This is the last little bit before I stop really time skipping. This is also funny, cliché and slightly dramatic. Enjoy.=^-^=
Ch. 22 - Choose Your Chats Wisely
Sabine sat down on a stool once she emptied the box of silverware into a drawer in the kitchen. She, and Tom had spent most of the afternoon helping her daughter and her fiancé move. It came as a complete surprise when the two of them suddenly announced they would be moving in together a few months ago. She supposed it made sense considering the offer on the apartment. Mrs. Deveroux was very good on her word to talk her husband into a good deal, and as it turned out, Marinette herself had been worrying about doing so much at once after graduation. "Dear, did you see the box with the linens in it? Aaron wants help setting up the other bed before we leave and it's getting late." Tom gestured to his watch while leaning into the kitchen.
"They should have been in the same box as the other set, Tom, so I couldn't tell you now." Honestly, between him and Marinette, it was a wonder anything could be found. About the only places that could be organized would be their workspaces. Everything else was chaos. Sabine then stood up and walked over to her husband. "I'm sure they'll turn up eventually, but it doesn't seem like tonight."
The large man followed his wife into the living room where Aaron was digging through a box of clothes. "Did you find them?"
"Sorry, son, but I'm sure they're around."
"Yes, and you still have plenty to unpack so don't ware yourselves out tonight." The mother insisted before looking around. "Where did Marinette go-"
The young woman stumbled in with a box at that moment and tripped over a lamp cord. Aaron, being only a few feet away, grabbed her by the waist before she could join the box she had been holding on the ground. "Whoa!"
"I gotcha."
Sabine let out a sigh and approached her clumsy daughter. "Please be more careful, Marinette. You don't want to hospitalize yourself before your first day living as an honest adult, do you?"
The designer blushed with Aaron's arm still loosely around her waist. "I mean, no, but…"
"I've got her, Sabine, don't worry." Aaron gave a wink and Tom chuckled.
"I'm counting on you, son." He gave the younger man a pat on the shoulder before taking his daughter into a hug. "It's a little earlier than I wanted, but I'm happy you're not going to be living all alone." He then pulled Aaron into a hug as well which was easy with his large frame.
"Alright, dear, let's get home. Richard will be finishing up his prep for tomorrow, and we need to lock up behind him."
"Good point, alright, good night you two. Don't work yourself too hard, Aaron. I still expect you to come in bright and early Friday." After saying their goodbyes, the older couple left leaving Marinette and Aaron to continue unpacking themselves.
"So…" The man started wandering back over to the box he was digging through.
"So, what?"
"I uh… Can't find the sheets to my bed…"
Marinette rolled her eyes looking over the many boxes to be unpacked in the room. "So that's what you and dad were looking for." She then shrugged and gestured down the hall. "Let's just share a bed."
"But didn't you want to sleep in separate rooms until, you know, we were actually married?" It was a suggestion from Sabine as soon as the couple decided to take the apartment Mrs. Deveroux offered. Though they had already shown they could live under the same roof, this time they would be the home owners which meant they were responsible for all of the upkeep. It would also add to the fact making gradual changes would be better for a lasting relationship, and having separate spaces for a time would help.
"Yes, but one night won't hurt, right?" As far as she was concerned it wasn't like they've never shared a bed before, and the first night in a new place always felt a little strange. "Besides, I don't want to pull everything out just to find the sheets. I'd much rather get something to eat right now than worry about bed linens."
As if answering, Aaron's stomach growled eliciting a blush from the man. "I second that idea…"
"I third it!" Plagg barreled out rubbing his belly and Tikki floated after him. "A big wheel of camembert would really hit the spot."
"Just so you know, Plagg, we can't stockpile cheese here like the last place. This place doesn't smell like cheese, and I really don't want it too."
"Plus, I don't think we have the fridge space." Marinette pointed out. "But I'm sure I can think of a way to store enough for a week without the smell." Their apartment came with a few appliances included such as an oven, refrigerator, and a washer. The building had a laundry room on the bottom floor that all tenants could use the dryers in but it only had a couple of machines so you had to reserve them ahead of time on a signup sheet in the lobby. Aaron had been a little disappointed with the size of the fridge due to thinking they could go for something bigger. While the one they had might have been bigger than the one at his last apartment, it was not as big as the one at the Dupain-Cheng house which was very convenient for all the cooking he learned there. It was one of the non-negotiable parts of the contract, however, so they had to use the provided appliances or pay a fine.
