Chapter Text
Marinette was humming as she helped her parents with the bakery.
"Marinette, honey do you mind giving this to your brother and Adrien. I swear those boys will be skin and bons if I don't give them these croissants." Their mom said.
"Sure mom." She said giggling.
She grabbed the plate and went up to their living space and to her brothers room.
"Max~" Marinette sang.
Nothing.
Well there was music playing so logically they couldn't hear her.
She knocked again louder, trying to be respectful of her brothers space. But she heard nothing again. So slowly she opened the door and she saw-
She closed the door, closing her eyes and hoped that it would erase it.
She went back down stairs and her mom looked at her.
"Marinette?" She asked worried.
"Uh they." She looked to her mom.
"They didn't want anything." She said grabbing the pastry and stuffing it in her mouth and walking away.
Max walked down stairs with Adrien.
"See ya later man." He said.
"See ya." Adrien said waving goodbye.
He turns to his mom and dad.
"Guys need help?" He asked going behind the counter and washing his hands.
"Of course! Marinette do you need a break?" Their dad asked.
"Uh yeah! Yeah have homework to do!" She said quickly taking off her apron and running upstairs.
"There she goes again." Max said laughing.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked.
"No? Not that I know of?" Their mom said.
"You know how your sister is, wanting to get her homework done so that she can hang with Alya or Luka?" Mom said.
"Ah the boyfriend. How is the rockstar?" Max said as he moved desserts around in the case.
"Oh don't be such a big brother-"
"Have you even met him?" Max asked.
Their dad looked at him.
"I'm with Max." Tom said patting his shoulder.
"Men." Sabine said shaking her head.
Max looked at Tom.
"Your sister will be fine. And when you get that girlfriend~ you two can double date. Is that still a thing?"
Max laughed.
"Oh yes a double date that's really an interrogation how romantic?" He teased.
They all laughed and the rest of the day was this.
Handing out sweets, and taking orders, and when it was over, they cleaned up and talked about dinner.
The four of them were in the kitchen talking about what they felt like having for dinner.
When Max's phone dinged.
He took it out and smiled.
"You know we haven't had a nice bowl of soup in a while?" Sabine said.
Marinette took a glance at Max who was on his phone when he suddenly put it away. Marinette quickly looked away.
"Soup sounds good." He agreed.
"Great! I'll get started. Max have you finished your homework."
"Eh I have a math sheet, I'll get to it now." He said walking away.
Marinette knew that was a lie, Max was worse than her when getting his homework done. He does it during lunch! Who does that?
She doesn't say anything though, what is she supposed to say?
Do their her parents know?
Do his friends know?
"Marinette? Is something wrong sweetie you look-"
"Yes! Fine Mommy. I'm just. I'm working on a design and it's really kicking me."
"Oh sweetie it'll be okay, maybe you should take a break?"
"I will. Thanks mom."
Morning they were both up and were walking to school. Max was on his phone again, texting someone.
Marinette looked to him, before she looked to the sidewalk.
"So..." Marinette said glancing at him.
"What's up?" He asked putting his phone in his pocket.
"Uh!" She took a deep breath and looked at him.
"So uh...Luka and I are dating." She said like it was news.
"Yep. And dad and I agreed that we need to met him." Max said.
Marinette sputtered.
"What why?" She asked.
"To make sure that he's good for you. Your 13 Marinette-"
"I'm 15!" Marinette said.
Max looked at her.
"Are you sure?"
"Heh yes Max I'm positive that I know my own age." Marinette said playfully rolling her eyes.
"Either way we need to meet him, just to make sure." He said as they came upon to the school.
"What about you?" She asked.
Max looked to her.
"Huh?" He asked.
"Are you dating anyone? Anyone for me to meet?" She teased.
Max shook his head casually.
"Nope."
"No?" She said about to say more when-
"Max!"
He turned and saw that it was Adrien, he smiled brightly.
"Hey man!" Max said playfully and causally patting his back.
They walked up the stairs and went inside.
"Hey girl!" Alya said coming up behind her.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, moving and standing in front of her.
"I'm uh. I don't know?" She admitted.
"You don't know what? What's going on girl?" She asked, really concerned.
Should she tell her?
Max was at lunch, his history homework on the table, headphones in his ears as he read the book and wrote the answers.
Adrien was next to him, with their table of friends, Nino and a few other guys.
Max took a bite of his apple, as he finished his homework.
He looked to his friends and joined the conversation for the last few minutes of lunch.
"Marinette what is wrong?" Alya asked looking to her friend who was staring intently at her brother and group of friends.
"Nothing! I just...I was thinking on how to plan Max's birthday party!" Marinette said casually.
Luckily his birthday is near.
"Yeah 17. It's gotta be something huge but not too huge so that when he turns 18 it won't outshine it." Alya agreed.
Marinette nodded and looked back to Max who laughed at something that Adrien said and stared at him a little too long.
When school was over, Max went to Marinette.
"Hey I'm gonna go to the park." Max said.
"What?" She asked slightly confused.
He looked to her with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm going to the park with some friends-" He said again.
"You mean Adrien?" She said before she could stop herself.
"I mean yeah Adrien will be there?" He said confused.
"But there's a group of us?" He said thumbing behind him.
Marinette looked to him then to the blond haired boy with a few others.
"I'll see ya at home, mom and dad already know." He said walking up to them and they take some before walking to the park.
"Hey-" Alya said but Marinette cut her off.
"Sorry I uh I have something to do at the park." Marinette said running after them before she could think through this correctly.
"Your really gonna go to Texas?" Max asked looking to his friend.
"It's just for a week! I'm not moving there." He said.
"I hear that the spiders are as big my head!" Another boy said.
"Nah it's not the spiders it's the lizards that are huge."
"That's worse!"
"Or was it the bats?"
"Gah!"
"Or-"
"Okay! I think we can all agree that Texas is scary."
They all laughed, and talked about random things till the others had to leave.
"See ya at school!"
"See ya!"
"Bye guys!"
Max sat there with Adrien, they were under a shady tree. Both silent.
"Your birthday is coming up?" Adrien said.
"Is it?" Max teased.
Adrien laughed and looked at him.
"Yeah...Do you want anything?" Adrien asked.
Max looked at him and smirked.
"I want you wrapped up in a pretty pink bow." Max said.
Adrien turned red and turned his head away from him.
Max laughed.
"Your horrible." Adrien said turning to look at him.
"Am I?"
Adrien shook his head.
"No you're not."
Max slowly moved his fingers to his.
Not holding his hand, but it was close enough to get the same feeling.
Adrien stared at his eyes, at his silky dark blue hair, at his beautiful smile that always made him warm.
"I love you." Adrien whispered like the words were fragile.
And this case it was.
"I love you more." He said he wanted to kiss him. He wanted to pull him into his lap and hold him there. But he doesn't.
"In fact I can show you how much I love you if we go back to my place~" Max suggested.
Adrien looked at him and blushed again.
Man he loves his blushing face.
"Uh yeah. Yeah we can. Dad is busy and-Yeah." Adrien practically jumped up and they grabbed their bags and headed back to the Dupain-Cheng household.