered Adrien. "But for tonight, you'd mentioned a movie downstairs?"

Marinette sat up and gave him a bigger smile. "Yeah," she agreed, "that'd be just right. Shall we?"

The teens headed for the staircase to the main floor of the house, both still feeling a little, indefinable spark in the air.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 9

Morning came, after an uneventful evening of movies and relaxation, and with it another opportunity for Marinette's blood pressure to skyrocket.

"You seem a little more relaxed about... that today," Tikki said from her vantage point on Marinette's desk, indicating the closed bathroom door with a small nod.

"I don't know that I am," she replied. "I'm sure that it would still be a... um... a life-changing sight! But I don't feel as tempted right now to sneak a peek... I've got bigger things on my mind."

"Don't overthink it, Marinette. You don't have to rush anything," advised Tikki. "When it's time to talk about those feelings with him... you'll feel that it's right, and you'll do it. I have faith in you."

"Yeah," Marinette said. "Though it's still a pretty big risk if I do it. And if I - Oh!"

Her exclamation came as she heard a loud noise across the room. Peering down, Marinette could see Adrien's phone sitting near his shoes by the bathroom door. Quickly, she dashed down from her bed and picked it up, seeing an incoming call on the screen.

"Adrien!" she called through the door, and heard the shower water turn off. "It looks like Nathalie's calling you."

"Um... that's a secure video-chat app that we use. She'll keep pestering me until I answer; she's like that, and I'm a little... occupied," Adrien answered. "Can you talk to her for a minute?"

"I... guess?" Marinette said. "But I can't unlock your phone to open the app."

"Oh! Yeah, it's a fingerprint sensor," he replied. "Here... let me do it like this..."

"Ahhh!" yelped Marinette, as the bathroom door opened slightly...

"I'm not coming out!" yelled Adrien. "Not like this! I just... can you reach the phone around the door, please?"

Marinette closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and did as she was asked. She felt a warm, wet hand touch hers, imagined the state that Adrien was in on the other side of the door, and couldn't suppress a giggle.

"Why, Adrien! This is so sudden," she found the nerve to joke.

"Got it!" Adrien declared. "Thank you! I'll just be a minute."

The door closed once Marinette pulled her arm and the phone back into her room. For some reason, Marinette felt like her bedroom was suddenly full of steam as well.

"H-hello!" Marinette answered as the call connected. Nathalie's face popped into view, looking rather startled to see a schoolgirl in a pajama top on the other end.

"Good... morning," Nathalie sputtered out. "Marinette, is it?"

"Yes, that's me," said Marinette. "Adrien is in the shower. He asked me to answer while he gets dressed. Which he asked me through the bathroom door. That stayed closed. Yep, that's how he asked."

"Somehow I cannot imagine otherwise," deadpanned Nathalie. "Everything is going well on your end, I hope?"

"It is. He's well-fed, well-rested and entertained. I think my father's ready to take him on as an apprentice in our kitchen," smiled Marinette. "Though I would imagine his father would have something to say about that."

"Yes... he would. I have some news about his father, speaking of... would you pass a message to Adrien, once he's presentable?" Nathalie asked.

"Will do..."

A short time later, the door popped open and a semi-clad Adrien emerged, with his hair wet and unruly by his standards. He had a pair of exercise shorts on for modesty's sake, but otherwise had just a towel draped over his neck and shoulders.

"Did you get her?" he asked. "Is she still on the line?"

"No... she just had a brief message to pass on to you," Marinette said, looking away nervously.

"You can look! I have pants on," laughed Adrien. "I'm not going to bite."

"I know!" she blushed, turning back towards him and meeting his gaze. "Um... she had good news and bad news. Good news first?"

"Sure," he said.

"Your father's test results came back... and he tested negative for COVID-19," smiled Marinette. "Which is excellent to hear."

"I'll say!" smiled Adrien. "But what was the bad news?"

"Two people in the design studio are showing symptoms, and are quarantined at home now," she explained. "So until they get tested as well, those who were near them can't be sure..."

"...and everyone that they were in contact with might have been exposed, too. Wow, that's not good," Adrien fretted. "That's an awful lot of people at risk!"

"And Nathalie is one of them; she was in that studio herself, and since she's been up close with your father since then..." Marinette continued, "there's a whole bunch more self-quarantining happening now, including at your house. She wants you to remain clear of there for at least another week, probably two. The studio and production lines are shut down now, as a precaution."

"They should've been already," grumbled Adrien.

In her urge to comfort him, Marinette let most of her shyness tumble away. "Adrien... I am so sorry," she told him, moving in close. "I was really hoping that you'd be able to relax once your father's results came back, but now you'll be worrying that much longer."

"I don't think that anyone can really relax right now, can they?" Adrien pointed out. "Sure, he's negative for now, and so are all of us... as far as we know, anyway. But it's too important to leave anything to chance, and that means thinking of the workers before the business! He should have shut it down much sooner."

"I don't know the specifics, but don't be too hard on him until Nathalie tells you the whole story," Marinette consoled him. "I'm just passing on what she told me. I don't know what other precautions they might've had in place before this. No one was ready for any of this to happen."

They looked at each other for a moment... and neither was sure who moved first, but a hug was happening before they knew it.

"We're going to get through all of this," Marinette told him, not letting go. "I don't know how yet... but we all will."

"I know," Adrien said. "And thank you... I needed this."

"Good," smiled Marinette. After a moment, she added, "And you're still kind of wet," realizing that her pajamas were absorbing some of it.

"Showers can do that," agreed Adrien.

That broke the ice enough to get both of them laughing. "Go on, do what you still need to do in there. Then I can get my shower," Marinette grinned.

"Hey, um... if you're in the shower and your phone rings, what should I do?" Adrien asked, feigning innocence.

"You just let it ring."

Downstairs, Sabine heard her husband coming up the stairs as she readied breakfast. "Tom?" she called. "Should I go down and mind the store for you?"

"I wouldn't bother right now," sighed Tom as he entered the room. "I put a sign on the door saying YES WE ARE OPEN and BACK IN TEN MINUTES. I don't know that anyone will be there to read it."

"That slow today, huh?" asked Sabine. "I am glad that so many people are staying home, for their own sake, but that doesn't do much for our business."

"Like molasses." Tom poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down. "It's a strange time," he mused. "People still need to eat, you know? So I want to remain open and do my part. But every day is a guessing game now of what to make, and how much, and if anyone will turn up to buy it. It's maddening."

Sabine sat down across from him. "We've had slow times before, and gotten through them. We have enough savings stashed away to not have to worry yet. Not everyone is that lucky," she noted. "And it's not like what we make is being wasted if it doesn't get sold; the food banks that pick up our extras are seeing to that. They're needed more than ever right now."

"I know. But it's still frustrating," grumbled Tom. "I've seen on social media that some of the other bakeries in town are doing great. Overwhelmed, even."

"Most of them don't have a certain disadvantage," said Sabine, in a flat tone.

Tom caught her subtext and frowned. "Any customer who brings up your Chinese heritage that way will never set foot in our store again," he declared. "You can be sure of that."

"I'm not fond of that notion, either," Sabine countered. "But people are scared, Tom. They're not thinking straight. I'm not going to take it personally."

"I'll handle that for you, if it comes to it," sighed Tom, as he made himself calm down.

Footsteps on the stairs announced the kids' arrival. Marinette noted both her parents' presence and looked puzzled. "Who's minding the bakery?" she asked.

"I will be, momentarily. Taking a quick break," said Tom.

Adrien relayed the news from Nathalie about his father and the quarantined workers. "It sounds like you're stuck with me for a while longer," he told them. "I apologize for that."

"Don't worry about that," Tom replied. "You are far from a burden, Adrien. It's been very nice having you here, and you're welcome to stay as long as you need to."

"Is there any kind of financial arrangement that we can make?" asked Adrien. "I'm sleeping under your roof, I'm eating your food, I'd like to feel like I'm contributing."

"You're helping around the house, you're helping in the bakery, you're wonderful company for Marinette. You don't think that that's enough?" smiled Sabine. "You're part of our family for now. That's all that we could ask of you."

"Thank you," Adrien managed. "It feels great to feel like... I'm part of a real family. If I can help in other ways, you let me know." He turned to Marinette and asked, "Shall we go down and watch the bakery for them for a while?"

"Oh, no, you don't, young man. You sit right down," Sabine directed him with a smile. "If you're in this family, you'll listen to your mother, and she's telling you to eat your breakfast first."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 10

"Now can we go down and reopen the bakery?" asked Marinette, once their breakfast plates had been emptied.

"Sure," Tom agreed. "I'll be down in a few minutes. You can find something for Adrien to do down there, right?"

"I will!" Marinette grinned, as the teens flew down the stairs together.

"I'll just bet that she could," quipped Tom, once they were out of earshot. When Sabine raised an eyebrow, he added, "Oh, come on. I know a boy whose eyes are opening wide when I see one. The two of them are bonding at a record pace."

"What about the other girl? Kagami?" wondered Sabine. "There was some wiggle room when he spoke of her the other night... but from what Marinette's told me, she's not so sure, and she doesn't want to become a junior homewrecker." She paused, then added, "They're still schoolchildren after all. A homeroomwrecker."

"He could have told me 'Kagami's my girlfriend' at dinner, when I asked him about her. He didn't. He was sitting right next to our daughter and he left that door open," insisted Tom. "And these are circumstances that none of us could have predicted... but they're together, and they're spending lots of quiet time together, and he has that look about him. I had that look once."

"Oh, I remember it well," Sabine smiled. "Because you still do."

Marinette glanced back at Adrien as she flipped the door sign back to OPEN. "If you think I'm letting you pay rent to stay here with us, you're nuts," she declared. "You're our guest, Mister."

"And you know how much I appreciate that," Adrien answered. "But I am one more mouth for them to feed, and this is just a crazy situation..."

He gave her a sincere look, the earnest wanting-so-much-to-please look that never failed to make Marinette quiver just a little bit. "I need to help. Any way I can."

"How about this?" said Marinette, walking towards him with a smile. "See what you can find back in the kitchen that needs cleaning, okay? When Papa gets down here, he'll find something more creative that we can do together."

"Sure! Just throw me in the back where I can't get in any trouble," chuckled Adrien. "I get it."

"I am trying to keep you out of harm's way, like your father and Nathalie want us to," grinned Marinette, stopping a short distance away from him. "Social distancing, they're calling it on the news. A little space between you and the customers that we do get, for your own safety."

"Uh-huh. So they breathe on you instead, and then we all go upstairs and spend time together. Is that really such a big difference?" he argued. "I mean, I am happy to help back there, don't get me wrong! I just think that I'm already as safe as any of us can be, just by being in this house."

"Hmmph. It's not that you're wrong about that... but maybe I need to stay six feet away from you, if that's such a worry," grumped Marinette.

Adrien took another step forward, moving right in front of Marinette, close enough to embrace her if he'd chosen to at that moment.

"Please don't," he told her, in a softer tone. "That's a risk that I'm willing to take."

Marinette stared back, unable to speak...

Heavy footsteps on the stairs broke the mood abruptly. Adrien dashed into the kitchen, winking at Marinette as he did, while Marinette walked quickly behind one of the counters... hoping that her face wouldn't be scarlet when her father entered the room.

After supper, Marinette walked Adrien up to his room, lingering at the doorway. "That was fun today," she smiled at him. "You're a natural with a frosting gun."

"Oh, I just made some pretty designs. You, on the other hand, are an absolute artist!" beamed Adrien. "You're as talented with a piping bag as you are with your drawing pencils."

"Well, I have had a lot of practice," she replied, accepting his compliment graciously. "Papa's had me practicing that since I was a little girl. Back then, of course, they also had to keep me from eating them once I was done."

"Eaten cookies and pastries don't sell very well, I guess," he chuckled.

His face turned more thoughtful after a moment. "Listen," he said, "I hope that I wasn't rude downstairs after breakfast. I know that I need to stay out of harm's way."

"And you weren't wrong in what you said," Marinette told him. "We don't want to baby you, and I hope you don't feel like we are. I know you feel like you get enough of that at home."

"No, not at all! I'm just...  I..."

He faltered, and Marinette stepped closer, kneeling down beside him as he sat on the side of his bed. "What is it?" she asked him, lightly.

"Two things," Adrien said. "One is that, well, the way that my father's kept me so confined all this time... especially since my mother disappeared... there are so many times that I've felt like I was locked away in my own house. Like Rapunzel in her tower," he joked, "except with shorter hair."

Marinette's eyes widened with concern, and Adrien followed up quickly. "And that is so not what is happening here... other than what this virus thing is forcing on all of us. None of us can help that. And if I have to be cooped up, and I do... I couldn't ask for better company, Marinette. You and your parents. I'm just... a little sensitive to feeling stir-crazy sometimes, so please pardon me if I get a little cranky. I don't mean to."

"Okay, I get that," agreed Marinette. "You have every reason to feel stressed. We all do! I don't want you to feel like we're stashing you away, keeping you all to ourselves."

Not that I would mind that in a lot of ways, she thought, suppressing a blush. But you're too special not to share with all the world.

"And the other thing is... um... I need to phrase this just right," Adrien continued. "I meant what I said upstairs today; I don't know if I've ever felt more welcomed than I have here. Even though it's just been a couple of days, even though we all know that it's just temporary. Like... there's a sense of peace here, the kind that my house just doesn't have. Like this is a place where I could belong."

"Wow," marveled Marinette. "That's no small compliment."

"No, it isn't," Adrien smiled, "but I mean it just the same. And your parents are amazing... but you are on another level, Marinette. When we've been spending time together here, when we're talking things out like this, I don't even know how to describe it. It's like you're..."

He paused, and Marinette prepared herself. If you say 'the sister I never had' I'm going to smile and then cry and then throw something. Don't you dare. Don't you DARE...

"...someone that I've been looking for for a very long time. The kind of person that I always hoped I'd get to meet someday," he told her.

Oh!

"Don't you make me cry, Adrien," breathed Marinette, feeling overwhelmed. "Don't you even."

"I'm not trying to," said Adrien. "But I just had to say it."

"I'm very, very glad that you think so," she replied, slowly, pretty sure that she was visibly glowing with joy. "I love seeing you happy like this. I really hope that once the quarantine is over, and we're back in school and in our normal lives again... we don't lose this kind of closeness."

"Me, too."

The words JUST KISS ALREADY! swooped through the Dupain-Cheng house once more, diving at both Marinette and Adrien with increased intensity. Once again, their mutual trance kept those words from registering fully... so the words landed in a corner, defeated, but determined to try again when the time was right.

"Hey! I have a surprise for you tonight," declared Marinette, her original train of thought reasserting itself. "Come on up with me?"

"S-sure," gulped Adrien, looking a little surprised.

She led him upstairs to her bedroom, then to the computer. Adrien settled down next to her on the chaise lounge as she clicked an icon, calling up the Scepter Quest game again.

"Aha! Another gaming night?" he smiled.

"Kind of," hinted Marinette. "Okay, I'm logging you in... you're going to go first this time," she added, scooting the keyboard and mouse over to his side of the desk. "Pick your character... yeah, like that. Now send a message to 'ScarletBlade8,' and say hello."

He typed:

[TheRadiantOne] /msg ScarletBlade8 Hello!

A few moments later, a teleport portal appeared by his side and a lady samurai character, dressed in red feudal armor and carrying a wicked-looking katana stepped through it.

In local chat, he saw her speak to him:

[ScarletBlade8] Hello, handsome. I'm so glad to see you!

Adrien stared at that... then at Marinette, who was grinning... then back at the screen. "...Wait," he said, slowly making the connection. "Is that..."

"That's Kagami!" said Marinette, looking pleased. "I messaged her earlier, and she said she'd be interested in trying this out. That way, once you're back home, all three of us can play together sometimes. I don't know if her mother gives her a lot of free time for playing... kind of like your father... but we'll figure it out then."

"Oh, wow!" Adrien marveled. He fiddled with the commands, and made his character face Kagami's and wave and do a happy dance. "But the three of us can't play together if we're sharing one computer here, right?" he added, turning to Marinette once more.

"This is your turn," Marinette assured him. "You've got lots of time with me this week, but I know that Kagami's been missing you, and you've missed her. Go ahead and play and talk with her, okay? I'll be right over here, and I'll take a turn with her at some point, too."

Adrien gave Marinette a look of complete adoration. "You amaze me, you know that?" he managed, as he reached over and took her hand in his for a moment. "Thank you so much for setting this up."

"My pleasure. Now, don't keep her waiting or she might whack you with that sword," smiled Marinette.

She walked a short distance to her computer chair, which was close enough to feel near him but far enough not to seem like she was eavesdropping. With her phone in her hand, she browsed the Internet idly, watching Adrien focus intently on his ongoing conversation.

Something is happening in this house, she thought to herself. I can feel it. And I'm not all the way sure where it's going. But if it's got any chance of going where I wish that it could...

...it's going to happen the right way.

It has to.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 11

Late that night... a young woman felt restless and thoroughly incapable of sleep.

I know that arranging that meeting for them tonight... that was the right thing to do, thought Marinette. It was important for me to do that.

Kagami is my friend. Adrien is her boyfriend. Close enough to that, at least. This wasn't about just helping them talk to each other tonight; they were already doing that, she reasoned. He has his phone. They're talking and messaging and probably blowing kisses at each other every night. And they should be!

This was about showing them both that  I understand that they're very close... and that I approve of that. Of them. That I can be their good friend and not get in the way of their relationship.

As happy as Adrien looked when he realized what I'd done... that was SO the right thing. I'm sure of it.

Now I just need to convince myself that it was the right thing for _me_.

Marinette laid back on her pillow, the conversation in Adrien's room echoing in her mind.

What he said to me today... about my being the person that he'd been waiting to meet for so long...

This time, some gentle tears refused to be suppressed.

I've never heard anything so beautiful in all my life, whimpered Marinette. I thought that I was in love with Adrien before... when I was just chasing after him blindly, a schoolgirl with a hopeless crush. When I'd had just a little taste of what he's truly like inside.

But now?

It was a drop of water all that time. Now I think it's an ocean.

I have to keep it under control. I have to be the very best friend he will ever have. That's what he clearly wants to be for me, and as many thousands of times that I've imagined our perfect first kiss... he needs my support right now, not my crush.

His father is at risk again. Nathalie is at risk. His entire family business is at risk; everything they've built and stand for. He's locked down with us, he's upset about being stranded ANYWHERE, and as if he needed even more heartache, just as he finally found his first girlfriend... she's stranded across town and they can't be together.

I hope that what I did helped... and that it didn't feel like me throwing "I'm here and she's THERE" in his face. It didn't seem like it... he looked very happy... but I need to be sure.

This isn't even a choice for me. Adrien needs me to be here for him... as his best friend, as the person he can lean on... and I can't let him down.

She came to a decision, and slipped down from her bed to her bedroom floor. Across the room, Tikki stirred, as Marinette's quiet movement broke what had been complete silence.

"Marinette?" she asked. "Where are you going?"

"I have to check on him," Marinette replied. "I'm being silly... but I can't sleep until I know that he's all right tonight."

Tikki weighed the possibilities in her tiny head. "Then do it... but be quiet, and be careful," she advised. "If your mom or dad catches you sneaking into his room at night, it could raise questions..."

"Right now... I don't care if it does. I know that I'm not going there for that reason... and if it comes to it, I'll tell them that myself."

"Good luck," Tikki smiled.

Bare feet crept down the stairs from Marinette's room very slowly. I don't WANT to have to explain this if I don't have to... she smiled, navigating the known creaky points on the stairs efficiently.

And it's not like I'm coming down in a lacy nightgown, or something like that... these are just my pajamas. He's seen me in them many times now. Even at the movies that one time!

He's not going to see them, anyway, if he's sleeping. I hope that he is.

Adrien's door was closed. Taking a deep breath, Marinette turned the doorknob and slid the door open just a crack... then a tiny bit wider.

Ohhhh...

Adrien was flat on his back, a light bedsheet pulled up over most of his bare chest... eyes closed, with his breathing slow and regular.

Oh, my gosh, Marinette thought, melting inside. I've never seen him sleep before... other than that time on the train, and I was mostly asleep myself when I saw him then. He is absolutely adorable right now.

A warm smile crossed her face. So he managed to relax after all... Good. With everything going on in his life right now, he needs some rest, and he's getting some. I'll just step back and close the-

A quiet voice was heard, unexpectedly.

"You couldn't sleep, either?"

"Eeeeeemmmmmmpph!" Marinette nearly screamed, clapping both hands over her mouth to muffle herself, stumbling slightly.

"Oh, no! Marinette!" whispered Adrien, nearly too loudly as he watched her distress. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you like-"

"It's... it's okay... I'm sorry... I didn't want to..." babbled Marinette.

"Marinette... come in! Please! Come in and close the door," Adrien directed her. "Before anyone else wakes up!"

She did as she'd been asked, catching her breath and shaking visibly.

"Come here, please? Sit by me," said Adrien, sitting up himself and pulling his bedsheet up around his waist. He indicated a spot on the other side of the twin bed, where Marinette sat down, facing him.

"Adrien... oh, boy. I wasn't... sneaking in here to-"

"Of course you weren't," Adrien assured her. "Take a deep breath. Another. Okay. Can you tell me why you did come here, but only when you're ready?"

"Yeah," she breathed. "I'm okay, I am. That was just quite a shock. Okay... I... I was worried about you, with the day you had, hearing about your father and the longer quarantine and what we talked about earlier. I just... I just wanted to peek in and make sure you weren't lying there awake, all worried or upset. And, well... I just found out the hard way that you were still awake."

"Just like how you were lying awake up there, worrying about me?" asked Adrien, grasping her intentions and their implications.

"Something like that," admitted Marinette.

Adrien was silent for a few seconds.

"Now I'm the one saying 'don't make me cry,' Marinette," he managed.

"Really?" she asked him, visibly startled, wondering what he meant by that.

"I'll say it again... you amaze me, Marinette. In the very best way," he told her, sounding emotional. "I have never met anyone in my life with a heart as big as yours. Not even Ladybug."

She blinked at that, looking rather surprised... and Adrien realized quickly that those last three words probably shouldn't have slipped out.

"Not that I know Ladybug all that well... like, I don't have her number, or anything..." he backpedaled, frantically. Not that I'm Chat Noir. Nope. Not at all.

"I'll still take that as a massive compliment," she stammered, still a bit nervous.

"And no one, except maybe my mother... has ever cared for me the way that you do." Adrien swallowed hard. "In fact... I... wonder if..."

...as deep as your feelings seem to run...

...if you might be falling for me...

...like I think I might be for...

NO! Think, Adrien! he ordered himself. Remember what Plagg told you! You just startled the life out of her and she's all emotional now. When she was like that before and you asked about her feelings... she panicked, she got nervous, she turned evasive. Plagg was so right about that.

Don't do this now.

Pull it back! NOW!

"...no, I don't wonder. I know how lucky I am," he revised his thought, "just to know you. There's no one that I'd rather be here with."

"I wouldn't go that far," smiled Marinette, continuing to calm herself down. "Which is why I did that tonight. I'm really glad that you and Kagami had some fun together! You both needed that so much."

"You're right; we did," conceded Adrien. "We are both lucky to know you. So lucky! I... I kind of want to hug you right now... but, um... I'm not wearing very much under this sheet."

"In that case, I'm fine staying over here," she replied, with a slight giggle. "That's all we need, right? You're in your underwear, I'm in your room at night, the door opens, and oh, hi, Papa!"

"I think that your father likes me... but he could also pound me into the ground like a tent stake," Adrien laughed. "I'd rather not test his patience that way."

"He does like you. He really, really does," Marinette assured him. "My mom, too. And you know... you know..."

It was Adrien's turn to watch Marinette pause, gathering her thoughts carefully before finishing her sentence.

"...You know that you're special to me, Adrien," she settled on. "Don't ever doubt that."

"I don't think that I ever could."

Adrien's emotions burned inside him. I can't just let it sit COMPLETELY unspoken... he told himself.

"You know how you told me yesterday that one of these nights, we should go upstairs and talk about things?" he ventured, cautiously. "I was wondering... could we make a kind of a date of that tomorrow?"

"A date?" wondered Marinette.

"A kind of a date. Not a date date. I'm messing this up..." fretted Adrien. "What I mean is, tomorrow's supposed to be nice weather. Going up on your balcony and watching the stars at night... I think that would be a wonderful way for both of us to relax, and remind ourselves that there still is an outside! And anything you'd want to talk about... or not talk about... is fine. Would you still like that?"

"Adrien... it's a date. Whatever kind of one you'd like," Marinette grinned. "Tomorrow night would be great for that." She took another deep breath, then asked, "So... you're good for tonight?"

"I am. Are you?" Adrien asked in return. "I'm the one who startled the heck out of you."

"How about this?" she said. "I'll sneak back upstairs, and we'll both try to get some sleep, okay? I guess that we can both manage that now."

"I'm sure that I can. We both have a lot on our minds right now... but we have each other for support, and that makes so much difference," Adrien smiled, very warmly. "Marinette... thank you for checking on me. It means more to me than you know."

"Good. Now, lay back," giggled Marinette.

"Hmmm?" Adrien wondered, startled, but laid his head back on his pillow once more.

Marinette got up from her spot on the bed, walked towards Adrien's end of it, and pulled the bedsheet up to his shoulders with a nervous grin. "Just making sure that you're tucked in properly," she whispered, "like a good host should."

"I'm tingling," murmured Adrien.

"Then stop tingling, and go to sleep," Marinette ordered him, playfully. "Good night, Adrien."

In the moment, she couldn't resist leaning down and planting a tiny kiss on his forehead. Adrien looked up at her, wide-eyed, and came very close to reaching his arms out and pulling her back down towards him...

"Good night, Marinette," he simply said, instead. "See you tomorrow."

"You sure will," she smiled, and then she was gone, as quietly as she had arrived.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 12

A gentle knock at a door produced no immediate response the next morning.

"Marinette?" called Adrien, quietly. "Are you awake?"

I see that there's a light on in her room, so I think she's up? he pondered. But she's not answering.

Cautiously, he cracked the door open much as Marinette had opened his the night before... then just a little more...

His blonde head peered through the opening and he called her name once more. Still getting no response, he opened it far enough to step into her room, and found himself seemingly alone. Craning his neck, he attempted to tell whether Marinette was up in her bed or not; it was hard to tell. A hint of a bulge could have been her sleeping form, or just a trick of the light and a pillow or a bunched-up bedsheet.

And I am NOT climbing up there to find out.

Or...

He looked over at the bathroom door... and that, too was closed, with light showing through the crack at the bottom of the door. When he took a couple of tentative steps forward, he heard the sound of the shower running inside.

Ah! he realized. She went ahead and got her shower first today; I must've slept a little later than usual. I'll just head back downstairs and...

...

...My legs won't move.

A rush came over Adrien, one that he was not entirely proud of but that was largely inevitable. A vision came to his mind, a reminder of what he'd felt the night before, while lying in his bed with a lovely young lady tucking him in...

"Then stop tingling, and go to sleep," Marinette had giggled at him. "Good night, Adrien," she had smiled...

...and then a sweet and gentle kiss had touched his forehead, like a tiny angel's wings brushing against it, and that tingling had become a raging flame.

Two sides of Adrien's brain began shouting loudly at each other. The dominant side demanded that it was time to leave, now, before the bathroom door would open and a towel-clad Marinette would dig a hole through the wall with her bare hands in her urge to flee the scene. She had been much more dressed last night and nearly had the same reaction. She would FREAK if she caught you here now. It is the gentlemanly thing to do. It is the ONLY thing to do!

The other side, controlled by his teenage hormones, argued its case. Hey, wait for just a minute! The door's still closed. I am not finished cataloguing every... little... detail about this for later reference! The sound of the shower running, the warmth of the door...

Why are you close enough to the bathroom door to feel that? the dominant side snarled, resending marching orders to his legs, which continued to resist but made marginal progress towards the exit.

The pleasant scent of soap or shampoo... that's lavender, I think, the teenage boy side continued, undaunted. Though I can't... I won't... I shouldn't form a mental picture of behind that shower curtain right now.

Nope. Not going to do that. No. Not going to even think of picturing the sweet angel who kissed me last night, who was the focus of all my dreams last night, who's in there right now without-

He heard a small creaking sound, likely the faucets being turned... and then the sound of running water ceased abruptly.

For a split-second, Adrien imagined his eyes shooting out like an old cartoon character's...

...and then he leaped out through the door as if jet-propelled, closed the door behind him, and beat feet down the stairs as quickly as he could. He was pretty sure that the sound of his brain screaming I TOLD YOU SO! would drown out any creaking of the stairs.

A bathroom door opened a moment later, slowly, and a towel-wrapped head peered around it.

"...Adrien? Was that you?" asked Marinette, cautiously.

Seeing no one and getting no response, she shrugged and closed the door once more, resuming her morning routine.

A short distance away, Tikki let out a small sigh of relief, followed by some quiet laughter.

In the afternoon, Tom and Sabine grinned at each other during a quiet moment.

"Quite a difference, hmmm?" marveled Tom. "Not as busy as in normal times, but who would expect that now? But much better than the last few days have been."

"I agree!" Sabine said. "A pleasant surprise."

"Maybe not so surprising," interjected Marinette, ducking her head in from the kitchen with a grin.

"Is it?" asked Sabine. "The mendiants you and Adrien made look delicious, and your father's marjolaines came out perfectly... but how would people know about them? We haven't exactly had a lot of word-of-mouth this week."

"Oh, ye of little faith," her daughter replied. "Someone took it upon himself to create some. Look!"

She handed her phone to Sabine, who reacted with some surprise. When Tom gave her a questioning look, she passed it over to him, and he saw a picture of Adrien and Marinette smiling over a tray of freshly-made mendiants. Beneath it was the text of an Instagram post:

adrienagrestebrand

Hello there, Paris! I hope that you all are well and staying safe. If your baked goods supply is running low... Tom & Sabine's Boulangerie Patisserie at 12 Rue Gotlib is open and full of deliciousness.

"What is this?" Tom wondered.

"Adrien thought of a different way that he could contribute," smiled Marinette. "Free advertising... with a very large audience! He's got over six hundred thousand followers."

"Six hundred thousand what?" continued Tom. "Is that a lot? It sounds like quite a lot of something."

"Accounts that follow his, so they'll see anything that Adrien posts there if they're watching their phones. My goodness, Marinette!" Sabine replied, looking startled. "That is a gigantic following!"

"I know! I have at least... a few dozen, I think," Marinette beamed. "Swipe to the next one."

When Tom swiped to the next post, he saw Adrien feigning exhaustion, pulling two fresh loaves of bread out of the oven on a paddle:

adrienagrestebrand

Baking is very hard work! Knowing how AND actually doing it. But don't worry... I'm just helping temporarily. The Dupain-Chengs know precisely what they're doing, and they've made many wonderful things today!

"Not a bad idea... do we have one of these Instathings, Sabine?" asked Tom.

"I don't think so. Maybe we should," Sabine replied. "I put updates on our Facebook page when I think of it." She turned to Marinette, looking thoughtful. "I appreciate the efforts..." she continued, "but is this the right message to send in this situation? I mean... we are open, and we would like customers, but we want them home and safe, too."

"We thought of that, too," said Marinette. "One more post."

The next one showed Marinette and Adrien side-by-side, each with paper masks over their faces.

adrienagrestebrand

First things first, though. marinettedesigned  and I remind you; if you're not well or might've been exposed, PLEASE be smart and stay at home. Give us a call and send someone else to pick up what you need!

"...Not bad," conceded Sabine. "And that explains all the phoned-in orders we've gotten today!"

Adrien poked his head out of the kitchen as well. "...You showed them?" he asked Marinette.

"Yeah, I did. What do you think?" Marinette asked, looking happy and hopeful.

"Thank you very much, Adrien! This really did make a difference for us today!" Tom declared, handing Marinette her phone back. "Though there is one other thing. I'm not sure if you thought about it before you posted these..."

As if on cue, Sabine's phone began ringing. She answered it, pleasantly... then her face turned quite alarmed.

"I am calling to inform you that Mr. Agreste has seen your advertisements today featuring his son... and he is absolutely appalled," declared Nathalie, in a rapid-fire verbal assault. "For one thing, we have entered into no formal business arrangement under which either the name or likeness of Adrien Agreste may be used to advertise your place of business, and for that alone you have placed yourselves into a very actionable position, Mrs. Cheng. I hope that you comprehend the gravity of this situation."

"I..." gulped Sabine, drawing the attention of all in the room. "We didn't..."

"Furthermore... when we arranged for Adrien to remain in Paris at your residence, we did so under the impression that you would safeguard his health as had been promised," Nathalie challenged her. "Not to put him to work in your kitchen like a common laborer. Not to put him into contact with customers who might have been exposed to the virus! The mere fact that your business remains open, you are exposing yourself to customers and you are then associating with Adrien is endangering Adrien's health. Perhaps his life as well! Your negligence is astonishing, Mrs. Cheng, and it will not go unanswered."

Adrien watched Sabine's frightened reactions carefully and made an educated guess. "Nathalie?" he mouthed to her, and stiffened up when she gave him a fearful nod.

"We will send someone to pick up Adrien within the half-hour. I hope that you have no long-term plans for your business, as once our legal team has done their work, I fully expect that we will own-"

Suddenly, Nathalie heard a rustling over the phone... followed by a different voice.

"You are going to tell me what you just said to her... right now," declared Adrien.

Marinette watched as Adrien frowned listening to Nathalie's tirade, then approached her shell-shocked mother. "What did she say?" Marinette whispered.

"She's furious. She thinks that Adrien being anywhere near the bakery is endangering him, exposing him. She's talking about legal action!" gasped Sabine.

"WHAT?" Marinette shouted. Tom stepped forward, reaching out for Sabine's phone, but Adrien gestured for him to stand back.

"Nathalie... you will listen to - you will listen to me right now. I will say what I need to say about this," he declared, with Gabriel-esque authority ringing in his voice. Tom stopped in his tracks, Marinette froze... and apparently, so did Nathalie, as Adrien continued without a pause.

"They did not 'put me to work in their kitchen.' I volunteered. Every single day that I've been here, and I will do it again every other day that I'm here, because I wish to. I am staying away from direct customer contact, by their request, because they are doing everything they can to keep me safe," Adrien stated. "They are housing me, they are feeding me, they are caring for me as if I was their own son. They are putting themselves at risk by having me here, because for all they knew, I might have been exposed before I even visited the other day!"

He listened to a brief response from Nathalie, then barked at her, "They are not taking advantage of me in any way. I offered to compensate them when I found out how long I might be staying here. This is a tough time, and money is going to be tight for everyone, and here I am as an unexpected burden for them, but they wouldn't even think of listening to me about that. They opened their home to me, they opened their hearts to me, because that's the kind of people they are. They think of others first every single time, and that's something that I wouldn't expect you or Father to fully understand."

"No, maybe that's not fair of me to say. I know that you're scared, and Father is scared, and everyone is scared right now. I wouldn't even be here right now if this whole situation wasn't deadly serious... But I put those posts up today because I felt inspired by the Dupain-Chengs. They're doing their best to play their part, to help any way they can, whether it's me or it's a hungry customer or it's you and Father by keeping me safe and sound. That's who they are."

He looked straight at Marinette as he added, "That's the kind of person that I want to be."

Just before disconnecting the call, Adrien concluded, "And if my father had called me to ask me why I posted those pictures today... or just to ask how I was, or if I was feeling healthy, or how he was coping, or if he felt any symptoms, or anything else these past few days... I would have told him that, too."

The room fell silent.

Adrien handed the phone back to Sabine. Softly, in a complete reversal of the commanding voice he'd used with Nathalie, he murmured, "I am so sorry, Mrs. Cheng. You cannot believe just how sorry. I didn't mean for any of that to happen when I... I didn't think first."

"No, Adrien, you did," she replied. "You thought of us first before thinking of yourself. That is the kind of person that you are."

He stepped forward, seeing an invitation in Sabine's demeanor, and she wrapped him up in a hug, closing her eyes.

Adrien laid his head on her shoulder, his breathing coming heavier, and the room fell silent once again.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 13

There was definitely a remarkable energy in the air that afternoon, Sabine mused... but she couldn't quite put her finger on its cause.

Oh, some of it is obvious, she smiled. Adrien can't keep his eyes off of Marinette... Tom is right, I think. That boy is SMITTEN.

How the tables have turned! Marinette spent all year pining for that boy... and she had excellent taste, I must say... but she was too nervous to approach him properly. Now he's got stars in his eyes and she's the composed one. Who would've thought it?

I suppose that I shouldn't be THAT surprised, she considered. Marinette is a caring and thoughtful girl, and she's so devoted to Adrien... but her jumbled nerves kept him from truly getting to know her. He started seeing the fencer girl, and that took pressure off of Marinette; now she's letting him see the real her, and he can't get enough.

I wonder if SHE'S noticed that he's noticing, that she's much more than a friend to him now?

Sabine glanced through the bakery's kitchen door and watched Adrien for a moment. She very nearly called out to him, worried that he might get his fingers caught in the beaters of the stand mixer if he didn't pay closer attention... until Marinette noticed his stare and grin and broke out in a wide smile of her own.

Note to self: Tell Tom not to let Adrien handle knives back there, she jotted in her mental notebook. Lest we return him eventually with seven fingers.

If we let him remain back there at all... but after his defense of us and of his wanting to help there this morning, how can we not? she marveled. That young man has STEEL inside of him... covering up such a gooey center. He's such a sensitive sort that seeing him transform like that on the phone was an eye-opener! Quite the protective instinct.

But when it comes to standing up for himself... he doesn't seem to react the same way. He wants to please others so much, and he'll set his own needs aside to make that happen. And if he thinks that he's failed at that in any way... he flinches. Like he's expecting punishment. Or that he's punishing himself.

Sabine frowned, recalling the look on Adrien's face when he had apologized to her that morning. The poor boy nearly crumbled in my arms after confronting Nathalie, she considered. Just what DO that horrible woman and his father demand of him over there?

I know what I've heard from Marinette about them so far... but I think that I need to hear more.

Watching the teens closely, she considered their antics for another few minutes. They're BOTH nervous, she perceived. Is it just that they're sensing each other's attraction now, or... is it something left over from earlier?

Or is something else entirely worrying them?

At supper, the feeling of unspoken anticipation continued to permeate the house. Tom wondered aloud what had gotten into the two of them; Adrien and Marinette shared a case of the giggles, with what seemed like private jokes passing back and forth between them steadily.

Sabine simply observed, passing plates and dishes and keeping the overall table conversation flowing smoothly. She was careful to avoid the topic of Nathalie's phone call; as startling as it had been, she felt like Adrien had been through enough today regarding it, and decided that she wouldn't bring it up with him unless he did.

After the dishes had been done and Tom had settled in for some evening television, Sabine told him that she'd be there shortly; nothing much, just something small that she needed to take care of. She stood in the next room, idly rummaging through some belongings as if tidying them, waiting... and hoping.

It only took a few minutes.

Shyly, Marinette approached her mother. "Mama... could I talk with you for a few minutes?" she asked. "It... um... might be kind of important."

Sabine suppressed showing off the unmitigated joy of a mother whose teenage daughter still values her advice... and smiled gently, instead. "Absolutely, dear. Come into the kitchen with me," she whispered, and they snuck off together.

Sitting across from Marinette, Sabine opened by saying, "I was hoping that I could talk with you tonight. You've seemed like you've been on edge much of the day. Not in a bad way, necessarily..."

"I don't think it's a bad way," said Marinette. "But I am nervous. I had asked Adrien if he'd want to go up top and talk one of these nights... and tonight's one of those nights."

Aha! thought Sabine. A big moment between them that they're both anticipating. "That would do it," she replied. "What's on your agenda to talk about?"

"Well, I was..." Marinette trailed off, momentarily. "I was going to admit to him that I've had feelings for him all along, and that I wasn't truthful with him when he'd asked that before."

She needs to talk this out for her own benefit as much as mine, reasoned Sabine. I'll let her lead this conversation. "He'd asked you before? And you'd said no?" she asked.

"Twice," admitted Marinette. "Once on that horrible day when the TV crew was filming in my room, and Jagged Stone told the world about my crush. Adrien approached me the next day, and I could barely face him, I was so nervous! I babbled at him about just being 'really into fashion.' I thought that he could tell that I was lying... but he let it go at that. The other time was at the wax museum... and, uh... that I don't really want to talk about in detail."

"I know that you came in that day looking like someone had shot your dog," sympathized Sabine. "I wanted to ask, but..."

"...It's a long story, Mama. But that was the day I found out that Adrien loved someone else, I'll just say that," said Marinette, quietly.

"And that someone was Kagami."

"It has to be," Marinette replied. "No one else even makes sense to consider."

"Hmmph," mused Sabine, not quite as sure of that. "But that was some time ago... and I have been watching him this week, and he's been watching you this week. I know that you felt before as if he couldn't see what you're really like, but right now... I assure you, he is."

"And that's why I was going to tell him tonight, but now I'm not so sure," said Marinette, looking down into her lap. "It may not be the right thing for me to do."

"Have your feelings for him changed?" her mother wondered. "As in, you're not as attracted to him as you once were?"

"Not at all," Marinette answered. "Very much the opposite! It's like, everything we do just makes it grow right now. We're talking about all sorts of things, we're comforting each other about everything that's going on, we're having fun and helping each other relax... actually, that's it! I'm relaxing around him now. And then yesterday... he told me just the sweetest thing ever about what I mean to him."

"What, when you checked on him late last night?" asked Sabine.

The response from across the table was beet red. "Nothing happened," emphasized Marinette. "Nothing."

"I didn't say that anything did! Merely that I thought I'd heard a little mouse scurrying down our hallway," Sabine grinned. "And I'm kind of glad that you did, to be honest. Tell me... I know that he's happy to be with you, and that he seems to be enjoying his stay. But... he's troubled, too. And Lord knows that he has reasons to be, but is there anything you can tell me about what else he's going through at home? You saw how shaken up he was after that phone call."

"Oh, he loves it here. I think that he'd move in for good, if he only could," Marinette explained. "But he and his father are... complicated."

Briefly, Marinette described their dynamic as she understood it: the pressures Adrien feels being Gabriel's son, the impact of the loss of his mother, and the distancing Gabriel had self-imposed after her disappearance. "Adrien wants so badly to be one of us at school, to fit in. And he has! There's nobody that doesn't like him... but his father just will not let up on him, ever," she lamented. "Which was a big obstacle in my trying to get closer to him. They don't seem to want anyone close to him."

"Except for Kagami," noted Sabine.

"Except for Kagami," Marinette agreed. "She's from a similar kind of background... her mother has some business thing going on with his father, and Adrien's not sure just what that's all about; he just knows that there's some kind of contract in the works. But the two of them have been pushed together... and now they are together."

"Are you sure?" Sabine wondered. "He didn't seem entirely sure the other evening, when your father asked him."

"They've been kissing, Mama," explained Marinette, patiently. "You don't go around kissing people that you don't want to be with like that."

"Oh... well, I suppose not," said Sabine. She has a bit to learn about that... she smiled to herself, and I'm a little glad that she hasn't already!

"So I'm torn," Marinette continued. "I want to be honest with him so much. Just so that I can turn that page and we can keep being best friends like we're becoming now! But I just think that things could get... you know... weird if I do. He might not look at me the same way. Kagami could feel hurt if she thinks that I'm making a move on her boyfriend."

"And what if he doesn't look at you the same way, once you've told him?" argued Sabine. "What if you say 'I've been in love with you,' and he says 'I love you, too?'"

Marinette sat perfectly still for a moment, as if astounded that anyone else imagined that it could even be a possibility, much less someone rational like her mother.

"Then I really am in trouble," she whimpered. "Because there's no way that I can say 'no'... and there's no way that I should say 'yes.'"

"I can't tell you what to do," Sabine began. "You have to make up your own mind about you and Kagami and what could change between you if you're honest. But I will suggest two things."

"Please do," Marinette said, attentively.

"One is that honesty is rarely a bad thing, in and of itself. It seems crazy to me that Adrien doesn't know that you wanted to be his... but if you've told him otherwise, maybe he doesn't!" said Sabine. "What's there between you is growing by leaps and bounds, though. You have such a connection now... and I think that if I was him... I'd want to know how you feel."

"Maybe. But maybe I'd just hurt him if I tell him! I'd just confuse him about what he has with Kagami-"

"And the other thing I have to say... is that Adrien is a very fine young man. A very smart, very sensitive, very caring young man. He has a big heart and a sharp mind. And he is allowed to change his mind, especially if what he knows about you changes as well," Sabine continued. "I am not saying that he would simply fall into your arms and sweep you off your feet, of course. I don't know how he would react. But as close as he's become to you this week... I am sure that he would react, and no matter what, he would be very protective of you. He would move mountains to keep you from feeling hurt."

"But not by hurting someone else," Marinette insisted. "I can't let him do that."

"And if his bond with Kagami is that strong... he wouldn't just dump her lightly for some kind of casual fling with you. I think we both know that," counseled Sabine. "That wouldn't even be an option for him. I think he'll find a way to keep both of you close, just like you're working so hard to do."

"Yeah," agreed Marinette. "So... okay. I have a lot to think about now... but thank you for all of this, Mama. I'm heading up to my room before... you know."

"Good luck to you, sweetheart... no matter how you choose to handle this," Sabine smiled.

She watched her daughter turn and ascend the stairs, then joined her husband on the living room couch. "Is everything all right?" Tom asked her.

"I think so," said Sabine. "Things may be lining up just the way that they should." When Tom looked at her quizzically, she simply added, "I think you'll see by tomorrow. What are we watching?"

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 14

"I'm... scared."

Plagg studied his young host's face carefully. "Among other emotions," he said, flatly. "Yeah, I can see a little of that mixed in with the rest."

"I am serious, Plagg!" Adrien moaned, trying to keep his voice low enough to not be overheard. "Tonight could be absolutely huge. Yes, I'm happy and I'm excited, too... but I'm still trying to figure out what to say when I get there with her tonight. If I'm doing the right thing."

"Fine. Talk me through it, then," Plagg sighed. "You and Marinette are going up on her balcony tonight to 'look at the stars.' As if that isn't code for something else entirely. Go ahead."

"Excuse me," Adrien retorted. "I have been up there dozens of times before with Marinette, which you would know since you were there! I've never laid so much as a paw upon her, much less a lip."

"As Chat Noir, yes. But Adrien's never been up there maskless," Plagg agreed.

"Adrien's never been up there, about to ask his good friend if she has feelings for him deep down," said Adrien. "And that he hopes that she does."

"Okay. Now, you are going to follow my advice, right? Don't push too hard. You've made so much progress with her, and you're stuck in this house with her, so tread lightly unless you're getting good signs back!" advised Plagg. "Keep her comfortable."

"I intend to," agreed Adrien. "In fact, I thought of that last night when she came to my room! I almost asked her then and there... but she was still catching her breath and shaken up, so I held back."

"I know; I was there," said Plagg. "Smart of you. Once in a while, I know what I'm talking about."

"More than I give you credit for sometimes," Adrien conceded. "And then other times, you're a raving cheese junkie."

"To mine own self be true," grinned Plagg, toothily. "Anyway... here's a question. You're not going to push Marinette if she's too emotional or overwhelmed. Are you either of those?" He searched Adrien's face, growing more serious. "That was quite a show you put on this morning in the bakery."

"Nathalie had no right to go after Mrs. Cheng like that. None," Adrien emphasized. "She was completely out of line."

"Don't get me wrong!" Plagg exclaimed. "You did great! I'm proud of you for that. But pushing back against them... that took a lot out of you. Are you up for this tonight?"

Adrien pondered that for a moment. "I need to be," he declared. "Marinette invited me up for stargazing the other day. She asked me because she had things that she wanted to talk about, so I need to be there to support her and to listen. Not for, uh... what I'm kind of hoping it might turn into."

"And what is that, exactly?"

"That's the part that I'm still figuring out," mumbled Adrien.

"Ladybug is still... Ladybug," Adrien began. "I still love her. I think I always will. That doesn't just... turn off. If it could, she'd have Lucky Charmed something that would've done the job months ago."

"But her answer has been 'no.' Every time. A little louder each time," he admitted. "And at some point... I had to at least show her that her answer had been heard, and to stop pushing so hard. Do I hope that she'll change her mind someday? Of course I do. But I can't make Ladybug fall for me."

Plagg nodded, holding back his first three reactions to that statement.

"And then came Kagami. She's the first person I've ever been interested in who's liked me that way, too," Adrien continued.

"I... okay. We'll go with that," said Plagg, picking his words carefully and getting a confused glare from Adrien.

"Well, she did! It took us a little while to really start to click... but once we did, she made it clear that she wanted something more. And I must admit that she is very, very persuasive," he smiled.

"As I've seen," Plagg chuckled. "Are you and her 'a thing' or aren't you, though? That might make a lot of difference for you tonight."

"I don't know," Adrien answered, flatly. "That sounds terrible of me to say, but it's true... we're still figuring a lot of that out. We're closer to that than I've ever been with anyone else... everyone seems to assume that we're a couple now. But we had planned on getting together and talking about it before all of this virus stuff happened."

"So you're single. You think," deadpanned Plagg.

"Attached enough that I wouldn't ask out anyone else lightly," Adrien confirmed. "And Kagami and I still need to talk before I'd commit to anyone else. Relationships are more complicated than I'd ever thought, Plagg! There are more levels than just 'dating' and 'not dating.' But I'd still put 'single' on my student ID."

"I doubt that many lycee students put 'married' there, but I get what you're saying," Plagg noted. "And that brings us to contestant number three..."

"See, that's the question for tonight, isn't it?" smiled Adrien. "If romance is a big game, I'm not even sure that Marinette wants to play it with me, much less win. Or that she hasn't already found a different partner."

Adrien's face showed a wide range of emotions, all at once. "I know what she's told me before. But I know what you and I had talked about, too, how she was caught up in her emotions when she said it then. And this week has been... Plagg, I just have to believe that I'm not the only one feeling it! That this time up close with her this week has opened her eyes, like it's opened mine."

"But maybe I am just seeing what I want to see. Maybe she is just being friendly and comforting while I'm stressed out. Maybe she's more comfortable with me now because she thinks I'm with Kagami, so she shouldn't have to worry any more about my asking her out. And maybe she's Luka's girl now," mused Adrien. "And I have to prepare myself for that, too."

"Anything's possible," Plagg replied. "But what are you hoping for?"

"More."

Adrien let that word ride for a moment. "Whatever she wants us to be. A deeper friendship, something more flirty than that, a let's-try-it-and-see-if-it-works real date, a kiss that lasts half an hour and still isn't long enough. But more. I'll follow her lead, follow what she wants, because I'd follow that girl anywhere."

"Sounds like you've got your head on straight, then. Now go comb your hair and try to relax for a while," smiled Plagg, "'cause you'll follow her upstairs soon."

A gentle knock at Adrien's door made him jump... which made Marinette jump... which made them share a gentle laugh.

"Hi," she said. "Would you still like some company tonight?"

"I've been looking forward to it all day," Adrien beamed, hopping up off of his bed. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to a little basket in her hand.

"Supplies," Marinette grinned. She showed off two bags of popped microwave popcorn, a couple of drinks and some napkins. "Being a good hostess."

"Then how can I resist?" Adrien grinned back. "Lead on, my lady."

His choice of phrase seemed to register with her for a moment. She looked at him curiously, as if... wondering...

...but then she shook that off, and led him upstairs with a broad smile and a few butterflies dancing in her stomach.

"Yesssss," Adrien exclaimed as he cleared the balcony hatch. "There is still such a thing as an 'outside.'"

"I promise that I haven't been hiding it from you!" Marinette told him. "Any time that you'd like to come up, you don't even have to ask."

"It'll be hard to keep me away," Adrien declared. "What a view!" He walked over to the railing, next to where Marinette was standing.

"Letting me have my room with access to this was one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me," agreed Marinette. "It's such a great place to come up and people-watch, or do some drawing, or just think about things... sometimes I'll even sunbathe up here in the summertime."

I REALLY need to come by here more often as Chat in the summer, Adrien thought.

"And right now... it looks so different than usual," she added. "Look at all the buildings out there that are dark tonight. Normally, the whole skyline is lit up at night."

"Why run the lights if nobody's home?" said Adrien. "If businesses are closed... I mean, a lot of them are still on anyway. Automated systems, I'd guess."

"Now, look up," Marinette smiled.

Adrien did... and saw the sky ablaze with constellations.

"So much less light pollution!" she grinned. "It's like everything aligned to give us even better scenery tonight."

"Definitely," Adrien agreed. "It reminds me of when I was very little, and we visited some distant family that lived out in the country... I'd look up at night and it was if it was a completely different sky from what I was used to. Like a fireworks show, but frozen in time. And in a way, it is!"

He pointed to a familiar constellation, guiding Marinette to look as well. "Like, Orion up there... each of those stars is many light-years away, hundreds or thousands of them, and light can only travel so fast. So what you're seeing isn't Betelgeuse now, but what it was like back in the 1300s or 1400s."

"Huh!" marveled Marinette. "I'd never really studied astronomy... that's quite a thing to wrap my head around."

"One of many subjects my father insists that I know something about," Adrien replied. "I must be an exceptionally well-rounded frontman for the business someday."

"Speaking of your father..." Marinette interjected... "thank you again for defending my parents this morning, Adrien. That meant a lot to them... and to me, too."

"You're welcome, but it was no big thing. It had to be said," he demurred. "You and your parents have been nothing but welcoming to me... and thank you for that."

"That wasn't easy on you to do, though. C'mere," beckoned Marinette. She stepped over to a lounge chair and pulled it next to a similar one. Sitting down on the left one, she patted the seat of the right one with her hand. "Let's talk about that for a minute, okay?"

Adrien, not needing an engraved invitation, quickly stretched out next to her. "They drive me crazy sometimes," he admitted. "Yes, I know that Agreste is a multi-million-Euro brand and a major player in multiple global industries..." he intoned, as if reading aloud from their sales brochure. "And I'm stuck with being part of that because of who I am. But not everything in this world should be about money and influence and lawyers, and they forgot about that a long time ago."

"I get that. It's a big reason why I'm glad you've kind of found a home in our class," Marinette smiled. "I know how much you want to be liked for being you, not for who your father is or what label your picture's on."

"I love that you understand me like that, Marinette," Adrien told her. "Because you're so right."

"Luckily, liking you for being you is very easy to do," she giggled.

"That's why... um..." Adrien faltered.

"Hmmm?" wondered Marinette, seeing that. "Just say it, whatever it is."

"That day that I asked you about those pictures on your wall... and you said that you were 'just really into fashion'... if someone else had said that to me, I might have taken it the wrong way," he ventured. Like, 'I'm just into you because you're a celebrity.'"

He saw alarm in her eyes and cut off her rebuttal before she could voice it. "And I knew that you were nothing like that, Marinette," he assured her. "You have been genuine with me from the moment that we met. Maybe the realest and the sweetest person I have ever known."

"Th-that's... because I took one look at a boy on the school steps, opening up to someone he barely knew and handing her his umbrella in the rain..." she stammered, "and I knew that he was someone just as real. Someone that I just had to get to know better."

"Best investment I ever made," Adrien grinned.

"It's still here," Marinette smiled.

"Definitely! I'm looking right at her."

"I... meant the umbrella," she blushed.

Marinette shivered, just a little bit.

"Are you all right like this?" asked Adrien. "I didn't bring a coat with me... but we could go get a couple of blankets, or something, or just go inside and talk..."

"No, I'm fine," she replied. "There's... just a tiny chill in the air, but I'm still warm enough... and I don't want to go inside yet."

Adrien gave her a look that, all by itself, warmed Marinette from the inside out. "I don't, either."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 15

Adrien watched Marinette roll onto her side on the lounge chair next to his, now fully facing him instead of the stars that they'd allegedly come up to view. Well, we DID view them... for a little bit, he laughed to himself. That counts, right?

Her happy smile was contagious, and her high comfort level with him was obvious. That alone sent a little thrill through his body.

"Tell me something about yourself. Something true that I wouldn't know," she requested.

"Secrets, huh? I might ask the same in return," Adrien bantered.

"And if you're honest with me... I'll be honest with you," said Marinette. "I promise."

"When are you ever not honest with me, Marinette?" asked Adrien. "It's hard to imagine that you're even capable of that."

"Oh..." she mumbled, nervously. Only when it comes to what we might be about to talk about! she thought. "Anyway... something small to start."

Adrien thought for a moment. "I have five middle names," he ventured. "Did you know that?"

"I don't think that I did," mused Marinette. Ladybug heard that from you once... but I shouldn't know that, she giggled to herself. "Why so many?"

"It's just a thing in our family. I think that they think they're aristocrats, or something," he snarked. "What's yours?"

"All right, then, my secret is... I don't have one," Marinette smiled. "My parents thought having a combined last name was enough for me."

"You can borrow one of mine, if you like. I'm not really using 'Athanase' all that much," grinned Adrien.

"Don't take it the wrong way... but I'll pass on that, thanks," she replied, with a bit of mock horror. "I used to imagine that if I had one, maybe it would be something floral. Like 'Laurel' or 'Iris,' maybe."

"Marinette Daffodil Dupain-Cheng," Adrien quipped.

"You're going to be wearing some of this popcorn, Mister," Marinette mock-threatened him.

"Oh, no. That's stuck in my head now," he teased her.

"Careful. You have four more middle names that I can make up," she giggled back.

"Okay... getting away from that subject before it gets me into trouble," Adrien grinned. "Let's see... can I ask something instead of revealing something?"

That way I can get closer to the things I would _really_ like to know about you, he reasoned... though I'll still try to go slowly.

Marinette paused, but only briefly. "If I can ask something in return, sure," she allowed.

"All right, then, thank you! How about... you and Alya are very close, but she joined your class the same time that I did. So she wasn't your BFF last year, right?" he asked, to which Marinette nodded. "Who were you closest to at school before that?" he continued.

"That's... actually a tough call," pondered Marinette. "I guess... probably Rose or Juleka? They were in my class last year, too. And they weren't... Rose and Juleka yet, so we spent a little more time all together."

"These days you'd need a crowbar to separate them, most of the time," agreed Adrien.

"Oh, but they are so cute together! Meant for each other," sighed Marinette, happily. "So I don't feel bad about that. They always have time for me when we need each other."

"But you have to guess at that?" Adrien wondered. "You didn't have, like, one person who jumped out as your best friend then?"

Marinette thought out her response, briefly. "Something that you might not have known about me is that... well... I didn't have a lot of close friends before this year. I got along with almost everyone just fine... with certain exceptions..."

"She Who Shall Not Be Named Tonight," agreed Adrien.

"...but, I don't know... I guess that I kind of always... held part of myself back a little," Marinette said. "Maybe I was too afraid of getting hurt. That's one reason why I was so surprised that they elected me Class Representative this year; those things are basically popularity contests, you know? And I'd never won one of those before."

"I find that hard to believe," argued Adrien. "You are the easiest person to like that I've ever met."

"Not always the bravest, though," she admitted. "You aren't the only one who came out of their shell this year, a little bit."

And some things, no matter how much you want them... are difficult to reach out for.

After a moment, Marinette said, "Okay, my turn. Adrien... I know that your father has penciled you in as the heir to the Agreste Fashions throne. You're the lead model, you'll be the CEO some day, you're expected to be the Face of Agreste all your life. That's not a secret; it's in every bit of advertising they put you into."

Adrien's face clouded slightly for a moment, but he nodded. "I'd say that's accurate," he confirmed.

"If you could do your own thing in life, if you could make your own choices... what would you want to do?" asked Marinette. "Would you roll with that, or do something completely different?"

"A very good question. Hmmm..." pondered Adrien. "If you'd asked me that a year or so ago, I don't know what I would have said. But things have changed enough in my life that I think my answer has changed, too."

"So what would it be now?" she prodded.

"Something that helps other people. I don't know exactly what... but maybe something like a fireman or an EMT. Trying to save lives, trying to help the helpless. Maybe something not quite as direct; inventing something useful that improves others' lives, perhaps, or being a scientist and making some big discovery, like a potent new antibiotic."

"A hero, in other words," Marinette surmised.

"Kind of! Not for the glory or the fame, though... just to be able to look back at my life and think 'I did something good. I made a difference,'" said Adrien. "And I know just how clichéd that sounds..."

"No... not as much as you might think," mused Marinette. "But why would your goal have changed to that?"

"Certain role models," Adrien replied, looking a bit nervous. "One in particular. A young woman who goes out and risks everything again and again for our city, for other people. Not because she wants to be a celebrity or get paid or be famous... but simply because she can."

"Oh."

Marinette let that sink in, and Adrien saw her become rather flushed. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah... just... thinking about something," she managed. "Can I tell you a pretty big secret? One that you can't share with anybody else?"

"Gladly," said Adrien.

"I had a Miraculous once," she told him. "The Mouse. Ladybug asked me to join her on a mission, but then I had to give it back."

"You are exactly the kind of person she would pick," Adrien smiled. "And my own secret... I've had one, too. The Snake."

"You did?" asked Marinette, feigning ignorance of that.

"Only on one mission, like you," he replied, his smile fading. "And I didn't... I didn't do a good enough job with it."

"You did your absolute best. I know you did," declared Marinette. "I mean... you would never have given anything but your best! Maybe it just wasn't... the right Miraculous for you."

"Maybe," said Adrien, leaving it at that.

I don't care what Tikki thinks, Marinette told herself. It won't be the Snake this time. But at some point, Adrien... you ARE going to get another chance.

Marinette shivered again, catching Adrien's notice. "We can go inside now, if you want," he offered.

"No! I'm... I'll be fine," she smiled. "It's a little cooler now, but I'm still warm enough."

"I don't think that you are," said Adrien. "But if you don't want to go inside yet... and I can't blame you, it is a gorgeous night out..."

His heart pounding as he did so, he scooted backwards on his lounge chair, still facing her, making room in front of him. "...I can share a little warmth," he breathed. "But only if you'd be comfortable with that."

"I..."

I... thought Marinette.

I... am getting up out of my chair.

I am walking right now. Walking towards him.

I didn't tell my legs to do that, did I?

I am right in front of Adrien now.

I am...

oh god...

Adrien watched, wide-eyed, as Marinette slowly approached him. Her face was smiling, but he could clearly see her nerves jangling, and she was biting her bottom lip slightly.

"It's okay," he half-whispered. "You don't have to..."

Without a word, Marinette closed her eyes, then lowered herself onto the chair in front of him. She turned her back towards him, then slowly snuggled backwards until she felt herself make contact.

Adrien held back a gasp. Instinctively, his left arm reached out to her, but he waited until her other hand touched it to let it slide gently across her waist.

"Are you okay with this?" he whispered.

"I am," he heard her say, very quietly. "I'm just fine now."

It only took another few moments for him to feel her trembling stop and her body relax.

"Good," he said, soaking in the moment.

Kagami, Marinette pleaded silently, I tried so hard... and I'm so sorry. I came into this with good intentions, I swear, and I'm still trying...

...but nothing else has ever felt this RIGHT to me in my WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE...

It took about another minute for the conversation to revive.

"So much for social distancing," Adrien noted in a light tone, getting a chuckle out of Marinette.

"It's your turn to ask something," said Marinette, steadily calming herself down. I need a clear head right now, and to take my mind off of... this. Somehow.

"I did ask something. I asked 'Are you okay with this?'" Adrien replied, which drew a giggle and a small slap to his left arm.

"You know what I mean, silly," Marinette grinned.

"There is something else that I would really like to know... but I'm hesitating," he told her. "It's a little bit heavy, I'll warn you."

"Adrien," Marinette replied, "right this minute, there is very little on this Earth that could disturb me. I trust you. You can ask me anything."

"Okay..."

May I kiss you, Marinette? jumped straight to Adrien's lips.

...but something else came out.

"Marinette... the whole time we've known each other, we have gotten along really, really well," he asked. "But there have been three times so far that I've felt like I made you very uncomfortable. I'm sorry about that, and I am praying that this won't be the fourth when I ask my question."

And not just because I don't want this spooning with you to end... ever, he thought.

"Go ahead," Marinette breathed.

"All three times, a question came up whether... if you had any... feelings for me. Like, romantic or flirty or... those kinds of feelings," he gulped. "I am not suggesting right now that you do, okay? I am not making assumptions right now. I mean, while I have never seen you feeling... this cuddly before... with anyone..."

He felt Marinette stir against him, moving very slightly closer still, and swallowed hard.

"...there is also the distinct possibility that you are just very cold right now."

"I feel a lot warmer, a lot better now, Adrien. But you still haven't gotten to your actual question," Marinette said, leaving the implication unaddressed for now.

"There was the day after the Akuma attacked your house, the day at the wax museum when I was an idiot and pretended to be a statue... and then on that group chat the other night. It seemed to really bother you that either I, or our friends would think that you... um... had strong feelings for me."

Marinette rolled very slightly, looking up and back at him... and Adrien found her expression very difficult to read.

"Again, I'm not saying that... exactly, okay?" he ventured, nervously. "What I do know for sure... is that what there is between the two of us has gotten a million times stronger this week. That I have had one of the best weeks of my life getting to know you, spending time with you, watching... barriers between us start to fade away. And I am loving that, whatever we want to call it. It doesn't have to go any farther than this... ever, if you don't want it to. But my question is..."

Their eyes locked, and Adrien wasn't sure that he could ever look away.

"...why does that idea, that people think that you're interested in me... bother you so much? Is it something about me, or something that I've done? Something that you're afraid that I will do?"

Marinette heard his words, and felt perhaps the greatest contradiction of her young life. Much of her felt absolutely glorious cradled in Adrien's arms, hearing his soft tone, hearing the obvious affection in his words.

And part of her wanted to shrink, dissolve, disintegrate, sprout wings and fly away, teleport... to do anything other than confess her second-biggest secret to the boy that she secretly loved.

"That is... quite the question," she managed to say...

...and here's where I have to answer it.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 16

For a long moment, Marinette lay very still in Adrien's arms, facing away but remaining snuggled up.

Adrien's sense of panic mounted second by second. Having her next to me like this is... it's the most wonderful thing ever. And I have a feeling that I might've just prevented it from ever happening again...

"Marinette?" he told her, very gently. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to. The last thing that I want to do right now is to make you uncomfortable... and here I am asking you about exactly that."