"We'll need to go grocery shopping tomorrow, but what do you want tonight? I'd be happy to go and pick something up for us." Aaron pulled up a list of take-out places in the area on his phone.
"I'll let you pick. I'd be good with anything but pizza right now."
The taller ravenette raised a brow at her comment but shrugged anyway. While pizza was a usual go to for he and Nino, Marinette probably had her reasons. "Okay… Chinese sound good? I could go for some lomain, and there is a place two blocks down."
"Sure, you go and get it, and I'll finish unpacking the kitchen."
Marinette sat on the bed once she finished her shower. Her hair was still dripping wet, but she just didn't have the energy to dry it at this point. It was 10pm and her arms felt like noodles from moving boxes and unpacking. "You look tired, Mari." Aaron pointed out with an amused and tired expression of his own.
"Astute observation." She let out a sigh and began the chore of brushing her hair out.
"Not going to dry it?"
Marinette turned to him with his own dark hair partly matted from his earlier shower. "Do I have too?"
He chuckled. "No, but you usually do."
"Look, we can't all get away with going from the shower to bed like you do. At this point, I'll get by with just brushing it."
"You could go to bed just as you are too, you know?"
She instantly pointed the brush at him with a serious expression. "Only someone who has never had long hair can say that. If I don't brush it, it will be a nightmare in the morning."
Aaron quickly put up his hands in surrender. "I was just suggesting it because you look like you're going to pass out any second." Putting any ideas of first night fun together to rest as well. "Want me to help?" He snatched the brush from her hand before she could answer. "You told me before you liked it when your mom brushed your hair, right?"
"I do, but…." It was hard to imagine Aaron being the one.
"Come over here." He pulled her to his lap facing away before he set the brush at the top of her crown and pulled down.
"Okay, but you need to be-!" Her voice grew into a whine when it instantly snagged into a knot due to brushing at the wrong angle.
"Oops…."
She grabbed his wrist and the brush away. "I know you've never had long hair, but why would you brush it that way?"
"Your hair is wet so…" He didn't realize it was tangled with the dark color and low light of the room. "By the way, did you use conditioner?"
She let out a sigh. "No… I forgot, but conditioner doesn't mean I don't have to be careful." She began brushing her hair herself slowly. After a few more brushes he snatched the brush back. "Hey!"
"Let me try again." He insisted as he placed the brush again while holding her head still with his free hand. This time he went a little slower so when he found a snag he didn't hurt her. "How was that?"
"Better… A little." She more than likely would have put up more of a fight had she not looked two seconds from passing out.
As he continued on her hair he found himself wondering just how people could put up with so much hair at all. Short hair was much more manageable and it took less time to care for as pointed out by Marinette only a few minutes ago. He didn't even realize he'd spaced out until Marinette's hair was suddenly out of his hands. "Hmm?"
"You've been brushing my hair for almost 15 minutes, Aaron. I think it's good." The woman announced with a tired yawn. He looked down at his empty fingers already missing the feel of her hair in them. Maybe long hair wasn't just for looks? He reached to her hair again as she climbed into the bed. "What's wrong?" Marinette asked finding the action odd.
"Nothing…" He gave her a smile as he threaded his fingers through it a bit. "I just like touching your hair." It felt smooth like silk against his rough hands.
"Hope you still like it after I cut it short."
"Of cour- What?"
She giggled from her pillow. "I'm just kidding. I know you like my long hair."
He set the brush on the nightstand and reached for the lamp. "I mean, yeah, but you don't have to keep it long just for me. It's your hair." The last thing he wanted was to dictate someone else's appearance like his father does. "It would certainly be more manageable if you cut it short."
The light went out and he could feel Marinette cuddle up to him. "It would be, but you like my long hair."
"I do, but-"
"Aaron, do you want me to cut my hair short?"
