So, what happens next? You might be surprised.=^-^=
Ch. 11 - A Chat to Remember
Aaron went down to the bakery kitchen early the next morning. He'd snuck in the previous night to do some prep, and now he was putting it together. He was going to make a whole batch of croissants, but with chocolate; better known as pain au chocolat. It was one of the first things she taught him the day after her parents left on vacation. It was a breakfast staple and he knew she'd love a treat like this especially since she might still be sore. He wasn't about to make it a repeat of yesterday either. With each step he went over in his mind what he had to do and then thought about what to do next. Focus was key. He didn't have to be fast like he would when he worked and Marinette didn't wake up before 9 unless they did baking practice anyway. "You're gonna do something with cheese next, right?" Plagg asked looking over the chocolate as Adrien rolled it into the dough.
"I'll make you something, okay. Just let me make this morning perfect first. I want to make up for being a total idiot yesterday." Plagg was a little irritated he had to wait, but as long as he got something. Tikki was having it so good with most of what they made so far. The ravenette finished setting the dough on a tray before answering his phone. "Hey, Nino."
"So dude… You go back home and not tell me?"
Adrien raised a brow and nearly dropped the pan. How could Nino have known about that? "Um… No…"
"Okay… Just let me send you something." Adrien looked at his phone as soon as the text came in. It was a thumbnail for a site… A fashion site. "You see what I mean, right?"
Adrien was wide eyed as he looked over the latest spread for Gabriel fashion. According to the header, Adrien Agreste was modeling part of Gabriel's newly released collection which was only released about an hour ago. "What the…" It was especially odd since he never remembered modeling that outfit.
"So editing? I mean, I guess they could copy and paste your head onto another model, but that seems pretty crazy. Couldn't your dad just say you went abroad for school or something? It would be easier to explain don't you think?"
Adrien rolled his eyes at the thought. "He probably still thinks I'll come home."
"I'd believe that. Looking at this though, I really want to know who his editor is, and what software they use. This is beast."
Adrien let out a sigh as the best answer came to him. "It's probably not edited, Nino. I'd bet anything this is actually Felix, my cousin."
"Felix Oh… Right, your cousin. I remember him. It's crazy you two still look like twins though. It's been 3 years."
Adrien had to agree on that. It was always a little odd how similar they looked despite only being cousins. "My mom always used to tell me I looked more like her father than mine. If you look at it that way it makes sense because my mom was a twin." A little bit of a stretch, but if you look at the bare basics then he and Felix could genetically be considered half brothers.
"Sure, dude, but it's still… I actually can't describe it. If I didn't know you were you, then I'd still think you were at home ghosting us."
"It's not a bad thing, Nino." Adrien countered thinking more on it. "I mean, then no one will actually be looking for me. If you of all people can't tell the difference then even if someone thinks they recognize me then they'll have evidence to the contrary."
"Alright, dude, but I feel bad for some of the others. Marinette especially."
"Marinette doesn't need to know, at least right now." He quickly snapped.
"But… You're technically lying about who you are."
"My name is the only thing she doesn't know, and it's not important, Nino. As Aaron, I can be more me than I ever could as Adrien." Much like his Chat Noir persona. Nino remained silent with that comment. "You know I'm right. You even mentioned it before, how I act different than I used to." He heard a sigh.
"You do have a point, dude, but it would still be a good idea, at least at some point. I'm not saying you have to go be Adrien Agreste again, but Marinette wouldn't care. If anything it would make your chances better since-"
"She's had a crush on me since college? I know."
"You do? When did you figure it out?"
"She told me after I found some pictures, but that's not really important. Liking Adrien is fine, but I want her to like the current me; the true me."
"Okay, dude, I'll drop it for now, but you should keep it in mind. If she finds out on her own she might take it the wrong way, you know?"
"Sure… I get it…"
"See that you do. Also, there was another reason I called. How do you feel about hanging with me and some of the guys on Friday? I got Ivan, Kim, and Marc on board so far."
"That sounds awesome actually… But wait, this Friday?"
"You got something going on with Marinette?" Nino asked with a teasing tone.
"No, but her parents come back on Saturday and she'll probably want some help making sure the house is cleaned up."