"It's okay," she replied. "Adrien... it's a fair question. And I haven't been fair with you about it before now."

"What do you mean by that?" Adrien wondered.

"I'm going to tell you. But you have to promise me that you'll let me say all that I have to say, and not interrupt me... and that you'll let me ask you something else before you... do anything. Is that okay?" asked Marinette, quietly.

"It is," said Adrien. "But you can stop any time that you want to. I promise that, too."

"I have never meant to lie to you about... well... anything, Adrien," she began. "And for the most part, I never have. Everything about how much I treasure our friendship, how happy I am to have you here with me this week, how relieved I am that you're safe, how much I think of you as a person and as a friend... all of that is absolutely true. And none of that will ever change."

"I'm very glad to hear that... because you know how wonderful I think that you are," replied Adrien. "And the closer that we've gotten this week, the more I've..."

"Stop, please," Marinette halted him. "You are very sweet, as always... but I need to keep going with this."

"...Okay. You have my complete attention," Adrien agreed. "I want to hear it, very much. And I want you to know that you can always come to me about anything... I don't care what it is, Marinette. I'll always try to be easy for you to talk to."

"The first time that a girl falls in love... I don't think it's supposed to be easy," whispered Marinette.

Time... and space... and probably breathing as well, at least momentarily... simply stopped for Adrien Agreste, all at once.

"It started as a crush," said Marinette, forcing the words out of herself now that she had no choice but to continue. "I mentioned that day on the school steps, the one with your umbrella..."

"Uh-huh," Adrien gasped, unable to add anything more yet.

"You woke something up in me that day, Adrien Agreste. It's not like I didn't know what boys were before that... but something about your kind gesture, how you needed to make things right with me, just... lit a flame in me," she blushed. "Like nothing that I'd ever felt before. That was how it started. And I had absolutely no idea what to do next."

"So I... flailed around, trying to make sense of it to myself. Trying to get your attention without being too annoying," smiled Marinette. "A lot of little things, friendly things, that registered as 'friendly' to you because I couldn't tell you that I was putting my heart behind them. I'm the kind of person who can be better with gestures than words... especially when a handsome boy makes my tongue twist and my balance fail me every time he smiles at me."

"You seem awfully good with words right now, Marinette," whispered Adrien.

"Right now, things are... a little different," she replied. "So there were even little gifts, like your lucky bracelet... and I just melted the day that you made me one to match... or the scarf that I made you for your birthday. Or a Valentine that I forgot to-"

"Wait. Wait," gasped Adrien. "The blue scarf? Marinette, that was from you?"

"It was," Marinette admitted, shyly. "I brought it to your house, but didn't sign the card. Then I, well... snuck into your party and I did sign it and I don't know what happened from there. But it meant a lot to you that your father got it for you... so it wasn't so important to me to correct that."

She stole a glance back at him, and saw awe and wonder in his face. "Unfortunately," she told him, "that's not the lie I was referring to."

Adrien felt a strong urge to spin Marinette around and to kiss her with every bit of emotion he had in him... but, knowing that he'd promised to hear her out first, he held it back.

"So, yes... that day after Troublemaker, when I shut my locker door and there you were! And I was beyond embarrassed that Jagged Stone ran his mouth on live TV..." Marinette continued, "you asked me if I thought of you that way, if I had a crush on you. And I lied right to your face! Even after you called me out on that, you were kind enough to pretend that I wasn't."

"It's not that you don't have an impeccable fashion sense," she smiled as an afterthought, "but all those pictures on my wall had nothing to do with that."

"And at the wax museum..." Adrien prompted her.

"...Alya was pushing me very hard to confess to you that day. So I thought I'd get some practice in with your statue... and then it was actually YOU... and I just wanted to turn into a bird and fly away," she lamented. "I've never been more embarrassed in all my life than I was right then."

"Oh! ...Alya knew about your feelings?" asked Adrien. "And she never told Nino? Because he never told me."

"Everybody knew, Adrien. Our whole class does. Ms. Bustier does, I'm sure of it. Kagami knows. It's not like I'm very good at hiding it..." she breathed, beginning to cry. "Except from you."

Adrien's arm around her waist squeezed her just a little more tightly, feeling the emotions rolling through her. "I... Marinette... can I say something, briefly?" he asked.

"...Y-yes," she whispered.

"I need to tell you that I didn't know. Not for a very long time... and even then, never for sure. I truly wish that I had, for a lot of reasons," he replied, getting choked up himself. "I... thought that I'd figured it out once, when you left me a note... and then I compared it to that sweet, sweet Valentine I'd gotten without a name on it... and the handwriting matched. But by then, I thought that you were with Luka."

"I'm not with Luka. Not like that," said Marinette. "He's an absolute darling, and it could happen someday... but it hasn't. I don't know that it ever will, and if it doesn't, it's not his fault. He's been nothing but honest and open with me."

"That... is very good information for me to know," gulped Adrien. "But if you felt strongly about me all along... if you had feelings that were so strong... why didn't you ever tell me?"

Slowly, Marinette rotated in his arms, so that they were now face-to-face.

"I would never have hurt you, Marinette. You know that, right?" he pleaded with her. "But if I had known..."

"...Remember what I said about not being brave, about holding myself back because I was afraid that I'd get hurt?" Marinette said, her blue eyes wide and innocent. "That doesn't... just go away. It's easy to fall back into that when I'm scared. And when I looked at you every day and felt my heart pound, my thoughts jumble up, my body quiver... I was so scared that you wouldn't feel the same way, that you would say 'no, I don't like you like that.' Or 'no, there's someone else,' because of course someone sweet and smart and beautiful like you could have your pick of anyone."

"You... might be a little bit wrong about that," Adrien ventured.

"But I know that there was someone else, right?" asked Marinette. "You told me so yourself, that day in the car. That's when I knew that Kagami had-"

"I... I didn't mean Kagami that day," replied Adrien.

That froze Marinette in place. "Kagami... wasn't 'the girl that you love?'" she gasped, dumbstruck.

Adrien's eyes closed, realizing his slip-up. "Not then. Not yet," he whispered. "And... I can't tell you who it was. It's... very complicated, okay? But I can tell you this much; I just said 'who it was' and I meant that. It was my own hopeless crush, and it didn't work out, and I'm doing my best to move on from that now."

Looking at her face as it screamed out at him silently, begging to understand, he added, "I promise to you that that is the truth. Can you trust me on that for now, Marinette?"

"I... can," she agreed, reluctantly. "You're not the liar here."

"Marinette..." Adrien said, locking eyes with her once more, "there is a difference between lying and not being able to say certain things. About protecting your own feelings, about not understanding what they meant or what to do about them. I don't want you to feel bad about any of that, okay? You did what was right for you at the time."

"And if there was someone else who had your heart back then," Marinette replied, "maybe I was right to do so."

"I'm not thinking about then right now, Marinette. I'm thinking about now. How there is this wonderful, amazing, beautiful girl in my arms right now, and it humbles me how m-much she cares about me. It nearly made me cry last night. I want to c-cry right now," he managed. "And as b-brave as you were right now telling me all of this - and don't tell me that you weren't! I gave you an out, you didn't have to confess it all like this," he assured her...

"...there's something that I need to tell you in return."

"B-before you do that..." Marinette insisted, with urgency in her voice, "I said that I had to ask you something else first. I really, really do."

"...Okay," Adrien replied, backing down from his own confession. "Please, ask me."

"Adrien," sighed Marinette, "one reason that I could say what I just did, why I could be so comfortable with you this week... is that I know that you're with Kagami now. I managed to, well... accept that. It's not that I think any less of you, that my feelings for you are less than they were. They've grown so much deeper this week, if anything! I feel like you're... you're... a part of my life that I could never be without."

"I do, too," glowed Adrien. "I..."

"...And it would be very easy for me to fall head-over-heels for you all over again," Marinette declared, almost as a warning. "For me to love you... that way... instead of as your dear, dear friend. So I'm going to ask you something, before you do something right now that we both, um... might end up regretting before long. If we do... what I feel like we might be about to do..."

"...What are you going to tell Kagami about that?" she asked him.

Adrien processed that for a moment, the weight of it hitting him squarely.

"I... I'm not sure yet," he managed, finally. "I need a little time to think before I... we... yeah, you're right."

"Take all the time you need," Marinette told him, solemnly. "You don't have to change anything between us."

"You don't think that I want to?" asked Adrien, incredulously. "After hearing what you just told me?"

"I know that you're very much into Kagami. And she thinks the world of you, too," Marinette soothed him. "What we have... is something special, Adrien. But I want you and her to be happy, too. And I don't want you to lose what you have there to be with someone that... well... you already have, in other ways."

Adrien closed his eyes in frustration. "Kagami did know, by the way. She told me that you have feelings for me... and I didn't listen to her, I didn't believe her," he groaned. "One reason that I let things with her move forward was that I thought I knew that you weren't... you would never..."

"And that's m-my fault," Marinette gasped. "Completely. Not yours, not hers. So I'll make you a deal."

"What's that?"

"I want you to take whatever time you need and think about all of this. That means talking with Kagami... face to face, when you're able," Marinette insisted. "Even if you decide to... change your mind... nobody's dumping anyone over text messages or on the phone, no matter what. And you might see her again in a week or two, and your heart might swell up and you might fall for her all over again..." she added, "and if that happens... if I have my own place in your life, I'll be so happy for you."

"But if we start doing more than... this now...," she sighed, "that makes everything ten times more complicated. And do not get me wrong, Adrien Agreste..." she added, looking up at him. "Right now, I want to kiss you so much that it hurts me. It feels like heaven, you holding me like this. But we shouldn't open that next door yet... if we ever do. We need to get back to our normal lives, whenever we can, and figure things out from there. And you have things that you need to figure out first."

"Though, I will admit..." she smiled, leaning in close again, "I will take all the cuddles that you're giving out. We both need them right now."

Adrien pulled her in as tightly as he could, hugging her, her head on his shoulder.

"I just... I just needed to be honest with you tonight, Adrien. To tell you the truth," Marinette whispered. "You deserve to hear it. To know."

"Marinette?" he whispered back. "I love you, too."

"I know you do, Adrien," he heard her say, very quietly. "I know."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 17

On the rooftop balcony of a prominent Parisian bakery, on a cool but clear spring night... two young lovers (who weren't quite actual lovers yet) clung to one other, each holding onto their shelter from a storm of feelings and desires.

Adrien was the first to speak up, after quite some time of silent cuddling.

"Marinette?" he whispered. "Are you awake?"

"I am," she said, turning her head and smiling up at him. "You didn't think so?"

"We were both so quiet... and your breathing was steady enough... I wasn't sure," he smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I thought I might," she said, leaning back slightly for easier conversation but remaining in his embrace. "I didn't know what I'd be like... once I said it... but when I started, it all just kind of flowed out of me."

"And now that you have?" asked Adrien.

"I'm nervous about what happens next," admitted Marinette. "But I feel better knowing that you know the truth." She leaned back in, squeezing him tightly, and added, "And I don't ever want to let go of you now."

"I don't want you to," Adrien grinned. "But sooner or later, we are going to need to go back inside. I think that you're starting to shiver even with our being up close like this."

"A little, yeah," she agreed. "I wonder what time it is?"

"I'm not sure," said Adrien.

"You can't tell by the stars, Mr. Astronomy?" teased Marinette. "Just look up and go, 'Oh, there's Polaris, and it's aligned with Gemini, so it must be ten o'clock?'"

"It doesn't work like that," Adrien replied, just as lightly. "They had sundials in ancient times. They didn't have stardials. I mean... you can kind of tell time by the Big Dipper if you know how, but that would require my brain to be working... And for some strange reason, it's mush right now."

"Yeah," giggled Marinette. "Some wicked girl just blew your mind right out of your ears, huh?"

"Some girl that I love."

Marinette turned red enough to be visible even in the dim evening light. "Maybe I can meet her someday," she quipped... but her body language told him just how much she adored hearing him say it at last.

"So!" said Adrien, brightly. "I think it's my turn to ask about another secret. Marinette, if you..."

"Nooooo!" she protested, wriggling in his grasp. "I think I'm done keeping secrets from you, Adrien. Holding onto this one for so long nearly killed me."

Once their laughter subsided, Marinette turned thoughtful. "Adrien?" she asked. "What are we going to tell our friends about this? About our new where-we-are-together?"

"Do we have to tell them anything before we figure it out for ourselves?" replied Adrien. "If someone asks, I'm not hiding anything; I'm dating Kagami, at least for now... and we'll see how that goes, but we are very happy as a couple like that... and I love my Marinette. I feel closer to her than ever before."

"That's because I am closer to you than ever before," Marinette grinned, hugging him tightly. "If I was any closer, I'd be behind you."

"You know what I mean!" Adrien said, growing more serious.

"Maybe... we'll hold off on the 'love' word and snuggling in front of them for now? I mean, I'm not afraid to say it to you... well, now I'm not afraid," she smiled, sheepishly. "I love you, Adrien Agreste." She marveled at herself for a moment. "Yeah, I just said that out loud! And I'm not at all ashamed of that. But if we're throwing 'I love yous' around in front of our friends, they're all going to assume..."

"...that we're in a romantic relationship. And we're not... yet," agreed Adrien. "It's a little... different kind of love for now. A special connection. And it'll raise a million questions about Kagami and I, and I can't think straight while a beautiful girl is holding me like this."

"Too bad," grinned Marinette.

"Marinette..." Adrien added, softly, "I am so glad that I know. So glad. Because not only does it make me feel better about how hard I've been falling for you, when I didn't know if that would be at all welcome... it did bother me that you couldn't be at ease around me sometimes. That something about me could set you off, and I had no idea what I was doing wrong."

"Even though you weren't," soothed Marinette. "You totally weren't."

"But I didn't know that. And, obviously, I didn't understand the signals you were sending me the rest of the time, so..." sighed Adrien. "But now my world makes sense again. And even if we do just remain good friends... the best of friends... something more than just friends, even if we each date other people... I never want to lose this feeling that I have right now. That my life is a better thing because you're a part of it."

"If you are trying to remain unkissed for now," simmered Marinette, "you're failing rapidly."

"Then how about we go inside, warm up a bit and see what time it is?" Adrien offered. "Because I don't think I'm trying very hard to remain that."

The balcony hatch opened, and the two of them climbed down and sat cross-legged on Marinette's bed, facing each other.

Marinette checked her phone, and gasped, "It's almost midnight! We were up there for hours."

"Wow! I'm... kind of surprised that your parents didn't come up and check on us," Adrien said.

"They have a lot of trust in us. I think they've got you pegged as a perfect gentleman... and if you're slightly short of that, I won't tell them if you don't," winked Marinette. "For example... my mother knows that I snuck into your room last night."

"You told her that?" boggled Adrien.

"I didn't have to. She heard me then, and she let it happen," Marinette replied. "Which I found out when I talked to her tonight. But both because she knew that nothing would happen that she'd need to worry about... and if for some reason I had a lapse of judgment and it did, she'd have heard that, too."

"Still... that is a lot of trust," he marveled. "Not that I plan on breaking that trust, but I was half-naked when you came in then."

"Go ahead. Put images in my head," Marinette giggled. "That'll help so much."

"And when you kissed me goodnight... I did think a little bit about kissing you back," admitted Adrien. "And not letting go."

Marinette did her best not to throb from head to toe. Adrien's face looked more innocent than adventurous at that moment, but...

"That... I... don't know what I would have done," she breathed. "Maybe we won't test that right now."

"Probably a smart plan," smiled Adrien.

The two of them grinned at each other. "Neither of us is going to make this easy on the other, are we?" Marinette asked, lightly.

"I don't think so. That's why it'll be so much fun," Adrien answered. "We'll know each other's weak spots... but also know not to go too far over the line."

"And if we do... we'll be honest enough with each other to patch that up, before we hurt anyone else, or each other," she beamed.

After a moment, Adrien said, "Well... I would like to tuck you in and return the favor from last night... but I doubt that you're sleeping in your regular clothes tonight."

"No, I hadn't planned to," confirmed Marinette. "How about this... you go down and get yourself ready, and come up and knock in a few minutes?"

"It's a date," smiled Adrien.

Once Adrien closed her door, Tikki flew straight to Marinette's side, suspecting that she might just have to try and keep Marinette from falling to the floor.

"I heard all of that tonight," said Tikki, "from a respectful distance. Wow, Marinette. Are you okay?"

"I think I am," replied Marinette. "As good as I'm going to be. It feels good to know that he finally knows... and that he has feelings for me, too! If he'd just shot me down instead, I don't know how I would've reacted."

"I never had a doubt," Tikki smiled. "I've been watching that boy for months now; every time he's talked with you, every moment he's spent with you. He adores you, Marinette."

"I know. I'm just... Adrien loves me! Even if it's not kissy-love yet, even if we're staying friends and figuring things out super-slowly," Marinette said, looking excited. "I got what I've always wanted... a place in his heart."

"You've been there for a long time, Marinette, in one way or another. But you'd better get your pajamas on before he comes back..." advised Tikki.

"Oh, I'm getting ready, I'm getting ready. I'm just deciding..." she announced, moving to her dresser and rummaging through some things. "I don't want to go way too much with this, but..."

"With... this?" wondered Tikki.

"Tikki... I have never had a boy tell me that he loves me before. I'm not about to dress like I'm throwing myself at him... and I don't really own anything slinky like that anyway..." she grinned, "but I'm not going to make this easy on him, either."

A gentle knock at the door came a few minutes later. "Enter," called Marinette, in a somewhat musical manner.

The door opened, a pajama-ed Adrien entered... and his jaw dropped.

Instead of her familiar pink-and-white pajamas, Marinette stood by her desk in a white cotton nightgown with a subtle floral print and hints of lace where lace ought to have been. Its lines, length, opacity and coverage were suitably modest from all angles; it was clearly designed for a woman of Marinette's young age, and for comfort, rather than seduction...

...but Marinette in it was still one of the most beautiful sights that Adrien had ever seen.

"You are... gorgeous right now, Marinette," he managed when he could speak. "Wow!  I... I am..."

"Oh, this old thing?" drawled Marinette, stepping away from her computer desk and performing a tiny twirl... then breaking out into nervous laughter. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this," she grinned, "but I'm happy that you like it."

"It's like nothing I've ever seen you wear before," Adrien admitted. "But tonight does seem to be a night of firsts for us."

"It's the first time I've ever had a kind-of-sort-of-not-really-you're-not-my-boyfriend," explained Marinette. "Tonight meant so much to me, Adrien. So maybe I'm being silly... but I thought that if a wonderful boy was going to tuck me in for the night for the first time, I'd dress up just a little, and see if you liked what you saw."

"Let there be no doubt about that," breathed Adrien. "You're an absolute vision, Marinette. You didn't have to..."

"...But I wanted to, Adrien," Marinette said, her hands folded demurely in front of her, her cheeks burning. "I've dreamed for a long time that you'd look at me like a girl, not just a classmate or a friend. A desirable girl. And tonight... I know that you did. No one's ever made me want to... I don't know... show off a little bit, and believe that they'd enjoy that. Except you."

"I've been looking at you like that for longer than you know, Marinette," he told her. "Much longer."

Pink cheeks turned crimson. "So... before I get myself any further over my head..." she murmured, and climbed the steps up to her loft-bed quickly. She flew under the covers and looked down at him, giggling.

Adrien climbed the stairs to Marinette's bed very slowly, his emotions still boiling inside of him... and remaining acutely aware of his circumstances, among which was the still-open bedroom door behind him.

A happily nervous Marinette watched him approach, the bedcovers pulled up nearly to her shoulders. She scooted slightly sideways so that he would have room to move closer.

"If your father were to catch me here like this," he whispered, "I'm a dead man. Like, thrown-off-the-roof dead. Baked-into-tomorrow's-quiche dead."

"Then we'll do this quickly... and keep it simple," she whispered back. "And innocent."

"I plan to," smiled Adrien. "Though that smile on your face right now might make it worth the risk."

He reached down and arranged the bedsheets very deliberately, his hands staying well clear of anywhere potentially compromising, the situation still clearly electrifying for both of them.

"...I'm tingling," Marinette told him, barely breathing.

"...Then stop tingling, and get some sleep," echoed Adrien, recalling what she'd told him the night before. Slowly, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek; gently, innocently, yet still lingering just long enough.

"Good night, sweet Marinette," he whispered.

"I kissed you on the forehead," argued Marinette, wide-eyed.

"We're a little closer now than we were last night. Don't you think so?" smiled Adrien... and then he was gone.

Marinette lay very still as she listened to Adrien's retreating footsteps... then watched the light go out and heard her bedroom door close.

Not going to be easy for either one of us, she thought with what stable mind she had remaining. Nope. Not one bit.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 18

Plagg watched as Adrien entered his guest room, stepped forward quietly, and unceremoniously faceplanted onto his pillow.

"I am going to assume," grinned Plagg, "that your life just got a whoooole lot more interesting."

"I'm in love."

Adrien said it plainly... matter-of-factly... and without any doubt.

"I don't have any idea how to process this yet," Adrien declared. "Were you up there?"

"Actually, no. I was down here taking a nap in your suitcase," said Plagg. "What happened tonight?"

"I asked her the question that we'd talked about. Wondering why even talking about a potential 'us' made her so uncomfortable," explained Adrien. "And I told her that she didn't have to answer it if she didn't want to, and she could stop at any time."

"And?"

"She didn't stop," replied Adrien. "Instead... everything started all at once."

As Adrien related his tale of the evening, from the light conversation to Marinette's confession, from their first cuddle to his goodnight kiss, Plagg listened patiently. Hot damn, she finally TOLD him! he thought, grinning to himself. About freakin' time!

It was towards the end of the conversation that disbelief started setting in for Plagg. "You're kidding me, right? So you're in love... both of you are in love with each other... but you're going to stay hands-off indefinitely?" he marveled.

"Not... so much hands-off, I think. We kind of broke that barrier in a big way last night. Lips-off, more like. Lips-off-lips, to be precise," Adrien clarified. "Flirty but friendly, within limits. Nothing that I'd feel terrible telling Kagami about until I can talk to Kagami in person."

"You've got a new girlfriend... without one of the biggest fringe benefits of having one," Plagg remarked, shaking his head.

"That's just it, though. I don't have a new girlfriend, necessarily... because I kind of have one already, remember?" sighed Adrien. "And I'm not going to just say 'sorry, Kagami, but Marinette's got me now.' Even if I was capable of being cruel like that, Marinette would never let me do it. And she'd be right about that."

"And you can't have two girlfriends at once?" wondered Plagg, seemingly innocently.

"That's... not really how it's supposed to work, is it? It wouldn't be fair to either one of them," Adrien argued, then looked confused. "At least I think so? I'm pretty sure of it. At the very least, that's not for just me to decide! Marinette and Kagami and I all need to talk about it, and that means things are on hold until we can get together... and I don't know how long that'll take."

"So in the meantime... you two are just going to try to out-flirt each other?" Plagg asked. "Like a few minutes ago, where she put on a little nightie for you..."

"It wasn't little. Almost ankle-length, and everything was covered," Adrien protested. "She wouldn't have..."

"A cute nightie that she clearly wanted to fry your brain with. And it worked! So you returned the favor when you tucked her in, and you made her think all about what you might have done," continued Plagg. "And you're each going to dance right up to the boyfriend-girlfriend line again and again, without going over?"

Adrien nodded. He watched Plagg hover before him, obviously up to something, and asked, "...What are you doing now?"

"I'm debating if I should bet you that this game you're playing will only last a few days before you both crack... or if I should make that 'hours,' instead," the Kwami cackled.

The next morning, Tom and Sabine took a quiet moment in the bakery to step aside and compare notes.

"Someone had the breakthrough she was hoping for last night," smiled Tom. "I didn't think that it would take very long."

"Neither did I," Sabine agreed. "Did either of them speak to you about it?"

"No... but it's obvious, isn't it?" replied Tom. "Look at how they've acted all morning."

The pair watched through the kitchen door as Adrien concentrated on assembling a mille-feuille pastry... with Marinette by his side, leaning in close, her arm draped over his shoulders as he worked. A moment later, Adrien playfully flicked a pinch of confectioner's sugar her way, which nearly led to a giggly flung-bits-of-pastry fight until they realized that they had an audience and decided to behave.

"They're so much more at ease with each other now. Emotionally and physically," Tom pointed out. "Less longing, more comfort. Before today, Marinette was crazy about him to the point where she barely wanted to touch him, as if he might disappear if she did. He was much the same way, keeping some small distance. All of a sudden, it's no big deal for either of them; they've been hanging on each other like that for hours now."

"If it will help you sleep better," Sabine smiled, "Marinette is aware that Adrien is still somewhat attached to that other girl. I can guarantee that when they talked last night, if either had made a major move on the other, it wouldn't have been her. And he's so respectful of her that I can't imagine him moving too fast, either... or I would have had a wide-eyed Marinette wanting to talk to me first thing this morning."

"Oh, I don't suspect that. They would've kissed twice and both fainted if they had," laughed Tom, quietly. "We'd have found them both unconscious on the balcony at sunrise."

"So... something's changed. Of that I have no doubt. I wonder just what it was?" wondered Sabine. A sound outside caught her attention, and she peered through the front window. "Uh-oh," she declared.

"Hmmm?" asked Tom, looking out himself... and seeing a familiar sedan at the curb, with a well-dressed woman stepping out of it.

"Tom?" said Sabine. "Go back and keep the kids occupied for a moment. I'm going to have a word with someone... What?" she asked, seeing her husband looking her over.

"No knives, no bread paddles, no rolling pins. Good enough for me," he smiled. "Call for me if you need me, sweetheart. You know I'll have your back. Go and keep their breakthrough from getting broken."

Sabine exited the bakery and stood at the front door with her arms crossed. She was unarmed, as Tom had verified, but clearly was not going to make any removal of Adrien an easy process.

Nathalie saw her approach and backed up two steps, leaning against the sedan. "Stop! Stop, please, Mrs. Cheng," she called out. "Three meters, at least. I have had no symptoms of COVID as of yet, but I have been exposed. It is imperative that we do not come into contact." She added, "Should I exhibit a cough... Adrien can verify that I had been dealing with that long before the current crisis."

"I will remain where I am. As will Adrien, for the moment," Sabine stated, evenly. "With all due respect, Madam, unless you now have a more compelling argument."

"That... is also my intent at present," Nathalie said. "This is not a rescue mission. Stuffing Adrien into a car containing exposed people would be seriously counterproductive."

"So why are you here, then?" sniffed Sabine.

"In part... to render an apology."

Adrien marveled at Marinette's craftiness as she put the finishing touches on the pastries they were working on. She is so talented! he thought, trying not to distract her. At whatever she does. When she's not flustered over being near me... and I'm still wrapping my head around THAT having been a thing!... she's always been so-

Heavy footsteps pulled their attention away from the delicacies before them. Marinette looked up with a pleasant smile, only to recognize tension on her father's face.

"Adrien..." he told them, "you have a visitor. One which, odd as it may sound, I must insist that you greet in person. If you would?"

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other, each making an accurate guess as to whom it had to be there. "I am not leaving without a fight," Adrien declared, worriedly.

"I don't want you to leave... believe me... but... oh... I don't know what to say," gasped Marinette. "But I'm coming with you for now."

"I can't take you to San Marino, if that's what they still have in-"

"I'm not letting go of you, Adrien. Not when you need someone by your side," Marinette insisted, her eyes flashing. "Not when I've finally found the courage to reach out."

The front door to the bakery opened, and Adrien and Marinette saw Nathalie and Sabine engaged in conversation.

"And additional precautions are in place?" asked Nathalie.

"Several," said Sabine. "We are encouraging phone orders, providing contactless pickup when requested, and maintaining our already substantial hygiene and sanitation processes. We were already the cleanest bakery in Paris, and we intend to remain so with or without our young guest present."

"Of that, I have no doubt," allowed Nathalie. "And I see that your young guest has joined us."

As Adrien walked towards them, stopping next to Sabine, Marinette remained by his side, holding his hand. "What do you want now, Nathalie?" he called out, a bit defiantly. "As you can see, they're feeding me, they're housing me, they're not shoving me into the faces of coughing customers."

"They are caring for you, Adrien. Rather admirably. One of them even more than the others," she replied.

Marinette saw Nathalie's eyes go to their clasped hands, but held on regardless, undaunted. She did remain silent, not wanting to overstep.

"You must understand, Mrs. Cheng, that when it comes to Adrien's welfare and handling, we are most insistent that he remains fully protected. As you found out the hard way, my employer can be most emphatic on that point... and I can be equally emphatic when passing on his wishes," Nathalie said. "I unloaded on you with both barrels without verifying facts first... and for that, I apologize to you now."

"It is accepted," allowed Sabine, as Tom put his arm around her small shoulders. "But that, you could have said over the phone."

"Many things are best said in person, wouldn't you agree?" replied Nathalie... reaching behind her and knocking twice on the passenger window.

The group watched as the Gorilla emerged from the driver's seat, walked to the rear door and opened it.

Marinette couldn't help a sudden intake of breath when she recognized who was climbing out of it, and squeezed Adrien's hand a bit tighter.

"I assume that I need no introduction," intoned Gabriel. "Good morning, Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng... Marinette."

"Good morning to you," replied Tom, steadily.

Marinette swallowed hard. She gave Gabriel a small nod of acknowledgment, and apparently something of a look of surprise as well.

"Yes, Mademoiselle, I know your name," Gabriel smiled. "You designed a derby hat for me, did you not? And my son makes sure that your name is spoken frequently around our home."

"Th-thank you, Sir," Marinette gasped.

"Yes, I do speak of her rather often, Father," Adrien began...

"...though I am rarely there to hear it. Adrien, Nathalie brought your parting salvo in your conversation to my attention." Gabriel's voice was steady and seemingly free of emotion. "Do you stand by your words, my son?"

"I do."

There was nervousness in Adrien's voice... but also resolve.

Gabriel stood tall as he spoke, the posture of a man accustomed to being obeyed without hesitation.

"I am a man who bears not one heavy burden, but many," he began. "It is my role to manage a multinational corporation, to set the trends of fashion all over the world for the discerning customer. To control every aspect of this business, to protect it with my every breath, and to deal with an unthinkable array of pressing issues each and every day. I do not sleep often, let alone well. I bear these burdens because I can, and I must."

Adrien stared back silently.

"But another burden that is mine... is that of being a father to a remarkable young man. And being that the young man is both my business's most valuable asset and my beloved son... I am not one to apologize lightly for being fiercely protective of him in all things," Gabriel intoned.

"But when he assesses my conduct and rightfully feels neglected... such as when his father gets caught up in his own worries and his business affairs, and treats his son as an asset first... for that, I must and do apologize. I am sorry for that, Adrien. It was shameful of me."

Marinette gaped at him, not quite believing what she had just heard... then turned to Adrien, who looked nearly as stunned. "I... don't know what to say," he stammered. "Not now."

"We will speak of this further when you return, Son. Be sure of that," said Gabriel. "But for now, while our home remains in quarantine... I will rest far easier knowing that you are in good hands."

He returned to the car promptly, as did the Gorilla. Nathalie offered what appeared to be a small shrug and an awkward facial expression to Adrien... then entered the car herself, which pulled away rapidly.

Silence reigned for a moment.

Marinette and Adrien watched the car turn the corner, still standing hand-in-hand.

"...Not even a hug?" Tom wondered aloud.

"When he thinks he might have been exposed to this virus? No," Adrien told him. "But in normal times... still no."

Marinette stepped in front of him, still clasping his left hand, reaching out to him with her own.

"I'm in charge of those now," she whispered.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 19

The Dupain-Chengs' dinner table that evening seemed oddly quiet to its youngest member. Full of smiles from her parents... suspiciously knowing smiles, Marinette thought to herself... but not a lot of discussion going on as to why.

"Mrs. Cheng..." Adrien offered, "I'm glad that Nathalie decided to apologize to you today... but I feel like I ought to apologize again. My family seems to delight in turning just about everything into theatrics these days, and I wasn't expecting a sudden showdown in the middle of the sidewalk."

"Let alone one with your father present," Sabine noted. "You're fine, Adrien, and you don't need to apologize for that. I'm just glad that things ended peaceably."

"I was not expecting your father to be there," Marinette added. "That was insane!"

"Me, neither!" agreed Adrien, enthusiastically. "He barely left the house before this crisis. So now he's taking a ride in the middle of it?"

"Perhaps you mean more to him than he's comfortable expressing much of the time," Tom interjected. "Some people just don't have that knack. His apology... could have been worded better, perhaps... but you are the one thing on Earth that could've brought him out in the open right now to speak it."

"I know," said Adrien. "Father is... a very complicated man. I try not to judge him too harshly... and I'm relieved that you don't seem to, either."

"It's not really our place to judge how someone else acts as a parent..." replied Sabine, in a quiet tone.

"Nathalie sure did," muttered Marinette, leaving unspoken whose orders Nathalie had been carrying out.

"And I like to think that we are better than that behavior, Marinette. And they did apologize," Sabine chided her. "And they were not entirely wrong! I worry about what some customer might bring into our shop, too. We can wipe everything down all day long, but if we interact with the wrong person at the wrong time..."

"I like to think that most people are smart enough to minimize risks," Adrien declared. "There will always be a certain type who think that they're invincible, or that just don't care until something happens to them or to someone they know. But in a crisis, most people tend to pull together, not push others away. To do what benefits others, not just themselves."

He gestured at himself, then at the dinner table and his dining companions. "Case in point. I am sitting here right now because of your continued kindness," he smiled.

"You are where you need to be right now. And I couldn't be much happier about that," Marinette beamed. She reached out towards him, and his hand met hers for a quick squeeze...

"...What?" Marinette asked, watching the big grins reappearing on her parents' faces.

"Oh, nothing," Sabine remarked. "Just wondering if there was any good news that anyone felt like sharing with us."

Marinette and Adrien looked at each other with visible surprise... and then both straight at Sabine.

"How did you know?" wondered Marinette.

"We didn't just fall off a turnip truck, Marinette," her father grinned. "So, what's the good word?"

"Um..." Marinette hesitated... "It's a little complicated to explain..."

Marinette gave them a quick summary of what they'd talked about and where she and Adrien now stood, relationship-wise.

Please tell me that I'm not crazy, she thought several times during her story. Please tell me that what I'm doing makes sense to you...

"That is a remarkably mature way for the two of you to handle this, Marinette, Adrien. I must admit, I am very impressed," Tom remarked, once Marinette had finished. "I have no idea if I could have done things that way at your age... or stuck to it for very long."

"We're... certainly hoping that we can," smiled Adrien... but his eyes told Tom a different story. They cried out She's hoping that we can stick to it... and part of ME wants to stay strong and work this out, too. But part of me needs to kiss your daughter, long and slow and over and over, with all my heart.

And I know that you could twist my head off like a soda-bottle cap if you chose to, Mr. Dupain... but I can't apologize for wanting that.

He couldn't tell how much of that Tom was picking up on... but Tom's continued smile was a good sign.

"I put myself into Kagami's shoes," Marinette explained. "If Adrien was my boyfriend, he was marooned at Kagami's house, and I lost him to her that way? I would be devastated, and I'd hate her so much even if I understood why it happened. And I can't let that happen the other way around."

"And I can't let... what I would like to happen... make what she just said happen," Adrien admitted. "It wouldn't be fair, and it wouldn't be right."

"But in the meantime," he continued, giving Marinette soft eyes, "I am overwhelmed by what I know now. And by just how lucky I am."

"I can understand that. And it's very good that you know the truth about each other now," smiled Sabine. "You were so connected before this... I can only imagine that this is the beginning of something amazing between you two."

"Definitely," Marinette beamed. "Adrien... come do the dishes with me?"

"No, don't worry about that; we've got those tonight," insisted Tom. "It's no big deal. Go and do whatever you had planned for tonight."

"We hadn't really thought that out yet... actually, we've barely been able to think straight, period," Adrien chuckled. "For some strange reason."

"How about this?" offered Marinette. "I want to touch base with Alya for a few minutes... meet me up in my room in twenty or thirty, and then maybe some more Scepter Quest?"

"That's a good start," agreed Adrien. "Dinner was delicious, Mrs. Cheng. Thank you both, as always, for both the dinner and the advice."

The pair headed up the stairs, once they were absolutely sure that there was nothing dinner-related that they could help with. Tom helped Sabine collect the tableware and carry it all over to the sink.

"You know," Tom ventured, "I could just pick the two of them up by the necks, one in each hand, and go like this..." He mimed pushing two faces together gently, making a loud kissing sound with his lips.

"Tom!" hissed Sabine, knowing that he was kidding but still shocked. "You wouldn't dare. She'd be in therapy for months."

"I know, I know," he smiled. "Let things take their course naturally. At least they're acting like they're a couple now."

"Think he'll make it out of here before they really are one?" wondered Sabine, wryly.

"I have no idea," chuckled Tom. "But I imagine that it'll be fun to watch."

Marinette flopped down into her computer chair, spinning it around a full rotation from her momentum.

"Okay..." she told herself, "be subtle. Be cool. Don't give her too much all at once. You and Adrien have a plan about what to say."

Her fingers flashed on her virtual keyboard...

[Marinette] Hey. You around?

A response came about a minute later:

[Alya] Hi! How's it going over there?

[Marinette] Things are getting very interesting...

[Alya] Oh, REALLY! Details, girl! I'm dying to hear it!

[Marinette] Well, for one thing, I'll bet you can't imagine who came by our bakery this morning...

Marinette led with the phone fireworks between Sabine and Nathalie, Adrien's spirited defense of the Dupain-Chengs, and the morning's confrontation. This, she had no hesitation about sharing in full.

[Marinette] I think that by the time he was done defending my mother, he came this close to being formally adopted.

[Alya] Which would be a definite problem for your long-term plans with him.

[Marinette] Ohhh... the other day, I thought he was going to call me 'the sister he never had' and my whole life flashed before my eyes.

[Alya] Oh, dear. So things aren't going well on that front?

[Marinette] I wouldn't say that...

[Marinette] He said I was "someone he'd been looking for for a very long time. The kind of person he'd always hoped he'd get to meet someday."

There was a pause...

[Alya] SQUEEEEEEE!

[Alya] Oh my gosh this is HAPPENING TO YOU, Marinette!

[Alya] Have you had any... big _moments_ with him yet?

[Alya] The mushy kind?

[Marinette] A couple?  Kind of?  Almost?

[Marinette] And... I finally did it.

[Alya] O_O

[Alya] Did WHAT?

[Marinette] I told Adrien how I feel last night. How I've felt about him for a long time.

[Marinette] That I love him.

[Alya] OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

[Alya] Marinette... I am COMING OVER THERE NOW! Quarantine or no quarantine!

[Alya] I am SO SORRY! You need the biggest hug ever.

[Marinette] Wait, what? No! Stay inside, stay safe! Stop!

[Marinette] And... WHY are you so sorry?

[Alya] Because if he'd fallen for you, too, I would have heard your screams of joy all the way over here.

[Alya] And we wouldn't have just spent fifteen minutes talking about his #*&^% father!

Marinette pondered how to respond to that.

[Marinette] What I can tell you for now is this...

[Marinette] I liked his reaction very, very much. He is the sweetest boy.

[Marinette] And I feel like, now that it's out in the open, we're closer than we've ever been before.

[Alya] All of which is good but it still isn't what you wanted!

[Alya] Not by a long shot. Oh, honey!

[Alya] You're SURE that you're even a little bit okay? Is there anything I can do?

[Marinette] I promise, Alya. We're doing just fine.

A knock at her door caught her attention, and she called out, "Come on in."

Adrien walked over to her, giving her a light welcome squeeze when he got close enough.

"You don't have to do that every time, you know," Marinette grinned. "But that's not a complaint at all."

"I just love that I can do that now," he grinned back. "Still talking with Alya?"

"Yep. I just dropped a little bomb on her; I told her that I told you how I feel about you," said Marinette. "Her reaction was... interesting."

"Good-interesting, or bad-interesting?" asked Adrien.

"Worried-about-me interesting. Like, she was ready to come running over here to comfort me," she replied.

"Huh... You let her think that I'd shot you down?" Adrien wondered, looking perplexed.

"I didn't say that!" protested Marinette. "But I did say what we'd talked about telling them for now... I held off from the whole we're-in-love thing for now. She figured that if you had said 'I love you' back, she would've seen me cartwheeling across the evening sky."

"Ah," replied Adrien, looking a little nervous.

"Adrien?" wondered Marinette. "You're... giving me a funny look right now. What is it?"

At that exact moment, her phone rang... with an incoming video call from Alya.

Marinette clicked the button to accept the call... at which point a roar emanating from it made her hold it at arm's length.

"MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG!" Alya howled. "You have been HOLDING OUT ON ME!"

"I... don't know what you mean," she smiled, trying to put on a face that simulated some degree of innocence.

"Adrien was talking with Nino just now. He told Nino that you'd confessed... and what he said to YOU! And Nino just texted me. Holy MOTHER OF CRAP, Marinette! Adrien LOVES YOU and I'm just now hearing about it?!"

Marinette looked over at Adrien, with something of a smirk on her face. "Care to comment on any of that?" she asked him.

On the other end of the phone, Alya saw the phone turn, and a sheepish-looking Adrien come into view slowly.

"Um... hi," he waved to her. "Would this be a good time for us all to call it a night and pick this up tomorrow?"

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 20

Adrien looked at Alya's face on Marinette's phone, which still had an expression of utter disbelief on it, and then over at Marinette, who was somewhere in between amusement and annoyance.

"I couldn't help it," he told Marinette. "It just slipped out. Nino asked me what I said when I heard you confess your feelings... and I told him about how we wanted to wait and each talk to Kagami before doing anything dramatic. Then he asked me, 'But do you want to do something dramatic?'"

"And I just... couldn't keep it from pouring out," he smiled. "'Of course I do,' I said. 'I love her... and I told her so.'"

Marinette turned her phone back towards herself and took in Alya's current mental state in a glance.

"So... Alya," she ventured. "How are things going at your place?"

At the Agreste mansion, Nathalie knocked lightly on the door of her boss's private office.

"I said that I did not wish to be disturbed," a voice snarled from within.

"Supper is ready. I can have it brought up to you, if you do not wish to come downstairs," offered Nathalie.

The response was silence.

"Very good, Sir," Nathalie said, then departed swiftly.

Oh, boy, she sighed on her way down the stairs. He is in quite a mood. A hardly unexpected mood...

As she passed two staff members, she snapped her fingers and gestured towards the upstairs office; quickly, they let the kitchen know to prepare the customary tray to be left outside his door.

He knows that everyone remaining in this house is considered potentially exposed already, so his eating in the main dining hall would not endanger anyone. He is simply... not fit company for anyone but himself these days, she mused. He kept his emotions in check on the way to the bakery, and in his confrontation with Adrien... but he was beyond being spoken to on the way home.

He displayed momentary vulnerability in front of others this morning. He took a risk to his own health, however slight it may have been. And he saw the hurt in his son's eyes firsthand... a hurt that even he had to concede was justifiable.

I wonder which of those is affecting him most...

"Well, let's see," Alya ticked off. "My little sisters are happy to be out of school for a while, but they're going stir-crazy and driving the rest of us nuts while they're at it. Nora's fine. My mother's cooking up a storm with what we can get our hands on in our grocery runs, and, hey, here's a question, WHO CARES? Marinette... Adrien... what is going on over there?"

"C'mere, Adrien," Marinette gestured. He stood right behind her, so that Alya could see both of them. "Alya..." she began, "we're still trying to figure that out for ourselves, okay? He knows... and I know... and yeah, we're never going to be quite the same again."

"But... somehow, you're not a couple now?" Alya boggled, scarcely believing her own words.

"Not yet. I mean... um... we're practicing a little," admitted Marinette. "Just for the record... this boy knows how to cuddle!"

Adrien wrapped his arms around her from behind with a big grin. "But we're holding off on crossing certain lines," he added. "Because Kagami and I still need to talk things out and see where we stand. And that's not something that should happen over the phone."

"No. No. You are kidding me, Adrien," insisted Alya. "You told Marinette that you love her, you're spending every day and night with her now, but you're putting her on hold while-"

"It was my idea, Alya," interrupted Marinette. "I insisted."

That stopped Alya short. "That figures," she lamented, holding her head as if keeping it from exploding.

"I'll explain it the way that Marinette convinced me," Adrien said. "Imagine that Nino was at someone else's house right now. Some girl his age, a friend of yours. And while being cooped up together, they hooked up and then you got a phone call from Nino, saying 'Sorry, Babe, but I'm dating this girl now.' How would you feel about that?"

"Especially if that other girl was a good friend of yours. Like, I don't know, me," Marinette added, lightly. "How conflicted would you feel if that happened to you?"

Alya considered that theoretical situation. She still didn't look convinced, but she appeared to grasp the essential concept of it. "Have you talked to Kagami at all since you've been at Marinette's, Adrien?" she asked.

Adrien looked a bit offended by the question. "Of course I have!" he exclaimed. "Almost every night. Marinette set up a game on her computer, too, so that the three of us can play together once I'm home."

Alya's eyes shifted over to Marinette, who gave her a tiny shrug in return.

"...But not since our... big night last night," admitted Adrien. "I'm going to call her tonight... and I'll admit that I'm not sure what I'm going to say."

"I am sure," Marinette replied, "that you will tell her the truth. That things here are getting a little more complicated based on what we each know now, but we're being good and we're going to behave ourselves until all three of us can talk."

"Right?" she asked, turning away from the camera to look right at Adrien.

"Right," he replied, dutifully... though behind Marinette, he saw Alya mouthing NO! silently and repeatedly.

Gabriel heard the meal being placed outside his office door... but did not move from his desk at first.

This is nightmarish, he thought, for far from the first time in recent days. This conundrum with the Guillard contract will simply not be resolvable until our shipping department returns to normal. That could take, what... days? weeks? months? Their understanding of the difficulties we face does not alter the breach-of-contract penalties we shall face.

My sole comfort there, he reasoned, is that we have THEM over a barrel on two clauses as well. Perhaps we can arrange some sort of... nonaggression pact and avoid a lengthy court battle. Once we HAVE functional courts again, he smiled momentarily.

And that is only one of a dozen hurdles the business must overcome, he sighed. The largest issue is the studio itself. The shutdown must continue until the health of all affected is assured. The two who tested positive are responding reasonably well to treatment, but it is still too soon to tell how many more may yet be symptomatic. Or when someone ELSE may bring the virus into our facilities down the road, and we will start the whole circus all over again!

Gabriel sighed, quietly. It is pointless for me to rehash this in my mind over and over, he told himself. Each day brings its new challenges, and crying about them will not solve anything. At least my son seems to have been spared much of the impact of this affair.

In point of fact, he may be enjoying some unexpected benefits! he mused. That young lady seemed rather taken with him - and he with her, judging from their body language this morning. A complication that I may wish to discourage down the road... have I not been steering him into the arms of the Tsurugi child for months now?  He seemed rather happy there.

Granted, Miss Dupain-Cheng has some design talent... rough, but with potential... but maintaining smooth ties with the Tsurugis is more important to the company in the short term.

But she and her parents seem like decent folk from what Nathalie has reported about them, and he seems happy enough in their care. Let him have his fun for now. If he can find something positive to cling to in all of this... he should cling. He and I can have a talk about restoring his more proper relationship when he returns.

He will return soon, and then we will talk.

Yes.

Adrien simply... must return soon.  I must believe that.

With a touch of uncharacteristic melancholy rising in him, Gabriel rose from his chair and brought the prepared meal into the room. Not that I have my appetite, thought Gabriel, but the staff should feel like their efforts served a purpose.

The Scepter Quest login screen appeared on Marinette's monitor, as the game connected to the MMO's server.

"Are you sure that you want me to go first again?" asked Adrien. "I can wait."

"No, it's fine! If Kagami's on, I'll give you two a little privacy. If she's not, I'll be right here next to you making fun of how well you're playing."

"Hey, we're both pretty new to this game. I bet that I can find a few flaws in your technique, too," Adrien grinned. "Especially if we keep trying out new character classes."

"There aren't many left that we haven't tried, are there?" wondered Marinette. "I think it's just the Jugglenaught and the Prancermancer."

"Who comes up with these?" laughed Adrien.

"Some twisted minds, that's for sure," Marinette replied.

Adrien accessed the game, then typed:

[TheRadiantOne] /msg ScarletBlade8 Hello!

ScarletBlade8: No such player online

"Guess she's not on yet," Adrien said. "Had you messaged her this time?"

"No... I hadn't thought of it. Though you're welcome to, if you like," shrugged Marinette.

"I'll wait and see for now. It's not like I don't have a great partner right here to play with," he smiled. He turned away from the screen to face Marinette, and added, "If she does come on to play tonight, you don't have to give us extra privacy. We're not going to have that talk tonight - not in a game, certainly! - and I don't need to keep secrets from you."

"It's fine! Seriously! I set this up so we can all spend some time together. I don't have to be part of every combination," Marinette assured him. "And even if we do become... you know... down the road, I still won't have any problem with you and Kagami staying close. I'd be the biggest hypocrite ever if I did."

"Is that... something that you want to happen, Marinette?" Adrien asked. "To become... you know?"

"Of course I do," she answered. "I... kinda planned out a lot of it months ago." At Adrien's questioning look, she mumbled, "Like what our house would look like and the names of our three kids and our hamster," bashfully. "Nothing much... hey! Don't look at me like that!" she protested with a grin, watching Adrien recoil in feigned fear.

"Wow... Will I at least get to choose what color my underwear is, once we're married?" Adrien teased her. "Or is that also on your extended day-planner?"

"Go ahead. Laugh," she smiled, good-naturedly. "I know how Adrien-crazy I was. If you only knew some of the things I did..."

"Now you've got my attention. Like what?" asked Adrien.

"Oh, no. You don't pry those out of me that easily," retorted Marinette, defiantly. "Some of those, I'll take to my grave."

"Now I think I have to know," grinned Adrien.

"Someday.  Maybe," she blushed.

"Sounds like a lot of things involving us.  Someday... maybe," Adrien replied, in a softer tone.

"As long as I get to pick your underwear color," deadpanned Marinette.

"Your wish is my command," Adrien declared.  "But I get to pick boxers or briefs."

"It's a deal," giggled Marinette.  

Her heart raced as she realized that he hadn't flinched at the "once we're married" part... but she redirected his focus back onto the game before he could notice.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 21

Adrien and Marinette played their online game for about another hour. While Kagami didn't happen to log on during that time, they had a very pleasant time taking turns and heckling each other's performance.

"You do realize what just happened tonight, right?" Marinette asked him, after a while.

"You just turned that group of goblins into kibble with a Cattle Mutilation spell?" admired Adrien, watching her play.

"That is not what I meant," she smiled, logging them out of the game and turning to face him. "All that about 'let's take things slowly' and 'let's not tell our friends what happened between us yet' went right out the window because someone couldn't keep his mouth closed with Nino, hmmm?"

"I know," Adrien said, his face falling. "I just... it just poured right out of me. I had to talk about it with someone, and I didn't even think that Nino might pass that on."

"Alya's powers of persuasion are legendary," sighed Marinette. "If he knew a secret that juicy, it was bound to end up in her ear before long. Look... it's not that I'm hiding how I feel about you..."

"Though you did... didn't you?" asked Adrien. "Or we might've figured this out a long time ago..."

"I know, I know," she protested. "And we haven't figured it out yet, exactly! And now Alya knows, and that's a great way for it to spread like a forest fire."

"But we told her the truth!" Adrien insisted. "That we're deliberately holding back."

"Adrien..."

Marinette leaned in a little closer. "If I were to say 'Kiss me, Adrien' right this instant... could you hold back?"

Adrien leaned in closer still. "Like you just said?" he breathed. "I could just swear that I heard those words from your mouth."

"You did, did you?" smiled Marinette. "This mouth that's right in front of you?"

"Yes. A beautiful, tender, extremely kissable mouth..."

"And THAT is why this can't wait, Adrien!" exclaimed Marinette, breaking the mood. "I'm hanging on by a thread here, every time you look at me that way. And I don't think that you have any thread left!"

"A little," admitted Adrien. "Not much. But a little."

"Adrien," Marinette insisted, "if Kagami hears that we're... well... right on the brink before she hears it from you, it's going to hurt her terribly. You weren't sure yet whether you were far enough along with her to call dating me 'cheating'... but you have to be sure. Please... don't let this wait until it's too late."

"You're right, Marinette. Of course you're right. I was planning on calling her tonight, anyway... but now, it's that much more important." Adrien reassembled what willpower he had remaining in him. "We're both going to do the right thing."

"I know you will," Marinette consoled him. "And once she's talked with you... tell her that she's more than welcome to talk with me about it, too. I need to make sure that she hears my intentions straight from me. But it should come from you first."

"It will."

Tom greeted the two of them as they came down the stairs. "Joining us tonight?" he asked Marinette.

"Yeah. What are you watching?" she asked him. She and Adrien settled down on a small loveseat, while Tom and Sabine shared a couch on the other side of the living room.

"That show with the lady stand-up comic. Mrs. Maisel," replied Tom. "But we can switch it..."

"No, that's fine. That one's supposed to be really good, isn't it?" Adrien noted.

"It is. I've seen the first season," said Marinette. "Some references are a little before my time, but I liked it anyway. Her manager is a riot."

"Are you offended by profanity, Adrien?" asked Sabine. "This show is funny, but the main characters have quite a mouth on them at times."

"I'm sure it's nothing I haven't heard before, but thank you," he smiled.

About twenty minutes into the episode, Adrien's phone chimed at him. He checked it, then turned to Marinette. "Hey," he said in a soft tone, "she just popped up on Messenger. I'm going to... you know."

"Go," said Marinette. "Be kind, and tell her what I said to say upstairs, and that I also said hello. Good luck."

Adrien gave her a quick hug... which lasted perhaps a moment or two too long to not catch her parents' attention... then plodded up the stairs.

"...What was that about?" wondered Tom. "He didn't look too enthusiastic about whatever he went to do."

"...Marinette?" Sabine asked, leaning forward. "Are you all right?"

"I am," Marinette said, sniffling slightly and trying to hide it. "He's going up to talk to Kagami about... a bunch of things. Maybe not the Talk with her..." she added, "but this could set an awful lot of things into motion."

"Like what?" Tom asked.

"Like the end of Adrien and I being this cozy, for one."

Adrien flopped down onto his bed and stared at his phone.

"Are you ready for this?" he heard Plagg ask from across the room.

"Not even remotely," Adrien replied. "But it needs to happen. I don't think that I've done anything yet that I'd have to apologize for... but Kagami deserves to hear the whole truth, and especially before I do slip."

"So... what, once you've talked to her, it'll be more okay for you to slip?" argued Plagg. "I don't think she'll see it that way."

"That isn't what I meant," countered Adrien. "More like this... Marinette and I are kind of operating without ground rules right now, because Kagami doesn't know what's happened and I don't know how she's going to respond to that. I mean, I doubt she's just going to say 'Oh well, enjoy being with Marinette now, bye!' and write me off as a boyfriend. She's liable to write me off as a friend, too, and I really don't want that! But if I tell her that Marinette and I are much closer now and she has a problem with that... while I don't want her to... I couldn't blame her one bit."

"I love Marinette. I know that I do," he fretted. "But... Marinette is right. We can have those feelings for each other without blowing up everything else in our lives. We may need to. And we have yet to figure out just what is possible."

He stared at his phone for a few more seconds... then pressed the DIAL icon.

"I know that Adrien wants to talk with her in person," said Sabine. "And that that is very difficult right now."

"Definitely," Marinette agreed. "I'm not sure if Kagami's mother is considered elevated-risk or not... but she is very controlling when it comes to Kagami. If she says 'you're not leaving,' Kagami's not leaving. And I'd rather have her stay safe, in any case."

"But he is going to tell her the truth," she continued, "that I finally confessed to him that I love him. She may not care for my timing very much."

"Does Kagami know that you have feelings for Adrien?" asked Tom. "So that she's not completely blindsided by this?"

"Oh, yes. She knew before Adrien did," Marinette confirmed. "Adrien told me that she'd told him that she was sure of that... her way of saying 'be sure about that before we start dating'... but he couldn't believe that I did. He thought she was being a little paranoid, because I'd told him that... um... I didn't feel that way."

Tom looked puzzled. "You'd told him that you didn't? Why would you have..." he ventured.

Sabine shushed him, abruptly. "Tom... some words aren't easy to say aloud," she suggested. "Especially when emotions are running high."

"All right, I'll agree with that," said Tom. "Does she know that he has feelings for you?"

"That... isn't for me to say," said Marinette. "I think she knew that he had a soft spot for me. Maybe not just how soft." Her eyes went big as she added, "I'm still not sure that I'm not floating in a dream right now."

"But that's what they're talking about," she added, pointing upwards towards the guest room. "And that's why I'm kind of a mess inside right now."

"Marinette... I know just how far you've gone in all this to cushion Kagami's feelings and keep her as a friend. To make sure that Adrien handles this the right way..." Sabine declared, "even if that means setting aside what you want."

"Uh-huh," moped Marinette. "But is she really going to believe that?"

"Hello!" beamed Kagami, a wide smile on her face once the video call connected. "I just got in a few minutes ago. A quick run for a few things that my mother needed. How are you?"

"Doing all right," said Adrien. "Happier now, of course. And you?"

"Fine, I suppose. Glad to be home. I'll probably run through the shower in a few minutes and change my clothes... it's probably as much superstition as anything else, but I can almost feel viruses in the air when I leave the house these days. Rinsing myself off and laundering my outfit helps clear my head of worries."

He watched as Kagami reached down, and heard two thumps that were likely her shoes being kicked off; the view then shifted as she sat down in her desk chair. "And how is your own home-away-from-home today?" she asked, pleasantly. "Is Nathalie still driving you steadily insane over the phone?"

"Actually... that took on a whole new level since I last talked with you," smiled Adrien. Briefly, he described Nathalie's phone call in attack mode, then the unexpected appearance at the bakery that morning.

"Your father was there as well? And he apologized?" Kagami marveled. "Will wonders never cease?"

"I couldn't believe it, either... but I had to defend the Dupain-Chengs, no matter what Father thought of me for it. They've been nothing but kind to me," Adrien declared. "Astoundingly so."

"I can only imagine so," smiled Kagami. "Marinette is a most remarkable person. I do not know her parents well... but it doesn't surprise me that they're like that, too. You've seemed so much happier while you've been staying there, that I almost wish that you could simply move in for good!"

Kagami watched as Adrien's demeanor changed abruptly. "...What is it, Adrien?" she asked.

"Kagami... listen. There's something that you and I need to talk about, okay?" said Adrien, hesitantly. "And I want to say up front... I don't want this to worry you. Nothing has-"

"Adrien?" Kagami stopped him. "You're worrying me already just by saying that. What's wrong?"

"Well... um... you know how you had told me how sure you were that Marinette had romantic feelings for me?" he ventured. "And how I wasn't nearly so sure?"

Kagami sighed... but smiled. "You mean the longing that she's had for you from the day that I met her?" she teased. "'I told you so' is such an ugly phrase that I'll try not to say it to you. May I presume that you're noticing it more now that you're spending so much time together?"

"You may... but that's the part that you knew already. Not the part that you don't yet," murmured Adrien.

"...What happened, Adrien?" she asked.

"She told me."

Kagami was silent for a moment.

"...So she finally found her courage," Kagami considered. "Good for her. That's been something that's needed to happen for quite a long time."

"She did find her courage..." Adrien said, his stomach knotting up as he spoke the words. "...And I found some of mine."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 22

Sabine noted to herself that she'd have to rewatch the episode that she and Tom had been watching... as Marinette's fidgeting and obvious distress took up a large chunk of her attention.

"Breathe, dear," she suggested to her daughter. "This won't be as catastrophic as you're fearing, I'm sure."

"I know, Mama," Marinette said, showing a reluctant smile. "But the longer I wait, the more nervous I get! I don't... I don't know if I'm handling this right," she worried. "Should I have been on the phone call with him? I didn't think so... this is between the two of them, isn't it? But I am involved... and I hope that Adrien's telling our story just the way that it happened..."

Tom looked on, sympathetically. "Adrien knows how important this is, right? I'm sure that he'll be honest with her."

"Maybe too honest," fretted Marinette. "She might feel like he's made his mind up already, when that's not at all what I want to happen!"

"I can't tell you whether Adrien's made a firm decision or not," said Sabine. Though it's rather obvious, she thought. "But that's up to him, isn't it? His part of what the three of you decide amongst yourselves, at least."

Marinette's phone chimed, making her jump. She saw an incoming text message:

[Kagami] Would you call me, please?

"Oh, boy," she muttered. "Kagami wants me to call her now."

"Then I wouldn't keep her waiting long," Tom counseled her. "Perhaps check with Adrien before you do, though? See what he thinks that you should expect."

"I'm on my way."

As Marinette dashed up the stairs, Sabine watched with a look of worry. "I think I'll go put the teakettle on," she told Tom. "I sense that someone might need a friendly ear to bend tonight."

"And mine will be here for you after that, if you need it," Tom replied.

Marinette held her breath as she approached the guest room door, which was open. She looked inside and saw Adrien sitting quietly, not showing a lot of emotion.

"H-hey," she panted. "Kagami just messaged me. How did it go?"

"I'm... not entirely sure," Adrien said, quietly. "We talked about a lot of things. She's... not furious with either of us, if that helps. But I'm not sure quite where I stand with her now."

"I'm sorry, Adrien..." Marinette sighed, sitting down next to him. "I'll try and do some damage control, if I can."

Adrien turned to her with sad eyes. "I didn't want to hurt her," he sniffled. "I never would. But I don't know how I could've avoided that and still told the truth."

"Listen," said Marinette. "I'm going upstairs to talk to her, okay? I'll come down afterwards and we'll compare notes. Don't stress out too much until then, all right?"

"I'll try," he replied. "I'll be waiting."

She wrapped her arms around him. "Wish me luck," she whispered, kissed the top of his head lightly, then disengaged and headed up to her room.

If anyone can make this right, it's her, Adrien thought once he was alone. He laid back on his bed, forcing himself to lose the urge to eavesdrop.

But I don't know what 'right' is for any of this, any more.

Marinette entered her room... then closed her door and locked it. She headed straight to her bed and up through her balcony hatch.

Tikki followed her, momentarily. "Why did you lock your door?" she wondered aloud.

"So that if this conversation makes me want to transform and just run away for a while... I'm less likely to get caught," Marinette mumbled. "No one will follow me and wonder how I disappeared."

"Be strong, Marinette. You'll make this work," Tikki comforted her, then floated down through the floor to give her a little privacy.

Here we go... she thought as she placed her call.

"Hello, Marinette," Kagami greeted her once the video call connected. "It's good to see you again."

"...You're sure about that?" Marinette replied.

"Of course I am. Marinette..." began Kagami. She took in the situation quickly - Marinette's nervous face, her quivering lip, the catch in her voice - and assumed a warmer tone. "Marinette, take a deep breath. I'm not here to tear into you, I promise."

"I'm sorry, Kagami. I'm so sorry! I should've just kept my mouth shut. I was so good at that for so long-"

"Marinette!" Kagami declared, jarring Marinette out of her panicked response. "Please... Look at me, Marinette. I just want to talk with you about this for a little while, friend to friend."

"...Okay," said Marinette, trying to relax herself.

"Let's start with the basics. Adrien told me his side of the story... but I would like to hear your perspective as well before I do anything rash. Can you tell me how you're feeling about this?"

Slowly... very hesitantly... Marinette described for Kagami how all of this had unfolded. The unexpected guest, their increasing comfort around each other, their talk after the group chat with their classmates, tucking each other in, sensing each other's flirtations, the advice she got from her mother... and the night up on the balcony. Kagami noted the things Adrien had mentioned to her, so that Marinette wouldn't have to repeat things unnecessarily, and asked questions along the way in what seemed to Marinette like a reasonably calm voice.

"I promise you, Kagami... I promise you that I have tried so hard not to overstep my bounds," Marinette pleaded. "I know that I waited too long. You asked him first, and he responded, and I am not trying to steal him away from you."

"I know that wasn't your intent. I promise you that I know that, Marinette," Kagami smiled, sadly. "Adrien's been telling all about his stay - and you - the whole time that he's been at your house. It's not like you kidnapped him; he just landed in your lap. And I'll be honest... I would rather see him spend this crisis with you than with his own family."

"He told you about what happened with Nathalie and his father this morning?" asked Marinette, to which Kagami nodded affirmatively.

"You're so much better for him than his father is. But then again, that's not saying much," Kagami said... then paused to gather her thoughts.

"Marinette... I know that you've been honest with me. Your and Adrien's stories certainly match... not that I expected that either one of you might lie," she noted. "I... I need to say a few things now. Is that all right?"

"Please do," Marinette replied. "I need to hear what you're thinking."

She took a deep breath and braced herself...

"Marinette..." Kagami began, "it's not as if I am terribly surprised by you and Adrien becoming so much closer. I knew that you had fallen for him before he did. I knew that he had fallen for you before either of you did."

"You did?" asked Marinette.

"From the moment I met the two of you, I saw a real connection. You have been in his thoughts, in his words, in his life more than you've known, perhaps. And it mystified me for a very long time why I even stood a chance with him," she replied. "I will be candid; from very early on, I had just as much of an overwhelming crush on him as you did. We share good taste in that respect."

"I had some advantages that you did not; a similar upbringing, giving us many things in common. Our parents did their best to push Adrien and I together at every opportunity once we'd met, which we both couldn't help but notice. Sort of like how Adrien spent years putting up with that horrible blonde girl," sighed Kagami. "Adrien and I could have very easily grown to resent each other, being forced into company like that... but we found that we understood each other from the start, and instead things went very well between us. But you had advantages that I did not, too; a longer history together, being together in school almost every day, and a depth of emotion that I must admit that... I envy."

"Yes, I had the courage to ask for what I wanted from Adrien, when you did not. But I waited quite some time before I did that," Kagami continued. "Because I had to push Adrien to choose me, and push repeatedly. He didn't just fall into my arms; I had to pressure him to want to even try dating me. I lunged in to kiss him, not the other way around. And I did that because I wanted that so badly... not because I felt like I was ever Adrien's first choice. Or that I am now."

