Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 23
Marinette stared at her phone, seeing that Kagami was just as frustrated as she herself felt.
"Kagami... look. Let's think this out together. We're both smart people, and so is Adrien. We can throw logic at this and find some way through it that doesn't hurt anyone; I'm sure of it," she stated. "Follow me for a minute here, okay?"
"I'm all ears," Kagami told her.
"The first thing... we're all agreed, including Adrien, that none of us wants to hurt anyone. That all three of us need to remain close. We are going to figure something out here where nobody feels left out, where nobody's feeling like less of a friend. I think that's the most important thing that we can do," began Marinette.
"Like a doctor says... first, do no harm," agreed Kagami.
"So, working from that," said Marinette. "Adrien cares quite a bit for both of us, and that's not going to change... and it shouldn't. We're both hoping that what we have already will keep growing. So, if that's true... we both already have most of what we want, don't we?" She felt her analytical side kicking in, like Ladybug figuring out what to do with a bizarre Lucky Charm. "We have his affection, we're spending time with him, he's giving us both those soft eyes now. What is it that comes next, the next step that we're figuring out how not to fight over?"
"Well... being his girlfriend, I suppose. The closeness, the intimacy," Kagami replied.
"Very true. But I'm not his girlfriend right now... but I feel more intimate with Adrien now than I ever have been. Emotionally, intellectually... the way that we're communicating better now. We've opened up to each other so much more," Marinette pondered. "I don't need an upgrade, so to speak, to enjoy that. What else?"
"The physical things," mused Kagami. "Kissing and snuggling. That kind of intimacy. Things that you only do with someone that you're dating."
"Uh-huh! Exactly," smiled Marinette. "Stuff that we really want... I know that just hugging and cuddling with Adrien felt really, really good. I'll have to take your word for it that he's just as good at kissing..."
Kagami couldn't hide her grin. "I don't have a lot of basis for comparison... but I know what I like," she beamed. "If you ever do get the chance... I think that you'll approve."
"So two questions come to mind," Marinette ventured, "and I don't have an answer for either one of them yet. The first one is... do we want that... or do we need that?"
"An interesting way of looking at that," pondered Kagami. "Now that I've had it with him, I would truly miss being without it... like I am right now... but being apart like this, I can't have it. But not having that temporarily doesn't invalidate everything else that Adrien and I have, does it? I don't think so."
"And I can't have it, because he and I aren't there yet... and we shouldn't be, if he's your boy... but what we have so far... it's working for me," agreed Marinette. "So, it's like, we're both winning the game even if neither of us gets to play the bonus round right now."
"That's quite a metaphor," laughed Kagami. "But I see what you're saying. What's the other question?"
"It's about the game itself," Marinette said, in a thoughtful tone. "You and I are battling for the heart and undying love and devotion... and lips, in particular... of Adrien Agreste."
She paused before asking, "What if we're looking at this whole thing all wrong?"
"You have my attention," Kagami frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said," Marinette replied. "You, me, Chloe, Lila, like a million screaming fans... probably that Wayhem guy, too... all in love with Adrien. It's like some big reality TV show, and we're the finalists, and now we have our big final showdown because there can only be one winner."
"...Why are you giving me that look?" asked Marinette, seeing Kagami's grinning face.
"I've heard the legends of Marinette Dupain-Cheng entering Devious and Crafty Mode. Now I see that those legends are all true," Kagami laughed. "Go on, please."
"I... have my moments," Marinette smiled, feeling a little bit flushed. "Anyway... what is it that we're trying to win, exactly? His affection, his caring, his eyes on us, his wanting to spend time with us? You and I both have those already. What we're fighting over is exclusive rights to the bonus round. And, believe me, I think we'd both agree that that's a prize worth winning."
"Uh-huh..." echoed Kagami.
"But who's to say that there can be only one winner? Or that he has to select that winner any time soon? Or that anyone has to be a winner right now?"
"I'm not sure that I follow," Kagami replied. "He is certainly interested in dating, and kissing, and all of that right now."