"You could just do it earlier in the day, but whatever, dude. Let me know day of, okay?"
"Sure, I'll talk to Marinette about it."
"Okay, later, dude."
"He has a point you know." Plagg remarked as he floated over his chosen's head.
"I know, Plagg… I know."
"But no pressure, kid. Your life is complicated enough."
Adrien looked up at the kwami. He was being unusually understanding. "Has this happened before?"
"What? My chosen falling in love but without his love knowing who he is? Plenty of times."
"More specific to my circumstances, Plagg. Like not Chat Noir but as his civilian self."
"Yeah, like I said kid. You're not the first rich kid I've been paired up with you know? I've had a whole bunch, and they've fallen in love with others who were… Well, let's just say they had family issues about it. At least half of them ran off like you did to live happy ever after. Not that it always worked out…" He muttered at the end.
"What?"
"Um… Life was a lot harder back then, but you don't need to worry about it, kid. Just know I understand why you want to keep your real name a secret from pigtails." He smiled which had Adrien suspicious at this point. Plagg hated talking about this sort of thing, and now he was smiling about it?
"You really want me to make you something cheesy don't you?"
"Maybe… Is it working?" The kwami asked back with a grin.
Adrien rolled his eyes and nodded. "A little bit."
"Enough for maybe… cheese cake?"
"We'll see." The man compromised. He didn't know how to make cheese cake but maybe Marinette did? It might be interesting to learn that too.
Marinette has never been a morning person. This was especially so when she had cramps to deal with. She glared at the clock on her phone that read 10:14. "Tikki…. Would you think less of me if I just stayed in bed today?"
"Marinette, you really shouldn't. You were doing better yesterday weren't you?" The kwami asked remembering how she got up and worked with Aaron in the bakery.
"That was yesterday…" And last night's patrol was probably a factor with how much she ran around despite her cramps. While usually manageable, traipsing around the roofs of Paris was probably not her best plan.
"Well today is a new day. At least get up. You wouldn't want Aaron to get worried would you?" She asked and Marinette groaned.
"I know… Hmm?" She suddenly smelled something delicious.
"I smell something, Marinette."
"I know… And it smells great." She sighed at the smell of something fresh baked.
"You think Aaron made something for breakfast?" Tikki proposed with a knowing expression. "If he did, do you really want him to waste the effort."
Marinette rolled her eyes at her kwami's obvious point. "And who said he made anything for me? He is allowed to practice on his own." They were supposed to practice pastries later though she had yet to really decide what she wanted him to make. The whole incident yesterday with the macarons had him looking a bit tense so she never got around to asking him what he'd want to do.
"That may be true, but this smell tells me he baked more than one portion, Marinette. I'm sure he'd love to share what he made. Maybe to show you how he learned?"
That did make sense. Aaron was that kind of guy from what she knew of him. He liked to do things right, and he really liked praise though he tried to hide it. It made her wonder if he got any when he was still living at home. Based on what mentioned a few days ago it was probably very rare. "Okay… I guess I'll get up." The designer finally relented as she sat up. Her cramps still made her moves sluggish but she at least addressed her hair before heading down the steps. She'd heard a door close right after she'd opened hers. "Aaron?" Did he go back to his room? She didn't spend that long on her hair… Right? Only a few minutes.
"Look, Marinette." Tikki flew over to the table where a plate sat with a napkin covering something. There was a little note also which the kwami picked up. "Aaron must have left it."
"So the door was him leaving?" She looked it over. "If you wake up before I come back, please enjoy your breakfast. I was planning to eat with you, but I realized we needed something from the store for later. I won't be long." It was followed up by a cute little cat face like you'd see in an anime.
"Aww, see he did make you breakfast."
Marinette lifted the napkin to find some pain au chocolat, one of the first things she had shown him to make during their practice sessions. "He did, and he did a good job too." It was a definite improvement from before though he'd done pretty good before as well. She broke off half of one for Tikki before enjoying it herself. "He must have worked hard to get this right without anyone to tell him what to do." She had given him very specific instructions on the first few days.
"Yup, maybe he's trying to show appreciation for your help? Or maybe he's trying to impress you after yesterday?"