"That puzzled me, by the way," she noted. "Because I thought that you were always his first choice... but he never made a move in that direction, or asked you out, or acted as if you were a romantic option. It almost made me feel as if there was some third girl out there, someone next to whom we both couldn't compete."

"If there was... I don't know who she was," Marinette replied. "He did tell me that he'd had a crush on someone else besides us, but that it didn't work out like he'd hoped."

"Maybe we can both try to solve that particular mystery," smiled Kagami. "But what I am saying is... I pushed him to make his mind up about you before I made my move. Because whether I can compete with you for Adrien's heart is not the question; it is whether I would want to. And I do not. Marinette... I value you too much as a friend to risk losing that."

"I feel the same way," Marinette agreed. "Which is why I have pushed him to keep in contact with you, to play Scepter Quest together, to... come clean with you tonight," she gulped, nervously. "You knew how I felt about him. You didn't know that he knew that now. And you needed to."

"And I thank you for that," Kagami said. "Which leaves us with quite a puzzle... and I do not know what to do next."

Kagami's calm demeanor crumbled somewhat, and she let her troubled emotions show more openly.

"I do not want to give up on Adrien," she declared. "We are very close. He is... well, we both declared him as 'having been made for me,' did we not? At least one of us, I hope, was right about that." She allowed herself a small smile at that. "I would have called him my boyfriend without hesitation. But... he still had some slight hesitation. We had planned on getting together and talking that out once again, but then all of this craziness broke."

"I think that you're the only girl he's ever kissed. I mean, really kissed," argued Marinette. "That has to reassure you a bit."

At Kagami's questioning look, Marinette added, "I have kissed him goodnight on the forehead. And on the cheek once. That is all," nervously. "We've stopped at hugs... and I've stopped both of us from going further."

"That can't have been easy for you," sympathized Kagami.

"...It wasn't," admitted Marinette. Or for HIM. "But it was important to me. You're not in a position where you and Adrien can be alone and really talk things out... and that needs to happen before I would let him look elsewhere."

"That's just it, Marinette. We are both trying very hard not to hurt each other, are we not? But where Adrien decides to look, neither of us can control."

Kagami's face fell somewhat. "I may be the only girl he's kissed... but you're the only girl to whom he's said 'I love you.'"

That sank in for Marinette... and she fell silent.

"I can't be that angry with him," Kagami allowed. "Confined together the way that you two are... comforting each other, withstanding all of this worry and restriction, feeling the way that the two of you have about each other... if you weren't feeling drawn together, I would be more startled. And I can't be angry with you, Marinette... because you've clearly gone out of your way to try to keep Adrien and I close."

"I really have," said Marinette, timidly. "But I won't lie to you. The affection that he's shown me so far... it's addictive. I can't get enough. And I'm afraid that I'm going to cross lines that I shouldn't, if I grow weak."

She took a deep breath. "But if I know for sure that I shouldn't grow weak, that Adrien is taken and that's that, it'll be easier for me. I told Adrien that I love him... and I meant it. I think it took three years off my life when I made myself say it, but I said it. But I can love him in my own way without being in love, without being the one that he's romancing, that he's kissing."

"I just need my place in his life. And like you said... part of that's up to Adrien, what he wants that place to be," Marinette declared. "And I'm not willing to pressure him to choose me... to give me that place... if it'll hurt you and him if he does."

"And I am very grateful for that... but I don't want to see you or Adrien hurt, either," worried Kagami. "But if I lose what I have with him..."

She stared at Marinette with uncharacteristic helplessness in her eyes. "I don't know what to do," she repeated. "I just don't."

"That makes two of us," replied Marinette. "And likely three."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 23

Marinette stared at her phone, seeing that Kagami was just as frustrated as she herself felt.

"Kagami... look. Let's think this out together. We're both smart people, and so is Adrien. We can throw logic at this and find some way through it that doesn't hurt anyone; I'm sure of it," she stated. "Follow me for a minute here, okay?"

"I'm all ears," Kagami told her.

"The first thing... we're all agreed, including Adrien, that none of us wants to hurt anyone. That all three of us need to remain close. We are going to figure something out here where nobody feels left out, where nobody's feeling like less of a friend. I think that's the most important thing that we can do," began Marinette.

"Like a doctor says... first, do no harm," agreed Kagami.

"So, working from that," said Marinette. "Adrien cares quite a bit for both of us, and that's not going to change... and it shouldn't. We're both hoping that what we have already will keep growing. So, if that's true... we both already have most of what we want, don't we?" She felt her analytical side kicking in, like Ladybug figuring out what to do with a bizarre Lucky Charm. "We have his affection, we're spending time with him, he's giving us both those soft eyes now. What is it that comes next, the next step that we're figuring out how not to fight over?"

"Well... being his girlfriend, I suppose. The closeness, the intimacy," Kagami replied.

"Very true. But I'm not his girlfriend right now... but I feel more intimate with Adrien now than I ever have been. Emotionally, intellectually... the way that we're communicating better now. We've opened up to each other so much more," Marinette pondered. "I don't need an upgrade, so to speak, to enjoy that. What else?"

"The physical things," mused Kagami. "Kissing and snuggling. That kind of intimacy. Things that you only do with someone that you're dating."

"Uh-huh! Exactly," smiled Marinette. "Stuff that we really want... I know that just hugging and cuddling with Adrien felt really, really good. I'll have to take your word for it that he's just as good at kissing..."

Kagami couldn't hide her grin. "I don't have a lot of basis for comparison... but I know what I like," she beamed. "If you ever do get the chance... I think that you'll approve."

"So two questions come to mind," Marinette ventured, "and I don't have an answer for either one of them yet. The first one is... do we want that... or do we need that?"

"An interesting way of looking at that," pondered Kagami. "Now that I've had it with him, I would truly miss being without it... like I am right now... but being apart like this, I can't have it. But not having that temporarily doesn't invalidate everything else that Adrien and I have, does it? I don't think so."

"And I can't have it, because he and I aren't there yet... and we shouldn't be, if he's your boy... but what we have so far... it's working for me," agreed Marinette. "So, it's like, we're both winning the game even if neither of us gets to play the bonus round right now."

"That's quite a metaphor," laughed Kagami. "But I see what you're saying. What's the other question?"

"It's about the game itself," Marinette said, in a thoughtful tone. "You and I are battling for the heart and undying love and devotion... and lips, in particular... of Adrien Agreste."

She paused before asking, "What if we're looking at this whole thing all wrong?"

"You have my attention," Kagami frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said," Marinette replied. "You, me, Chloe, Lila, like a million screaming fans... probably that Wayhem guy, too... all in love with Adrien. It's like some big reality TV show, and we're the finalists, and now we have our big final showdown because there can only be one winner."

"...Why are you giving me that look?" asked Marinette, seeing Kagami's grinning face.

"I've heard the legends of Marinette Dupain-Cheng entering Devious and Crafty Mode. Now I see that those legends are all true," Kagami laughed. "Go on, please."

"I... have my moments," Marinette smiled, feeling a little bit flushed. "Anyway... what is it that we're trying to win, exactly? His affection, his caring, his eyes on us, his wanting to spend time with us? You and I both have those already. What we're fighting over is exclusive rights to the bonus round. And, believe me, I think we'd both agree that that's a prize worth winning."

"Uh-huh..." echoed Kagami.

"But who's to say that there can be only one winner? Or that he has to select that winner any time soon? Or that anyone has to be a winner right now?"

"I'm not sure that I follow," Kagami replied. "He is certainly interested in dating, and kissing, and all of that right now."

"And so are both of us. He wants to kiss me; I want to kiss him. He wants to kiss you; you want to kiss him. But he can't seem to decide which of us he'd rather be kissing... and we're all looking at that as if he has to pick one of us, and only one, and soon. But if we've both won his heart... and we both decide that we're done competing?"

Kagami stared back thoughtfully, not replying to that yet.

"Though... I don't mean all of that to sound like it's Adrien's fault," Marinette noted. "It's not like he's setting us up against one another.  'Dance, my cute little puppets!'" she giggled. "Quite the opposite; he seems like he's terrified of what choosing one of us would do to the other. But where the three of us are now... something has to give."

"So which are you suggesting?" puzzled Kagami. "That neither of us dates him right now... or that we share, somehow?"

"I'm not sure. And that's what I need you to help me figure out."

"He may not go for either of those options. I'm just pulling things out of my head right now," cautioned Marinette. "But part of it is... that it's not just his decision. It's ours, too. And if we're united that we're not going to hurt each other by making him choose one... it kind of has to be either none or two, doesn't it?"

"Hmmm..." Kagami pondered all of this with a calculating expression.

"Now, I realize what this might sound like, Kagami," Marinette explained. "Like you're dating Adrien - you already have him, you've already won - and I'm asking you to either give that up or share half of it with me. And that doesn't sound fair to me at all... but remember what you said earlier about how we each had advantages over the other?"

Marinette's face was earnest as she continued. "Right now... I have Adrien next to me, living in my house, even taking turns tucking each other into bed at night. Dressed appropriately, I assure you!" she told a momentarily wide-eyed Kagami. "That might continue for quite some time if we stay locked down. If he's hungry for romance... no matter how hard I'm trying to help keep the two of you close... I might be his best option. Certainly his most kissable option right now."

"I could steal him away pretty easily, if I was that kind of girl," sighed Marinette, "but that doesn't sound fair to me at all, either."

"And as I had said... there's still a question of whether you'd be 'stealing' him at all. Whether I actually 'have him' to start with," Kagami replied, flatly. "Even if you are sure that it would be outright theft... I'm not completely sure yet."

"So there's what I'm proposing. I can hold back, and tell him that I'm holding back, and you really have no choice about holding back right now... and we can all get together when things are less crazy and try to make sense of this as a trio," said Marinette. "Or... I can let things happen, knowing that you have every right to be just as kissy with him when you get to see him again... and both of us will have to hope that it doesn't get weird once we all get together."

"Am I making sense with all of that?" she asked Kagami. "Or is there a third alternative that I haven't thought of yet?"

"You are making sense, Marinette," Kagami assured her. "There's also the question of which of those proposals is less likely to make Adrien's skull explode."

"Maybe... we should ask him? If we dare," smiled Marinette. "But only if we don't have problems with one or the other. What do you think?"

"I think... that I am very lucky to have you as a friend, Marinette... and as a rival," smiled Kagami. "When Adrien and I talked tonight, I can't say that I liked hearing 'I told another girl that I love her.' If it was anyone else... things would be very different. But I told him that I had to talk to you before I made up my mind about him... and, somehow, you've left me feeling better than I had been. That's quite the magic trick."

"I'm not trying to trick you, Kagami. I swear," Marinette said.

"I know. That's why it worked."

Downstairs, Tom rummaged through the refrigerator, fetching a small snack and a cold drink. Light footsteps behind him caught his ear, and he turned expecting to see his wife... but didn't.

"Hello, Mr. Dupain," said Adrien. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I just needed a drink of water."

"Not at all, son. Just a trifle hungry. Would you like anything from here?" Tom asked, gesturing at the fridge.

"No, thank you. I'm still full from earlier..." Adrien trailed off.

"...And perhaps a phone call just spoiled what was left of your appetite," smiled Tom, sympathetically. "I've been there myself many years ago, my lad. It's rarely easy." Pondering that for a moment, Tom came to a decision and took a seat on a kitchen stool. "Is there anything that you need to get off your chest?"

"I wouldn't want to impose..." began Adrien, but seeing Tom's sincere expression, pulled up a stool and sat down as well. "...Thank you," he added. "I'm sorry about how things have been lately. It seems that if I'm not bringing one kind of drama to your house, it's another."

"Not intentionally, though. You certainly don't seem the type," Tom noted. "How did your talk with the other girl go?"

"Haltingly?" Adrien suggested. "I was very honest with Kagami, both about what's happened since I've been here and what hasn't. She was actually happy that Marinette spoke her mind; she knew about Marinette's feelings long before I did. Now, as for my reaction to that... not so happy. And I can't blame her one bit. She wanted to speak with Marinette before making up her mind as to what to do... and she's doing that now."

"It can't be easy, having two attractive girls interested in you at once, hmmm?" asked Tom, testing his reaction.

"That wasn't my intent, trust me. I'm very inexperienced at these kinds of things," admitted Adrien. "Your daughter has been... one of the brightest lights in my life, ever since we met this year. I knew that she was very fond of me, and that was always mutual! But finding out that she had romantic feelings as well... that knocked me for quite a loop. I don't know how else to put it. If I had known about that a month ago... so much could be different now, instead of it being the juggling act that it is."

"I am sincere about Marinette, Mr. Dupain. I can say that very plainly," he added. "But I cannot hurt Kagami, and Marinette and I are... well... we're still figuring out just how deep what's between us truly runs. If we ought to explore a relationship... or if we ought to wait... or if it's better if we stay the best of friends."

"She has had her eye on you for a very long time, Adrien. I don't think she'd mind my saying that, now that she has," Tom smiled. "But I am glad that you are taking both of their feelings into account."

"Now I know that she has. For many months, I had a major crush on someone else, and that blinded me to who and what was right in front of me," said Adrien. "I'm sorry for that, and I'll spend a long time making that up to Marinette, no matter what."

"A third person?" wondered Tom. "One of your other classmates, perhaps?"

"Perhaps... I doubt it, but I can't be sure," replied Adrien.

Tom gave him a confused look. "How can you not be sure? She is or she isn't," he asked.

"None of us know her real name... but she's saved my life more than once," Adrien sighed. "She's the bravest person I've ever met."

"She's saved your life...?" Tom did the mental math and his eyes widened. "You don't mean..." he asked, holding his hands up to his face and miming a domino mask over his eyes.

"Y-yeah," admitted Adrien, nervously. "Ladybug. We've met under quieter circumstances a couple of times, and I... I just..."

"Hmmph! That does explain much," marveled Tom. "And I would imagine that you're far from alone. Ladybug looks to be about your age... and she is one of the wonders of this world."

"She is... but she's also all business in costume, and I don't know who the girl is behind it, so... it was just a silly fantasy of mine." Adrien looked downcast as he added, "Time and effort that now I wish I'd focused on someone else."

"Adrien... you're what, fourteen? Like Marinette is?" Tom asked, to which Adrien nodded. "Can I give you some brief advice, son?"

"S-sure," stammered Adrien.

"Your age is a very complicated one. You have so many things in and about it that you're just beginning to figure out... and so are all your friends and peers, too. You're someone who cares deeply about how others feel, who wants to care for them and protect them... that's obvious, and it's a marvelous quality in you," counseled Tom. "But at your age, that is a time to dream, and to dream big... because you just might reach it someday. And you should never feel bad about what your honest feelings are," he added. "Does Marinette know about that crush you had?"

"Sort of?" said Adrien. "She knows that there was someone else back then, but there isn't know. I didn't name her."

"Well... that's up to you if you ever choose to," said Tom. "But its being someone like her, someone who's saved your life, someone simply amazing... I suspect that Marinette might understand better than you might think."

They heard footsteps on the stairs, coming down. "Thank you, Mr. Dupain. I'll keep that in mind. And thank you for listening to me."

"Any time," smiled Tom, heading back into the living room as Marinette appeared in the stairwell. "I'll leave you two to talk."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 24

As Marinette entered the kitchen, Adrien studied her closely for signs of what to expect. She looks pretty calm, he thought. Things couldn't have gone too badly up there.

"Hey," Marinette smiled. "I looked for you in your room, and found you here. How are you doing?"

"Pretty well, I guess, considering," said Adrien. "And by that I mean that I'm a nervous wreck. I was just getting a drink and talking with your father for a few minutes."

"Would you come up and talk with the two of us for a little while?" asked Marinette, holding out her phone to show that Kagami was still connected on their call. "We won't bite; I promise."

"Me, too. And not just because teeth don't bite well through a phone screen," Kagami added.

"All right." Adrien took a deep breath and rose from his seat, then joined Marinette for the climb up to her room. He considered holding her hand on the way up... but he wasn't entirely sure that he was still allowed to.

Once in the room, Marinette closed the door behind them. "Kagami... can we do this on Skype, instead of over the phone?" she asked.

"That is not a problem. Hang on," said Kagami, and the phone call disconnected.

"Get comfortable," Marinette directed Adrien as she busied herself at her computer. "This should only take a few seconds..."

As expected, Kagami's face appeared on Marinette's monitor after a short delay. She saw the two of them and smiled and waved.

"Perfect," noted Marinette. "This way it feels more like you're here. You're more life-sized now. It's harder to picture that when you're seven centimeters high on my phone."

"It is good to see you again, Kagami," Adrien agreed. "Not that you don't make an attractive samurai in our game."

"And you were a handsome... whatever you were," smiled Kagami. "But this is much nicer. Now... shall we just dive in? Adrien, I can see how nervous you look right now... We all are. And I would rather clear the air than dance around what we all need to talk about."

"Then let's do that," said Adrien. "Who wants to start?"

Marinette jumped in. "I guess I will," she volunteered.

"Okay. Adrien, Kagami... I think that we can see that even with everything that's happening... we're all still friends, and we should all feel safe in what we're going to say here. That doesn't mean that everyone's definitely going to leave this talk completely happy..." Marinette ventured, "but I don't want anyone to leave it feeling lied to or betrayed. I need all three of us to be honest, and I don't think that's too much to ask."

"It isn't," Adrien agreed. "We really need that. Kagami?"

"Thirded. It's honesty that got us into this position," she noted, looking at Marinette, "so it's our best tool to find the way out."

"Adrien... I also want to make this clear..." said Marinette, flinching slightly at Kagami's subtext. She's not being mean by implying FINALLY! about my confession, she's being honest, she told herself. "Kagami and I aren't about to tell you how things are going to be. We're not going to give you an ultimatum and say 'Choose one, and that's final.' We need you to be part of all of this... because there is no this without you. Do you understand that?"

"I do," smiled Adrien, nervously. "The two of you are still on speaking terms with me, so I'm lucky that way; it's only polite of me to respond."

"If you're feeling like you've done something horribly wrong, Adrien, you can knock that off now," Marinette told him. "This isn't a game of 'who screwed up worse.' This is us figuring this out and moving forward. Okay?"

Adrien nodded, then Kagami did as well.

"So let's summarize this. Kagami, you knew that I was so into Adrien, and you held off from what you wanted to give me endless chances to be honest with him about my feelings. But... I didn't find a way to do that," Marinette sighed. "So you made your move, and Adrien responded to that very well. Adrien, you didn't know my feelings about you... so you entered into a relationship with Kagami with no regrets. And I saw the two of you being very happy together... and I did my best to move on and be a good friend to you both."

She took another deep breath. "And then this insane situation happened. And Adrien and I grew so much closer... but in a mostly friendly kind of way. I knew that there were lines I shouldn't cross, and I didn't. But then I admitted that I'd had feelings... and that I still do. I told Adrien the truth about them, not to steal him away but to be fair to him. And I never imagined his reaction... okay, I may have dreamed it a thousand times but I didn't think that it could happen! Especially now."

"And now..." she sighed. "Kagami... I really didn't want to do this over the computer like this. I wanted you and Adrien to talk things out first in person, but that's kind of hard to arrange right now..."

"Which is not your fault, Marinette. And neither is the situation that you're in. We are all dealing with this in our own way," replied Kagami.

"Adrien," Kagami continued, "you and I do have something meaningful between us. You are the only boy that I have ever kissed. You are the only boy that I have ever wanted to," she confessed. "And you do it very well, I must also confess."

Adrien turned some interesting colors, but he didn't flinch. "I have no complaints on my end, Kagami," he smiled.

"And Marinette is quite correct; I did hold back. I did give her room to speak her mind to you, Adrien. And I did tell you that I sensed her feelings for you... but that was one of our few points of disagreement so far," noted Kagami.

"And I was wrong. Completely wrong. I know that now," replied Adrien, quietly.

"I want to make this very clear. Marinette, I am not angry at you for loving Adrien... and Adrien, I am not angry at you for responding once you knew the truth," Kagami declared, sounding surprisingly confident in her own words. "I held back because I sensed the truth... and I wanted it to play out before I asked Adrien to commit to me. When it became clear that it would not... I could not wait forever. Perhaps I did not wait long enough after all... but who could have anticipated this chain of events?"

"Adrien..." she continued, "I pressured you to decide between the two of us. Or possibly three," she added, "...as Marinette confirmed my suspicion that we were not the only two girls on your mind this year."

Marinette turned to Adrien. "You told me that you'd had a serious crush on someone else... and I told Kagami. I hope that I didn't overstep," she said, worriedly.

"You didn't," Adrien told her, unconvincingly.

"Part of me is very curious as to who that was..." Kagami wondered.

Marinette shot Adrien a look that she hoped was more reassurance and comfort than her own desperate need to know.

"...but we don't have to go over that tonight if you do not want to, Adrien," continued Kagami. "If it's in the past, it's in the past. Right?"

"...R-right," smiled Adrien. "Some other time, maybe."

"Which brings me from the past to our present," Kagami said, looking more troubled. "In which I thought I had a boyfriend... or something very close to one... or someone in my life who kissed like one, at least. But I knew that he didn't know the whole truth, and truth to tell, I wondered if I would be looking over my shoulder, always waiting for this to happen."

"But now, at long last, it has," she declared, refocusing her eyes on Adrien and Marinette. "And I am glad that it has. Because now we can do this the right way... with all of our eyes open. And if we continue as we have been, Adrien, I will know that it is because you want to... not because I am pressuring you to."

Marinette watched Adrien take in all of this. "Before you start, Adrien, can I say something?" she asked, to which Adrien nodded.

"What's been happening here has been happening fast," she emphasized. "And it's complicated. And it's delicate. And it's not something that you have to make a decision on right now."

"I don't know how I can't," Adrien replied, quietly. "I feel like I owe it to both of you to figure this out, and quickly."

"I'm sure that you've figured this part out by now," Marinette said, "but no matter what you decide about me, I want Kagami to be a big part of your life, Adrien. Maybe she'll be your girlfriend, and I'll be your best friend who hugs you and talks with you late at night and cheers you on with Kagami. Maybe I'll be your girlfriend, and Kagami will be that kind of special friend to you. Maybe we can both date you, like, casually, and see how we all feel about it?" She looked at Kagami, who nodded. "But you might not be ready for that," she told Adrien, "so don't feel like you have to consider it if you're not."

Adrien processed all of that, but was silent for the moment.

"You are not obligated to do anything. I would prefer to think that what we had between us was significant, Adrien... but do not let it dictate what comes next. Because I will clarify something... for the moment, you have lost your makeout privileges with me," Kagami laughed.

It was as close to a giggle as Marinette had ever heard come from Kagami's mouth.

"That is not a punishment, please understand; it is simply my acknowledgement that the entire game has changed. It is time to reset the scoreboard... and start anew, this time with everyone on even footing," smiled Kagami. "If you do still want to be with me that way, I will welcome you back with open arms and those privileges will be restored, make no mistake! My own feelings for you are just as strong."

"Or," she continued, staring straight at Adrien, "if you fall into Marinette's arms tonight and she learns how good of a kisser you are... will I have some disappointment, some regret? Yes, I will, I will admit that much. But I will know that you will be with someone that you love... and I will be glad of that. I would rather be your good friend than standing in the way of your true desire, if it turns out that I must be one or the other."

"Or you could say that this is all way too crazy and too sudden, and you want to date neither one of us for a while and let your feelings settle down," added Marinette. "And that's fine, too. Honest, it is."

"But whatever you choose to do... you're not hurting us by doing what you feel is right," said Kagami, quietly. "Either of us."

"You are too caring of a person to feel like you would be," echoed Marinette. "We both know that. Neither of us is going anywhere whether you pick one of us, or both, or neither right now."

"With one exception," interjected Kagami, her voice turning serious. "One that both Marinette and I agreed upon."

"Oh?"

Adrien flinched at the change in tone. "What, uh... is the exception to that?" he wondered, nervously.

"If you tell us that your new girlfriend will be Lila Rossi, we will come for you and we will find you and we will break both of your legs," intoned Kagami.

"One leg each," agreed Marinette. "I get the left one."

The room fell silent for several seconds...

...and then erupted in loud laughter, coming from all three of them, lasting quite some time.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 25

Adrien caught his breath, exhausted from laughing at his friends' dire warning. Along with breaking the tension in the room, it bought him some precious time to think... and they looked at least a little bit relieved that he was laughing at the idea.

"Let me assure both of you of one thing," he gasped. "Lila Rossi will not be my girlfriend. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. That's just not an option."

"Thank goodness," Marinette declared, with an exaggerated sigh of relief for Adrien's benefit that really wasn't all that exaggerated.

"I should hope not. If you end up with me, or with Marinette... we both know that you will be in good hands. If Lila gets her hooks into you, however..." said Kagami, her face clouding up, "then the gloves come off. That girl is a cancer, Adrien."

"She is... complicated," Adrien begged off. "And not in a good way. But she does seem to have her hooks into my father, for some strange reason."

"That entire 'your father's muse' affair... I still do not understand that at all," Kagami noted. "What does he see in her?"

"At least we're spared her in school, most of the time," snarked Marinette. "Because she's either off hunting lions on safari in Kenya, or climbing Mount Everest despite her fourteen rare diseases, or feeding orphans in Calcutta, right? I bet that the next time that we see her in class, she'll claim that she's a survivor of COVID-19, 20, 21, 22 and 23."

"I don't understand how she caught my father's eye... but she did, so I'm stuck with her underfoot for a while," sighed Adrien. "Especially after I..."

Adrien stopped himself mid-sentence, but it was enough to get Marinette's full attention. "After you what?" she asked with rising alarm. "Adrien, what did she try to do to you?"

"Th-that's not it," he backpedaled. "It's not what she did to me..."

Kagami stared at Adrien. "You didn't tell her?" she asked him.

"Tell me what?" Marinette panicked. "Adrien... if she's threatening you, and you need our help-"

"It's not what she did to me, Marinette. It's what she did to you," Adrien explained, reluctantly. "The day that she lied about you and tried to get you expelled?"

Marinette nodded silently.

"I... talked her into lying to get you out of that trouble, as well. The whole thing about her 'condition that makes her lie sometimes.' Like just about everything else out of her mouth, that wasn't true." Adrien gave Marinette what he hoped was a soothing look. "It was the only way I could think of to make her fix the mess she'd made, and to get you reinstated at school."

"You... you did that for me?" breathed Marinette, but then looked troubled once more. "And what did she get in return?"

"My continued, occasional company. My putting up with her presence at photoshoots. My even considering calling her a friend."

"Adrien... no!" gasped Marinette. "No! You shouldn't have to... Adrien, why would you even think about that after what we both know that she's done?"

"I tore into her about that. I told her that when it came to her hurting my friends... and especially you... she'd been warned before, and she didn't listen." Adrien stared off into space as he retold what had happened. "That it was completely unacceptable."

"But what you're telling is... then you did accept her," reasoned Marinette. "And I don't get that. Why would you let her anywhere near you, knowing what kind of person she is, Adrien?"

Kagami watched the two of them, but remained quiet, letting it play out.

"Because she had hurt you, Marinette. She'd done something terrible to you, but I couldn't prove it, and I had two choices. Either to condemn her... but then you'd still be kicked out of school, and she would win... or to help you, any way that I could."

Adrien's eyes were kind, and made something inside Marinette quiver. "Marinette... I don't trust her. I'm not spending any more time near her than Father makes me spend, believe me. But I'm never going to let you suffer when I can do something about it."

Marinette went quiet as well. "We'll... talk about this another time, okay?" she managed. "Not now."

"Good. Because I need to say some things right now... that are a lot more important to me than anything involving her," said Adrien.

Adrien took a deep breath and sat very still for a few moments. Kagami and Marinette watched him closely, trying not to appear too eager or too worried about what he might say.

"First of all..." Adrien began, "I am... overwhelmed. I don't know how else to say it. I have two beautiful, incredible, talented, loving girls in my life, right here with me now, and I am so fortunate just to know the two of you. Let alone for each of you to care about me the way that you do... I don't know that anyone deserves that kind of luck."

Kagami smiled warmly at him. "It is both something we are happy to give... and something that you've more than earned," she noted. "But... please continue."

"Kagami..." he told her, "I heard what you said about feeling like a second choice, about looking over your shoulder waiting for me to fall for someone else. And given where we are right now... I can't say that you shouldn't feel justified in feeling that. And it is terrible of me to have let that happen, and I apologize for that."

"When you asked me to be yours, when you reached up and kissed me that day, I did hesitate. I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure if I was ready to give up on... that other person... and I wasn't sure if I was ready to commit to anyone. If I was ready for... a lot of things. You made me see that the only way for me to find out was to give it a try," he smiled. "And I am very glad that I did. You were the first person who ever made me feel... desirable that way."

He watched Marinette's jaw drop, and turned to her, apologetically. "I need to phrase that carefully, Marinette," he told her. "You have been a blessing in my life from the day that I met you. You know how much I think of you, and how special you have always been to me. But... well... there was something big about you that I just didn't know."

"I know," Marinette replied. "And you know how sorry I am that I lied about having those feelings for you."

"Kagami," said Adrien, turning back to her, "I didn't decide to be with you because Marinette said 'no.' I decided to be with you because you are also special in my eyes... and you were the first girl who ever looked into my eyes and told me, 'I want to be yours.' The first one to break my shell and awaken that part of me. To make me want that... and to be willing to share it with me."

"You weren't a consolation prize," he insisted. "You were something entirely new, and exciting, and wonderful. And you still are. And you always will be."

"That is a very good thing for me to know," Kagami replied, visibly emotional.

"And Marinette..." said Adrien, turning her way once more, "...how do I even begin?" He laughed nervously, trying to find some way of summarizing the rollercoaster of a year they had shared. "You have always been an incredible friend to me this year. Someone that I admire, someone I adore, someone who shows me just whom I should want to be."

"Even just as that... as good friends... you have been so important in my life. That whole thing with Lila that we were talking about?" he asked. "Part of that was for your sake... and part of it was because if you were kicked out, if you weren't part of our school any more... I wasn't sure if I'd still want to go there, either."

"We are so going to talk about that later," Marinette murmured, visibly startled.

"But then this whole quarantine thing happened... and I finally got to spend much more time with you, to watch you open up to me, to get to know you much better. To see you very comfortable around me... even if I still wondered why you hadn't been before! And then, up on your balcony... you told me how you truly felt, and you saw the look on my face, and how I reacted to that." Adrien's voice cracked slightly as he continued. "You rocked my whole world, Marinette... and I hate how hard on Kagami it had to be for her to say, but she was right just now. Knowing what I know now... that really is a game-changer."

"So, here I am," he smiled, helplessly. "With an absolutely impossible choice to make. And as much as you both swear that choosing one of you won't hurt the other..." he added, "I can't believe that that's true."

"All I can say, and I think Marinette will agree with this... is that we both need to keep our place in your life. We don't want one of us to replace the other in your heart. Which of us gets your romantic side... that is up to you. But all three of us must remain close."

"Exactly," smiled Marinette.

"Now... you said an interesting word just then. Both," smiled Adrien, his hand going behind his head nervously. "Just how... would... could that work?"

"Um... we hadn't talked much about that," admitted Marinette. "And, like I said earlier... a lot depends on what you would want that to be. If that's something that you couldn't handle... or if we think that we couldn't handle that... it's not something that you have to consider."

"I'm going to put it this way," Kagami interjected. "If I'm watching you kiss Marinette... it will feel a little funny to me at first, and I'd have to make myself not feel a little jealous. If Marinette's watching you kiss me... I'm sure that she'd feel the same. But would it feel differently for each of us if we got to kiss you, too?"

"Not at the same time, right?" wondered Adrien.

"Why not?" giggled Marinette. "You have two cheeks."

She watched him process that notion and stopped him, mercifully. "Look at it like this, okay?" she prompted him. "Right now... you have two girls who are each in love with you. You have strong feelings for both of us. That isn't a contradiction, is it?"

"No, it isn't..." Adrien said.

"And we want you to keep spending time with each of us. And we'd each like you to spend a certain kind of time with us," Marinette grinned. "But now that we're all starting fresh... maybe you'll feel more romantic with one than the other. Maybe you'll want to go slowly and not rush either of us into being more than very close friends."

"And maybe you'd need to... try dating each of us before you can be sure," ventured Kagami.

"You would both be okay with that?" boggled Adrien.

"We're... not sure yet," admitted Marinette. "As long as we were all honest with each other... it could work? Maybe? But you're not the only one nervous about the idea."

Adrien closed his eyes.

"I'm more than nervous. I'm... wow. That is something that I don't think I'd ever considered... and I'd have to think about how I feel about that," he said. "In fact... I need some time to think, period."

He continued, "Both of you are irreplaceable. You each know that, right? And both of you mean so much to me that... well... I don't want to make a hasty decision as to what to do. If I rush this, and I hurt either of you... I would hate myself."

"Well... we are throwing an awful lot at you at once," sympathized Kagami. "And we have thinking of our own to do."

"Yeah," Marinette agreed. "But are we all on the same page now? Kagami, you'll be able to sleep tonight?"

"I will. And Adrien... I'm telling you that I will if you will," she replied. "The fact that you two came to me with this, instead of just letting things happen and hiding it... it means quite a lot to me."

"If you're absolutely sure," said Adrien.

"For now... yes, I am. I do need to go help my mother with something," said Kagami. "I'll talk to both of you soon, I'm sure?"

"Absolutely," grinned Marinette. "Good night!"

The Skype call disconnected, leaving Marinette and Adrien alone in her room. He looked at her and she looked at him, each a bit nervously, each knowing that a whole new world of possibilities had just opened up right in front of them.

Grins sprouted on both faces... with barely-suppressed light laughter behind them.

"So..." Marinette ventured.

"...So," echoed Adrien.

"So..." said Marinette, "Well, Adrien... what would you like to do next?"

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 26

The air in Marinette's room was suddenly thick with anticipation. Two young teenagers eyed each other nervously, mindful of where they were, who might come up and check on them, and a host of other complicating factors... and trying to tell themselves that they actually did care about any of that.

Marinette broke the tension first. "Are you all right, Adrien?" she asked, with mild concern. "You look like it, but I want to be sure. In a way, your romance with Kagami just ended... but as she said, all you have to do is say 'yes' to turn that back on, so it didn't end unless you want it to."

"True," Adrien conceded. "An awful lot of this situation seems like it's all up to me to decide."

"Isn't that a good thing?" asked Marinette. "Would it have been better if we'd just told you how it was going to be from now on?"

"That's not what I mean," said Adrien. "Of course I'm glad that I get input into this! But I'm also kind of caught in a trap right now. You want me to be happy, Kagami to be happy, and none of us to feel hurt. That's precisely what I want for you and Kagami, and what Kagami wants for us, right?"

"Right..." Marinette agreed, following along.

"But someone will have to make a decision sooner or later, one that at least one of us could be hurt by even if they're denying it now. And right now, the two of you are saying 'We can go either way, or with both, or with neither. You decide' to me," shrugged Adrien. "I totally get it! You're not just throwing it onto me, you want me to have what I... who it is that I want the most, and that's very sweet of both of you. But that's very complicated from my side, too."

"Oh," mused Marinette. "You're right about that, the more that I think about it... I'm sorry, Adrien."

"It's okay," Adrien smiled, reaching over and taking her hand in his. "All three of us will figure this out as best we can. I'm just... well, let's just say that a week ago, that just now was a conversation that I never would've expected."

"Then again," he added, gazing softly at Marinette, "so much about you has been unexpected."

"You're going to make me blush," cooed Marinette. "Though I'm starting to expect that."

"I can't help it, Marinette," he breathed. "You find new ways to amaze me all the time."

"I'll do my best to keep that up," Marinette smiled. "So keep expecting that."

"And all of a sudden... there are lots of new possibilities, aren't there?" Adrien asked. "I wasn't sure what to expect from Kagami tonight. I was afraid that this would break her heart! But she was reasonable and thoughtful in ways that she... she probably shouldn't have been. I'm kind of humbled. And a little ashamed, too."

"Adrien..." said Marinette, putting her other hand on top of Adrien's hand that was holding hers. "I can't speak for Kagami, but she did quite a good job of expressing herself just now. She loves you, too. I'm not going to tell you to go to her. I'm not going to tell you not to."

"What I want..." Adrien said, very quietly, "is to know what you want most. I know you, Marinette. I know how giving you are, how willing you are to sacrifice for the benefit of others. You do that all the time... my 'everyday Ladybug.'"

"I mean that!" he insisted, watching her smile and look away at that. "I meant it that day and I mean it even more now."

"As I recall... the first time you called me that, it earned you a kiss on the cheek," replied Marinette, her face flushed as she returned her eyes to his. "And as close as I could come to a confession that day."

"Well..." Adrien grinned, "I'm calling you that again now. What do you want that to mean this time, Marinette?"

To his delight, Adrien watched Marinette squirm in her chair. Her hands went back to her lap, she had a silly grin she couldn't suppress... she was biting her bottom lip again! And that look in her eyes...

Marinette loves me. He'd heard that from her own lips... he'd seen the longing in her eyes ever since... he'd finally grasped it. It was a part of his life now; it wasn't just guessing and hoping on his part any more. But when he'd wrapped his arms around her and held her on the balcony, when they'd shared near-kiss encounters since then... there was something still very pure about it. Something innocent.

But this... this was something a little different. It's not that Adrien was suddenly an expert on young women; far from it, actually, as recent events had proven to him in no uncertain terms. But he'd seen a light in Kagami's eyes once certain boundaries had been crossed... a different kind of longing. Something natural, and on a different kind of level.

Was he dreaming this? Sure, he'd flirted with Marinette... and she'd flirted back... and even that had taken him a little time to process that it was happening. That the girl who couldn't seem to get comfortable with him for so long was suddenly very comfortable... and hinting at more.

And then there were those tuck-ins... where he'd felt like his whole body was on fire under Marinette's gentle care and goodnight kiss... and the look on her face the night that he'd returned the favor.

But there wasn't any doubt left in his mind, watching her now... and the feeling was indescribable.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng wanted him.

"I... um... well..."

Watching her stammer, struggling for the right words to say... it was nearly an unpleasant reminder of how nervous he'd made her for so long, without understanding why. But with their new understanding, and with the reality of the situation...

...and with the acute knowledge that the two of them were alone in her room right now, they would likely hear footsteps on the stairs in time to react, and that many levels of affection that they'd held back from were now startlingly possible...

...all Adrien knew that on one level, it was positively delightful! And on another... the boy was sweating.

"Adrien... I don't want us to just... dive onto each other now," said Marinette, her brain adding says the horrible filthy lying liar who lies and is lying to you right now when she says that.

Adrien dared to attempt an Are you sure about that? eyebrow raise, but it dissolved back into nervousness on his part, and what he hoped wasn't a goofy expression on his face.

"There is... a part of me... that would not have any problem with that," she added, very slowly and deliberately. "Which I find it hard to believe... that I am saying... out loud... right now."

"It's harder than telling me that you love me?" marveled Adrien. "Because that took an awful lot of willpower on your part."

"Not harder. Just... different," she gulped. "This would be another very big step, like that was. Don't you agree?"

"It would. But, kind of like how we talked upstairs about how there are different kinds of love," smiled Adrien, "maybe there are different kinds of kisses. Like, if I greet you in public, and I do this..."

He leaned across and did the la bise air kiss next to Marinette's cheek. "None of our friends would even blink, probably. They know that that's just friendly. You even did that with Chloe once, at her party," he noted.

"Ewww," grumbled Marinette, good-naturedly. "Don't remind me of that."

"Or there's the cheek kiss that a beautiful girl gave me once when I said that she was my everyday Ladybug," he continued. "It was pretty similar to la bise..."

He leaned in closely once more, then whispered, "But you made contact. Very sweet and wonderful contact."

Marinette felt soft lips touch her cheek, and couldn't move a millimeter.

"A lot like that," whispered Adrien.

"I hope it felt that good for you that day," Marinette breathed.

Adrien leaned back in his chair once more, giving her a little space. "Or there was that kiss on my forehead the other night, when you tucked me into bed. That was a friendly kiss... but it felt like something else, too. Not an invitation, exactly... more like a wish."

"It was..." murmured Marinette. "I'll admit that now."

"I nearly passed out. You felt that, right?" said Adrien. "I'll admit that for sure. And when I tucked you in after our talk..."

"I can't even describe that," she replied, a little volume returning to her voice. "Okay... you're making sense so far."

"So..." Adrien ventured. "Going from that to... well... making out... that would be a very big step. And I really am all knotted up inside over this whole thing, Marinette. I don't know what I want to do about you, about Kagami, about... balancing the two of you... finding the right path. And if what I had with Kagami meant anything... and it truly did, I know it did... I don't want to just... jump into that again lightly. Not until I'm sure."

Marinette's smile came back. "You know what? I'm glad that you think so. Honest. I don't... want to rush things, either," she said. "And I understand completely if you're a mess inside right now! I kind of am, too. Maybe I looked fairly calm when we talked with Kagami... but I was holding my breath through half of that."

"And..." she continued after a slight pause, "I need to say that our first kiss... our first real kiss... our first no-doubt-about-it kiss... Adrien, I've pictured that in my head a thousand times, a thousand different places, a thousand different ways. But every one of them had something in common; that we both knew it and we meant it. And when we... if we get there..."

Adrien saw intense vulnerability in Marinette's eyes. "...that's what I want, Adrien. I want a first real kiss that makes my knees buckle. That makes your hair stand on end. That tells me that we're there. And that kind of kiss... we can save that for when we get there."

"You didn't say if that time," noted Adrien.

"Let me have this, Adrien," she laughed, but with her eyes starting to get a little watery. "I'm closer to that now than I've ever been before. I'm just going to tuck that little dream away in my purse for now and keep it warm and dry."

"Well... there is one other kind of kiss you ought to know about," Adrien replied, leaning closer. "The kind that a boy and girl who care for each other very, very much might share. A simple kiss that says, 'You are so special to me. You aren't someone who's trying to win my heart... you're someone who's won it. And maybe we're not there quite yet... but we've passed another boundary, and we're not going back without a fight."

"Oh," gasped Marinette. "I see."

Adrien leaned in closer. "If... and only if... you'd be interested in seeing what that's like," he whispered.

He watched, not moving any further, as Marinette bit her bottom lip once more...

A softness engulfed Adrien's world.

A sweet, gentle sensation took over every nerve in his body, every synapse in his brain at once. His eyes flew open out of shock... then closed slowly, seeing that Marinette's were closed as well, feeling that it was right to do so.

Light as a feather... sweet as a songbird's call... pure as new-fallen snow.

Marinette leaned backwards, very slowly, and each of them opened their eyes.

They stared at each other for several seconds, with no words seeming appropriate to add...

...and then Marinette lunged into Adrien's arms, hugging him extra-tight, and starting to cry softly.

"I've got you," murmured Adrien. "I'm not letting go."

"I'm okay," she sniffled. "They're I've-waited-a-year-for-that tears. I promise."

He held on, and she held on, and they rode out the wave together.

It was still just one kiss...

...and it wasn't that kiss...

...but in that moment, it was enough.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 27

It took a few minutes... and defiance of every instinct that the two of them possessed... but Marinette and Adrien managed to separate themselves just enough to be able to look into each other's eyes once more.

"Wow," they gasped at the same time... and then laughed together about that.

"So..." Marinette asked, shyly, once she caught her breath. "Did I do that right, Adrien?"

"I've never felt anything like that," he declared. "Ever."

"That doesn't exactly answer my question," she cooed, "but the expression on your face does, I think."

"I might need to try it one more time... just to be sure," grinned Adrien."

"Okay... just one more time," Marinette replied, her smile growing wider and a little bit craftier.

"I didn't say just one more," Adrien protested.

"Well, how about this?" she proposed, leaning in again. "We'll try it once more... since you asked so nicely... just to see if we like it as much the second time."

To no one's surprise, they did.

"Come here," beckoned Adrien, his arms outstretched. He patted his thigh to indicate what he was suggesting, and Marinette interpreted it correctly; she turned around and sat on his lap, facing away from him, and was rewarded with his arms wrapping around her waist.

"A girl could get used to this," she encouraged him.

"I'm kind of hoping that she will."

That got a chuckle out of her, and then a satisfied murring sound as he continued to cuddle her. "When I asked that... if I did it right... I didn't mean it like, to compare us," she mentioned. "Not 'am I as good as Kagami at that.' I don't want it to sound like a competition, like 'who's better at it.' If there's one thing to take out of that conversation, it's that."

"Oh, I understand that," Adrien assured her. He paused for a long moment, then added with a grin, "...but you are curious."

"Of course I'm curious!" she exclaimed, laughing. "But it's not something that I should ask you."

Marinette swung her legs gently, like a girl on a playground swing. "But... I really haven't done that before. Not with anyone," she admitted. "I kissed you on the cheek once, at the picnic. That's about it."

"That day that we were all filming a movie with our class. When Mylene got Akumatized, remember?" suggested Adrien. "You almost kissed me that day. Was it going to be anything like this was?"

"No! I... that was different then. You know that!" she grinned. "That would've been playing a role. I got pushed into that. Just like Alya pushed me that day with your 'statue.' This time... I wanted to. All of me wanted to. And the way that you looked at me... I just had to."

"I am so glad that you did."

They shared one more kiss, this one more of a quick peck than a life-changing experience.

"God, it feels good to be able to do that now," Adrien grinned.

"How about," suggested Marinette, "we head downstairs for a bit? I'm sure that my parents are wondering what happened."

"Like, whether one or both of us is crying their eyes out..." he agreed.

"...Or if we're celebrating just a little too much up here," she giggled.

Footsteps on the stairs made both Tom and Sabine turn in that direction. Seeing smiling teenagers emerge was reassuring to both of them.

"Well, hello," Sabine greeted them. "I take it that things went decently up there?"

"Very much so," confirmed Marinette. "We are all still on good terms with each other. Given what Adrien and I... know now, Kagami's not letting go of him... but she is sort of starting things over, giving Adrien some time to think about what he wants to do."

"If you love something, let it go. If it comes back... it's yours," smiled Sabine. "That old saying."

"Something like that," Adrien agreed. "Three very good friends... who will always remain three very good friends... and we'll see where things go from there."

"Very good. I was hoping that you'd reach some sort of agreement like that... given these crazy circumstances... but that's not always easy to do," Sabine noted. "One step at a time, as always. Would either of you care for some tea?" she asked them.

"I would. Chamomile?" suggested Marinette.

"Whatever's handy. Anything herbal," requested Adrien. "Thank you very much, Mrs. Cheng."

"No trouble at all," she smiled again.

Tom watched as Adrien and Marinette resumed their former position on the loveseat, from before the phone call from Kagami had interrupted them. They asked a couple of questions about the plotlines and what it was that they'd missed while they were upstairs, but when Tom offered to jump back to the previous episodes, they turned him down. Just being there, being close to each other, seemed more important to them than paying full attention to the program.

He casually studied their body language with a father's eye, looking for subtleties that might clue him into whether anything significant had changed between them. Not that I have a lot to compare to... he noted to himself, as male attention is fairly new for Marinette... but some things are fairly universal. And while I know that they know better... their door HAD been closed.

Things appeared to be very comfortable between them, and both appeared calmer than they had earlier in the evening. No nervousness between them, indicating new tensions... no excessive clinginess, either, which might hint at dramatically increased familiarity worth checking on. Marinette's head rested gently against Adrien as his arm cradled her shoulders, but both were about as focused on the television as on each other's faces.

Well, well, he smiled. If anything did change beyond what they told Sabine in the kitchen... it seems that they're both comfortable with where they now stand. Neither one is overwhelmed by things going too fast. And I like the sound of that.

As the episode they were watching ended, Tom suggested, "I'm trying not to binge this entire series in one night, and I might go up and get some sleep now. Is there something else that you two might want to watch?"

"I'll take a look, if you don't mind," Marinette thanked him, reaching for the remote. "Something that Mama might like, too."

"I won't be too far behind him," said Sabine, beside Tom on the couch. "But perhaps an episode of something light. A comedy, perhaps?"

Sabine was true to her word; after a half-hour episode of what Marinette had selected, she rose from the couch and stretched her arms out. "My eyes are drooping," she declared. "Don't stay up all night, okay?" she asked of them. "You can get the lights and such when you're done down here, right?"

"Absolutely. Good night, Mama," beamed Marinette, and Adrien gave her a nervous wave and a "Good night" of his own.

Once they were alone, Marinette gave Adrien a half-grin. "What is it?" she asked him. "You seem nervous."

"More like... maybe a little bit surprised," Adrien marveled. "I guess they really do trust us."

"Shouldn't they?" Marinette replied. "I mean... they don't know that we've started kissing yet, and we haven't given them reason to think that we're getting too frisky."

"True," he agreed. "But you are their teenage daughter, all alone on the couch with her first almost-sort-of-boyfriend, with your parents gone to bed and no one else to watch us.  And a bunch of movie networks, too, and I'll bet some of those movies are pretty suggestive!"

"I mean..." he deadpanned, turning to her. "Aren't they worried about my virtue?"

That got Marinette laughing hard enough that she had to muffle herself. "Oh, yes," she giggled. "I'm just going to tear your clothes off and do terrible things to you, Adrien. Hold still, and I'll get started."

Adrien laughed as well, with just the tiniest hint of She's kidding, right? floating through his head. He wasn't sure whether he was more fearful or hopeful about that.

"Your virtue is safe with me tonight, trust me," smiled Marinette. "I feel like a kid with a new toy! I don't want to wear it out all at once. And... I don't want to push you, you know what I mean?"

She turned to face him on the loveseat, sitting cross-legged and looking more serious. "I know that Kagami... set you free, like Mama said tonight. I know that she wants you back that way. And I am so happy that I can hold you, and cuddle you, and kiss you now without feeling too guilty about it... but I want to make sure that you know that I'm not using that to win you, okay?"

"The fact that I can be here with you like this... I'm the luckiest girl there is," she added. "But I don't want you to choose me because you can kiss me and you can't be that close to Kagami any time soon. I mean, don't stop doing it just because of that, either!" she giggled. "I just don't want that to make your decision for you, that's all."

"Marinette... you amaze me, as always," replied Adrien. "You're on the brink of something you're wanting very much... and you're so focused on whether or not you're getting it fairly. And, no, I'm not picking on you right now... it's one of your best qualities. It really is."

"It's important to me," protested Marinette. "It's just how I am."

"And I can say that, yeah... that had crossed my mind as well. I'm not very experienced at this, either. I'd only ever kissed one girl before Kagami came along," he admitted. "The... Mystery Crush girl."

"Wow... you kissed her?" she asked him. "Like we did upstairs, or..."

"No, just a peck on the cheek," Adrien said. "And it was strictly friendly of me. I'd just asked her if there could be more... and she'd said no."

He looked visibly uncomfortable, leading Marinette to say, "We don't have to talk about that any more tonight. Not if you don't want to."

"Thank you," he smiled. "I'd rather not. But what I was saying was... kissing isn't something I do lightly. Especially like what we shared upstairs today. It's one of those things that... well... it has to mean something. And I promise you this... I was falling for you long before we started doing that, Marinette. I wouldn't have asked you to kiss me if I hadn't."

"So we'll take this slowly, like we'd planned," beamed Marinette. "And I'm just fine with that."

"Me, too."

He pulled Marinette towards him once more, turning her so that she was cuddled up spoon-style against him. "Wanna pick another movie?" he asked her.

"That would be perfect," she replied, meaning it in every possible way.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 28

When Sabine had walked into her bedroom that evening, Tom was already in his pajamas and under the covers, but was clearly still awake. "Hello, my sweet," he called out to her. "The kids are still up?"

"What do you think?" Sabine grinned, as she walked over to her dresser to select her sleep attire. "They'll be a while yet, I'm sure."

"Agreed. Welcome to a new stage of parenting... having an actively dating daughter," laughed Tom. "At least she picked her first one quite well."

As Sabine rummaged through a drawer and selected a simple green nightdress, Tom added, "Did they say anything else about how their talk with Kagami went? I'm pretty sure that I got the gist of it just by watching them tonight, but I'm curious whether I'm right or not."

"No, not a lot of details. They were cozy, but not... all over each other," said Sabine. "And they were actually watching the show they had on."

"Heh! That's about what I noticed," agreed Tom. "It's as if they feel like they have permission now, at least up to a point. But neither one seemed broken up or distressed... and I would have expected that if there had been a rough breakup, or if Kagami had seemed hurt to them."

"Which was a very big worry for them." Sabine stepped into their bathroom, but remained within conversational distance. "Anyway... they're watching another movie. Or at least pretending to watch it."

"Takes you back, doesn't it?" Tom called to her. "To when we were that age?"

"Oh, I wasn't dating at her age. I didn't really start until I was well into lycee," she replied. "And not very much even then. I was very choosy."

"Well, obviously!" laughed Tom as Sabine emerged, now ready for bed. "Look whom you picked."

"Pfft," Sabine chuckled. "You weren't the only fish in the sea, you know. Lucky for you that I threw them all back until I caught a big one."

She turned off the light on the end table next to her, then turned to her husband. "It does take me back a little, though... to when we first started dating."

"Some very good times," Tom smiled. "A bit of kissing and hugging in the dark, trying not to get caught by your family?"

"And mostly succeeding," she replied. "Oh, I remember it well."

"Perhaps I'm not quite ready to go to sleep yet..." said Tom.

"Mmm-hmmm?" Sabine grinned back. "And just what do you have on your mind, honey?"

"Oh, perhaps a few ideas. Just because they're not old enough or ready yet..."

Around three-thirty, Tom woke up, showered quickly and put on his outfit for the day. He trod down the stairs quietly, not wanting to wake anyone else yet, heading for his kitchen for a light snack and a glass of orange juice before starting his morning bakery work.

As he entered it, he saw that one light in the living room was still on, and that the television was silent but also still on. That's odd, he thought. Why wouldn't Marinette have turned everything off before they went up?

He finished his snack and walked into that room, intending on rectifying that. As he got close, he stopped short... with a chuckle.

About an hour later, a gentle shake of her shoulder woke Sabine. "Hmmm?" she mumbled. "Is it six o'clock already? I didn't hear the alarm..."

"Not quite yet. A little after five. I hadn't planned on waking you up this early... but there's something downstairs that you simply need to see," her husband smiled warmly.

Slowly, Marinette opened her eyes just a crack. She wasn't immediately sure whether that was a good decision or not, so she closed them again.

Hmmm.

She opened them again, a little bit wider. Something about her first tiny glimpse of morning didn't seem quite... normal to her.

The first clue was that she was facing a television. It was still on, and a pop-up box reading Are you still watching? was on the screen, prompting her to press a button on the remote to start the next episode.

Yeah. That's right, we were watching that series about the kids in the old house... and all the weirdness going on around them there...

Huh. It must've stopped at the end of an episode. If you just let it play for a while without touching the remote, it'll do that... so that if you're binging a series, you don't forget where you left off if you have to leave and it's still running.

Or if you...

...fall asleep?

That made her eyes open all the way.

This isn't my room! This is the living room. And I'm horizontal.

Oh, my gosh! I must've fallen asleep, and Adrien tucked me in on the couch! That was so sweet of...

Of...

She looked down her body, and saw that she had indeed been tucked in comfortably. The quilt that had been folded over the top of the couch was now draped over her, and in her sleep she'd shifted enough to wrap it around herself more securely.

Something's still... different, though, she reasoned. Our couch is comfortable, but it's never been quite... THIS comfortable?

Abruptly... the couch moved slightly.

No, that's not it! Marinette told herself. Couches don't move by themselves, and with me on it, someone would have to push with all their might to move it. And it doesn't feel like that's what happ-

Oh!

Another brief movement made her realize that the soft cushions beneath her weren't the only things that she was lying up against. There was a warm presence behind her, breathing very slowly - the most comfortable cushion in the universe, she smiled to herself, with that realization making her tingle all over - and an arm around her waist. When it shifted, she realized that where her shirt had ridden up a tiny bit, his hand underneath the quilt was touching her side of her belly lightly, skin-to-skin.

Marinette took inventory, as quickly and as thoroughly as she could without actually moving or kicking off the quilt. Given where she was at that moment, she didn't want to move again for at least a month... but had the night ended like how she was sure that it had ended?

Everything... seems to be in order, thought Marinette. I can see my shoes over there, where I had kicked them off... but as far as I can tell, everything else that I was wearing is exactly where it's supposed to be. Adrien holding me like this feels better than an ice-cream sundae in Heaven... but I can tell that his hand is there because it's comfortable for us to lay this way. Naturally. Not going... um... exploring.

She heard a faint noise behind her, and worked out that it was Adrien snoring very, very lightly. He hadn't been doing that the whole time, or at least not when she'd first awoken... so perhaps the slight shift of his weight had put him in a position that was causing that.

Well, I certainly don't want you to feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, grinned Marinette. She pulled the quilt tighter against herself, her arm reaching down and cradling Adrien's, holding it right where it was. She closed her eyes once more, snuggled backwards slightly, and prepared to drift off for the second half of her catnap. It was as if she was floating in a dream, a dream that had come true at last...

...Um, wait a second?

Marinette's conscious mind began to reassert itself, poking gently against the rest of her brain and insisting that it, too should get a turn to play.

Okay. Now... THINK.

I wonder what time it is? I can't really reach my phone right now to check. It's not, like, mid-morning yet, or my parents would have -

EEP!

THAT'S a vivid thought! As good as this feels right now... maybe I need to get up before I do fall asleep again and my father catches us like this? It's not like we were DOING anything... but I'll never hear the end of "now that you two are sleeping together" jokes in private. Just a BIT embarrassing!

Hmmm.

I don't think that I can carry Adrien upstairs without transforming... and, yeah, THAT'S a bad idea on about twelve different levels right now. So I have two choices. I can either roll over and wake him up, and we can go up together...

...Or I can get up very gently and tuck HIM in, she giggled. Just as sweetly as he must have...

Er...

But Adrien didn't tuck me in like this. I mean, he certainly doesn't seem to be complaining one bit... but if he's behind me, I must've been the one who arranged us this way and pulled the quilt over us!

Wow, Marinette marveled. I kiss a boy a couple of times, and look at how daring I'm getting all of a sudden!

All right, now. I know what I need to do. I'm going to wriggle free, very slowly... and then I'm going to cover Adrien with the quilt again without waking him up. Then I'll kiss him on the forehead goodnight, I'll pick up my shoes, and I'll tiptoe upstairs to my room. And then we won't have as many questions to answer as to how cuddly we'd REALLY been!

Yep. That's a good plan.

Gathering her determination, Marinette reached down and lifted Adrien's arm up very slightly. She heard a slight noise from behind her, kind of a small grunt, and his arm moved and clasped her securely once more.

Oh, great! Marinette laughed to herself. It's like I'm his teddy bear, and he won't let go!

I guess that I'll just have to wake him up, she reasoned. I hate to do it, but...

Slowly, Marinette turned her head to where she could make out Adrien's sleeping face. She stretched as best she could, reaching up towards it...

"You don't have to wake him if you don't want to," a voice said, very quietly, and Marinette tried and failed to jump completely out of her own skin.

"MAMA?" Marinette hissed, suppressing a full-blown panic reaction through force of will.

"Yes, it's me," Sabine grinned, stepping forward to where Marinette could see her. "Your father found the two of you asleep like that, and put the quilt over you so that you wouldn't wake up cold. Then he woke me up to come and see 'the most adorable thing ever,' I think he called it."

Marinette opened her mouth to speak... then closed it again, with a dumbfounded smile on her face. BUSTED! she sighed to herself.

"I can explain...?" she ventured, wondering whether or not she actually could satisfactorily.

"What's there to explain?" countered Sabine. "You were watching television together, all cuddled up, and you both fell asleep, right?"

"...Yes?"

"And if I lift that quilt, there wouldn't be anything that'd make me worry?"

"Of course not!" insisted Marinette, a bit too loudly. She glanced up to make sure that she hadn't just awakened Adrien, which she hadn't.

"Then why should I complain?" Sabine assured her. "I mean, I wouldn't encourage you to make this a habit every night... but you don't have to get up just yet." Her knowing smile widened as she added, "You do look rather comfortable like that."

"...Even so," Marinette said. Very carefully and gently, she wriggled free of Adrien's grasp and replaced the quilt over him. Unconsciously, he moved towards the warm spot where she had been, and seemed to smile as if in a pleasant dream.

Marinette crept over to her mother's side, shoes in hand. "Thank you for understanding," she told her, still feeling quite embarrassed. "I promise you that it was innocent enough."

"I would find it hard to believe that it wasn't," Sabine noted. "Why did you decide to get up, if I may ask?"

"Because I know Adrien," blushed Marinette. "And if he woke up like that with you standing over him... he'd turn even redder than I am now."

Sabine grinned as she watched her daughter head for the stairs. The two of them really are such a perfect match, she smiled. And she's right... both of them are trying so hard to control themselves and not cross any lines that they shouldn't. And they're both so nervous about what finally seems to be starting, that they're nearly apologizing for it!

I wonder what they'd do if they knew that Tom snapped a picture of them with his phone this morning? she laughed to herself.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 29

Hurriedly, Marinette flew up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her. She laid her shoes down by her desk, climbed up to her bed, planted her face in her pillow and let out a shrill-but-mercifully-muffled scream.

She received some small company a moment later. Her scream might've been far louder if she'd known that she and Adrien had not been as alone as they thought downstairs... even now that she was aware that her parents had seen them.

A few hours earlier...

Tikki sat motionless in her hideaway on Marinette's dresser.

Her eyes were closed, her body was still - Kwamis didn't really need to breathe, after all - and her mind was drifting aimlessly, contemplating assorted mysteries of the universe. She was as one with the cosmos, attuning herself to mystical ley lines... one of which ran mere meters from the Dupain-Cheng home, though they would have had no way of knowing that... and feeling utterly relaxed.

Time stood still for her. It might have been ten minutes... an hour... a year. Those units were mere human constructs after all, were they not?

A small voice intruded upon her peaceful meditation.

"Hey! Sugarcube! Get a load of THIS!"

If I pay it no mind, perhaps it will go away, thought Tikki. Surely he can see that I am anchored in another plane of existence right n-

"C'mon! Wake up, already!"

The paws of Plagg shook her, knocking her spiritual awareness well out of her immediate reach.

"If this is about the contents of their refrigerator again, Plagg... you are not going to like what happens next," Tikki warned him. "It might be psychological warfare. It might involve fire."

"This might be worth it," Plagg grinned back at her. "And it kind of involves you. Come on downstairs with me!"

Opening her eyes, then rolling them in frustration, Tikki floated off the ground and followed Plagg down through the floorboards of Marinette's room.

"Well!"

From a safe distance, Tikki admired the sleep-cuddle-in-progress on the loveseat. "This is progressing even faster than I'd predicted," she smiled. "I knew that they'd started kissing..."

"Looks to me like they already passed the intro-level lessons, and jumped right into more advanced studies," chuckled Plagg, quietly. "At least they're still dressed."

"Oh, come on, now. You know them both better than that," chided Tikki. "Just this kind of physical contact is so new to them, I can't imagine anything beyond that for ages. Adrien hasn't been hinting at that with you, has he?"

"Nope. He's crazy-happy about all of this. Still wrapping his head around that it's actually happening," he replied. "The last thing he'd want to do is risk it by being pushy. I can vouch that he and Kagami were much the same way, when they were necking."

"That's good. Marinette is thrilled, too. She... hang on a second."

Plagg watched, amused, as Tikki flew over to the coffee table and picked a tissue out of a box, then went over and dabbed at Marinette's chin area with it. She dropped it in a small trash can before she returned.

"...Tiny bit of sleep-drool," Tikki explained. "She wouldn't want to get caught with that."

"I doubt that she'd want to get caught, period," noted Plagg. "Should we wake them up so they can get upstairs before someone comes down?"

"That is a thought," mused Tikki. "Her father does get up very early in the morning... not that they'd be in trouble for this, I don't think. I'd have to be careful, though. All I'd need would be to nudge Marinette and have Adrien wake up while I'm there, too."

"Hah! 'Oh, hi there! Nothing to see here, you're dreaming, go back to sleep,'" laughed Plagg, picturing that.

"Probably not worth risking it," she decided, studying the sleeping couple with a smile. "Marinette has waited such a long time for this," she smiled. "I am so glad that it's turning out smoothly."

"How long do you think that their secrets will stay hidden?" wondered Plagg. "Intentionally or not."

"Well, I hope not intentionally!" replied Tikki. "If Marinette starts wondering aloud to me about telling him, I know that I'll discourage it. I am still a little worried about how to handle an Akuma, but it seems like Hawkmoth's on lockdown, too."

"Which makes sense. We know that he's in Paris with us somewhere, and who knows what a butterfly might come back carrying?" reasoned Plagg. "We can figure that out when it happens. This building's got, what, three main exits?"

"Yes. Front bakery door, family back door, Marinette's balcony. There's an emergency door at the back of the bakery kitchen, but I think that's got an alarm on it. More of a fire exit," counted Tikki. "The biggest trick would be separating them if an emergency hits. I know that they'd want to get away and transform... but they'd also be super-protective of each other! A real juggling act."

A series of thumps caught their attention, sounding like footsteps on the stairs that were trying to be muffled by someone not built for that kind of thing.

"Ah, crap!" Plagg muttered. "Here comes her father. Welp... good luck, kids!"

"Yeah," Tikki laughed. "We haven't heard the last of this one."

The pair zipped up and away to their respective rooms before Tom emerged.

In the present time, Tikki approached Marinette slowly, trying not to laugh. "Is everything okay, Marinette?" she asked. "Was that a happy scream or the other kind?"

"A little bit of each," Marinette replied, slightly muffled by the pillow. She rolled over to face her loyal Kwami, somewhat red-faced. "I just woke up in the most wonderful place in the world... in Adrien's arms. That's the good news. The bad news is that we got caught!"

"Caught doing what, exactly?" wondered Tikki, looking very curious.

"Sleeping! What did you think that we - never mind that!" gasped Marinette, appearing shocked by the mere insinuation.

"Well, that's good. You two were just cuddling and snoring a little bit when I found you," Tikki smiled.

"You caught us, too?" groaned Marinette. "For four in the morning, there was an awful lot of foot traffic in there today."

"I wasn't foot traffic. I was floating, of course," giggled Tikki.

