Chapter 4: How to Bake a Cake
Marinette laid lazily on her balcony, still in a daze from last night. She relished in the warmth the early afternoon sunbeams engulfed her in, letting out a sigh of content while rubbing her soft tummy— something that had recently brought her more and more pleasure and relaxation.
Moments from last night kept repeating in her brain over and over again like they were on a loop. Some of them she couldn't get out of her hand no matter how hard she tried like...
… the way that Chat had hand fed her each slice of cake, claiming she was a princess and simply deserved to be treated like one… And the way she noticed his eyes linger over her soft tummy when he thought she couldn't see him looking…
Last night felt like a dream. Sure they hadn't been kissing or doing anything like that, but for some reason the feeling she'd got when he'd been feeding her that cake had felt sensually arousing on a whole other level. It was like the two of them were in a daze, him shoveling creamy frosted cake into her mouth and her greedily accepting his treats and willingness to keep her satiated. She'd felt like a gluttonous pig being stuffed like that; and to her surprise, she'd loved it.
The way her belly had been so stuffed and aching to be rubbed and pampered. She'd seen Chat eyeing it with pink tinted cheeks like he'd wanted to rub it but was too afraid to ask. But, that was probably just wishful thinking on her part. Still, the idea of Chat playing with her swollen belly sent shivers down her spine.
She tried to ignore the heat that pooled in between her thighs, aching for her proper attention. She really did. But, she could no longer pretend or deny it. She was attracted to her partner. He was hotter than Hades and although she'd always known it and tried to resist his charms for the sake of her 'happily ever after'— Adrien Agreste— the level of love and lust she felt for the mask boy could no longer be overlooked as confusion or a minor crush.
Perhaps, she'd got it wrong all along and her 'happily ever after' was meant to be with Chat Noir. After all, he and Ladybug were two parts of a whole, yin and yang, a balance, soulmates…
She blushed at the thought before Tikki phased through her trapdoor.
"Marinette! Did you forget what day it is!?" Tikki approached her excitedly, yet with a hint of scolding in her tone.
The bluenette gave it some thought, still trying to focus herself from the sugar coma her minou had spelled her with.
Today… What was today….
"The Paris baking contest!!!" Marinette screeched, suddenly very, very awake.
The baker's daughter jumped into action, scrambling to get down into her room and closet.
Quickly, she grabbed her most recent design— a denim skirt and its zippered, denim, crop tank top counterpart, throwing them on.
Ah yes, sweet relief. Clothes that fit. Somewhere in the back of her head thoughts of a certain alley cat whispered to her that they might not fit for long. Ugh… him and his boyish charms… so stupid and… irresistible. In the most annoying way possible, she made sure to reassure herself mentally.
Rushing down the trapdoor as quickly as she could, Marinette hurried into the bakery and threw on an apron.
"Rise and shine, my little Cinnabon," her dad chirped happily. He reminded her of Tikki— those two could be pictured in a dictionary next to 'morning people.'
She smiled sleepily, gratefully accepting the steaming coffee her mom handed her. The sip she took warmed her from her head to her toes and she already felt a little more prepared to take on the day.
"Good morning Maman, Papa. How can I help?" She smiled, taking another sip of her coffee.
Just as Sabine was about to answer, Marinette's belly let out a hungry grumble.
"Well you won't be of any use to us on an empty stomach, dear. How about you grab something from the bakery for breakfast first, alright?" Sabine ruffled Mari's soft hair.
"Okay Maman." Mari let out another sleepy yawn walking towards the stairs like a zombie. Tom and Sabine exchanged glances and shared a laugh.
Sabine gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead and turned her guiding her back in the direction of the bakery.
Mmmm… doughnuts. Marinette smiled, practically drooling, at her parent's freshly baked Apple cinnamon doughnuts. And then she remembered her diet and nearly growled in frustration.
Oatmeal and coffee it is, then. She huffed angrily at the microwave as it cooked her oats. The moment it beeped she pulled the bowl out and scarfed down her oatmeal consequently burning her tongue more than she'd like to admit. When her hunger still wasn't satisfied she groaned into her arms and decided to distract herself in her busy day instead.
But, of course, running a bakery wasn't exactly the best distraction from the gnawing pit in her stomach. She was surrounded by sweets, while baking sweets, smelling the wafting holy scent of the baked goods.
Ugh. Why did losing weight have to be so hard!
Finally after what felt like forever Tom and Sabine locked the doors to the bakery so that they could all head to the park where the contest would be held. Marinette had offered to carry the cake, but after enduring the teasing from her parents she accepted that as the designated klutz of the family someone else could carry it.
