Everyone on school knew that Marinette's parents run a bakery, including Adrien. Adrien himself wanted to try their famous pastries but his schedule doesn't let him to. If he ask Natalie or his dad, most likely he would be scolded about his diets.
I have no other choice than visit the bakery by myself, he thought. Right after school, the gorilla would take him directly to home or his photoshoots. He couldn't ask the gorilla because he would inform Natalie right after.
He sighed. He tried pastries once when he practiced Ultimate Mecha Strike III with Marinette, it was totally tasty and he wanted to try it again.
Adrien sat on his chair feeling bored. He arrived at school earlier than usual. Even Nino and Alya haven't come yet. "Morning, Adrien." Adrien jerked up his head to find Marinette greeted him with a smile. Adrien smiled back and greeted her back. Marinette quickly sat behind him.
Why don't I ask Marinette about the pastries?! Adrien smiled at the conclusion he just made. But what should I ask? His smile faded. He sank himself into a deep thought.
Adrien thought to himself hard. He's been craving for pastries more than usual these days. He just wanted to eat pastries, nothing more. It's that simple but that simple thing is too far to reach.
He sighed as the lunch break bell rang. Class was dismissed as soon as the teacher heard the bell. Adrien got up from his chair and walk aimlessly. "Boy, are you still thinking about pastries?" A voice from below said.
"Plagg, I've been craving for pastries these days!" Adrien made a dramatic move.
Plagg came out with a chunk of camembert, "Yeah, yeah, you've talked about that every day." Plagg rolled his eyes.
As Plagg finished his sentence, Adrien's phone rang. Adrien quickly got his phone and saw that it's from Natalie. Adrien answered the phone and said, "Hello?"
"Adrien. I'm sorry to inform you with this method." Natalie said. "But due to my busy schedule and I can't seem to find the time to communicate to you this week, I have no other choice."
Adrien nodded thoughtfully while humming about it, "What happened? Did father add a new photoshoot schedule this week?"
"It's quite the opposite." Adrien widen his eyes, couldn't believe what he's hearing. He ask to inform Natalie again to make sure and Natalie said, "Yes, this weekend you'll be free from photoshoot. It seems the photographer that supposed to take your picture this weekend wrongly saw his schedule. So it's postponed."
Adrien was a bit surprised. It was quite rare for him to have cancelled—well postponed—photoshoot schedules. "Okay then, Natalie. Thank you."
Then, Natalie ended the call.
"Hear that, Plagg!" Adrien said to Plagg as soon as he put his phone on his pocket.
Plagg stared at Adrien, "what? I didn't even hear anything, Adrien."
"Natalie postponed a photoshoot! I have free time on this weekend!" Adrien made a big grin to Plagg, showing his happiness.
Plagg who munched his camembert rolled his eyes, "And you'll be able to visit the bakery for the pastries." He finished Adrien's sentence. Adrien quickly agreed with his kwami.
"Now, let's ask Marinette!" He said and walk to the classroom.
Adrien peeked at the classroom to find Marinette alone with her sketchbook. He put his hand on his chest and took a deep breath. "I can do this." He mumbled. Adrien slowly walked into the classroom and approach Marinette. He looked how serious Marinette was when she drew and he became a bit guilty about disturbing her. "Uuhh, Marinette?" She doesn't respond to him and still drawing clothes. "Marinette?" He poked her arm. Still doesn't reply, until she stopped and rip the paper she was drawing in frustration,
"Arrggghh, I'm totally crazy! I can't made a nice necklace!" Marinette grunted in frustration while bending her body backwards. Marinette then looked around and saw Adrien who smiled recklessly. Marinette blinked her eyes a few times and started to stutter. "Uhh, A-Adrien. What hairpin—I mean what brang you—I mean, what brings you here?"
Then, Marinette groaned and rubbing her forehead. Adrien looked at her while giving her a soft smile. "No, I just want to ask something."
"Oh, is that so?" she asked while giving a weird and nervous smile. "You should've said something earlier than standing there."
Adrien made a force chuckle, "Actually I already called to you a few times before."
Marinette widen her eyes and quickly apologized, "I must've been drawing too serious. Sorry, Adrien." She mumbled something Adrien couldn't hear but Adrien just laughed forcefully. "So, what're you going to ask?"