"And so are both of us. He wants to kiss me; I want to kiss him. He wants to kiss you; you want to kiss him. But he can't seem to decide which of us he'd rather be kissing... and we're all looking at that as if he has to pick one of us, and only one, and soon. But if we've both won his heart... and we both decide that we're done competing?"
Kagami stared back thoughtfully, not replying to that yet.
"Though... I don't mean all of that to sound like it's Adrien's fault," Marinette noted. "It's not like he's setting us up against one another. 'Dance, my cute little puppets!'" she giggled. "Quite the opposite; he seems like he's terrified of what choosing one of us would do to the other. But where the three of us are now... something has to give."
"So which are you suggesting?" puzzled Kagami. "That neither of us dates him right now... or that we share, somehow?"
"I'm not sure. And that's what I need you to help me figure out."
"He may not go for either of those options. I'm just pulling things out of my head right now," cautioned Marinette. "But part of it is... that it's not just his decision. It's ours, too. And if we're united that we're not going to hurt each other by making him choose one... it kind of has to be either none or two, doesn't it?"
"Hmmm..." Kagami pondered all of this with a calculating expression.
"Now, I realize what this might sound like, Kagami," Marinette explained. "Like you're dating Adrien - you already have him, you've already won - and I'm asking you to either give that up or share half of it with me. And that doesn't sound fair to me at all... but remember what you said earlier about how we each had advantages over the other?"
Marinette's face was earnest as she continued. "Right now... I have Adrien next to me, living in my house, even taking turns tucking each other into bed at night. Dressed appropriately, I assure you!" she told a momentarily wide-eyed Kagami. "That might continue for quite some time if we stay locked down. If he's hungry for romance... no matter how hard I'm trying to help keep the two of you close... I might be his best option. Certainly his most kissable option right now."
"I could steal him away pretty easily, if I was that kind of girl," sighed Marinette, "but that doesn't sound fair to me at all, either."
"And as I had said... there's still a question of whether you'd be 'stealing' him at all. Whether I actually 'have him' to start with," Kagami replied, flatly. "Even if you are sure that it would be outright theft... I'm not completely sure yet."
"So there's what I'm proposing. I can hold back, and tell him that I'm holding back, and you really have no choice about holding back right now... and we can all get together when things are less crazy and try to make sense of this as a trio," said Marinette. "Or... I can let things happen, knowing that you have every right to be just as kissy with him when you get to see him again... and both of us will have to hope that it doesn't get weird once we all get together."
"Am I making sense with all of that?" she asked Kagami. "Or is there a third alternative that I haven't thought of yet?"
"You are making sense, Marinette," Kagami assured her. "There's also the question of which of those proposals is less likely to make Adrien's skull explode."
"Maybe... we should ask him? If we dare," smiled Marinette. "But only if we don't have problems with one or the other. What do you think?"
"I think... that I am very lucky to have you as a friend, Marinette... and as a rival," smiled Kagami. "When Adrien and I talked tonight, I can't say that I liked hearing 'I told another girl that I love her.' If it was anyone else... things would be very different. But I told him that I had to talk to you before I made up my mind about him... and, somehow, you've left me feeling better than I had been. That's quite the magic trick."
"I'm not trying to trick you, Kagami. I swear," Marinette said.
"I know. That's why it worked."
Downstairs, Tom rummaged through the refrigerator, fetching a small snack and a cold drink. Light footsteps behind him caught his ear, and he turned expecting to see his wife... but didn't.
"Hello, Mr. Dupain," said Adrien. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I just needed a drink of water."
"Not at all, son. Just a trifle hungry. Would you like anything from here?" Tom asked, gesturing at the fridge.
"No, thank you. I'm still full from earlier..." Adrien trailed off.
"...And perhaps a phone call just spoiled what was left of your appetite," smiled Tom, sympathetically. "I've been there myself many years ago, my lad. It's rarely easy." Pondering that for a moment, Tom came to a decision and took a seat on a kitchen stool. "Is there anything that you need to get off your chest?"