As if she'd expected the park to be any better, Marinette internally facepalmed as she inhaled the sweet scent of the temptation she'd been avoiding.
Last night with Chat was a cheat night, she reminded herself. No matter how good it felt to give in…
As the contest progressed, Marinette felt herself increasingly zoned out. Adrien, Alya, and Nino had just shown up as promised to support her parents bakery and compete in the pie eating contest. After that there was the plan to try and convince Gabriel to let Adrien in on their sleepover at Marinette's house.
But right now all Marinette could think about was what she'd do if Chat decided to pay her another visit.
But before she was drawn too far into her thoughts of her masked kitty, a loud boom resounded in the area. Screams of panic began to sound and pies, cakes, and pastries flew through the air as the tables for the baking contest were overturned.
"I am Cake Ache! Those who put down my cake will pay for their mistakes! As for the rest— let them eat cake!"
The Akuma was from the bake contest. He seemed to be in his teens, younger than Marinette and her friends but apparently old enough to enter the bake contest.
The heroine sighed nervously, slipping away to an alleyway to transform. She knew she had to focus on the task at hand— this poor boy who'd succumb to Hawkmoth's power— but all she could think about was the skintight suit that hid nothing and exposed all her curves.
What if Chat noticed her weight gain? No, what if all of Paris noticed her weight gain! She began to hyperventilate and a nervous Tikki nervously tried to help her breathe.
Flashback*
Marinette hadn't always been so skinny, before her recent weight gain. There had been a time when she was a younger elementary student that growing up in a bakery had left her fuller figured. And being on the heavier side, unfortunately, had made her susceptible to all kinds of bullying and shame.
"Haha! Look at Mari-trash! Please don't tell me you're going to eat all of those macarons! Not with that belly, fatty!" The blonde brat laughed like a hyena, her red-headed lemming cackling along right by her side.
"Chloe! That's so mean! Leave Nettie alone, she's perfect! You're just jealous!" Nino growled, protectively standing in front of his best friend.
"Jealous of what? A pig!?" More laughter.
And smack! That was the first time Nino Lahiffe was suspended.
Then there was the time at the pool.
"Hey Mari! Come swim with us!" Kim shouted out, water pistol cocked and loaded.
"N-no thanks, Kim," she replied, pretending to be content alone with her text book.
"C'mon Marinette! It'll be fun!" Rose grinned, Juleka rubbing sunscreen on Rose's pale back.
The little bluenette glanced back and forth, scanning the horizon for any sign of Chloe and her crew, but when she saw the coast was clear she offered a nervous smile. She really did want to swim with her friends.
"Alright, I guess," she shyly dipped her toes into the edge of the pool, testing the waters before slipping off her coverup.
Soon enough they were doing chicken fights in the water and picking teams. Mari was picked last and at first she thought nothing of it, but it was the subtle comments that she'd better be at the bottom hoisting someone on her shoulders rather than the reverse that got to her.
That was the last pool party she agreed to swim at for a while.
Then there was the time she wanted to sign up for ballet just to try out something new.
She'd been practicing during every recess period during school, and during every free moment she had at home. She'd always loved to dance on her balcony under the cover of the stars with the moonlight as her spotlight.
Finally the day came when she arrived at the class. The teacher was strict and would yell at the smallest of missteps. You had to work hard to be good enough in her eyes.
On the first day she complimented Marinette and two other girls telling them they had real talent and were naturals when it came to ballet.
Months went by and when the recital came, Marinette was not allowed to dance in it. When she demanded to know why— after working so hard and earning the praises of her teacher— she wasn't allowed to perform, she was simply told that nobody wants to see a fat ballerina.
End flashback*
"Marinette, you can do this! If this is about your weight, you've gotta remember that it doesn't define you! You're Paris' guardian for goodness sakes! You're strong, beautiful, confident, bold, and so badass! So get out there! Chat Noir is there for support! And between you and me, with the way he's looked at you recently, I think… I think he's in love with the shape of you…"
Marinette took a deep breath and looked at Tikki with a small grin.
"Thanks Tikki! I needed that. And don't think I didn't hear your little Ed Sheeran reference there," Marinette patted Tikki's antenna's gently the way she liked it. Ever since she'd built Tikki her own doll house, she'd passed down her old iPod to the curious goddess as well. Tikki had quickly developed her own tastes in music with Ed Sheeran being her favorite artist.
Quickly Marinette transformed and ran after Cake Ache.
Soon enough she heard the familiar treads of her partner behind her.
"Good afternoon m'lady! Sorry I'm choco-late!" Chat chuckled, flipping over a chimney.