He remained silent for a minute and the newly darkened room made it feel heavy. "Um… No."
"Then I won't, now go to sleep."
As he wrapped an arm around her he felt her hair laying down her back. It was still damp but he liked the feel of it in his fingers. It really would be too bad if she cut it short, but it really was up to her. "Really, Mari, if you wanted to cut it-"
"Aaron." She interrupted with a grumble. "I was kidding. I have no plans to cut it."
"But I don't want you to think you can't get it cut."
"Aaron, just go to sleep…" She was already regretting the joke. How was she to know he would take it so seriously?
"But still-"
"Aaron, if you do not go to sleep I'm kicking you out of the room. I woke up early today, and I'm very tired." It was almost a growl now which showed she was getting cranky.
"Okay, okay… I'm sorry, good night."
She let out a breath of relief and began to let sleep take her away. The rhythmic stroking of his fingers through her hair was like a quiet lullaby whenever they slept together. She sometimes wondered if it was the same way Aaron felt when she did it to him when he laid in her lap. Just as she began to lose consciousness she was jarred awake by a very familiar ringtone. "Aaron…."
"Sorry, Mari… It's Nino." He looked at the caller ID after turning over to where his phone sat on the nightstand to charge. He swiped down to hang up hoping Nino would get the message since it was late. Unfortunately, he did not and Aaron finally picked up the third time he called.
"Nino better be dying…" The tired designer groaned covering her face from the phone's bright light.
"Hey, Nino. You do know what time it is, right?" Aaron tried hard to keep the irritation out of his voice, but it was still there. It wasn't uncommon for the DJ to come home late from a gig, but he usually had the courtesy to be quiet. What could he be calling about? "Hold on… You did what?!"
As if to add to the impact of what he'd just been told, Marinette started pushing him out of the bed. "If he's not dying, then take it to your room…"
"Come on, Marinette, Nino's…" He could see her narrowed gaze with the help of the light from his phone and knew reasoning with her was not going to happen. She wasn't even fully awake right now, and he really didn't want to go through that and deal with Nino's sudden emergency. With an irritated sigh he grabbed his pillow and slid out of the bed to head to the living room. He was sure to snatch up Plagg and his sock bed on the way and was happy the kwami wasn't awake to be angry. "Sorry, Nino, but could you say that again?"
Almost an hour later had the dark skinned man standing before the tired ravenette with a backpack over his shoulder and a sheepish expression. "Thanks, dude… I really wasn't sure what I was going to do if you didn't let me crash here. Mr. Bueno looked like he wanted to tear my head off."
"Considering you could have burned down his apartment, I can see why he would." Apparently Nino's call, while not about him dying, was pretty close since having set his oven on fire could have led to that. "How exactly does one set an oven, an appliance specifically made not to burn, on fire?"
"Hell if I know, man. It's not like I did anything weird. I was just cooking those chops you left me this morning and I was following your instructions to the letter."
Aaron sat down on the couch where his pillow and a blanket lay tossed to the side. "Well you must've done something wrong. I only wrote down exactly what I would do…" He paused as he thought about anything that might not be immediately obvious. Nino didn't really cook, but he at least knew how an oven worked.
"Yeah, so I only did what you wrote. I Preheated the oven and only put the pork chops in once it was ready, and only for 30 minutes like you said."
It really wasn't rocket science, which is why he left the dish prepped and ready for his friend to make on his own. Alya would be over more often to help him out or so he said, so Nino wouldn't have to worry about meals without Aaron to cook. "You remembered to put them in a pan, right?"
"Dude, do I look stupid?" Nino countered looking offended as he sat down.
"Good, I really didn't want to think you would miss such an obvious step." But he remembered how clueless he was when cooking at first.
"I'll have you know I even used cooking spray on the pan and oven to keep it from sticking. I may not be very cooking savvy but I was paying attention after watching you the past two years.
"So you were…" Aaron chuckled in amusement before what Nino said hit him. "Wait a sec…. Did you just say you used cooking spray on the oven?"
Nino nodded. "Yeah, why?"
"Like… The inside of the oven?"
"Duh, that's where you cook the food."