"I wouldn't want to impose..." began Adrien, but seeing Tom's sincere expression, pulled up a stool and sat down as well. "...Thank you," he added. "I'm sorry about how things have been lately. It seems that if I'm not bringing one kind of drama to your house, it's another."
"Not intentionally, though. You certainly don't seem the type," Tom noted. "How did your talk with the other girl go?"
"Haltingly?" Adrien suggested. "I was very honest with Kagami, both about what's happened since I've been here and what hasn't. She was actually happy that Marinette spoke her mind; she knew about Marinette's feelings long before I did. Now, as for my reaction to that... not so happy. And I can't blame her one bit. She wanted to speak with Marinette before making up her mind as to what to do... and she's doing that now."
"It can't be easy, having two attractive girls interested in you at once, hmmm?" asked Tom, testing his reaction.
"That wasn't my intent, trust me. I'm very inexperienced at these kinds of things," admitted Adrien. "Your daughter has been... one of the brightest lights in my life, ever since we met this year. I knew that she was very fond of me, and that was always mutual! But finding out that she had romantic feelings as well... that knocked me for quite a loop. I don't know how else to put it. If I had known about that a month ago... so much could be different now, instead of it being the juggling act that it is."
"I am sincere about Marinette, Mr. Dupain. I can say that very plainly," he added. "But I cannot hurt Kagami, and Marinette and I are... well... we're still figuring out just how deep what's between us truly runs. If we ought to explore a relationship... or if we ought to wait... or if it's better if we stay the best of friends."
"She has had her eye on you for a very long time, Adrien. I don't think she'd mind my saying that, now that she has," Tom smiled. "But I am glad that you are taking both of their feelings into account."
"Now I know that she has. For many months, I had a major crush on someone else, and that blinded me to who and what was right in front of me," said Adrien. "I'm sorry for that, and I'll spend a long time making that up to Marinette, no matter what."
"A third person?" wondered Tom. "One of your other classmates, perhaps?"
"Perhaps... I doubt it, but I can't be sure," replied Adrien.
Tom gave him a confused look. "How can you not be sure? She is or she isn't," he asked.
"None of us know her real name... but she's saved my life more than once," Adrien sighed. "She's the bravest person I've ever met."
"She's saved your life...?" Tom did the mental math and his eyes widened. "You don't mean..." he asked, holding his hands up to his face and miming a domino mask over his eyes.
"Y-yeah," admitted Adrien, nervously. "Ladybug. We've met under quieter circumstances a couple of times, and I... I just..."
"Hmmph! That does explain much," marveled Tom. "And I would imagine that you're far from alone. Ladybug looks to be about your age... and she is one of the wonders of this world."
"She is... but she's also all business in costume, and I don't know who the girl is behind it, so... it was just a silly fantasy of mine." Adrien looked downcast as he added, "Time and effort that now I wish I'd focused on someone else."
"Adrien... you're what, fourteen? Like Marinette is?" Tom asked, to which Adrien nodded. "Can I give you some brief advice, son?"
"S-sure," stammered Adrien.
"Your age is a very complicated one. You have so many things in and about it that you're just beginning to figure out... and so are all your friends and peers, too. You're someone who cares deeply about how others feel, who wants to care for them and protect them... that's obvious, and it's a marvelous quality in you," counseled Tom. "But at your age, that is a time to dream, and to dream big... because you just might reach it someday. And you should never feel bad about what your honest feelings are," he added. "Does Marinette know about that crush you had?"
"Sort of?" said Adrien. "She knows that there was someone else back then, but there isn't know. I didn't name her."
"Well... that's up to you if you ever choose to," said Tom. "But its being someone like her, someone who's saved your life, someone simply amazing... I suspect that Marinette might understand better than you might think."
They heard footsteps on the stairs, coming down. "Thank you, Mr. Dupain. I'll keep that in mind. And thank you for listening to me."
"Any time," smiled Tom, heading back into the living room as Marinette appeared in the stairwell. "I'll leave you two to talk."
