Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 36
Marinette took advantage of a pre-dinner lull to head upstairs and gather her thoughts. In this case, said thoughts were more scattered than she was willing to let on to Adrien or to her parents yet. Her preferred coping method hadn't changed in many months, however; to close her room door, lock it, climb up to her bed and wait for a tiny red friend to arrive.
"A penny for your thoughts," said Tikki, pleasantly.
"You might be undercharging me," replied Marinette. "Because I'm packed full of them right now."
"I'm low on pocket money, anyway. Something about not having any pockets," smiled Tikki. "What's on your mind?"
"Oh, not much. I just had a conversation with Adrien's father about my future, that's all... and now I'm not as sure about what it is."
"That good, huh? Tell me about it," invited Tikki.
Marinette filled Tikki in on the conversation she'd had in Adrien's room with his father. "He was fine with our walk in the park being innocent enough," she explained, "and kind of fine with how we wormed our way out of a ticket. But at the time, I didn't even think about Adrien's name getting out there, or that anyone would make a big deal out of seeing him there... let alone calling it in to the newspapers!"
"And neither did Adrien. And he has much more practice at that sort of thing," Tikki soothed her. "I don't think that Adrien thinks that you caused any problems for him with how you handled it."
"But his father did. He hinted as much, anyway," argued Marinette. "And it sort of ties into something that I've been thinking about, Tikki. Kagami seems to grasp the... how should I put it? Celebrity lifestyle? Being born to privilege? Whatever it is, she grew up that way, too. I most definitely didn't."
"And that's not necessarily a bad thing," she mused. "Because Adrien doesn't really care for that much, either. He would rather just be an everyday person and not have to deal with any of that. But... that's what he wants. Is that really what's best for him?"
"That depends on who's looking at it. His father would rather see Adrien fall in line, certainly, but Adrien has his own opinions on that. And Adrien's walking a tightrope there whether you're dating him or not," Tikki said. "So maybe you shouldn't feel like it's all on your shoulders, and that you're the deciding factor. Adrien has a lot of decisions to make on his own."
"And you're a part of many of those decisions. That's true, too," continued Tikki. "But something else to think about is that those decisions aren't all-or-nothing. He's not going to pick you or pick Kagami right now and voila! That's who he's going to marry someday. I mean, maybe? Who knows?"
"I'm still trying to figure out next week, let alone someday," agreed Marinette.
"He's trying to find a balance in his own way. Between what his father asks of him and what he wants. Between his responsibilities and his needs. Between you and Kagami. You can help him find that balance."
"Which is what I'm trying to figure out now," Marinette sighed.
Downstairs, in his room, Adrien found himself somewhat unsettled as well.
Father, what am I to do with you? he considered. You have such a knack for giving me what it is that I want... then making me wonder if I have it after all.
I wondered what Father would make of Marinette and I getting closer. I figured that I might have a fight on my hands... as he's had his heart set on my romancing Kagami, and he doesn't know Marinette all that well... but he seemed to approve! When he challenged Marinette about what happened at the park, I thought that he was about to come down on her like a ton of bricks.
But she held her own - and I HAVE TO congratulate her on that later, her nerves must have been buzzing like crazy - and he not only acknowledged that and praised her, but hinted that he has future plans for her!
Wow.
Not that she doesn't deserve that... but that's pretty heavy stuff for her to hear. I know that she's been a fan of Agreste Fashions from even before she met me... and now Gabriel Agreste himself is on the phone, telling her that he's watching her progress and plans on testing her in the future.
I think that he really meant it, too! marveled Adrien. I mean, _I_ know how good at so many things she is, and how great she's going to be. But he's only seen one clothing design of hers firsthand - the derby hat - and, otherwise, he just has my word for it. Somehow I doubt that he even knows what Kitty Section is, let alone has seen the costumes that she designed for them.
Does he know more about her than he'd let on to me before? Has Nathalie done his homework for him? Or does he trust my judgment that much? Or was it just that she stood up for herself, and for me, and didn't get intimidated by him on the phone?
Either way... her head must be spinning now.
And then... he just had to throw in the condition. That she has to be cognizant of her effect on his business before she's actually even part of it. That she needs to be a mind reader about how Kagami feels, and about how people will react to her and me in public. That our relationship-in-progress depends on his stress levels more than our feelings.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? That everything remains up in the air, and could be taken away at his whim, even while he's also saying how he doesn't want to interfere or tell me whom I should be dating. "I do not wish to... but I can, and I might."
I'M stressed. She HAS to be. She reassured me right afterwards how she expected as much when she started chasing me... but she can hide her feelings pretty well when she wants to, especially when she thinks that I'll feel bad about them.
