Stuck In A Bakery (With You), Chapter 54

"Well! Good morning, lovebirds."

Sabine greeted the hand-in-hand pair entering the kitchen with a warm smile. "Breakfast is on the stove, help yourselves," she gestured. "Now that you're up and around, I'll head downstairs and help Tom out."

"Thank you, as always! We'll be down shortly," Adrien said.

"Your help is greatly appreciated, Adrien," smiled Sabine. She nudged her head towards the television, which was reporting on the state of COVID-19 across their nation, then added, "Though it's starting to look like we'd better enjoy it while we have it!"

"I saw that! They've moved Paris into Orange status," Marinette agreed. "And most of the rest of France is in the Green now!"

"Paris is just too large and crowded for Green yet. Not that Green means 'back to normal,' though it's a good start," Sabine noted. "We still have a long way to go before anywhere feels normal again. Adrien, have you heard anything from your father lately?"

"Nathalie still calls every morning... though her message gets a little repetitive," replied Adrien. "No new cases among the staff, quarantine continues, positive signs towards a staggered reopening of our facilities, Father remains beside himself with stress and worry."

"That is not quite what I asked," Sabine pointed out.

Adrien processed that... then nodded. "Father has called me himself twice since the conversation that we talked about with you," he continued. "Brief, direct, and gliding effortlessly around complicated topics." He shrugged, adding, "That's how he is. I think he's so used to maintaining his public persona that he finds it easier to just never shift out of CEO mode any more. He never was the most emotionally demonstrative of people."

Sabine held her tongue... but her discomfort with that was obvious.

"It has been a true pleasure to see a real family up close," Adrien declared, warmly. "And for a little while, to feel like I'm part of it."

"You come over here, young man," insisted Sabine.

Adrien stepped over to her... and was a bit startled when Sabine wrapped him up in a hug.

"As long as this one wants you around," Sabine told him, indicating Marinette, "you will always have a place in this family, Adrien. Whatever it is you need, you just ask us, okay? If it's dinner with us, if it's company, if it's someone to talk to, if it's a place to hide for a little while. We all need that sometimes," she smiled. "And somehow I don't think Marinette's going to let go of you any time soon."

"Nope," grinned Marinette, very simply.

"I would be very sad if she did," gasped Adrien. "I... hearing that means more than you know, Mrs. Cheng. Thank you so much."

Sabine began to disengage from the hug... except that Adrien wasn't letting go just yet. "My pleasure," she told him, pulling herself loose gently. "All right. You two take your time with breakfast, and I'll see you soon."

As she watched her mother depart, Marinette filled her plate with a tingly feeling of her own. "Wow," she laughed. "Welcome to the family, Adrien!"

"Y-yeah! That feels... really, really nice."

He paused, thinking for a moment, then looked up at Marinette once more.

"We didn't just get engaged, did we?"

Marinette dropped her fork. As it rattled around on her plate, she replied, "I don't... think so? But we'll check with her later."

Marinette sat down across from Adrien at the table. "I have a feeling that Paris won't be too far behind in easing the restrictions," she mused. "We're bigger and more crowded, but most people have been acting smart and following the guidelines."

"School isn't coming back soon, though. I looked that up," Adrien said. "There are schools that are reopening in France, but not so much here, and Principal Damocles put out a statement that he expects the rest of the school year to be vacated. Better safe than sorry, he said."

"Yeah," agreed Marinette. "There are some places that are doing virtual classrooms, learning over the Internet... but some of the things that we do at our school, virtual learning is harder to do. I don't have a chemistry lab in my basement."

"On the bright side, no final exams!" grinned Adrien. His smile faded a little as he considered the situation, though. "Actually, there's a question. Are they just going to say 'you passed' or 'you failed' based on our current grades, and promote us or retain us based on that? Or are we going to pick up where we left off when we can?"

"That is a good question. I haven't read up on that; I guess we'll see what happens when we get there," Marinette replied. "I hope that we get some more time with our current class, honestly. It has been such a great mix of people! Maybe my favorite class ever."

"Those shift from year to year, right?" asked Adrien. "Some stay together, some get shuffled around?"

"Uh-huh. Except that Chloé and I never seem to be apart for very long," grumbled Marinette.

"Been there. Done that," Adrien sympathized. "She hasn't been all bad this year, has she?"

Marinette paused. "Not all," she allowed, "but let me add everything up, and come up with a final percentage..."

