Here is the 34th oneshot in my Miraculous Revelations series. As with last week's oneshot, this is another oneshot in the long line of oneshots suggested by the same follower, without whom I would not be able to write such a unique and diverse series of oneshots. At some point I will properly list all the fantastic oneshots that this follower has suggested to me, but there are still 3 prompt suggestions to be written, bringing the total oneshots suggested to 21 oneshots in this series that cover a huge range of topics. Anyway, as of right now everything is proceeding on schedule so no need for a hiatus anytime soon, I hope. That's all for this note, sit back and enjoy the latest oneshot in this series, Lunch.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to this show.
Lunch - Adrien wants to get out of his room and actually be a normal teen over the weekend, however he needs an excuse to persuade his father to let him out. That excuse? Why going to Marinette's to review some of her fashion designs after the success of her hat, an excuse his father would buy. Gabriel agrees, and Marinette enthusiastically says yes so Adrien can get out of the house over the weekend. Deciding it would be nice and respectful to pick up lunch for them, Adrien does so with a little help from Plagg. It's lunch, what could possibly go wrong over a simple meal with a friend? Right?
Lunch
"Father, may I have a word?" Adrien asked as he walked into his father office with a slight knock on the door.
"I am very busy Adrien." His father replied from behind his desk, not even looking up at him as he stared at his computer screen.
"It will only take a moment and it relates to fashion and my modeling." Adrien said knowing that his father would react to a business related proposition if nothing else.
"Very well, you have a minute." Gabriel Agreste said still not looking up from his work. "What do you have for me?"
"I was wondering if I could go over to Marinette's this weekend and see if she has anymore designs that you might like." Adrien said quickly, nervous as to how his father would react. "You know, after the success her hat had the other week. Even the Queen of Fashion reviews, Audrey Bourgeois, liked Marinette's design so that has to mean that my friend has talent, right? I just thought that Marinette may have more to offer and she is a local and relatively unknown talent."
"Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, right?" Gabriel asked finally looking up from his computer and at Adrien. "The baker's daughter if a recall, Nathalie?"
"That would be correct sir." Nathalie said professionally from her usual position at his side, tablet out and ready. "She won the hat design contest with that pigeon feather design, synthetic for the show of course. Madam Bourgeois said that she was the best new find since yourself, high praise indeed coming from that woman."
"I remember both the hat and Audrey's praise." Gabriel said with a nod. "As obnoxious, stuck up, spoiled, and mean spirited as Audrey Bourgeois is, she does have an eye for new talent. Very well Adrien, so long as Miss Dupain-Cheng agrees, something I am sure her feelings for you will guarantee if I am reading her not so coveted glances at you correctly, I give you permission to go over and work with her on fashion related business only. She has the potential to be my protégé one day, especially if you see what is right in front of you, so this could be very beneficial and allow me to snap up an upcoming fashion star when she is young."
"Er thanks father." Adrien said with a small bow and a smile. Adrien had no idea what his father was referring to regarding Marinette, he was just glad that his father was going to let him out of the house this weekend. "I will ask her and let my bodyguard know when to take me to her place, should she say yes."
"Very good and don't forget all your other work as well." Gabriel said turning back to his computer. "And Adrien, she will say yes, of that I am sure."
"I won't." Adrien said as he backed out of his dad's office, closing the door behind him and deciding not to think too much on what his father was trying to imply about Marinette.
Honestly, Adrien had only used the fashion excuse as a means to try and get out of the house and spend some time with a friend this weekend. Marinette was perfect for what Adrien needed. She had a ready excuse that Adrien could use on his father, her exceptional fashion skills, and of his close friends she was the easiest to hang out with.
Nino and Alya were always together and other than Chloe, who could be a handful at times, and Kagami, who was more a rival than a friend, Marinette was the only other person in his class that Adrien was good friends with. Now all he had to do was hope she said yes. With that thought, Adrien entered his room, pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Marinette regarding the situation.
Marinette was minding her own business, sowing her latest design with her sowing machine when her phone suddenly went off. Tikki was busy dancing to the latest Clara Nightingale song on her computer as always, so Marinette just glanced at her phone to confirm that it was Alya and then return to her work, she could reply to Alya later. That had been the plan, but as soon as she saw who had messaged her, everything that could possibly go wrong did so in the most spectacular fashion.
As soon as Marinette saw the smiling face of Adrien Agreste on her phone to indicate that he had been the one to message her, her natural clumsiness that the boy she was madly in love with made ten times worse kicked in. Jumping at the shock that Adrien was actually messaging her out of the blue, Marinette managed to cause the fabric she was sowing to catch in the machine, tear and ruin the project. She then missed her chair on the way down and pulled the fabric with her as she crashed to the floor.
