Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 32
Once again, the evening led to Tom heading up to bed first, followed by Sabine, followed by a slightly nervous tension in the air downstairs. Both teens knew very well what wouldn't be happening... but were also keenly aware of so many other possibilities that could. Probably shouldn't... almost definitely wouldn't... right? But could.
The movie du jour that they selected was a drama, a coming-of-age tale set in southern Europe. Both of them found it interesting, though its setting was a bit before their time, and they found themselves debating some of the characters' motivations between themselves as it went.
"Do you feel up for one more tonight?" asked Adrien, afterwards.
"I'm not sure," replied Marinette, with a small yawn. "I haven't been staying vertical because I had any complaints about last night... I'm vertical because I didn't. I feel like I could snuggle again with you and be asleep in about five minutes."
"Then maybe we should try and be good, and get some sleep tonight," Adrien suggested. "Like you had said before... new toy, let's not wear it out yet."
"Yeah," Marinette grinned. "That sounds like a pretty good plan."
Quietly, they gathered their belongings. Marinette stopped in the kitchen for a drink to take up with her, Adrien picked out a small snack, and they padded gently up to the second floor. "Go ahead and get your bedclothes ready," Marinette told him. "My bathroom's all yours when you come up."
"Thank you," he whispered. "I'll just be a few minutes."
As Marinette busied herself around her room, Tikki snuck a quick peek out of her hideaway. "Anything special planned for this evening?" she whispered to her young host.
"Not really," Marinette replied. "We've been pushing it a little bit lately, between last night and the park today. We said that we'd keep things simple tonight."
"I've heard that before," grinned Tikki.
"I'm serious," insisted Marinette. "I'm... oop!"
She cut her sentence short as she heard footsteps on the stairs nearby, and Tikki zipped out of sight. A gentle knock at her door followed.
"Come in," called Marinette, and a pajama-wearing Adrien crept inside.
"Thank you," he smiled. "I'll just be a couple of minutes."
"Take your time," she told him.
He shut the bathroom door behind him, and Marinette heard the sink water running lightly within.
"What happened with your care package?" asked Marinette. "I thought you said that it was coming tonight."
"Nothing major," Adrien answered, muffled by the door. "The Gorilla was tired tonight, so I told him to go ahead and wait until tomorrow morning. I'd be fine until then, and I had a date in the park with someone, besides."
"I'm glad that I rated so highly," she grinned.
"No, I totally needed that! Maybe not the Officer Raincomprix part..." he noted, "but just getting outside for a little while with you. That was a really good idea."
"The masks'll be here. It's not like you have to wait for me to join you, if you're feeling stir-crazy," Marinette replied. "Not that I mind at all; I really enjoyed it, too."
She paused for a moment. "You don't have any fear about that... going outside right now?" she wondered aloud.
"Jmmph a sccnd!" she heard in return.
"Sorry! Please finish brushing your teeth first," laughed Marinette. "I'm not, like... scared, exactly... I know that we're doing everything we can do to protect ourselves."
But it IS freaky to me, she fretted to herself. I go out and fight villains that can smash buildings or throw lightning at me, and I'm not afraid... but this is something so very different. I can't see it coming, I can't fight it hand-to-hand, I can't out-think it. And yet it can not only sneak up on me and get me... it can take out everyone I love.
The door opened a moment later. Adrien stepped out partway and replied, "Sorry about that. I mean... I know the feeling, right? Everything's so up-in-the-air right now at home. They can't even send me clothes and stuff tomorrow without my having to sanitize everything immediately. Maybe even burn the box that they send it in!"
He leaned against the doorway slightly, looking tired. "But I'm not going to let myself focus on that," he declared. "I have to believe that things will turn out okay for most people, including me. That this is a disruption, not the end of the world. And that as much as I don't really want to leave here..." he smiled, "that it can't be too far down the road."
"I sure hope so. The turn-out-okay part, I mean," empathized Marinette. She sat down on her computer chair, facing him. "Has there been anything new lately about your father, or the workers?"
"Nothing dramatic," shrugged Adrien. "So far no one at the house has tested positive; that's good, at least. But it'll still be at least another week-and-a-half of self-quarantine there, other than errands like this care package. The studio and the production house... that'll be more of a mess to figure out. Father's got his hands full there. But he was submerged in the business before this, so that's nothing new for him."
"It'll work out. It just has to," sighed Marinette. "Okay... my turn in there."
She darted past him with a small bundle under her arm. Adrien watched her with some curiosity. "Pajamas or nightgown tonight?" he asked.
Just before Marinette closed the bathroom door, she shot him an impish grin. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased.
