Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 7


After supper was over, Marinette and Adrien stood together at the sink, washing and drying the evening's dishes.

"Hey," Marinette nudged him. "After we're done, would you want to come upstairs with me? I wanted to set up a group chat with whoever's on from our class. That way we'll all know how the rest of us are coping with this."

"That sounds like a great idea," smiled Adrien. "I know that I've talked to Kagami and Alya, and I've messaged Nino to see how he was doing, but I was curious about the others."

"It shouldn't take long. Then we can do... well, we can each do whatever," replied Marinette. "I mean, we can come up with something together, or if you need some space, that's fine, too."

"Do you need some space?" Adrien wondered. "Because I can back off if you do..."

"No! No, that's not it at all," Marinette added, quickly. "I'm really enjoying your being here with us! I just... wanted to make sure you were comfortable, that's all. That all-Marinette, all-the-time wasn't too much for you."

"I could say much the same about me," Adrien countered. "I don't want you feeling like you have to entertain me. I don't think I could ever get tired of being with you, but, you know... you might need some private time, too."

"All right. We're good, then," Marinette grinned. "If either of us needs alone time, we'll ask for it and we'll get it. Otherwise, you're stuck with me for a while."

"Oh, the horror," Adrien grinned back.


Upstairs, Adrien parked himself on one end of the chaise lounge, next to Marinette. "How are we doing this?" he asked her as she called up the application. "Video, or just audio?"

"Actually, let's see who's in chat first. I think that this only does video up to ten people, so if we get more than that, we'll stay in message chat," explained Marinette. "Let's start with..."

[Alya] Hey, girl! How's the love nest going?

Marinette gave Adrien an embarrassed look. "And... here we go," she mumbled. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Adrien didn't appear fazed. "She's just teasing you, right? I can handle that if you can," he replied.

She managed a smile before continuing.

[Marinette] You know better than that. I'm setting up a group chat to touch base with everyone... are you free right now?

[Alya] Sure. I'll help with the invites.

Between the efforts of the two of them, the room filled up quickly...

[Kim] Hey, what's up, everybody?

[Rose] Hi! I'm so glad to hear from you all!

[Juleka] Hey

[Mylène] Hi, everyone!

[Max] Greetings.

[Kim] Hey, little buddy!

[Alix] You rang?

[Max] Hi, Kim.

[Nathaniel] Hi!

[Alya] Nino, you here?

[Rose] Is everyone doing okay?

[Nino] 'Sup.

[Sabrina] Hello! How are you all?

"Hrmm," Adrien mused. "Did you invite..."

[Chloé] I have arrived. You may begin now.

"Yeah, I did," Marinette grumbled. "Mostly because I know what she'd do if I didn't, and she found out about it."

"I'm proud of you," said Adrien, only mostly joking.


[Marinette] Hi! This isn't anything super-important...

[Marinette] I just figured I'd try and be a good class representative and check on everyone while we still have a class.

[Alix] Hah!

[Kim] We're only supposed to be out for two weeks, right?

[Max] That depends on how things go. More like that in two weeks they'll reevaluate the status.

[Rose] Oooh.

[Alya] That makes sense, though. They don't know how far this thing is going to go yet.

[Marinette] So... shall we go around the room and catch up? Anyone know anyone who's caught it yet? Any good stories to tell?

[Alya] So far, so good here... though I would not recommend going grocery shopping right now, like we tried last night.

[Alix] Unless you're out of toilet paper already... Then it's kind of a must.

[Juleka] Ewww.

[Alix] Well... isn't it?


The group exchanged stories for the next half-hour, verifying that everyone was in good hands and in a safe place.

[Nathaniel] Okay... who are we missing from this?

[Mylène] Ivan. He's at his uncle's house. I talked to him a few times already; he's doing fine.

[Rose] Good.

[Chloe] And Adrien! I am VERY worried about him.

[Chloe] I tried calling his house and they said he wasn't home! As IF.

[Alya] Oh, don't you worry about Adrien. He's doing just fine.

[Nino] I did talk to him. He's okay.

[Chloe] And what is that supposed to mean, Alya?

[Alya] He's happy where he is right now. Happy as a clam! Shacking up, I guess you could say.

[Marinette] ...!

[Chloe] Oh, he's with that Kagami girl? HOW?

[Chloe] I cannot believe that he would risk his life and sneak out just to steal a few kisses. You must be mistaken!

[Alya] I didn't say that he was with her. ;)

[Mylène] Then what are you saying, Alya?

[Alya] How about we all go to video chat?

[Marinette] ...Can we do that? We have... twelve people on, and video only goes up to ten at once.

[Alya] More like thirteen.

[Kim] Are you sure? I only see twelve online.

[Sabrina] It's okay, I can drop off. I have some chores to do.

[Sabrina] Thanks for checking on me, and keep in touch, please!

[Max] That makes eleven...

[Chloé] ...Well? Who else?

[Alya] I'll go. Have fun, Marinette!