Had that been all, Marinette could have walked away with some of her pride intact, but luck was not on her side today. As she pulled the fabric, the material got stuck in her sowing machine and pulled the machine off her desk and down onto her prone form, hard. Fortunately, the jam that the fabric had caused had stalled the machine and turned it off or else it could have been worse, but it still wasn't great, and it was very painful.
"Did Adrien message you?" Tikki asked as her kwami flew over to look at Marinette on the floor surrounded by a ruined project, with a sowing machine on her back. Marinette noted that her kwami was not sounding particularly sympathetic at her predicament.
"How did you guess?" Marinette grumbled back at her apparently unhelpful kwami.
"Your reaction." Tikki said with a smile and twirling to the song on Marinette's computer. "You only get really clumsy while sitting down when Adrien is involved so I assumed that the message was from him."
"Well once I get this damn machine off me, I can check the actual message and see what he wants." Marinette said as she rolled over painfully onto her back and dislodged the sturdy and heavy machine, she would have to sort it out later. "This design is ruined but if Adrien is messaging me then it will probably be worth it. Hopefully he wants to spend some time with me and then we can finally start dating and then..."
"Slow down Marinette, you should disentangle yourself first." Tikki interrupted cutting Marinette off from her latest daydream about being with Adrien. "You know how you get when Adrien is involved, best to avoid any more damage than absolutely necessary or else you might not be able to see him if he wants to come and see you that is."
Marinette just grumbled, she didn't have the energy to confirm that Tikki was right about everything, no point in inflating her kwami's ego anymore than it was already inflated. Slowly getting up, Marinette had to resist all her urges to just pick up the phone and check Adrien's message as she slowly disentangled herself from the fabric she had been working on and the cord of the sowing machine.
Once she knew that she was free of any entanglement, Marinette picked up her phone and checked the message from Adrien. Again, Marinette would have to thank Tikki later because the message would have caused another very clumsy reaction from her.
Adrien: Hey Marinette! Are you free this weekend? I managed to persuade my dad to allow me out so long as I only go to yours and we look over a few of your fashion designs that he might be interested in. Dad's very impressed with your work, thinks you have the potential to become his protégé one day, so he readily allowed it. I just want to be able to get out and spend some time with an awesome friend like you, and if I can help you and your passion as well, then that's a bonus. Let me know if you're free and if so when. Adrien xoxo.
Marinette knew she wasn't breathing or making much sense as she typed out her reply to Adrien telling him she was free this weekend and to come by whenever and stay as long as he wants. As soon as that was done, Marinette's emotions got the better of her and she fainted at the the thought of Adrien getting special permission to leave just to see her. Marinette fell back to land hard on her floor with a silly grin plastered across her face, unable to hear her kwami's smug statement as Tikki flew over to check on her.
"Told you that you should make sure that you are free before opening a surprise message from Adrien. Looks like it was good news, this will be interesting."
Adrien had to wait a little longer than expected but eventually Marinette's reply came through. It took him a moment to understand what Marinette had messaged him, but once he did,Adrien smiled. He was going to get out of the house this weekend and for something that wasn't Cat Noir related, as much as he enjoyed that aspect of his life.
Marinette: YES! Am free weekend all come time any want you stay long want. XXX
Adrien assumed that the disjointed and enthusiastic response was because of the fashion aspect of the weekend as it was one of Marinette's biggest passions. He was just happy that he had an excuse to leave the house and see one of his friends. Adrien quickly replied that he would come over Saturday around lunchtime and pick up lunch for them on the way. With that done, Adrien fell back on his bed and smiled, he couldn't wait for the weekend and all that it would bring.
Adrien perused the shelves of the grocery story near Marinette's place, wondering what to get them for lunch. Usually his personal chef made anything Adrien wanted, plus an immoral amount of Camembert for Plagg, but today Adrien had decided to sort it out himself. It added a personal touch to it in his mind. Also, Marinette's parents had made them food when he had headed over to practice for the gaming tournament, so this was a way to give back to them and to Marinette for their hospitality the last time he was at their home.
Adrien decided that it was best to go with a light lunch for them, something prepared and that didn't need to be cooked as he had no idea what he was doing when it came down to using anything in a kitchen. As such, he picked up two ready-made salads, a selection of dressings, condiments like salt and pepper, and some fruit for dessert to maintain the healthy meal he had selected. He also picked up a large wheel of Camembert to keep Plagg happy while he and Marinette were working.