"Maybe." She agreed with a pleased smile.
"Let's see… Does the brand of ice cream really matter?" The ravenette wondered as he looked at what the grocery store had to offer.
"Just pick one, kid. You've been staring at them for hours." Plagg complained from inside his shirt pocket.
"Only been here 10 minutes, Plagg." He countered quietly.
"Whatever, just choose."
Adrien opened the cooler and reached for the cheapest chocolate ice cream he could find. "Hold on… Why would two flavors be cheaper?" He noticed the strawberry and chocolate of the same brand was about 15 cents cheaper.
"Like I would know?"
Adrien rolled his eyes and picked up the two flavor carton. "Hmmm? Maybe we could make strawberry ones too?" Did Marinette like strawberry? She certainly liked pink. "I kinda wish I waited to ask now." The carton had less chocolate than the normal one and he didn't want to get another flavor if she didn't like it.
"Aaron? Is that you over there?" He turned to find Alya headed over with a basket on her arm.
"Oh, hey, Alya. What are you doing here?"
She held up the basket. "Honestly, Aaron, what do you think I'm doing at a grocery store? Hunting elephants?" She teased before pointing to the treat in his hand. "Anyway, you picking up dessert?"
"Um, sort of?" He blushed at her insinuation. "I want to make milkshakes for later but I'm not sure if Marinette likes strawberry. I was originally just going to get chocolate."
Alya looked over the selection. "Well, I'm sorry to say that particular brand is pretty terrible for milkshakes. That's the kind you wanna use at a party or something since it's a little bland and cheap. If you wanna make a good one, use this one or those." She pointed to a slightly more expensive brand and then to a bunch of mini cartons like a single person would eat. "They do cost more, but there's a reason for that. When it comes to the chocolate you don't want to go wrong."
Aaron put what he had back and grabbed the carton he was recommended. "Really? That matters?"
"It does. Quality is quality, my friend. You'll be able to taste the difference."
That was a good point. He could taste the difference when someone like Marinette made something over himself. "True, I guess that works."
"And, in regards to your second question, Marinette does like strawberry flavor, but chocolate is preferred." She gave him a wink.
"Alya, I found the seasoning you were looking for. Rose has the broth too." Aaron turned to see Lila dash up to them holding a small bottle.
"Good, now I just need to get the meat, and we'll have everything."
"Oh, isn't he from the bakery?" The Italian asked curiously.
"Yup, he's the new guy at Tom and Sabine's, Aaron." Alya reintroduced.
"Right, so…" She looked at what he had. Ice cream and chocolate syrup. He must've been planning dessert. "Looks like you have sweeter cooking plans then Alya."
Aaron chuckled. "I suppose."
"A baker will usually have something sweeter in mind, but in this case he's keeping it simple." Alya added in and elbowed him. "Anyway, let's get back to Rose."
Lila took another look at the baker before waving with a smile. "Okay, it was nice seeing you again, Aaron." He watched them go with an odd feeling in his gut. Did she recognize him? She didn't say anything about it.
"Come on, kid. Let's get out of here." Plagg insisted as he glared where the girl was before. He didn't like her, and never has.
"Yeah, I guess I'm done here."
Marinette was sitting on the couch with her sketch book and a winter coat she had made years before. It was one of the many birthday presents she made for Adrien's next 35 birthdays, though she couldn't help laughing at herself now. How exactly would she know what his measurements were once he was 20 something? She shook her head and looked it over. It was mostly black with grays mixed in, it didn't have a hood, but it had some extra pockets that zipped up. "It looks plenty big enough… Maybe I could just take it in?"
Tikki looked it over too with a pin in her hand. "Like here?" She stuck it in the sleeve near the shoulder.
"No, considering the issue he had with Jagged's jacket, I think he needs all the space there he can get." She pointed to the waist. "When I made this I took a guess at Adrien's height based on his father. If I'm going to give this to Aaron-" She cut off at hearing the front door open.
"I'm back! Are you awake, Mari?" Tikki quickly dashed away.
"Yes, I'm in the living room."
She heard him shuffle about near the kitchen before he came into the room. "Hey, sorry I didn't wait up for breakfast."