"Uhh, it's just…" He thought thrice about what he's going to say to Marinette. "Can I visit you this weekend? I mean, I have no photoshoots and I thought I could hang around with you."
Oh crap, Adrien suddenly thought. Why the heck did I ask about visiting the bakery? It's not like I'm a VIP or something. Adrien groaned and rubbed his forehead. I'm such an idiot.
Marinette's face quickly turned into a regretful face. "I'm sorry, Adrien." She shook her head. "My parents are going to attend a food exhibition this weekend and I'm helping them up."
Adrien let his mouth opened but his voice refusing to talk. "So, the bakery is closed?"
Marinette gave a hesitant nod and Adrien pouted his mouth. Adrien felt his hope for pastries just gone. Marinette wanted to comfort him but couldn't find a solution. "If you really want to," Marinette made Adrien looked at her still with a pout. "You can visit us on the exhibition."
Adrien's face suddenly lighten up, "You really meant it?" Marinette nodded.
"However, I need to contact my parents first." She said. "Could you wait up for a minute until I get the permission?" Adrien nodded his face with excitement.
Marinette took her phone and phone her parents. She waited until her parents answer her phone, "Ah, Mama!" she suddenly said. "Uhm, it's just that Adrien want to come to this weekend's exhibition. I wonder if that's okay..."
Adrien looked at Marinette while hoping he would get any permission from her parents. "Talk to Adrien?" He heard her say. "Okay, wait a minute." She took her phone off from her ear and hand it to Adrien. "My mom wants to talk with you."
He hesitantly took the phone and brought the phone closer to his ear. "Hello, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng?"
"Ah, Adrien?" the voice from the other side said with a cheerful voice. "I heard from Marinette you're going to attend the exhibition."
"Yes, I want to." Adrien excitedly replied. "Actually I was planning to visit the bakery this weekend but it seems it closed for the weekend."
Marinette's mother giggled, "I'm sorry for your disappointment though but I could give you a guest invitation so you could enter it for free."
"Thank you very much. I really appreciate about it."
"And I need to say that Marinette is going to help us with the exhibition so I'm sorry that she couldn't hang with you, dear Adrien."
"No, it's okay." Adrien quickly said. "I could even help you with the… Uhm, exhibition too."
"Really? That's a great help."
"Once again, I really need to say thank you, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng." Adrien's lips curved into a smile.
"Oh, it's nothing." She said. "I'm sorry but I need to go back to the bakery. Tom is getting busier."
Adrien nodded even though he knew that she won't see him. "Yes, it's okay. See you there then, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng."
"See you too, dear."
Adrien ended the call and gave the phone to Marinette who was watching him all the time. "Thanks, Marinette. Your mom gave an invitation to the exhibition."
Marinette smiled at Adrien, "It's totally nothing." Marinette then turned her body to her sketchbook. "I'll contact you for further information, okay?"
Adrien chuckled, "Before that, let's exchange numbers." He pulled out his phone and saved Marinette's phone number as she spelled them.
Adrien was totally excited alright. Every day he thought about the fun that he would do on the exhibition. He even dreamt about pastries these days. Everyone could tell that he was totally looking forward to it. "I don't really understand you, Adrien." His kwami complained as he sat on Adrien's table while Adrien prepare himself for the exhibition this morning.
He was supposed to meet Marinette in front of her bakery at 8 AM. Her parents would prepare the first preparations then Marinette and Adrien would help the remaining things they could do when they arrived.
Adrien looked up at Plagg while putting himself on clothes, "What do you mean you don't understand?"
Plagg sighed and flew over Adrien, "I don't understand why you were so excited for this exhibition. I mean, it's just an exhibition."
"Plagg, I've craving all week for pastries." Adrien said as he put some might-be-useful things on his bag. "Well in your case, I guess it's like you haven't ate camembert for a month and today is the only day where you can eat camembert."
Plagg let an exhale of pleasure, "I know that feeling. It totally would be the best day ever."
"Understand?" Adrien zipped his bag halfway and took the strap, putting on his shoulders. "That's what I'm feeling."
Plagg flew to Adrien's bag as Adrien walked to his door and left the room. He couldn't wait about the pastries he could eat on the exhibition.