Adrien had thought that that would be all, however, as they were passing the baked goods in the store he suddenly felt a tug on his jacket. Looking down, Adrien saw Plagg floating inside the jacket, pointing to a wrapped batch of freshly made chocolate chip cookies. Giving his kwami a strange look, Marinette's family were bakers and the best in Paris at that, they made their own cookies that were better than any others Adrien had tasted so he had no idea what Plagg was getting at.
Plagg was insistent on getting the cookies however, so Adrien just shrugged and added the cookies to the cart. Adrien trusted his kwami, despite Plagg's oddities and occasional cheese related incidents, so he would get the cookies as well. It did save them having to bother Marinette's parents for free cookies so there was a small upside to them.
With lunch taken care of, Adrien went to the checkout to pay for it all. It was the least he could do if he was going to go to Marinette's place and help with her fashion designs.
"Is that all dear?" The middle aged, female, clerk asked him politely while staring intensely at him, something Adrien was used to given his image was all over Paris.
"Yes ma'am." Adrien said with a smile as he handed over the bills to pay for it. "Thank you."
The woman just nodded as she put the money in the register and then began to bag the items for him. Neither Adrien nor the store clerk noticed that one of the pepper sachets broke open and spilled its contents all over the plastic bag of cookies as they were being bagged.
With his bag of food in hand, Adrien walked the short distance from the grocery store to the Dupain-Cheng family bakery, his bodyguard following him in the car the entire way. While Adrien appreciated his father's concern for him, there were times when he wanted to be treated like a normal teen. Today was one of those days as he got to spend the afternoon with a good friend.
Reaching the bakery, Adrien entered the apartment part and went up the stairs to the front door of Marinette's apartment. Ringing the bell, Adrien waited patiently for Marinette to answer the door.
He only had to wait a moment, though he did hear an audible crash from the other side and a muffled curse that he was sure came from Marinette. If Adrien had to guess, his clumsy friend had fallen down the stairs as she came down from her attic room to open the door. Something he had grown to expect from Marinette.
Adrien smiled at Marinette as she opened the door. Despite her slightly disheveled appearance his friend was beaming at him, a slight blush gracing her cheeks that Adrien trumped up to the fall she had just had.
"Hey Marinette, you ok?" Adrien asked as he walked in and embraced her in a hug, Marinette going slightly rigid at first before enthusiastically hugging him back and leaning into him for a moment longer than was normal for a friend but Adrien didn't think much of it.
"Yeah, happens more often than you think." Marinette said very quickly as they broke apart and she led him into the apartment. "I am very clumsy after all."
"True, you are." Adrien said with a smile that got a slightly deeper blush out of Marinette. "So, are your parents in?"
"Parents, no." Marinette said shaking her head. "They are busy down in the bakery, so I'm alone with you, I mean we're alone until they get back."
"And they don't mind you being home alone with a boy." Adrien said with a grin to try and show he was joking.
"Wha?" Marinette said, surprised at his statement and tripping over her feet so Adrien had to catch her, causing Marinette to blush even deeper.
"Sorry, just making a bad joke." Adrien said with an embarrassed smile as he let go of Marinette.
"No, ok, I, I." Marinette began to stutter, her blush again deepening to a shade of red that Adrien wasn't sure a human could achieve. "Trusted parents by, I mean they trust me don't worry."
"Okay, well I brought lunch." Adrien said holding up the bag as he tried to change the topic to something less awkward. "So, you or your parents don't have to cook. We just lay the table and eat."
"Oh, yeah, that's probably a good idea." Marinette said as she turned to the kitchen and began to get plates and cutlery while Adrien placed the bag on the table and got out the two boxed salads. "I can get clumsy while cooking around you so that might be bad. I mean you know how clumsy I am, so cooking is always a hazard."
"But not baking." Adrien pointed out as Marinette returned with the plates, napkins and cutlery.
"Well obviously not that but I was brought up with it, so it is ingrained in my muscle memory to the point that so long as I am working, I am not clumsy at all." Marinette said with a smile. "Same with using sharp objects that are needed in making clothes and other fashion items. Took a little time and once something is complete my clumsiness returns, which has led to a lot of spilled pastry over the years but that's to be expected."
"We aren't all perfect, it took me a while to get used to the catwalk and to be comfortable at photo shoots." Adrien said as Marinette went back to the kitchen to get glasses and water, once again blushing a little for some reason. "Anyway, I got us a small, light, lunch. Just a few ready-made salads, some fruit and cookies for dessert."