Aaron stared at him for a good long moment before slowly placing his hand to his forehead. "You've got to be kidding…" He muttered under his breath.
"What? I see you doing it all the time, and I sprayed just like you do."
It was crazy, absolutely crazy. Honestly, how did anyone mess that up!? Aaron found his brain going in circles trying to figure out why Nino would coat the inside of an oven with a flammable spray before turning it on, but he took a breath and lowered his hand. "Nino…" He placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him dead in the eye. "Why would you spray the inside of the oven if the food was going to be in a pan anyway? How would it stick to the oven?"
"Well… I've heard you complain about how hard it was to get spilled grease and stuff off the bottom. Don't you spray it to prevent that?"
"Okay, first of all, I never use cooking spray on the oven. What you see me use is oven cleaner. I also never use it right before I cook since the cleaner is also flammable though less likely to burst into flames and more likely to poison you…." He let out another sigh. "Now that I think about it, I'm really glad you used cooking spray and not oven cleaner."
The DJ scratched the side of his head. "I guess that's why I thought the can looked different…"
"Yes, and why I had the window open too. Did you have the window open?" It was pretty cold outside so he might not have.
"I did, which was good when I opened the oven and all that smoke came out. Still set off the smoke detector though, and it didn't keep it from filling half the apartment either."
"Hence why you needed a place to sleep." Aaron reasoned. "Well, we can go over the rest in the morning. Hope you brought a pillow."
Nino looked to the open space of the carpet Aaron pointed out and then back to the man who was adjusting the pillow on the couch. "Um… Dude, why are you sleeping on the couch?"
"I couldn't find my sheets." He responded while pulling up the blanket.
Nino got up as he stretched out to cover himself. "What about Marinette?"
"She's in her bed."
"And you couldn't share a bed? I mean, you're engaged."
"We were but I got kicked out when you called." Aaron nearly growled at the mention. While he was glad Nino didn't hurt himself with the oven, he did find it irritating it happened at all even if he was partly responsible for getting himself kicked out too.
"Okay…"
"You've seen sleep deprived Marinette before, so just drop it. Get the light, would you?" Nino glanced at his friend and then down the hall where he assumed her room was. Not much of a first night living together. If this is what it was like for a really in sync couple, then how would it be for him?
Alya knew her best friend enough to never come over before 9 unless it was very important. Marinette loved to sleep in whenever possible, and even if she had to unpack, that was unlikely to change. Now there was no guarantee Marinette would be awake, but considering she just moved in with a morning person, she knew someone would be awake to let her in. The person she never expected to open the door, however, was Nino. "Nino? I didn't think you were coming until lunch?" She then noticed he was wearing his PJs. "Wait… Did you sleep here?"
Nino gave her a sheepish expression. "Yeah… Basically."
Alya quickly crossed her arms and looked at him sternly knowing there was something to this. "I'm listening."
"Okay, Alya, but you have to understand, this really wasn't completely my fault-"
"Yes it was." Aaron interrupted from somewhere in the background.
"Dude, seriously?"
"Just tell her the truth. You know she's going to find out eventually." A very true statement considering the woman's major.
"Babe, just let me in and I promise to listen." Thought the tone in her voice also said she was already angry at him and didn't even know what for yet. Nino stepped out of the way and headed over to the couch that still had Aaron's pillow and blanket strewn over it. Alya set down her bag on the small dining table in the side of the living room by the kitchen before turning her gaze to the guilty man. "So, go ahead and explain."
Aaron handed her a cup of coffee which he'd just finished making in the kitchen and pulled up a chair himself. Nino sat on the couch across the room looking like he was struggling to put the words together. "I was… It was an honest mistake… I mean I wasn't trying to…. Urg!" He groaned knowing that no matter how he said it, it would make him sound like an idiot.
"He set his oven on fire." Aaron informed seeing Nino develop a case of Marinette Miscommunication syndrome.
Alya looked bewildered by that and looked between the very calm Aaron and her embarrassed and defeated fiancé. "Nino… How did you set your oven on fire? They're made to… Not be set on fire?" It felt like such an odd question. "Or wait, did you burn the food you were cooking and that's what it was?"