From behind the door, she laughed as she heard Adrien reply, "Actually... yes?"
The door opened moments later, and Marinette stepped out in her customary pajama set. "Not a disappointment, I hope?" she ventured.
"Not at all. You were a vision before you changed, and you still are," admired Adrien. "You'd find it hard not to be beautiful."
He watched Marinette blush... her face falling away shyly.
"...What is it?" he asked her. "It's not like I've made that a secret."
"I know," she purred. "And I'm very happy that you think so, Adrien. I just... I'm not used to hearing it said to me, that's all. Not from someone like you."
"You'd better," Adrien smiled. "Because I know that I'm right."
She stepped forward, as if on autopilot, and embraced him. A light thank-you kiss became two, then three... then five...
"Mmmmph," mumbled Marinette, forcing herself to disengage with a wide smile. "I told myself I was going to behave tonight."
"That's up to you," breathed Adrien, allowing her to create a little space. "Your lips say 'no'... but your lips just said 'yes,' too."
"I know," she moaned. "I'm sorry, Adrien. I feel like I'm being Little Miss Hot-and-Cold with you, and that's so unfair of me."
"Don't say that. You're not making me feel that way," Adrien soothed her. "We both talked about taking it easy tonight, remember? You didn't just lead me on or tease me, I promise."
His face clouded momentarily. "You're not the only one who's struggling with holding back now and then," he said, "and I don't ever want to be pushy about it. I've... I think that I've hurt someone in the past that way... and I never want to repeat that with you."
"You did something like that?" wondered Marinette, uncomprehending. It seemed totally at odds with the boy standing in front of her. "...Not with Kagami? She's never mentioned anything..."
"No... before that. The other girl who didn't like me back the same way," said Adrien. "It's kind of awkward, and... that's in the past."
"Adrien... we're both still figuring out how all of this works," she smiled up at him. "So we'll work it out a little at a time. No rush." She added, "It's your turn to get tucked in tonight, right?"
"I think so," agreed Adrien.
"Then let's go do that," Marinette giggled, "while we can still bear to sleep in different rooms."
The two of them headed downstairs once more, just as quietly and (preferably) as secretly. Everyone seemed to be okay with the two of them being alone at night, so far... but why take chances?
As Adrien climbed onto the guest bed, Marinette closed his door behind her so that the two of them could talk some more. She watched him flop his head down onto the pillow and grin at her, and gestured to him. "Move over a little," she asked him.
"Huh?" Adrien wondered.
"Just a little bit! Move over, you."
When he did, Marinette slid over onto the bed next to him, him under the covers, her on top of them. "Hi," she smiled.
"Hi," Adrien replied. "I wasn't expecting this..."
"Oh, I just wanted to be cozy for a few more minutes," Marinette blushed, leaning forward so that he could reach out and put his arm around her. "And I wanted you to know something, Adrien. You don't make me feel pressured at all. You don't seem pushy or needy. If anything, I feel like I'm the one who's pushed the envelope between us a little bit."
"I don't know about that," countered Adrien. "I've given as good as I've gotten."
"Adrien..." continued Marinette, "I have wanted you for so long. To hold you, to kiss you, to just lie here like this with you. And right now... this all feels so completely natural to me. Why you're here is still crazy... but that you're here couldn't feel more right."
"I couldn't agree more," beamed Adrien.
"And I need you to know that I do feel that natural with you now. That I don't feel like I'm begging for affection... and I'm not drowning in it, either. That I don't feel like we have to keep escalating, or... trying new things... but if we do reach that point, we'll be comfortable talking about it first."
Marinette's voice was soft and warm in Adrien's ears. "I mean, look at me!" she added. "A few months ago, you'd have touched me on the shoulder and I'd have bounced around the room like a rubber ball. Now, I'm literally lying in bed with you and I couldn't feel more comfortable... because I know that we can trust each other. Kissing and cuddling isn't why we're doing this... it's just expressing how we feel."
"That is... a really beautiful way of saying it, Marinette. And you're so right," smiled Adrien. "I'm not thinking and thinking and thinking about what I should say next or do next. I'm just... being with you. And I'm loving it."
They shared some light kisses for a few minutes. "Okay..." breathed Marinette, once her thought processes reasserted themselves, "time to actually practice what I preached here, and let you get some sleep."
"If you need me, you know where I'll be," Adrien told her.
"Don't tempt me, Mister," giggled Marinette.
She kissed him on the forehead once more, then crept up to her room. Adrien rolled onto his back once more, his eyes closing... and with a very peaceful smile on his face.