I wonder how I should handle this...
"I heard what Mr. Agreste said today," Marinette stated. "I was... well... I don't know what to make of what he said about me. I can kind of believe that Nathalie knows a little about me by now, if Adrien's talked to her about me. But that's Gabriel Agreste, the fashion mogul! I'm still trying to make myself believe that he even knows who I am, let alone that stuff about... tests and rewards and my having an eye for quality."
"I would imagine that much of that does come from Adrien," reasoned Tikki. "Not a bad person to have on your side in that respect."
"But all of a sudden, there's so much more to it," sighed Marinette. "Now Adrien's not just deciding whether to date me or Kagami, he's weighing that and his father's wishes and what a 'major client' wants, who just happens to be Kagami's mother. I didn't go after Adrien because I had dreams of a career with Agreste... I mean, is it something on my wish list? Sure, but you know that ambition had nothing to do with any of this!"
"Of course not. A sweet smile, a kind gesture, and pretty green eyes had more to do with it," Tikki assured her.
"I'm not ready for Gabriel Agreste to even think about thinking about me from a business perspective," moaned Marinette. "It's way too early for that; I'm still way too young and inexperienced. But he made it sound like... that's now an aspect of how he thinks of me. That I'm in the loop on helping to manage Adrien's public image now, and I don't know what I'm doing there."
"Now, that I would ask Adrien about, if I were you," said Tikki. "Because he has a better idea of his father's expectations and what he meant by that than you do, I'd say, just from who he is. You could ask Kagami if she's felt that kind of pressure. Kagami's not a potential designer, of course, but from what you described, she's been right in the middle of Mr. Agreste's plans as well."
"I might just do that. Not tonight, but soon," considered Marinette. "Both to pick her brain and to remain honest with her about what's going on over here."
"Which will go a long way towards keeping everyone sane in and of itself," smiled Tikki. "I think that she'll feel touched that you trust her that much."
"So I'm not completely overthinking all of this?" pondered Marinette. "I am pretty good at that."
"I think that you're putting a lot of thought into something that deserves it," replied Tikki. "But I wouldn't stay up all night worrying about it, either. Not yet."
Adrien glanced across the room and saw Plagg flat on his back, snoring very quietly. He got a small chuckle out of that... but then another thought jumped into his mind.
You know, he worried, there IS someone that I haven't checked in on during this whole quarantine mess. Now, there hasn't been an Akuma lately, and when there hasn't, it's not unusual for me not to see her for a week or two... but I really ought to at least make sure that everything's going well enough for her.
If she's stuck at home for some reason, and she needs anything, I could play delivery boy... if I can figure out how to get out of the Dupain-Cheng house without getting caught. And figure out where to leave it where it wouldn't give away her identity, of course!
Adrien glanced over at the guest room's window. Rising from his bed, he tested it; it did unlock and open, though it was on the second floor, and the drop to the ground below did not look promising.
I'm not going out that way as myself... but I could as Chat Noir, if I had to. So I at least have that option without having to sneak past anyone.
An impulse flickered through his mind.
Come to think of it, he realized, there's someone ELSE who might be wondering about Chat Noir. There's really only one person whom I socialize with as Chat, and I know exactly how SHE'S doing right now... but she doesn't know where I am or if I'm affected.
Maybe... I might just have to do something about both of those people.
"Hey, Plagg," he called, quietly. "Are you awake?"
"Mmmmrrph?" came the reply from his Kwami. "Yeah, I'm awake. What's up?"
"Can I borrow you for a moment?"
"All right. So I've got my to-do list now..." mused Marinette. "Talk with Adrien about that phone call later. Talk with Kagami when I get the chance, maybe tomorrow. Make myself relax about Adrien's father. And go fetch Adrien and see if we'd rather play Catan or Ticket to Ride with my parents after dinner."
"That sounds like a pretty good plan," said Tikki. "Relaxing is the main thing, though. Right now you are giving Adrien exactly what he needs... family and comfort and love. Keep that up above all else."
"I plan to," smiled Marinette. "Thank you for - um... what is it, Tikki?"
Tikki's facial expression changed abruptly, as if she could hear something that Marinette could not. Marinette watched as Tikki remained in that state for a few moments, then looked back at Marinette appearing somewhat thoughtful.
"Hey... let's go in your bathroom for a moment, shall we? And close the door," suggested Tikki.
"Is something wrong?" asked Marinette, doing as she had been asked and locking it behind her.
"No, not wrong," said Tikki. "Just... you'll want to transform for a moment, okay? And I don't want Adrien walking in on you while you are. Check your communicator... because you just got a message."