Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 9
Morning came, after an uneventful evening of movies and relaxation, and with it another opportunity for Marinette's blood pressure to skyrocket.
"You seem a little more relaxed about... that today," Tikki said from her vantage point on Marinette's desk, indicating the closed bathroom door with a small nod.
"I don't know that I am," she replied. "I'm sure that it would still be a... um... a life-changing sight! But I don't feel as tempted right now to sneak a peek... I've got bigger things on my mind."
"Don't overthink it, Marinette. You don't have to rush anything," advised Tikki. "When it's time to talk about those feelings with him... you'll feel that it's right, and you'll do it. I have faith in you."
"Yeah," Marinette said. "Though it's still a pretty big risk if I do it. And if I - Oh!"
Her exclamation came as she heard a loud noise across the room. Peering down, Marinette could see Adrien's phone sitting near his shoes by the bathroom door. Quickly, she dashed down from her bed and picked it up, seeing an incoming call on the screen.
"Adrien!" she called through the door, and heard the shower water turn off. "It looks like Nathalie's calling you."
"Um... that's a secure video-chat app that we use. She'll keep pestering me until I answer; she's like that, and I'm a little... occupied," Adrien answered. "Can you talk to her for a minute?"
"I... guess?" Marinette said. "But I can't unlock your phone to open the app."
"Oh! Yeah, it's a fingerprint sensor," he replied. "Here... let me do it like this..."
"Ahhh!" yelped Marinette, as the bathroom door opened slightly...
"I'm not coming out!" yelled Adrien. "Not like this! I just... can you reach the phone around the door, please?"
Marinette closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and did as she was asked. She felt a warm, wet hand touch hers, imagined the state that Adrien was in on the other side of the door, and couldn't suppress a giggle.
"Why, Adrien! This is so sudden," she found the nerve to joke.
"Got it!" Adrien declared. "Thank you! I'll just be a minute."
The door closed once Marinette pulled her arm and the phone back into her room. For some reason, Marinette felt like her bedroom was suddenly full of steam as well.
"H-hello!" Marinette answered as the call connected. Nathalie's face popped into view, looking rather startled to see a schoolgirl in a pajama top on the other end.
"Good... morning," Nathalie sputtered out. "Marinette, is it?"
"Yes, that's me," said Marinette. "Adrien is in the shower. He asked me to answer while he gets dressed. Which he asked me through the bathroom door. That stayed closed. Yep, that's how he asked."
"Somehow I cannot imagine otherwise," deadpanned Nathalie. "Everything is going well on your end, I hope?"
"It is. He's well-fed, well-rested and entertained. I think my father's ready to take him on as an apprentice in our kitchen," smiled Marinette. "Though I would imagine his father would have something to say about that."
"Yes... he would. I have some news about his father, speaking of... would you pass a message to Adrien, once he's presentable?" Nathalie asked.
"Will do..."
A short time later, the door popped open and a semi-clad Adrien emerged, with his hair wet and unruly by his standards. He had a pair of exercise shorts on for modesty's sake, but otherwise had just a towel draped over his neck and shoulders.
"Did you get her?" he asked. "Is she still on the line?"
"No... she just had a brief message to pass on to you," Marinette said, looking away nervously.
"You can look! I have pants on," laughed Adrien. "I'm not going to bite."
"I know!" she blushed, turning back towards him and meeting his gaze. "Um... she had good news and bad news. Good news first?"
"Sure," he said.
"Your father's test results came back... and he tested negative for COVID-19," smiled Marinette. "Which is excellent to hear."
"I'll say!" smiled Adrien. "But what was the bad news?"
"Two people in the design studio are showing symptoms, and are quarantined at home now," she explained. "So until they get tested as well, those who were near them can't be sure..."
"...and everyone that they were in contact with might have been exposed, too. Wow, that's not good," Adrien fretted. "That's an awful lot of people at risk!"
"And Nathalie is one of them; she was in that studio herself, and since she's been up close with your father since then..." Marinette continued, "there's a whole bunch more self-quarantining happening now, including at your house. She wants you to remain clear of there for at least another week, probably two. The studio and production lines are shut down now, as a precaution."