"It's fine, and thank you for making it." She flashed him a smile.
"I um… So what are you making?" He asked knowing the other subject was making his mind flounder.
"Oh, this? It's a winter jacket I made forever ago for… Um, well, I was thinking I could tailor it to you since you don't have one. It was just taking up space in my storage trunk anyway."
"For me? Really?" He asked looking at the jacket she had. It definitely looked big enough.
"Yeah, well that's my intention anyway. I'm not really sure how it'll fit you. Could you try it on for me?" She handed it to him and he readily took it.
"Yeah sure." The inside had fleece around the torso which would do great to keep him warm. The sleeves were lined with something thinner, but it still felt nice. "It's weird to be putting on a coat when it's so hot outside." He mused aloud thinking about the blistering sun he endured for his trip to the store.
"You're right, but it's never too early to be thinking about the next season, Aaron."
"Right, Gabriel did release his fall line today." He responded without thinking.
"Yes, but… How did you know that?" She wondered finding it odd. Did he see it on the news? No… That would be an odd thing for the general news. Maybe a random news notification from his phone? Still a little odd though.
"Oh… I heard about it from Nino." Adrien hoped that wouldn't seem as odd as it sounded.
"Nino told you… Oh…" He might have been talking about Adrien. When she looked at the released photo spread it was the first new photo of the model released in nearly half a year. "Something wrong?"
The designer snapped out of her daze and nodded. "No, I'm fine. I was just thinking about Nino and… Well, you remember Nino's best friend don't you? Adrien Agreste the model?"
"Yeah, Nino did mention him this morning." Not a lie at all to be frank.
"Right, well… I was just a little worried about how he was feeling about it."
"Yeah, he said it had been a long time since he heard from Adrien." Now that was a lie. "But he sounded fine on the phone. He even asked if I wanted to hang on Friday."
"Maybe once we're done cleaning everything." The designer shot back with a smirk.
"That's what I told him." They both shared a laugh as Aaron adjusted the coat on his shoulders. "Anyway, it fits nice already if you ask me."
Marinette furrowed her brow and tugged at the bottom of it where the zipper was. "Are you sure? I had a feeling it would be a little short."
"No, it's fine." He insisted as he made to zip it up. It sat right at his waste and showed his belt when he lifted his arms to zip it up all the way. "I like it this way to be honest, and if it is cold, I'll probably be wearing a longer shirt anyway." His father would never let him get away with having a t-shirt sticking out of his jacket, but he liked the style.
"Well… It still looks a bit short, but if you really like it I'll leave it as is." She watched him move his arms around easily and aside from the length it really seemed to fit well.
"Yeah, I'll take it as is. It almost feels like it was made just for me." He joked which had Marinette just a little uneasy.
She definitely wouldn't be revealing it was originally a gift for Adrien any time soon. "If you honestly like it, it's yours. It'll be one less thing to worry about come fall."
"Are you sure you just want to give it to me? It's a nice coat and-"
"Aaron, you're not made of money, and I need the space in my storage. Take the coat, and don't argue about it." She looked tired as she said that.
"Okay… If you're sure."
"Sorry, but you're not the first one who's insisted they pay more for something, and in this case the jacket was just something I already had. If you don't want a gift, think of it as a donation. It probably would have ended up that way at some point."
"Naw, I like the idea of a gift." He admitted with a blush. "You were thinking about me, right?"
She blushed back and glanced to the side. "When I pulled it out… Yeah."
"Then I like it even better." He leaned down to hug her which really caught her off guard. "Thanks, Marinette."
"I-I… No problem, Aaron." It was so quick she didn't have a chance to return it after her thoughts cleared.
"Let me know if you have anything else stashed away you don't want to keep."
"Sure, I mean… I have a few things." Another 30 or so birthday presents he might want. "But, I was just thinking about the jacket as I was going through my storage. Anyway, what did you go out to the store to pick up?" She changed the subject before she blurted anything out.
"Ice cream." He informed with a smile. "I wanted to make hot chocolate since I know you really like that but it's hot out, and so I thought about milkshakes instead. Apparently, they're really easy to make."
"Oh, did you get whipped cream?" She asked thinking on the tasty treat.