"Uggggh!" Marinette face-planted on the pillow once more. "I am so embarrassed!"

"And why is that? As far as I could tell, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Except maybe the snoring."

Marinette stared at Tikki. "Wait. Who was snoring - me or him?"

"I didn't get close enough to tell," said Tikki, delicately. It could have been either one of you, she thought, because you don't do it very often... but when you do snore, it sounds like a congested racehorse is sleeping up there!

"Tikki... I didn't even have a kind-of-a-sort-of-an-almost boyfriend for one whole day before I got caught in a compromising position with him!" moaned Marinette. "I'm never going to hear the end of this, I'm sure."

"Let me walk you through this, Marinette. You're new at this, and you could use a little advice right now..."

Tikki settled down on the pillow next to Marinette's head, figuring that this might take a little while.

"All right, look. You and Adrien have been killing yourselves all week trying to figure out how not to go too far. Your parents know that. They've watched you being all dewy-eyed at each other. Your mother knew you were alone in his room at night, and she didn't even flinch."

Tikki smiled, sympathetically. "I think they trust you two, just a little bit. Don't you think so?"

"Y-yeah... but..." stammered Marinette.

"And now you've finally got... well, maybe permission isn't the right word. The ability to test those waters without feeling like Adrien's cheating on Kagami, right?" Tikki continued. "You two are young, attractive, and think the world of each other. I have to believe that your parents are expecting more than a little affection between you."

"I know that. And I'll be more than happy to give it to him," Marinette smiled. "But I'd rather do that in private...!"

"Privacy that they gave you. They didn't have to go upstairs when they did," giggled Tikki. "And you didn't disappoint them. All you did was fall asleep... and in such an adorable position, at that!"

"Well... yeah," conceded Marinette. "I kind of wish that I could have seen us, somehow. And waking up like that... Tikki, it was like heaven on Earth!"

"When your father found you, he didn't raise a ruckus or lecture you. He went 'Awwww...', then put a quilt over you and called your mother down to see you, too. And she melted, too," Tikki noted. "Heck, even I had to come down and see, once I... um... realized you were still downstairs."

"So I should expect that you'll be... checking in on me whenever I'm alone with Adrien?" asked Marinette, raising an eyebrow.

"Goodness, no. That's between you and him," backpedaled Tikki. "I need to stay kind of nearby, of course, in case you need to transform for some reason... but I don't need to know every detail of what happens. I've been watching humans interact for millennia, Marinette... somehow I don't think that you two will invent anything new."

"The basics are just fine for now, yes," she replied. "And even then, we'd need to work up to... where we'd be comfortable going further."

"The we're-there kiss that'd make his hair stand on end," Tikki grinned.

"And that would make my knees buckle," Marinette grinned back. "Oh, you heard that!"

"Like I said... I kind of need to stay close." Tikki hovered once more, sensing that Marinette was in a better mental place now. "Just do what you're doing, okay? Make that boy melt, which is already happening, but keep going slow and gentle. Adrien is responding so well to that. And the two of you are positively inspirational!"

"...What do you mean by that last part?" asked Marinette.

"Well... judging from what I overheard earlier, in your parents' room after your mother came up..." Tikki giggled. "They were trying very hard to keep it quiet, but Kwamis have very sensitive hearing."

Marinette stuffed her head under her pillow. "La, la, LAAAA! I am so not listening to you right now!" she yelped.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 30

Slowly, Adrien opened his eyes just a crack, then closed them again. He was drifting slowly out of the most marvelous dream... not that dreams about her were something unusual for him lately.

Hmmm.

He remembered watching television with Marinette... a series about children who found magical trinkets with special powers. Wasn't THAT nearly a bit too on-the-nose? he grinned to himself. Quietly, he applauded himself for not making any kind of cat-related jokes while it was on.

They'd gotten through at least three episodes... maybe into the fourth? Bits and pieces of it danced around the edges of his memory. He'd have to look it up later and figure out where they'd left off; it was definitely entertaining enough to continue.

His brain was still a little bit fuzzy around the edges. He remembered cuddling up with Marinette on the loveseat vividly, of course; snuggled up as the small spoon, she felt like the piece of himself that he never knew he'd been missing. Not a lot of kissing this time... there were a couple of affectionate pecks from time to time, but their closeness seemed enough all by itself.

But when had he gone up to his room and climbed into bed? Had he tucked Marinette in? Had she tucked him in? Had they said anything to each other then? It was all a blur to him. He couldn't even remember climbing the stairs.

And... my guest bed is comfortable, a flicker of awareness took the opportunity to mention to him, but it doesn't have cushions BEHIND me when I'm lying on my side, does it?

Did I never go up at all? he wondered. Ahh, that must be it. I'm dreaming that I'm still down there on the loveseat with Marinette. I can almost feel her warmth in front of me.

I... CAN feel warmth in front of me. Right now!

Adrien opened his eyes. He noticed first that he was horizontal, and still facing the living room television... and that a pretty young woman was sitting on the couch, smiling down at him.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she giggled.

"H-hi," Adrien murmured, with a smile of his own. "Good morning? It looks like morning."

"It is. It's about eight o'clock," said Marinette. "I figured that I'd keep you company, so you wouldn't be alone when you woke up."

"Oh! Thank you," he yawned. "I must have fallen asleep down here last night."

"Actually... we did," Marinette corrected him. "It must've been around one or two when we dropped off."

"What... together, on the loveseat?" he asked.

"Uh-huh. Apparently, you make a very nice pillow."

"I was happy to be of service!" smirked Adrien. "I thought that only worked on a Startrain."

"Yeah, well... you might want to get ready for today," blushed Marinette. "We, um... kind of got caught like that."

"We did?" yelped Adrien, sitting up, suddenly wide awake. "By whom?"

"Everybody?"

Marinette got some amusement from the sudden panic on Adrien's face. "It's fine, Adrien. Nobody's mad, we were fully dressed..." she assured him. "Go up and get your shower, and we'll see what teasing we get at breakfast?"

"Y-yeah... I'll do that," gulped Adrien.

"Hey," she said, leaning in close. "Trust me, okay? I talked with Mama. She calmed me down first; I'm pretty sure I made the same face you're making now."

"All right... if you're sure." Adrien squeezed her hand, then headed upstairs.

When Adrien reemerged, washed and dressed, he found Marinette sitting in the kitchen and Sabine setting a plate for him next to her.

"Good morning," Sabine smiled. "You like your eggs over easy, correct?"

"No more often than they let me eat them at home, I'll take them any way I can get them," Adrien beamed. "But, yes, this looks delicious. Thank you very much!"

"Ah," she nodded wisely. "The dreaded dieticians. Eggs aren't that unhealthy, though, are they? It seems like every couple of years, they go back and forth on that. They're good, they're bad, they're good, they'll kill you slowly... then it'll be the egg substitutes that they warn you about next."

"I've learned not to ask," noted Adrien, in between mouthfuls. "Every time I tell them that I like something, it seems like it leaves the meal rotation soon after."

"I hope that doesn't apply to your lady friends as well," chuckled Sabine. She saw Adrien and Marinette each cringe slightly, and added, "Oh, dear. Tell me that I didn't just touch a nerve?"

"Well..." began Marinette, hesitantly. "Mr. Agreste has some kind of business deal going on with Mrs. Tsurugi. Adrien and Kagami weren't seeing each other because of that, exactly..."

"...But it certainly seemed like we were maneuvered together to see if we would get along," finished Adrien. "Which we did, and we do, of course."

"You're worried that your father might not approve of Marinette dating you, instead?" frowned Sabine.

"No one could disapprove of her once they've known her for thirty seconds," insisted Adrien, drawing an adoring look from Marinette. "More like that I could see them subtly... encouraging me the other way."

"If we get to that point... I'm not afraid of that," Marinette added.

"If?" asked Sabine, raising an eyebrow with a smile.

"If we get there," repeated Marinette. "So far, so good."

"About that," Adrien said, putting his fork down. "Mrs. Cheng... should we speak about what you saw this morning? I don't want to overstep your and Mr. Dupain's rules, any more than I'd want to overstep with Marinette."

"Well, I know what Tom saw this morning. He was so outraged and horrified that he put a quilt over you two so as not to disturb you," Sabine replied, knowingly. "Marinette, did you feel like Adrien took any liberties with you last night?"

"N-no! Of course not!" Marinette stammered. "He was a complete gentleman."

"And, Adrien... Marinette didn't try to push you into anything, did she?" added Sabine, dryly.

Marinette glared at her mother, as Adrien's knife hit the floor with a loud clattering sound. "I can assure you, Mrs. Cheng, that she d-didn't," he replied, nervously. "I'm... uh... I was asleep for a while, but... no, I know she wouldn't..."

Adrien didn't even need to turn his head towards Marinette to know that that was the Wrong Answer, as Sabine suppressed a giant laugh. "W-wait! I mean... Oh, gosh," he panicked.

"Let me tell you a little story, Adrien," Sabine grinned. "A little something that my mother told me, when I was your age. She said, 'Sabine, now that you're dating, there are two things you need to keep in mind. One, never sleep with a man until you're married; and two, never marry a man who snores.'"

"...What did you say to that?" Marinette asked.

"What else? 'But, Mama, then how am I supposed to know if he snores or not?'" laughed Sabine. "I think my rear was sore for a week after that."

"So," Sabine sparkled, greatly amused by the Did she just SAY THAT? looks on the kids' faces, "I think Marinette was just doing some independent research about your snoring last night, in a very harmless and cuddly way. Did you find out, dear?"

"I... don't know," said Marinette, blank-faced. "I was asleep."

"Hmmph! Always a problem with that kind of study," deadpanned Sabine. "So I suppose that further tests will be needed."

Marinette and Adrien stared at each other, their faces screaming How do we answer that?

Finally, Sabine broke out into laughter. "Adrien... you should see the look you have right now! I apologize," she giggled. "You two did nothing wrong. You simply fell asleep! If you two ever do start crossing our boundaries, we will let you know... but I do not expect that we will ever have to."

"Oh, and let me get you a new knife," she smiled, turning away to the silverware drawer.

Adrien turned back to Marinette with a stunned look on his face. Marinette shrugged, and mouthed I warned you! to him with a helpless smile.

To their relief, the rest of the day in the bakery was devoid of drama. Tom gave the two of them a knowing grin a few times, but left it at that.

Nathalie checked in with Adrien in mid-afternoon, with no new news on either side. He was happy to hear that no one in the household had displayed any notable symptoms yet; she was happy to hear that he wasn't consuming large quantities of fattening pastries on a daily basis. She inquired politely about Kagami, confirming that he was not taking her lightly; he asked about additional clothes, was told that another care package would arrive that evening, and stressed that yes, he would wash the contents thoroughly in hot water just to be sure.

Marinette sent Alya a brief update... with instructions not to pass on every single detail to their friends yet. "We've been kissing" seemed like sufficient information to provide; somehow, she judged that saying "we slept together last night" would cause far more harm than good.

The makeshift family smiled warmly over dinner, exchanging small observations and stories as if they'd been all doing this together for years.

It was a strange peace for all of them... a new normal found together in extraordinary times. A sense of belonging for Adrien, something that he'd been craving for as long as he could remember; a feeling of ease for Marinette, the intimacy with Adrien that she'd craved growing day by day. A warmth within Tom and Sabine, so greatly pleased that Adrien clearly felt comforted in their care, and feeling very supportive of what was clearly blossoming before them.

And yet... there was a slight underlying tension as well, one that they couldn't put their fingers on, exactly. A knowledge that this was all temporary, perhaps, wondering what the dynamic might become once Adrien returned home? Or the uncertainty of the times they were living in, and knowing how easily one infected customer or one unfortunate contact during a grocery run could bring it all crashing to a halt.

For the moment, they each took what they could get. Coq au vin passed around a dining-room table, stolen kisses after dark and a comfortable daily routine might not be able to solve the world's problems... but it seemed like a rather good start.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 31

After the evening meal, Marinette gave her parents a calculating look. "I was wondering..." she ventured, "if you would mind if Adrien and I did something unusual tonight."

Three faces stared back at her with varying levels of amusement and astonishment, to which she blushed heavily. "Not anything like that!" she gasped. "Everybody's mind is in the gutter, all of a sudden."

"I don't know what you mean," smirked Tom, holding back a few other jokes. "What did you have in mind?"

"Going out for a walk in the park," suggested Marinette. "Just the one down the block. I figure that both of us could use a reminder that the outside world still exists."

"Hmmm. Do you think that that's wise?" wondered Sabine. "With everything that's going on?"

"Well, I figure that it'll be mostly deserted, don't you?" Marinette explained. "It's not that crowded in normal times. They've said that it's being around other people that can be dangerous, not just being out in the air itself. We'll practice social distancing if we encounter anyone, and wear masks. I made a handful of them for all four of us."

"They're up on your desk, right?" asked Adrien, to which she nodded. "I'll go get them."

"...Had you run this by Adrien before?" asked Tom, once Adrien had departed.

"Uh-huh, we'd talked about it a little bit. He's interested in it, if it's okay with you two," Marinette said. "Not if you think that it'll cause problems! He's still very worried about that."

"Well... the authorities have said that it's okay to be out like that and get a little exercise, within reason," Tom noted. "If you're careful. Those aren't, like, medical-grade masks you're talking about, are they?"

"Oh, no, but they're not intended to be, either. Your mask isn't so much to keep you from getting sick, but to keep what you're breathing or coughing out away from everyone else," agreed Marinette. "The Prime Minister said once a day, within a kilometer of your house, and no more than an hour, right?"

"That's what I had read," said Sabine. "Sounds like you've got it all figured out. Tom, what do you think?"

"No objections here," he declared.

With that, Adrien came flying down the stairs with a small bag in his hands, which he presented to Marinette.

"Thank you," she grinned, reaching inside and producing a variety of colored cloth. "See? A couple of floral ones for you, Mama, and solid colors for you..." she declared, handing them across. "I sewed them up the other night out of some cotton fabric I had lying around, and a couple of old T-shirts I'd outgrown. They're folded over for thickness and sewn in place, you can tie them back with these little straps, and there's a little pocket on the inside for tissues or paper towels as a disposable layer. Two for each, so that if we each use one you'll still have a clean one while the other one's being washed."

Sabine tried one on, and it fit securely around her mouth and nose. "I like this," she replied. "I might even think about wearing one of these down in the bakery. It covers what it should, but it's soft and comfortable, too. Thank you, dear!"

"They're easy to make. If you know anyone else who could use some, let me know." Marinette bounced in her chair, eagerly. "So... can we?" she bubbled. "While it's still warm and light out?"

"If you like. Just be careful and follow the rules, okay?" her father told them.

Marinette looked at Adrien, who grinned back. They each grabbed a mask from the pile, tied it on quickly, and headed for the back door together.

"Oh, my gosh, I have been wanting this for so long," declared Marinette, as she and Adrien strolled slowly down a walking path in the nearby park. As she had predicted, it was very sparsely populated, and others who were there joined them in keeping a more-than-reasonable distance.

"Getting out for a walk, or something else?" grinned Adrien, that humor more evident in his voice than in his covered face.

"Yes," Marinette giggled in response. "It just feels just a little bit normal again to be out like this, though."

"You have your balcony, at least. You can go up there whenever and look out over the city," Adrien pointed out. "Not many can say that they have that."

"True," allowed Marinette, "but that's always the same view, and a small, enclosed area. This, though... I don't know, weren't you getting tired of being cooped up, Adrien?" she asked.

"Oh, I couldn't knock the company," he countered, playfully. "But you know how I am about feeling locked away. I may be used to it, but I'll never like it."

"All the more reason for us to be out here," she grinned.

They wandered through the park for about thirty minutes, settling down on a couple of benches close to the street, sitting side by side and holding hands.

"What did Nathalie have to say to you today?" wondered Marinette.

"The usual. Same quarantine, same lockdown, Father's still pulling his hair out trying to juggle everything that's going on," sighed Adrien. "Looks like you're stuck with me for a while longer. They are sending the Gorilla over in the morning with some more of my things, at least."

"That's good. Not that you don't look good in the same couple of outfits, but it's good to have choices," she said. "I know that sometimes it feels like I'm just wearing the same old thing to school every day."

"I know what you mean. I think people think that I have five of the same shirts sometimes," Adrien agreed. "It's easy to fall into habits like that." Taking her hand, he added, "But sometimes it's worth it to dare to try something new, hmmm?"

"Definitely," said Marinette, very warmly. She leaned in close to him and murmured, "I'd kiss you if the masks weren't in the way."

"Why let that stop you?" he laughed, and they moved in face-to-face.

"Ahem!" came a stern voice from somewhere nearby. "If you would like a ticket, by all means, keep that up."

The kids jumped as one, very startled. "I beg your pardon?" exclaimed Adrien.

"You're at one ticket already," Officer Raincomprix declared. "Failure to socially distance while under lockdown. Care to go for two, son?"

"Um..." mumbled Marinette. "Hello, Officer. I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I'm in your daughter Sabrina's class at school?"

"I thought that was you," the officer noted. "And your companion is..."

"Adrien," he replied. "Adrien Agreste. I'm also in your daughter's class."

His statement caught the attention of someone walking nearby, who did a double-take from a safe distance. "Adrien Agreste, the model?" he heard them wonder, faintly.

"I can see that you know most of the rules," Officer Raincomprix told them. "You're masked, and you seem to be remaining apart from everyone but each other. But I am afraid that it looks like I will need to write that ticket."

"That's fine," said Adrien. "I'll cover whatever it costs."

"No, wait a second," interjected Marinette, rising to her feet. "We're only a few hundred meters from my house, we're masked, and we've been out for less than an hour. We're not endangering anyone else. What's the problem, Officer?"

"The Agreste mansion is more than a kilometer from here, young lady," he declared, pulling out his ticket book. "And you are only supposed to be out exercising alone, or with members of your household."

"As I said, I'll take the ticket, just to try and be a good example," said Adrien. "But there is... well... something of an extenuating circumstance, if I can explain..."

"And what might that be?" the officer asked.

"I'm... living with him now?" Marinette blurted out.

As Adrien took Officer Raincomprix aside and attempted to adequately describe his new living arrangements, Marinette caught a glimpse of the now-three passersby who were gaping at them.

"You're... living with Adrien Agreste?" one of them asked, incredulously.

"No! I mean... yes, yes, I am! But not, like... living together living together. Of course not. We wouldn't be old enough for... even if we were..." Flustered, Marinette did her best to produce a coherent sentence. "We've been quarantined together temporarily, that's all."

"It didn't look like 'that's all' a moment ago," quipped another.

"That's... none of your business," she snapped, turning back to watch Adrien plead his case for a moment. "Aren't you three standing a little too close together right now?"

Officer Raincomprix's head snapped around, and the passersby stepped two meters apart with all due haste. At his glare, they scattered, and Marinette returned to Adrien's side.

"Just a warning this time, all right?" the officer told the pair. "I shouldn't even do that. The Mayor has been insisting on zero tolerance on public canoodling during this crisis."

"Understood, Officer. We will keep our canoodles out of public places from now on, I promise," said Adrien, a bit nervously.

"All right, then. Move along," Officer Raincomprix declared, heading out to continue his beat.

Adrien and Marinette stared at each other... then burst out into mutual laughter.

"Shall we..." ventured Marinette.

"...get home before we're wanted criminals?" chuckled Adrien. "Yes, please."

The two ran back to Marinette's back door, feeling giggly all the way.

"Hello," Sabine greeted them as they entered. "How was your walk?"

"Oh... not bad! About like I'd expected. We were some of the only people there, and it was very nice out," Marinette declared.

"Good. Nothing unusual?" asked Sabine.

"Oh... nothing too unusual," whistled Adrien. For me, anyway, he thought.

"Perhaps your father and I will try that tomorrow night," Sabine smiled. "It's been a while since we've been anywhere besides the grocery store."

"I think that you'd both enjoy it. Just watch your distancing," chirped Marinette as the kids headed for the stairs.

Now, what did she mean by that? wondered Sabine, but left it at that for now.

Upstairs, the two of them settled down in Adrien's room, still laughing.

"Just once these days, I'm going to have a good idea that doesn't go horribly wrong," giggled Marinette.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Adrien declared. "I quite enjoyed it, right up until we got accused of crimes against humanity."

"You did see those people on the sidewalk, right?" ventured Marinette. "I did my best to put that fire out, once they'd heard your name."

"Thank you," breathed Adrien. "That's all we need, more reasons for my father to get nervous." He looked thoughtful, then added, "You know... this is something that we ought to talk about, Marinette. If we are going to end up being a couple, after all of this is over with... I do have to deal with paparazzi sometimes. Look at tonight; there weren't many other people out on this side of Paris, and four of them still found us together."

"You and Kagami had to deal with that sometimes?" she asked.

"Not very much yet... but sometimes, yes," he admitted. "I can't promise that you won't get drawn into it."

"I'm okay with that. I'm sure that I am," smiled Marinette. "You don't think that you'd be worth it? Or anything else?" She added, with a laugh, "At least for now, we're wearing masks."

"True," Adrien replied. "But you wouldn't want to spend all our time running around Paris in masks together, would you?"

Each of them looked a little more nervous at that than perhaps they should've.

"Let... me think about that a little longer," said Marinette, doing her best to keep a straight face.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 32

Once again, the evening led to Tom heading up to bed first, followed by Sabine, followed by a slightly nervous tension in the air downstairs. Both teens knew very well what wouldn't be happening... but were also keenly aware of so many other possibilities that could. Probably shouldn't... almost definitely wouldn't... right? But could.

The movie du jour that they selected was a drama, a coming-of-age tale set in southern Europe. Both of them found it interesting, though its setting was a bit before their time, and they found themselves debating some of the characters' motivations between themselves as it went.

"Do you feel up for one more tonight?" asked Adrien, afterwards.

"I'm not sure," replied Marinette, with a small yawn. "I haven't been staying vertical because I had any complaints about last night... I'm vertical because I didn't. I feel like I could snuggle again with you and be asleep in about five minutes."

"Then maybe we should try and be good, and get some sleep tonight," Adrien suggested. "Like you had said before... new toy, let's not wear it out yet."

"Yeah," Marinette grinned. "That sounds like a pretty good plan."

Quietly, they gathered their belongings. Marinette stopped in the kitchen for a drink to take up with her, Adrien picked out a small snack, and they padded gently up to the second floor. "Go ahead and get your bedclothes ready," Marinette told him. "My bathroom's all yours when you come up."

"Thank you," he whispered. "I'll just be a few minutes."

As Marinette busied herself around her room, Tikki snuck a quick peek out of her hideaway. "Anything special planned for this evening?" she whispered to her young host.

"Not really," Marinette replied. "We've been pushing it a little bit lately, between last night and the park today. We said that we'd keep things simple tonight."

"I've heard that before," grinned Tikki.

"I'm serious," insisted Marinette. "I'm... oop!"

She cut her sentence short as she heard footsteps on the stairs nearby, and Tikki zipped out of sight. A gentle knock at her door followed.

"Come in," called Marinette, and a pajama-wearing Adrien crept inside.

"Thank you," he smiled. "I'll just be a couple of minutes."

"Take your time," she told him.

He shut the bathroom door behind him, and Marinette heard the sink water running lightly within.

"What happened with your care package?" asked Marinette. "I thought you said that it was coming tonight."

"Nothing major," Adrien answered, muffled by the door. "The Gorilla was tired tonight, so I told him to go ahead and wait until tomorrow morning. I'd be fine until then, and I had a date in the park with someone, besides."

"I'm glad that I rated so highly," she grinned.

"No, I totally needed that! Maybe not the Officer Raincomprix part..." he noted, "but just getting outside for a little while with you. That was a really good idea."

"The masks'll be here. It's not like you have to wait for me to join you, if you're feeling stir-crazy," Marinette replied. "Not that I mind at all; I really enjoyed it, too."

She paused for a moment. "You don't have any fear about that... going outside right now?" she wondered aloud.

"Jmmph a sccnd!" she heard in return.

"Sorry!  Please finish brushing your teeth first," laughed Marinette. "I'm not, like... scared, exactly... I know that we're doing everything we can do to protect ourselves."

But it IS freaky to me, she fretted to herself. I go out and fight villains that can smash buildings or throw lightning at me, and I'm not afraid... but this is something so very different. I can't see it coming, I can't fight it hand-to-hand, I can't out-think it. And yet it can not only sneak up on me and get me... it can take out everyone I love.

The door opened a moment later. Adrien stepped out partway and replied, "Sorry about that. I mean... I know the feeling, right? Everything's so up-in-the-air right now at home. They can't even send me clothes and stuff tomorrow without my having to sanitize everything immediately. Maybe even burn the box that they send it in!"

He leaned against the doorway slightly, looking tired. "But I'm not going to let myself focus on that," he declared. "I have to believe that things will turn out okay for most people, including me. That this is a disruption, not the end of the world. And that as much as I don't really want to leave here..." he smiled, "that it can't be too far down the road."

"I sure hope so. The turn-out-okay part, I mean," empathized Marinette. She sat down on her computer chair, facing him. "Has there been anything new lately about your father, or the workers?"

"Nothing dramatic," shrugged Adrien. "So far no one at the house has tested positive; that's good, at least. But it'll still be at least another week-and-a-half of self-quarantine there, other than errands like this care package. The studio and the production house... that'll be more of a mess to figure out. Father's got his hands full there. But he was submerged in the business before this, so that's nothing new for him."

"It'll work out. It just has to," sighed Marinette. "Okay... my turn in there."

She darted past him with a small bundle under her arm. Adrien watched her with some curiosity. "Pajamas or nightgown tonight?" he asked.

Just before Marinette closed the bathroom door, she shot him an impish grin. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased.

From behind the door, she laughed as she heard Adrien reply, "Actually... yes?"

The door opened moments later, and Marinette stepped out in her customary pajama set. "Not a disappointment, I hope?" she ventured.

"Not at all. You were a vision before you changed, and you still are," admired Adrien. "You'd find it hard not to be beautiful."

He watched Marinette blush... her face falling away shyly.

"...What is it?" he asked her. "It's not like I've made that a secret."

"I know," she purred. "And I'm very happy that you think so, Adrien. I just... I'm not used to hearing it said to me, that's all. Not from someone like you."

"You'd better," Adrien smiled. "Because I know that I'm right."

She stepped forward, as if on autopilot, and embraced him. A light thank-you kiss became two, then three... then five...

"Mmmmph," mumbled Marinette, forcing herself to disengage with a wide smile. "I told myself I was going to behave tonight."

"That's up to you," breathed Adrien, allowing her to create a little space. "Your lips say 'no'... but your lips just said 'yes,' too."

"I know," she moaned. "I'm sorry, Adrien. I feel like I'm being Little Miss Hot-and-Cold with you, and that's so unfair of me."

"Don't say that. You're not making me feel that way," Adrien soothed her. "We both talked about taking it easy tonight, remember? You didn't just lead me on or tease me, I promise."

His face clouded momentarily. "You're not the only one who's struggling with holding back now and then," he said, "and I don't ever want to be pushy about it. I've... I think that I've hurt someone in the past that way... and I never want to repeat that with you."

"You did something like that?" wondered Marinette, uncomprehending. It seemed totally at odds with the boy standing in front of her. "...Not with Kagami? She's never mentioned anything..."

"No... before that. The other girl who didn't like me back the same way," said Adrien. "It's kind of awkward, and... that's in the past."

"Adrien... we're both still figuring out how all of this works," she smiled up at him. "So we'll work it out a little at a time. No rush." She added, "It's your turn to get tucked in tonight, right?"

"I think so," agreed Adrien.

"Then let's go do that," Marinette giggled, "while we can still bear to sleep in different rooms."

The two of them headed downstairs once more, just as quietly and (preferably) as secretly. Everyone seemed to be okay with the two of them being alone at night, so far... but why take chances?

As Adrien climbed onto the guest bed, Marinette closed his door behind her so that the two of them could talk some more. She watched him flop his head down onto the pillow and grin at her, and gestured to him. "Move over a little," she asked him.

"Huh?" Adrien wondered.

"Just a little bit! Move over, you."

When he did, Marinette slid over onto the bed next to him, him under the covers, her on top of them. "Hi," she smiled.

"Hi," Adrien replied. "I wasn't expecting this..."

"Oh, I just wanted to be cozy for a few more minutes," Marinette blushed, leaning forward so that he could reach out and put his arm around her. "And I wanted you to know something, Adrien. You don't make me feel pressured at all. You don't seem pushy or needy. If anything, I feel like I'm the one who's pushed the envelope between us a little bit."

"I don't know about that," countered Adrien. "I've given as good as I've gotten."

"Adrien..." continued Marinette, "I have wanted you for so long. To hold you, to kiss you, to just lie here like this with you. And right now... this all feels so completely natural to me. Why you're here is still crazy... but that you're here couldn't feel more right."

"I couldn't agree more," beamed Adrien.

"And I need you to know that I do feel that natural with you now. That I don't feel like I'm begging for affection... and I'm not drowning in it, either. That I don't feel like we have to keep escalating, or... trying new things... but if we do reach that point, we'll be comfortable talking about it first."

Marinette's voice was soft and warm in Adrien's ears. "I mean, look at me!" she added. "A few months ago, you'd have touched me on the shoulder and I'd have bounced around the room like a rubber ball. Now, I'm literally lying in bed with you and I couldn't feel more comfortable... because I know that we can trust each other. Kissing and cuddling isn't why we're doing this... it's just expressing how we feel."

"That is... a really beautiful way of saying it, Marinette. And you're so right," smiled Adrien. "I'm not thinking and thinking and thinking about what I should say next or do next. I'm just... being with you. And I'm loving it."

They shared some light kisses for a few minutes. "Okay..." breathed Marinette, once her thought processes reasserted themselves, "time to actually practice what I preached here, and let you get some sleep."

"If you need me, you know where I'll be," Adrien told her.

"Don't tempt me, Mister," giggled Marinette.

She kissed him on the forehead once more, then crept up to her room. Adrien rolled onto his back once more, his eyes closing... and with a very peaceful smile on his face.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 33

The morning sun arrived, and upon finding all virtues intact that ought to still have been, it rose approvingly over the Parisian skyline.

An uneventful breakfast led to Marinette tinkering with some dough-shaping duties back in the bakery's kitchen, while Adrien offered to take a tour of duty working up front with Sabine.

"Are you sure?" she'd asked him. "I wouldn't want your father's secretary getting upset about your being exposed to customers."

"I'll be wearing one of Marinette's masks. You said that you'd show me how to do contactless payment like you've been using out there, so I won't be handling cash or credit cards myself," Adrien pointed out. "And if I listened to everything that Nathalie told me, I wouldn't be here now."

"True enough. All right, then, you can be my new counter and register trainee," smiled Sabine. "Don't expect special treatment just because my daughter's crazy about you, now."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Adrien assured her. "By all means, no favors. Show me why you're the most dangerous bakery owner on Rue Gotlib."

Sabine gave him the eye. "We're also the only bakery on Rue Gotlib. But that still counts, smart guy," she winked.

About an hour later, Marinette wandered out to check on him, her apron displaying signs of wrestling with flour and powdered sugar. "How's he doing?" she asked her mother, who was closer to her than Adrien was.

"Not bad, not bad," Sabine replied, jokingly. "It's almost like he's pushed buttons or done basic math some time before."

Seeing her daughter react curiously to her jovial tone, she explained more quietly, "Adrien has a good sense of humor on him, so we've been trading some one-liners back and forth today. It's good to see that he's feeling that much more comfortable with us, that we can build up a rapport like that."

"Uh-huh! Cool," beamed Marinette, who then walked over to Adrien's side. "Hi," she greeted him. "I'd hug you, but, well..." she noted, pointing out her finely-coated apron. "I'd turn your outfit into a mess."

"I bet he'd take his chances anyway," Sabine called over.

"Honestly? It's tempting," Adrien laughed back. "This is pretty easy," he told Marinette. "It's been a moderate flow this morning, so it's keeping me occupied. Your mother's helping me whenever I need it."

"Sounds good. Papa and I are building some cakes. So far, we're doing all right, with a hiccup or two," she replied. "Do you find it easier out here than back there?"

"Not really? Just different," shrugged Adrien. "I can go anywhere they want me to be. I joked that I might be a tiny bit safer in the kitchen, but your kitchen might be safer without me in it."

"So, the first time that you have me over for dinner, I'd better plan on doing the cooking myself?" teased Marinette.

"You think that they let me cook around that place?" Adrien moaned. "For one, they've learned their lesson on that. Plus, Father runs around mumbling about 'what I'm paying some of the finest chefs in France for,' and similar things. I don't get a lot of practice because of that."

"I'm sure that we could arrange something. You and I can collaborate on a dinner together some night, and then see if we need to order a pizza when we're done," she suggested.

As she spoke, a familiar sedan pulled up to the curb. "Adrien! Looks like your bodyguard is here," called Sabine. "Marinette, we're not busy right now... why don't you go out with him in case he needs help carrying anything?"

"Will do," Marinette replied. She pulled her facemask out of her apron pocket and tied it on quickly, then joined Adrien on his way out the front door.

"What all did he bring?" asked Marinette, as the two of them approached the car.

"Hard to tell," Adrien replied. "One way to find out."

The Gorilla was hunched over the trunk, his own paper facemask in place, but they could see just from his eyes that he was happy to see Adrien looking well. He waved with his free hand, then made a brief "wait over there" gesture, which they obeyed. They watched as he lifted out a group of large blue plastic bags, effortlessly.

"Ah! IKEA bags!" noted Marinette. "That's smart. We can rinse them off and sanitize them when we've unloaded, so you don't lose them."

"Yeah... it is. But since when does Father shop at IKEA?" wondered Adrien, looking quite puzzled.

Him? No. Me? Yes, the Gorilla gestured. He reached over and placed the three bags on the sidewalk, then stepped back so that they could investigate.

"Okay," Adrien said, diving in. "This one's all clothes... okay, good. Good choices here. You got my pullover... I can always use more underwear... yeah, this will do nicely." He reached the second bag and his face fell. "Seriously?" he asked the Gorilla, who shrugged helplessly.

"What is it?" asked Marinette.

"Textbooks," grumbled Adrien. "For my Chinese language lessons. Here's one on the history of the piano. ...Sheet music? What am I supposed to do with that here?"

"Now, there we can't help you," admitted Marinette. "We have a lot of things here, but no pianos."

"All right. Let's see what's over here..." Adrien rummaged through the third bag with a look of intense curiosity. "This is... what is this?" he exclaimed.

"Can I see?" asked Marinette. He waved her over, and the two examined the contents.

"Settlers of Catan? Ticket to Ride?" she marveled. "Exploding Kittens? I've heard of some of these... they're board and card games."

"Yeah, I know of Ticket to Ride... I think that I have an app for that on my phone," Adrien agreed. "But there's so many of them in here..." He looked up at the bodyguard, who was grinning. "Where did these all come from?" asked Adrien. "I know that they're not mine."

He watched the Gorilla's pantomime with a practiced eye. "These are yours? For us to borrow?" asked Adrien, getting a firm nod in return. "Are you sure?" he added, getting an even firmer nod.

"Oh, wow! Thank you so much, Mr... um... thank you very much!" Marinette bubbled. "That was very kind of you! Adrien... I'll take these two inside for you. I'll put the clothes in your room... where do you want me to hide the textbooks?"

"Up in my... wait, hide them?" Adrien stumbled, getting a silent laugh from the Gorilla.

Marinette gave him a quick mask-to-cheek peck, then took off inside with two of the bags. Adrien watched her go, the heavier bag of the three at his feet... then turned back to the Gorilla, who appeared amused by what he saw.

The Gorilla pondered that for a moment, then gestured to Adrien, then to where Marinette had gone. He entwined his hands together, simulating two lovebirds holding hands, followed by a questioning look.

"...Yep. It's happening," confirmed Adrien. "She's just amazing. What do you think about that?"

He watched the Gorilla take a firm kendo stance, signifying Kagami... then give a firm thumbs-up gesture. Next, he flicked two imaginary pigtails... and repeated the thumbs-up, but more vigorously, with wide eyes and a distinct nod of approval.

"I'm finding it very hard to argue with that," smiled Adrien. "Thank you for bringing this... and for the games! We'll take very good care of them, I promise. Stay safe!"

With a small wave, the Gorilla climbed back into the sedan and headed back to the mansion.

"Games, you say?" asked Tom, looking intrigued. "What type of games?"

"A few different types," explained Adrien. "Some of them are board games... newer ones than your standard Cluedo or Scrabble, though there is a Monopoly set here now that I look more closely. These are games for two or more people; all four of us could play, if we wanted to. This one's about civilization-building, trading with other players, forming alliances..."

Marinette watched Adrien's face as he described the games that he recognized to her father. Cautious optimism on his face grew quickly into major excitement once he saw that Tom seemed receptive.

"This other one's a card game, basically a dungeon crawl played for laughs... very competitive," bubbled Adrien. "There's a base game and a ton of expansions... wow, he's got a lot of those here!"

"I'll be happy to go through them with you later, Adrien. I'm pretty sure that Sabine would be interested, too," smiled Tom. "How about we take a look together after supper?"

"Absolutely!" Adrien beamed. "I'll take them up to my room for now, and we'll be right back!"

"Well, you seem awfully happy all of a sudden," Marinette mentioned as she walked with him. "They're good games, huh?"

"Marvelous games!" Adrien declared as they reached the second floor. "There's been a real renaissance in recent years in game design. A lot of people think 'board games' and the same four or five come to mind, but there are some real gems out there now that are much newer."

He laid out the contents of that bag on his bed. "Okay, I have that one and that one..." he pointed out. "I've played that one once. These two I don't know at all. That... whoa!" Holding up a weathered cardboard box, Adrien had a look of amazement. "That copy of Illuminati... that might be a first edition!" he marveled. "We need to take extra-special care of that."

Adrien looked at Marinette with a startled expression. "I had no idea that he had all of these," he told her. "These could keep us all occupied for months, if you and your parents enjoy them."

"I'll be happy to try them out, of course!" replied Marinette. "And if you've played some of them before, you can walk us through how they work."

The unbridled excitement returned to Adrien's eyes. "That's just it, Marinette!" he exclaimed. "I have some of these... but I've never had a chance to play them."

It didn't click immediately for her, so he continued his explanation. "These are for at least two players, right?" said Adrien. "Most of them work best with around four people playing them. So... sure, I had a copy of Catan on my bookshelf... but who was I going to play it with?"

Oh...

OHHHH.

Marinette looked at Adrien in that moment, seeing the vulnerability joining the hope and joy in his eyes... and a wave of emotion passed through her as well.

Sometimes I forget just what it's like to be Adrien Agreste, she realized. How his feeling isolated and alone redoubled after his mother disappeared... but it certainly didn't start then.

How much of my own life that I take for granted sometimes. Not because my family's all that unusual... but because others' are.

And just how much he needs support. And lots of it.

Her will wavered for a moment, contemplating that. I'm... we're giving him a taste of family, perhaps like he's never had before. And I can see how happy that's making him, she told herself.

But once this whole crisis is over... once he's back at his house, and he's isolated again...

Kagami doesn't have the kind of family life we have. The same kind of comfort. Not even close. And I'm so not meaning that to seem catty... that's a big problem for her, too, thought Marinette. Maybe I need to do what I can to reach out more... once I can see her again.

It IS something that I can offer Adrien that she can't... as much as I possibly can. As much as his father will let him participate, and be with me.

But Kagami... might fit into his old life in ways that I can't. She understands that lifestyle better. She's living much of it herself.

Which of us COULD be better at lifting him out of that? At giving him what it is that he truly needs the most?

I... need to think about this.

But for now...

Adrien's momentary look of confusion, coming to him while watching Marinette process all of that, vanished as her smile returned to her face. She sat down on his bed and began rummaging through the game collection.

"Which leaves me with just two questions, Adrien," she said, warmly. "Which one should we pick for tonight... and how long will it take you to teach me how to play?"

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 34

"So... you have to keep at least one Destination Ticket card that you draw on your turn," explained Adrien. "You can keep two or three if you like, or put the extras back on the bottom of that deck. It's a chance for more points by extending your ride, but it's also risky, because if you don't get your train to all of the destinations in your hand, you lose points at the end for the ones you miss."

"I get it," beamed Marinette. "I think that it'll make perfect sense once we start playing it. Do you want to try it out in two-player mode, or save it for later tonight?"

"Maybe later, with your parents? Then all three of you can learn by doing all at once," Adrien suggested. "There's a phone app for this one, too, so that once the quarantine is over, we can play it over the Internet from a distance."

"That could be dangerous to our free time," said Marinette.

"Quite! All the more reason why I'm suggesting it," laughed Adrien. "I have every intention of you being a much bigger part of it going forward."

"Not just me, I hope," she sighed, with a slight smile.

"That's not how I intended that... but what do you mean, Marinette?" asked Adrien, sensing her concern.

"I love being important to you. But I'm not the only one who's important to you, right?" Marinette replied. "You know that I'll want to spend more time with you... as close to you as you want to keep me," she smiled. "Kagami's waiting patiently, too, though. I'll want you two to stay close, whether or not I'm with you, and I know that your father will keep nudging you two together. Have you talked to her since our big talk?"

"I have," Adrien confirmed. "Not long conversations, but a little time here and there when we could steal it."

"Keep that up. I'll be calling her, too," Marinette directed him. "Right now, we have each other... but who does she have? Even outside of... romantic implications... she must be feeling lonely over there."

"...Somewhat, she is," said Adrien. "I will keep up with her, I promise. And maybe we can do another group chat with the class some time soon?"

"I was thinking about that... I'll send some messages around and see when would be good for that," noted Marinette. "I'm thinking that..."

Adrien's phone rang, cutting off her sentence.

"There, see? I bet that's Kagami now," she declared.

Adrien looked a bit pale. "Not with that ringtone," he told her, then connected the call and held the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Father," he stated.

Marinette's eyes went huge.

Quietly, she stood up and motioned that she would leave, but Adrien waved that off, requesting with a gesture that she sit down once more. He muted his phone and whispered, "I'm not hiding anything from you!" with a smile, then put a finger to his lips as he put his father on speaker.

"-suppose that you might be wondering about the reason for my call," she heard Gabriel's voice intone.

"To be honest... yes, I am," said Adrien, flatly. "What can I do for you?"

"Actually... there are a handful of reasons. Not that I should need a reason to speak to my son, however. Would you not agree?"

To Marinette's ears, Gabriel's voice was pleasant and seemingly unstressed. Adrien appeared mildly off-balance, but composed. "Of course not, Father. It merely seems unusual to hear from you directly, that's all," he replied.

"A fair assessment," noted Gabriel. "You shamed me for that recently. You may be the one person from whom I would have taken that, and I will say again... you were correct in what you said. I cannot promise that I will be a new man, a new father going forward... but I would try to be at least a somewhat better one."

To Adrien's stunned silence, he added, "Are you well, son? I am sure that your hosts are granting you your every whim, but is there anything that I may do to ease your stay?"

Adrien stole a glance at Marinette, who mouthed Wow! silently.

"I am quite comfortable... and quite content," said Adrien. "The Dupain-Chengs have been astoundingly kind and fair, and I am working hard at repaying them for that."

"...About that. You are certain that your... bakery adventures... are strictly voluntary? Between you and I," asked Gabriel.

"Without any doubt," said Adrien, in a firm voice and without hesitation. "Any kind of craftsmanship is interesting to me, and Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng are masters at what they do. I am learning so much from them! When I return, you might be surprised at what I may whip up in our kitchen."

"I have been surprised by your previous attempts," said Gabriel, looking amused. "Particularly the ones that set off our fire alarms."

"I'll try to avoid that," grimaced Adrien. "Also... our bodyguard's delivery today was most appreciated. The additional changes of clothes will do nicely. I wasn't expecting the textbooks, however."

"I do not know why not," snapped Gabriel. "This is a quarantine, my son. This is not vacation."

"What, precisely, am I to do with sheet music without my piano?" wondered Adrien.

"Your fingers still work, correct?" retorted his father. "You need not sit before keys to visualize how they may be pressed."

Marinette glared with some fierceness. Now, that's the Gabriel I've heard about, she thought. From charming and considerate to cold and calculating in a matter of seconds.

"However, I must say that the games in the third bag were a most welcome surprise," Adrien said.

Gabriel barely blinked. "The what?" he asked.

"Never mind."

"How are things at home going?" Adrien asked, after a moment. "You're feeling well, Nathalie, everyone else?"

"So far, things are acceptable here," Gabriel replied. "No symptoms so far. I will be retested within the next couple of days, as will Nathalie. It is irritating to have to wait in line for that, but, well..." he grumbled, waving his hand in the air. "Other people do exist."

Marinette opened her mouth to speak, then closed it.

"And the production line workers? The people in the studio who tested positive?" pressed Adrien.

"Recovering. One of the latter was hospitalized briefly, but did not require extensive treatment," said Gabriel. "We are, of course, providing what support we can... while we can."

"What is that supposed to mean?" frowned Adrien.

"Adrien," sighed Gabriel, holding his hand to his forehead. "We are staring down the barrel of what may be a complete catastrophe for our industry, much less our company. High fashion loses much of its charm when there is nowhere to wear it, and nowhere to show it off except a webcam stream. We will retool what we may, repurpose what we can... but every day is a living nightmare of red ink right now. Insurance will do what it can to soften this, but anyone who relies upon that for long is a fool."

"We are wealthy," continued Gabriel. "But we are not billionaires who can absorb an endless downside. I am keeping everything running and keeping everyone paid as long as will be practically possible."

"I understand that," Adrien mumbled. "But, surely, we did not get to where we are on our own. Keeping our employees and staff afloat... that's the right thing to do."

"I will not argue this with you right now, Son. There are many aspects to be considered," Gabriel sighed. "When you are at home... we can discuss this in more detail."

"You can count on that."

Gabriel stared back at his son, not entirely approvingly. "I will remind you that I have run this company and its financials since well before you were born, Adrien," he declared. "I am not a novice at the realities of the business world. Nor am I a model, who only gets an occasional glimpse of the machinery behind the scenes."

Adrien burned where he sat... but remained silent.

"Have you spoken with Miss Tsurugi?" Gabriel asked, redirecting the subject away from their point of contention.

"I have, repeatedly. Nearly every day." Adrien gave his father an update as to how the ladies in his life were being treated... and how they were choosing to treat each other.

To his credit, Gabriel maintained a straight face throughout. "That is... well, I must say that you have your mother's moral principles, Adrien. Both when defending unfortunate employees and when managing affairs of the heart," he replied, once Adrien had concluded. "I applaud you for finding a way to remain in both their good graces."

"It wasn't entirely easy. And once I am back and I can see Kagami in person again... it might become more complicated. But most of your praise should go to Marinette," Adrien declared. "She is most insistent on all three of us remaining close, no matter what. I am following her lead... but she is also giving me the room I need to make my own educated decisions and take my time."

"Not a small thing. You are quite taken with her, are you not?" inquired Gabriel.

"I am."

Adrien's words were simple, but direct enough to thrill Marinette... particularly with regard to whom they were spoken.

Adrien makes his own mind up, of course... but his father's opinion does mean so much to him, worried Marinette. What will he say about that?

"Then, if she is charming you... by all means, remain charmed, my son."

Gabriel broke the silence around ten seconds later, an amused look on his face.

"You look startled, Adrien," he noted.

"Should I not?" Adrien replied. "You have made it eminently clear over the last several months that you foresee Kagami and I as a couple."

"I have foreseen the two of you spending time together, yes. Connecting. Becoming close companions, and smoothing relations between our families. But have I ever specified a romance?" argued Gabriel. "You are my son. You are not bait. Should something significant develop between you and Kagami, I would be delighted, of course! But if Miss Dupain-Cheng is respectful of Kagami's feelings and has her own claim on yours... particularly under current circumstances... as I stated the other morning, she has risen to my attention as well."

"Whoa," marveled Adrien. "I must admit that I was afraid that you would... that you'd say..."

"Nothing that we must discuss in detail at this moment. Especially in present company," Gabriel smiled.

Adrien glanced at Marinette, who remained off-camera. Does he know I'm HERE? she mouthed silently.

"Which brings me to my other reason for calling," Gabriel continued. "I received an interesting phone call this morning. I was hoping that you could enlighten me as to why."

"Oh?" wondered Adrien.

"It seems," noted Gabriel, "that the gossip page of the Paris Times had an interesting entry this morning. Let me call it up here... ah, here it is. Young supermodel goes viral - as does his love life!"

Adrien's jaw dropped as Gabriel continued reading, "Anonymous tipsters reported that a certain blonde supermodel had his first flirtation with the long arm of the law. Local authorities caught him stealing a masked kiss in a park... and, when questioned, revealing that his young lady friend lives with him now, under quarantine! Could a new power couple be blossoming on Paris's fashion scene... or is he simply as stir-crazy as the rest of us are these days?"

"Now," his father declared. "I am reasonably certain that no young ladies are living at our mansion at present. I had the duty of informing the Times's gossip columnist of this personally this morning. But could you explain to me why an officer of the law felt the need to get involved... or what you were doing out there with Miss Dupain-Cheng to begin with?"

Adrien searched his brain for sentences that might apply to this particular situation.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng?" asked Gabriel, dryly. "Perhaps you are better prepared for that question than Adrien is?"

Wordlessly, Marinette turned Adrien's hand so that the phone faced her now.

"...Perhaps?" she added, nervously.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 35

Marinette's pulse pounded in her ears as Gabriel Agreste watched her closely through Adrien's phone.

He doesn't look angry, I don't think; more annoyed than angry, somewhat curious... she considered, but that can change in a heartbeat. This could get messy quickly!

"Mr. Agreste... first, good afternoon to you," she began, buying herself a moment to try to structure her approach to this. "I hope that you don't think that I was eavesdropping."

"Not at all," said Gabriel. "As soon as Adrien put the call on speaker, I assumed that he had company, someone whom he trusted. You were the logical assumption. Now, kindly appraise me of the logic of going out necking with my son, in a public park, in the middle of a pandemic?"

"That... is not at all how it happened," she stammered.

Quickly, Marinette ran through the essential points, trying hard not to babble... how the two of them had followed all of the applicable restrictions, how even the witnessed kiss was mask-to-mask, and how Officer Roger had agreed in the end that they had not endangered the public or violated its sense of decency.

"Adrien was prepared to simply accept the ticket and be done with it, as a good example," she noted. "I was the one who clarified that he was not more than a kilometer from where he was living temporarily. He was not having a public rendezvous with some random girl; he was taking a walk with one of his housemates! There were a couple of other people walking by who recognized Adrien, even through his mask; one of them must've tipped off the newspaper..."

"...And I have dealt with that particular policeman before," sighed Gabriel. "He means well. That is likely the hard limit of what good I may say about him."

"We kissed each other once in our thirty minutes out," Marinette declared. "I think that Officer Roger teleported behind us at that moment. We did not... go out 'necking,' Sir; we just wanted to breathe a little bit of fresh air for a few minutes, away from other people. I promise you that."

"I tend to believe you, Marinette. That kind of behavior would be out of character for Adrien," mused Gabriel. "And given his awareness of that, I would expect him to be attracted to young women with similar sensibilities and maturity. Of which you are either one, or you are sufficiently clever and devious to be worth my notice for other reasons."

"...I'm sorry?" Marinette managed, startled.

"Do not mind me. A tiny joke of mine," he replied, in the tone of a man who had not joked out loud since 1998. "With a grain of truth behind it. We have met before, you and I... but I do not know you well. And since you are assuming an ever-growing role within my son's life... I feel that perhaps I ought to."

"That is... um... what would you like to know?" asked Marinette, in a hesitant voice.

"I know more of you already than you might expect," lectured Gabriel. "For one, you would not imagine that I would allow Adrien to live under your care without a thorough investigation, would you? Rest assured that my people found nothing that concerned me in the slightest."

"What were they looking for?" snapped Adrien, wary of the common folk subtext that he feared that he was hearing.

"Ah!" Gabriel tutted. "This is between myself and your lady fair, Adrien. Please do not interrupt." Aiming his voice more at Marinette once more, he continued, "They were not searching for specific things; rather, for a lack of red flags. This is a city full of charlatans, frauds and schemers, all looking to take a bite out of a tempting target. Your parents, Marinette, showed absolutely none of that. They are, in a word... refreshingly good and normal people."

"I would like to think so," she replied. "I'm not quite sure how to respond to that, Mr. Agreste."

"In the spirit in which it was intended; a compliment," Gabriel smiled. "An affirmation. Likewise... I am aware of much about you, thanks to my son's speaking of you on many an occasion. He has told me all about a promising talent with a dazzlingly creative mind. Whether with a designer's pencils and sewing needle, drawing up a derby hat or costumes for a musical group... or with a baker's tools, or a mediator's skills, or simply with your watchful eye over your friends and classmates and acquaintances. Watching for opportunities where your insights could aid others, and possessing the courage to do precisely that."

His eyes stared straight through her. "If my son's descriptions are accurate... and I am keeping in mind that he said all of that before romance was in the air... you appear to have an eye for quality, Miss Dupain-Cheng. For seeking out that which is good in all things. That is an inborn talent that no school can teach, and no lessons can impart, and it is something that I prize highly in my design staff."

"Th-thank you, Sir," breathed Marinette. "Adrien is very kind. I hope that I can live up to even half of that."

"As do I. Expect to be tested in the future... and in ways that you might not expect... because the rewards may be substantial, should you pass," he replied.

Gabriel let his praise sink in for a moment, watching Marinette squirm a bit, unsure of how to respond. "However... I have some more immediate questions for you," he added.

"...Anything, Sir," Marinette stammered. She stole a glance at Adrien, who had an I have absolutely no idea how to process any of this expression on his face.

"Right now, Miss Dupain-Cheng, my business is in an extremely precarious position. Having listened to my conversation with Adrien, you grasp this, yes?" stated Gabriel. "My son is, of course, a public face of said business. And at a moment when I am pulling my hair out trying to keep it afloat, my son is not only unavailable for whatever advertising or PR that we could figure out here... he is no longer living with me. Indefinitely, it would seem. And in a matter of days, he has gone from dating the daughter of a major client to appearing on the gossip pages, caught kissing someone else very publicly and potentially breaking the law in the process."

"Potential is a very complicated word, Marinette," he continued. "But it refers to what might happen in the future... not to what is happening now. As it stands... I accept your explanation for the incident in the park; it was an honest mistake, with good intentions. But at this moment in time, even honest mistakes are unacceptable from both of you. Adrien, come over next to Marinette so that I know that both of you are hearing this."

Adrien scooted over behind Marinette, his head over her shoulder, an arm draping around her protectively. Marinette felt like his throwing her down to the mattress and guarding her with his own body might be an option that he was considering, instinctively.

"I need to be crystal clear about this, and I will say this only once. I am not making decisions for either of you about your romantic future... yet. I am not comfortable in such a role, any more than I would be if someone else told me whom I may love," lectured Gabriel. "And as long as you continue to comport yourselves maturely... and give Miss Tsurugi's feelings the same consideration... you have my blessing. Adrien, from what Nathalie has told me, and from what I have seen myself... you seem genuinely happy in Marinette's company. And you may not always believe this... but that happiness remains something important to me."

"Thank you, Father," Adrien replied, uncertain of how else to reply. But I hear a 'However' coming, he thought...

"However..." said Gabriel. "I must insist upon your cooperation. Assist me in maintaining what little sanity I have left. If you could avoid further public scandal, and if things remain passable with the Tsurugis, bless you both. If either of those prove impossible, on the other hand..."

He left the sentence unfinished, a state in which Marinette hoped it would remain.

"Message received. We will do our very best," Adrien declared.

"We will," echoed Marinette.

"Excellent. In that case, I will let you return to your baking and your necking. Thank you both."

The phone call disconnected, rather abruptly.

Adrien and Marinette stared at each other, silently.

"That was... interesting," Marinette ventured.

"That's my father," sighed Adrien. "And his amazing knack for lifting you up and casting you down again, sometimes in the same sentence.  His stick usually outweighs his carrot."

He looked at Marinette with sad eyes. "I have to say it. My father and I do come as a package deal, and with so much baggage. What do you-"

His sentence was interrupted when two soft lips stilled his.

"Adrien Agreste... don't you even talk like that," Marinette affectionately scolded him, once the two of them could speak again. "You're not about to scare me off, and neither is he."

"Evidently not," breathed Adrien. "But he is serious about what he said. He may say that he doesn't want to interfere with us... but that won't stop him from trying from time to time, I promise you. That's who he is. We are going to have to tread lightly sometimes."

"I can do that," Marinette assured him. "All this time that I was chasing after you, trying to get your attention like this... don't you think that I saw the craziness that your life can be? What he puts you through sometimes, even in good times? I knew what I was getting into from very early on. But then you smiled that sweet smile at me, and I didn't care any more."

"I heard what he said, and I get it," she continued. "That's what this has all been about, hasn't it? I want you to be as happy as I can help make you. Your father is part of that. The business is part of that. Kagami is part of that. Everything is part of that. If we are going to make this work... we're going to do it the right way."

"No one should be this lucky," blinked Adrien, overwhelmed.

"Well, you say that now," grinned Marinette.  "But we'll see how your luck fares when we try out some of these games tonight."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 36

Marinette took advantage of a pre-dinner lull to head upstairs and gather her thoughts. In this case, said thoughts were more scattered than she was willing to let on to Adrien or to her parents yet.  Her preferred coping method hadn't changed in many months, however; to close her room door, lock it, climb up to her bed and wait for a tiny red friend to arrive.

"A penny for your thoughts," said Tikki, pleasantly.

"You might be undercharging me," replied Marinette. "Because I'm packed full of them right now."

"I'm low on pocket money, anyway. Something about not having any pockets," smiled Tikki. "What's on your mind?"

"Oh, not much. I just had a conversation with Adrien's father about my future, that's all... and now I'm not as sure about what it is."

"That good, huh? Tell me about it," invited Tikki.

Marinette filled Tikki in on the conversation she'd had in Adrien's room with his father. "He was fine with our walk in the park being innocent enough," she explained, "and kind of fine with how we wormed our way out of a ticket. But at the time, I didn't even think about Adrien's name getting out there, or that anyone would make a big deal out of seeing him there... let alone calling it in to the newspapers!"

"And neither did Adrien. And he has much more practice at that sort of thing," Tikki soothed her. "I don't think that Adrien thinks that you caused any problems for him with how you handled it."

"But his father did. He hinted as much, anyway," argued Marinette. "And it sort of ties into something that I've been thinking about, Tikki. Kagami seems to grasp the... how should I put it? Celebrity lifestyle? Being born to privilege? Whatever it is, she grew up that way, too. I most definitely didn't."

"And that's not necessarily a bad thing," she mused. "Because Adrien doesn't really care for that much, either. He would rather just be an everyday person and not have to deal with any of that. But... that's what he wants. Is that really what's best for him?"

"That depends on who's looking at it. His father would rather see Adrien fall in line, certainly, but Adrien has his own opinions on that. And Adrien's walking a tightrope there whether you're dating him or not," Tikki said. "So maybe you shouldn't feel like it's all on your shoulders, and that you're the deciding factor. Adrien has a lot of decisions to make on his own."

"And you're a part of many of those decisions. That's true, too," continued Tikki. "But something else to think about is that those decisions aren't all-or-nothing. He's not going to pick you or pick Kagami right now and voila! That's who he's going to marry someday. I mean, maybe? Who knows?"

"I'm still trying to figure out next week, let alone someday," agreed Marinette.

"He's trying to find a balance in his own way. Between what his father asks of him and what he wants. Between his responsibilities and his needs. Between you and Kagami. You can help him find that balance."

"Which is what I'm trying to figure out now," Marinette sighed.

Downstairs, in his room, Adrien found himself somewhat unsettled as well.

Father, what am I to do with you? he considered. You have such a knack for giving me what it is that I want... then making me wonder if I have it after all.

I wondered what Father would make of Marinette and I getting closer. I figured that I might have a fight on my hands... as he's had his heart set on my romancing Kagami, and he doesn't know Marinette all that well... but he seemed to approve! When he challenged Marinette about what happened at the park, I thought that he was about to come down on her like a ton of bricks.

But she held her own - and I HAVE TO congratulate her on that later, her nerves must have been buzzing like crazy - and he not only acknowledged that and praised her, but hinted that he has future plans for her!

Wow.

Not that she doesn't deserve that... but that's pretty heavy stuff for her to hear. I know that she's been a fan of Agreste Fashions from even before she met me... and now Gabriel Agreste himself is on the phone, telling her that he's watching her progress and plans on testing her in the future.

I think that he really meant it, too! marveled Adrien. I mean, _I_ know how good at so many things she is, and how great she's going to be. But he's only seen one clothing design of hers firsthand - the derby hat - and, otherwise, he just has my word for it. Somehow I doubt that he even knows what Kitty Section is, let alone has seen the costumes that she designed for them.

Does he know more about her than he'd let on to me before?  Has Nathalie done his homework for him?  Or does he trust my judgment that much? Or was it just that she stood up for herself, and for me, and didn't get intimidated by him on the phone?

Either way... her head must be spinning now.

And then... he just had to throw in the condition. That she has to be cognizant of her effect on his business before she's actually even part of it. That she needs to be a mind reader about how Kagami feels, and about how people will react to her and me in public. That our relationship-in-progress depends on his stress levels more than our feelings.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? That everything remains up in the air, and could be taken away at his whim, even while he's also saying how he doesn't want to interfere or tell me whom I should be dating. "I do not wish to... but I can, and I might."

I'M stressed. She HAS to be. She reassured me right afterwards how she expected as much when she started chasing me... but she can hide her feelings pretty well when she wants to, especially when she thinks that I'll feel bad about them.

I wonder how I should handle this...

"I heard what Mr. Agreste said today," Marinette stated. "I was... well... I don't know what to make of what he said about me. I can kind of believe that Nathalie knows a little about me by now, if Adrien's talked to her about me. But that's Gabriel Agreste, the fashion mogul! I'm still trying to make myself believe that he even knows who I am, let alone that stuff about... tests and rewards and my having an eye for quality."

"I would imagine that much of that does come from Adrien," reasoned Tikki. "Not a bad person to have on your side in that respect."

"But all of a sudden, there's so much more to it," sighed Marinette. "Now Adrien's not just deciding whether to date me or Kagami, he's weighing that and his father's wishes and what a 'major client' wants, who just happens to be Kagami's mother. I didn't go after Adrien because I had dreams of a career with Agreste... I mean, is it something on my wish list? Sure, but you know that ambition had nothing to do with any of this!"

"Of course not. A sweet smile, a kind gesture, and pretty green eyes had more to do with it," Tikki assured her.

"I'm not ready for Gabriel Agreste to even think about thinking about me from a business perspective," moaned Marinette. "It's way too early for that; I'm still way too young and inexperienced. But he made it sound like... that's now an aspect of how he thinks of me. That I'm in the loop on helping to manage Adrien's public image now, and I don't know what I'm doing there."

"Now, that I would ask Adrien about, if I were you," said Tikki. "Because he has a better idea of his father's expectations and what he meant by that than you do, I'd say, just from who he is. You could ask Kagami if she's felt that kind of pressure. Kagami's not a potential designer, of course, but from what you described, she's been right in the middle of Mr. Agreste's plans as well."

"I might just do that. Not tonight, but soon," considered Marinette. "Both to pick her brain and to remain honest with her about what's going on over here."

"Which will go a long way towards keeping everyone sane in and of itself," smiled Tikki. "I think that she'll feel touched that you trust her that much."

"So I'm not completely overthinking all of this?" pondered Marinette. "I am pretty good at that."

"I think that you're putting a lot of thought into something that deserves it," replied Tikki. "But I wouldn't stay up all night worrying about it, either. Not yet."

Adrien glanced across the room and saw Plagg flat on his back, snoring very quietly. He got a small chuckle out of that... but then another thought jumped into his mind.

You know, he worried, there IS someone that I haven't checked in on during this whole quarantine mess. Now, there hasn't been an Akuma lately, and when there hasn't, it's not unusual for me not to see her for a week or two... but I really ought to at least make sure that everything's going well enough for her.

If she's stuck at home for some reason, and she needs anything, I could play delivery boy... if I can figure out how to get out of the Dupain-Cheng house without getting caught.  And figure out where to leave it where it wouldn't give away her identity, of course!

Adrien glanced over at the guest room's window. Rising from his bed, he tested it; it did unlock and open, though it was on the second floor, and the drop to the ground below did not look promising.

I'm not going out that way as myself... but I could as Chat Noir, if I had to. So I at least have that option without having to sneak past anyone.

An impulse flickered through his mind.

Come to think of it, he realized, there's someone ELSE who might be wondering about Chat Noir. There's really only one person whom I socialize with as Chat, and I know exactly how SHE'S doing right now... but she doesn't know where I am or if I'm affected.

Maybe... I might just have to do something about both of those people.

"Hey, Plagg," he called, quietly. "Are you awake?"

"Mmmmrrph?" came the reply from his Kwami. "Yeah, I'm awake. What's up?"

"Can I borrow you for a moment?"

"All right. So I've got my to-do list now..." mused Marinette. "Talk with Adrien about that phone call later. Talk with Kagami when I get the chance, maybe tomorrow. Make myself relax about Adrien's father. And go fetch Adrien and see if we'd rather play Catan or Ticket to Ride with my parents after dinner."

"That sounds like a pretty good plan," said Tikki. "Relaxing is the main thing, though. Right now you are giving Adrien exactly what he needs... family and comfort and love. Keep that up above all else."

"I plan to," smiled Marinette. "Thank you for - um... what is it, Tikki?"

Tikki's facial expression changed abruptly, as if she could hear something that Marinette could not. Marinette watched as Tikki remained in that state for a few moments, then looked back at Marinette appearing somewhat thoughtful.

"Hey... let's go in your bathroom for a moment, shall we? And close the door," suggested Tikki.

"Is something wrong?" asked Marinette, doing as she had been asked and locking it behind her.

"No, not wrong," said Tikki. "Just... you'll want to transform for a moment, okay? And I don't want Adrien walking in on you while you are. Check your communicator... because you just got a message."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 37

"Spots on."

In a white flash, Marinette transformed to Ladybug... possibly for the first time ever while sitting quietly on the edge of her bathtub.