Mari chuckled under her breath at that one. She'd never admit it, for the sake of his already massive ego, but she actually found her goofy partners puns pretty funny at times.
"Pffft, batter late than never, Kit Kat!" She retorted, causing Chat to nearly crash into a wall in shock. While he was recovering she called on her lucky charm, receiving a… fork? Strange.
"Did you just—"
"I can be funny too, get over it," she giggled, "now, I'm gonna need you to be a bit of a whisk-taker for me and try to grab his pin… at least that's where I think the Akuma is… and I'm going to figure out how to use this," she said, holding the fork up to his face.
"It'll be a piece of cake, bugaboo!" He winked and ran off to play cat and mouse with Bake Ache.
Ladybug looked around growing increasingly frustrated as she came up with nothing.
Seriously, Tikki. A fork? What am I supposed to do with this?!
I'm sorry Marinette, but I don't make the rules— my guess is as good as yours. Although…
Although… what?
Forks are for eating. And he is turning everything he touches into cake.
And he got akumatized because the judges hated his cake! Tikki! You're a genius! Maybe if Chat and I try his cake and pretend to like it he'll be vulnerable and it'll be easier for Chat and I to capture the Akuma!
"Hey Bake Ache! Would you mind if I tried some of your cake?" She called out with a knowing glint in her eyes.
Both her partner and the Akuma froze in curiosity.
"You… want to try some of m-my cake?" The boy asked her, with genuine excitement in his voice.
"Of course! I love cake! And all this cake," she gestured to Paris, which was being covered in thick layers of cake and frosting, "is just making me so hungry."
She licked her lips and as if to further emphasize her point her belly let out a hungry groan.
"I- I'd be honored Ladybug. You should try the strawberry first," he created a table and sat her down bringing her a massive slice of strawberry shortcake.
She smiled graciously at her host.
"Don't mind if I do," she dug right in, genuinely hungry after resisting baked goods all day. Chat Noir's jaw dropped, mesmerized by the sight of his partner moaning in pleasure at the flavors of the cake. This was an Akuma battle they were in the middle of, he wasn't dreaming right?
"Um… LB, you know I'd never question your judgement or anything, but um… I feel a little left out of the loop right now and uh—"
Something in the look she sent him screamed, "it's all part of the plan!" And of course not to run his mouth too much and mess it up.
She was now on her seventh slice of cake feeling so stuffed with Bake Ache looking so distracted right where they needed him.
"Oh Ladybug," the Akuma sighed dreamily— she could practically see cartoon hearts in his eyes— "I'd bake for you any time! You're so amazing, all I wanna do is flour you with compliments."
In her food coma, she somehow picked up on the low possessive growl coming from deep within Chat Noir.
"Oh Bake Ache, you're the one who's truly amazing! Your cake is like heaven on my taste buds. Chaton! You must write down his carrot cake recipe! This cake is truly exquisite!" She winked at Chat about four times before he dropped the scowl, clearly miffed that someone else was getting his Lady's attention.
"You're absolutely right my Lady! We absolutely knead this recipe!" He chuckled at his own pun.
"Well I don't usually go telling my secrets, but for a certain lady, I believe I can make an exception," the Akuma kissed Ladybug's knuckles which Marinette giggled at in mock flirtation. Still she knew she had to hurry this process up as Chat looked as if he was about to burst a vein in his head, and if she could guess his knuckles were turning white in fists under his suit. She sent him a reassuring look before letting out a burp, which she covered with much embarrassment.
The Akuma did not take his loving gaze off of Ladybug even though Chat was the one in his personal space feigning typing on his baton, "So the recipe obviously contains carrots, sugar, butter—"
"And all things crust come to an end!" Chat smirked and in one foul swoop he snatched the pin from the unsuspecting baker and snapped it in half.
"Time to de-evilize!" She quickly snatched up the purple butterfly and cleansed it before throwing her fork in the air and crying, "Miraculous Ladybug!"
Pink Ladybug magic swept the city erasing any evidence of the sweets that had covered it only seconds before.
However both Chat and Ladybug immediately noticed that the Miraculous Cure did not stop the tight swell of Ladybug's stomach.
She blushed when she noticed his gaze and was quick to suck in her tummy to the best of her abilities before managing a quick "pound it" and yo-yoing away.
She was afraid Chat had noticed her pooch, and her fears were correct. He had noticed and had to fight the blush from creeping onto his cheeks. The two most important women in his lives were seemingly going through the same thing and this only added to his attraction towards their beauty and charm.
Adrien groaned from underneath the mask. How was he ever supposed to choose one over the other now?
End of Chapter 4.