"Uh… No… Was that a requirement? The recipe I found said it only needed three ingredients." He'd seen pictures with whipped cream but he was following a recipe.
"No, it's not required, Aaron, but it is a nice touch." She saw his smile droop. "But don't worry, milkshakes taste perfectly fine without it." She then stood up from the couch. "We can make them later, now though, we need to put in some more practice. We've already gone over most of the staples for the bakery. Was there anything you wanted to learn how to make?"
Adrien was about to say macarons since he'd failed so epically before but a jab in his side reminded him of a promise he made to Plagg. "Um, cheesecake? Do you know how to make it?"
"Aaron, make sure you get the windows really good. My papa is a real stickler for keeping them clean even when we're closed." Marinette instructed as she handed him a special cloth and a bottle of window cleaner. Tom and Sabine would arrive home tomorrow, and Marinette intended to have the store spotless.
"I think I can handle it."
"The outside can be done with the squeegee." She pointed to the shelf beside him. "I'll be mopping the kitchen floors but by the time you're done it should be okay to walk on them.
"Sure, I'll call when I'm done just to make sure." He held out his phone before stuffing it in his pocket.
"Good, if we can get through this quickly so you should be fine to go out with Nino."
"Awesome, I'll go ahead and let him know I should be able to hang."
"Just makes sure he understands you're cleaning first." She finished with a dismissive wave of her hand while heading to the back.
"Hey, Nino, about tonight-"
"Right, dude, sorry. I didn't hear from you this morning so I didn't send you the text. I gotta cancel it."
"Why? What happened?"
"Alya's not feeling very well, but her parents aren't in town. They left earlier today for the whole weekend. Anyway, I don't want her to be on her own while she's feeling sick, you know?"
Wait, didn't Marinette mention something like that before? "It's okay, Nino, I wasn't sure I'd be done cleaning in time anyway. We can hang some other time."
"Cool, but I do feel bad. Considering this is your last night alone with Marinette though, maybe you should do something romantic?" That made him wonder if Alya didn't put him up to this.
"I could, but I don't know if she'd be up for romance after cleaning the bakery from top to bottom."
"Well, you could do a little something, you know? Even dinner would be nice. Just think about it, dude. Do you want to dirty up the kitchen after cleaning? I know you don't have a lot of money, but you should take her out. I'm sure there's something cheap you could do. Anyway, dude, gotta go. I'm about to head over to Alya's." Nino hung up before Adrien could make any sort of counter argument.
"Now I really think she put him up to it." It would be a total Alya thing to do. It wasn't a bad idea though. He quickly headed into the back to ask about it since if he waited, he couldn't plan. "Hey, Mari, how would you like to-"
"Aaron! I just mopped there!" She scolded with sharp tone right as he stepped through the threshold.
"Oh, I…" He stepped back out. "Sorry… I completely forgot you were mopping."
"Honestly, Aaron…" She sighed and leaned on the mop handle. "It's fine, I just started anyway. What were you trying to tell me?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to go out and eat later?"
"What about Nino and the guys? Weren't you going to hang with them?"
"He had to cancel because he was going to look after Alya."
Marinette rolled her eyes at that. Alya had called before saying she wasn't feeling well, but she didn't sound sick. She'd then mentioned how Marinette should enjoy her last day alone with Aaron and not worry about her. "Okay, sure. I don't really want to cook after cleaning up anyway. I'll let you pick the place."
"Anything you prefer?" It would certainly help narrow things down.
"Ummm… Maybe some Italian? I'm not really sure to be honest."
"Okay, I'll see what I can find."
"And don't forget about the windows." She reiterated before starting to mop again. He'd already forgotten she was mopping so he could have forgotten what he was doing before as well.
It was nearly 7 when the two of them ran back inside from the rain. After they finished cleaning, Adrien had picked a small café near the Seine that only had outdoor seating. "Damn, the weather report said only a 10% chance." Marinette groaned as she wrung her hair over the doormat.
"Sorry about picking a place outside…" Aaron apologized. "And for not thinking to grab an umbrella."