She lowered her eyes, smiling. "I'm sorry. I know that you're more than a little fonder of her than I am," she said. "I've tried. I'll try again."

"Well," Adrien noted, "given what you've been through with her this year, with and without masks... I can't blame you for being frustrated. At least you don't have to worry about her stealing me away any more."

"I had to before?" boggled Marinette.

"No, never! But you worried about it anyway," grinned Adrien.

As he continued thinking about the changing situation, Adrien pushed some food around on his plate, idly.

"Are you all right, Adrien?" asked Marinette, noting some sudden melancholy.

"I don't want to go home," Adrien told her, plainly. "That's most of it."

"You can't think that I want you to," Marinette retorted. "I mean... I do! You've been most welcome here, as I kind of think you can tell... but your life is there. And with what we know now," she added, her eyes sparkling, "we can sneak out together whenever we want to."

"Sure! And there are lots of places where I haven't kissed you yet. Places in Paris, I mean," he amended himself quickly as he watched a giggly Marinette turn crimson. "But there's a big difference between sneaking out and stealing some time together... and being together like this. Cuddles on your couch, board games with your parents, just sitting around doing nothing but grinning at each other... that'll get traded for piano practice, Chinese lessons and Nathalie 'trying to fit you into Adrien's schedule, but I just can't find an opening,'" he grimaced, imitating Nathalie's cadence.

"True," Marinette moped. "I'm still wrapping my head around the idea that your father seemed to approve of us."

"And that will open some surprising doors for you... and with every minute he spends getting to know you, he'll love you a little bit more," he grinned. "But I wish I could say that I trust Father to stand by that. I'm not saying that he won't," Adrien clarified, "but that he's been known to change things around on a whim and act as if they've always been that way."

"I am going to fight for us, believe me," he continued, with a serious face. "To get you included in what I do, in places that I go... as much as you want to be. Like, I don't want you to think 'oh, crap, now I'm a photoshoot model, too?'... unless you'd want to be."

"As if I could," scoffed Marinette. "You were born for that. Me..."

"You know that I think so," beamed Adrien. "And a lot of other people, too, I'd wager. Or for trips, like when I took the train to that wedding with Father and the Tsurugis. You know whom I'd want sitting next to me next time."

"I would like that. Of course I would," Marinette replied. "But that involves keeping your father and the Tsurugis happy with each other. And that means playing fair with Kagami."

"Are you going to be comfortable with what I suggested last night?" asked Adrien. "I think it could go a long way towards reinforcing those bonds."

"I'm... not opposed. We'll see whether or not she is, when we get the chance. And I don't think that we should wait too much longer to approach her... especially if travel and gathering restrictions are starting to loosen up. Before long, we'll see her face-to-face... and we'll need to agree on what to tell her."

Watching Adrien's face... Marinette walked around the table and hugged him. "This is going to be hard on you, I know. You're too good a person for it not to be," she soothed him. "And you know what I told you. You have every right to explore how you two still feel about each other, once you can."

"I know... but when we all talked about that not long ago... so much was different."

"We're going to do what we always do, costumed or not. We're going to be a team... and we're going to make things better, as much as we can," she smiled. "And no matter what happens... I've got your back."

"That's all I could ever ask for," Adrien smiled. "You are."

They assessed the situation - no parents nearby, but they weren't far away, and a full-on makeout session on the breakfast table wasn't proper behavior, was it? - and adjusted their kissing accordingly.

Sabine looked up as she heard footsteps on the stairs, and beckoned to the kids as they arrived. "Just in time," she called. "Marinette, can you help me with something over here?"

"Sure, Mama," replied Marinette. As she dashed over, Adrien announced, "I'll see what I can help Mr. Dupain with," then ducked into the kitchen.

"Hullo, Adrien," Tom waved to him. "I've got plenty to keep you busy, if you're willing and able."

"Absolutely. Just point me where I need to be and tell me what to do."

Some time flew by with Tom supervising Adrien's kitchen prep-work. "Whew!" gasped Adrien. "There are so many things to do!"

"Indeed," Tom agreed. "With things in Paris beginning to loosen up slightly... I can start being more creative again and less focused on the essentials people needed. That means a lot more side tasks and time-consuming components. I'd keep you indefinitely if I could; you're turning into a fine little helper."