"Really? You brought store brand cookies into a baker's apartment." Marinette said with a note of false scorn and a laugh afterwards to show she was joking as she returned with the glasses and a jug of water, clearly walking very carefully so that she didn't spill the whole jug on him.
"It was a spur of the moment thing." Adrien said thinking on his feet, he couldn't tell Marinette that his kwami had been the one to suggest them. "I know you have a bit of a sweet tooth so I thought I would get something sweet for us and this way we don't have to bother your parents."
"I guess that store brand cookies will do, even if they won't be as good as what my parents can make." Marinette said as she sat down at the table and poured her salad onto a plate.
"No one can match you or your parents with cookies or pastries." Adrien said as he set the bag on the kitchen counter and then returned to his seat opposite Marinette.
"Well I am not great with cookies, macaroons are my specialty." Marinette said humbly, the blush once more returning to her cheeks.
"True, your macaroons are by far the best in Paris." Adrien said causing Marinette to choke slightly and blush even deeper than before as she was eating.
Adrien began to eat as he waited for Marinette to finish her choking, coughing, fit and reply but Marinette never got that chance. All of a sudden there was a very loud, very violent, sneeze that came from the bag that Adrien had left on the counter. Before either teen could look at the sound, a pink blur shot out of the bag and landed with a thud right in the middle of the table.
Adrien saw Marinette's eyes go wide with fear and her mouth fall open, not an attractive site but Adrien would never say that to her, as the pink thing between them sneezed again, though not as forcefully this time. Adrien for his own part was just as stunned as Marinette at the pink thing sneezing between them, there was no doubt in his mind what it was. It was a kwami.
Adrien had no idea what a kwami that wasn't his was doing here but there was only one plausible explanation for it. Kwamis were not supposed to go far from their humans, though Plagg wasn't very good at abiding by that rule, and given the fact that the pink kwami had three black dots on it could only mean one thing; it was Ladybug's kwami.
That fact alone led to another revelation for Adrien. Marinette had to be Ladybug, there was no doubt in Adrien's mind. The love of his life was Marinette. That had a lot of future implications that Adrien would have to deal with, especially now that his father's words the day before came unbidden to the front of his mind, but that could all wait until after he revealed his own secret.
Before Adrien could do anything, the kwami snuffled and brushed its nose as it looked up. That was when it saw Adrien and its eyes went wide in recognition, removing any lingering doubt in Adrien's mind that it was anything but a kwami. That didn't stop it from trying to play dumb.
"Meow." The kwami said in a very bad imitation of a cat, a worried look on its face, and an imitation that Adrien was sure Plagg would laugh at as soon as his own kwami made his grand appearance.
"Yes, she's a cat." Marinette said quickly as Adrien looked up at his now panicked looking friend. "A rare, hairless one, from the Kingdom of Achu. That's it, I won her in a contest."
"Marinette, I know what a kwami is." Adrien said softly to her and he say Marinette's face pale at the realization that Adrien knew the truth. "I know what she means. You're Ladybug, aren't you?"
"Yes and you can't tell anyone." Marinette said with a meek tone and a small nod. "How, how did you know that she was a kwami? Even those who personally saw Pollen when Chloe first used her, though no one on TV saw her cos kwamis can't be filmed, didn't know what she was."
"I know what kwamis are Marinette because I have one of my own." Adrien said with a grin that instantly snapped Marinette's eyes up to look at him, her eyes wide with shock.
Adrien's smile grew wider, he knew that it was time to let Marinette know who he was in a way that only Ladybug would know. This might not be how he had intended their secrets to come out, but thanks to Plagg requesting he get cookies, and what Adrien assumed was little spilt pepper, Marinette's secret had come out. Adrien opened his mouth to say one last word, a word only Ladybug would know.
"M'lady."
I couldn't resist leaving the ending like this, it just fit the oneshot. Not all of these oneshots are going to end in romance, sometimes I like a nice cliffhanger to keep things interesting. There are currently 7 prompts in my list, plus two bonus ones I have come up with for when I owe y'all a bonus prompt, so factoring in the expected hiatus that will occur after Thanksgiving when real life really comes for me hard, there will be oneshots through the new year and the end of Miraculous Ladybug season 2. Anyway, that's enough for this note, as always please keep your suggestions coming, without your suggestions I could not continue to write the diverse range of oneshots that this series has managed to accumulate over the months I have been working on it. As always, keep letting me know what you think of my work in your reviews. Until next week.
Stringdog