[Marinette] You said "let's all go to video chat," and now you're leaving?!

[Alya] I already know. :p

[Rose] Know what?

"You..." muttered Marinette, then turned to Adrien with a tight smile. "Well, I think we're about to start tonight's main attraction. C'mere, you."

She clicked the [Video Chat] button as he leaned in closer...


One by one, classmates' eager faces popped into the subwindows... and, one by one, Marinette counted off expressions of profound surprise. Rose let out a little squeal, then clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Hi!" Adrien greeted everyone. "I would have said something earlier, but Marinette had the keyboard."

"I would have scooted over!" protested Marinette.

"Hey, man!" Kim grinned. "You sly dog! Your dad let you go out and make a..."

Marinette glared at him. "Be careful how you finish that sentence," she warned, playfully.

Alix laughed, "I'm pretty sure he wasn't about to say 'booty call.' Right, Kim?"

"Nope! Not me," he replied, shifting nervously. "Wouldn't have dreamed of that."

"I was visiting Marinette when the word came down about the quarantine," explained Adrien, "and that my father may have been exposed to it. So I..."

"Oh!" exclaimed Rose. "I am so sorry for you, Adrien!"

"That doesn't mean that he has it," he continued. "He's getting tested today; we're just being extra-careful. He almost shipped me off to another country for a while to try and keep me away from it... but Marinette's parents offered to let me stay at their house, instead. And to my utter astonishment, my father accepted their offer."

"No!" exclaimed Chloé, registering considerable disbelief. "All you had to do was ask, Adrien! We would have had lots of room for you here! In a so much nicer-"

"Hey!" growled Alix.

"It is! Adrien is used to living in the lap of luxury, not some... bakery," scoffed Chloé. "I mean, at least Kagami's family has a sense of-"

Adrien leaned forward with an angry look on his face. "And... goodbye, Chloé," he said, clicking the mouse on the X by her name and watching her window close abruptly.

"Damn," Kim exclaimed, looking aghast, while Alix started a slow-clap on her end.

"All of a sudden, the room smells so much better," Juleka smiled.


Post-fumigation, chatter continued for another few minutes before several classmates noted that they needed to drop off.

"How about we all do this next week, same time?" suggested Adrien. "I mean, we all have each other's phone numbers, so we don't have to wait to talk... but this felt good gathering up like this. Someone had a very good idea," he added, pointing at Marinette.

"Yeah, I think we all needed this," Mylène agreed. "I'll bug Ivan to join us next time."

"Good night, everybody!" cooed Rose. "Stay healthy!"

Marinette clicked the video chat off on her computer... then let her head sink slowly to her desk.


"Are you all right, Marinette?" Adrien wondered, caught off-guard by her reaction. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," her muffled voice answered. "Just that I wasn't sure how I was going to mention that you were staying here, and thanks to Alya, it's just sort of... out there now! And now half our class thinks that I kidnapped you to throw myself at you, I guess."

"What?" asked Adrien. "No, I think they know that... I explained that... Kim's always making jokes, and Alya teases you quite a bit, but I don't think that anyone thought..." He paused, looking concerned. "If anything bothered me about that, it was Chloé. She can go straight to hell, as far as I'm concerned."

Marinette sat up again. "It's fine," she sighed. "I'm used to her being rude and snotty by now. I've had years of practice."

"No, it's not fine," Adrien insisted, in a firm voice, and suddenly she couldn't look away from him. "You and your parents have been nothing but wonderful to me. I don't know what I would be doing without you right now. Chloé has no idea how grateful I am... or how disgusted I am with her. No one puts you or them down on my watch."

Marinette's eyes shone, and a hint of a smile returned. "Thank you, Adrien," she managed. "That means so much to me."

"Besides," he grinned, "how do they know I'm not here throwing myself at you?"

Instead of laughter, Adrien saw Marinette's head droop once more... and looked a bit puzzled by her reaction.

Because every one of them knows that if you were, she thought, we'd be far too busy kissing to chat right now.

And every one of them knows that that won't happen.


Marinette took another few seconds to recompose herself, then turned back to Adrien. "I'm fine, Adrien. I promise I am, really. I just... I just need a few minutes to sit and think about some things, okay?" she asked him, quietly.

"Did I-"

"No, Adrien," she declared, cutting him off quickly upon hearing the alarm in his voice. "You didn't do or say anything wrong. In fact, you were kind of my hero just then," she smiled, looking a little embarrassed. "It's so not you. I... look, I'll meet you in just a little while, okay? Then maybe we'll go downstairs and see if my parents want to watch a movie with us, or something like that."

"I would like that. If you're sure that I can't help..." he asked, still looking concerned.

"It's fine. You're a sweetheart, Adrien Agreste," Marinette told him, reaching her hand out and touching his cheek gently. "Go on. I'll be right there soon."

Adrien headed for the door, not turning his head from her until he was in the doorway, then gave her a half-wave and went downstairs to his room.

Marinette watched him go... then let her gaze drift out into space, at nothing in her room in particular.