Tikki said that nothing was wrong... so I'm hoping that this isn't an Akuma, she thought. I really don't need the hassle of trying to disappear and reappear right now, especially with Adrien in the house. If he comes looking for me and I've simply vanished... what COULD I tell him?

No point in worrying about that yet. Let's see what Chat has to say in his message...

She flipped open her communicator, pushed the button, and listened intently.

"Hey, Bugaboo," the voice of Chat Noir began. "Don't be alarmed; this isn't an emergency. At least I hope that it isn't... that's what I'm checking on now. Things have been quiet on the Akuma front lately, and that's about the one normal thing that's been happening in Paris... everywhere, really."

"I got to thinking about us today. And I know that we try to keep our personal lives separate; I don't want to probe too hard, and if I ask something that you don't want to answer, or if I say too much, push back, okay? You're not usually shy about that," laughed Chat. "I don't know who's under that red mask. But I do know that she's the best partner I could ask for... and a wonderful, incredible girl, no matter what her name may be. And, well... I just wanted to let that girl know that I'm all right, I'm doing fine, and to see if there was anything she needed that I could help with."

"Okay. So... how to say this without giving away too much?" asked Chat. "I've told you about how I've had problems with my family from time to time, right? Well... they're not as much of a problem right now. I'm staying with someone else at the moment. Obviously, I can't say who. But I'm in a safe place, and I'm getting... um... I'm getting to see what a real family feels like. It feels absolutely wonderful. I don't know how else to describe it."

That sounds amazing for him, Ladybug thought. That's something that he's needed... something that I've wanted for him for such a long time.

"And my father is actually being vaguely humane these days. He's dealing with some quarantine issues, which is one reason why I'm not there now, and with some other things that I can't get into at the moment. But he and everyone else at our house are healthy so far, and everyone where I'm staying, too. My father and I are communicating better than we had been in a long time. Sad, isn't it? All we had to do was be apart for a while," he chuckled. "I'm not going to go too unrealistic and say that this is some kind of new beginning... but you know how it is. I'll take any good omens that I can get in that department."

There was a pause, and for a moment Ladybug thought that his message was over.

"Ladybug... there is something else you ought to know. And it's not easy for me to say... because I'm not entirely sure how you're going to take it."

Chat's voice was subdued for him, and it made Ladybug nervous hearing that tone from him. "Don't get me wrong, okay? You might think this is awesome. You might even be relieved about it, I'm just saying..."

What could he be talking about? she wondered...

"...I've fallen for a girl."

At that moment, Ladybug was glad that she couldn't see her own reflection in the bathroom mirror from where she was sitting... because she wasn't sure that she wanted to know what face she made in response.

"There's this girl... I know her in my normal life. I've known her for a long time now. I wasn't expecting this. But I've had some time on my hands during all of this, and we've talked a lot and gotten a lot closer, and... well... I think that I have a girlfriend now. I don't want to say much more - we're still - you might know her, so - okay, now I'm babbling," Chat ventured. "Look... I'm not saying it to make you uncomfortable, or, like... like you owe me anything that way. I just felt like, after all the time I've spent chasing after you, and the problems that it's caused between us sometimes..."

"... I just felt like you ought to know. We can talk about it when we see each other, whenever that is. Wherever you are, you're probably sighing in relief."

Ladybug paused the message.

Did I just hear...

She rewound and replayed it up to that point just to make sure that she'd heard it correctly. The second time through sounded just like the first.

I am...

I do have a few mixed emotions about this... if I admit that to myself, down deep. Chat drives me nuts sometimes, but his flirtations are also a little bit flattering. I had planned on talking with him and letting him down easy one more time, and explaining that I kind-of-sort-of have a boyfriend now. Part of me wonders if this'll change how he acts around me...

...but I think that I'm happy for him more than anything else, she smiled. Yeah! This is good for both of us. Now he can move on from hearing "no" from me... and he does so deserve to be happy and loved.

"You might know her," he said. I wonder who this girl could be?

Intrigued, she hit PLAY once more...

"So, look... I'm rambling on like a goof. I'm sorry. I just... I miss you, okay? And I'm sure that things are all right with you and your family, but I don't know that and so I'm a little worried about you. And I don't have any other way to know that you're okay than calling you like this," said Chat.

Awwww, thought Ladybug. He is such a sweetheart.

"So, that's where I'm at. I hope that you get this soon... sometimes my Kwami is a little slack on passing on messages. I hope that yours isn't. When you get this... can you just ping me back and let me know how you're doing? If you need anything? If you just need an ear to bend or a friend to talk to? Even if you're doing fine, and I hope that you are."

Ladybug took a couple of minutes to process Chat's message, and to consider what to send him in return.

Things sound like they've taken a good turn for him, she mused. I know that he's told me a little of what his home life is like... what little he can tell me without giving himself away. It's sounded like it's almost as bad as what Adrien puts up with sometimes, so if that's easing up on him... I really hope that that continues.

Now, let's see...

She hit the SEND button on her communicator and started talking.

"Hey, partner. I got your message. It was really nice of you to think of me that way," Ladybug began. "I'm doing fine so far, and my family is, too. Everyone here seems healthy, and although it kind of sucks being stuck at home and not seeing my friends... I don't know, it's not a vacation, but it's also nice having nowhere other than home that I need to be for a while."

"There's nothing that I can think of that we need. My father's been doing basic grocery runs when they're needed. Our family business is... how can I say this... still in daily contact with the outside world, but we're masked, we're doing contactless everything whenever we can, we're taking every precaution that we can. So far, so good. Most people are smart about this and protecting themselves as well as others. People who know they're sick haven't been visiting us. 95% of the people coming in have been masked, and we sure are."

"If there's anything that you need, you let me know what I can do and where I can put it. I'm trying not to go out more than I have to... so far, I've really only been out of the house once during this lockdown," said Ladybug. "But with our mobility, we can go places and do things that ordinary people can't. I... I'll be honest, I feel like I should be doing more about this, but I'm not entirely sure what I could do. I can't exactly punch a virus in the mouth, you know? And there's a part of me that says 'just stay home, that's doing your part right there. And stay healthy in case Hawkmoth does something, one of these days.'"

"But I am willing to go out if it'll do some good," she smiled. "So if you are in need, don't be shy, let me know. Somehow I think that if we end up meeting halfway up the Eiffel Tower, that counts as social distancing. And if we just want to sit tight and wait it out unless we're needed, that's fine by me, too."

"As for your other news... the part about your father sounds good to me. I know that you've hinted at a lot of problems in that area, so if things are easing up for you... that's great! Chat... you are a great guy, and a wonderful person. You deserve people around you who support you and know that about you. I hope you know that I'll always be one of them."

Ladybug took a deep breath.

"And as for your big news..."

"Chat Noir... you know very well that I love you. Just not... love-love you in the way that you'd hoped I would. But I have always wanted the best for you. I have always wanted you to be happy. I have always wanted a girl to look into your eyes and give you all the shivers with how she feels about you. I just knew that, for a bunch of reasons, it shouldn't be me."

Ladybug declared, "So I am very happy that you've got someone like that in your personal life now. That's great! I want you to have with her what you thought you wanted to have with me. And more! A regular person who knows you as a regular person... that has so many more possibilities with you than a masked partner, where we can't ever tell each other who we really are."

"I do hope that it works out, and that you're genuinely happy together. When we meet up again, you can tell me whatever you feel like you're able to say about her. If you do think that I know her, be cautious, of course, but if you need advice... I'll be here for you. In fact..."

After a slight pause, Ladybug continued, "I've kind of got similar news! The boy that I've had my heart set on all along... well, things have been going great between us lately, too! So... if that means that both of our love lives make sense for once... that's a first, isn't it?" She added with a laugh, "Maybe we can compare notes. Maybe we can't. We'll see when the time comes."

"Tell Plagg that I said 'hi,'" she concluded. "Stay well, stay safe... and be happy. I'll talk to you again sometime soon."

Ladybug reflected on what she'd just heard and said for a moment, with a silent smile... then added, softly, "Spots off."

Tikki fluttered back to Marinette's side as she transformed back. "That was very sweet of you," said Tikki. "I liked how you handled that."

"Thank you," smiled Marinette. "It was no big thing. It was nice of him to think of me and check on me; I should have thought of that first."

"Oh, someone had to be first. I wouldn't worry too much about that," Tikki reassured her. "What's important is that you're both okay and happy, and now you both know it."

"I hope so. I felt a little funny about saying some of that. About our feelings," Marinette noted. "I mean, if he's got someone else now, and I've got someone else, that's perfect! We can just be great friends and great partners and leave it at that," she smiled. "But I can almost still hear my own words echoing in my ears..."

Tikki's smile turned to immediate worry as she watched Marinette's face freeze and her head tilt slightly. "What is it?" she asked.

"Did you just... Tikki, I could have sworn that I did just hear... my own voice?" murmured Marinette, listening intently. "Saying 'love-love you,' from a distance."

"I, um... no! No, I didn't hear anything. Anything at all," replied Tikki, as loudly as she could without being obvious. Adrien is listening to your message RIGHT NOW downstairs, she panicked. And apparently, voices carry a little too well in certain rooms...

"Are you sure?" wondered Marinette. "Is my mind just playing tricks on me?" She focused on the room, trying to shush Tikki. "Because I still think that I can hear... very faintly..."

"Marinette! Adrien!" called Sabine, loudly enough to be heard all the way up the stairs. "Supper's ready!"

"Maybe that was it," offered Tikki, eagerly.

"...Maybe. If you say so," replied Marinette, still not entirely sure. She headed out of the bathroom and towards the stairs, while behind her, Tikki exhaled a sincere sigh of relief.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 38

The dinner table looked quite appealing on this particular evening. Tonight's fare included roast chicken, a sweet potato casserole, a garden salad, a small cheese plate and two happy teenagers.

"Welcome," beckoned Sabine, as her daughter sat down and Adrien gently pushed her chair in for her. "So what was that all about earlier today?" she asked. "I didn't want to pry earlier, but you both looked very happy when you took that bag of games upstairs... and then a little shaken up when you came back downstairs. I was wondering what else you found in there!"

"N-nothing bad!" Adrien stammered. "I was really happy with everything that my bodyguard snuck in there! I was not expecting that, and he has a much larger collection of that kind of thing than I'd ever dreamed before. That was so nice of him to do; those are his games, not mine."

"Which we will be happy to try out with you two after dinner, if you're up for it," added Marinette. "We're thinking Ticket to Ride first. But what threw us off was that while we were unpacking everything, Adrien's father called him to check up on him."

"Oh!" Sabine exclaimed. "That's..."

"...highly unusual for him," Adrien finished her sentence. "And, no, there was no bad news. Things around the house and the company are still in a holding pattern, he and Nathalie are still healthy, and they're getting retested soon. They sent more clothes for me to wear, and textbooks and sheet music so that I can keep up with my Chinese language and piano."

Tom stared back, his fork halted on the way to his mouth. "He... does know that we don't have a piano?" he inquired.

"And he... does know that I speak fluent Chinese, right?" added Sabine, looking just as befuddled.

"And knowing things has never stopped him before, from making sure that they're just as he insists," sighed Adrien. "I'll handle that part. If I decide to open the Chinese textbook, I might test out some pronunciation on you as long as you promise not to laugh. I'm just glad that he's not directing my fencing instructor and my Chinese tutor to show up here personally."

"If they want to buy some baked goods while they're here, they're welcome to stop by," suggested Tom with a grin.

"My substitute Chinese tutor... he'd probably take you up on that," said Adrien. "But he's... out of town. I'm not sure when I'll see him again."

Marinette noted Adrien's mood falling with his reply, and made a mental note to ask him about that, whether that tutor was someone Adrien had felt close to.

"So... what else did you two talk about?" wondered Sabine, sensing something still unsaid.

"The three of us, actually..." admitted Marinette.

"Oh?" Tom noted, raising an eyebrow. "What did he have to say to you, Marinette?"

"Actually," said Adrien, brightening up again, "he said some very nice things about your daughter! And of the two of you as well... 'refreshingly good people,' he put it. But about Marinette... he spoke highly of her creativity, her eye for quality, her potential..."

"He kind of freaked me out a little bit, is what he did," Marinette allowed.

Quickly, she gave her own perspective on her conversation with Gabriel and his comments on her. "He's basing most of that on what Adrien's told him about me, not what he's seen in person, because he hasn't met me in person. Much, anyway."

"Are you all right with what he said?" asked Adrien, looking a little concerned. "And about what I've said? We did talk a little bit about that, but..."

"I am. I promise I am, Adrien," she replied. "But it's, like... I'm fourteen years old and I'm on Gabriel Agreste's radar? He's talking about tests and rewards and potential and I'm... I need to step back and take a breath, that's all. And it wasn't all sunshine and roses when we talked."

Marinette described how Gabriel had made sure that Kagami remained part of the conversation - "which I've insisted on, too, as all three of you know... but this was him asking about it!" she declared - and how she felt like she was now part of the maintaining-Adrien's-public-image process whether she'd planned on that or not.

"I think we all know that feeling. Particularly your mother," frowned Tom, "after that earful that his assistant gave her."

"Which I cannot apologize for enough," interjected Adrien, "and which I have warned Marinette about since. I'm a package deal, and I come with my share of baggage."

"Baggage that I'll be happy to help carry," smiled Marinette.

"And there was the little thing in the park," Adrien continued, then stopped when he saw Marinette shake her head subtly at him.

"What little thing was that?" asked Sabine, zeroing in on that.

"Oh... um..." Marinette replied, giving Adrien a See? look before she continued.

Tom and Sabine did their best to hide their great amusement as Marinette described their near-ticket experience.

"We were not making out in the park. It was one kiss!" insisted Marinette. "And our masks were still on-"

"Wait a moment. The two of you are kissing now?" rumbled Tom, rather loudly.

Marinette and Adrien each froze in their respective chairs.

"...Yes?" ventured Marinette, very carefully. Adrien looked as if he'd just swallowed a wasp.

"Ah! Good," smiled Tom, returning to his normal tone just as quickly. "Please, continue."

"Tom," Sabine scolded him, saying much with a single word.

"Anyway..." said Marinette, glaring at her father, "it wasn't so much the kiss that bothered Mr. Agreste; it was that the incident made the newspaper. Not with my name or Adrien's spelled out... but enough that someone called Mr. Agreste looking for comment."

"Oh, really!" marveled Tom. "Did we get the Times today, dear? I've always wanted to see my daughter's picture in the paper. The Gossip section, you say?"

"TOM," repeated Sabine, with a trace of a smile.

"There were no pictures!" emphasized Marinette. "I give up."

"I am just giving the two of you a hard time," apologized Tom. "It's what a father of a teenage girl does. There's a whole chapter on that in the manual."

"Be that as it may..." ventured Adrien, "it does concern me that my father and Nathalie have managed to confront your family three times now; Nathalie on the phone, both of them out front the next morning, and now this. I would like to say that this is unusual for them... but that would be a lie."

"Have the two of you talked about this?" asked Sabine, looking at both Adrien and Marinette.

"A couple of times," Marinette replied. "And I reassured him that I am okay with how we're handling this..."

"...but are the two of you?" asked Adrien.  "That matters to me."

"Adrien... obviously, I do not know your father well. But when I have been in contact with him, in our first phone call offering to let you stay here, and then out front... he has seemed to me to be a reasonable person," said Tom. "Someone not accustomed to having to listen to others' opinions, granted... but he is far from the first of that ilk I've ever dealt with. I am a businessman in my own right, after all. I could tell you horror stories about customers and suppliers alike. Your father may be prone to leaping to conclusions, but when he felt that he was wrong, he apologized."

"I can assure you," stammered Adrien, "that the apology was the most unusual thing he's done all month."

"Regardless... I sense that he is as new to this concept, of his son dating someone, as I am to my daughter's?" asked Tom, to which Adrien nodded. "Then I will cut him some slack, because we are both learning this the hard way. One baby step at a time."

"If relations with your father and his secretary become a problem... that is between us and them," agreed Sabine. "Not between us and you... and not an obstacle between you and Marinette. Trust us on that point, Adrien."

"You are a fine young man; that is obvious. It's not our place to choose whom Marinette is fond of... but it is a relief to see what a good choice she's made," Tom added. "Though there is one test of character that you still need to pass."

"Oh?" wondered Adrien, still looking nervous. "And what is that?"

"To play one of those board games with us," smiled Tom, "so that we can see if you try to cheat or not. How about you go fetch tonight's challenge, while Sabine and I clear the table?"

The first game of Ticket to Ride was fairly straightforward, as it was mostly Adrien teaching the three Dupain-Chengs the rules and basic strategies. Adrien won with relative ease, but in a manner that kept everyone else within striking distance, letting them get a handle on what worked and what didn't within the rules.

"Very interesting," mused Tom once the final scores had been tallied up. "I like this game. Care for another round, everyone?"

"I am," smiled Sabine. "I felt like I was getting the hang of it by the end, there. If I could've coordinated strategy with my husband or with Marinette, I feel like I might've been able to stop you from finishing one of your routes."

"In that case, you should've," replied Adrien. "There can only be one winner in each game, but there's nothing in the rules against forming alliances... however temporary they may be... or turning on them later, if it suits your purposes."

"Oh, really?" Tom grinned. "So this is a game for the devious as well as the sincere, hmmm?"

"Aren't they all?" Adrien grinned back, with a twinkle in his eye. "And now we really start to play."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 39

"So, what did you think?" Adrien wondered to Marinette, grinning at him across the dining room table.

"Oh, that was great!" bubbled Marinette. "And they obviously thought so, too."

The gaming night had gone very well. After the first round of becoming accustomed to the flow of the game and Adrien's hints about strategy, the next couple of games were closely contested. The youngsters and the parents formed rough alliances in the second game, leading to Sabine winning with a bit of luck and some timely bottlenecks from Tom; the third led to Marinette conspiring with Tom to bottle Sabine up, then with Adrien to stop a rallying Tom, only to sneak her way to victory when Adrien pretended not to see her final double-cross coming.

"So was Mama right, that you're a softie deep down... or Papa right, that you're a very smart young man?" teased Marinette about the latter.

"A little of each," grinned Adrien.

"So what do you want to do next?" Marinette asked. Her parents had headed up to bed not long before, to get some sleep and to give the pair an opportunity for a little unsupervised private time.

"I'm not sure," Adrien wondered, gathering up the last game pieces and replacing the lid on the box. "I ought to touch base with Kagami... or there are some things at home I should clarify with Nathalie. After what Father came out with this morning, it never hurts to be sure. But if you've got something in mind..."

"If you want some time to yourself... please, go ahead," Marinette assured him. "I don't want to seem clingy, and if you need me, you'll know where to find me. I have lots of things that I can do up in my room for a while, and I can tuck you in later."

"I thought it was your turn for that?" asked Adrien. "You tucked me in last night."

"Come find me when you're done, or when you're sleepy. We'll argue it out then," she beamed.

The two headed up the stairs. Adrien paused at the guest room door and pecked Marinette's cheek affectionately. "I'll see you in a bit?" he asked.

"Absolutely," she grinned, then went up to her room.

Maybe sooner than you think, thought Adrien, as he entered his room and closed the door, eyeing the window.

Up in her room, Marinette rummaged through her dresser. "Which nightgown should I wear tonight, Tikki?" she asked. "The white one or the blue one?"

"I'm not sure. What kind of message are you planning on sending?" replied Tikki, looking amused. "The white one certainly caught his eye the other night, and it's very innocent-looking. Remind me what the blue one looks like?"

Marinette held it up to herself. "It's not like I have anything too slinky," she reasoned. "Or much of anything to fill it out, even if I did! This one is just as modest, isn't it? It's just a little bit shorter, but it's a higher neckline. Here, I'll show you."

She glanced at the door, making sure that it was closed - Adrien was too much of a gentleman not to knock first anyway, wasn't he? - and disrobed quickly. Tikki turned away for a moment, more for Marinette's comfort level than anything else, then turned around and sized her up.

"Yes, that's very pretty," Tikki smiled. "And not something that would give anyone wild ideas. Sort of a nightshirt, but a little fancier."

"It's not too much leg?" asked Marinette. "Not too flirty?"

"I don't think so," confirmed Tikki. "And it looks comfortable."

"It is. I'll wear this in the summer months sometimes, on hot nights when my pajamas would be too warm," Marinette explained. "Sometimes I will-"

*TH-BMMP!*

Marinette turned white as a sheet, then stared at her ceiling, where the noise had come from. The sound was unexpected, but hard to mistake for anything else.

"Was that... what I think it was?" she whispered to Tikki. "A certain visitor?"

"Who else uses that entrance?" giggled Tikki. "Better think fast, Marinette!"

Marinette thought for a second, then dashed to her bedroom door and locked it. That's all I'd need... Adrien finding me in my nightgown, with another boy in my room!

Should I change back into my clothes first? she wondered... then decided that if Tikki felt okay with her wearing it around Adrien, Chat wouldn't get the wrong idea, either. One little addition seemed appropriate, however...

As she climbed up to her bed quickly, she heard a light knock at her ceiling hatch.

"I'm coming!" she hissed. Hesitantly, she reached for the hatch and unlocked it, then climbed up the ladder.

Chat Noir watched the hatch open, and reached out his hand to help Marinette up and out... a hand that shook slightly as he realized what she was wearing.

"W-wow!" Chat stammered, taking it in. Before him stood his lovely lady, radiant in a light blue nightgown... and a facemask... and very little else. "Marinette, I'm... I didn't realize that... I didn't wake you, did I? You're... dressed for bed already..."

"Oh, this old thing?" giggled Marinette. She could tell immediately that she'd thrown Chat off-balance, and felt the urge to take advantage of it, giving her gown a small twirl. "It's the latest fashion. All the girls are wearing protective facemasks to bed this time of year."

"That's not what I meant!" he gasped. He didn't want to be caught staring... even if he was secretly the person that she'd dressed up for... but he couldn't take his eyes off of her for a second.

"You look absolutely lovely tonight, Marinette... even if I can tell that you're laughing at me under that mask," Chat managed.

"Thank you," she blushed. "I hope this isn't too much! But I didn't want to leave you up here waiting while I changed..."

"It isn't... I just wasn't... expecting that, that's all," Chat managed. "You've come up to see me in your pajamas sometimes... but never in that."

"Well..." smiled Marinette, looking downwards shyly, "This is kind of an unusual situation right now. I have an unexpected houseguest. And... I think I have a boyfriend now."

"I see," Chat replied, regaining some of his usual swagger. "Is it the same person?"

"Of course it is!" she retorted, one hand on her hip. "We have so much to catch up on... but, Chat, what are you doing here?"

"Exactly that," he smiled. "We have so much to catch up on. I wanted you to know that I'm okay and doing fine... and to make sure that you were, too."

He watched as Marinette shifted nervously, one bare foot rubbing the other, shivering slightly. "And it's a little bit chilly for us to do this up here tonight. Do you want to go back in and change, or..."

"N-no, it's okay. Come down, please," she replied.

Chat climbed down to Marinette's bed, sitting cross-legged across from her.

"Thank you," she smiled. "I was a little underdressed... but I hadn't imagined going outside like this. Probably because I didn't imagine that you'd come out and see me tonight! Though... you do seem to be well-prepared."

"Oh, this?" said Chat, pointing to his mask, which now extended down to his chin. "A small modification that I had my Kwami make. They can adjust costumes based on what we want or what we need. I'm told that they're based on our subconscious desires in the first place, so... it wasn't hard for him to add a protective mask."

"You know, I never thought to ask that time that Ladybug let me borrow the Mouse... are the costumes machine-washable?" giggled Marinette.

"They're magical. I think that they're generated new each time that we transform, so... it's hard to get much safer than that, I guess," shrugged Chat. "Or at least I've never had to put it in with my laundry."

"So..." Marinette said.

"So... like I said, I was thinking about you tonight. You are pretty much the only person I visit when I'm in costume, so... I didn't want you worrying about me," Chat explained. "And I wanted to check on you, too, and what's this about a boyfriend?"

"Oh, my gosh, yes," she beamed. "This is quite a story..."

Marinette ran though the basics of how Adrien had come to live at her house temporarily and how they had become much closer. Chat sat and listened attentively, doing his best not to give anything away from his end that he shouldn't already know.

"So you finally told him that you love him," smiled Chat. "That took an awful lot of bravery for you to do, Marinette. I am very proud of you."

"Yeah, it did," she admitted. "And even after I did... and it paid off... things were still complicated. There's a third girl involved."

"You told me that you loved me once... and that was complicated," offered Chat. "I think it's always complicated."

Marinette buried her face in her hands. "Ohhhhh... Chat, that was... I don't know what I was thinking that night, okay?" she sighed. "I was startled and I was emotional and... maybe there was at least a grain of truth there."

Seeing Chat's startled eyes, she clarified, "Not like an I-need-to-kiss-you-right-now kind of love. But you do mean very much to me, Chat. You understand that, right?"

Her soft eyes made him quiver. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't," he breathed. "And that feeling is mutual, Marinette. Count on that."

"Good," she beamed. "Anyway... this third girl is a friend of mine and his. She was involved with Adrien first... and I'm still trying to tell myself that I'm not making him cheat on her. I mean, the three of us talked things out, I'm doing everything I can to keep the two of them close, I've told them that they have every right to give it another try once they can see each other in person again..."

"You're sweet," interjected Chat. "But I knew that."

"I'm doing the right thing. Winning his heart the right way," replied Marinette. "And I'm not going to ruin friendships or stab backs to get that."

"All the more reason that if he does pick you... he'll have made a wonderful choice," smiled Chat. "And I have a funny feeling that he will."

"You're sweet," glowed Marinette.

"So!" Marinette continued. "That's my big news. How have you been doing? Everything's okay with your family, your friends?"

"So far, yes," Chat declared. "I'm also staying with a friend. I got caught out when the lockdown started, kind of like you said that Adrien did. I can't tell you too many details, of course, but I promise you that I'm safe, I'm healthy, I'm happy... they're great cooks... and I'm staying in touch with my family, and they're doing all right, too."

"That's good," she smiled. "You haven't had to... go out, other than this?"

"Nope. Hawkmoth's been quiet, so it's just been everyday family life," he replied. "Honestly? I can't remember the last time I felt this happy. And that feels weird, given the circumstances... people all around are suffering, some people are dying, you know? And here I am, playing house and getting kisses and feeling pretty great. But I-"

"...Wait. Kisses?" Marinette jumped in. "You didn't mention that part to me!"

"Oh. Yeah," Chat added, knowing he'd been caught. "You know how you kind of have a boyfriend now? I kind of have a girlfriend."

Marinette's eyes went wide. I know that he'd said that in his message to Ladybug, she thought, but it's still wild hearing it out loud from his own lips!

"Oh, wow!" she grinned. "It's not... Ladybug, is it?"

"Oh, no. I haven't seen Ladybug since this lockdown started. And she's... well, she's made it clear that she wouldn't want that," Chat admitted. "And I heard from her that she might have started seeing someone else, too! She'll probably be thrilled if I'm not chasing after her, the way that I used to."

"I'm very sure that she'll be very happy for you, Chat. I think that she's always wanted you to have that kind of love in your life... she just didn't feel like it could be from her," Marinette assured him. "What's she like, though? Where did you meet her? How did you meet her?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Chat begged off, his hands up. "Let me think about this for a minute! I have to be careful what I say... you could probably say that you know her."

His joking tone changed abruptly when he saw Marinette's face freeze and her body stiffen. "Marinette?" he asked, cautiously. "What is it?"

Marinette sat there silently, staring at him with her thoughts whirling fast and furious.

He told Ladybug that he's seeing a girl that he knows in his everyday life. His secret identity, she panicked. He said that Ladybug might know her. And he just said that I probably do, too.

How many boys are out there that I know as both Marinette AND as Ladybug?

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 40

MARINETTE!

A tiny voice in Marinette's brain demanded her attention. It wasn't Tikki's voice; it was a piece of her own consciousness, fighting its way to the forefront.

FOCUS, Marinette! Chat Noir is looking at you like you just went crazy. You need to pull yourself together and think this through QUICKLY!

The reason that you're panicking is something that you know... but that YOU SHOULDN'T know. He sent that message to Ladybug, not to Marinette.

Your own identity is at stake here. THINK, Marinette! Cover your tracks, NOW!

"Chat Noir..."

Marinette forced a smile onto her face as she took a few deep breaths.

"You just caught me off-balance for a moment there," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "But if you're trying to give away your secret identity to me... at least warn me first!"

"W-wait!" gasped Chat. "I'm not trying to... what do you mean by that?"

"I mean," Marinette replied, "that it sounded like you just said that the girl you're seeing is someone that I'd know. What did you mean by that?"

"Um..."

It was Chat's turn to falter a bit.

"Well..." he ventured, "I can't really say for sure whether you do or not, you know? Just like I can't say if you know the real me or not. If I could tell someone that... I promise you, Marinette, you would be first in line. But I do take my secret seriously. I don't want word to get out that you know, and see that end up threatening you and your family."

"Understood," said Marinette. "And I'm not turning this into Twenty Questions to narrow down who it is, either. But you seemed pretty sure a minute ago, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did," admitted Chat. "I'll put it this way. If you saw a picture of her... you'd know who it was. That doesn't narrow it down too far, right?"

"Not really. So it's either someone that I know, or someone kind of famous," puzzled Marinette. "You are dating her out of costume, I assume?"

"Definitely. I..." Chat stopped himself from adding 'know her in and out of costume,' and left it as "I've never told her that I'm Chat Noir. Even Ladybug doesn't know who's under my mask; she's stopped me from telling her so many times."

"Smart girl," Marinette smiled.

She let her thoughts drift for a moment. Nice save, Chat, she smiled to herself. Okay. So Ladybug and I both know this girl, as far as Chat knows. She's someone that I would recognize in a picture. He's kind of edgy about even hinting at who it is, with either of my identities. And part of that is because of secret identity stuff, and I totally get that! But...

As Chat, he doesn't really socialize much more than I do, as far as I know. Which isn't much. As himself, I wouldn't know who he hangs out with. But as far as I knew, Chat's type was... well, Ladybug, to put it bluntly. I've seen him flirt with the other heroes a little bit. Rena, but Alya's beyond taken. Ryuko, but she's into Adrien. And even-

OH, HELL NO.

Chat watched as Marinette's nervous agitation returned, even stronger than before.

"Marinette?" he asked, worriedly. "You just thought of something bad. What is it? You didn't... um... guess who I am underneath, did you?"

"No," admitted Marinette. "But I might have figured out who it is that you're dating! And if it's her... I feel very worried for you."

She checks all the boxes, Marinette fretted. Chat knows her well. He knows that Ladybug knows her, obviously. She's someone whom I'd know immediately from a picture. Or at a glance. Or if I was simply downwind of her.

"Really?" Chat gave her a very confused look. "I mean, I usually have pretty good judgment about people, don't I?" he continued. "Look who I came to visit tonight!"

"Pfft," chuckled Marinette. "You tend to give almost everyone the benefit of the doubt, though."

And that certainly fits who I'm thinking of, thought Marinette. You've dealt with her at times when I didn't want to. You've encouraged her to be a better person. And you seem to have a thing for girls in super-suits... even if she doesn't have hers any more. You've sympathized with her about that. Maybe you feel like she's a fixer-upper, and you can help with that.

"Just whom do you think it is?" pressed Chat.

"I can't say that out loud!" Marinette grumbled. "Because if I'm right, it is someone that I know, it is someone that I know you know, and it would be impossible for me not to find out once the quarantine is over. There's no way that it wouldn't come out quickly."

"Hrrm," Chat frowned. "All I can say is that you're slandering her a little bit, in a way that I wish you wouldn't. She's a very sweet girl."

"Look," Marinette declared, leaning in towards him. "Can you promise me this much, at least? That you'll be careful, and you'll watch yourself, and you won't let your girl take advantage of you?"

"Now I know that you're wrong about whom you think it is," grinned Chat. "Because this girl would never do anything to hurt me. I couldn't be more sure of that."

"I sure hope so," she worried.

They continued with some small talk for a few minutes, each of them happy to nudge the subject away from that one.

"Hey... I don't want to take up your whole night," Chat smiled. "Especially since your boyfriend might show up at any minute, right?"

"He's not officially my... besides, he's polite enough to knock first," Marinette assured him. "And it's not like he'd find us in some kind of compromising position."

"Says the girl in a cute nightgown with a strange boy sitting on her bed," cackled Chat. "But, no, he wouldn't."

"Don't even go there, you," replied Marinette, blushing furiously. "You know what I mean. Plus, he's either talking with Kagami or with someone at his house right now... and he can take all the time he needs to do that. I don't want to rush him."

"Sounds like you don't want to rush him in a lot of ways," suggested Chat.

"You're right; I don't," Marinette agreed. "I need to be important to him. I don't need to be the only thing important to him."

"Which is why I'd bet that you're the most important thing in his life right now," Chat beamed. "You are something special, Marinette. Never doubt that."

"Awww," grinned Marinette. "I'd hug you for that, but... you know... social distancing, two meters."

"I'll take a rain check," said Chat. "Stay well, and I'll see you again soon?"

"Any time."

Marinette watched as Chat waved goodbye on his way up and out to her balcony, and waved back with a warm smile. That lasted until the hatch door closed, at which point she faceplanted onto a pillow.

"Tikki..." she mumbled into a mouthful of memory foam.

"No."

"Tikki, reassure me," Marinette repeated.

"No, Chat Noir is not dating Chloe Bourgeois," emphasized Tikki. "And I would know. And you should, too."

"I am trying to imagine who else it could be. Tikki, I don't know all that many people our age... let alone ones that have met Ladybug as well, and whom Chat might know!" wailed Marinette. "It can't be Kagami; she's been involved with Adrien. Pretty much all of my school friends are either taken already or uninterested in romance. My only other guess is Sabrina, and, well... I don't know, does she seem like Chat's type to you? She doesn't to me."

"You're overthinking this, Marinette," lectured Tikki. "For one thing, it's Chat's business whom he wants to date, especially out of costume. I would be horrified if he'd picked Chloe, too, but I know that it's not her."

"How do you know that?" wondered Marinette, wanting to believe.

"For one thing, don't you think that Kwamis keep tabs on each other? Plagg knows who it is, obviously. If Chat was dating Chloe, you would hear Plagg screaming in agony from across town, even without your communicator," smiled Tikki. "For another, if she had that kind of secret to tell, don't you think that Chloe would've shown him off on that class conference call? Kind of like how Adrien made an appearance with you."

"Now, that's not fair. Adrien wasn't being... shown off then. He and I weren't a thing yet," argued Marinette.

"And," continued Tikki, undaunted. "You don't know who's under Chat's mask. You're thinking as if he's someone in your school, or in your class, or from your neighborhood, but you don't know that, do you? There are thousands of young women in Paris whom it could be, and lots of different contexts in which you might know whoever it is. So don't assume that this mystery girl has to be someone that's a close friend of yours; all he said was that he thinks that you know her."

"...And don't assume that it isn't someone close, either!" laughed Tikki, watching Marinette taking in every word attentively. "Because I'm not going to tell you who it is or who it isn't, besides that it's not Chloe."

"I know you won't. And most of me doesn't want to ask you to say," grumped Marinette. "Look, tell me this much at least. Is Chat's girlfriend someone who will treat him well, who'll respect him, who'll give him all the love that he needs?"

"Marinette... absolutely, yes," beamed Tikki. "She will be very, very good to him. I promise you that."

"Then that's all that I need to know. At least for now," sighed Marinette, looking relieved. "And if I ask for more than that, you can yell at me then."

I still have questions, she thought. Actually... a lot of nagging questions. But the last thing I'd want to do is to chase down clues and play Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Girl Detective and stumble onto his secret identity.

...It is the last thing, right?

Quickly, Marinette scooted down the ladder to her bedroom floor and rummaged in her closet, emerging with a fresh set of bedsheets. To Tikki's questioning look, she noted, "Sure, Chat had a facemask on, but I don't know who else he's been around, right? Better safe than sorry. And this'll just take a couple of minutes."

Just as she finished that, there was a gentle knock at the door, followed by the sound of the doorknob trying to turn. "Just one second!" called Marinette, hurrying over.

"Oh! Are you changing?" called Adrien. "I don't mean to-"

"No, it's fine," Marinette cooed, unlocking the door and opening it. "I'm dressed."

Not by much! marveled Adrien as he entered. Yum! And now that I'm Adrien and not Chat, I can appreciate that properly...

"Marinette... you are absolutely beautiful right now. Beyond gorgeous," he told her. "Not that you have to dress up to be beautiful... but I'm not complaining at all!"

"I'm very glad that you like it," smiled Marinette. "It still feels a little funny, and I'm trying not to go too far with it or feel like I'm teasing you..."

"Tease me, tease me!" laughed Adrien. "By all means! I wish I had a good way of returning the favor. All I have with me are some basic pajamas. That is," he grinned, "if you'd want to see me dressed down."

"I... refuse to answer that question out loud," Marinette giggled. "But you already know that answer. All done with your phone calls?"

"Uh-huh. I, um... checked in with Nathalie. Everything's all right there," he fibbed. "So if you would like a tuck-in, I'm ready. How were you keeping busy?"

Marinette looked thoughtful. "Full disclosure?" she admitted. "I had a visitor."

Adrien listened patiently as Marinette described Chat Noir's visit, his face betraying nothing.

"That was nice of him to check on you like that," replied Adrien. "And it's good to have friends in high places."

"With the emphasis on friend," insisted Marinette. "I know that, he knows that, I'm pretty sure that you know that... but I'll say it again, anyway. Chat is a dear friend of mine, but he didn't come over for kissing or for romance. That's not why my door was locked."

"No, no, I get it. If your mother or father walked in on him, it could get complicated fast," agreed Adrien. "And, no, I'm not jealous."

"Good. I don't want you to be," Marinette cooed, stepping in close. "Because we're not exclusive yet... but I can promise you that my heart belongs to one person."

"Which makes me a very lucky guy," breathed Adrien, as she slipped into his arms.

"Do you need a little reminder of that?" Marinette whispered into his ear.

"Please."

There was no other word that he could say.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 41

"Good night."

A dazed Adrien replied "Good night, Marinette," blew her one more kiss, then padded down the stairs back to his guest room. Marinette had done her best to reinforce the two points she had made to him slightly earlier - that her heart belonged to him, and that he was a very lucky guy - and presented impressively persuasive arguments for each, using a comprehensive kiss-and-cuddle format.

As she had walked him to the door, he'd laughed, "Now, I thought that I was tucking you in tonight. Your bed's over there."

"I'm not ready to sleep quite yet," she'd told him. "But the thought certainly counts. And do you really want me to move away from you right now?"

"Nnnnooo... and yes," gasped Adrien. "Because if I keep... kissing you like this... I'll be here... in the morning. And I... really do... have a call that I need to make."

That had made her pause. "That's right. You'd talked with Nathalie earlier, so this would be..." she ventured.

"Yep," confirmed Adrien. "She and I didn't talk last night, and I don't want to leave her hanging."

"And I don't want you to, either," sympathized Marinette. "I am still sharing you, so to speak. We both know that. As... right as this feels... Kagami still matters to both of us."

She laid her forehead against his tenderly. "So, go, talk with her. Give her my best, and tell her to call me one of these days, okay? I'm just going to stay up and think for a little while. Maybe touch base with Alya, if she's still up."

"If you're sure that you don't need a tuck-in when you are ready..." asked Adrien.

"This is her turn now. But if I need one that badly, I'll message you," Marinette grinned back.

Back in his room, Adrien laid flat on his bed, his head propped up against his pillow. The adrenaline rush was fading, but his stomach muscles still felt tight from anticipation and a bit of apprehension.

Kagami answered quickly, visibly in her own room as the video call picked up. "Hello, Adrien," she beamed. "I was just about to call you, as I am going to sleep soon... but I did not want to interrupt."

"You would not be interrupting me, Kagami," Adrien smiled warmly. "I never get tired of hearing from you... and I want to make time for you whenever I can. Especially now, while we're both homebound."

"No need to remind me of that part. I am going crazy over here," Kagami moaned, flopping down on her own bed. From what Adrien could tell through the video screen, she was wearing a simple pajama set, white with red trim. "All I am doing is going through the motions, day after day. These chores, those lessons, no one to talk to but Mother and the staff. I mean, not that they are unpleasant, of course... but there's even less variety than ever."

"You know that I know how that works," sympathized Adrien. "How is your mother coping?"

"About the usual?" shrugged Kagami. "She won't let much of anything slow her down. We still practice together twice a week, and that still usually ends with me on my butt or with a bokken tapping me. She may be blind, but she's still far past my skill level, and she's never letting up on changing that."

"And that says quite a bit. I know that I can keep up with you for a while... but for me to beat you at fencing, I have to be lucky and you have to have an off day," Adrien noted.

"Or to have a slightly biased referee," chuckled Kagami. "Yes, yes, I know she was new to it that day..." she continued, noting Adrien's automatic apologetic protest about their first encounter.

"And maybe if we'd kept it on the strip that day instead of going Errol Flynn all over the building, we wouldn't have had that problem," Adrien laughed back. "But that might've been the most fun that I've ever had fencing."

"I couldn't agree more," Kagami smiled. "Speaking of our favorite novice referee... how are things going between you two since we talked?"

Adrien measured his response slowly and carefully... which, in and of itself, told Kagami much.

"Things are going well," he said. "I'm still learning in their bakery, of course. I haven't burned it down yet. My bodyguard brought over a care package with more clothes and a bunch of board games; the four of us played Ticket to Ride for a while tonight, and had quite a lot of fun doing it."

"Not... quite the precise question that I had asked," smiled Kagami.

"Acknowledged," admitted Adrien. "I just wished Marinette goodnight before I came down and called you."

"...Wished?"

Kagami's eyes were focused on Adrien, but had some softness to them. "You can say it, Adrien. It won't hurt me," she informed him.

"...Okay. I kissed her goodnight. A few dozen times," mumbled Adrien. "Which you had likely guessed."

"Oh, I had. Now, that didn't hurt to say out loud, did it?" Kagami noted. "Especially since, for all intents and purposes, I had given you permission?"

"I remember everything that we talked about the other night, I promise you. But I don't..." struggled Adrien. "I don't ever want to see like I'm... rubbing this in your face, or rubbing you and I in hers."

"You are far too kind for that. And, thankfully, so is Marinette," said Kagami.

"Now, do you want to hear the part that you will like a bit more?" asked Adrien, cautiously. "I haven't made that decision yet, and even if I had, Marinette wouldn't accept my answer. She's not taking 'we're kissing' as 'we're a couple' or 'we're exclusive' because of the circumstances. When things unlock and I can see you again... she expects us - she expects all three of us to get together and talk things out and reevaluate what's what."

"That is thoughtful of her," mused Kagami. "Of course, it is also easier to say 'we will figure it out then' when you're in her arms now."

"I'm sorry," said Adrien, quietly. "We can make all the arrangements and agreements that we want, but this is still painful for you."

"Being apart from you is painful for me," clarified Kagami. "I like to think that if I could be there with you, things would work out on their own. And, yes, I am including Marinette in that."

She smiled softly at him, trying to ease his uncomfortable expression. "Adrien, you've heard me speak my peace on that. I knew that you had fallen for her before you did," she noted. "And you know why I had hesitated so long. A confident Marinette who actually speaks her mind, cooped up together with you, alone every night? If there were not any fireworks, I might be asking what is wrong with you two."

A silent Adrien heard Kagami continue, "Just as if you were staying here, we would be busy finding places where my mother could not find us or hear us. There simply must be one of those somewhere."

"I don't know about that. From what you've told me, she's just shy of being a shortwave radio receiver," Adrien replied. "If someone drops a glass in Barcelona, she hears it in Paris as it shatters."

"An accurate description. Sometimes I want to whisper 'Hello, Mother' when we're talking like this just to see if she greets me back," giggled Kagami. She paused for effect, and, hearing nothing from Mrs. Tsurugi, both of them laughed quietly.

"Adrien..." Kagami said, "If you had simply said 'I'm sorry, but I'm with Marinette now, and what you and I had together didn't matter...', that would have hurt me deeply. But you would not do that, and Marinette would not do that. It comforts me a little that you can draw comfort from each other right now. But with the entire world topsy-turvy as it is... I am not allowing myself to worry yet about what will happen next. There is nothing for Marinette and I to fight over. There may never be. And I wouldn't want there to be."

"One of many reasons that you cracked my shell, Kagami," breathed Adrien, warmly. "And why I refuse to simply turn the page on you. There was something real there."

"And Marinette understands that," suggested Kagami.

"And Marinette understands that," confirmed Adrien. "She amazes me that she does... but she amazes me daily, period."

"Good. That's what I want to have happen right now," Kagami smiled. "That, and to have you call me and keep in touch like this, of course."

"And that won't end any time soon, I promise." Adrien thought for a moment, then added, "And I don't want our calls to be just about Marinette, either. You're always welcome to talk to her yourself - she told me to remind you of that before I came down, and wished you her best - and I have lots of things to talk with you about that have nothing to do with her."

"Speaking of that," said Kagami, "Let me tell you about the strangest dream I had last night..."

The two of them chatted for close to another hour, small talk flitting here and there, two close friends sharing thoughts and ideas with most of the pressure off around them.

Eventually, Kagami yawned loudly and apologized for it. "I am sorry... but I am exhausted," she begged off. "Can you tuck me in tonight?"

"You know... that would be my pleasure," Adrien declared. He hung on the line while Kagami ran through a quick bedtime routine, then cut the light off and snuggled between her covers.

"There we go," she smiled. "Ready to sleep. And I even have a spot here next to me, reserved for you... someday."

"I can only imagine how inviting that would be," replied Adrien, softly.

"Remain kind and thoughtful and sweet with me... and you just might get that chance," Kagami cooed.

She leaned forward and held the phone near her lips, blowing a light air kiss. "Good night, Adrien. Tell Marinette that I returned her hello," she smiled.

Adrien performed the same gesture. "Good night, Kagami. Pleasant dreams."

After hanging up, Adrien laid there for a minute, eyes open, facing straight up.

A small voice by his head said, "You know... a lot of guys enjoy having choices. A couple of pretty girls, each interested in them."

Adrien glared at Plagg. "This is a lot more complicated than that, Plagg, and you know it," he snapped. "I'm not a prize to win, and neither are either of them. This is serious."

"Oh, I agree. And you're handling it well, I think," noted Plagg. "What are you going to do when the lockdown's over, though?"

Adrien returned his eyes ceiling-ward. "Honestly?" he replied. "I may not know until we all get there."

He glanced at his phone and saw that Marinette was still active on instant messages, so he sent her a quick note:

[Adrien] Still up?

[Marinette] Not for much longer. In bed, lights out, eyes are drooping.

[Marinette] Everything okay?

[Adrien] I think so. Kagami says hello and wishes you well.

[Marinette] Good. Things are going well over there?

[Adrien] Uh-huh. She misses me. We talked for about an hour, not just about us, and I even virtually tucked her in.

[Adrien] So to speak.

[Marinette] Two kissy tuck-ins in one night! He's a celebrity supermodel playboy, folks.

[Adrien] ...

[Adrien] Are you okay with that?

[Marinette] Of course I am. I can hardly say that I didn't get a turn tonight, can I? :x

[Adrien] True. But you don't need another 'real' one?

There was a slight pause.

[Marinette] Do that at your own risk.

[Marinette] I might not let go of you. ;) You could be my teddy bear tonight.

[Adrien] I...

[Adrien] ...will see you in the morning. Sweet dreams. 0:-)

[Marinette] Smart play. ;)

[Marinette] Good night, sweetheart.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 42

The next morning brought a gentle knock at Marinette's bedroom door, to which she called, "Come in! I'm just finishing up!" from her bathroom.

Adrien opened the door slowly, peeking inside before entering fully. "You're dressed?" he ventured.

"Kind of! I mean... yes, I'm dressed enough," Marinette replied. "You're fine."

Satisfied, Adrien walked inside. "We're getting to be old hands at this, aren't we?" he smiled. "Tagging in and out of the shower, I mean."

"You could say that." Marinette opened the bathroom door the rest of the way and stepped out, wearing a pink bathrobe with a towel entwined around her head. "Almost like an old married couple. The thrill is gone, and it's just everyday living together now, huh?"

"I... wouldn't go quite that far," murmured Adrien with a smile. "Because you can thrill me without even trying. And when you do try, you're simply amazing."

Marinette watched his eyes light up... and was suddenly acutely aware that while Adrien remained a polite distance away, her cotton robe was all that was protecting her modesty. "Oh!" she gasped, smiling but tightening her robe's sash just a little bit more securely. "I don't know how 'thrilling' I am, exactly... you're the model, after all."

"If you don't think that you're very attractive, Marinette, I'm not doing a very good job of convincing you otherwise," beamed Adrien. "And I rather thought that I had been."

"Yeah... it's hard to argue that much any more," blushed Marinette. "How about you go get your shower now, before my mouth gets me into more trouble?"

"What kind of trouble?" grinned Adrien, moving a step closer.

"Any kind of trouble," she laughed, gesturing to the steamy bathroom. "Go, you."

As the bathroom door closed, Marinette thought, I'm kind of right, though. We are becoming acclimated. It really was just a week ago that I was all twitchy up in my bed, just because one of us was showering in the same HOUSE as the other. Now here I was, one little move away from being bare right in front of Adrien, and I wasn't even flinching at first when he came in! I INVITED him in!

Of course, she mused, that's because I know that neither one of us would MAKE that move. That we feel totally safe with each other now. That we would... never...

Ever...

ever...

At that moment, Marinette closed her eyes, because a portion of her brain would no longer allow itself to be suppressed fully.

In her mind, she pictured the scene as it had just happened; her stepping out of her bathroom in her robe, with Adrien giving her those soft, appreciative eyes.

She envisioned Adrien with his calm expression giving way to an intense yearning, stepping forward and embracing her then and there. Their kiss was lengthy, and deepened by the moment. A wave of swift passion swept her worries and hesitations away, as if they'd never been there, as if there had never been a reason for them in the first place.

She watched a hand - Adrien's hand - grasp the sash at her waist, gently at first, then with a slow but inexorable pull. His eyes were comforting, but also insistent; she understood what was happening, that he was doing it slowly enough to allow her a chance to protest, and she felt powerless to resist it in any way.

It felt inevitable. It felt absolutely terrifying. It felt like everything that a different part of her could ever want.

As Marinette felt her robe began to loosen and give way, a mere moment away from clearing her shoulders and tumbling to the carpet, she held her breath...

Tikki watched Marinette's response to this sudden daydream. Quickly, she made sure that the bathroom door was securely closed before coming out, then flew over to Marinette's side with a curious expression on her tiny face.

"Marinette..." she whispered, "why are you hiding in your closet, with the door shut?"

"I think that I'm going to get dressed now," a nervous Marinette mumbled. "Right now."

Marinette filed her daydream in a cabinet in the back of her brain labeled DON'T EVEN GO THERE, and at least pretended to lock it.

Downstairs at breakfast, the conversation was light and breezy.

As Marinette finished her eggs and toast, a morning news report on the television caught her attention. Nadja Chamack was standing in front of a prominent downtown hospital, looking somewhat somber.

"...And while the Intensive Care wing is at a stable capacity for the moment, hospital director Eveline Moreau has other pressing concerns. She has a message for those who may be in a position to assist them."

She passed the microphone to a distinguished-looking older woman, who faced the camera. "Yes... thank you, Nadja. Our regular supplier of personal protective equipment is overwhelmed at this moment; they will be unable to replenish our stores of masks and gloves until sometime next week. We have rush orders in with alternative suppliers, but given the worldwide crisis... we have reason to believe that they will prove overwhelmed, as well. This leaves us in a very dangerous position."

"If anyone out there can donate N95 respiratory masks - either surgical-grade or standard - or other protective gear for the benefit of our health-care workers, we would be forever indebted to them," Ms. Moreau declared. "Any quality, any quantity; please call us and we will provide instruction as to how to donate. The lives that you help save may help save yours another day. Thank you very much."

Sabine shook her head, also watching the broadcast. "That is so sad," she sighed. "The hospital staff are working so hard to save people, with or without the virus... people are still having heart attacks and seizures and accidents and such, even while this pandemic happens around them... but they're just as vulnerable as anybody else. What happens if nurses and doctors all get it en masse?"

"I know," agreed Adrien. "I thought about asking Father if he could make a donation... but just throwing money at the problem won't make masks appear out of thin air. He'd have to find someone who can produce and deliver them, and like that lady just said... that's not easy these days. The demand is just so high."

Sabine tilted her head slightly, watching her daughter... who seemed completely lost in thought. "Marinette?" she asked quietly. "Are you all right?"

Throwing money at the problem won't make masks appear out of thin air, Marinette thought, ...but what if something else could?

"N-nothing, Mama," she replied with a small start, realizing that she was being addressed. "I just had something on my mind, I'm sorry."

About an hour later, down in the bakery, Marinette turned to her father once the room was free of customers. "Hey, Papa?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"May I be excused for a few minutes?" wondered Marinette. "I have a very brief errand that I'd like to run. I just need to get some air for a few minutes."

"Hmmm?" wondered Tom. "Is it anything that I can help with?"

"N-no, not really..." Marinette mumbled. "It's nothing major. I just need a moment to myself."

Tom studied her for a moment. "Is everything okay...?" he asked her, nudging his head in the direction of Adrien, who was back in the kitchen.

"Definitely! He's... that's not it at all, I promise. I'm just a little bit... I don't know... overwhelmed. I'll be masked when I go, and I'll just be a few minutes."

"All right, then. Just be careful, and not too long," Tom directed her.

As Marinette darted out the front door, Adrien popped his head through the kitchen's doorway. "Is something up?" he asked Tom.

"I'm not sure... but I don't think it's anything too serious. Marinette just wanted to take a walk for a few minutes," Tom replied. "Something about a brief errand. I'm sure that she'll be right back."

"Huh. She hadn't mentioned anything to me, either..." mused Adrien. He stared at the door for a moment... then, trusting Marinette's judgment, retreated back into the kitchen to his task at hand.

Marinette walked slowly down the sidewalk for a few dozen paces... then darted into an alleyway when no one was looking.

Tikki poked her head out of Marinette's purse. "What are you up to?" she asked.

"You know how I told Chat Noir that I felt like I should be doing more for Paris, but I didn't know what I could do? Now I think that I know what," said Marinette, firmly. "Spots on!"

Seconds later, a red blur shot up to the roof and across the Parisian skyline.

"Now, Ms. Moreau, I don't want to get your hopes up too high," Ladybug apologized preemptively, standing with her in an outdoor courtyard at the side of the hospital. "I'm not sure if this is going to work or not."

"Ladybug... the fact that you are trying at all is a blessing," the director assured her. "Someone will be here momentarily with what you asked for."

A couple of minutes later, an orderly arrived with a basket in hand. "These are what you needed?" he asked, handing the basket to Ladybug.

"Yes. I'll give them right back; I just want to look them over for a minute," explained Ladybug, rummaging through the basket. "I'm not sure if my Lucky Charm can create things that I can't mentally picture... and I want to make sure that I get this right. I can only do this once at a time." She held up examples of a couple of different hospital-grade protective masks, noting their components, then examined other protective gear that the orderly had brought.

That's not ENTIRELY true, I suppose, thought Ladybug. Like, I made a remote-control helicopter once and had no idea what its inner workings were like... but it flew. But most of my lucky charms are forks and wrenches and tennis racquets and simple things like that, so... knowing more about these might just help.

"I've seen your Lucky Charm on television," Ms. Moreau noted. "Doesn't it summon up one item at a time?"

"It does," Ladybug agreed. "And I can't specify what it will summon; it creates whatever is best suited to solve the problem at hand. Like, I can't make a Super-COVID-Killer Gun or anything like that, or just pull a vaccine out of thin air. But I do want to try something now... so, please, stand back, everyone. I'll need some room."

Clearing a space around herself, Ladybug concentrated as hard as she could manage.

This is about as specific a problem as I've ever tried to have Lucky Charm solve, she reasoned. So I'm hoping that what comes out will be what I think will appear. And if I wish hard enough for it to happen a certain way...

Here goes nothing.

She hurled her yo-yo skywards, then called out, "LUCKY... CHARM!"

Uncharacteristically, she felt a wave of considerable discomfort, and suppressed a scream...

The bright sparkles above her head coalesced into a solid object...

...a very large solid object, crashing to the ground in front of her with a resounding THUD. The wind caused by its landing blew everyone's hair back nearby, making several observers flinch.

Ladybug sank to her knees with a loud groan. That... wow, that was exhausting! she marveled. That HURT!

...But what did I get?

Director Moreau studied the large red-and-black manifestation. "What is that?" she wondered. "Some kind of storage container or crate?"

"Y-yes, I think so," gasped Ladybug. "Pop the end of it open and let's see."

The orderly helped Ms. Moreau pull the end of the crate down, finding it full to the brim with small, polka-dotted boxes. The director popped one open and gasped with happy surprise.

"It's... this looks like a perfectly-good N95 mask!" she marveled, holding up an example. "We'll have to examine it to see if it meets that standard of protection, but anything is better than nothing... Is this entire crate full of them?"

"I h-hope so," smiled Ladybug, weakly. "That was the main thing that I was wishing for. There m-might be other gear mixed in there as well. I hope th-that you don't mind the color scheme; I don't really have a ch-choice in that."

"The color is irrelevant. Miss Ladybug, you have done something incredible here!" the director beamed. Watching Ladybug's discomfort, she added, "Are... are you all right?"

"I should be. I just can't do that again for a while," explained Ladybug. "I've never created anything that large, or that complex. I'm beyond winded."

She added, "I suppose that it might be obvious where these came from... but please don't go on television and make a big deal out of it, okay? I can't... I don't know if I can do that again, and I'm sure others would come and ask. If you have more than you need, please share."

"Absolutely!" agreed Ms. Moreau. "Thank you so, so, so much, Ladybug."

"My pleasure," smiled Ladybug. "And I need to g-get going. I truly hope that this helps."

She waved to everyone, soaking in their appreciative cheers, then hurled her yo-yo up to a nearby roof and let it carry her into the air...

...only to nearly pass out in mid-leap, collapsing onto the rooftop, barely conscious.

I feel... terrible, moaned Ladybug. What's w-wrong with me? I have to ask T-tikki...

"Spots off," she gasped. In a white flash, she was herself again, and fell to her hands and knees feeling just as weak as Marinette as she had as Ladybug. Possibly worse.

"Marinette!" shouted Tikki. "S-stay with me! Look at me! That was a b-brave and compassionate thing you just did... but you should so not have done that."

"Wh-hat happened?" murmured Marinette, forcing her eyes open and aimed at Tikki.

"Marinette... trying to force a specific Lucky Charm is a st-strain, but like you just figured out, you can make it happen if you structure the problem the right way. But haven't you ever n-noticed that all the other Lucky Charms you've summoned have b-been single objects?" lectured Tikki. "And a lot smaller than what you just whipped up!"

"I've d-done multiple objects before," argued Marinette. "D-didn't hit me like th-this."

"You did a little bag of marbles once. Tiny little m-marbles," explained Tikki. "And a box of little bath bombs. Not a storage c-container the size of a van, full of hundreds of things!"

"Tikki... you look shaken up, too," worried Marinette, slowly trying to still her spinning senses. "Are you okay?"

"Kind of?" Tikki replied, wearily. "I'm completely drained. I know that there's a snack in your purse for me, but I'm... I can't transform again for a little while, even after that. I'm sorry."

"I should have d-discussed this with you f-first, Tikki. I'm the one who's sorry," apologized Marinette. "How long is a little while?"

"I don't know," said Tikki, glumly. "Hours, maybe."

"'S... okay," mumbled Marinette. "I do have a s-snack. You eat that and get some r-rest. Imma... take a little nap here."

"Marinette... this may not be the time or place for a n-nap," worried Tikki...

...upon deaf ears, as Marinette was out like a light.

"Or m-maybe it is," shrugged Tikki, wriggling into Marinette's purse in search of shelter and the macarons within.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 43

Six eyes took turns focusing on the front door of the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie. Sometimes, all six stared at once; other times, one or two pairs were otherwise occupied and the others politely took up the slack.

It was not a full-on case for alarm yet, Tom told himself. His daughter was known for the occasional disappearing act, but she has a very good head on her shoulders and a heart as big as all outdoors. The city was dealing with a pandemic, certainly, but she knows how to act appropriately during it, and gangs of roving viruses were not going to drag her into an alley and mug her.

But when ten minutes became twenty, and twenty became an hour, and an hour welcomed like company... it was increasingly hard to look at a worried Sabine and assure her that, yes, he remained sure that all was well, and that Marinette would come strolling through the door any second with a suitably good explanation.

And the boy? The young guest in his home who kept looking up at Tom with fragile eyes and a distracted mind, to the point where Tom directed him to avoid all sharp objects for the time being?

Oh, the words came out of Tom's mouth. But for Adrien, reassurance wasn't even an option right now.

Nnnnnngh.

Marinette rolled over onto her side, a flicker of consciousness returning to her head reluctantly. Her skull felt as if a tap inserted into the back of it would likely produce high-grade maple sap.

Nnnnnnnno. Not gonna move.

Her eyes remaining closed, she felt for her bedcovers and did not find them draped over her body. Mmmmusta kicked them off, she grumbled. Gettem later. S'ok.

Ssssssleeeep now.

"Still nothing?" Tom asked, in a resigned tone.

"Nothing," confirmed Adrien, staring at his phone. "She hasn't answered my messages, and I'm at three missed calls so far. She's showing as active on Messenger, so her phone is on... she's just not looking at it, I guess."

"That is strange," Tom grumbled. "Most of the time, she's very good about keeping in touch, or at least responding when we call. I do not want to be a worrywart..."

"I'll handle that for you, thank you," Sabine chimed in. "She didn't even hint where she was going?"

"She did not," said Tom. "Only that she needed some air and would be back soon."

"You know what I am going to suggest, of course," Adrien noted.

"Yes, and I'm not sure that it is a good idea," frowned Sabine. "If you were to be spotted out wandering the streets looking for her, and your father saw your picture in the paper, he might send a pack of trained attack lawyers our way."

"I understand that, I assure you. And the last thing I want to do is to cause you additional trouble, again." Adrien insisted. "But I would also like to know that there isn't something strange going on... to ease your worries and mine. And I might know some places where she goes sometimes to think."

"It's not as if we can stop him, technically," Tom shrugged towards a questioning Sabine. "He's not under house arrest. And he makes a good point."

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Sabine asked Adrien, who nodded. "Then wait for a moment, please."

Sabine headed up the stairs to the main house, while Adrien and Tom glanced at each other. Tom shrugged, not knowing what it was she was after.

When Sabine returned, she had something dark in her hand. "Here," she said, handing it to Adrien. "I know that you have your facemask that Marinette made, but that didn't hide your identity too well last time, so... this was in with our winter clothes."

Adrien held up a black balaclava. "Aha," he smiled, pulling it over his head so that only his eyes were visible. "Something to cover up the blonde hair, too?"

"Exactly. Now... you have your phone, right?" directed Sabine. "Keep in touch, please. Be careful, and don't stay out too long yourself!"

"Will do. I promise," Adrien declared. Without further ado, he headed out the door and in the general direction he had seen Marinette go from there.

Owwww...

Marinette felt uncomfortable, increasingly so as her awareness began to return. Her head still ached, but this was something more localized. Moving a bit, but localized.

I'm not laying on something jagged, am I? she wondered.

Very gingerly, she wiggled her head, then her upper body slightly. It doesn't feel like it. Whatever is bothering me, it's more on the side or the back of my head, Marinette determined. If anything, this is a pretty comfortable...

...um...

...concrete floor I'm on?

Marinette opened her eyes, slowly, reaching out with one hand to steady herself. What the heck? she wondered. This isn't my room.

Of course it's not my room! I'm outside. I'm on a... roof?

Yeah... a roof. I remember leaping up and away as Ladybug... and then it was like I was in a smoothie machine, and I was the fruit. I'm probably lucky that I made it this far...

Hmmph.

She looked at her hand, which was clearly ungloved. Very lucky, since I transformed back! she noted to herself. I almost gave the director a peek at who's under the costume! I must've been out for at least five minutes. I'm fortunate that I didn't wake up in a hospital bed unmasked, with a lot of explaining to do.

The annoying sensation at the back of her head increased once more. "Wh... what is that?" she mumbled aloud, reaching back.

A small squeak was heard, and when Marinette brought her hand in front of her face, her handful of Tikki made it clear that her Kwami had been tugging on one of her pigtails.

Down in a nearby alley, Adrien prepared to transform.

"All right... I'll cover a lot more ground as Chat than as myself," he reasoned aloud. "If I see Marinette and she doesn't see me, I can hide and transform and approach her as myself. If she does see me coming, I'll approach her as Chat. It'd be easier to bring her home as Chat, anyway."

"Are you, er... sure that you'll need to bring her home?" Plagg asked, nervously. "You're not going to drag her by her hair, right? She's a big girl. She got wherever she went to on foot, and she must've had a good reason. I doubt that some Akuma's dangling her off a cliff... Maybe she just got sidetracked by something."

"That's very possible," agreed Adrien. "I'm not thinking that she's in trouble, necessarily... but it is strange that she's not answering her phone, don't you think? I'm just trying to plan ahead for how to handle this."

"Fair enough."

I don't know what you're up to, Marinette... but I wonder which version of you he's going to find? wondered Plagg. This could get very interesting.

"Claws out!"

"Hey!" yelped Marinette, dislodging Tikki's grip on her hair. "I'm awake, I'm awake! What gives?"

"What gives," moaned Tikki, "is that we've both been sleeping up here. I woke up about an hour ago, and I couldn't wait much longer for you to wake up naturally."

"An hour?" Marinette wondered in disbelief. "Are you sure? I thought that I'd only been out for a few minutes."

"Look at your phone," Tikki instructed her. "It's been lighting up and ringing like crazy for a while now."

Marinette took one look at her phone and nearly dropped it. "Oh... oh, no," she gasped. "We've been up here for almost three hours! There's... one, two... three calls from Adrien, two from Papa... and all these messages!"

"Exactly," worried Tikki. "I wouldn't be surprised if someone was already out looking for you."

"And Adrien would never find me up here," agreed Marinette.

No, the problem is that Adrien MIGHT, Tikki grumbled to herself, if he's transformed. And then how will you explain what you're doing up on the roof of a three-story building?