"Kind of… But no…" Nino played with his thumbs. "I uh… Sprayed the inside of the oven with cooking spray before I turned it on…" It sounded dumber and dumber the more he thought about it. Oil was used to cook food after all, and he knew not to spray the outside of a frying pan.
"You did what!?" Alya was at a loss for words. She knew Nino didn't cook. The most he could generally do on his own was use a microwave oven or a toaster, but this… It was actually amazing.
"Come on, Alya, I wasn't trying to burn it! It was an honest mistake!" The journalist rubbed her temples and shook her head.
"My thoughts exactly…."
Nino instantly frowned at the other man. "Like you have room to talk? I know you had lots of accidents back when you were first learning how to cook, alright?"
"Didn't set anything on fire, though…" Aaron muttered back still irritated.
"We can't all have someone to hold our hands to learn everything, Aaron! So lay off!" Nino shouted next finding his best friend's continued irritation annoying. He expected him to be supportive! Friends were supposed to be anyway.
"Isn't it a little early to be shouting?" All eyes turned to Marinette, who was fully dressed and surprisingly awake. "Also… Why is Nino in his PJs?"
Aaron rolled his eyes, Alya let out a sigh and Nino scowled at the question. "Okay, I set an oven on fire! There happy!? I set it on fire, and had to find somewhere else to sleep because the apartment was full of smoke, and I made the dumb mistake of asking my best friend thinking he'd be happy to help me out! Sorry that got you kicked out of bed!" The dark skinned man yelled. "I'm an idiot! Sue me!" He finished and crossed his arms before turning away from all of them.
"Okay… Um… Anyone want a croissant?" Marinette asked having just apparently stepped on a landmine before breakfast. She pulled out the box her parents had brought over the previous day, and Aaron got her a cup of coffee. Nino was the only one not at the table at this point, and he'd already refused Alya's offer to get him a cup of coffee as well. "Okay… So let's go over this from the top." Marinette started and looked to Alya.
"Don't look at me, I was only just finding this out 15 minutes ago."
"Aaron?"
"Do you remember Nino calling last night?" The man asked before taking a bite of his breakfast.
"I think? I remember something about a phone call, but I was exhausted last night."
"Oh, I know. You made that very clear." Aaron's irritation didn't go unnoticed.
"Oh wait, did he call you after you two went to sleep?" Alya asked getting an idea of why Aaron was mad.
"Yup."
"And if Marinette had to wake up early yesterday, and you guys did all this moving I bet she was cranky." She eyed her friend who blushed a little knowing that was probably true.
"Definitely cranky." And cranky Marinette was not to be trifled with.
"Oh, girl, did you kick Aaron out of the bed? What a way to start things off." Though her tone was all amusement and no scolding. "But seriously, Aaron, if that's what has you so irritated, I'm honestly surprised. I thought you would have known how to get past cranky Marinette by now."
"My current strategy is to leave her alone." Considering that sticking around usually made it worse and if she was tired, he never had much cause to stick around her in her bed.
"Okay, but you know as well as I do that Marinette's cranky side is basically like dealing with a wild animal sometimes."
"Alya!" Marinette called in obvious insult.
"Girl, you've growled at me multiple times before so don't complain about the comparison. Anyway, let me go ahead and fill you in on the easy way to get around cranky night time Marinette." Alya continue and took a sip of her coffee. "You already know she sleeps like the dead, right? Well all you have to do is wait about 30 minutes for her to fall asleep and then go back into the room to sleep. She wouldn't even notice."
"Nice to know, I guess." Better to have known before he slept on a couch, but whatever. "Anyway, Nino needed a place to crash for the night because the smoke from the oven filled the apartment."
"Did he burn his dinner?" The designer asked thinking back to what Nino had shouted from the start.
"No, he sprayed the inside of the oven with cooking spray before using it." Aaron informed with a dead tone before finishing his pastry.
"It made sense at the time!" Nino snapped from ten feet away in the living room. Marinette looked between Nino and Aaron before bursting out into laughter. Alya was smiling herself, but both Aaron and Nino found the designer's amusement odd and a little annoying. "It's so not funny anymore, Marinette. Seriously!" Nino finally stood back up to glare at her.