"They should've been already," grumbled Adrien.
In her urge to comfort him, Marinette let most of her shyness tumble away. "Adrien... I am so sorry," she told him, moving in close. "I was really hoping that you'd be able to relax once your father's results came back, but now you'll be worrying that much longer."
"I don't think that anyone can really relax right now, can they?" Adrien pointed out. "Sure, he's negative for now, and so are all of us... as far as we know, anyway. But it's too important to leave anything to chance, and that means thinking of the workers before the business! He should have shut it down much sooner."
"I don't know the specifics, but don't be too hard on him until Nathalie tells you the whole story," Marinette consoled him. "I'm just passing on what she told me. I don't know what other precautions they might've had in place before this. No one was ready for any of this to happen."
They looked at each other for a moment... and neither was sure who moved first, but a hug was happening before they knew it.
"We're going to get through all of this," Marinette told him, not letting go. "I don't know how yet... but we all will."
"I know," Adrien said. "And thank you... I needed this."
"Good," smiled Marinette. After a moment, she added, "And you're still kind of wet," realizing that her pajamas were absorbing some of it.
"Showers can do that," agreed Adrien.
That broke the ice enough to get both of them laughing. "Go on, do what you still need to do in there. Then I can get my shower," Marinette grinned.
"Hey, um... if you're in the shower and your phone rings, what should I do?" Adrien asked, feigning innocence.
"You just let it ring."
Downstairs, Sabine heard her husband coming up the stairs as she readied breakfast. "Tom?" she called. "Should I go down and mind the store for you?"
"I wouldn't bother right now," sighed Tom as he entered the room. "I put a sign on the door saying YES WE ARE OPEN and BACK IN TEN MINUTES. I don't know that anyone will be there to read it."
"That slow today, huh?" asked Sabine. "I am glad that so many people are staying home, for their own sake, but that doesn't do much for our business."
"Like molasses." Tom poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down. "It's a strange time," he mused. "People still need to eat, you know? So I want to remain open and do my part. But every day is a guessing game now of what to make, and how much, and if anyone will turn up to buy it. It's maddening."
Sabine sat down across from him. "We've had slow times before, and gotten through them. We have enough savings stashed away to not have to worry yet. Not everyone is that lucky," she noted. "And it's not like what we make is being wasted if it doesn't get sold; the food banks that pick up our extras are seeing to that. They're needed more than ever right now."
"I know. But it's still frustrating," grumbled Tom. "I've seen on social media that some of the other bakeries in town are doing great. Overwhelmed, even."
"Most of them don't have a certain disadvantage," said Sabine, in a flat tone.
Tom caught her subtext and frowned. "Any customer who brings up your Chinese heritage that way will never set foot in our store again," he declared. "You can be sure of that."
"I'm not fond of that notion, either," Sabine countered. "But people are scared, Tom. They're not thinking straight. I'm not going to take it personally."
"I'll handle that for you, if it comes to it," sighed Tom, as he made himself calm down.
Footsteps on the stairs announced the kids' arrival. Marinette noted both her parents' presence and looked puzzled. "Who's minding the bakery?" she asked.
"I will be, momentarily. Taking a quick break," said Tom.
Adrien relayed the news from Nathalie about his father and the quarantined workers. "It sounds like you're stuck with me for a while longer," he told them. "I apologize for that."
"Don't worry about that," Tom replied. "You are far from a burden, Adrien. It's been very nice having you here, and you're welcome to stay as long as you need to."
"Is there any kind of financial arrangement that we can make?" asked Adrien. "I'm sleeping under your roof, I'm eating your food, I'd like to feel like I'm contributing."
"You're helping around the house, you're helping in the bakery, you're wonderful company for Marinette. You don't think that that's enough?" smiled Sabine. "You're part of our family for now. That's all that we could ask of you."
"Thank you," Adrien managed. "It feels great to feel like... I'm part of a real family. If I can help in other ways, you let me know." He turned to Marinette and asked, "Shall we go down and watch the bakery for them for a while?"
"Oh, no, you don't, young man. You sit right down," Sabine directed him with a smile. "If you're in this family, you'll listen to your mother, and she's telling you to eat your breakfast first."