Across town, Chat sat on Marinette's balcony for a moment and considered his options. Reasoning that two could cover more ground than one, he flipped open his communicator.

"Hey, 'Bug. I've got a request for you," he began. "A friend of mine asked me to see if I can find a good friend of his - Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I know that you know her, too. She went out for a walk earlier today and never came back, and she's not answering her phone, and I'm... well, I'm worried."

"Maybe I shouldn't be... I might be overreacting... but she means an awful lot to me, too," Chat continued. "So I'm going out to try to find her now, just in case. If you've seen her, can you let me know? And if you haven't, and I can't find her, could I ask you to help me look? I'll let you know what happens."

Satisfied, he considered the layout of the nearby neighborhoods. Where could she have gone? he wondered. One of her friends' houses? She hasn't seen any of them in person lately... but she can call them on the phone or the computer any time, so that doesn't make much sense for her to do.

Maybe someone called her up with a big problem, and she went off to help them? That's certainly something that she would do. But who? And she couldn't have told any of us what or where or why?

Something just seems... off here.

Puzzled, he took a mighty leap and began his search.

"All right," Marinette declared, putting her thinking cap back on. "The first thing I need to do is get down to the sidewalk. Ready, Tikki?"

"H-hold it!" warned Tikki. "I had my snack, but that massive Lucky Charm took a lot out of me. I'm not sure if I can transform you yet, or if you'll have your powers if I do."

"...I beg your pardon?" asked Marinette, looking startled.

"Well, you needed to know that! I don't want you taking a flying leap and splattering on the ground," apologized Tikki. "When you created those masks, you put a lot more energy into them than usual, because you wanted them to last. If you don't focus hard on keeping a Lucky Charm around, it'll disappear when you detransform; that's how it works most of the time, very naturally. This time, you did put that much more willpower into them; that and their sheer volume drained both of us, big time. The energy will come back... but it'll take some time."

"Okay, that is valuable information. What's our plan B?" Marinette wondered. She scouted out the rooftop; it had only one visible access door, which was locked.

"That's not good," Tikki worried, looking around nervously.

"No kidding," agreed Marinette. Carefully, she checked the edges of the building; there was a fire escape on the north side, but it looked rather rickety at best. As Tikki flew down to scout it out, Marinette called, "What do you think?"

"There's an open window one floor down," Tikki replied. "You could go that far on the fire escape, climb inside and then take the stairs down to the ground floor. I don't know how you'd get out from there, though... but I'd rather have you inside than stuck on the roof."

"Is that fire escape safe?" Marinette wondered, looking dubious.

"For me? Yes," Tikki ventured. "For you... well, you're light. I wouldn't tap-dance on it, but it should be okay."

"Um..."

A hesitant foot reached out and tapped the metal floor of the fire escape. It displayed a somewhat reassuring lack of collapsing and plummeting. As she stepped out onto it and crept downwards, Marinette mumbled, "This isn't breaking and entering, is it?"

"Of course not. You're not breaking anything," joked Tikki. "This is just entering, right?"

A few minutes later, a nervous Marinette wandered around the ground floor of the building, which seemed to be some sort of business office. "At least this isn't, like, a bank or something like that," she whispered. "That would take a lot of explaining when the police showed up, if anyone saw me sneak in."

"If it's a desperate situation... transform," offered Tikki. "Then you could say to them as Ladybug, 'Oh, I thought there was a crime in progress here, my mistake!' and it'll be a lot more believable. But don't do that unless it's urgent, okay? That would take a lot out of me."

"I'll do my best," agreed Marinette. Studying the front door, an alarm system was obvious. "I'm not even going to try that way," she declared. "Why couldn't they have left a ground-floor window open, too?"

Circling around to the back, they located a push-to-open door near the bottom of a stairwell, fairly innocuous-looking. "What do you think?" asked Marinette. "Should I chance it? It's not chained shut or padlocked, and I don't see any alarm keypads near it."

"Well, you're not going to break a window to get out, right? So we have to try something," shrugged Tikki.

Marinette crossed her fingers, then pushed the door. It opened slightly, just enough for the slim young woman to slip through, then shut once more with a metallic THUNK.

"Okay," she breathed. "Looks like we got-"

*BREEP! BREEP! BREEP!*

The look of astonishment and fear on Marinette's face when the alarm went off was priceless.

"Marinette!" gasped Tikki, diving into Marinette's purse. "Gape later! Run now!"

Marinette took off down the alley as fast as her weary legs could carry her, trying not to laugh as she ran at the absurdity of the situation. She made it about three blocks before pausing to catch her breath.

"Hah!" she gasped. "Nobody's... chasing me... I think I got away! This is so not how I pictured-"

A loud THUMP! behind her startled her out of her skin.

"Well, well, well!" a familiar voice declared. "I don't have a lot of time to spend on you... and you don't really look like much of a hardened criminal, but you were running away from a burglar alarm. So, do you want to explain what you were..."

Marinette turned around to face Chat Noir, lowering her mask to show her face. "H-hi, Chat," she mumbled, turning crimson.

Chat stood very still for several seconds.

"Why, Princess," he said, at last. "You've picked up some new hobbies."

THINK FAST! Marinette screamed at herself. You only have one way out of this. And you'd better figure out just what that one way is!

An idea popped into her head, and for a lack of a better alternative, Marinette ran with it.

"Ch-hat..." she gasped, still breathing heavily, "I'm so glad you're here! I could use your help. I am completely exhausted."

Chat's sense of chivalry overrode his curiosity. "Oh! Sure... sure, I can help, Marinette. What is going on here? Can you explain?" he asked.

"It's... I was trying to help out, over at the hospital up the block from here," ventured Marinette. "And I had a big problem..."

She took a deep breath. All or nothing now, she thought.

"...with my Miraculous."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 44

"...With my Miraculous."

Marinette's words hung in the air as if nailed there. She watched Chat's eyes anxiously; she could tell that he was shaken up from his body language, but at first he gave no response.

"...You are not going to just leave it at that, Marinette. You know that, right?" he replied, slowly.

"Definitely not. Is there somewhere that we can go and talk?" she asked. "Like... away from a door alarm that's still going off back there?"

Chat glared at her, not entirely approvingly. "C'mon," he gestured, reaching his arm out towards her. She hopped up into position, one arm around his shoulders and one of his around her waist, and Chat carried the two of them away to a quieter rooftop.

A few blocks away, Chat sat his precious cargo down on a box on another rooftop, then stood facing her. "Okay. Marinette... I know that you're not a thief, and whatever you were doing in there was for a good reason. Can you tell me what it was, and what a Miraculous had to do with it?"

Marinette concentrated hard. I need to make this as truthful as is humanly possible, she thought. Both because he's smart enough to tear holes in a flimsy cover story... and because of who it is.

But I still need to hide my being Ladybug, so this is going to be tricky...

"There was a news report this morning on TV. The hospital that you found me near was running out of masks, and was asking for anyone's help in providing protective gear," Marinette began. "I was debating what I could do to help. I made the mask that I'm wearing now, for instance," she pointed out, "and I wondered if a bunch of those would be useful to them even if they're not medical-grade. Well, I wasn't the only person watching, because then I got a message from someone very special."

"Go on..." Chat said.

"Ladybug had an idea for how she could help... and she wanted to know if I could help, too. In her words... she hoped to have a ton of mask boxes very shortly, and could use some extra hands to help manage them. A whole bunch of little hands, if you get my drift."

"You didn't have the Mouse Miraculous when you left your house today," argued Chat.

"...And you know that how?" countered Marinette.

"Adrien told me so? He watched you leave, and you were yourself when you left, not Multimouse."

"You talked with Adrien?" Marinette mumbled. "...I guess that makes sense. How else would you have known that I was out here?"

"So Ladybug has your phone number, and I have Adrien's. Fair enough," Chat noted.

"...You don't have Ladybug's?" wondered Marinette, feeling like she was playing with fire but wanting to maintain the deception.

"Not her phone number. I mean, we have communicators that are like a private line between us, but not, like... a regular phone number. I think she's afraid that I'd pester her with love notes and memes and stuff like that," grumbled Chat. "But anyway... So, what did she do, meet you on the way?"

"Uh-huh," Marinette nodded, feeling uncomfortable. Is he buying any of this? she worried. I feel awful about doing this.

Chat's eyes were unreadable as he weighed what he'd heard.

"All right... what was the big idea that Ladybug had?"

From there, Marinette described a somewhat-accurate version of the hospital meeting, including how Ladybug had used her most ambitious Lucky Charm to date.

"Apparently, trying to create something specific and have it last longer messed with the magic somehow," Marinette bluffed. "It not only drained her energy badly, it pulled energy out of me, too, even though I was just standing nearby! I don't know that she's going to try that again any time soon."

"You're injured? Ladybug is injured?" Chat blurted out. "You didn't lead with that?"

"No, no. We're not, like, bleeding... just exhausted," Marinette assured him. "We jumped up to the roof of that other building so that when we transformed back, the hospital people wouldn't see us. She was hoping that we could just, like, have a snack and transform again and go back down there. But just making that leap felt like we'd each run a marathon. I transformed back, because I didn't feel right... and then even after Mullo ate something from my purse, I couldn't transform again."

"Ladybug was so apologetic," continued Marinette. "She wasn't sure that she could leap down safely, let alone carry me down there again, and she didn't know if what had happened had messed up the Mouse Miraculous. So I gave that back to her so that she could go and make sure that it and Mullo were okay - magic does weird things, you know? - and she told me that she'd come back for me as soon as she could. I, um, curled up and took a nap while I waited."

"You're telling me that Ladybug left you sleeping on a roof?" Chat exclaimed, looking incredulous.

"Not on purpose!" Marinette declared, feeling like her story was getting away from her rapidly. "She was hoping that she'd be, maybe, five minutes? But I woke up and it was hours later and I figured, well, that I needed to get home one way or the other. I started down the fire escape, but it felt really rickety, so I decided that I'd go through an open window and-"

"Hold on," Chat directed her. He flipped open his communicator and barked, "Ladybug... I just heard about what happened at the hospital. Are you all right? Are you hurt? If you didn't come back for Marinette, I can only assume that... look, call me the moment that you get this! I'm with Marinette now. I need to know that you're okay... and we need to talk."

Marinette saw worry in Chat's eyes... but also a fair amount of hurt, which stung her pretty badly.

"Chat, I... are you okay?" she asked, softly. "You look upset."

"Of course I'm upset," Chat declared. He did his best to muffle his emotions, not very effectively. "My partner is out there somewhere and something must be very wrong with her. There's no way that she wouldn't have come back if there wasn't! And the girl that I... um..."

"...That you what?" wondered Marinette.

"...That I care very much about was affected, too," replied Chat. "And just spent hours huddled up on a roof alone."

"I've done worse than that," scoffed Marinette, trying to lighten the mood. "In the summertime, you don't want to know how long I've sunbathed sometimes-"

"That's not the point," interrupted Chat. "Okay, it's some of the point. Marinette... look. I know how amazing you are. I can't blame Ladybug at all for wanting your help; I'm surprised that she doesn't do that more often, in fact. You and I and her would make one heckuva team."

"Well... my identity did get out," Marinette replied. "And that meant that I couldn't be Multimouse any more, or so I was told." That, I don't want to encourage, she worried.

"We're... things are complicated right now, and we're kind of reviewing that, okay?" said Chat. "What I mean is, I'm not jealous that Ladybug asked you to help. I'm kind of astonished that she didn't ask me to also help." He smiled and added, "Mini-nettes are absolutely adorable, but I bet that full-grown Chats can carry a lot more, you know?"

"Chat... I asked her not to."

That stopped Chat in mid-thought. "You... what?" he asked, not sure if he'd heard that right.

"I asked Ladybug if the two of us would be enough, and when she said she thought that we would be, I asked her not to call you out to join us this time," ventured Marinette.

"Why on Earth not?" Chat barked.

"Because I care very much about you," Marinette offered. "You've got people who worry about you. You have your new girlfriend. You have whoever the people are that you're staying with now. I wanted to make sure that you'd be home and safe this time. You put your body on the line all the time; Ladybug worries about you, and so do I. So what we were doing shouldn't have been risky at all, it wasn't a battle, but even then, I was like... let's let him rest this time, let him stay where he is, if we can do it ourselves."

To his speechless face, she added, "I promise you, it wasn't either of us saying 'we don't want to see you' or 'we don't want your help.' This was a small thing that ended up more complicated than we'd thought."

A few emotions played over the portion of Chat's masked face that Marinette could see.

"Can I take you home now, Marinette?" he asked, in a softer tone. "I'm not... I'm not mad at either of you. I think I see where you were coming from. But I'm sure that Adrien and your parents are on the edge of their chairs, waiting for you."

"...Yeah. Can you drop me off at my balcony?" Marinette replied. "That way I can freshen up a bit in my bathroom for a minute, before I face them and explain myself."

Chat gave her a bit of a funny look, but agreed, "I can do that."

Marinette hopped up into his arms once more, and the Chat Taxi Service headed across town.

*TH-BMMP!*

Marinette stepped down onto the balcony... then leaned forward and hugged Chat very tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear. "Not just for the ride, or for coming to find me. For understanding. For caring about me. You are so dear to me, Chat Noir."

He held on tightly as well. She felt a small shudder run through him.

"You... are as dear to me," Chat whispered back, his voice wavering slightly. "Don't you ever forget that."

"Nothing could," Marinette smiled. "Now... okay. How about I go settle my parents and Adrien's nerves, and you go check on Ladybug?"

Chat flinched for a second at 'Adrien's nerves,' but recovered quickly. "Yeah... that sounds good. You're sure that you're okay?"

"I am. The nap actually felt good," replied Marinette. "I'll bet that Ladybug's feeling better, too."

Chat leaned in for one more hug... then leapt away.

Marinette opened her balcony hatch quietly... peeked inside to make sure that Adrien wasn't sitting in her bedroom... then ran to her bathroom and closed the door quickly.

"Go check on Ladybug?" marveled Tikki. "You're juggling all the plates at once, I see."

"I have to!" gasped Marinette. "He was such a sweetheart to come and find me. But now I need to finish my story with him before I figure out what I'm going to tell Adrien! Before he hears me thumping around and comes running up here!"

"Marinette...?" ventured Tikki. "Tell Adrien the same story that you told Chat Noir. Don't try to juggle multiple stories."

"...Yeah. The two of them might compare notes," agreed Marinette. "Do you feel up to transforming, just to send a message and then I'll change right back?"

Tikki thought for a moment. "I think that I can do that," she replied. "What message are you-"

"Spots on!"

Crap! Crap! CRAP!

Chat Noir sped back to the alley in which he'd transformed, and called out, "Claws in!" Plagg popped into view and flew directly in front of him, keeping him from running off just yet.

"Plagg..." Adrien gasped, "Marinette's going to come down looking for me, and I won't be there! I have to get moving!"

"Take a breath," Plagg ordered him. "You went out looking for Marinette, right? That's where her parents think you are. That's where they'll tell her that you are. So be cool, all right? You didn't see her, so you're checking in to make sure she didn't come home while you were out. You'll find out that Chat Noir brought her home, and everyone will have a nice and happy reunion."

Adrien considered that. "That... makes sense," he reasoned. "But I still want to-"

"Whoa!" said Plagg, stiffening momentarily. "Transform again, wouldja? Incoming message."

"Claws out!" declared Adrien. Once transformed, he popped open his communicator and heard...

"OH MY GOSH! Chat!" a hushed-but-emphatic voice declared. "Oh my gosh! I can just now message you back, I just got this! My Kwami was..."

"Hey!" Chat yelped. "You're here! Ladybug, are you all right? Marinette told me about what happened!"

"You found her!" gasped Ladybug. "That's what I'd thought you said... Thank goodness! I owe her the biggest favor in the universe. I am so embarrassed!"

"She's home. I dropped her off a few minutes ago. She's tired, but she's pretty okay. What about you?"

"I'm okay, too," Ladybug sighed. "My bright idea wiped my Kwami out! I got out of Marinette's sight - barely - and transformed back, and then I was stuck as just me for a long while. I dragged myself all the way home and curled up in a little ball when I got there. I'm at my house now... I can't talk for very long, or very loudly, but I had to make sure that I reached you. And I'm so glad that Marinette was in good hands. Your good hands."

"Is her Kwami okay? I still can't believe you took the Miraculous away from her there!" Chat insisted.

"Yeah. I'm not on Master Fu's level... but I looked it over every which way and talked with Mullo, and I think it's okay. And when I said that I was worried that the Mouse might have been damaged... Marinette gave it to me. She didn't want to chance Mullo being hurt," bluffed Ladybug. "I felt so bad for Marinette! All she wanted to do was help and I left her like that."

"She's an absolute angel," Chat declared, flatly. "And she deserved so much better today."

"You... don't think that what I did was in any way on purpose, do you?" Ladybug managed. "I couldn't reach you without my communicator. I would have gone back as soon as I could."

He's... pushing back against ME, coming to Marinette's defense? she marveled. Wow. I've felt close with him as Marinette, but... that's kind of a rarity, isn't it? But he sounds so sincere.

"I know. I know you better than that," sighed Chat. "I'm just... I wasn't ready for this today."

"Neither was I. Or Marinette," agreed Ladybug. "But if those masks do what I hope they will for the hospital... it was worth it."

"How can I be angry at you for trying to save lives and help people?" Chat agreed. "But I still want to talk to you about today. And the next time you're going to try something new like this... please bring me along for the ride?"

"I promise, I-"

"I'm serious." There was no mistaking that; Chat's voice was carved from stone. "Even if it's just me playing taxi service or cheerleader for you. Two girls that I love could've been in real trouble today."

"Chat... I promise."

She let that hang in the air, then added, "My mother is calling me, I need to go. We will talk when we can. Stay safe, stay well, and thank you so much."

"Spots off."

Tikki floated in the air in front of Marinette. She didn't look angry to Marinette, necessarily...

"I'm sorry," Marinette whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Marinette..." Tikki whispered back, "I get it. I'm usually the first to encourage you to protect your secret. This wasn't easy for you, and you did a huge amount of good for sick people today."

"That boy cares about me... both of me... so much. And I just lied to his face, twice. He came and rescued me, and I did that."

"You did what you had to do," said Tikki.

"He loves me. The real me. And I treated him like that."

Tikki said nothing.

"And now I get to go lie to my parents, too. That's going to feel just great. And Adrien's probably out there still looking for me-"

"Marinette!"

Tikki hovered right in front of Marinette's eyes, which were watering up rapidly.

"Listen to me, please. Chat is very happy that you are okay. Both of you," Tikki soothed her. "You can talk with Chat another time. You can talk with Adrien later, one-on-one. Take a breath. You have to go tell your parents what happened... and you're going to tell them and Adrien the same story that you told Chat. Keep it consistent. If you mix stories up... well, trust me. It won't be good."

"But..." argued Marinette, weakly.

"Trust me. Just take a breath, pull it together, and go and make everyone happy. We can talk about this later, okay?" implored Tikki.

"O-okay," Marinette smiled. She took a moment to hug Tikki, then to do some quick and minor touch-up work in the mirror... and then headed for the door.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 45

Slowly, one foot after the other, Marinette strode down the stairs. She wasn't trying to hide from or sneak up on anyone ; she was pretty sure that the conversations that followed would be awkward, but they needed to happen, so best to get them over with.

With the cover story that she'd told Chat Noir replaying in her mind, she started out by peeking into Adrien's room, which Adrien was not in. He could be downstairs, Marinette pondered. On the main floor, or down in the bakery with Mama and Papa. Or...

...Or he could be doing what I'D probably be doing if HE had disappeared.

She pulled out her phone and sent a message:

[Marinette] Hi! Where are you right now?

A response came quickly:

[Adrien] I'm just down the street from your house. Where are YOU?

[Marinette] I'm in the house, in my room, heading downstairs. You weren't out searching for me, were you?

[Adrien] What do you think? Of course I am.

[Marinette] I am _so sorry_. Please come back - I have a crazy story to tell, and I'd rather tell you and my parents together.

[Adrien] On my way.

The main floor was empty, as Marinette expected. As she descended to the bakery, the first thing she saw was her mother's face laser-focused on the stairwell as she heard the approaching footsteps.

"Oh, Tom!" she called into the bakery's kitchen, snarkily. "Look who decided to stop by this afternoon!"

Tom looked out at Sabine, then at Marinette. "Hmmph," he grunted, dropping what he was doing and striding out to them quickly. He stood in front of Marinette, looking her up and down. "You're okay? You're not hurt, or in trouble, or anything?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine. Of course I'm fine," Marinette replied, sheepishly. "I didn't mean to worry anyone."

"And not answering your phone for hours is how you do that?" glared Tom, letting his frustration out now that Marinette's well-being was clear. "Can you explain yourself, Marinette?"

The front door opened and Adrien hustled inside. His face lit up when he saw Marinette, but he didn't speak as he moved to her side. Sabine moved to the front door, locked it and flipped the sign on it to CLOSED.

"She can explain herself," stated Sabine, simply. "And she's about to."

The four of them moved into the kitchen, where a small table and chairs provided a place for them to gather comfortably.

"Mama, Papa... Adrien..." began Marinette. "There's something that I need to tell you, that you'll need to know for the rest of this story to make any sense. Adrien, you know the first part of what I'm about to say already. I think that you're the only other one who does."

"What kind of secrets are you keeping from us, Marinette?" frowned Sabine, not looking happy.

"Not very many. I don't like hiding things from you," apologized Marinette, seeing that her father looked just as concerned. "But this one is something that if I do tell you, when I tell you now... you have to promise that it stays in this room. No friends, no family, no Facebook. Can you promise me that?"

Sabine looked at Tom, questioningly.

"You're telling us the truth, with what you're saying next?" Tom asked. "Not that I would ever expect you to lie to us."

"As much as I can say," Marinette replied.

"Then go ahead."

"Okay. Wow. Um..." stammered Marinette. "The two of you know what a Miraculous is, right?"

Adrien stayed quiet through most of the subsequent conversation. Partly because this was clearly an emotional moment for Marinette's parents... and partly to focus on exactly what was being said.

What Marinette had told him and what Ladybug had told him did seem to match up. And, well... as honest as both of them prided themselves on being, the idea of either one lying seemed absurd. Especially to him!

But something wasn't lining up quite right in his mind.

He couldn't quite put his finger on precisely what, though, and as he listened to Marinette explaining rapidly how she'd been given a Miraculous and become Multimouse once before, and it was supposed to have been a one-time thing, but she got the call to come and help Ladybug today and then things had gone magically wacky and she was physically drained and she fell asleep on a roof and there was absolutely no fighting of Akumas involved today and then Chat Noir was there and she was so sorry that she wasn't able to call and this wasn't going to become a habit...

...it did sound consistent with what Chat had seen and heard. Strange by the standards of everything else; Marinette vanishing for hours, setting off burglar alarms, seeming somewhat evasive around Chat Noir? Ladybug not asking him to help in the first place, bailing on Marinette, leaving her stranded? Bizarre. But take away the impossible and one must consider what improbables remain, as Sherlock Holmes had once put it.

It also sounded like he had covered for his own secret well enough, and that Marinette remained unaware of his dual lifestyle. That much was right with the world.

It wouldn't be... horrible if Marinette knew, would it? Adrien allowed himself to wonder. Obviously, Ladybug trusts her implicitly. She is honest, she is brave, she is someone whom I could trust with a big secret and know that it would never come out. The way that the two of us have been dating lately... imagine if I could carry her everywhere in Paris that a hero could reach!

But I would need to clear that with Ladybug first. Partners should communicate better than we do sometimes. And since Ladybug is the Guardian now, too... yeah, that's not a decision that I should make on my own.

Focus, Adrien, he told himself. This is important.

He continued to listen, as Marinette and her parents bounced questions back and forth. For a couple who just found out that their daughter occasionally puts on magical spandex and fights evil armed with a jumprope... they're taking it surprisingly well, he smiled.  Better than my father would, I'm sure.

I'm... still not sure about what I'm hearing, though. Ladybug is more of a Girl Detective than I am a Boy one, but I have my hunches, too.  I don't know that she's lying... I don't want to even think that she would be.  But... maybe this isn't the whole truth?

But what else could there be to tell?

I just feel uneasy... and I wish that I knew why.

"Adrien?" asked Tom, during a pause. "You've been pretty quiet through this."

"I... I knew that Marinette had been Multimouse once before. She'd confided that to me," Adrien admitted. "And Ladybug gave me a different Miraculous once, too-"

"That's not what I meant, son," Tom said, gently. "If Marinette trusted you with that secret... I can see why she would, and I'm not holding that against you at all. What I meant was... is there anything that you need to ask Marinette about today, about all this?"

"Not right this minute," replied Adrien. "I mean... I'm glad you're back safely, Marinette, and I didn't mind going out and looking for you. I can hardly blame you for not answering your phone if you were asleep, can I?" he smiled. "But I would like to talk with you later, if you don't mind. Maybe another talk up on your balcony tonight?"

"I would like that very much," Marinette answered. "And I will tell you anything that you want to know."

"It's a date, then. Do you mind if I go up and freshen up for a few minutes?" asked Adrien. "I'll be right back. Then your bathroom is yours again."

"Go for it," smiled Marinette.

Adrien headed for the stairs, and Sabine went out into the front room of the bakery to reopen the shop. As Marinette made to stand up, her father gestured for her to stay right where she was.

"...Papa?" she asked, hesitantly.

"Marinette... I am only going to ask this one time," Tom grumbled. "So I will trust you to give me a straight answer on this, right now."

"...I will," Marinette replied, preparing herself for anything.

"That boy," began Tom, gesturing upstairs where Adrien had gone, "is absolutely crazy about you. I know a boy in love when I see one. He would do absolutely anything for you, and so far, I have truly enjoyed having him staying here."

"Obviously... me, too," agreed Marinette. "But?"

"But I am not a fool. I hear those *TH-BMMP!*s on my roof late at night sometimes. I know who it is who comes to see you there... a boy whom you said you were in love with once, as I recall," declared Tom. "It didn't work out that way back then, but that was a while ago, and feelings can change. Now, I don't know how serious you and Adrien are yet, but I am going to say this; if you are snuggling him and running around with Chat Noir on the sly, you will break that boy's heart in ten places. That is not what you are doing... is it?"

Marinette stared back like a deer in headlights. "You... you think that Chat... and I..." she sputtered.

"I don't know. That is why I am asking," Tom repeated. "Well?"

"Papa... no!" Marinette gasped, still reeling. "No, that's not it at all! Chat Noir and I are close friends. That's all that we ever have been," she insisted. "That's all that either one of us wants to be. And that other time, when I... overreacted... we talked that out after it happened. We're fine, I swear!"

"Says the girl who disappears mysteriously for hours, has a superboy bring her home, and tells me that she's on their super-team now. Just coincidence, hmmm?" Tom cross-examined. "That wasn't a little gift for a sweetheart on the side?"

"I am not on their super-team as Multimouse. I helped Ladybug once - she was the one who gave me the Miraculous - and I was shocked out of my shoes when she asked me again today," stammered Marinette. "I don't know if I'll ever have it again."

Please, Papa, let this rest... she fretted. I don't want to lie to you, ever, if I don't absolutely have to! But if you catch me in a lie, that would crush both of us.

"And you are not involved with Chat Noir that way," rumbled Tom.

"I promise you, I am not. I've told Adrien that I love him... that I'm in love with him... and I meant it. And I still do," Marinette declared. "Chat is more like... um... In a different world, one that Adrien wasn't part of, could I see giving Chat a chance that way? Could he fall for me then? Maybe? I don't know for sure. But in this world, he has a girlfriend... and I have Adrien. I kind of have Adrien."

She sighed, "We are still figuring that out between us. Kagami deserves a chance to speak her peace in person, to try and get back what she had, and I've insisted that she gets that chance when the time comes. But she's the only third party that I know of in this situation. Adrien knows that Chat and I are just friends... just like I know that he's friends with Ladybug... and he knows that my heart lies with him."

Tom studied her with a father's eye. "...I believe you," he noted. "That, and I like to think that I raised you better than to treat him carelessly."

"I am very glad that you did," Marinette smiled with some relief.  "I wouldn't hurt Adrien for anything in the world."

"And you will try not to have any more disappearing acts like today's?" Tom added.

"I didn't mean for today's to happen. I was kind of out cold," evaded Marinette. "I will try harder, though, to keep everyone informed."

"All right, then. Come here," gestured Tom, and wrapped Marinette up in a big hug when she approached him. "If anything ever happened to you... this old, big heart of mine would just shatter," he declared. "So let's not test my blood pressure again any time soon, okay?"

"Papa... I love you so much," shuddered Marinette. "I'll do my very best."

On the way out of the kitchen, Marinette got Sabine's attention. "Do you want to talk things out with me some more, too?" she asked her mother.

"I'm... not sure what I think just yet," Sabine stated. "I think I'm still processing this. I'm not so much angry as... well, startled. When I do get my thoughts together, you'll sit down with me?"

"Just ask," smiled Marinette. "I'll be happy to, Mama."

Two down, Marinette breathed to herself as she headed up the stairs. I just dug myself at least one hole, probably more than one, but I couldn't think of any other way out of that. If I keep the Mouse in the Miracle Box and off of the news, that should minimize questions going forward about that.

And now the even trickier part...

Up in her room, Marinette found Adrien waiting for her, having finished up in the bathroom.

"Hey," she said, moving to him. "I am so, so, so sorry that I put you through that today. Are you sure that you're all right with me?"

"You're here," Adrien replied. "You're safe and sound. That's all I needed to know."

"I didn't mean to scare you or them. But we did an awful lot of good today," Marinette noted. "And I'm glad that we did."

"Me, too. And if Ladybug came to me and said 'I need your help,' I would've come running, too," admitted Adrien. "But we don't have to talk it all out this minute. I can see that you're exhausted, and you'll probably want a shower and a change of clothes. How about I'll go down and help your parents finish up in the bakery, and we'll talk about things later? Nothing bad, I promise."

"That sounds perfect. Thank you for understanding," breathed Marinette. "It has been an unbelievable day so far."

As Adrien headed downstairs, Marinette allowed herself to exhale fully at least, having dodged a full salvo of parental bullets. Somehow, though... she thought, I don't think that unbelievable day is quite over yet.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 46

"Okay... come on up."

Marinette gestured down to Adrien, who took her outstretched hand as he reached the top of the balcony ladder.

There was a certain nervous energy in the air. On the one hand, the kids knew what had happened the last time they had come up for a long talk; a cuddle, a confession, and the start of something wonderful. But this time, there were things that Marinette felt like she couldn't, if not shouldn't say aloud... and she had a sense that Adrien sensed that, too.

Marinette strode over and flopped down on one of the lounge chairs, patting the seat on the chair next to hers to beckon Adrien.

"My pleasure," smiled Adrien, as he stretched out alongside her. "We're not sharing one chair this time?"

"Oh, we certainly might," giggled Marinette. "But when we do, I don't know how much talking we'll be doing. And you had some things that you wanted to talk about tonight, right?"

"Yeah, nothing too serious," Adrien assured her. "It was just a very weird day, you know? And I just wanted to make sure that you were all right, and that we were on the same page about things."

"Like what?" ventured Marinette, brightly.

"Well, for one, I'm dying to know how Ladybug contacted you!" he asked. "I know that she can move quickly when she wants to, but I didn't see any signs of her around the bakery this morning. And then you were gone, just like that!"

"Oh! Um..." Marinette mumbled. "She sent me a text message. Once in a long while, she'll do that. It's never from the same number twice, so I suppose that she has a bunch of throwaway prepaid phones."

"Huh," mused Adrien. "So how do you know when a message is from her, if the number's always different?"

"Uh..." Marinette thought quickly. "This time, she referred to Multimouse in her greeting. No one other than you and her knew about that, and I knew that the message wasn't from you, so..."

"Yeah, it wasn't from me," agreed Adrien. "So I suppose that I shouldn't ask for her number, and send her a message before she dumps that phone?"

"I already deleted it," stammered Marinette. "Can't have something like that fall into the wrong hands!"

"Of course not," said Adrien.

Adrien looked thoughtful. "So... does Ladybug ever message you when it isn't an emergency?" he wondered. "Like, just as friends?"

"Once in a long while?" Marinette bluffed. "I don't know what her private life is like; we don't talk about anything like that. More like... just checking up on me now and then, seeing if everything is good. We keep it short."

"You're lucky," Adrien replied, wistfully.

"How so?" asked Marinette, noting his mood shift.

"Oh, I don't want to be greedy or anything, or seem like I'm jealous of you," said Adrien. "I just... well, Ladybug gave me a Miraculous once, too, and I kind of felt like... we had... um... a connection, and... well, I don't hear from her like that, personally."

"Hmmph. Maybe she just doesn't have your phone number?" suggested Marinette. Or had never thought of doing that before now, but now it's completely on her to-do list? Once I figure out where to get some cheap burner phones, anyway?

"I guess. It's not like I ever wrote it on a napkin and handed it to her," admitted Adrien. "Or asked her... uh... what I'd want to ask her."

"Once or twice, she's asked my opinion on something fashion-related. I think that she's thought about adjusting her costume, but hasn't had the nerve yet to try it in public," added Marinette, trying to shift the subject.

"Oooh!" cooed Adrien. "Now, that could be something amazing. Ladybug wearing a Marinette Dupain-Cheng original! Defeating evil Akumas with style alone."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," Marinette evaded. "Just my opinion on some little things, like... would it look good if she put some black panels on the sides, or maybe add some minor accessorizing? So far, I've suggested keeping the basic design simple. Fewer things for Akumas to grab onto."

"No capes, huh?" Adrien chuckled.

"Nope. She's Ladybug, not Batbug or the Bug of Steel," laughed Marinette.

"You should tell her to add pockets. Like how most dresses don't have pockets, but they totally should! But I suppose that that's a running gag between girls," noted Adrien.

"You know... maybe I should mention that to her," Marinette considered.

"So how does Chat Noir contact you?" asked Marinette next.

"Uh..."

It was Adrien's turn to squirm a bit. "Usually, he just kind of... appears. He does have an email account that we use sometimes," he bluffed.

"I know all about the 'just showing up,'" smiled Marinette. "I'll be working on something in my room and, *TH-BMMP!* There he is."

"...So he should learn to call ahead?" asked Adrien. "You're not into that?"

"Oh, no, it's not a problem. He has secrets to keep, and I'm not about to push him to share them with me if he can't or doesn't want to," she explained. "Plus, appearing out of thin air is part of his charm."

"Ah! So you do find him charming, hmmm?" Adrien grinned.

To his surprise... Marinette looked uneasy. "Adrien... did my father say something to you?" she asked, nervously.

"N-no?" he answered. "Why... what would he have said?"

Marinette took a deep breath. "That he wasn't entirely sure if Chat Noir and I were... um... something."

Briefly, she gave Adrien a rundown of what her father had said to her. "You and I talked about this the other night, after he'd visited," she explained. "Apparently when he plops down on my balcony... Papa can hear that," she admitted.

"Oh! That's... good to know," said Adrien. For both of us.

"And he and I have been... complicated at times." Marinette described the Weredad saga, of which Adrien feigned polite ignorance. "But just for the record... I meant what I said before. Chat is a very, very good friend of mine, but you have nothing to worry about there."

"I didn't think that I did. And from what I know of Chat Noir... I don't that he thinks that way, either. Though I can confirm that he speaks of you very highly," smiled Adrien. "He doesn't give just anyone a free ride home, like he gave you today."

"Yeah... he did," said Marinette. "Though he kind of looked at me like I was crazy when he first found me this afternoon. And through most of my story, too."

"It was a strange turn of events, though, wasn't it?" Adrien continued. "I mean... don't get me wrong, Marinette, I believe your story. It makes sense to me."

"...That's one of us," mumbled Marinette, wearily.

"...But is there anything else you need to talk about regarding that?" he asked, gently. "Like, I've never heard of a Lucky Charm going wrong like that. You're sure that you still feel okay? Is there anyone that Ladybug can take you to, to get you checked out?"

"I... don't know what to say," Marinette sighed, after a long pause. "There's not much else that I can say. I feel okay. What happened, happened. I'm just glad that I could help and that we all got home in one piece."

"If you're positive," Adrien repeated. "I'm still not very good at reading other people's feelings... but I like to think that I'm getting the hang of reading yours, and you looked troubled to me when you were talking things out with your parents. That's all."

"I was... freaked out about admitting that I'd had a Miraculous, even temporarily," evaded Marinette. "That's kind of a big deal."

"...Okay," Adrien replied, leaving it at that. If she wants to come clean... she will. I won't push too hard.

"So... speaking of Ladybug," Marinette continued. "You seem to have your share of questions about her..."

"I..." gulped Adrien, "I'm just curious," he stammered. "I don't know that I've ever met anyone who's at all... close to her before, that's all."

"Close might be a bit of an overstatement," backpedaled Marinette.

"How about this? You've been picked to be a Miraculous hero twice so far. That's a pretty exclusive club, I think," Adrien noted. "At least from what I've seen on the Ladyblog."

"I don't know how much of the Ladyblog you can take for granted as being accurate," shrugged Marinette. "Alya does her best to sort out the rumors from the news, but... things slip through sometimes, I'm sure."

"I'll bet," agreed Adrien. There was the time that she printed a rumor that Chat Noir was seen dating Jain, the singer! he laughed to himself. The Chat Noir in the picture was a cosplayer, and they were on their way to a costume ball together! Ladybug gave me an earful about that until I straightened THAT out. I mean, she's beautiful, but Jain's probably twice my age!

"Anyway... it's not like Ladybug and I... like... hang out together," Marinette said. "I think that she's a very nice person; I wish I could know her better. But it's just like with Chat Noir; she doesn't tell me her real name, and I don't ask."

"If she did... or if he did... what would you do?" wondered Adrien.

"...Panic?" laughed Marinette. "Knowing that kind of thing would be a huge responsibility, don't you think?"

"Oh, definitely!" agreed Adrien, quickly. "I was just curious."

"Heh," she smiled. "You know, you called me your 'everyday Ladybug'... and the more I've gotten to know you, Adrien, the more you remind me of Chat Noir."

"Wh-what?" stammered Adrien, caught off-guard.

"That's not a bad thing!" Marinette insisted. "Not at all. You have his sense of humor, when you let it out. You're quite a flirt with me when you want to be."

"Like right now, for instance," Adrien purred, trying to distract her.

"And you have his inner sweetness. Something that he doesn't let out around just anyone... but it's there, just the same," smiled Marinette. "Green eyes, though yours are prettier."

"And then there's what else we have in common," Adrien added. "I'm crazy about my everyday Ladybug... and he's in love with his heroic one. In fact..."

He cut his sentence off, realizing his slip.

"In fact what?" asked Marinette, looking curious, increasingly so as she watched his reaction. "It's okay; you can say it."

"Do I have to?" Adrien retorted, turning red.

"You don't have to if you really don't want to," Marinette replied. "But I think that we've found out that when we're brave and say the truth up here... sometimes very good things can follow."

"O-okay," stammered Adrien. "Remember how I told you how there was someone out there that I'd had a major crush on?"

"The mystery girl? The one you'd mentioned where it didn't work out between you?" said Marinette, quickly. "The other girl that you'd said that you'd kissed?"

"That was just a peck on the cheek! The more I think about it, I'm not sure if she even felt it, or knew that I did it," Adrien panicked. "But... fine, I'll say it. That girl that I had a huge crush on... that was Ladybug. From nearly the very first moment that we'd met."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng simply froze in place.

Adrien... had a crush on LADYBUG?!

THAT'S who...

I was my OWN COMPETITION all this time?

She stared at the nervous boy across from her, her heart pounding wildly.

...Adrien was in love with me all this time, and I didn't know it?

...Can it be true?

...Were we really meant to be all along?

An emotional rush seized her, focusing everything that was Marinette on the revealed truth. The remainder of her brain took the hint, turned off the lights and pulled down the shades for a little while.

Adrien wasn't sure how Marinette was going to react to his confession... but she didn't react in a way that he'd anticipated.

Her eyes went huge, fixed on his. Her facial expression was difficult for him to read, seemingly a mixture of emotions... but it was intense.

"Say that again," she asked in a quiet voice, climbing across from her lounge chair to right next to him on his.

"Say what again?" mumbled Adrien, visibly startled.

"Your crush. The girl that you were in love with," said Marinette, her arms wrapping around him. "Say that again."

"I thought that I was... I didn't know her all that well, but the feelings just kind of swept over me like-" he stammered.

"Tell me, just to be sure," whispered Marinette into Adrien's ear. "Tell me again. Please, Adrien... please tell me what her name is."

"...I was... I was in love with Ladybug, before I fell in love with you."

On the night that Marinette had confessed her love for Adrien, right here on these chairs, she had described something that she was looking forward to very, very much.

"A real kiss... our first no-doubt-about-it kiss," she had told him that night. "That makes my knees buckle, that makes your hair stand on end, that tells me that we're there. Something to save for when you really mean it, and so do I. When we're both sure."

Lying on that padded lounge chair on a cool spring evening, the warm body of the young woman whom he'd fallen for pressed up close against his... Adrien Agreste felt utterly helpless.

Their remaining fully clothed didn't matter; every nerve ending that he possessed was on fire. He was drowning in love, suffocating under wave after tumultuous wave of it, and the only lifeline he had was the perfect, sweet mouth pressed firmly against his.

He clung to it, to her, with a desperate desire and a sense of complete wonder, and she returned every bit of it with an intense passion. Their kissing up unto this point had been completely wonderful... carefree, playful, innocent and adoring. This kissing possessed all of that, as well... but it was also like graduating from vanilla pudding to a four-course meal.

Rational thought deserted him. Self-control, mercifully, did not. Not entirely, at least.

There would be no going back from this moment...

...wherever it had come from.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 47

Oh... my goodness.

Slowly, Adrien recovered what breath and awareness that Marinette allowed him to regain, one small drop at a time.

It's not that I have any complaints... at ALL... he thought with some awe. This last half-hour has been... has been...

...wow!

Vocalizing his approval in actual words was not yet an option, as his lips remained occupied and spoken for, and that did not appear to be changing any time soon.

I... I was not expecting this to be this INTENSE! Adrien managed to ponder. Marinette and I have been slowly moving these kinds of things forward, keeping them light and playful... but tonight, it was like a light switch flipped in Marinette and a TIGER was unleashed!

A very affectionate, very cuddly, very beautiful tiger. Though perhaps partway through the process of eating my face off, one nibble at a time.

What brought THIS on so suddenly?

He struggled to rewind his memories to the moments before their makeout session began. It was anything but an easy process, given the circumstances.

Gradually, the intensity returned to more of a simmer. Adrien lay flat on his back, wide-eyed, breathing hard. Sensing that he needed a momentary breather, Marinette curled up against him with her head resting on his shoulder... though her eyes remained bright and alert, and he sensed that if he was ready for the next round, she was eager to continue.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked, very quietly.

"Mmm-hmmm?" she answered.

"We were on the lounge chair when this started, weren't we?"

Marinette raised her head and looked around, with a small laugh once she realized that the two of them were a good three meters away from the chairs, over by the railing at the balcony's edge.

"Did we, um... roll over here?" she asked, with mild disbelief.

"I'm not sure. You might have carried me," Adrien joked. "I don't even remember leaving the chair. I hope that we're not bruised tomorrow from falling off!"

"Oh!" Marinette gasped. "Yeah, that could be a little hard to explain to my parents."

"They were young once," said Adrien. "I think that they'd understand... though I hope that they don't think that we went farther than we have."

Marinette looked Adrien over... then herself... and breathed a tiny sigh of relief that both were still fully dressed. I didn't THINK that we'd crossed those lines, she thought, but as overwhelmed as I was... as much as I needed him at that moment...

...after he finally told me that he'd been in love with...

...um...

...oh, dear.

"Can I ask you something, Marinette?" Adrien continued, quietly.

"Of course you can," said Marinette. I would really prefer if it's not the question that I know that you're about to ask, though...

"You and I were up here talking about a bunch of things... and I thought that our talk was going well. Nothing too unusual. I wanted to make sure that you were comfortable, after the crazy day that you had," Adrien began.

"Do I look comfortable?" Marinette asked, cuddling up close again. She sneaked in another handful of kisses, which Adrien returned happily, but they didn't have the full distraction effect that she'd hoped they would.

"Very comfortable," declared Adrien. "And I am, too. A little startled, maybe... but very happy."

"Adrien... I'm sorry," sighed Marinette, her face falling. "I didn't... I didn't stop and think before I acted."

"I don't know about that," Adrien countered. "I mean... I know that we didn't come up here with all of that in mind. Maybe... some of it in mind..."

"Oh, yeah," smiled Marinette. "But I knew that you wanted to talk first."

"And we did. And everything seemed normal, right? But then we got to talking about crushes, and I finally told you that mine had been on Ladybug... I wasn't sure how you were going to react to that," admitted Adrien. "I really didn't want to say it, but you talked me into it."

"Why were you so nervous?" asked Marinette. "I mean... I already knew that you knew Ladybug, and that you two got along well..."

"Oh, we do, we do!" Adrien babbled. "But, you know... I don't know her that well. Who she is, what she's like in her private life, what she likes to do as herself, whom the boy in her life is..."

Marinette sat up slightly. "Adrien... how do you know that Ladybug has a boyfriend?" she wondered.

"I... don't for sure?" replied Adrien, guardedly. "Chat Noir had told me that there was a boy in her life that wasn't him, a big reason why the boy in her life wasn't him, so I kind of assumed... how could someone like her not?"

"But you never told Ladybug how you felt," Marinette noted... then added, "...right?" to make it more of a question than a statement of fact.

"Nnnnn... no," stammered Adrien. "Not in so many words. Like I said, we don't... spend a lot of private time together like that... so when I told you, I was afraid that you'd think I was being silly, crushing on her from afar."

"Adrien... I had a huge crush on someone that I didn't know that well yet, someone that I couldn't spend a lot of time with... since seeing you in school doesn't really count for that," Marinette reassured him. "And I was terrified to tell you how I felt... or to show you, until very recently. I know just how that feels."

"About that," Adrien continued, undaunted.

"...Go ahead," sighed Marinette.

"I said something just now... and you responded to it," he stated. "I finally admitted that I'd had a big crush on Ladybug... and all of a sudden, you were in my arms, you were begging to hear it again, you were on fire like I'd never seen you before! And, um... that was absolutely wonderful..."

"Good," Marinette smiled, blushing a bit. "It was for me, too."

"...but I was surprised. So I have to ask you, Marinette... why did knowing that make you react so strongly?" wondered Adrien.

Marinette looked into his eyes, full of innocence and need, and wavered...

"I... I'm not sure what to say," ventured Marinette, cautiously. "Maybe it was... because I felt like I'd had competition for your heart all along... but I really didn't, because she was someone that you didn't know that well! That just... broke the tension, I guess..."

"But... I kind of just told you that," replied Adrien. "Afterwards. You jumped on me before I explained that part."

"Yeah, but... does anybody really know Ladybug all that well?"

Adrien stared at Marinette. "I... wouldn't know?" he asked. "I'd have to know her better to know who does or doesn't know her better. I'm confused."

"Well... Adrien, that was so brave of you, though. I know what it's like to confess a crush to somebody," Marinette continued, trying out her next suggestion. "It's not easy on you to say it, at all! And when you told me what you did, I just felt so..."

"Now, wait a minute," Adrien protested, sitting up. "Which was it that made you react? That the other girl was Ladybug, or that I confessed that she was?"

"M-maybe a little of each?" said Marinette, meekly. I'm losing control of this, fast! she panicked. "Does it really matter?"

"You tell me," argued Adrien. "I feel like I'm more worried now."

"Why is that?" she countered.

"Well, for one thing... you've been so insistent that we should go slowly, that we shouldn't just dive on each other until this lockdown's over and I can talk with Kagami in person. Until we can all make fairer decisions," he began. "It kind of feels like you changed your mind about that tonight."

"I... I need to think about that," Marinette replied. "Because I do still think that that's important, even if I got, um... carried away in the moment. "

"And I'm asking why that happened... and I feel like you're dodging it," Adrien insisted. "Right after you were telling me that when we're honest with each other, good things can happen. Well, I was honest... and something incredible happened..." he smiled, "but now the most honest person I know keeps giving me different reasons as to why she felt overwhelmed."

"I don't feel like you're lying to me, Marinette... I don't." he reassured her. "But I'm feeling like I did when you told us your story earlier, about what happened at the hospital. That there's something that you're holding back from us... from me. Something important. And both of my reasons for feeling like that seem to have something to do with Ladybug."

"...Are you holding back, Marinette?"

I could try to make a joke of this, Marinette thought. But I don't think that that would work any more than kissing him again did. He's serious right now, and not easily distracted. He truly needs to know.

And he's not wrong. I AM hiding something very big.

Something that I kind of need to keep hiding.

But CAN I? I think that I BLEW IT just now, big time!

She looked at Adrien once more and weighed her options. Smothering him in kisses was part of how she'd gotten into this mess in the first place, and it would only delay the inevitable. Shouting "Look at that interesting thing over THERE!", throwing a smoke bomb and running for it wasn't plausible.

I can't just blurt out the whole truth. But I really, really don't want to lie to him again, for so many reasons... and if I did, he'd probably see right through it. So what else can I do?

She closed her eyes and sent out a silent thought-propelled message into the universe... not that she expected it to be heard, of course.

Hawkmoth, I don't usually ask you for anything, and this probably isn't the most ethical request... she pleaded, but is there any chance that someone out there could get possessed by an Akuma and require Ladybug's intervention RIGHT NOW?

...No?

...Pretty please?

...FINE. See what happens when YOU ask ME for a favor.

"Adrien... I need you to listen to me now, and to hear me out, okay?" suggested Marinette, to which Adrien nodded. She clearly had his undivided attention.

"We told each other about our first time with a Miraculous a few days ago. The time that I had the Mouse, and when you had the Snake," Marinette began. "But we didn't tell each other that lightly. Not until we trusted each other completely, we'd gotten to know each other very well, and we were on the brink of sharing some even bigger secrets... and afterwards, we kept our secrets between ourselves. Ladybug and Chat Noir would want it that way."

"Uh-huh," Adrien agreed. "What happens in costume, stays in costume. And the Miraculous are too powerful to play around with; their users need to remain safe and secret."

"Secret. Yeah," said Marinette, nervously. "Well! Um... There are things that I... know... that I can't tell you about, Adrien. Times when I need to do certain things, or I need to disappear for a little while, or I need to keep my mouth shut when I'm just dying to share things with the people I love. Because if I don't lock those things away like that... I don't know what might happen."

"Huh," noted Adrien. "It almost sounds like you've either had a Miraculous more than twice... or that you think that you're going to. Are you going to be a more frequent partner of theirs?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," Marinette evaded. "I mean, I only get one when Ladybug thinks that I'm needed, right? And that happens whenever it happens."

"And you can't say whether or not Ladybug's hinted at that," Adrien said. "I bet that if Chat Noir gets a vote, you'd have one all the time."

"Yeah, well... I don't know if he does or not," smiled Marinette. "But I appreciate his support." Though that's one reason why he won't any time soon. Sorry, Chat!

"All right. So that's part of your reason for being hesitant... there's something going on with you and Ladybug that you can't share, even with me. Have I inferred that correctly?" asked Adrien. "I mean... something big. Beyond just getting a temporary Miraculous once in a while, because you told your parents and I about that!  But whatever this is, it's bigger."

"I... can't really say yes or no, Adrien. But you are a smart guy..." Marinette stammered, "and you probably shouldn't spend a lot of time trying to figure out-"

"But that only answers part of my question," exclaimed Adrien, in an eager tone. "There's still the other thing that I'm wondering. Marinette, we were being all flirty and cuddly, and I told you that I'd had a crush on Ladybug... and then you know what happened next. It was almost as if... like that was something you'd been waiting to hear?" he puzzled out. "Or that what I said meant so much to you that you fell a little harder, right in that moment."

Marinette watched, silently, with a sinking feeling in her stomach as Adrien continued rambling. "You and Ladybug are closer than I knew. I was in love with Ladybug... and knowing that made you love me more," he declared. "But why would that..."

"...that..."

"...th-hat..."

The look on Adrien's face was remarkable; life had crept up behind him and smacked him upside the head, and might have jarred something loose in his mind that had been stuck for quite some time.

Marinette watched as he looked at her with startled eyes, and forced a small smile onto her face. If he figures it out... I won't lie to him, she thought. If I'm caught... I'm caught. I know that I can trust him. I know that I love him. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

He muttered a few things under his breath as he processed it mentally. "It can't be. I've seen them in the same place..." she heard. "But I did the same thing once... and..."

The same thing once? wondered Marinette... but the gale of emotions running through her brain blew that aside very quickly.

One way or another, she gulped, my life is about to change.

Adrien considered the beautiful girl sitting next to him, with her bluebell eyes and her twin pigtails and her compassion and her passion and her gigantic heart.  All things about her that reminded him so much of his partner.

The girl who had disappeared in a time of need... and not just this one time, he realized, now that I think about it... and been found by him near where Ladybug had been present.

Granted, she did have a cover story... a lot of cover stories for each of the many times that this had happened. Just like he had for his own disappearances and reappearances...

There was some evidence against it. Multimouse's help against Kwami Buster, for instance... which was a lot like how Chat Noir appeared near Adrien thanks to Wayhem's impersonation, right?

Come on, this is ludicrous, Adrien told himself. This incredible, sweet, beautiful girl that I've fallen in love with just couldn't be...

...the other incredible, sweet, beautiful girl that I'd fallen in love with.

He held his hands out in front of him, aimed at Marinette, his fingers curling into a makeshift mask... and it was all he could do to remain upright.

Marinette held her breath. The look on Adrien's face told her what he'd realized... and once she was sure that he had, an odd feeling of relief flowed through her.

"It can't be," Adrien gasped, just above a whisper.

"You know?" asked Marinette, just as quietly.

"I think I do," he replied. "I don't know how it can be true... but it is.  It has to be the answer."

"Then tell me what you know," Marinette said.  "Please."

"That I'm still in love with Ladybug," breathed Adrien. "But now... far more than ever."

Marinette glowed... then added, simply, "Close your eyes, Adrien."

He did as he was told. "Why?" he asked her.

"Because one of your dreams is about to come true."

Her voice was husky, and he could feel her leaning in very close, so close that he could kiss her if he moved the slightest bit forward.  Burning with anticipation, he waited...

"Spots on," she whispered.

Her kiss melted onto his lips... and as they touched, the white flash of her transformation was only part of the electricity in the air.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 48

The joy running through Ladybug's soul was so overwhelming that she felt like she was about to burst.

These kisses she shared with Adrien weren't quite as intense as shortly earlier... not quite the same kind of demanding need pushing them forward... but felt more like the slow, searching, languid explorations of their nights before this. A simple celebration of her truth revealed and their feelings expressed. And why not? Now that her secret was finally out... now that she no longer felt compelled to hide an entire side of herself from the boy that she loved... time seemed actually on their side for once.

Oh, we will have to have a SERIOUS talk afterwards, Ladybug reasoned, in a moment of lucidity. I know that I can trust him, that I don't even have to tell him what his knowing this means... but those things are worth saying anyway. Just think, though... now I can have someone help me cover my escapes when Akumas are out and I need to get away! Now I have someone human that I can talk about those adventures with!

No offense, Tikki, she giggled to herself, we'll still have plenty of one-on-one time together... but THIS kind of one-on-one time is what I've needed for so long.

I can't believe just how perfect this feels, she beamed, sinking into another long kiss. How everything in my life might finally be lining up in ways that make sense. How we're going to be...

...such a perfect couple...

...hmmm.

Ladybug took a moment to reflect on what her senses were telling her. He's certainly kissing me back, she frowned, but something's... different, just a little bit? It's almost as if... his heart isn't completely in it this time.

She opened her eyes the tiniest bit - everyone knows you're supposed to kiss with your eyes closed, but I need to check on him, she thought - and froze when she saw that Adrien's eyes were WIDE open and staring hard back at her.

"...Adrien? Is something wrong?" Ladybug whispered, pulling back just enough to get a better look at him.

He was silent, looking back at her with obvious nervousness.

"Are you all right?" she asked, with growing concern. "Honey..." she realized, "...you're shaking!"

Quickly, she gasped, "Spots off," and transformed back to Marinette. "It's just me," she soothed him, holding him close. "You know it's just me."

"I... I know," Adrien whispered back. "I'm trying not to... I'm... I don't know what to..."

"Hey," Marinette whispered. "Hey, just hold me for now, okay?" As he snuggled in closer and she felt his tremors ease a bit, she added, "I... wasn't sure how you would react to this, if it ever came out. It's an awful lot to take in."

So much more than you know, Adrien shivered to himself. He managed to reply, "It is. And I'm... sorry... for how I'm reacting."

"Don't be," Marinette insisted. "I'm pretty shaken up, too; I had no idea that you were going to figure out my secret tonight! But... look. We've got some things to talk about," she continued, "but this isn't going to change... us. I'm the same girl that you've known all along, I promise."

"I know that," Adrien half-smiled. And that's what part of the problem is. "Look... can I, um..."

"What do you need?" asked Marinette. "Anything."

"Can I go down and use your bathroom for a minute? I just feel kind of... unsettled," he ventured. "Just a moment to myself to let this sink in, a little cold water on my face, you know? And then I'll come right back up and we can, um, pick up where we left off."

"Of course," Marinette replied, looking worried. "I'll be waiting. You're sure that you're... mostly okay?"

"I am," he assured her. "Pick a lounge chair for us," he smiled as he headed to the hatch, "and I'll be back shortly."

The hatch closed behind Adrien with a quiet thump. The young man slid down the ladder, ran to the bathroom, closed the door, locked it... and collapsed into a heap on the throw rug.

A tiny figure floated into sight next to him. "Well," Plagg declared, "this is why 'careful what you wish for' is such a popular saying."

"I... can't believe it," Adrien whimpered. "I just... I just..."

"You've been falling for Marinette from nearly the moment that you first met," replied Plagg. "You can't tell me that you haven't. She's reminded you of Ladybug in so many ways. Same hair, same eyes, same build, same heart. You can't be THAT stunned."

"...But WHY?!"

Plagg stopped short, caught by surprise at that.

"Plagg... you had to have known all along. I know you did," Adrien groaned, not turning to look at him. "You've watched us together during this whole lockdown. You've seen what was building. WHY didn't you WARN me?"

"Adrien... what do you mean, warn you?" wondered Plagg. "This is what you've always wanted, isn't it? Ladybug loves you with all her heart. You're the one person that she trusts completely."

"I'm the one person that she can't love. That can't know what he knows now!" gasped Adrien. "How many times has she made it clear that she doesn't love Chat Noir that way? That she can't ever share her secret with Chat, or know his identity, or we'd have to give up our Miraculous? How important it is for the two of us to keep our distance and just be friends and partners?"

"That never stopped you from chasing her before," Plagg smirked. "Or offering to tell her who you are. Or-"

"But I did hold back," Adrien argued. "It may not have seemed like it... but I was listening all those times she told me 'no.' I'd hoped that she'd change her mind..." he said, "but I needed it to be on her terms. Sharing only what she wanted to share. And now I just ripped her secret right out of her..."

"Which she seems at ease with, knowing that it's you who knows it," Plagg continued.

"...and she doesn't know that the boy she's kissing is Chat Noir!" Adrien bemoaned. "Someone whom she's... well... 'rejected' isn't the right word, I guess. But someone whom she's always needed to keep at arm's length."

"Adrien," Plagg glared, "listen to me. You didn't trick her into any of this. You didn't fool her into falling in love with you; you understand that? You two have been moving closer in all of your combinations. You can't tell me that Marinette doesn't think the world of Chat Noir, and that you haven't felt a real connection there, even if she asked to keep things all business as Ladybug. You can't tell me that Ladybug didn't get nervous and tongue-tied around Adrien... like you'd never seen her around anyone else."

"That's... that is true," Adrien answered, meekly.

"So what matters now is what you do next. And I would do it soon, because there's a pretty girl upstairs who's scared out of her mind that she just made it weird between you two," insisted Plagg. "And she loves you. So what's your next move?"

Adrien finally turned his head up to face Plagg.

"...I have no idea," he said.

Marinette sat quietly, anxiety consuming her, until similar company arrived by her side.

"Are you all right, Marinette?" asked Tikki. "This couldn't have been easy on you."

"I'm okay if he's okay," she replied. "Are... are you mad at me, Tikki?"

"Of course not," Tikki soothed. "It can't be helped. It was going to happen sooner or later. I'm a little amazed that it stayed a secret this long, to be honest, and what caused it to come out was your going out and doing something to help doctors and hospital workers. How could I possibly be angry about that?"

"I know," smiled Marinette, sadly. "I just couldn't think of a better story than I did... and I think my parents did believe it. Most of it was true, after all."

She paused, thinking hard. "Should I tell them the whole truth now, that I'm actually Ladybug?" she asked.

"That... has always been up to you," Tikki noted. "I know what Master Fu had said... and I know what I have said... and as few people as possible knowing is still a good idea. But you are the Guardian now, and you know your parents better than anyone else on Earth does. It's a risk, one with good and bad sides to it. I don't feel like you should tell them unless you're sure that you want to. Or, if like Adrien just did, they figure it out on their own."

"Okay, that's good advice. One existential crisis at a time."

Marinette shuddered for a moment. "Tikki... I thought I was going to make Adrien's entire life when I kissed him just now! But when I opened my eyes, he was... well, he looked terrified!" she worried. "We've come so far together. Between my jumping on him when he confessed his crush on Ladybug, and then his figuring it out... do you think that I just screwed up our relationship?"

"Nnnnnoooo... I wouldn't go that far," said Tikki, cautiously. "He has every right to be shocked, don't you think? That's a very big 'oh, by the way' to process all at once."

"...Yeah," a glum Marinette agreed.

"Look," Tikki suggested. "Don't worry too much yet, okay? He'll be right back. It's not like he's going anywhere else, you know?" she smiled. "And maybe I can help a little with that. Wait here."

"Wait... where are you going?" asked Marinette, watching Tikki fly in the direction of the hatch. "To find Adrien?"

"It's not like I need to hide from him now, right?" Tikki called back. "And we've met. I won't be long; sit tight!"

"O-okay," Marinette replied. As Tikki vanished through the door, a thought occurred to her...

What does Tikki mean,  'we've met?'

Plagg scratched his head. "Well, if you have no idea, I don't know what to tell you," he declared. "You love Ladybug. You love Marinette. Now they both come in one convenient package; that sounds pretty good to me."

"M-me too," Adrien agreed. "It's not like I've changed my mind about her! I'm just... kind of..."

"...Freaked out?" suggested Plagg, to which Adrien nodded. "Not a shocker there," Plagg continued. "Just imagine what her face will be like when she finds out the other half!"

Adrien turned pale, picturing that.

"...But don't think too hard on that just yet!" warned Plagg, seeing that he wasn't Adrien helping much with that idea. "I'm telling you, it's up to you whether you want to drop that on her now, or not. She just watched you figure out her biggest secret; she's probably freaking out up there, too."

"More than 'probably,' I can assure you," said a tiny voice.

Adrien's jaw dropped as he watched Tikki float down from the bathroom ceiling. "I... guess this confirms that I'm not dreaming," he managed.

"Indeed. Hello again, Adrien! It's been a little while," said Tikki, pleasantly. "You made a fine Mister Bug that day."

"Hello, T-Tikki," stammered Adrien. "So we've been under the same roof all this time?"

"Oh, yeah. It's been pretty cool, actually!" Plagg grinned. "Tikki and I could go hang out while the two of you were sleeping, or down in the bakery, or busy making kissy-faces."

"And sometimes that was even pleasant," Tikki deadpanned.

"...Hey!" yelped Plagg, as that sank in.

"...How is she doing?" asked Adrien, with a worried expression.

"She's okay," Tikki replied. "A bit startled that you figured out what you did, of course. More startled by your reaction... but understanding. And she'll probably feel good that your first thought when you saw me was to ask about her."

"Well... of course!" Adrien said. "What else?"

"One of many reasons that you two match so well," smiled Tikki. "But before you go up there and fireworks start, good or bad, I was wondering... do you think that the two of us could have a little talk first?"

Adrien pulled himself up to a more reasonable sitting position, cross-legged on the bathroom rug.

"I really, really think that we need to," he replied.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 49

Sitting on the floor in the Dupain-Chengs' guest bathroom, staring across the room at Plagg and Tikki perched on the edge of the sink counter, Adrien found it hard to keep an incredulous look off of his face.

In a matter of hours, I've caught Marinette setting off a burglar alarm, confessed my crush on Ladybug, had Marinette dive onto me for the most intense makeout session we've ever had... and found out that Marinette is also LADYBUG. And somehow, watching Plagg and Tikki sitting together like it's no big deal might be the most unreal thing that I've seen all day.

Tikki gave him an understanding smile. "Okay. First off... you are not in any trouble, Adrien," she began. "No one is taking away your Miraculous, or hers. Not yet, anyway."

"I'm kind of relieved to hear that," Adrien admitted. "We'd heard the rules enough times that I wasn't sure how that would fall out. Marinette would never have admitted it if she'd known who else I am."

"Probably not," Tikki agreed. "Though she didn't have a lot of choice, between what happened today and what you figured out."

"Let's back up for a second," requested Adrien. "What did happen today?"

"Pretty close to the story that Marinette told you, honestly."

Tikki related how, minus the Mouse Miraculous having remained in the box, things had gone just as Marinette had related. "That Lucky Charm wiped us both out! The summoning isn't supposed to be that specific, or that big, or that permanent. She had the best of intentions with what she did... but she was lucky that she was only out for a few hours."

"So then I went out looking for Marinette... and she fibbed about Multimouse, which I knew that she'd had once before, to cover her tracks. That makes sense," Adrien nodded. "...Wait. No, it doesn't!" he realized. "How did I see Marinette and Ladybug standing side by side on the day that Multimouse first appeared?"

"One word. Multifox," grinned Tikki. "That was an illusion. You were both trying hard to hide your identities that day... she just had better tools."

"So I'm really not hallucinating all this? This isn't one big illusion. Marinette is Ladybug, and has been the whole time I've known her," boggled Adrien.