"I would stay here if I could," replied Adrien. "And not just to be with Marinette. This is... I told Mrs. Cheng the same thing, but this stay has been what family should feel like."

"Though being with Marinette is certainly quite a bonus, hmmm?" smiled Tom.

"It is. And we, um... I think we crossed a threshold last night," Adrien beamed, then panicked when he realized what that sounded like. "Nothing physical! I didn't mean that! Just... I believe that we're really a couple now."

"That's good to hear. Just watching the two of you, it's seemed inevitable," noted Tom. "So suited for each other in so many ways."

He gave Adrien an appraising gaze, pausing, then added, "And I'm sure that if something did begin to happen... that the two of you would be quite careful about how and when and where."

Adrien did his very best not to cut his thumb off with the pastry knife he was wielding.

"...Sir?" he gasped.

"Oh, I am not saying that I expect that any time soon. Nor that I am encouraging it right away. You are my daughter's first boyfriend, after all! I believe that I'm supposed to loathe you, though you make that completely impossible for me to do," Tom grinned. "Quite the contrary! I like very much that you are kind, thoughtful and respectful, and clearly want all the best for Marinette."

"I do. I absolutely do," Adrien replied, thankful for the praise but also conscious of the perils should this conversation turn wrong.

"That being said... you've also nearly been cited by the police once for making out in public."

Tom suppressed a laugh at what his statement did to Adrien's facial expression. "I know, I know! That had about five different extenuating circumstances to it, and it was perfectly innocent. Just like you two sleeping on the couch that night, or all the nights in which we have allowed you and Marinette your privacy upstairs," he smiled. "So let me clarify what I do mean, so that you and I are on the same page?"

"Please do," gulped Adrien.

"Sabine and I were young and innocent once, too. And I do not make any judgments by calling you 'innocent,' Adrien; it is simply what you and Marinette are." Tom began.

"No offense taken," Adrien replied, nervously. "It's an accurate description, and not a shameful one."

"A physical relationship can be like baking. I would not bring you into my kitchen as a novice and say, 'Adrien, go and make me a coconut-chocolate marjolaine,'" said Tom, gesturing to a complicated dessert that he was in the process of finishing up across the room. "There are many steps to learn before you could make a gâteau like that, that would be worthy of its name. Preparing the meringue properly, which is a process in and of itself. Choosing the right ingredients for the ganache. Ensuring that you have the time and energy to prepare it and do justice to it... or deciding to make something simpler, instead."

Tom's eyes twinkled as he continued, "If it is worth doing... it is worth doing right, as is taking the time to understand why preparation and patience are important. Better to learn to create a masterpiece than to be hasty and end up with something that is... merely pretty good."

"I... agree?" ventured Adrien. This is the strangest version of The Talk I've ever heard, but it... fits? he thought. "One does not want to be in a rush when preparing something delicious."

"Just so," agreed Tom. "A wise baker might require months of study, practice and patience to feel ready for the greater tasks, to have mastered those intermediate steps. Perhaps even years! Or, perhaps, his fellow baker might desire to go off the recipe book and experiment in the kitchen on some enchanted evening."

Adrien was speechless.

"But whether things are handled gradually or not, I know what I would prefer," Tom declared. "That my young bakers would do their practicing in a safe and private kitchen of their own, in which they can take their time and learn without worry. That they would know the tools of the trade, treat them with respect, and understand what they are capable of. Mishandling them and causing... accidents... could change their lives in a hurry."

The metaphor was obvious to Adrien. "Mr. Dupain?" he stammered.

"Tom. Call me Tom, my boy," he replied, warmly.

"I believe that your message is loud and clear," Adrien said. "And as far as I know... your apprentice bakers will be more than happy making simple sugar cookies for quite some time."

"Good to hear," smiled Tom. "And preferably in our bakery, or in yours once you return home, rather than scurrying around looking for some secluded place to prepare their batter."

In other words... thought Adrien, he's saying "If you two are going to fool around and learn about each other... do it somewhere safe and private, like in Marinette's room, and be smart about it."

"Understood," he grinned. "I am... very happy to have an experienced baker like yourself to study under."

Tom turned back towards Adrien after a moment. "Oh, and Adrien?" he added. "On the day that you do decide to bake that special marjolaine?"

"Y-yes, Sir?" Adrien gulped.

"Smart young bakers wear gloves."

"...Yes, Sir," replied Adrien, dutifully. "I wouldn't imagine baking any other way."