"Sorry but… It really is, or I suppose you both are." She calmed her laugh. "I mean, I thought guys being terrible at kitchen sense was just a bad TV trope, you know? I suppose I assumed it wasn't really common since my dad could cook, but seeing you both?"
"Yeah, I can't name too many guys I know who can cook. My dad can barely boil water." Alya chimed in. Then again, her mom was a gourmet chef so why would the man need to cook?
"Your mistake last night just makes me think of the way Aaron made mistakes years ago when he was first learning. He almost cut his finger off slicing potatoes, and that time he tried to fry chicken but didn't realize you were supposed to bread the meat first!"
"Oh, I remember that! I still have that picture on my phone." Alya mused recalling the hilarious text.
"Which is exactly why Aaron has no right to be so mad about my mistake! I at least didn't burn the apartment down."
"True." Marinette turned to Aaron. "Why are you still so irritated? You of all people know how easy it is to make a mistake when you're still learning."
"The burning of the oven isn't really what I'm angry about." Aaron finally revealed as he sat up straight and cracked his back. "Sleeping on the couch left a kink in my back for one, and I also realized this morning that my name is still on the lease." He then finished off his coffee and stood up to get a refill.
"Oh…"
"Yeek… I suppose that means that Nino won't be the only one responsible for damages…" Alya could see why Aaron would be bothered by that considering he just moved into a new apartment that was much more expensive than where he was previous.
"It's not like I would have let Aaron get blamed for it or anything." Nino defended in more of a quiet mumble.
"Babe, the building manager doesn't have to listen to who did it. He just wants his money, and if you don't pay it, he can legally force Aaron to. That's just how the lease works. If you sprayed the whole inside of that oven, then you're more than likely going to have to replace the whole thing." She then rubbed her fingers together to emphasize cost.
"Which will be around 1,200 euros or more." Marinette added which had Nino dropping his jaw.
"Which, based on Nino's salary as a club DJ, isn't something he can fork out of pocket after rent and living expenses." Aaron added when he took his seat back. "Which is why I knew I would have to help him."
Marinette pat Aaron on the head to help him calm down. "That's because you're a good, responsible friend."
"Exactly, so chill, babe. He has a right to be a little mad with the situation, okay? Coffee?"
Nino crossed his arms. "I've already apologized, and it's not like I can fix it! I just… It's not fair."
"Life isn't fair, Nino, but do you think it cares how you feel?" His girlfriend argued before standing up. "Anyway, I'm thinking you boys should take some time to talk this out. Mari and I will do a little grocery shopping, and hopefully you're both in a better mood when we get back."
"You really want to leave them like this?" The designer asked as she grabbed her purse from her room to meet her friend by the door.
"Yes, it'll do them some good. They were able to live with each other for over two years without much issue, right? Well, they obviously know how to work things out."
"I guess…"
"Don't worry so much, Marinette, they're adults." Marinette gave one last glance at the two men before following her friend out the door.
"So now they want me to help manage their blog now that it's public knowledge that Luka's his son. Crazy right? Talk about a reference." Alya adjusted the bag in her arms while Marinette pressed the crosswalk button.
"Yeah, but you really handled that whole thing well. I imagine most any other reporter would have taken the story and ran with it." She explained with a smile. "Julika knew you wouldn't abuse the story and now she and Rose don't have to worry about being swamped by paparazzi. Luka on the other hand…"
"It's perfect opening press."
"Though I do worry about him feeling like he's just popular because of Jagged Stone."
Alya waved it away. "He knows better, and I think he likes getting to know his dad over wanting recognition."
Marinette couldn't help but agree considering the last time she saw the young musician. He looked pretty happy around Christmas when Jagged popped in on the holiday party they had on the house boat. "So, are you? I mean didn't you already have that one job offer with a magazine?"
"When I graduate, yeah, but I'm keeping my options open. Plus, having a side job wouldn't be a bad idea especially starting out." Nino and her planned to find a place together so that would be a big new expense for her. "Either way, it makes a good reference. Not many people get to brag they ran a blog about a musician with their permission you know."