"She received me the same day that you received Plagg," Tikki confirmed. "And it's been a real rollercoaster ride keeping those two secrets hidden."

"I'll say. Though you might've tried a little harder than I did," quipped Plagg. "I never blurted it out, or anything... but Master Fu kind of started enforcing that 'lose your secret, lose your Miraculous' rule late in the game."

"And that rule isn't in play any more?" wondered Adrien.

"Ladybug is the Guardian now, as you know," said Tikki. "Which means that she can choose whether to enforce that rule... or to bend it... or to make her own rules."

"All right. Which leads me to the big question," Adrien sighed. "Do I go up and tell her that I'm Chat Noir? Or even hint at it?"

"I'm gonna stop you there, Chief," Plagg interjected. "I'm not too shabby at giving good advice when I put my mind to it."

"I know, believe me," smiled Adrien. "You've guided me through all kinds of stuff. So, what do you think?"

"Well... like Tikki said, you figured it out all on your own. Obviously, Ladybug trusts you. You're the only one she's ever told, right?" he added, glancing at Tikki.

"Absolutely," Tikki confirmed.

"So there you go. Ladybug tried to hide her secret... but once you knew it, she was fine with your knowing it. More than fine. You sure felt that," Plagg grinned. "And you haven't talked about that yet; I don't know if she will start hinting at 'now I can't be Ladybug' or not. I think that if Tikki's not demanding it, Marinette won't push the point."

"And I know that she won't just start spreading her secret around lightly," said Tikki. "You were probably the only person that she'd considered telling."

"Not even her parents?" wondered Adrien. "It's a big secret... but those three are pretty tight. So much closer than my family has ever been, even... before."

"You know how seriously Ladybug takes her identity," Tikki countered. "Just like with you, she'd trust them if they were to find out... but she's worked very hard to keep that from happening."

"So... you have some options. You could just tell her and hope for the best. You could keep it a secret for now, and see what she says," ventured Plagg. "Or you could drop some hints, leave some bread crumbs, and see if she figures yours out like you did hers. It shouldn't take too much, I don't think. It's hard to believe it took you two this long."

At Adrien's incredulous stare, Plagg laughed heartily. "Come on! Dark pigtails, slim build, huge heart, hates liars, overdeveloped sense of justice. Hangs out with a blonde kid who's athletic, brave, and sweet on her. Every other person in your class has been Akumatized; even the teacher! You even called her your everyday Ladybug. And now you're living under one roof and getting snuggly on the regular and finding it hard to hide anything. Did we have to draw you a map?"

Adrien looked a bit subdued at that. "Oh, now that I know... now, it seems obvious!" he declared. "But Marinette is the cleverest person I've ever met... and she has no idea about me, right, Tikki?"

"Correct," Tikki smiled. "Whatever you two have been doing... it's been working. But now, I have to ask... do you want her to know that you're Chat Noir?"

Adrien stared back at her. "Of course I do," he replied, as if it was the most natural thing ever. "I've offered to tell Ladybug on several occasions, though I've respected her wishes when she said 'no.' And while I've never told Marinette... I've thought about it, to have someone I could trust."

He stood up, knowing that he shouldn't keep a worried Marinette waiting too long. "I think what matters most is whether she'd want to know," he decided. "If I just blurt it out, and she freaks out... that could cause real problems. She's told me to my face that she couldn't ever know it... though that was under very different circumstances."

Thinking of that made Adrien shake his head in disbelief. "So, that night up on her balcony... I'd asked Ladybug out, and she didn't show, but then I caught Marinette standing out by her railing looking heartsick..."

"...because you didn't show when she'd hoped you'd be at Andre's Ice Cream that night," Tikki continued.

Plagg cackled, "So then you met with her to talk about your love-life failures, because she wasn't thinking of you that way and you weren't noticing her that way. Except you were crazy about her, but she shot you down politely, and she was dreaming of you every night, but you didn't know it 'cause she couldn't say it out loud."

Adrien went wide-eyed. "And we went in circles for months like that?" he marveled.

"You two have been meant for each other for a very long time. Even Master Fu thought so," smiled Tikki. "But how you handle it now is up to you."

"I think that handling it now is what I need to do most. Before she wonders if I'm running for the hills," Adrien noted. "She's up there alone right now, and she can't be very happy how I reacted."

"You do that," Plagg agreed. "I'll be close enough to snoop on you, in case she finds out and I can come out of hiding."

"Shall we?" Adrien gestured to Tikki. "And doesn't that feel strange for me to say?"

"A little bit," giggled Tikki. "Just check the hallway first. I'm not ready to meet Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng just yet!"

The balcony hatch opened, and Marinette watched Adrien climb up to rejoin her... with Tikki floating next to him.

"That's going to take a little getting used to," smiled Marinette. "Adrien, are you all right?"

"I caught him trying to climb out the bathroom window," Tikki replied.

"What?" gasped Marinette. After a moment's thought, her eyes narrowed. "Wait a second," she continued, "...that bathroom doesn't have a window."

"That's why it was taking so long to get through it," deadpanned Adrien, before bursting out in laughter. "She's teasing you. Yes, I'm fine. I just needed a minute to... well... make my world make sense again."

"I'm working on that myself right now. Can we talk?" asked Marinette, patting the chair cushion next to her. "I had nightmares in my head that you were texting what you found out to Nino, asking 'What should I do about this?'"

"No, no, no!" insisted Adrien as he joined her. Tikki floated over next to them and landed, watching the two of them. "I know how important this is. No one gets told. Absolutely nobody."

"Good," exhaled Marinette, showing relief. "I mean... I know you better than to think that, obviously..."

She looked over at Tikki. "...but I know there still might be consequences to this. Tikki... what has to happen now?"

"Well," Tikki replied, "...you two talking this out, I hope? And then probably a lot of kissing and hugging, if I had to put money on it."

Tikki got a chuckle out of Marinette's confused expression, seeing that Tikki appeared unruffled. "I told you a few minutes ago, Marinette. I have no reason to be angry at you, or to punish either one of you," she continued. "The genie's out of the bottle. It was going to escape someday no matter how hard we tried. It's not as if your secret is public knowledge; one other person knows it now, and it's someone that you love and trust. So I would rather work on the best way forward than get upset about it."

"And, besides," Tikki added, "I may be your Kwami... but you're the Guardian now. Master Fu had reasons for the rules that he set, but you are not Master Fu, and you have many other things to consider now. This situation is different than, say, the hosts that were exposed to Hawkmoth. This is between you and Adrien."

"Tikki calmed me down. She didn't have to do all that much, either," Adrien assured her. "Was I startled? Sure, I was," he admitted. "But if, let's say, you were up here with Chat Noir and all of a sudden you figured out his secret identity. What would you be like then?"

Marinette shuddered. "I wouldn't know what to do!" she gasped. "But... that's a little different, isn't it?"

"Is it?"

Adrien's sudden smile confused her, but he stopped there, allowing her to continue.

"...If Chat Noir were to find out my identity... or vice versa... then I really would have to stop being Ladybug," Marinette explained. "It would be far too dangerous to continue like that. I've told Chat that several times, and I like to think that he understands, but... well... sometimes I wonder if it really sank in for him."

Marinette caught herself, adding, "Okay... you wouldn't know about any of this, Adrien... but now that you're in the loop, you'll need to. Let me explain."

Adrien listened patiently as Marinette went over the importance of the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous, what they are capable of when combined, and why they are Hawkmoth's primary goal. "This makes secrecy of the utmost importance," Marinette insisted. "Let's say that Hawkmoth conjures up a mind-reader Akuma, or one that shoots truth-serum beams, or, I don't know... he comes up with some pretty nasty ideas sometimes. If he reads my mind and finds out Chat Noir's identity... then both of our Miraculous are in danger. And so is the entire world!"

"And I can't argue with that. That's something that I was worried about, myself," agreed Adrien, shooting a meaningful glance Tikki's way. "I... I mean... the fact that I know it now," he added, seeing Marinette's curious expression.

"Well... you aren't someone who would be one of Hawkmoth's primary targets, Adrien," argued Marinette. "He would have no reason to think that you would know."

"So I guess that rules out a public Ladybug - Adrien Agreste romance splashed across all the gossip pages," Adrien smiled. He saw Marinette begin to protest and cut it off with a gesture. "Which I had kind of ruled out already," he grinned. "I would much rather have our privacy, like how we can just sit and talk right now with nobody hassling us. And, besides... I fell for the girl... not the mask."

"Very good to know," beamed Marinette.

"And, truth to tell... I don't know what my father would do with that," admitted Adrien. "If he would forbid me to see you... 'That girl attracts supervillains like crazy! She's far too dangerous for you to be around!'" he intoned, imitating his father's cadence. "Or if he'd want to rope you into promotional deals and things like that. He's already had me on stage once dressed as Chat Noir, as you recall."

"Right across from me," said Marinette. "Oh, I remember. I thought that the instant I put the mask on, my secret would be gone! You would see right through me."

"That's right..." gasped Adrien, putting two and two together. "So we were... er... so I was standing next to the real Ladybug that day, and didn't know it!"

"I think we'll have tons of moments like that that'll come to us," Marinette smiled. "But, anyway, that's one reason why I'm so paranoid about Chat knowing. The other is that Master Fu... my mentor... and that's another long story. He was the Guardian of the Miraculous. He gave me the Ladybug when I had no idea who he was... he gave Chat his Miraculous, too... and he kept all but two of the others hidden away, to be given out only when needed."

"...Hawkmoth's and Mayura's," ventured Adrien, carefully.

"Right. And when he was defeated by them, he passed the Guardian role to me... and the Miracle Box full of those other Miraculous," she explained. "Only I know where they are, but I have over a dozen other Miraculous to keep safe. Which means that if you ever want to try the Snake again, or some other one," Marinette smiled, "I can arrange that. I trusted you completely the day that I gave you Sass. And, obviously, I trust you even more now."

"M-maybe?" stammered Adrien, stealing a nervous glance at Tikki. "We can talk about that some other time."

"...But that's all the more reason why I'm paranoid about my identity," Marinette noted. "There is so much at stake now." She glanced over at Tikki and added, "You're being awfully quiet, Tikki. What do you think about this?"

Tikki pondered her answer for a moment. "About you and Adrien... or about you and Chat Noir?" she asked.

"...Both, please," Adrien offered.

"Adrien, you and Marinette... obviously, I have no objections to that. And I may give you some of that privacy you mentioned in a minute," Tikki smiled, "as it's been at least ten minutes since the two of you kissed, and we can't have that!"

"As for you and Chat..." she continued, turning more towards Marinette, "you do make some good points, and I am proud of how seriously you take both of your roles, Marinette. I always have been. All of those reasons for secrecy that you mentioned are still valid. But..."

Tikki watched Adrien's face carefully as she continued, making sure that she had his full attention, which she did.

"...One of the reasons for secrecy above all else was related to maturity," Tikki stated. "Not that both you and Chat Noir were not wise beyond your years when you first received your Miraculous," she noted, "but you were both young and dealing with many other things. You two were both completely new to this world of powers and secrets and risks. And I have been very happy watching both of you grow so much this year."

"We have had Ladybugs and Chats who remained secret to the end," continued Tikki. "We have had many who have known. Some who became lovers. Two sets who married. It is all about the individuals involved. Marinette," she said, "I will not tell you that Chat should know your identity, or you his... or that you shouldn't, either. I will tell you that I trust both of you to be mature, to think things out, to communicate with each other, and to choose wisely. Just like you and Adrien have."

"Th-thank you, Tikki. That means so much to me," breathed Marinette.

"M-me too," said Adrien.

"And with that... I'll leave you to whatever young people do these days," winked Tikki.

On the way through the balcony door, Tikki grabbed Plagg, who was hovering just out of sight and listening to the conversation. "C'mon, you," she told him. "We have some talking of our own to do."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 50

As Tikki took her leave, Adrien examined the face of his beloved. Clearly, she was still concerned about him... and rattled by what just happened... but also filled with a nervous kind of happiness. The kissing that he expected would restart momentarily was something to which they were rapidly becoming accustomed; this shared secret, however, was a whole new ballgame.

And it's a ballgame that I need to play very, very carefully right now, mused Adrien to himself. Tikki and Plagg... DIDN'T seem concerned about my knowing Ladybug's secret! Cautious about it, sure, but they know that I'm not going to blab it all over town. And they didn't seem freaked out about the idea of her knowing MINE!

And if TIKKI is okay with it... and, wow, did I not see THAT coming...

...that just leaves Marinette. And I promise to any and all divinities who are listening that I will NOT, I repeat, NOT yell "I told you so!" about Ladybug and I being meant for each other, if I can somehow talk her into letting me share that secret tonight.

I'd THINK it, he grinned. But I'd hold it back for tonight, I swear. I'd be too busy being completely overwhelmed to do much else, anyway!

The thing is... Marinette DID make some good points, though. So I don't want to just smack her in the face with my secret. 'Surprise! Claws out!' would not be a good thing for her right now, after the shock of her being discovered. That doesn't mean that I can't share my side of it tonight... just that I have to approach it the right way. Have her be more comfortable with the idea of knowing. Make her feel like it's at least partly her idea.

And THEN maybe we'll see what it feels like to kiss on top of the Eiffel Tower.

Adrien shook loose from that train of thought, as he caught Marinette studying his own expression.

"Are you all right?" she asked him. "I need to be sure of that."

"I was just going to ask you the same question," Adrien replied. "I'm not the one whose biggest secret just got discovered."

"And I'm not the one who just found out that he's been dating Ladybug," smiled Marinette. "Or had a magical creature voice her approval of that."

"That was something, wasn't it?" marveled Adrien, trying to look appropriately awestruck. "I mean, I've seen a Kwami before, that time that you gave me the Snake... but that's certainly not something one sees every day. Well... I suppose that you do."

"Uh-huh," Marinette giggled. "She lives in my room with me. And every day in school, she's been close enough to you to reach out and touch you!"

"Wait, what?" Adrien puzzled... then put it together, quickly. "Where was she... in your purse?"

"Exactly. If I needed to transform, Tikki couldn't be too far away from me. Pretty much every time you've ever seen me before you started living here, she's either been in my belongings or in a pocket. Kwamis can travel through walls, so if she needs to hide for some reason, she can get away very quickly."

"...What's so funny?" added Marinette, watching Adrien drawing amusement from that.

That Plagg was about a meter away from Tikki every day, since he was in my book bag, and neither Marinette nor I knew that? he laughed to himself.

"That we had the biggest secret in Paris within arm's reach like that," Adrien smiled. "And Tikki, too!"

"Yeah! ...Wait, what?" exclaimed Marinette, looking confused.

"Your crush on me. Wasn't that the biggest secret you had?" teased Adrien.

"Hey!" Marinette playfully smacked him with her hand, feigning being greatly wounded by his jibe. "I tried. I was beaming every bit of love I had into the back of your head every morning, Adrien Agreste. I don't know how you didn't feel it all around you!"

"I am very glad that you did," Adrien purred, sliding a little closer.

Time to test the waters, he thought.

"One thing that has to make you feel better..." Adrien ventured, "is that Tikki seemed okay with my knowing. As a matter of fact... it sounded to me like Tikki would be all right with Chat Noir knowing, too! If you approached it right."

Marinette glared at him, so he retreated slightly. "I mean, yes, I was listening a few minutes ago. And you were right; keeping that secret from almost everyone is very important," he explained. "But here's a question. That example you used, of an Akuma that can read minds?"

"Uh-huh..." allowed Marinette, hearing him out.

"Whether you know each other's identities or not... wouldn't you have to exercise extreme caution and some very clever strategy around that kind of Akuma anyway?" reasoned Adrien. "Because they could read your identity out of your mind, and Chat's out of his. You wouldn't have to know each other's to be in serious danger. You'd just have to each show up."

Marinette pondered that for a moment. "You... are making some sense there," she told him. "But if we knew each other's identity, if one of us got zapped by that, the Akuma would know both."

"And if you knew each other's, whoever encountered that Akuma first could warn the other that they were in danger, that their secret might be blown," Adrien continued. "Right now, how do you reach Chat Noir when you need him?"

"With my communicator. It's like a walkie-talkie built into my yo-yo," explained Marinette. "It's also like an answering machine if we're not transformed."

"But you can't just, like, call or message his civilian self and say 'Hi' or 'Take cover, you're in danger,'" said Adrien. "As far as you know, anyway."

"As far as I know," agreed Marinette. "If his Kwami is paying attention, he can say 'you've got a message,' but on my regular phone... no, I don't have his number or anything. If he unmasked, maybe I'd know him... maybe I wouldn't? I had an idea once that he goes to our school... but that covers a lot of ground."

"Another idea. Let's say that an Akuma pops up in some remote place, for once," Adrien continued. "I mean... it is weird that our entire class keeps getting hit, isn't it?"

"I have wondered about that!" Marinette exclaimed. "It's like... does Hawkmoth have some connection to someone in that room? Or can he somehow sense that I'm there?"

"But if you knew who Chat was, you could signal him to come join you, instead of just hoping that he saw it on the news," argued Adrien. "Most of the time, you do show up to fight it together. But it might be easier to coordinate that way."

"I know," sighed Marinette. "There could be some good points to sharing between us. But it's against the rules... that's been the biggest rule we've had."

Marinette squirmed a little, watching Adrien react to that. Why are you so interested in this? she wondered. In how Chat and I interact?

"That's one more thing to think about," Adrien smiled. "If you're this... Guardian now, as well as Ladybug... you set and enforce those rules, right?"

"...Yes?" Marinette replied, cautiously. "But that doesn't mean that I can just throw out the old rules. They were there for good reasons."

"Obviously," agreed Adrien. "But you're in a position to tweak them if you need to... and you might need to. For example, you're in charge of keeping all of the Miraculous safe and distributing them when and to whom they're needed. And that includes the Cat, right?"

"Yeah, it does. The old Guardian gave me the Ladybug and gave Chat the Cat, but did that secretly. I didn't know who he was until I absolutely had to, one time that Tikki got sick... and then when you found that old book of your father's," said Marinette. "When I saw that-"

"...Hang on," frowned Adrien. "So that book did end up being something important, after all?"

"Yes! The lore in it... Master Fu was his name, the former Guardian. He's... oh, boy, that's a long story," evaded Marinette. "Anyway... he made a copy of it before I returned it to your father. All those pictures of ancient Miraculous users, and the strange text that you couldn't translate? He got lots of use out of that, and translated as much as he could."

Adrien frowned as Marinette continued, "The fact that he had that book was a big reason that I thought your father might be Hawkmoth, Adrien. But then he got Akumatized himself, so..."

"Yeah," Adrien replied, looking a bit troubled and lost in thought.

"You were asking about the Cat?" prompted Marinette.

"Oh! Yes, thank you. Let's say that you needed the Cat back for some reason. It was broken, or it was being misused, or there was some ancient ritual that needed it to be present and Chat wasn't around. Or you had one of your typically brilliant plans and you needed the Cat ring to make it go just right," reasoned Adrien. "Do you have any way of reaching him, other than sending messages and hoping that he transforms and hears them?"

"I..." pondered Marinette, trailing off as she considered that concept.

"Or if he couldn't transform for some reason. If you don't know who he is, if something happened to him, how would you get the ring back?" wondered Adrien.

"I'm... I'm going to have to think about that," sighed Marinette, slumping down a bit.

She looked over at Adrien with a somewhat pained expression.

"I'll be honest with you, Adrien," she declared. "As if I haven't been tonight already... but one thing I hadn't said is that I have thought about giving up being Ladybug, because of my also being the Guardian."

"...No!" Adrien gasped. "You can't be serious."

"It's not a sure thing," Marinette explained. "I haven't made my mind up yet. But some of the things you're talking about... the old Guardian stayed secret all the time, until he couldn't any more. When Hawkmoth figured out who he was, he had to go on the run, and then he got caught and defeated and it was nearly disaster. So a Guardian should remain in the shadows, helping from afar, but Ladybug... Ladybug is on the front line against every single Akuma!"

"I do have to safeguard all of the Miraculous," she added, taking Adrien's hand in hers. "I do have to worry about getting zapped by some Akuma and then no one knowing where to find the Miracle Box, no one to pick up where I left off, no one to succeed me and keep them safe. Master Fu named me the new Guardian because he had to pass it on quickly... otherwise, Hawkmoth would've gotten all of the Miraculous except a small handful. But being that and Ladybug at the same time might be too much risk."

"Now, here's where I jump in," Adrien declared, snuggling her closer. "As my first official act as Ladybug's Boyfriend," he smiled, "I need to reassure you that you are absolutely irreplaceable as Ladybug. You were meant to be her. It's obvious in every move you make, every word you say."

"You're sweet," Marinette beamed.

"But something you might want to consider... you are juggling a lot of things at once, right? Finding new hosts for some of the compromised Miraculous, keeping the old ones safe, adjusting those rules to face the new reality. Even Tikki seemed to say that much tonight, that you shouldn't feel like you're tied to the past now."

Adrien's face was serene as he continued. "That she trusts you to guide things forward. With her help, of course! But that some rules and traditions might need to change with the circumstances. The old ones worked for a long while... but they failed in the end, didn't they?" he asked.

"Yes? ...Kind of?" mumbled Marinette, pondering that.

"And I know Chat Noir well enough to say that he would be by your side, every single minute that you need him," he smiled. "In any way that he can help. He'd help you shoulder that burden, and maybe form a new core team, and mix things up a bit."

"...Adrien?" asked Marinette, slowly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead," he answered.

"You seem very interested in Chat Noir tonight. How our partnership goes... and whether or not he learns who I really am," ventured Marinette. "Why is that?"

"A lot of reasons," Adrien gulped. "For one thing... you're Ladybug! I know that now. And I need to help you be the very best Ladybug that you can be. The better you and Chat work together, the better that'll happen."

"Mmm-hmm," said Marinette. "Keep going."

"Another reason is that you are carrying a very big burden, Marinette. Far bigger than I'd ever realized," he continued. "You're feeling like the safety of this whole city depends on you in a couple of ways! And I have gotten the feeling sometimes, even before I knew your secret... that you were feeling overwhelmed, that the pressure was getting to you."

"I've had days like that, yes," conceded Marinette.

"And I don't ever want you to feel like you're facing that alone," Adrien assured her. "Whether I'm helping you however I can... or Chat helps you how he can... or your other friends, or our classmates, or whoever... if you reach out, we'll answer. And if I can help relieve your stress in other ways..."

"Oh, you have lots of other ways of doing that," Marinette smiled back. "No complaints there. But you're not afraid that if Chat finds out my identity, he'll be all over me as Marinette as well as Ladybug?"

"Do you think that I have anything to worry about there?" asked Adrien.

"Well... no..."

Adrien leaned in close. "Chat Noir cares about you, Marinette. I know he does. Very deeply. You are the one person that he comes to visit in costume, right?" he asked. "The one person to whom he confides things? Even before all of this today, I know that he considers himself very close to you... and he values that so much."

"And just like how you've said that you won't be anxious if I'm spending time being close with Kagami, even if we've made 'us' official... and I kind of feel like we have tonight, considering everything..." Adrien smiled. "I don't think I have anything to be afraid of with you and Chat. Whether you're in costume or out. I think I know where your heart lies."

"It's right here," Marinette glowed. "And it's all yours, Adrien. If you want it."

I feel like I'm betraying Kagami a bit, Adrien thought. Not waiting to give her a chance like we'd wanted to. But how could I have possibly known THIS about Marinette?

This is going to take a lot of finesse when the time comes. I'm going to need to think about how to soften the blow for her... and get Marinette to help me work out what we'll say and do, since she knows that I can't tell Kagami this secret... to make sure Kagami knows she's very important to me, and not someone that I'd ever just cast aside...

...but there's no turning back from tonight. From knowing what I know now.

Adrien pulled Marinette into his embrace once more.

"Let me show you how much," he whispered.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 51

...Wow!

A period of substantial bliss followed Adrien's declaration, and it was Marinette's turn to be pleasantly surprised by her partner's level of ardor.

It's not like he wasn't responding earlier, she marveled, but it's like... knowing... flipped a switch in him, in a big way!

Should I be surprised at that? Marinette giggled to herself, when she could spare the thought. He was into Ladybug before he was into me. Now he knows that he has both of us in his arms at once... and now that he's had a little time to digest that, woohoo!

A light bulb went on over her head, metaphorically speaking...

"...even if we've made 'us' official... and I kind of feel like we have tonight," he'd said. Oh, my GOSH! It HAPPENED! No WONDER he's more passionate than ever!

A warm glow cascaded through her, from head to toe, as the implications hit her fully.

I really am the luckiest girl in Paris, Marinette beamed, trying to hold happy tears back. I was sure that being found out as Ladybug would be an utter disaster... but it's brought Adrien and I closer than ever before! Even Tikki seems content with it.

There are some things we'll still need to talk about - being Ladybug, my life is never uncomplicated - and I - oh, wow, Kagami is NOT going to be happy about this - now, how much more about the Miraculous world can I show him?

Marinette quelled her racing thoughts for the moment with one other one.

Shhhh, she told herself. Worry later. Kiss now. Kiss much, much more now.

After a while, this latest wave of affection reached its shoreline, and an exhausted Marinette simply snuggled up in Adrien's arms once again. The place where I was always meant to be, she told herself, smiling lazily up at his face.

"...Hey," she whispered, pleasantly.

"Hello," Adrien smiled back. "Still comfortable?"

"Way beyond comfortable," Marinette purred. "This is not at all how I expected this evening to go... but I'm not complaining."

"What do you mean by that?" Adrien asked.

"All of it," Marinette murmured, closing her eyes. "The two of us making it official. Being discovered as Ladybug. Tikki not flipping out. You not flipping out. So much of my life just got turned upside-down in a matter of hours, and yet... I'm okay with it. I'm amazed, but I am."

"I finally have someone that I can share that side of myself with," she continued. "I mean, I kind of have to now! 'Cause you're stuck with me, and that's who I am," she giggled. "But you're someone that I love and trust. And as long as my secret stays just between us..."

Marinette felt Adrien move slightly in response, in what felt like an uncomfortable shifting of weight, and looked up at him once more. "Adrien... it is going to stay between us, isn't it?" she asked.

"Of course it is," said Adrien, some worry visible in his eyes. "But there are some other things that you need to know."

I can't just... hold everything back from her, Adrien ordered himself. Not now. I have to move us in the right direction, at least. Dangle the right bait... and see if she bites.

"I'm thinking about what you said earlier," he told Marinette. "About how knowing both your and Chat's identities was a really bad combination. The kind of thing that would get a Miraculous taken away, under previous management."

"Uh-huh," verified Marinette, looking more alert. "But at least for now, you and I only know mine. Right?"

"...Right?" she repeated.

"Marinette... I know who's behind Chat Noir's mask," Adrien stated, in a flat voice.

Marinette sat straight up, a state of panic shooting through her.

"He told you?!" she gasped, with visible disbelief.

"No, he didn't," replied Adrien. "Just like you didn't tell me, either. I just... know."

"How do you know, then?" Marinette babbled, rapidly. "Did you catch him like you caught me? Did you figure it out on your own? Did he slip up, somehow? Does anyone else know?"

"Whoa! Slow down," Adrien flailed. "No one else knows, at least that I know of. He's been pretty darned careful with it. He didn't tell me. And I can't tell you exactly how I know... not yet... or that would give away who he is."

He gave her a very meaningful and intense look. "And, to be honest... I think that you should know who he is. I know that he wants you to know. But I am not just going to blurt it out... I want to respect what you told me tonight about that. You'll have to ask me directly to tell you."

Even in the dim evening light, Adrien could see his beloved turn a remarkable shade of pale.

"How am I supposed to even respond to that?" boggled Marinette. "That's... that's..."

"Take a breath," Adrien encouraged her. "Just like when I figured your secret out. Let's take this one little bite at a time, before we panic."

"Right! Right," she breathed, forcing herself to remain relatively calm. "How long have you known?"

"A long time," Adrien smiled. "About as long as he's been Chat Noir, actually. And just like how I'll keep your secret... I've kept his. I haven't told a soul."

"That's good," Marinette panted. "I think. And it's good to hear that he's been conscientious about his secret... I mean, he and I are close, and he's never told me, but I don't always know how he is around other people."

"He's thought about it," admitted Adrien. "Telling you, that is; I know that much. And I mean as you... not as Ladybug! But he's always held back, because that's an awful lot to lay on someone, you know?"

He read a flash of fear in her eyes and replied quickly, "And, no, I'll repeat, I'm not going to tell Chat Noir that you are Ladybug." Because I don't have to; he already knows, as of an hour ago, he grinned to himself. "So you can relax about anyone, beyond the two of us, finding out either identity from me. The only reason I'm telling you now that I know... is that you're Ladybug, so you need to know that I know."

"I get that. I know that I can trust you, Adrien," managed Marinette. "I just... whoa! This is big. It's, like... I have so many questions now, and I do and I don't want to ask them!"

"Whatever you want to know, I will tell you, if I can," Adrien said, calmly. "I know that he would want it this way; I'm not, like, betraying him with this. So... any thoughts?"

Marinette sat motionless, her brainwaves clamped down in a mental chokehold.

"Oh... kay," she began. "My first concern is actually what I need to do about you."

"I beg your pardon?" Adrien blurted out.

"Well... you heard my ramble a little while about the danger of people knowing too much. We talked about that, and you made some good points, and now I think I get why you were so interested in that! My boyfriend is now the biggest security risk in Paris."

"Say that again..." said Adrien.

"What? ...The danger of people knowing-"

"The 'my boyfriend' part."

"That does sound really good out loud, doesn't it?" grinned Marinette, momentarily. "But I'm serious. There's... not a whole lot that I can do about it, I guess... I don't exactly have a mindwipe gadget, and I wouldn't use it on you if I did!"

"Whew! That was one of my worries," joked Adrien.

"Stop, you," Marinette poked him, good-naturedly. "I am glad that you told me, Adrien. I'm hoping that it'll never come up... but if I'm ever in a situation where identities are in danger, that's good information to have."

"If Chat Noir knew your identity... would you want him to tell you that?" asked Adrien, turning serious. "For the same reason?"

"There's no way that he could," shrugged Marinette. "Otherwise he'd have been at my balcony with six dozen roses, about ten minutes after he figured it out."

"Would that have been so terrible?" wondered Adrien, gently.

"...Why?" Marinette wondered. "Adrien... what do you know?"

"Nothing!" Adrien insisted. "I'm not... I'm not saying that he would or he wouldn't! But you've said it yourself; you and Chat are very close, just like Ladybug and Chat are very close in a different way. Marinette's seen sides of him that Ladybug hasn't. A lot less of the posturing and punning and trying to find some way, any way to win Ladybug's heart... more of the real him."

"That's true," conceded Marinette. "And I... I do really like that other Chat. I mean... don't get me wrong! As Ladybug, Chat Noir is my dear partner and my good friend and occasionally he's a giant pain in my neck, but I would never want to be without him. He's as natural a fit for the Cat Miraculous as I am for the Ladybug. And as myself, well..."

"...Well?" prompted Adrien.

"...I can't say that I've never thought about him that way," Marinette mumbled. "Not seriously. It couldn't happen because of the whole Ladybug thing even if I wanted it to. But that Chat... sensitive, sweet, everyday Chat, the kind of boy that I imagine he is without the costume... that wouldn't have been so terrible, to answer your question," she replied, blushing hard. "But you have nothing to worry about there. He has a girlfriend now... and I have a boyfriend."

"That really does sound good out loud," Adrien grinned, letting loose a silent shriek of triumph in his head. "And I didn't mean that to sound like I was worried about it. If you're fine with me socializing with Kagami, going forward... I'm more than fine with you spending time with Chat Noir. I know we'll trust each other."

"That works," noted Marinette. "Now... about Kagami..."

"Not now," Adrien declared. "Please. I really do want to talk about her, and us, and what this new us means for what we'd told her previously! But when the three of us talked then, you and I were missing some critical information, and it's information that we can't share with her! So that's going to be really complicated, and when we talk it out - which will be before we talk with her about this - I want us both to give it our whole attention. And I don't know how we can do that right this instant! Too much has happened tonight."

"...You're right. About all of that," Marinette replied, somberly. "It's all three steps past crazy."

"So, then... let me circle back," Adrien said. "If Chat Noir knew your identity... even if he was keeping that a secret, to respect your wishes... would you want him to tell you that? Would you want to know his, as well?"

"I... I think that I would want to know that he knew, if he knew it for sure. And you could verify that for him, if it came to that," Marinette answered, after a very long pause. "But I don't know if that means that I'd have to know his. Though, like you said earlier... I might need to know his! My brain is still hammering that part out."

"You would be comfortable knowing that he knew, though," Adrien repeated. "That's what you're saying."

"Comfortable might be stretching it," she smiled, sheepishly. "But like I said to you... it could be vital knowledge for me to have in certain situations. And I do trust him. I've trusted him with my life on many occasions! So if it came to that..."

She took a moment to think about how to phrase it.

"...maybe it would be time for me to put the noodles in the boiling water, after all," finished Marinette, wistfully.

"...Noodles?" wondered Adrien, visibly puzzled.

"A metaphor. Something that a wise man told me once," she smiled.

Marinette stared at Adrien, still smiling, but visibly on edge.

"You're just about shaking, Marinette," noted Adrien.

"I... I still can't get over that you know who he is. And now I have, like, all these questions that are trying to burn their way out of my mouth!" she declared. "That I shouldn't ask! But I won't sleep a minute tonight if I don't ask some of them."

Ah... she IS curious, grinned Adrien. "Go ahead. I'm not pushing you. Stop when you need to," he told her, "or stop me if you need to, if my answers go too far."

"Fine. I am not going to let myself Twenty Questions you into just giving it away," Marinette insisted. "All right. Question one... is he our age? Older, younger, about the same?"

"About the same," Adrien confirmed. "So he could be in our grade level, or first year of lycee."

"All right. I'm not going to ask if he goes to our school; that would narrow it down way too much," mused Marinette. "I assume that he lives in our side of Paris? An arrondissement near ours, at least? Whenever there's an emergency, we seem to arrive at around the same time, most of the time."

"Correct, he does," said Adrien. "I won't specify which."

"Did you know who he was before you came to our school?" wondered Marinette. "Like, is he someone you knew through your family connections, or through modeling, or fencing, maybe?"

"How I know him would give it away. Want to rephrase that question?" Adrien asked, with an innocent smile.

"I will, thank you," Marinette replied. "All right... I don't... I shouldn't ask this one."

Adrien waited for her to gather her nerve.

"I... I find it hard to believe that this would be a 'yes,'" Marinette mumbled. "Because as well as I feel like I know him, the amount of time I've spent with him... in both his identities... how could I not realize..."

"...Adrien," she continued, looking him in the eye. "If I saw Chat Noir detransformed... his everyday, normal self... would I know him? On sight, or by name, or as an acquaintance?"

"Yes," Adrien declared, his voice steady.

"Which one? On sight, by name, or personally?" asked Marinette, before she could stop herself.

"Yes," repeated Adrien, without hesitation.

The balcony fell silent.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 52

Yes?

YES?

The word echoed in Marinette's ears, over and over again. By themselves, she knew that they had just changed her world forever... but she also knew that the night was far from over.

"You are telling me..." she asked Adrien, quite deliberately, "that I know Chat Noir personally. Without his mask and costume. The real him."

Adrien nodded, silently.

"This isn't some kind of metaphor," insisted Marinette. "Not like 'when he visits you, he lets his true self out when you two talk.' I would know his face, I would know his voice, I've spent time with him up close. He's a friend of yours and a friend of mine! That is what you are saying."

"Mm-hmm," replied Adrien, with a nervous smile. "Truth to tell, I'm a little surprised that the voice never gave him away. But I'm not one to talk... how much time have I spent with you, and I didn't pick up on your being Ladybug until tonight? You don't disguise your voice as Ladybug."

Marinette considered that. "Huh!" she allowed. "I never really thought of doing that... and I guess that it's a little late for that now. I've been on TV, in front of crowds... they'd probably notice if I had a different voice, all of a sudden."

"Or different hair," suggested Adrien. "I'll say this much... Chat changes a little bit when he transforms. The cat eyes, his hair is a bit different... I'm not saying this to pick on you at all, Marinette!" he declared, seeing her face darken somewhat. "You're doing something right, obviously; nobody's figured it out but me, and look how crazy things had to get for me to put it together! But your Kwami can change your appearance up if you ask her to, right?"

"...Yeah, she can?" stammered Marinette. "We'd talked about that earlier, how I'd thought about some costume alterations? The pockets thing was a really good idea. But I don't know if I ever thought about changing me, too."

"It can't be that hard. Look at how much Akumas change people sometimes," Adrien continued. "My bodyguard became fifteen meters tall, the Bourgeoises were that giant floating head, Ivan was a stone golem, Kim grew wings... your father got big enough to punt Chat Noir around the block. In your defense, of course."

"He was... um... wait! We are getting completely off the subject!" Marinette cried out, clasping her head in both hands.

"Yes... you are."

Tikki floated up and over Marinette's shoulder, making her returned presence known. "Marinette, if you do want to give me some suggestions for alterations, I'm game... but you two have bigger things to talk about right now," she said.

Marinette looked back and forth between Tikki and Adrien, desperately. "Okay! You both know who Chat Noir really is," she declared. "And it's sounding like it should have been obvious to me, but it wasn't, and it still isn't! What am I missing here?"

Tikki looked at Adrien, with an unmistakable look of ...Well?

"Let's talk it through... if you want to, Marinette," he replied. "Tell me what you know about Chat Noir. About the boy underneath."

Because if you stop and think hard about it, Adrien thought to himself... if you put the clues together... everything changes tonight.

Marinette gathered her thoughts, looking questioningly at Adrien, whose face remained serene and reassuring to her.

"He's about my age," she began. "If he is a little different physically, when he's transformed... it's hard to say much more about that."

"Not very different," Adrien clarified. "He's not like, thirty-five years old and fat and a redhead. He is a boy our age, and I don't think he's ever presented himself as anything but that."

"I didn't think that he had," Marinette smiled. "He's kept his secret from me - we've both made sure of that - but he's always been honest with me. He's shared things with me that even Ladybug hadn't heard. Small wonder, I guess... if I'm the only one he socializes with as Chat."

"You always struck him as someone worthy of trust," agreed Adrien. "Of course he was drawn to you."

A series of small plap sounds around them began to increase, and Marinette looked down as a single raindrop splashed against her forearm.

"Do you want to take this inside?" Adrien asked, noticing that.

She shook her head, choosing to ignore the faint drizzle for now. "So, let me see. What else?" Marinette continued. "He's been lovesick for Ladybug, the way that I was over you... but I never told him your name," she smiled. "That's why he never told you, I suppose. Or maybe he was just polite, and wanted me to be the one to confess it to you; as much as I talked about you with him, he had to know whom I meant. Even though I tried to hide it a little bit."

"I, um..." stammered Adrien. "I don't think that Chat knew until you told him the other night, when he visited you."

"Either way, I'm very happy that he's found someone," grinned Marinette. "He's the sweetest boy... next to you, anyway! He deserves to be happy and loved as much as anyone, and as much as he wanted that to be with me... well... you know. I do love him... and I hope he knows that... just not that way."

An Are you sure? tried to leap out of Adrien, but through force of will alone, he held it back. "Go on," he said, instead.

"He's got something of a troubled home life. Kind of like you do," Marinette said, "from what little he's told me about it. He's in a single-parent household, too; I'm not sure what happened to his mother, but she's not around. Things are strained between him and his father much of the time; his dad's very... inattentive..."

Marinette's voice trailed off as she studied Adrien's face, and her own became clouded.

Tikki held her breath. Is she adding it all up, at last? she wondered.

"I'm sorry," Marinette declared, faintly, adjusting the subject. "I feel silly. I'm sitting up here with my boyfriend and I'm talking about another guy."

"Because I asked you to," Adrien reassured her. "Please, keep going! As a person, what's he like with you?"

"He's far more sensitive of a person that I would've thought at first," Marinette continued. "I mean... as Ladybug, I don't know that I took him completely seriously at first. Not as a partner, I mean; from the very beginning, he was always just what I needed that way. But it took me a while to figure out that he wasn't just flirting with me; he had real feelings for Ladybug. He came here one night and talked with me about it, and my eyes went WOW!" she laughed, miming them popping out like a cartoon character's.

"I can imagine. That must've been a tough night for you," Adrien ventured.

"Yeah... but he's been stopping by at intervals ever since, and we've helped each other deal with our crushes and a lot of other things. I felt so much better that I could give him emotional support as Marinette that I couldn't the other way."

Adrien blinked, twice. "You are... absolutely right about that," he replied, slowly. "I know how much he values the time that he spends with you."

"I'm glad. Now if I only knew how much other time I'm spending with him, that I don't know about!" grumped a frustrated Marinette.

"Well... look at it this way. You don't have any boys that things feel... weird around, right? So whoever he is, you've been doing everything right with him," Adrien noted.

"I guess not. The only boy I've ever felt tension with was you, Adrien... but now we know why, and we know how that all turned out," smiled Marinette, shyly. "And that wasn't bad tension, you know? More like that I was crazy about you and I couldn't get the words out."

"I think it all turned out just the way I want it," beamed Adrien. "And I couldn't be much happier."

Raindrops began pattering around the two of them a bit more frequently, but neither seemed to notice, or at least mind.

"But now that I know this..." mumbled Marinette. "My brain is in overdrive right now! I should not have asked that question. I so shouldn't have."

She looked up at Tikki, then at Adrien, helplessly. "I know a lot of people, Adrien. You know a lot of people. But we don't have a lot of crossover!" she insisted. "You were dying to make friends your own age when we first met. You were so sweet to me that day on the steps because you thought you might miss your chance at one."

"I did what I did that day because I'd wronged you. Or at least had made you think that I had," Adrien answered. "And because I could tell right away that you were worth the effort, that I needed to make things right. And... yeah, because I really wanted friends... and I really wanted you to be one of them."

"But that's just it," Marinette replied. "If you've known Chat Noir... the boy beneath Chat Noir... as long as you say you have, it almost has to be someone from our school, doesn't it? Maybe even from our class! That's where all the people that we'd both know well are. But nobody fits! Every boy in that class has been Akumatized at least once, and Chat Noir was right there helping me free them, so it couldn't be any of them! Every one of them except for-"

A distant thunderclap was heard, as the rain continued to fall gently.

"Except for..."

Marinette's jaw dropped, and her thoughts raced like lightning, joining that distant thunder.

A perfect boy sitting right in front of me all year in school, with blonde hair and big green eyes and the biggest heart. Whom I've TOLD that he reminds me of Chat Noir!

Adrien watched her intently, on the edge of his seat with anticipation.

A sensitive soul, a huge protective instinct, with a gigantic crush on Ladybug. A tough home life, a missing mother, and a demanding father.

How did I manage to be so BLIND?

A drop of water ran down her cheek. Adrien wasn't sure if it was a raindrop or a tear. The drizzle around them was intensifying slowly.

"...f-for..."

Adrien was turned to gold by Style Queen... and Plagg came to find me. Because his host wasn't available and he needed my help.

More drops joined the first... and they weren't raindrops.

Chat Noir finally got a girlfriend... at the exact same time I got a boyfriend.

She felt tiny hands on her shoulder, as if Tikki was making a symbolic attempt to hold her upright.

It can't be...

It can ONLY be...

Marinette appreciated Tikki's gesture... because it was all that was keeping her steady.

"Ex... except... for..." Marinette gasped. "For the boy I was in love with all along. Who's been by my side all along. Who's p-protected me, who's taken beatings for me, who's loved me." Her voice grew shakier as she continued, "Who was right there for me and who loved me and I turned him away, more than once, oh, God, Adrien, I don't, I don't, I can't, I wouldn't have-"

"You couldn't have known. And neither did I," Adrien reassured her. "I had no idea until tonight."

"Ad-Adrien..." she shuddered. "It's you. It's YOU!"

"It always has been," he smiled, nervously. He raised his hand, showing off the ring on his finger, to which she quivered visibly.

"I couldn't just... blurt it out," continued Adrien, emotion in his own voice. "Not knowing your secret. How you've felt about both our secrets. I had to know that you'd want to know... and let you piece it together."

"I..."

Marinette bit her bottom lip, lightly, and was silent.

"I am so in love with you, Marinette. This doesn't change that. Not one bit," Adrien gulped. "I didn't... I had to hide this from you, and you know why. Just like you hid Ladybug from me. But once I knew... I didn't know what to do next."

"...And that's why you needed a minute when I transformed," nodded Marinette.

"Exactly. Tikki cooled me down and assured me that everything could be worked out. Now..." he managed, "what comes next... that's up to you."

Marinette stood motionless, processing her new reality, then came to a decision.

"There's something that I need to do, Kitty," she whispered. "I'll be right back."

Before Adrien could stop her, Marinette was running over to the balcony hatch and climbing down to her room.

Adrien stood very still, dumbfounded by Marinette's sudden departure. He looked over at Tikki, who shrugged.

In a hushed voice, Adrien asked, "Did I just blow it? DID I?"

"I think you did everything just right, Adrien," Tikki told him, gently. "Remember how you reacted about an hour ago to knowing? Give her a minute. If she doesn't show, I'll..."

The hatch reopened, and Marinette climbed back up, carrying something. She stepped forward slowly, one foot at a time, until she was face-to-face with Adrien.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked. "Are you all right?"

"I'm... I'm wonderful," Marinette breathed. "I'm finally... who and what and where I'm meant to be."

She reached down to the umbrella in her hands, opening it. He saw a small "A" monogram on its handle and recognized it instantly.

With a shaking hand, Marinette extended the umbrella towards him...

"Th-this is how you and I started. Our very beginning," she said, with a hint of a smile. "I couldn't th-think of a better way to start the rest of my life."

Adrien quivered, overwhelmed... then dashed forward and swept Marinette up into his arms, spinning her around gently as she clung to him, her arms wrapped more tightly than ever before. A set of sobs erupted from her, but Adrien understood that they weren't sadness, or fear, or heartbreak... they were simply release.

The umbrella fell to the balcony floor, rolling slightly aside from them... but despite the growing rain, neither of them felt it at all. The rest of their world, outside of the two of them, simply did not exist.

Marinette opened her eyes, seeing her world clearly perhaps for the first time.

Feeling her head turn, Adrien turned his own to face her, not letting go. "Are you-" he gasped.

A long kiss answered his unasked question.

"Ahem!" a tiny voice coughed, a short distance away.

The two of them turned and saw Plagg and Tikki perched on the arm of a lounge chair, side-by-side. Plagg shot Marinette a cheeky wave, which she acknowledged with a nervous giggle.

"Finally," Plagg declared. "I was wondering if you two were ever going to figure this out! When you started living together, Tikki and I bet on how long this would take."

"Who won?" asked Adrien.

"I did," grinned Plagg, toothily. "I had one week. She said 'he'll go home before they slip.' Since it happened, I'm closer."

"Now... I am very happy that this all worked out as well as it has," Tikki smiled. "But might I suggest that we take the party inside? Where it's a little less rainy?"

As Marinette and Adrien climbed down, Plagg added, "And by the way, while I'm thinking of it... do you think you can get a little more cheese in your fridge now?"

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 53

Coming down from the balcony, Marinette flopped down in a heap, looking happy but stunned. Adrien took the liberty of folding up the umbrella, climbing down the ladder and setting it aside, and fetching a couple of towels from the bathroom for them.

As Marinette kicked her wet shoes off and let them tumble to the floor below, Tikki asked, "Are you all right? You look like you're handling this okay, but..."

"I'm here," Marinette replied, a little distantly. "I'm... I feel like I'm in a dream, you know? A good dream."

"It's real. I assure you, it's all real," smiled Tikki. "And I think that we all need to talk things out now, at least for a little while."

"Agreed. I can focus if he can," smiled Marinette.

She watched as Adrien climbed back up the ladder to her bed, with Plagg hovering alongside him. Plagg noticed Marinette's expression of mild incredulity and chuckled, "Nice place you've got here."

"Thank you," Marinette said. "I'm glad that you're enjoying it, now that I know that you've been staying here!"

"I couldn't really announce it before now, right?" Plagg grinned. "Our place has more toys to play with, but anywhere warm and dry is a good start in my book."

Adrien scooted over next to Marinette, his arm going around her shoulders; the Kwamis settled down on the mattress in front of them.

Everyone else turned towards Tikki, who took a deep breath.

"All right," she began. "I want to make it clear that what the four of us talk about now... this isn't 'Tikki setting the new rules.' I may have a lot to say about our new situation, but... Marinette, you are both Ladybug and the Guardian. I defer to you in many ways." She smiled and added, "Though I do hope that you'll continue to know good advice when you hear it!"

"I certainly intend to," Marinette replied. "I'm very new at this Guardian thing. I will make my share of mistakes, and I'll trust you to help me avoid them."

She turned towards Adrien. "And as for you, Adrien... or should I say, Chat Noir... and, boy is that going to take some getting used to!" she giggled. "You've been left out of the loop on many things in the past, and not been very happy about that... and I can't say that I blamed you much."

Quickly, Marinette filled in more details around what she'd previously told him about Master Fu, both as Ladybug and as herself. "He didn't want me to know about him for a long while... and once I did, it took a long time for me to earn his trust. And even then, one or two extra persons knowing who he was might've been too much," she sighed. "I still feel terrible about what happened to him... and wonder what I could've, what I should've done differently to protect him."

"Master Fu knew the risks. He did what he had to do," Plagg consoled her. "He did reach out to Adrien, when he felt that he was ready."

"So I don't even have to remind either of you that that secret stays in this room, right?" Tikki stated. "If Ladybug's secret slips out, the Guardian's identity does as well, and Hawkmoth may come after her, her family, her friends with everything he has."

"I will protect that - and them - and you - with everything I have," declared Adrien.

"I know you will," beamed Marinette. "But that being said... I want things to be a little different, going forward. I don't want to try to be the Guardian alone and hide in the dark; if I'm going to keep being Ladybug as well, I can't! I want someone that I trust to back me up and to help me safeguard the Miraculous. And I certainly trust you to do that."

She looked up at him with a sincere and innocent need, then said, "Adrien, with what the two of us know about each other now... I have something else that I want to show you."

Plagg's immediate snickering drew a dirty look from both Marinette and Adrien... but he couldn't stop himself. "I just bet you do," he muttered, just loud enough to be heard.

"Plagg!" snapped Adrien.

"What? You two are just about old enough for-"

Marinette turned to Tikki, pointedly ignoring Plagg's suggestion. "Tikki... since Kwamis assume animal shapes, can I take them to be neutered?" she asked, seemingly innocently.

"If you can find a human veterinarian who can make sense of my parts, good luck to him with that," cackled Plagg.

"C'mon," sighed Marinette, gesturing to Adrien as she headed for the ladder to the bedroom floor.

Adrien watched as Marinette went to her closet, rummaged around and pulled out a storage box. As she lifted the lid, Adrien saw a variety of summer clothes folded up on top.

"I like that blouse," Adrien said, sitting down beside her, as she picked up a floral crop-top.

"I do, too," Marinette blushed, "but that's not what I'm digging for right now." Reaching deep into the box, she produced a smaller box containing a red dome-like structure with black ladybug spots on its surface.

"Ah!" Adrien replied. "I remember seeing that once before... on the day when we lost Master Fu."

"You did," said Marinette, pushing the surface of the dome hesitantly. "But you didn't see it quite like this."

"If that's what I think it is... you keep it in your closet?" asked Adrien, a bit surprised.

"Well..." Marinette paused and replied, turning to him. "Master Fu's old Victrola had a secret compartment where he kept the old Box, but that would stand out like a sore thumb in my room, and.. well... it's Master Fu's, not mine. So I'm improvising for now. I don't think that my parents will come up and rummage through my summer clothes any time soon."

"Makes sense, I guess," Adrien nodded. "Please continue."

As she completed the proper sequence, the top of the dome snapped open... revealing a jewelry armoire inside, with trays popping out holding a large variety of Miraculous.

Adrien's jaw dropped. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "I knew that there were many Miraculous that I hadn't seen yet... but I didn't think there were this many."

"I have sixteen of them," explained Marinette. "You have yours, and Hawkmoth and Mayura have the Moth and Peacock. And this is just our set of Miraculous. Master Fu told me that there may be many others out there; different cultures tapping into the primal magics in different ways. Some of them could be jewelry, like ours. Some could be some other kind of totems or magical charms. Some could appear completely different."

"Huh! I wonder... all the fairy tales and tribal legends and mythologies of old... how many of those could be explained by Kwamis and their Miraculous?" wondered Adrien.

"You might be surprised," Tikki interjected. "I haven't encountered any of our 'distant cousins' in centuries, but they exist. I can say for sure that our set was the first, and should remain the most powerful... but who knows? Magic is a strange thing, and new concepts might evolve to challenge ours someday."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," noted Marinette. "So... here's one of my problems. Our problems now, huh? When Chloe turned into Miracle Queen... she burned a bunch of our identities. Kim's, Alya's, Max's, Luka's... Nino's, kind of, though he didn't power up at the scene... and Kagami, same deal, plus she'd already been revealed," she sighed. "And Chloe will never touch a Miraculous again if I can help it. So that's seven teammates who are out of action."

"Who else is left?" asked Adrien, doing mental math. "Bunnyx, right?"

"Yeah," confirmed Marinette. "But her Miraculous is kind of tied up in time, and she doesn't technically have it yet... so it's great when she can find us, but we can't rely on her presence yet. And I was the Mouse, of course."

"So..." she continued, "we need to figure out a new team. Maybe some new faces whom we could depend on. Maybe some old ones with a different Miraculous. I don't want to give them all out; the more that are out there, the more likely it is that we'll lose one or someone's identity will be blown," she reasoned, "plus, I like having them in reserve so that we can call on just the right powers when they're needed."

"Makes sense to me. But at the same time... the two of us are really good... but friends are good to have backing you up, too," Adrien agreed. "Do they need to be teenagers, like us?"

"That... is a good question. Tikki?" asked Marinette.

Tikki furrowed her brow. "It's... something of a balance?" she suggested. "A young host has a chance to mature as a person while also growing into their understanding of their powers and responsibilities. Less potential for abuse, if one turns out to have gone to the wrong person. And as you've seen... sometimes even the right person can get the wrong Miraculous for them. Isn't that right, Aspic?"

"You could say that," smiled Adrien. "Perhaps we shouldn't give them all to members of our class, though? Hawkmoth knows that five of them went to one classroom, and he doesn't know that the two most important are also in that room. A bit of distraction from that might be helpful."

"Also a good point," mused Marinette. "But I also want our core team to be people to whom we're close... people we know well and can find whenever we need them."

She looked at Adrien. "Are you thinking of whom I'm thinking?" she wondered aloud.

"Maybe?" he replied. "Though not with the same... I can think of two, maybe three others whom we should consider." He pointed to one of the Zodiacs and asked, "What does that one do?"

"I'll show you another time, okay?" smiled Marinette. "I've met them all briefly... some, I know better than others. For tonight... I think that we've had enough surprises, don't you?"

"Yeah... I can agree with that," Adrien agreed, as he watched her close the box and return it to the closet for safekeeping.

The four of them talked things out for a short while afterwards.

"All right. Are we all in a place that we can handle for tonight?" asked Tikki. "This is quite a shake-up, and we're not going to figure it all out at once, but I like what I'm hearing so far. Do you two?"

"I'm good," Adrien declared. "If Marinette is, I mean. It's been quite the shock for both of us."

Marinette leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm still reeling... but I'm okay," she smiled, softly. "So many more things make sense now." Looking up at Adrien, she added, "The two of us do have some more things to talk about, though..."

"And that's our cue," smirked Plagg. "C'mon, Sugarcube. Wanna go raid the fridge with me?"

"Plagg..." sighed Tikki, "her parents might still be up! The big secrets are out now, but we still don't have the run of the house."

"So? If they catch us, I bet that I can explain us away as hallucinations."

The Kwamis continued arguing back-and-forth as they disappeared through the floorboards. "Five to one says that they finally go ahead and..." was heard from Plagg, just before they vanished.

Marinette grinned at Adrien. "Should I take that bet?" she giggled.

"That... is up to you," he replied, wide-eyed. "Should I?"

Her smile widened, she raised an eyebrow suggestively...

...and then cracked up, laughing uncontrollably.

"We've been a real couple for, what, a whole hour?" Marinette suggested. "I think I can hold off on escalating to things that I... might not be ready for yet."

"That's fine with me," Adrien replied. "Somehow I have a feeling that when we are ready for something new... you won't leave a lot of doubt in the air."

"And this..." exclaimed Marinette, hugging Adrien extra-tightly, "is all new already!"

The two tumbled onto the small rug behind them, lying side-by-side, eye-to-eye.

"I can't believe this is happening," beamed Marinette. "Everything! That we've been this close for this long and neither of us figured it out..."

"That we were throwing ourselves at each other all year long and didn't know it!" marveled Adrien.

"I was too blinded by you to give Chat Noir a real chance..." Marinette added.

"...and I was too dazzled by Ladybug to hear what you were trying so hard to tell me," agreed Adrien. "What a mess we made of it!"

"There's something that my father's always told me about making a mess in our kitchen," said Marinette, a husky tone returning to her voice. "That it's okay to make a mess, as long as you clean it up afterwards..."

"...and you learn from why it happened," Adrien finished her sentence.

"Oh-ho! Someone has been paying attention while helping out down there," smiled Marinette.

"I've been paying attention to an awful lot of things ever since I got here," Adrien grinned back, pulling her close. "In case you hadn't noticed."

"Then, Chat Noir..." Marinette purred, "your Lady needs you to show her everything you've learned. Very much."

"All at once? Or slowly, a little at a time?" smiled Adrien, his heart pounding.

"Surprise me," she giggled.

"I thought you said that we'd had enough surprises for tonight," Adrien whispered.

"For the right guy, I just might make an exception to that," said Marinette.

"Am I the right guy?" asked Adrien, innocently.

"Mmm-hmm," grinned Marinette, running her fingers through his hair.

"And am I in way over my head, right this instant?" he smiled.

"Oh, yes."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 54

"Well! Good morning, lovebirds."

Sabine greeted the hand-in-hand pair entering the kitchen with a warm smile. "Breakfast is on the stove, help yourselves," she gestured. "Now that you're up and around, I'll head downstairs and help Tom out."

"Thank you, as always! We'll be down shortly," Adrien said.

"Your help is greatly appreciated, Adrien," smiled Sabine. She nudged her head towards the television, which was reporting on the state of COVID-19 across their nation, then added, "Though it's starting to look like we'd better enjoy it while we have it!"

"I saw that! They've moved Paris into Orange status," Marinette agreed. "And most of the rest of France is in the Green now!"

"Paris is just too large and crowded for Green yet. Not that Green means 'back to normal,' though it's a good start," Sabine noted. "We still have a long way to go before anywhere feels normal again. Adrien, have you heard anything from your father lately?"

"Nathalie still calls every morning... though her message gets a little repetitive," replied Adrien. "No new cases among the staff, quarantine continues, positive signs towards a staggered reopening of our facilities, Father remains beside himself with stress and worry."

"That is not quite what I asked," Sabine pointed out.

Adrien processed that... then nodded. "Father has called me himself twice since the conversation that we talked about with you," he continued. "Brief, direct, and gliding effortlessly around complicated topics." He shrugged, adding, "That's how he is. I think he's so used to maintaining his public persona that he finds it easier to just never shift out of CEO mode any more. He never was the most emotionally demonstrative of people."

Sabine held her tongue... but her discomfort with that was obvious.

"It has been a true pleasure to see a real family up close," Adrien declared, warmly. "And for a little while, to feel like I'm part of it."

"You come over here, young man," insisted Sabine.

Adrien stepped over to her... and was a bit startled when Sabine wrapped him up in a hug.

"As long as this one wants you around," Sabine told him, indicating Marinette, "you will always have a place in this family, Adrien. Whatever it is you need, you just ask us, okay? If it's dinner with us, if it's company, if it's someone to talk to, if it's a place to hide for a little while. We all need that sometimes," she smiled. "And somehow I don't think Marinette's going to let go of you any time soon."

"Nope," grinned Marinette, very simply.

"I would be very sad if she did," gasped Adrien. "I... hearing that means more than you know, Mrs. Cheng. Thank you so much."

Sabine began to disengage from the hug... except that Adrien wasn't letting go just yet. "My pleasure," she told him, pulling herself loose gently. "All right. You two take your time with breakfast, and I'll see you soon."

As she watched her mother depart, Marinette filled her plate with a tingly feeling of her own. "Wow," she laughed. "Welcome to the family, Adrien!"

"Y-yeah! That feels... really, really nice."

He paused, thinking for a moment, then looked up at Marinette once more.

"We didn't just get engaged, did we?"

Marinette dropped her fork. As it rattled around on her plate, she replied, "I don't... think so? But we'll check with her later."

Marinette sat down across from Adrien at the table. "I have a feeling that Paris won't be too far behind in easing the restrictions," she mused. "We're bigger and more crowded, but most people have been acting smart and following the guidelines."

"School isn't coming back soon, though. I looked that up," Adrien said. "There are schools that are reopening in France, but not so much here, and Principal Damocles put out a statement that he expects the rest of the school year to be vacated. Better safe than sorry, he said."

"Yeah," agreed Marinette. "There are some places that are doing virtual classrooms, learning over the Internet... but some of the things that we do at our school, virtual learning is harder to do. I don't have a chemistry lab in my basement."

"On the bright side, no final exams!" grinned Adrien. His smile faded a little as he considered the situation, though. "Actually, there's a question. Are they just going to say 'you passed' or 'you failed' based on our current grades, and promote us or retain us based on that? Or are we going to pick up where we left off when we can?"

"That is a good question. I haven't read up on that; I guess we'll see what happens when we get there," Marinette replied. "I hope that we get some more time with our current class, honestly. It has been such a great mix of people! Maybe my favorite class ever."

"Those shift from year to year, right?" asked Adrien. "Some stay together, some get shuffled around?"

"Uh-huh. Except that Chloé and I never seem to be apart for very long," grumbled Marinette.

"Been there. Done that," Adrien sympathized. "She hasn't been all bad this year, has she?"

Marinette paused. "Not all," she allowed, "but let me add everything up, and come up with a final percentage..."

She lowered her eyes, smiling. "I'm sorry. I know that you're more than a little fonder of her than I am," she said. "I've tried. I'll try again."

"Well," Adrien noted, "given what you've been through with her this year, with and without masks... I can't blame you for being frustrated. At least you don't have to worry about her stealing me away any more."

"I had to before?" boggled Marinette.

"No, never! But you worried about it anyway," grinned Adrien.

As he continued thinking about the changing situation, Adrien pushed some food around on his plate, idly.

"Are you all right, Adrien?" asked Marinette, noting some sudden melancholy.

"I don't want to go home," Adrien told her, plainly. "That's most of it."

"You can't think that I want you to," Marinette retorted. "I mean... I do! You've been most welcome here, as I kind of think you can tell... but your life is there. And with what we know now," she added, her eyes sparkling, "we can sneak out together whenever we want to."

"Sure! And there are lots of places where I haven't kissed you yet. Places in Paris, I mean," he amended himself quickly as he watched a giggly Marinette turn crimson. "But there's a big difference between sneaking out and stealing some time together... and being together like this. Cuddles on your couch, board games with your parents, just sitting around doing nothing but grinning at each other... that'll get traded for piano practice, Chinese lessons and Nathalie 'trying to fit you into Adrien's schedule, but I just can't find an opening,'" he grimaced, imitating Nathalie's cadence.

"True," Marinette moped. "I'm still wrapping my head around the idea that your father seemed to approve of us."

"And that will open some surprising doors for you... and with every minute he spends getting to know you, he'll love you a little bit more," he grinned. "But I wish I could say that I trust Father to stand by that. I'm not saying that he won't," Adrien clarified, "but that he's been known to change things around on a whim and act as if they've always been that way."

"I am going to fight for us, believe me," he continued, with a serious face. "To get you included in what I do, in places that I go... as much as you want to be. Like, I don't want you to think 'oh, crap, now I'm a photoshoot model, too?'... unless you'd want to be."

"As if I could," scoffed Marinette. "You were born for that. Me..."

"You know that I think so," beamed Adrien. "And a lot of other people, too, I'd wager. Or for trips, like when I took the train to that wedding with Father and the Tsurugis. You know whom I'd want sitting next to me next time."

"I would like that. Of course I would," Marinette replied. "But that involves keeping your father and the Tsurugis happy with each other. And that means playing fair with Kagami."

"Are you going to be comfortable with what I suggested last night?" asked Adrien. "I think it could go a long way towards reinforcing those bonds."

"I'm... not opposed. We'll see whether or not she is, when we get the chance. And I don't think that we should wait too much longer to approach her... especially if travel and gathering restrictions are starting to loosen up. Before long, we'll see her face-to-face... and we'll need to agree on what to tell her."

Watching Adrien's face... Marinette walked around the table and hugged him. "This is going to be hard on you, I know. You're too good a person for it not to be," she soothed him. "And you know what I told you. You have every right to explore how you two still feel about each other, once you can."

"I know... but when we all talked about that not long ago... so much was different."

"We're going to do what we always do, costumed or not. We're going to be a team... and we're going to make things better, as much as we can," she smiled. "And no matter what happens... I've got your back."

"That's all I could ever ask for," Adrien smiled. "You are."

They assessed the situation - no parents nearby, but they weren't far away, and a full-on makeout session on the breakfast table wasn't proper behavior, was it? - and adjusted their kissing accordingly.

Sabine looked up as she heard footsteps on the stairs, and beckoned to the kids as they arrived. "Just in time," she called. "Marinette, can you help me with something over here?"

"Sure, Mama," replied Marinette. As she dashed over, Adrien announced, "I'll see what I can help Mr. Dupain with," then ducked into the kitchen.

"Hullo, Adrien," Tom waved to him. "I've got plenty to keep you busy, if you're willing and able."

"Absolutely. Just point me where I need to be and tell me what to do."

Some time flew by with Tom supervising Adrien's kitchen prep-work. "Whew!" gasped Adrien. "There are so many things to do!"

"Indeed," Tom agreed. "With things in Paris beginning to loosen up slightly... I can start being more creative again and less focused on the essentials people needed. That means a lot more side tasks and time-consuming components. I'd keep you indefinitely if I could; you're turning into a fine little helper."