Adrien sank on thoughts of pastries as soon as he entered the car, he was going to pick Marinette up and drove to the exhibition. The Gorilla doesn't care much about Adrien giggling around and smirking all of sudden.
Adrien's thought stopped when he saw the bakery on the corner with Marinette waiting in front of the bakery with him along with some things she needed to bring. Adrien opened the window, smiling at Marinette as soon as the car stopped in front of the bakery. "Morning, Marinette!" He winked. "Get on."
Marinette hesitantly opened the car's door and slipped inside as soon as Adrien moved to make space so Marinette could enter. "Thanks for the ride." Marinette's face was flushed with pink dust but Adrien doesn't notice about it and he doesn't care anyway. Marinette politely told the driver about the location and the gorilla just nodded thoughtfully and drove us away. On the way to the destination, Adrien and Marinette just sat in silence. None of them tried to talk and the air was filled with tense.
As soon as the location was spotted, Marinette tugged Adrien's shoulders and showed him the place. The gorilla dropped both of them on the lobby. With a smile, Marinette said thank you to the gorilla while Adrien following after.
The skies were blue with a tint of orange. Adrien looked around as he admired the morning atmosphere. He felt the calming breeze of morning and the smell of food coming from the exhibition.
Even Adrien couldn't deny it, he definitely wanted to ran towards the exhibition and buy many food for Marinette and him. The smell was totally luring him in.
Adrien's relax thoughts of the smell of food snapped as he saw Marinette started to walk towards the building. With a bit shock, he ran a bit to catch up with Marinette. "The smell was totally nice. It lures me in." Adrien admitted.
Marinette giggled, "Well this is normal. At least for me." She said. "I've been to various convention before." Adrien widen his eyes. He imagined that every single time she went to a food exhibition. He even wondered if she got drooled or something.
Marinette walked to the locket and gave invitations for permissions. Not long after that, Marinette back with two IDs and bracelet with a barcode attached on it. Adrien and Marinette both walked to the booth Marinette's parents booked. They saw their parents were making pastries for the preparation. Marinette quickly walked to her parents and gave them a morning greeting.
Adrien greeted them and he walked inside the counter to help them.
"Morning, Adrien." Sabine smiled. "You'll be helping us until 1 PM, I hope."
Adrien gave Sabine a No worries look then Tom came. "This would be an exhausted and tiring work if you're not used to it. Hope you could stick with us until 1 PM. The exhibition allows customers to enter at 9 so we only work for four hours or so." Tom explained as he put the pastries on the oven. "Hope there's no delaying or something."
Marinette walked to Adrien as she gave Adrien an apron. "Well, we need to be extra careful. The people we serve today is totally high-class peoples." Marinette giggled.
Adrien nodded at Marinette as he received the apron. Marinette told Adrien to help her decorating some cupcakes. He put it on the apron and started to work. He smiled when he preparing pastries, hoping he could eat them later.
Everything was different from his imaginations. It was totally tiring and annoying. He even couldn't sit for a break. Some of the customers were a bit grumpy and annoying until to the point Adrien might break his model smile and yelled to the customers.
He couldn't, of course.
Adrien was helping Marinette, not making her in a disadvantage because of him. He was behind the cashier all day long. It was pretty tiring, explaining to some customers about the pastries that were available, ask Tom or Sabine or maybe Marinette for things he doesn't understand. Some customers were very bold to flirt with Adrien along with a super extravagating make-up. Adrien only could laugh forcefully denying what they said.
Marinette's parents doesn't break any sweat when working—which he found it unsurprising because they already did it a few times but still he was pretty amazed—nonstop without sitting. Even Marinette whose body was smaller than him, whose muscles were almost undetectable if being compared by Adrien, who was a girl.
He was amazed with the family.
He constantly looked at the watch he wore, counting the time until everything was over. And he was pretty relieved that most of the customers were gone and he could sit for a while. He even couldn't shove any pastries to his mouth just for hunger.
Adrien underestimated the power of a baker.
He never thought in his life that he felt losing to a baker. But he shoved his feelings aside. He looked at the watch and realised it was past 1 PM. It was almost 2 PM!
Tom walked to Adrien and smile warmly to him. "Pretty tiring, isn't it, boy?"
Adrien nodded, "Yes. I never thought it would be like this."