"I didn't bring one either." She countered. "And anyway, we got through before it started. I'm just annoyed it went from a sprinkle to pouring in seconds." Even the restaurant employees seemed surprised by the sudden downpour as they helped customers still eating inside the building. There wasn't a whole lot of space, but it started raining pretty hard. "It would have made sense to just find cover to wait it out, but there's no telling how long that would have taken anyway, so don't worry about it." She then pointed to his shirt. "But you'll want to dry off or you'll catch a cold."
"You too, Marinette." He blushed and glanced away from how soaked her clothes were.
"Yeah, well I'm taking a shower. You just focus on keeping yourself warm until I finish."
He chuckled. "What? You'll keep me warm after?"
She froze midstride and her face was as red as a tomato. "N-no… I meant you c-can take one after!" She turned to his amused expression and gave him a punch in the arm. "Shut up, Bassett! You knew that's what I meant!" She then stormed off.
"That was bold of you, kid." Plagg mused once it was safe. "How were you going to deal if she'd taken you up on that offer?"
Adrien scoffed but wore an obvious blush. "Come off it, Plagg." He knew Marinette wasn't going to jump on it like that. It would have been nice if she had, but she wasn't the type. Maybe once they knew each other better? It would be nice if he was being honest.
"But it would have been fun to end your first date like that wouldn't it? Don't humans like that sort of thing?"
"It wasn't a date, Plagg."
The kwami floated right into his face. "You and Marinette went out to eat. You both like each other. Aside from the rain you had a good time. Remind me what a date is again?"
That had Adrien blushing harder now. It didn't really hit him when he asked earlier, but was it a date? Did Marinette think it was date? Were they technically dating now!? Damn it, Plagg! Plagg only watched in amusement as his chosen spiraled into a mental crises right there in the hallway. He absolutely hated when his chosen didn't cut to the chase in relationships. That's why he absolutely loved pointing out the obvious or in this case implying the obvious even when it may not actually be the case. It was his only entertainment to distract from how frustratingly annoying relationships can be. "That wasn't very nice, Plagg." Tikki scolded once Adrien moved his breakdown to his room to await his shower time.
"It was perfect, sugar cube. If they don't start dating tonight, I'll give up cheese for three days." Tikki only sighed at his response. "What? You wanna take the bet?"
"No, Plagg." She muttered back.
"Then what?"
"I'm sighing because I agree, I just don't like how you did it."
Plagg chuckled. "Well, you stick to your touchy feely approach, I'll go with tough love. Its way more fun." Tikki meanwhile silently apologized to every former Chat Noir for not ever stopping her other half from his antics due to how successful they could be. She never wanted to praise him for his teasing, but he didn't know just how often those little jabs actually got their chosen together.
About half an hour later, Adrien finished his own shower with a feeling of relief. He'd gotten himself too worked up thinking about the implications of a date, and a shower, and all activities within, really hit the spot. As he passed a window near the door he noted it was still pouring. "I'm glad we decided to make a break for it. It doesn't look like it'll end any time soon." He also wondered if anyone was still hiding from the rain at the café. It was probably cramped inside.
"Aaron!" He heard Marinette call. "Are you out of the shower?"
"Yeah, be right there." He rubbed his hair as dry as he was going to get it before joining Marinette in the living room. "What's up?"
"We need to talk." She looked so serious too.
"Um… It's not about that comment I made is it? I mean it was really more of a tease." He tried to cover. All the anime he's watched told him that phrase she used was really bad.
"No, but it's related." She pat the seat next to her and turned the volume down on the TV.
"Oh…" That certainly didn't ease his fears. "Look, Marinette, I wasn't try-"
"Hold on, Aaron, I need to say something. If I don't say it now, I'll never be able to." She cut off trying to look him in the eye but her blush showing it was a struggle. "I… You…" She let out a sigh and turned away. "W-what are we?" She asked making Aaron a bit confused.
"What do you mean? We're friends, right?"
"Friends?" Not exactly the response she was looking for. "But you… You don't kiss me like a friend."
Ah, that's what she was about. Wait… Was this his chance? Could he possibly upgrade their relationship in a matter of seconds!? The idea made his heart go a million miles a second. "Actually," He started and took her hand. "I like to think I'm a friend who wants to be more. What about you?" He felt her squeeze his hand and he could see a blush going down her neck.
