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“I just want to touch your butt all the time, it’s beautiful.”
Marinette whirled around as Nino read aloud. He was holding her mug. The one with the chibi Ladybug and Chat Noir and this silly inscription. Which had been ridiculous the first time she’d read it, when Adrien had delivered his gift, and sounded even more so in Nino’s incredulous voice now.
Her panicked eyes turned to Adrien who looked too amused by this. Of course, since Alya and Nino knew about them, he didn’t have a reason to panic. But this didn’t mean that she couldn’t be embarrassed.
“Dude, seriously,” Nino turned to him, immediately spotting the culprit for this.
“It’s very cool, isn’t it?” Adrien grinned unabashedly. Of course.
“I,- it’s funny,” Marinette said, even though her face felt very hot. “But very revealing!”
“I can always say I have some strange fantasies about us being superheroes,” Adrien shrugged.
“Strange as in real,” Alya teased him.
“Shh.”
“You’re just lucky it was them and not my parents,” Marinette sighed. She had planned to get that mug hidden in some rarely used cupboard but she hadn’t gotten around to it. Now it was too late - their friends knew.
“You really think they don’t suspect?” Alya snorted. “After sharing a house with you for years, with you disappearing all the time? Not to mention the tall blonde with green eyes who happens to look just like Chat Noir for your boyfriend.” She added pointedly.
“They might, but they don’t need the confirmation!”
“Admit it, m’lady, you’d be embarrassed even if it wasn’t a Ladybug and Chat Noir mug,” Adrien pointed out.
“I know! I don’t know what you were thinking,” she cried out. As gag gifts went, this one had stolen the top spot.
“It’s the truth.” He patted her butt and she glared at him, but then giggled. He was incorrigible. They had been together for years and he still acted like that.
“Where did you even find it?” Nino asked.
“Don’t believe him if he says that he stumbled upon it. He totally looked for it on purpose,” Marinette laughed, not feeling guilty for throwing him under the bus. It was what he deserved for embarrassing her like this.
“Of course I did,” Adrien said proudly. “If there is a whole website offering to make this for you, I’m not the only one who appreciates the sentiment,” he noted.
“Well, no offence, but I’m not drinking in it,” Nino said. Marinette and Adrien looked at each other again and laughed.
“No way, you can have this,” Marinette said, handing him a white mug with a big G on it and taking the other one for herself. Once it was out into the open, she could deal with it. “Better?”
“I’m not the biggest fan of Adrien’s father, but it would work.”
“It’s a memento from my days as an intern there,” Marinette explained. “I still haven’t thrown it out for some reason.”
“We have a lot of fond memories from back then,” Adrien reminded her.
“Like almost being caught getting frisky in a closet. Or two,” she shook her head with a smile.
“It’s not my fault you’re so hard to resist,” he winked at her. “Besides, it was fun!”
“Yes, because you were the boss’s son!”
“Pff, you don’t know how many talks I was subjected to. For keeping it professional with you. And other things,” he chuckled.
“You are lucky that Marinette is so talented or she would have been thrown out,” Alya teased them. “It’s good that this is behind you.”
“Yes. I’m my own boss and I can do whatever I want,” Marinette stated proudly.
“Including having your own funny mug,” Adrien grinned.
“And getting as frisky as you want at the workplace, although it’s better to keep it out of the public eye,” Nino quipped and Alya and Adrien laughed along with him.
“You’re impossible, all of you,” Marinette groaned. “Now I’m almost tempted to keep the tea to myself. As well as these cookies,” she added, trying to look as if she was really contemplating it.
“Noo!” They cried out simultaneously.
“Behave then,” she shot at them. Of course, she wouldn’t have it any other way and they knew it.
*
“I just want to touch your butt all the time, it’s beautiful.”
A sense of deja-vu filled Marinette. It was happening again - hearing the silly words said out loud. Except that it wasn’t Nino holding the offending mug this time but her mother. Yikes!
“It’s not what you think, mum! I swear.” She rushed to her. No way was she keeping this mug. It could only cause trouble. Although it was too late for this.
“Sweetie, it’s fine. I already know,” her mother smiled softly at her.
“You do?” Marinette wasn’t even that surprised. It was probably only thanks to her realising how important this secret was, that her mother had kept her knowledge hidden for so long.
“Of course. A mother always knows. Also, I think it’s funny,” she pointed to the mug with a teasing smile.
“Grumble. Of course you’d be on Adrien’s side, even when he gives me gag gifts,” Marinette pouted, crossing her arms. Her mother didn’t even try to hide her fondness for her son-in-law.
“Just make sure your father doesn’t see it,” she laughed.
“He doesn’t know?”
“Oh, he does. But he might tease you too much.”
“Oh no.” Marinette definitely didn’t want this.
“Do I want to know what we’re hiding from Tom?” Adrien asked as he joined them in the kitchen.
“This,” Marinette said, shoving the mug into his hands. “This is your fault.”
“Am I in trouble?” He asked, looking at her mother sheepishly.
“Not at all, Adrien,” she laughed sweetly. Traitor. “But I think you might want to find another gift to placate my daughter.”
“I can do that,” he grinned, pulling Marinette into his arms.
“I don’t want it to be funny, anything but that!” Marinette stressed.
“Of course. How about the new sewing machine you were checking out the other day?” He suggested.
“You know me too well,” she sighed, all the fight going out of her.
“I’ve just been in this position too many times and like to have options ready,” he shrugged.
“Only because you insist on being funny,” she reminded him.
“Hey, I thought you liked my jokes!”
“I do, kitty, but it’s better when they are something just between you and me,” she said, kissing him softly.
“Noted. I still love your butt, though,” he whispered in her ear and she couldn’t help it, she laughed.