"Don't worry we're going to relax here until there's an announcement that the exhibition is over." Tom said. "Most of our pastries were sold out though."
"Of course it would!" Adrien smiled brightly. "Your pastries is totally the best."
Tom laughed teasingly, "Thank you, boy. We got that a lot though."
Adrien peeked at the counter. There's a few croissants left. Adrien quietly hummed. "What are you going to do with the remaining croissants?"
"We're going to eat them." Tom lightly said. "Probably I'll give you as a thank you gift." He winked.
Adrien widen his eyes and gradually said thank you to Tom.
His happiness of having the pastries doesn't last long until he saw a customer that was ordering a quite big amount of croissant. He started to panic. He was afraid that the customer would take all of the croissants.
Adrien desperately glanced at the remaining croissants. There's still 10, Adrien. No need to panic. He tried to calm himself down. But as Marinette waved the customer a thank you on the cashier, another customer came. Don't order too much, Mr. Customer. I'm begging you. I need those croissants.
"I'll take five of the croissants." The customer said.
Sabine quickly took five of them and put it neatly on a box. Marinette gave the customer the box and a smile. "It would be 10 Euro." Marinette said.
He took out ten euros and took the box while giving Marinette a warm smile.
What Adrien could do was only hoping that no one would buy the last remaining croissants. He shut his eyes close while hoping the croissants. He poured every bit of his soul to the prayer.
"The exhibition is already over for the day. Thank you for those who already participate for the booths. The names that I mentioned were being called to the main office for further discussion." As the announcement ends, a music played on as an entertainment,
Adrien cheered inside of his heart. He finally could eat those croissants.
Marinette leaned on the counter. "It was pretty great, wasn't it, Mama?" She took a croissant and bit it. "It was totally like every pastries that we had were sold."
"Of course it did, dear." Sabine took a croissant and shoved them to her mouth. "Your dad is always the best baker."
Tom came over and took a croissant. "A croissant after work is always nice." He said while munching it deliciously. "Adrien, want some?" He offered.
Adrien nodded quickly, "Thank you."
Marinette took the plate and walked to Adrien. However, she wasn't careful enough until she tripped on one of the bakery stuffs that was laying on the floor.
Adrien widen his eyes in belief.
The croissant flew. The last two croissant.
Adrien quickly tried to catch one of the croissant but his first try failed. Everything moved like in slow motion. When Adrien tried to catch the other, he fell and closed his eyes, hoping the croissant would land on his palms.
By the time, he peeked on the corner of his eyes. He saw a croissant. His eyes just widen when he saw it was on his palms. He smiled unbelievably. He quickly stood and looked at his croissant happily.
He shoved at his mouth happily. He got happier when the music that plays through the speaker was the 'We are the Champion' song that was pretty popular. He dropped a tear at the taste of the croissant. "I finally could eat pastries." He dramatically said and shoved the remaining to his mouth.
Everyone looked at him surprised but smiling. Marinette even giggled when he saw Adrien like that. Sabine then walked to Adrien, "If you want pastries, you should've said so." She smiled with a laugh. "We could spare you some."
Adrien looked at the ground, embarrassedly. "But I just felt uncomfortable if I asked like that."
"Don't be like that, boy." Tom said from the counter he was leaning. "We consider you as a family, right, Marinette?"
Adrien looked at Marinette and he saw her nodding happily. Adrien then giggled, remembering the idiotic things he did. But he didn't regret anything that he did before.
"Thank you." He whispered.
Author notes: DAM this is totally hilarious omg. That dramatic Adrien when he take the croissant, I laughed like crazy when typing that. Well I do need to say thank you to my friend, Stephanie that gives me many ideas about this story. She even told me to write that the croissant actually fell and he just ate it. And then he got poisoned and he got brought to the hospital. But nuh uh, I wouldn't make as dramatic as that. She sometimes have many crazy ideas and I like talking with her about her ideas. She's on Tumblr (Stephagustin) and Instagram (Steph_Agustin). She's also on Google+ by the name Stephanie Agustin. Check her out. She's total awesome. Well then, here ends the author notes, THANK YOU FOR READING MY FANFICTION. I WOULD BE EXTRA APPRECIATE IT IF YOU FAVORITE IT AND LEAVING REVIEWS ABOUT WHAT YOU FELT WHEN READING THIS.