"W-well… I… it would be…"
"It's okay, princess. Just calm down." He squeezed her hand back and reached up to her chin with his other hand. He gently turned her to face him and gave her a gentle smile. "There's nothing for you to be nervous about. I can tell you're feeling the same way."
Her expression only grew more flustered and she pulled her face away. "D-damn it… How can you be so calm about this sort of thing?" It was impossible for her.
"Oh, you think I'm calm do you?" He chuckled. "I suppose I should let you in on my secret." She glanced back at him. "I only look calm." She narrowed her eyes at him. He didn't look flustered aside from a light blush on his face. "You don't believe me?"
"No… No I-I don't."
He smiled and lifted her captive hand to his chest. "How about now?" He asked though she was tied up with having her hand pressed to his chest. It was just the warmth at first but then she noticed what he'd intended. She could feel his heart hammering away, and it was faster than the pulsing she heard in her own ears. "I'm pretty good at putting on a mask, but at this moment I want you to know I'm just as nervous as you." He released her hand and she hesitantly pulled away.
"I see…" It was still difficult to think about. She had very little experience with actually admitting her feelings to someone she liked, and she really liked Aaron. He was so kind, sweet, and earnest it was a little crazy. She really enjoyed having him around, and maybe… Maybe this was the moment of truth? She and Chat Noir would be revealing themselves at their next patrol. She felt bad that she was taking a new guy over Chat, but outside the suits she didn't know him. "Well… I'd um… I'd like to be more too." She finally agreed turning to him though her eyes were cast to the side.
He chuckled at her obvious shyness. "Okay, then, Princess," He took back her hand and brought it up to his mouth. "I do suppose this makes us a couple?" He finished before kissing her hand.
She giggled at his gesture. "Silly, k… I mean, you're being silly." She covered at her slip. What the hell was she about to call him!?
He gave her a confused expression. "Hmm?" She looked at him straight on and her brain automatically overlaid an image of Chat Noir on him. OMG!? "Marinette?" He was Chat Noir! It made perfect sense! He was even calling her princess which was Chat's nickname for her! How did she miss all the obvious signs!? Denial was a powerful thing, however, as she recalled all the times Aaron reminded her of Chat. The puns, the purring, his hard to talk about home life! "Mari? Are you okay? Do you still want to be my girlfriend? I didn't say anything to make you uncomfortable did I?" Aaron started to ask in rapid fire fashion.
It effectively snapped Marinette out of her panic and she saw just how worried he was. He had a touch of vulnerability especially in his eyes. It was something she remembered Chat having when she turned down his more serious confessions or he had a rough day at home. Without a moment's hesitation she pulled her hand from his and placed it on his cheek. "I'm sorry, C-Aaron, I was just thinking about something." She began to comfort. "And, no it didn't have anything to do with not wanting to go out with you. Being your girlfriend would make me very happy." Happy to find out she wasn't abandoning her partner's feelings after all, and only a little embarrassed at how she was all those years with Adrien. Chat had been telling her so long that he was her perfect match but she didn't want to take the time to really think about it. She'd have to apologize for that later. Aaron's brows rose when she leaned up to him for a kiss, but he didn't wait long. No, he really liked kissing her. So what if she wasn't Ladybug? She was Marinette, and honestly? He couldn't imagine ever choosing anyone over her at this point, even Ladybug.
Viola! Marichat made in heaven! They are now officially dating and so part 1 of this fic is complete! Don't worry, there is more to come I promise. The next chapters will be jumping a little here and there. Sort of little bits of their life for the coming months. Worry not, however, since there is plot in this and it won't just be jumping paragraph by paragraph. (I have about 5 more chapter already written and I haven't even gotten to the end in my planning stages...) I don't want this fic to be 30+ chapters but I also want to go further in their life without it being a single chapter end like in my previous stories, you know? This will have lots of slice of life to it, and I hope to make it just as cute as what you've read up until now.=^-^=
BTW, got a new special surprise in store. A character I haven't ever put in my stories will appear. There was already a hint if you were paying attention. Hope you all enjoyed and will comment.=^-^=
