Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 5


As Adrien concentrated on the computer game, a gentle knock at the open door distracted Marinette. "Come in," she called, seeing that it was her mother.

"Ah, good. You two found something fun to enjoy together," Sabine said, peering at the screen. "One of your games?"

"It's called Scepter Quest. Swords and magic, and you can play with people all over the world. We're trying out different character classes. I made a Geo-Mage and a Psychic Healer; Adrien was a Vanguard Knight, and now he's trying out the Verminmancer."

Sabine backed away slowly, holding her hands up. "Oh, you know that I don't even pretend to understand that kind of thing. You're having a good time, though?" she asked.

"Yeah, definitely. This is something we can play online together once Adrien's back home... when and if we have the time," explained Marinette. "These kinds of games can be very addictive sometimes, if you're not careful."

"For sure," agreed Adrien, turning his head towards Sabine for a moment to be polite. "We're really just dabbling in it for now, but it has a lot of potential."

"Well, your father and I are turning in. Try not to be addicted to it all night, okay?" Sabine asked Marinette. "We are kind of hoping to see the two of you tomorrow before noon."

"We talked with Papa about that," confirmed Marinette. "We'll get a good night's sleep before too long, I promise."

"Good night, then, Mrs. Cheng," said Adrien. As he turned back to the game, Sabine waved a beckoning finger towards her daughter, silently.


"What's up?" asked Marinette in a low voice, once the two of them had moved closer to the door.

"I had never gotten much of a chance to get to know Adrien before today. You had told me everything about him but his blood type, of course, but now that I've been around him... oh, I completely get it why you were head over heels! He's quite the charmer," her mother smiled. "Is there anything else that he needs before we call it a night?"

"Not that he's mentioned," mused Marinette. "I've shown him his room and he's all set up there. Do you have a preference as to which shower he'll use in the morning?"

"If you're comfortable with him using yours, I have no objections," said Sabine. "As long as you only use it one at a time."

"MOM!" gasped Marinette, visibly shocked. "I wouldn't... he wouldn't... and besides, he has a girlfriend! Mostly!"

"I'm teasing you, dear," giggled Sabine. "I trust you on that, and I know that you know better. But this'll be an adjustment for all of us, so play fair with us and we'll play fair with you two, okay?"

"We will. I promise."

"All right, then. Good night."

Sabine kissed Marinette's forehead gently, then toddled back down to her own bedroom, announcing in her own way that the range of parental radar for the evening had been somewhat reduced.

Marinette wandered back to the chaise lounge and sat down, a thoughtful look on her face.

"So," Adrien asked innocently, "it's just you and me now, huh?"

"Looks like it," she smiled.

"What would you like to do next?" he asked her.

"Well... I did have one idea in mind."

Her voice had just the slightest tinge of huskiness to it... but having never heard even that much from Marinette before, Adrien's game character abruptly stopped moving.

He turned towards her, and she gave him what she hoped was a sultry expression before switching to an innocent grin.

"After you're done trying out the Verminmancer, can I test out the Pyrolich next?"


Downstairs, in the bakery...

"I don't believe this! You are incorrigible."

"I am hungry, is what I am," complained Plagg. "Best bakery in Paris, I keep hearing. But I look in their refrigerators, and what do I find? Not a lot of cheese, and what they do have is pretty plain stuff. That's what."

"You are in heaven itself right now," gestured Tikki, waving her tiny hands at the wide variety of delectables around them. "A veritable smorgasbord of sweetness. Anything that you could ever want... and you're complaining?"

"This is your heaven," countered Plagg. "Mine is a cheese shop on a hot summer day."

"Whine all you want," Tikki smiled. "Look on the bright side; you came this close to getting shipped off to another country today. You may be in quarantine here, but you certainly won't starve, and you know that Adrien will be treated very well."

"Yeah, he will. They're good people," Plagg conceded. "I can see where your girl gets it from. And maybe Adrien will finally open his eyes while he's here, and something'll blossom."

"You think so?" pondered Tikki. "Marinette is very intent on not hurting Kagami or complicating the issue. And she still can't just tell Adrien that she likes him that way. Is Adrien reconsidering things?"

"He's hard to read. He likes Marinette, he likes Kagami. He's still got Ladybug on the brain," shrugged Plagg. "At their age, things can change fast."

"We do have one actual problem, though," noted Tikki. "Besides your appetite."

"I'd like to know what outranks that," growled Plagg.

"Marinette and Adrien are cooped up together in this house, right?" she explained. "So if an Akuma shows up... how do they get away from her parents and each other to transform, then get back here undetected?"

"Well, they could... oh," realized Plagg. In his head, he pictured Adrien climbing up to the balcony and transforming... and Marinette then climbing up and finding empty air. Or Ladybug and Chat landing on the balcony at the same time, each wondering why the other is there, and doing an impromptu Alphonse-and-Gaston 'after you' routine... "I'll have to think about that."

"Please do," Tikki directed him. "We'll need at least two ways out and two ways in."

Plagg stared back, blankly. "I don't think as well on an empty stomach," he whimpered.

Tikki just rolled her eyes.


About two hours later, Marinette gave Adrien a weak smile. "I'm enjoying this... but my eyelids are drooping," she admitted.

"Me, too. Maybe we should try and get some sleep?" Adrien agreed. "I do want to get up at a reasonable time and help out. Should I go downstairs and use the bathroom on the main floor to get ready?"

"I talked with my mother about that. You can use the one in here, if you want, and in the morning as well. Just, like... knock if my room door's closed, so you don't catch me changing or something like that," said Marinette.

"Oh, absolutely. I'll be right back, then."

Marinette waited while Adrien went downstairs... then returned a few minutes later, wearing a short-sleeved pajama set and carrying a toothbrush. "Do you want to go first?" he asked her.

"No, go ahead," she replied. "I'll probably take a little longer. Girl stuff."

After a moment, through the closed door, Marinette asked, "Have you talked to Kagami yet?"

"I messaged her," a muffled voice replied. "To let her know that I'm in a good place and make sure that she and her mother were okay. She said to tell you she says 'Hi.' If she's up when I get into bed, I'll probably talk to her for a few minutes."

"Good. Tell her 'hello' back for me, and I hope they're doing well there, too."

Once his evening routine was complete, Marinette walked him downstairs to his room. "Okay... you know where the kitchen is, if you need a drink or a snack. You know where I'll be. Towels are in the hall closet over there... Is there anything else that I can get you?" she asked, running down her mental checklist.

"I will be fine, thank you," smiled Adrien. "You're already doing so much."

"Not really," Marinette demurred. "It's just a place to stay, and the basics."

"I could've ended up hundreds of miles away from home today, not knowing when I'd be back," Adrien countered. "Instead, I'm here, I'm very comfortable, I'm very lucky, and I have the best company I could ask for. That's not a little thing."

"Then, in that case... I'll wish you good night, and I'll see you in the morning," beamed Marinette.

"You, too. The sweetest of dreams," echoed Adrien.

He stepped forward and hugged her... briefly, but enough to send sparks running through her... then stepped back slowly. Another spontaneous grin-off competition began, both of them wondering inside if a hug was enough.

Through willpower alone, Marinette made her legs start moving. "Good night, Adrien," she called as she returned to the stairs... her willpower also keeping the words "May I tuck you in?" away from her lips.