"I would stay here if I could," replied Adrien. "And not just to be with Marinette. This is... I told Mrs. Cheng the same thing, but this stay has been what family should feel like."

"Though being with Marinette is certainly quite a bonus, hmmm?" smiled Tom.

"It is. And we, um... I think we crossed a threshold last night," Adrien beamed, then panicked when he realized what that sounded like. "Nothing physical! I didn't mean that! Just... I believe that we're really a couple now."

"That's good to hear. Just watching the two of you, it's seemed inevitable," noted Tom. "So suited for each other in so many ways."

He gave Adrien an appraising gaze, pausing, then added, "And I'm sure that if something did begin to happen... that the two of you would be quite careful about how and when and where."

Adrien did his very best not to cut his thumb off with the pastry knife he was wielding.

"...Sir?" he gasped.

"Oh, I am not saying that I expect that any time soon. Nor that I am encouraging it right away. You are my daughter's first boyfriend, after all! I believe that I'm supposed to loathe you, though you make that completely impossible for me to do," Tom grinned. "Quite the contrary! I like very much that you are kind, thoughtful and respectful, and clearly want all the best for Marinette."

"I do. I absolutely do," Adrien replied, thankful for the praise but also conscious of the perils should this conversation turn wrong.

"That being said... you've also nearly been cited by the police once for making out in public."

Tom suppressed a laugh at what his statement did to Adrien's facial expression. "I know, I know! That had about five different extenuating circumstances to it, and it was perfectly innocent. Just like you two sleeping on the couch that night, or all the nights in which we have allowed you and Marinette your privacy upstairs," he smiled. "So let me clarify what I do mean, so that you and I are on the same page?"

"Please do," gulped Adrien.

"Sabine and I were young and innocent once, too. And I do not make any judgments by calling you 'innocent,' Adrien; it is simply what you and Marinette are." Tom began.

"No offense taken," Adrien replied, nervously. "It's an accurate description, and not a shameful one."

"A physical relationship can be like baking. I would not bring you into my kitchen as a novice and say, 'Adrien, go and make me a coconut-chocolate marjolaine,'" said Tom, gesturing to a complicated dessert that he was in the process of finishing up across the room. "There are many steps to learn before you could make a gâteau like that, that would be worthy of its name. Preparing the meringue properly, which is a process in and of itself. Choosing the right ingredients for the ganache. Ensuring that you have the time and energy to prepare it and do justice to it... or deciding to make something simpler, instead."

Tom's eyes twinkled as he continued, "If it is worth doing... it is worth doing right, as is taking the time to understand why preparation and patience are important. Better to learn to create a masterpiece than to be hasty and end up with something that is... merely pretty good."

"I... agree?" ventured Adrien. This is the strangest version of The Talk I've ever heard, but it... fits? he thought. "One does not want to be in a rush when preparing something delicious."

"Just so," agreed Tom. "A wise baker might require months of study, practice and patience to feel ready for the greater tasks, to have mastered those intermediate steps. Perhaps even years! Or, perhaps, his fellow baker might desire to go off the recipe book and experiment in the kitchen on some enchanted evening."

Adrien was speechless.

"But whether things are handled gradually or not, I know what I would prefer," Tom declared. "That my young bakers would do their practicing in a safe and private kitchen of their own, in which they can take their time and learn without worry. That they would know the tools of the trade, treat them with respect, and understand what they are capable of. Mishandling them and causing... accidents... could change their lives in a hurry."

The metaphor was obvious to Adrien. "Mr. Dupain?" he stammered.

"Tom. Call me Tom, my boy," he replied, warmly.

"I believe that your message is loud and clear," Adrien said. "And as far as I know... your apprentice bakers will be more than happy making simple sugar cookies for quite some time."

"Good to hear," smiled Tom. "And preferably in our bakery, or in yours once you return home, rather than scurrying around looking for some secluded place to prepare their batter."

In other words... thought Adrien, he's saying "If you two are going to fool around and learn about each other... do it somewhere safe and private, like in Marinette's room, and be smart about it."

"Understood," he grinned. "I am... very happy to have an experienced baker like yourself to study under."

Tom turned back towards Adrien after a moment. "Oh, and Adrien?" he added. "On the day that you do decide to bake that special marjolaine?"

"Y-yes, Sir?" Adrien gulped.

"Smart young bakers wear gloves."

"...Yes, Sir," replied Adrien, dutifully. "I wouldn't imagine baking any other way."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 55

After supper that evening, Marinette and Adrien collected the dishes and headed for the kitchen.

"So... what do you have in mind for tonight?" Tom asked them.

They looked at each other. "Well... if you don't mind, we might go for a walk tonight," suggested Marinette. "And see if we can meet up with someone."

"Your friend Kagami?" Sabine ventured.

"Exactly," said Adrien. "If her mother will let her out for a little while, now that the stay-at-home restrictions have been lessened a bit, I have a feeling that she could use a little friendly company."

"Is friendly the kind of company she's going to have in mind?" asked Sabine. "I don't want to put a damper on this, but... do you two know what you're going to tell her yet?"

"We do," gulped Marinette. "Adrien and I have talked about that quite a bit. She is my friend, and I intend to keep her that way. And just like she didn't put up hard boundaries around Adrien when they were together..."

"...Kagami and I have some unresolved feelings to work out, too," suggested Adrien. "So if you hear about her and I going out together and doing things, I am not two-timing your daughter in the least."  He smiled at Marinette warmly and added, "She knows that she has nothing to worry about."

"That's very considerate of both of you. And more than a little bit awkward," Tom mused. "Kagami is aware that the two of you have become intertwined, as you have?"

"She is. I talk to her pretty frequently," said Adrien. "And she's aware that Marinette and I are growing closer by the day, and that we're kissing and snuggling now. And it's my job-"

"Our job," interrupted Marinette.

"Our job," Adrien continued, "to ease that for her as much as we can."

"I do wish all three of you well in figuring this out," Sabine added. "I don't know Kagami very well, but she's seemed nice enough when I have, and when a love triangle breaks down, it's never any fun being the odd person out."

Upstairs, Marinette watched as Adrien texted Kagami.

[Adrien] Hey there. Are you around?

[Kagami] I am! Hello, sweetheart.

[Adrien] I have a silly question for you. Are you busy tonight?

[Kagami] ...Is anyone in Paris, lately?

[Adrien] I mean, does your mother have anything that she wants you to do around the house... or could you go for a walk tonight with us?

[Kagami] Let me check!

Adrien turned to Marinette. "She's checking with her mother," he explained, "to see if she can get out tonight."

"My fingers are crossed," Marinette smiled.

[Kagami] Okay! She didn't look altogether happy about it... but as long as it's not for too long and it's close by, she'll let me out for a bit.

[Kagami] I think that she could use some alone time as much as I could; we've been penned up together all this time...

[Kagami] Where did you have in mind?

[Adrien] If we need to stay near your house...

[Kagami] How about near the lycée Fénelon Sainte-Marie? That's a short walk from here, and there are plenty of places near there that the three of us could wander.

[Adrien] What time would you like to meet up?

[Kagami] Maybe in about half an hour? That'll give me time to freshen up first. How are you two getting here?

[Adrien] Oh... we have our ways. ;) I'll ping you when we're in the neighborhood!

[Kagami] I cannot wait. :) :)

Adrien turned to Marinette once more. "It's a date," he declared. "In about half an hour."

"Great! I'll tell Mama that we're going, then," grinned Marinette.

"Are you going to ask them for a ride up in that direction, or are we riding bikes, or..." asked Adrien.

"Are you kidding?" she laughed. "After what we learned last night? I think that we have a better method of transportation, don't you?"

"I had a feeling that you'd say that," Adrien smiled.

"Bye, Mom!" waved Marinette, as she and Adrien headed out the back door. "We're masked, we won't be out too late, and no police this time. We promise."

"There had better not be," chuckled Sabine. "Have fun, and be careful!"

"We will," echoed Adrien.

They walked a short distance before passing an alleyway. Adrien felt a soft hand on his shirt collar, pulling him aside gently.

"Is this one of your usual transformation spots?" he wondered.

"Any port in a storm," Marinette shrugged. "I probably transform in my own room more than anywhere else, but it's easier for one to disappear that way than two."

She wrapped her arms around him and cooed, "This may not be the most romantic spot in Paris... but it will be the first time we've done this together, face-to-face."

"You're ready?" asked Adrien.

"I'm ready. Spots on!"

"Claws out!"

A bright light illuminated the alley for a moment.

Still in Ladybug's arms, Chat Noir beamed, "I could get used to this."

A nervous young woman sat on a bench on the north side of the lycée Fénelon Sainte-Marie campus.

"Hello!" called a familiar voice, making Kagami's head whip around... and all at once, she was in motion, thoughts of I will stay calm and I will not make a scene of this exiting her head rapidly.

The smiles on Marinette and Adrien's faces were obvious as she got closer. Kagami rushed into Adrien's arms, hugging him tightly... then paused, looking at Marinette, as did Adrien.

"If you don't kiss him, I will," Marinette smiled. "Go on, already."

Encouraged, Kagami dropped her mask and kissed Adrien, pouring as much emotion as she dared in front of Marinette into it... and felt some relief that despite a similar restraint on his part, Adrien was indeed kissing her back.

For her part, Marinette remained calm at their shared affection, and breathed a sigh of relief that Lieutenant Roger hadn't detected unauthorized public uncovered-mouth kissing and teleported to the scene.

They held the embrace for a moment... then Kagami disengaged and wrapped Marinette up in a hug, as well. "It is so good to see the two of you," Kagami breathed, replacing her mask.

"It's been far too long," Marinette agreed. "It doesn't feel right, after all this time, just stealing an hour or so like this! I hope that things will improve enough that these restrictions can loosen up soon."

"Well, let's not waste it!" Adrien suggested. "Let's all walk and talk for a while."

The trio went for a stroll around the school campus, all in a very good mood... and yet, there was still some understandable tension in the air.

"This isn't the school you go to, is it, Kagami?" asked Marinette.

"No... this is a Catholic sixth-form school," Kagami confirmed. "My school's up the road that way, perhaps a ten-minute walk. This one was closer, and to be frank, it's prettier than mine."

"You two are here. How could anything be prettier than that?" said Adrien, doing his best to drop a suave line into the conversation.

"Flatterer," said Marinette, rolling her eyes a bit.

"Compliment accepted," parried Kagami, "though Marinette's the looker of the two of us. Especially now... you're positively glowing tonight, Marinette."

"I, um... thank you," Marinette replied, a little awkwardly.  "Though you're wrong about me being the prettier one!"

"We'll agree to disagree on that, as usual.  Though I can't blame you for looking radiant... Adrien, you look just as smitten as she does," Kagami smiled. "As I fully expected to see tonight."

"Kagami, I..." stammered Adrien, visibly uncomfortable. "I want to make it clear that... um..."

"...That everything we talked about over Skype the other night is still true," Marinette continued. "We didn't come out here tonight just to drop a 'We're a couple now, so keep your hands off' bomb on you, Kagami. Not at all."

"But are you a couple now?" argued Kagami. "I want you both to be honest with me."

Marinette and Adrien looked at each other, sharing a pained expression.

"...Y-yes, we are," Adrien confirmed. "I won't lie to you about that, Kagami. Marinette and I had a breakthrough."

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" mumbled Kagami, keeping her cool but sounding a bit less sure of herself.

"Kagami," Marinette insisted, "when you and Adrien were together, I won't lie to you, either... it was hard on me sometimes. I saw your first kiss, and I felt like a piece of my soul fell out of me that day. But you were never possessive... you never said 'Adrien, don't spend time with Marinette any more, don't be close to her, don't ever kiss her.' Not that you would've expected that he'd kiss me then... I mean... And I will never say that about you, I promise."

"Marinette..." began Kagami.

"I mean it!" gasped Marinette, feeling her emotions carrying her along more than she'd hoped they would. "I am not... I am not going to be your rival over Adrien, or be jealous over feelings that I know you two still have. He can make his own choices whom he wants to spend time with, and when, and how... I watched you kiss him just now and my pulse rate was almost normal! I swear it was."

"Really?" asked Kagami, watching her carefully. "Because if it wasn't..."

"Yes. Really," Marinette declared. "We are not going to wrap this up between the three of us in just one night. I'm not - none of us are going to let that happen!"

"Marinette," Kagami repeated.

"You did nothing wrong," wailed Marinette. "Adrien and I getting these weeks alone together was just... dumb luck, you know? And it is real but what you had was real, too, and I didn't know how I was going to react when we all got together... and, Adrien, I do not want to make you feel more awkward than this already is, like I'm doing right now--"

"MARINETTE!" Kagami declared, emphatically. "I need to say something, okay?"

Silently, she nodded.

"I feel like we're going in circles, all of a sudden," Kagami explained. "The night that the three of us talked this out... I thought that I made myself clear. I do love Adrien, and I will not apologize for that... but I saw this coming a long time ago. You know that I did."

"I know, but..." stammered Marinette. "It's more complicated than you know..."

"What I know is that you two had been drawn together before either of you even met me. It's the simple truth," stated Kagami. "And I can see why; both of you are amazing people, and I am proud to call both of you my close friends. I don't make very many of those. You two were made for each other, and you couldn't seem to figure that out for the longest time."

"That much is true," Adrien interjected. "But... Kagami, there is something else that we need to explain to you. Something very important."

She looked a bit confused. "Such as?" she ventured.

Adrien looked intently at Marinette... who nodded.

"We need to get out of sight," he noted, looking around. "Behind that building?"

"I think that'll work," Marinette agreed. "C'mon."

"What... is going on here?" wondered Kagami. "Look around us! There's nobody else in sight right here."

"This needs complete privacy. You'll understand why in a minute," explained Marinette as they walked.

"If you say so..." a puzzled Kagami replied.

Once in a more secure location, Kagami watched Marinette and Adrien as they stood side-by-side in front of her.

"If you are trying to confuse me, it is working," Kagami declared. "Should I be worried about whatever this is?"

"No, you shouldn't," said Marinette, with a touch of authority returning to her voice. "But before we explain ourselves... you must promise us that what you're about to hear stays strictly between the three of us. No exceptions. Ever."

"I... give my word on that," a rattled Kagami offered. "What is going on?"

"Kagami... you're not wrong. Marinette and I have been far more entwined in each other's lives than we knew for a very long time," Adrien began. "She had fallen for me... and I was falling for her, and neither of us knew how to express that, and that's a big reason why the three of us are so complicated now!"

"But... there was something else that we didn't know about each other.  Something huge," he continued.  "And that sense you had about Marinette and I being 'meant for each other'... there was a discovery last night that made that very clear."

Kagami's eyes were huge. "You... you're not telling me that you're secretly long-lost siblings or cousins or something, are you? Because I do not think that I could handle that," she murmured.

"What? No!" gasped Marinette. "Not at all! Nothing like that!"

"It might be easier for me just to show you," Adrien intervened. "May I?"

"Please," replied Kagami, helplessly.

Adrien closed his eyes. There's no going back from this, he thought.

"Plagg... claws out!"

Kagami stared at the revealed Chat Noir for a long moment, gathering her thoughts... then broke out in a wide grin.

"I knew it!" she burst out, getting a look of shock from Chat and Marinette. "I didn't want to say it out loud... but I was so sure!"

"Kagami... you knew that I was Chat Noir?" Chat gasped. "How?"

"The day on the train, when we were headed to that royal wedding," Kagami grinned. "You were right there by my side, but then when danger threatened Paris, you disappeared and Chat Noir just happened to be close by. I had a hunch then... and you do look rather similar in both forms. Though I do like your hair better as yourself; it's so unruly this way," she laughed, reaching out to touch it.

"I, um... guess that makes sense," mumbled Chat.

"And... Adrien, I know you. You are kind, you are protective, you are brave, you have a sense of humor that you don't let out often, but that I've seen," continued Kagami. "The closer we became, and the more that I watched Chat Noir and learned more about him... everything matched up for me."

"You never said anything to me about it, though," Chat wondered. "Why not?"

"If you wanted me to know, you would have told me, would you not? Just as you have now," Kagami explained. "And I am very touched that you've trusted me with this. This is no small matter... and it goes a long way towards reminding me of how much I do matter to you, Adrien."

"So, when Ladybug called on you to become Ryuko..." asked Marinette, carefully. "Both times... you didn't tell Ladybug that you thought that you knew, either?"

"No, I didn't. I knew from the news and the Ladyblog that she and Chat were very serious about their identities. I did not want to spill Chat's to Ladybug by accident, if she hadn't wished to know it... and, besides, I might have been wrong."

She realized something, and became visibly excited. "So that is what you found out?" she bubbled. "Marinette, you had told me that you and Chat Noir were close friends, that he came to visit you sometimes... and then it turned out that he and Adrien were the same boy? No wonder that you two felt such a connection!"

"...Something like that," Chat smiled. "You didn't agree to become Ryuko just because of me, did you?"

"No... though suspecting that I knew one of my partners well was a nice feeling," she smiled back. "I felt tremendously honored that Ladybug trusted me to guard a Miraculous, even temporarily," said Kagami. "There was no way that I could decline that... and it felt very good to have that kind of power, to help and protect people... though I understand why Ladybug asked for it back."

Marinette held herself steady. "You didn't know one of your partners well, Kagami," she stated, flatly. "You knew them both."

Kagami stared back, uncomprehending at first...

...but when the light bulb came on over her head and her jaw dropped, Marinette nodded. "Adrien isn't the only one greatly impressed by you, Kagami," she said, "...or who knows that you're worthy of trust."

"M-Marinette?" stammered Kagami.

"Tikki... spots on!"

Kagami looked up at Chat Noir and Ladybug from her position on the ground, where she had stumbled and fallen out of shock.

"Are you all right?" asked Ladybug, gently, holding out her hand.

"Th-that... I did not see coming," answered Kagami, in a weak voice.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 56

Slowly, Kagami regained her footing, though her eyes told the story of how startled she really felt.

"You have been... Marinette, you have been Ladybug this entire time?" she asked, hesitantly.

"I have," Ladybug smiled. "I didn't mean to shock you with that; I'm sorry."

"No, I... I just..." stammered Kagami. "It makes sense to me now, I think. I may have faulted you for hesitancy in the past, before I got to know you... but there is a strength within you that I have admired. Something that you hold in reserve until it is needed. This explains so much."

"Marinette reminded me of Ladybug in so many ways," Chat told her. "Her compassion, her giving nature, her fire inside when someone was wronged... but it wasn't until last night that I fully understood why."

"You didn't know?" asked Kagami, with some wonder. "Did you, Marinette?"

Ladybug shook her head. "Neither of us had any idea," she explained. "I kept fending off Chat because I was crushing on Adrien... who didn't notice me that way because he was crushing on Ladybug. And neither of us could tell the other our secret."

"But you have each told me," noted Kagami, slowly.

Her face grew somewhat cloudy with confusion. "Why have you told me?" she asked.

"For a couple of reasons. Come on over here; let's sit down and talk about it."

Ladybug gestured to a bench close to the alley, still largely out of line-of-sight to the street and anyone who might be walking by.

"Okay... reason one is that Marinette and I have been feeling very conflicted over what's been happening between us. You know that, of course; we've talked it out a couple of times already," began Chat. "But talking it out doesn't necessarily make it any easier to deal with. When this lockdown started, you felt like you had a boyfriend in me and a good friend in Marinette. There had to be times when you wondered if you'd even want to look at either of us when it ended."

"Did I have some moments like that? Yes, I did," admitted Kagami. "And if the two of you weren't who you are... I mean, not just who you are now..."

Ladybug looked at Chat. "Okay... let's make this less confusing, now that she knows and before anyone else sees us here. Spots off."

"Claws in," Chat echoed, also transforming back.

Kagami smiled and added, "What I meant was... that both of you have cared about what I feel and how all of this affects me. That much is obvious, and it is appreciated... even if I can see now that I never really had a chance with Adrien."

Adrien frowned at that. "Kagami... that's not true at all," he countered. "A lot of things fell together the way that they did to set up what has happened. That doesn't make what we had before any less real."

"I understand that. I do, Adrien," sighed Kagami. "But I always felt as if... that if Marinette ever found her courage, or if you opened your eyes to her, that would be that. And I was correct in that."

"And I am sorry that I contributed to that," Marinette apologized. "I waited so long to tell him... and then when I felt like I could finally do it, he was with you then, and I held my tongue. But once Adrien and I fully understood the situation last night... you deserved to know the truth, as well."

"Did I?" Kagami wondered. As her composure returned, her analytical side kicked in. "I feel like I am the last person who should have been told the whole truth."

"How do you mean?" Adrien asked her. "Is there some reason that you feel that we can't trust you?"

"I am compromised to Hawkmoth, am I not? Three times over, so far!" countered Kagami. "That was why you took the Dragon Miraculous back from me, Marinette - because I let my secret slip out. And why I was so surprised when you gave me a second chance at that!"

"About that," Ladybug began, feeling awkward. "I want to apologize to you about that day. I was feeling somewhat jealous over how close you and Adrien were becoming... and part of why I gave you the Dragon again was to distract you from that. And because I felt that you would be a valuable partner against the Akuma, absolutely... there was never any doubt of that! But it wasn't fair of me to treat you that way."

"I would like to think that I wouldn't have done something like that," answered Kagami. "But to be honest, I can't say that for sure. Not without walking in your shoes."

"But the question remains... why would we tell you our secrets, if you are compromised like that?" Adrien continued. "Well... my Lady and I have been discussing many things lately, and one of them is that pretty much all of our allies are compromised now. After Chloé did what she did, Hawkmoth knows the identity of everyone that Ladybug's ever trusted with a Miraculous. So we don't think that we are putting you in additional danger right now... we feel like we are bringing you in closer, now that we know that you are."

"This is not an impulsive decision," Marinette agreed. "We discussed this for quite a while."

"Have you told all of them your secret?" Kagami asked.

"No. You are the only one," replied Marinette. "And probably the only one that we plan to tell. Of course, you are the only one involved in a love triangle with us..."

"That we know of," Adrien deadpanned, getting a dirty look from the girls.

"...and, to put it bluntly... the rules have changed," Marinette added. "Because my mentor is no longer available to guide us. It's up to Adrien and I to figure out how to best use the Miraculous to protect Paris from Hawkmoth, and to rebuild our team... and that means mixing things up a bit."

"We need people who are brave, who are smart, and who are trustworthy to help us do that. And you were one of the first people that Marinette and I thought of," smiled Adrien.

"You... you want me to become Ryuko again, when you need me?" gasped Kagami.

"At least once," smiled Marinette, craftily. "But I have a different role in mind for you, as well."

"Please, explain," Kagami insisted.

"I do want you to appear in public as Ryuko at least once more. Perhaps more than that. And if Hawkmoth thinks 'Ah, that is Kagami Tsurugi,' would he act upon that? Perhaps... but he could have acted against you at any time, since he's known for a little while now, and he has not done so yet. That doesn't mean that he never would..." Marinette suggested, "but that we don't plan on leaving you or your mother undefended if he does."

"You're going to allow me to keep the Dragon?" boggled Kagami.

"Not exactly," Adrien smiled. "If Hawkmoth knows that you are Ryuko, and sees you in that role once more... he might not suspect that our newest partner is also you. A little misdirection to try and throw him off the trail."

Marinette added, "The Dragon is quite powerful... and its weapon is something that you are very comfortable with, of course. So when we need a swordswoman, you'll get that call. But one of our inner circle of Miraculous recently lost its host..."

"...and we would like you to be by our side a lot more often than that."

Kagami turned to Adrien, whose arm was outstretched towards her, a black box in his hand.

"Kagami Tsurugi... you are someone who should be treated like royalty," he smiled. "And this makes that official."

Her eyes wide, Kagami accepted and opened the box...

A tiny yellow being floated out of the flash of white light. Floating before Kagami, it smiled up at her demurely.

"Greetings, my queen," Pollen greeted her. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Hello, little bee," marveled Kagami. "It is good to meet you, now that I am not trying to dodge your stingers!"

"I am so sorry about that," Pollen declared, her face falling. "It is a terrible feeling for a Kwami, having their power misused... I was so disappointed in my prior host."

"That was Chloé Bourgeois, yes?" asked Kagami, the name only emerging from her mouth grudgingly.

"We are not supposed to name names... but it is not as if she made any effort to hide herself," sniffed Pollen. "She was more alarmed that there might have been someone in Paris who didn't know."

At Kagami's questioning look, Marinette sighed. "Chloé and I are... complicated. We always have been," she replied. "She was not given her Miraculous at first; it was more of an accident that she got her hands on it. There were days when she was a valued teammate, and days when... not so much."

"Complicated may be one of her middle names," Adrien agreed. "I would know that better than most."

"And while I do not want her near a Miraculous again... there are some bridges there that need rebuilding," Marinette said. "She was spoiled, entitled and demanding... but she also felt neglected and ignored by us, and lashed out because of that. And I can't say that I couldn't have handled her better than I did. I avoided confronting her when there were problems, and we paid a big price for that."

"And you're not alone in that," Adrien consoled her. "I didn't recognize it in her, either, and I may be the only person with whom she's ever let herself be vulnerable."

"At any rate, I look forward to getting to know you better, Kagami... if you'll have me," Pollen added in a soft voice. "If you do... I ask only that you use my power with good intentions."

Kagami locked eyes with Pollen, considering her options.

"Kagami? A couple of things, before you decide," Marinette jumped in. "Because I want you to go into this knowing all the facts."

She turned Marinette's way and nodded, listening attentively.

"Number one. You do not have to agree to this," said Marinette. "I hope that you will, obviously! But you know what having a Miraculous can be like; it is a responsibility more than it is a gift. It can be dangerous to have, and dangerous to use, and dangerous to those around you. We don't know when we will call upon you, or what you'll have to do to protect your secret, or a million other things. And the closer you are to Adrien and I..."

"...the more serious it can be," Adrien chimed in. "And you're closer to us already than anyone else has ever been."

"I understand," said Kagami. "I would not agree to this lightly."

"Secondly... and this is really important to me, Kagami... this is not an 'I stole your boyfriend, so here's your consolation prize' apology," insisted Marinette. "I mean... I don't think that I stole him, exactly... but I still feel like..."

"Marinette?" interrupted Kagami. "You've said it, and I've said it. Adrien can follow his own heart, and make his own mind up."

"But everything that we'd talked about before - including alone time for you and I, where we can see where we stand - is still in play," Adrien reminded her.

"Absolutely," Marinette confirmed. "But you would not be holding that box if we didn't have absolute faith that you are the right person to have it."

Kagami nodded with a smile, trying not to let emotions show.

"Third," Adrien continued. "If for some reason, you don't think this is the right Miraculous for you... there are many others. We had considered a 'wild card' kind of role for you, where you might receive whatever Miraculous best fit a situation or an Akuma."

"But there's also something to be said for getting to know one Kwami very well, and bonding with them on a personal level," smiled Marinette. "Adrien and I know a little about what it's like to be lonely... and then to have someone to talk to and someone you can depend on."

"Even if it's a friend that no one else knows about," Pollen added. "Well, almost no one else."

"And this way, when you're needed, we won't have to come and find you and give you a Miraculous. You'll have it nearby," Marinette pointed out.

"And last, but not least," said Adrien, "you do not have to be 'Queen Bee', necessarily. That was Chloé's thing. The Miraculous responds to your wishes, your self-perception, your own sense of style when it transforms you. You can mentally picture yourself however you'd like, and that's what you'll look like."

"You mean that you want your hair like that as Chat Noir?" deadpanned Kagami.

Marinette hooted loudly, then tried to muffle it when she saw Adrien's face.

"As a matter of fact..." Adrien grunted, feigning being offended, then allowed himself to grin. "Yes, I do."

"Well, then," Kagami declared. "I will say that golden hair combs aren't part of my usual fashion choices... and you might need a comb more than I do..."

As she removed it from the box and tucked it into her hair, Pollen flew up close and whispered in her ear, to which she thanked Pollen quietly.

"...but I think that I can make yellow and black work well."

With a grin in Pollen's direction, seeing hopeful smiles on her friends' faces, Kagami declared, "Pollen... buzz on!"

When the white flash cleared, Marinette and Adrien stared in amazement at their friend.

In place of Queen Bee's skintight striped bodysuit, Kagami wore a black jumpsuit, with thick yellow stripes on the sides and scattered aesthetically across the front. It was well-tailored to her slim frame, allowing unfettered freedom of movement while covering her completely, its center line zipped closed to the yellow choker around her neck. Her hair had lengthened somewhat, flowing out behind her. A black domino mask with a golden border surrounded her eyes, which shined with intensity; the spinning top rested at her right hip.

"Wow," gasped Marinette. "That is... that is amazing!"

"A queen bee can be formidable... as can a wasp," she replied. "But Hawkmoth will regret the day that he first tangles with the Hornet!"

"All you need to go with that is some Hanzo Steel," admired Adrien.

When Marinette looked at him quizzically, Adrien laughed, "Okay! The first thing we need to do, when travel is back to normal, is movie night at my place."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 57

As the Hornet, Kagami stared at her transformed self, admiring her imagination come to vivid life.

"I'm going to take that as a 'yes,'" Ladybug beamed.

"Absolutely. I am... I may spend half the night trying to come to terms with all of this..." she admitted, "but I am humbled that I mean this much to you. To both of you."

"You do," declared Adrien. "And that's not going to change, even if... other things do."

Hornet walked over to Adrien, locking eyes with him. "Adrien... do not beat yourself up over this," she insisted. "I am thinking of it this way for the moment... I thought that I was coming between a boy and a girl who had fallen for each other. The people I was actually coming between were Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"It wasn't, er... quite like that before tonight..." Marinette mumbled.

"But it was. You simply did not know that," argued Kagami. "Whether I will be fighting by your side like this... Pollen, buzz off."

In a flash, she became Kagami once more, looking thoughtful. "Can we talk about those magic words, Pollen?" she asked. "They seem a trifle... rude to you."

"I am not one to take offense," Pollen replied, calmly. "But we can discuss that later this evening."

"Agreed. So whether I am the Hornet, or I am Kagami... I am myself," she reasoned. "Just as you are yourselves in either form. The grand romance that I had in mind may not come to pass..." she added, with a wistful glance at Adrien, "but I feel like I have gained a place in your lives that is... greater than that. And just what that is... we will figure out together."

Marinette stepped forward... as did Adrien... and a long three-way hug followed.

On their way home, Chat and Ladybug stopped on a rooftop and caught their breath.

"Are you okay with all of that, that we just did?" asked Chat.

"Are you?" worried Ladybug.

"I think so. My stomach feels like it's this big right now," Chat replied, holding up a clenched fist, "and we all have a long way to go, but..."

"You do," Ladybug said, walking closer to him. "We just spun her whole world around in ten different ways. You two deserve time to talk about this without my standing there next to you... and I won't let you get away without doing that."

"I have every intention of that, believe me. Even if I don't know quite how to say what needs saying," admitted Chat.

"Did I flinch when she kissed you tonight?" asked Ladybug.

"Not... much?" said Chat.

"Because I am not going to be that kind of friend to her. I really don't think that I need to hover, because if I know you... you know whom you're coming home to afterwards," she smiled. "If you're affectionate with her, that won't threaten me the way that you might worry about."

"And I intend on being honest and up front with you, always," Chat replied. "Father will have me spending time with Kagami. I want to spend time with Kagami. And there are going to be emotions there... and if you really don't mind, maybe some snuggles... but I do know whom I'm in love with."

Ladybug leaned in for a kiss... then remembered that she and Chat both had built-in masks on as part of their costumes. With a laugh, she said, "I cannot wait until we don't have these in the way any more."

"Then why don't we go home," suggested Chat, his green eyes sparkling, "where we can get a little more comfortable?"

"That sounds good," she smiled. "Though I'll warn you... there are so many makeout spots in Paris that only two heroes can reach..."

"Yeah. I wonder where the Hornet will take me for that?" mused Chat... then ducked away, laughing.

"Come on, you," grinned Ladybug. "Let's get home."

Ladybug and Chat Noir landed in the alley near Marinette's house, peeking out briefly to make sure that they had been unobserved. Once more, they stood in a comfortable embrace, face-to-face.

"Claws in!"

"Spots off!"

The white flashes flared brightly once more.

"I could get used to this," Marinette beamed, mirroring what Chat had said not long before.

"You mean this?"

He leaned in close, planting a soft kiss onto Marinette's waiting mouth, one that lingered for a little while.

"That... would be it, yes."

The grinning teens replaced their cloth masks and headed for the bakery's back door.

"We're back!" called Marinette as they entered.

"And no police escort. Well done," her mother congratulated her, tongue-in-cheek. "How did it go?"

"Very well," replied Adrien. "Surprisingly well, even. Or perhaps we were all too happy to see each other to let too much drama creep in."

"We walked around a nearby school campus together for a while," Marinette explained. "We caught up on a lot of things."

"So she's seen the two of you... bonded the way that you are now," mused Sabine. "Sometimes that hits harder than simply knowing that it's true. How did she react?"

"Well... we're still figuring that out, of course. She kissed him... because I told her to," said Marinette, "and then we all kind of watched how we all reacted to that. This isn't a one-talk-and-everything's-settled kind of situation."

"I was so terrified that I was going to break Kagami's heart... or hurt Marinette, or the friendship that they have together," worried Adrien. "So far... I think that we're on the right track."

"I do hope that it stays that way," smiled Sabine. "Do you two have anything else in mind for tonight? Your father already went up to bed, but I'm up for something simple."

"I was thinking about a movie night?" suggested Marinette. "Something light and funny."

"I don't know if I'll make it through a full movie," Sabine said, "but I could start something with you. Adrien, do you want to do the honors?"

"I'll give it a shot," Adrien declared, accepting the TV remote and scanning through the listings.

The three of them got through two episodes of a comedy series that Adrien suggested and that Marinette had heard of, which was entertaining enough to keep their interest but not quite enough to keep Sabine awake.

"Hmmph! I'm nodding off," she noted near the end of the second. "I think that I'll leave you kids to it for now."

"Good night, Mrs. Cheng," Adrien replied. "We'll see you in the morning... and we'll try not to fall asleep here this time."

"Sometimes asleep is safer," Sabine parried, with a wink to her daughter who had a Did she just SAY that? look on her face. "And I'm sure you two have things to talk about, too. So, until tomorrow?"

"Good night, Mama," said Marinette. "Pleasant dreams."

Once her mother was upstairs and the two of them heard the bedroom door close, Adrien turned to Marinette. "So," he grinned. "We're alone at last. No masks, no costumes, no parents watching us for a while. And we even have Kagami's blessing, it seems."

"It does," Marinette agreed, with shining eyes. "Whatever shall we do to pass the time?"

A tiny voice piped up, "Yeah. What are we gonna do tonight?"

Adrien's face went from hopeful anticipation to mild annoyance. "Hello, Plagg," he opined, without turning his head. "What's up?"

"Well, we're all one big happy family now, right?" Plagg grinned, settling down atop the sofa. "Roll the movie, guys. Did you bring out any snacks?"

"I hadn't," said Marinette. "Though I suppose that I'll have to add cheese to our shopping list, now that I know that you're here."

Tikki floated down by Marinette's side. "I wouldn't mind a little entertainment... if we are invited," she noted. "Plagg, they just might have things in mind other than watching movies."

"Well, that could be entertaining, too," Plagg replied. "Though I am a little surprised that they'd want us to watch that-"

"Hey!" yelped Adrien.

"I don't recall saying that," echoed Marinette.

"It's not as if we've never seen that kind of thing before," Tikki mumbled. "Not that we're asking for a front-row seat if it happens."

"No one is putting on a performance tonight. Or tomorrow," Marinette declared. "Which both of you ought to have known already! I am just fine with putting a movie on and just cuddling... and if things do get romantic, they get romantic."

"I do have a movie in mind, if you're up for it," said Adrien. "It's one that I didn't want to recommend while your mom was here, since some of the language in it is kind of salty... but it's supposed to be really good."

"What kind of movie is it?" asked Tikki.

"It's kind of a... well... zombie-horror-comedy-documentary-parody," Adrien replied. "In Japanese, with subtitles."

"A what now?" asked Plagg, flatly.

"I don't want to say too much. It's best to go in without spoilers," explained Adrien. "But it's a zombie movie, but not a gooey-gory one. It's more about the people in it than anything else."

"I'm fine with that if you are," Marinette decided. She stretched out across Adrien's lap, facing the TV. "I'm not the biggest horror movie fan, but I'll trust your judgment."

"It's more of a comedy than anything else," Adrien assured her. "With a lot of twists."

Plagg patted the cushion next to him. "C'mon, Tikki. Let's follow their lead."

Tikki stared back at him. "You're kidding, right?" she grinned. "I think I'm fine right here."

"Suit yourself."

With everyone in place, Adrien punched up the movie and hit Play.

To Plagg's surprise... everyone there gave the whole movie their full attention. (To his further surprise, he really liked it.)

"You'll have to remember that one self-defense move the mother used," joked Tikki. "Next time that an Akuma grabs you... *pom!*"

"Haha!" giggled Marinette. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind! Adrien, that was such a good idea... that movie was amazing."

"I'm very glad that you liked it," Adrien smiled. "Your turn to pick next, if you have the energy?"

"I'm... I'll pick one, sure," fluttered Marinette. "But we might not watch this next movie as closely."

"Psst!" hissed Tikki in Plagg's direction. "C'mon. Let's go hang out upstairs for a little while."

"Hmmm?" grunted Plagg. "What are you... ohhh. I gotcha."

The Kwamis floated up through the ceiling, leaving the teens alone on the couch once more.

"Seems like we did this once already tonight," Adrien quipped.

Without a word, Marinette leaned in and kissed him, clinging to him gently, each kiss followed by another just as soft.

After the initial rush, Adrien opened his eyes as they cuddled close, forehead-to-forehead. "I like this movie, too," he noted.

"I hoped you would," Marinette breathed. "And it's still only in the first act."

"Something on your mind?" wondered Adrien. "I mean, I'm not complaining at all, obviously... but tonight, you just seem... inspired."

"I was just thinking about a lot of things," Marinette explained. "How perfect this feels. How we might not get too many more chances for moments like this soon, like we'd talked about this morning. Maybe your father will let us spend time together like this... but like you said, maybe he won't once you've gone home."

"It's hard to picture that without a stream of interruptions, at least," Adrien agreed. "Nathalie making sure that everything remains proper."

"And you'll always be welcome here, of course... but will they let you stay over very often?" wondered Marinette. "Or a million reasons why they'll need to keep you there, bright and early in the morning?"

"It's going to be a challenge. I'm sure that it is. I mean, we'll get to scandalize our school at regular intervals... at least when we get back to school..." considered Adrien.

"But we're here now."

Marinette's voice was soft... but quite insistent. She looked deeply into his eyes and added, "And I don't want any of it to go to waste."

Adrien melted where he sat.

"In that case..." he told her as he pulled her closer, "maybe we ought to ignore that TV for a while."

"What TV?" asked Marinette.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 58

Morning arrived, once again... and found everyone in the beds in which they were accustomed to sleeping. It did not approve or disapprove of the empty sofa, but merely nudged the sun into its customary position and carried on with its daily routine.

Around ten o'clock, Adrien's phone rang, distracting him from his kitchen activities.

Tom noted that the ringtone was the opening of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. "Do I even want to know who's calling?" he asked.

"Ah. That's Nathalie," said Adrien. "I figured that she needed something with the right kind of tone to it."

Tom got a chuckle out of that as Adrien picked up the call and sat his phone down. "Hello, Nathalie," he greeted her. "My hands are messy right now with dough, so I've got you on speaker. What's up?"

"Some good news," Nathalie told him. "The latest round of test results are back... and your father and I are clean again. The two workers who tested positive are responding well to treatment, and the others tested from the studio have all come up negative, so... with all due caution, we are starting things back up again around here.  Tentatively at first, of course."

"That's good. That has to be a huge load off of Father's mind," Adrien replied.

"To say the least, yes. We are even considering a photoshoot two days from now, one with facemasks in place as a good-faith piece. One of those 'we're all in this together' kinds of public service advertisements."

Adrien stared at his phone. "And I suppose that might be tricky to coordinate, with me being over here," he said, evenly.

"Just a bit, yes. So if everything checks out... we will be able to bring you home tomorrow, perhaps even tonight!" declared Nathalie. "Which must come as some relief to you. We did not mean to keep you away this long, but you know your father... he held your health and safety as his highest priority."

"Uh-huh," grumbled Adrien.

Tom frowned slightly as Adrien continued. "So what do you want me to do in the meantime?" Adrien asked.

"Gather your things up, I suppose. I'll give you some warning before the big move. Watch the front door - someone will be coming by shortly, as well," said Nathalie before hanging up.

"...Someone is coming here?" wondered Tom. "What does she mean by that?"

"Hard to tell," sighed Adrien. "As you can tell, they don't give me a lot of input into things.  Much less choice."

"Now, let's not go too far with that," Tom instructed him. "You knew that your stay here was a temporary thing. Your father didn't allow you to spend these weeks with us as a vacation; this was to keep you safe and happy and sheltered from the pandemic."

"I know," Adrien replied, trying not to sulk. "I am grateful that he let me. I will always be grateful that you let me."

"It has been a pleasure and a privilege, my boy," smiled Tom. "You and Marinette are so taken with each other, that it's made Sabine and I feel young again just watching you two blossom together! I don't know when I have seen her quite this happy."

"The feeling is mutual," Adrien replied, blushing a little.

"And getting to know you has been just as rewarding for me, Adrien. You will always be a welcome guest in this house," beamed Tom. "However... we still have much to learn about each other. I do not know your father well at all; I cannot pretend to grasp the kind of lifestyle that you have together. I am not about to play the 'I am just a simple baker' card..."

"You'd better not!" exclaimed Adrien. "I have learned more from you about baking in these few weeks than in the rest of my life combined, and I'm still a novice. You are as much of a master of your craft as my father is of his. More so, perhaps."

"But I am not your father. The two of you may have strains on your relationship, but I am sure that he tries... in his own way. And I do not wish to get between the two of you, or second-guess his choices without knowing more. Any more than I would want him questioning how we have raised Marinette."

"I understand," Adrien said, quietly.

"This period away from you... I imagine that it has been hard on him. Perhaps harder than you imagine," Tom continued. "I am not saying, 'go home, forgive him for everything, and start fresh.' I am saying... when you do go, go home with open eyes, and see what happens next."

Adrien nodded, silently. He turned to return to his task at hand... and a large hand reached out and grasped his shoulder firmly.

"And should that impasse continue," said Tom, "and you need to talk to someone... if you need the perspective of a friendly almost-uncle, let's say... or just a sympathetic ear of a friend... you come to me. Because I will always make the time to listen."

The look on Adrien's face was one of pure adoration. "Sir... I will. That is a promise," he smiled.

Marinette watched out the front window of the bakery, nervously. "So who is it that you're expecting?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, exactly," Adrien told her. "Nathalie didn't give me a lot of details."

A familiar sedan pulled up to the curb, and a masked middle-aged man stepped out of the passenger seat. As he strode towards the bakery's front door, Adrien's eyes widened. "That's Dr. Linville," he exclaimed. "One of our family's personal physicians. But what is he doing here?"

"If you wanted to play Doctor that badly, Adrien, I suppose that I..." bantered Marinette, who then realized that her mother was still in the room. "...could recommend my own family doctor," she stammered.

Sabine suppressed a laugh at Marinette's feeble attempt to cover herself, but held her tongue. Adrien did his best to keep his blood pressure steady.

The physician, a small and unassuming man, entered. "Hello, Adrien," he announced. "And this must be... Marinette with you?"

"I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, yes. And you know me how...?" Marinette ventured.

"Mr. Agreste gave me a rundown of Adrien's current situation," Dr. Linville explained. "Including the unexpected living arrangements and those you have been in contact with, Adrien. He understands that you are in good health - you certainly appear to be, at least - but he would like me to do a precautionary exam before you come home, just in case. Nothing too complicated, I promise."

"I see," mumbled Adrien. He turned towards Sabine and asked, "Do you mind if he and I go upstairs? I'm not about to undress here..."

"No, no," Dr. Linville interjected. "Nothing so intrusive. A temperature check, a little bit of listening to your lungs, looking at your nose and throat, some questions. That's all."

Sabine pointed to a small door nearby. "There is a small room over there, sort of a mini-office. You can go in there," she directed them.

With a look back towards Marinette, Adrien walked into the room, with the doctor following.

A couple of minutes later, they reemerged, with Adrien walking over to Marinette's side.

"So you're going to live?" Marinette smiled, hopefully.

"Uh-huh. For a while, anyway," quipped Adrien. "No signs of any infection. Not that I couldn't have it and not show symptoms yet, of course..."

"Very possible, yes," the doctor told them. "So there will be a proper COVID test once you arrive home to be sure. The nasal swab isn't a lot of fun, but at least it's brief."

He turned towards Marinette, smiling. "All right. Now, Miss, if I could have you join me in there as well?"

Marinette gaped with surprise, as Adrien stepped in front of her protectively and Sabine stiffened up.

"Tom! Get in here, now!" Sabine called back into the kitchen. Turning back towards the doctor, she exclaimed, "And what is it that you think that you are doing now?"

"Mr. Agreste directed me to test Marinette as well. As Adrien has been in very close contact with her during his stay... it would not hurt for us all to know that she is equally healthy." He turned to Marinette and added, "Less chance of a quarantine period once you part, hmmm? And just like with Adrien, strictly non-intrusive."

"I don't think so," Sabine declared.

"You are refusing my services?" Dr. Linville asked, looking puzzled. "There will be no charge."

"I am sure that you are quite competent, Doctor," snapped Sabine. "And we have nothing to hide in terms of health, I assure you! But frankly, I don't know you from Adam, and I am not about to put my daughter in the hands of someone who just strolled in here, even if you are a doctor."

Tom marched into the room, standing by his wife's side. "What is going on here?" he asked her, with a glare at the new arrival.

"Mister Agreste," Sabine declared, putting a bit of spice in her pronunciation of that name, "seems to believe that he can just send a doctor here to examine our daughter for signs of infection."

"What?"

Seeing the anger rising on the big man's face, Dr. Linville closed his instrument bag quickly. "I am sure that there has been some miscommunication here," he apologized. "I will simply be on my way..."

"Wait," Marinette said, reaching out and touching his arm lightly. "Look... Doctor? I'm not about to agree to just anything... but what can you do right here?"

"Well," the doctor considered. "A quick scan with this," he said, indicating his no-touch temperature wand, "a quick listen with a stethoscope, a few questions about your health and behavior... with your permission, of course."

"That's no worse than I'd get than if I went to the hair salon," suggested Marinette. She gave her mother a questioning look, who nodded back curtly.

"All right," Marinette addressed Dr. Linville. "What would you like to know?"

A few minutes later, the doctor put his stethoscope back into his bag, satisfied. "Healthy as a horse, it appears," he declared. "Thank you, young lady."

"That is all you need?" Marinette asked him. "Just to be sure that we're all on the same page."

"That is all," Dr. Linville confirmed. "For me, at least.  I would encourage you all to be cautious and not hesitate to get tested, should symptoms emerge... but for now, I'm satisfied. I cannot guarantee that my employer will not have further questions for you or your family..."

"And if he does..." thundered Tom, "you will tell your employer that he will call me first, before he turns our home into an impromptu clinic, or presumes that he can make decisions for other people."

"Somehow... that sounds awfully familiar to me," Adrien noted, dryly.

"It does, doesn't it?" Tom told him, as an aside. "Remember what I told you earlier? When you tell me what I need to know about him... I promise to listen. And to believe you."

Adrien grinned up at him, gratefully.

"Let me phrase it another way," Sabine interjected. "You can tell Mr. Agreste that, parent to parent... our children are going to be part of each other's lives for quite some time, I suspect. So we can coordinate and communicate, and work out what's best for both of them..."

"Or he can be Mr. Agreste, with all that that implies," finished Dr. Linville. "Between you and me... I have known Gabriel for some time, so I understand your frustration completely. But I will pass on your suggestion, as tactfully as I may."

"Good," Tom smiled. "Through his assistant, he has both of our numbers, if he or she needs to reach out to us."

The doctor left, heading out to the car. Adrien followed as far as the door, waving to the Gorilla behind the wheel of the sedan, who waved back.

"Well! That was... something," Sabine sighed.

"I apologize for that," Adrien declared. "My father can be a real piece of work sometimes."

"You didn't do that. He did," soothed Sabine. "No apology required."

"Adrien, do you need any help getting your things together?" Tom asked him.

"Not really," said Adrien. "I don't have all that much here, honestly. I did my laundry yesterday, so almost everything I have is clean. I'll go organize everything in just a minute, in case Nathalie decides that 'later today' means 'now' all of a sudden." He thought for a second, then added, "Unless you need me for something in the kitchen..."

"I will be fine," Tom smiled back. "Both of you, go do what you need to."

As the kids rushed upstairs, Sabine moved to Tom's side. "Strange as it sounds, it's going to seem awfully empty without him here, won't it?" she noted.

"Only up to a point," Tom assured her. "Do you really think that he won't be here every possible chance that he gets?"

"Very true," agreed Sabine. "That man, though... we're all probably lucky that Adrien's father didn't accompany that doctor."

"It might've worked out," replied Tom. "The doctor could've helped him remove your bread paddle from where you'd have stuck it."

Upstairs, Adrien and Marinette busied themselves with refilling his suitcase and the bags that his belongings had arrived in.

"I'd almost be tempted to leave this here, except that it's not mine," noted Adrien, indicating one of the board games that the Gorilla had brought. "We hadn't had a chance to play this yet..."

"Mmm-hmm," mumbled Marinette, moving slowly.

"Are you all right?" asked Adrien, sensing that something was bothering her.

"I'm okay," Marinette replied, a trifle jittery. "I'm just... I'm telling myself that I'm not going to cry, that's all. I know that this isn't goodbye; of course I do."

"Hey! Come here," Adrien called to her, wrapping her up in a hug. "It is most definitely not goodbye, and you do know that. I'll call and text you every night. We'll visit each other as much as we possibly can. When school restarts... whenever that will be... we'll see each other almost every day again."

"And we do have our other way of getting together," smiled Marinette.

"Right! Marinette... this wasn't some spring vacation fling for me," declared Adrien. "This was me waking up to what was always meant to be."

Marinette's arms wrapped even tighter around Adrien. "You have quite a way with words sometimes," she whispered to him. "But it is still going to sting not having you here all the time. I mean," she added with feigned horror, "who am I going to tuck into bed at night?"

"Somewhere, Tikki is asking, 'What am I, chopped liver?'" laughed Adrien.

"That's not the same and you know it," grinned Marinette. "But you're right. This isn't an ending..."

"...it's the end of the beginning," Adrien finished her thought.

And all at once, words were less necessary for a little while.

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 59

The tension around the Dupain-Chengs' dinner table was obvious to all. Both Marinette and Adrien were putting on a brave and happy face... but their hearts weren't quite in it, which Tom and Sabine could certainly understand. Marinette's parents did their best to keep the conversation light and breezy.

"So they're going to have you doing a public-service announcement kind of thing?" Sabine asked Adrien. "Is it going to be a TV commercial, a newspaper ad, something for the website?"

"I'm not actually sure," Adrien replied, in between bites. "Likely still photographs, but what they'll decide to do with them is up to them. I just do the posing."

"Some of the television commercials get on my nerves these days, I'll admit," Tom noted. He mimicked a Serious Announcer Voice and intoned, "In these difficult times, it's good to know that we're all in this together. We at Acme Widgets understand the struggles you may be going through. Now forget about that for now and buy all our stuff."

That got a laugh out of Adrien. "Probably something like that, yes. Hopefully not quite as blatant," he chuckled. "I don't think that it'll be too bad; Father never was one for 'A Very Special Episode' kinds of content. But I'll find out a day or so before it happens."

"Do you enjoy doing that kind of thing?" Sabine asked. "Modeling in general, I mean. You are very good at it..."

"...Thank you," smiled Adrien. "I guess that I can put it this way. Marinette, when you're helping your parents with the bakery, there are times when it's fun, and there are times when it's a ton of work, right?"

"Oh, yes," agreed Marinette. "Sometimes half and half at the same time."

"That's pretty much how I feel about what Father has me doing," Adrien explained. "It's the family business, so of course I'll do my part for it... and I'm used to it, with as long as he's had me doing it. Marinette and I were talking about my modeling not too long ago... how it wouldn't be my first choice of occupations once I'm old enough."

"I'm sure," said Sabine. "It comes with its burdens as well as its benefits."

"And we have also talked about what happens if some of that... well... rubs off, now that we're dating," Adrien continued. "The people of Paris have already seen us together a few times... that day when I was being chased and we ended up in the theater together, or when I wore Marinette's hat on the runway... and nobody came looking for her afterwards, at least that I know of. But I can't guarantee that some paparazzi won't show up here looking for an interview with Adrien Agreste's girlfriend."

"And we will handle that if it happens," Tom assured him. "With quiet dignity and grace, and perhaps an offer for them to buy some croissants while they're here."

"Now, we do have one other thing that we have to work out before you go," added Sabine. "Something that will make all of our lives a bit easier to manage."

Marinette looked on with a bit of worry, not having expected anything like that. "And what is that?" she asked.

"The next time that we have you over for dinner, Adrien," her mother replied, "what would you like me to make?"

"Anything," gushed Adrien. "I'll be completely honest... I haven't eaten this well in years. I have been keeping an eye on the bathroom scale, and I'm within range of where they'll want me to be... but I don't know how, because everything each of you has made has been delicious, and left me wanting more of it."

"And that reminds me. One moment, please," said Tom, rising from the table and heading down the stairs.

Adrien looked over at Marinette, who shrugged, equally in the dark.

When he returned, Tom had a round dish in his hands. "Passionfruit cheesecake, for dessert?" he offered. "A little bird told me what your favorite flavor is, so I whipped up a little something this afternoon..."

Adrien looked at Tom with gratitude, then at a grinning Marinette, then at the dessert with eager eyes.

"I am so going to miss being here," he sighed. "For so many reasons."

Shortly afterwards, Adrien stood anxiously at the door to the bakery, his suitcase and belongings next to him, as was Marinette. Tom and Sabine stood back slightly, amused by how the lovebirds were fidgeting as they waited.

"I just want you to know, Adrien... I will keep the spare room just as we had it when you arrived," Sabine mentioned, warmly. "Your family keeps you very busy, and I would imagine that opportunities to stay over might be few and far between..."

"...But we meant what we've said to you. You are a remarkable young man, Adrien, and a very welcome guest whenever you and Marinette can arrange it. Just let us know ahead of time, of course, so that we can plan around it," beamed Tom.

"I... don't know what to say," Adrien stammered. "Thank you both, so much! You have been nothing but kind to me the entire time I've been here, so far beyond kind, and I'm... oh, gosh."

Marinette watched Adrien get a bit choked up, and moved a little closer to comfort him. "I don't have to tell you how much having you here has meant to me," she glowed. "And as far as coming back... it doesn't have to be an overnight stay, of course, though I'd never turn that down." she reminded him. "I'll take any time I can get with you, even if it's just a quick visit now and then. I want things to go smoothly for you with your father, and to not disrupt the Almighty Schedule too much."

"And I'll want you to visit me, once things are settled," Adrien insisted, with bright eyes. "If you w-want to, I mean."

"I would love that," Marinette assured him. "Of course I would! I might be a little nervous around your father for a while... but who isn't?"

"Fair enough," replied Adrien. "I promise that I'll do everything that I can to keep him and Nathalie reasonable - oh!"

Approaching headlights caught his attention, as a familiar sedan pulled up to the curb.

The Gorilla emerged first from the driver's seat; he waved to Adrien, then proceeded to the rear of the vehicle; Adrien saw the trunk pop open. The front passenger door opened, and Nathalie emerged, approaching them slowly.

"Good evening, Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng," she greeted them, evenly. "I trust that all is well with each of you?"

"Good evening, Ms. Sancoeur," Tom replied. "Yes, we can't complain. These are strange times, but we take each day as it comes and hope for the best. Business here is starting to pick up again... and, as I am sure that you have been informed, all of us have remained healthy. So that's a blessing."

His gentle rebuke was not lost on Nathalie, who allowed herself a small smile. "That is good. We did receive Dr. Linville's feedback this afternoon, and he was pleased to meet all of you," she said. "We apologize for the abruptness of his arrival, and for the lack of explanation."

"Thank you for that," Sabine replied, curtly.

"As for Mr. Agreste, I believe that I will let him explain himself further. Adrien, these here are all of your belongings?" she asked him, indicating the small pile next to him.

"That's all that I have here, yes," Adrien answered.

Nathalie turned and signaled the Gorilla, who hustled over to collect the suitcase and bags, as a tall and masked figure approached from the far side of the vehicle.

"Good evening," declared Gabriel.

The Dupain-Chengs held their ground, but the weight of Gabriel's presence was undeniable; his mere approach seemed to suck some of the air out of the immediate environment.

"Hello to you too, Mr. Agreste," Sabine answered. "One fine young man for your inspection, returned just as we found him."

"You know, I tend to disagree with that?" countered Gabriel. "I sense that I will find him much improved from the experience."

The dry compliment sank in as Gabriel continued. "I would like to apologize personally for this morning, as it must have seemed like something of an intrusion," he stated. "I did not wish to overstep your bounds..."

Sure, you didn't, Adrien thought, trying not to roll his eyes. You just did it, without thinking. As usual.

"I did not get to where I am by not double-checking every detail whenever possible," explained Gabriel. "And given the significant downtime that this virus has caused my business, and since I hope to have Adrien modeling again rather soon... it seemed prudent to me at the time. At times, I must remind myself to think of the more human side of such matters."

"I am sure that we all need that reminder from time to time," said Tom, wondering to himself if anyone else that he knew had ever needed that.

"I did not mean to question your competency as Adrien's caretakers," Gabriel insisted. "Even if Nathalie had not been reporting back to me regularly, one look at Adrien tells me that he could not have been in better hands. It has been some time since I have seen him quite this happy, and as a worried father in a time of crisis, you have no idea how much what you've done is appreciated."

"It was our pleasure," Sabine replied. "He is a gentleman and a delight to be around, and he is welcome back any time."

"And I suppose that a certain young lady will have him anxious to return soon," smiled Gabriel, turning to the teens. "Hello, my son."

"Hello, Father," Adrien said. "It is good to see you again. I've been worried about you, too, and all the others."

"It will take more than a viral threat to keep Agrestes down for long," Gabriel declared. "But we will take such things one small step at a time. And, Miss Dupain-Cheng... I could benefit from your assistance in the first of those steps."

Marinette blinked, caught by surprise by that. "I... guess so?" she wavered. "What can I do for you?"

"The photoshoot that I have in mind for Adrien," he began, "is a simple one. Paris is slowly adapting to its 'new normal'; businesses and services and everyday behaviors are opening up again, but so much has also changed, perhaps irrevocably. I would like to capture Adrien in familiar settings and pastimes; shopping, dining, sightseeing, relaxing, with the needed safety precautions in place. And it occurred to me, while planning it out... that he would look very natural doing these things with a companion."

"A... companion?" Adrien stammered.

"Someone around his age, with whom he would appear very comfortable," Gabriel continued. "And since I cannot imagine anyone with whom he would feel more comfortable than you right now..."

"Mr. Agreste?" Marinette replied, blood rushing to her head rapidly. "Are you asking me to model for you?"

"In a very casual and forgiving setting, yes. You wouldn't be walking a runway, but simply strolling around town with Adrien; I think that it could work out very well. We would supply the outfits and makeup for you, naturally. This is, of course, completely optional; I will take no offense if you choose not to."

"I..." mumbled Marinette. ME? MODELING for Agreste Fashions? Am I still on the right planet? she boggled. "Can I think about this?" she asked him, weakly.

"Of course. Discuss it with Adrien and with your parents, if you like. Though we are shooting this in two days' time, so a swift answer would be appreciated," Gabriel replied.

Marinette gaped in her parents' direction, who appeared equally startled.

"I suppose," Gabriel ruminated, "that if you or your parents are uncomfortable with this, or you are simply not available... I still have Miss Rossi's contact information. Adrien, she would be suitably photogenic for this, don't you think?"

"I'll be there," blurted Marinette, before she could think any further.

"...You will?" her father asked her.

"Yes. I mean..." replied Marinette, nervously. "I, er... I think that I'd like to."

"Which was my ulterior motive in asking Dr. Linville to spot-check Marinette, as well," noted Gabriel in her parents' direction. "To make sure that she would be available for this opportunity, if I decided to extend it."

"We will talk about this tonight, Marinette. I have no immediate objections... if it is something that you'd be comfortable doing," Sabine said.

"Splendid! I will await your decision. Once again, Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng... my deepest thanks for keeping my son safe and cared for," Gabriel declared. "Shall we?"

He returned to the car, as did Nathalie. Having finished stashing Adrien's belongings, the Gorilla opened the rear door for Adrien, but did so very casually... as if he was in no particular hurry, knowing that Adrien had other business to attend to first.

"We'll... did he just ask you that?" marveled Adrien. "We can talk about that later, too."

"Absolutely. Call me tonight, once you get settled back in," Marinette directed him.

"As if there was any way that I wouldn't."

They stepped forward into a close embrace, a hug that neither one wanted to ever let go of.

"I love you so much," Adrien whispered into Marinette's ear. "I'll see you soon."

"I love you, too," beamed Marinette. "And you sure will."

Reluctantly, Adrien disengaged long enough to approach Marinette's parents. Sabine reached out for a hug, and got one; Adrien hesitated momentarily, then offered Tom a hearty handshake. Tom took it, gladly... then pulled Adrien in for another hug, one that Adrien seemed both relieved and eager to join in.

He returned to Marinette... each dropping their masks long enough for one more kiss, chaste enough to meet with all present parental approval... and then he was in the car, the car was moving, and he was gone.

"Need a minute?" asked Sabine, gently, after watching Marinette's eyes follow the sedan all the way down the street.

"No, Mama... I'm good," Marinette replied. "I've got everything in the world that I need now."

Later that night, an eager Marinette answered her ringing phone and did her best not to climb through it.

"So, how did it go?" she asked, once their flurries of "I miss yous" and "You should be heres" had slowed down somewhat. "They're glad to have you home?"

"It seems like it. Even Father was on the borderline of affectionate on the way home, which is... unusual for him," Adrien said. "Welcome from him, though," he added, absently.

"I don't doubt it," agreed Marinette. "I don't get to see the two of you when you're alone together, of course, but you and my Papa just seemed to... connect so much better in some ways."

"We do. He's just so... genuine!" marveled Adrien. "No pretenses, no figuring-out-what-he-means-by-this, just an amazingly nice person with a huge heart. Your mother, too. Even if you weren't there, I would move in in a heartbeat."

"But I am here," Marinette fluttered.

"How can I forget?" Adrien smiled. "I'm lying here in my own bed, surrounded by all my stuff, and I feel lost without you."

"Well... you'll see me in a couple of days?" ventured Marinette. "Besides like this, of course. I think that I will do that photoshoot with you, if you want me to."

"You're not just doing it to keep Lila away, are you?" worried Adrien.

"That is part of it," shuddered Marinette. "Just thinking of her close to you gives me hives. But it's also... Adrien, if I'm going to be a big part of your life now... that means all of it. It means getting to know your father and Nathalie better. This'll be a step towards that."

"As long as it's your idea... not his," Adrien insisted. "He's an expert manipulator."

"I just want to be with you," she sighed. "Every way that I can."

"Well, you could be right now. I left my bedroom window open... just in case," winked Adrien.

"Oh?" smirked Marinette. "You mean like how... there! How I just unlocked my balcony hatch, in case of stray cats?"

"Tempting..." groaned Adrien. "So tempting!"

"You started it!" Marinette accused him, teasingly. "But we have our secrets to think of... and we'll have years to work towards that kind of midnight rendezvous."

"We will, won't we?" Adrien replied, with some wonder. "This really is happening."

"As long as you'll have me," Marinette breathed, happily.

"And that, my Lady... I will never let you doubt."

Chapter Text

Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 60

One week later...

[Join Video Conference]

Marinette hovered the cursor over the button, knowing that there was definitely going to be some kind of interesting reaction on the way... then clicked it. As her good friends' faces appeared on her monitor, she nearly spat out a mouthful of her drink as she hooted with laughter.

"Well, hello, dahling," Alya drawled... with she and her friends all wearing sunglasses and gaudy costume jewelry and holding up drinks with little paper umbrellas in them. "Since you've gone high fashion model on us, we thought that we ought to follow suit!"

Juleka gazed upwards, feigning disinterest. "Hollywood is calling me, is it not?" she deadpanned... and then all of the girls busted up laughing, as they removed their impromptu costume accessories.

"St-stop!" cackled Marinette, helplessly. "You got me, you got me! But that barely even counted as modeling! All I did was walk around town with Adrien while they took his picture, and I happened to be with him at the time."

"While wearing Agreste's new casual summer line, and looking amazing in it, I might add," Rose beamed, "and with 'Hi! We're in love!' written all over both of your faces. I am just so excited for you!"

In response to the cavalcade of questions, Marinette relayed the details. No, she didn't get to keep most of the clothes, but they did let her pick out and keep one favorite. Yes, she had makeup on, but not as much of it as she thought they'd have to cake onto her; Adrien even helped her with one little touch, as he understood so well what showed up well on camera and what didn't! No, she didn't know yet if she'd want to do it again; yes, they did mention that if this campaign received strong positive response from the public, she might be invited back for more.

"It felt really strange to have people fussing over me like that," Marinette admitted.

"Other than Adrien," Alya prompted her.

"I'm still getting used to that, too," she grinned. "Though that was an addiction for me from his very first smile."

"You two have been a perfect match all year long. It's like somebody up there arranged things just so that it would finally happen," Mylène declared. "And I couldn't be happier for both of you!"

"Do you think that Chloé knows about you two yet?" wondered Rose.

"Have you heard an ear-piercing shriek from across town yet?" giggled Marinette. "I haven't talked to her since that class conference call we had, so... I don't know what she knows."

"I would imagine," said Juleka, "that one look at those pictures and even she would admit defeat. I mean, you two are just... the way that you look at each other in them! Even with your mouths and noses covered, those eyes tell quite a story."