Work Text:
“You've brought cookies? What did I do to deserve you, m’lady?” Adrien exclaimed, pleasantly surprised to find that his favourite time of the day - patrol - would get even better with this addition.
“Just… eat them and don’t look at them,” Ladybug, on the other hand, looked unusually guarded. She’d been the one to bring cookies unbidden, so he didn’t understand why she was acting like that.
He took a cookie in his hand and almost proceeded to eat it because cookies were for eating after all. But curiosity won in the end. It was dim and he had to rely on his night vision, but he saw it clearly. It certainly was an unusual kind.
“Cat butt cookies?” He guffawed.
“Look, it was someone’s idea of a stupid joke,” his lady exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “It was in a set of cookie cutters I got. I don’t know why anyone would want such cookies anyway. But I thought you’d appreciate them.” She finished with a smile that somehow broke through her frustration.
“You were right,” he grinned. “Now, to try them.” He took a bite and closed his eyes in pleasure as the sweetness melted on his tongue. “Mmm, so tasty! One more reason for you to hold my heart, m’lady.”
He wasn’t exaggerating. It wasn’t enough that she was beautiful and brave and kind. She had to be a great baker as well! It was almost not fair.
“Careful, kitty, I’ll take them back,” she warned him, but he could hear the amusement in her voice.
“You just said you didn’t want them!” He reminded her.
“Well, yes. But they are meant as a friendly gesture, keep that in mind.” As if he could forget it.
"I'm not going to ask why you'd want a cookie cutter shaped like a cat in the first place," he said cheekily.
“Don't ask. But enjoy them,” she added more softly. This he could do and certainly intended to do.
*
“Cat-shaped cookies, Marinette?”
Adrien looked up from the last touches he was adding to his homework when he heard the girls’ voices.
“I made them using a new set of cookie cutters. They’re cute, right?” Marinette replied. Cookies? Even after eating all that Ladybug had brought for him the night before, Adrien wouldn’t say no to more.
He got up and moved closer, curiosity driving him. He wanted to try the cookies, yes, he was sure they were great. But cat-shaped cookies? Cookie cutters? All this set alarm bells ringing in his mind.
He took a look at the tray in between grabby hands. There were ones of a cat with a scratching post and ones of a content kitty lying and waiting for a belly rub. They were very cute indeed.
“Can I have one?” He asked, smiling, when people had dispersed.
"Oc force! Of course, Adrien!” Marinette replied with a nervous smile. He took a bite and hummed happily.
“Very tasty.”
This wasn’t a lie. But the ringing bells in his mind just gathered force because the cookie tasted the same way as Ladybug’s cookies. What were the odds that they were exactly the same?
He looked down to see a different cookie peeking out under the remaining ones. It was the last confirmation he needed.
“Interesting shape,” he pointed out with barely contained glee. Just as expected, she panicked because it wasn’t meant to be there.
“I don’t know how it got there!” Marinette, his lady, said, trying to cover it up.
“I found it funny last night, now it’s no exception,” he winked at her. She froze for a second, her mouth gaping at him. And then she dropped the tray.
“Oh my God,” she shrieked.
“I have it!” Adrien declared as he caught it. After he thought about it, he realised that he reaction might have been about the revelation, not because of the tray.
“T-thank you!”
“Always here to help you, even outside the suit,” he added quietly, smirking.
Her bright blush caught him off guard. Had he ever had such an effect on Ladybug before? Well, actually he could remember her blushing but it was when he was Adrien not Chat. Oh! Now that was an interesting realisation.
“Why don’t I drop by later to see those cookie cutters of yours?” He said thoughtfully. Hopefully she’d see this as a code for “we need to talk.”
She just nodded.
He took another bite of his cookie and walked away, smiling to himself. So, if Ladybug got flustered around Adrien and this was confirmed by her reaction to him also being her partner, maybe, just maybe, he had a chance with her.
When he thought about it, this could explain Marinette’s strange behaviour around him. Yes, she had denied having feelings for him, but what if she’d done it out of fear?
He could test that. And if he was lucky, he’d end up with more cookies to eat and something much more precious.
*
“I have a very important task,” Adrien said the moment he entered Marinette’s room after school.
“What is it?” she looked wide-eyed at him. He could see her switching to superhero mode, thinking that he had something important to tell her. This made him chuckle.
“Your cookies are the best,” he explained. “Tried and tested and declared to have no rival. But.."
“What?” She tilted her head to the side, now looking more curious and ready to defend her cookies than worried.
“Are you on par with them?” He asked in a low voice, leaning just a bit into her personal space.
“Huh?”
“Are you as sweet as the cookies?” He clarified. She gulped when she heard this.
“Um. Oh. I can tell you but how can you say if it’s true?” She giggled, her cheeks bright with colour again.
“If you let me try I’ll be the judge of that.” He was laying it on thick, he knew that, but this was his chance. If she wanted him to back off and stated it clearly, he would. But he had to try.
She thought about this for a second and then turned her cheek to him. He took it as an invitation and brushed it with his lips. She gasped and he felt his own heart beat a bit faster. It felt like a game and a very good one at that.
“There is just a hint of taste. Not enough,” he said, pursing his lips. Marinette’s lips twitched as amusement filled her eyes. Yes! This was what he wanted.
“Where would it be more potent, what would you say?” She asked, this time obviously playing along and enjoying it.
Instead of answering, he lifted a hand to her face and brushed her bottom lip with his thumb. It looked so inviting and so irresistible that he licked his own lips in anticipation. His eyes shot up to hers, asking for permission. She nodded almost imperceptibly but it was enough for him coupled with the way she was looking at him - a hint of uncertainty but mainly eagerness in her eyes.
This was it. He leaned in and captured her lips with his. He tried to rein in his feelings, but it was so hard when she invaded all his senses. Forget the cookies. She was the real treat - sweet and addictive.
But while he was afraid of coming on too strong and tried to pull back, he couldn’t because her arms wound around his neck and he was sure she was on her tiptoes because she was suddenly much closer. With her kissing him back enthusiastically, he had no more qualms.
He got his answers - she was sweeter than cookies and she was most certainly not opposed to being close to him. It was a 100% win in his books.