"Or one about super heroes either." Marinette added. "But I guess they're not the big publicity magnets they used to be."
Alya's expression grew shrewd as she leaned towards Marinette. "Ah, but they will be soon, just you wait."
Her friend gave her a curious expression. As far as she knew, nothing really big had happened lately. Most of the akuma in the last year had been pretty average, barely needing to recruit an additional hero to defeat on the rare occasion. "What exactly do you mean by that?" Honestly, she was a little worried Alya might have come across something crazy.
"Well, Marinette, I've been putting together a story for a couple of months now that is sure to get all of Paris talking." She then leaned down to her ear to whisper. "I have official proof that the LadyNoir ship has launched."
"Huh…?" The designer looked dumbfounded by the news considering what she had expected.
"Right? I'm sure all of Paris has been waiting to see this happen, and I'm going to publish the story soon so everyone will know for sure that LadyNoir is a thing."
"Y-you don't say…" Marinette tittered at the end finding it a little odd. She and Chat Noir had been together for some time, but then again, she didn't let Chat be any more flirtatious than normal when they were suited up for a fight. It had been so long since she'd been faced with questions on their relationship, or even had to care so this was a bit surprising.
"Oh, yes! I'll show you some pictures later if you want, or you can just wait for me to publish it on my blogs."
"I guess it was only a matter of time…" Though she was a little irritated she'd been so careless. Hopefully HawkMoth won't take it to heart. It would be a stretch for this to cause them to be revealed though since they'd been together long before Alya's coming announcement. Either way, she'd have to warn Aaron later and then they'd have to come up with a plan for dealing with it.
"What was that?"
"Oh, w-well, I had a feeling they were together you know? Traipsing across the roofs of Paris together and having late night meetings at the Eiffel Tower? It was bound to happen."
"What!? You've seen them too!? And you even know where they meet!?" Alya suddenly got in her face nearly knocking the grocery bag from her arms. "Why didn't you say anything!? How long have you known!? I. Need. Details. Girl!"
"I uh… Well…." Shit…. She just made things more difficult for herself in just about the worst way possible. Perfect. "Uh… Actually, I guess I could tell you what I've noticed sometimes sitting on my terrace." The designer began as an idea came to her. "It's not a lot, but we should talk in a more private place, don't you think?"
Alya backed off with a nod of her head. "Right, I don't want anyone else pulling my scoop right out from under me. Let's hurry back to the boys and then you can tell me everything!"
Meanwhile, the men spent the last few hours in a surprising calm that started with a simple topic change to avoid the subject of ovens. Adrien and Nino knew they were both at fault, but at the moment were too annoyed to own up. This led to a tense silence that Nino had to break before the girls returned and admonished them both. He took a breath ready to latch onto the first new topic he could think of before an odd smell met his nose. "Does it… Smell like cheese in here?"
"Seriously? That's your way of avoiding the issue? Insulting my new apartment?" Adrien rolled his eyes as he took another sip of his coffee and pulled up his phone to check the news.
"No, dude, I mean… Yeah, but I'm not trying to insult your new place. It's nice." He couldn't call it anything but when comparing it to their old apartment. "But I seriously smell cheese."
"Well, considering a bunch of my stuff is in here, it probably does a little. The smell from the apartment no doubt rubbed off." The ravenette was already working on ways to get the smell out with Marinette's help once they have everything set up.
"I guess but…" Nino looked around and found the couch, which was not from their apartment, had a strong odor coming from it. How would it be so bad on a basically new couch? Even if it was donated from a friend of Marinette's parents, did they own a cheese shop? That would be an interesting coincidence plus, who gifts a smelly couch? To be honest, Nino always found Adrien's tendency to smell like cheese a little suspicious. This was especially true once he started living with him and saw just how often he actually ate cheese. He'd always buy cheese, but when did he eat it? Plus, the amount of cheese he saw was a little nuts and Adrien never seemed to have any ill effects like constipation. The DJ picked up his bag which was laying by the couch before noticing a suddenly strong waif of cheese that nearly made him gag. "Oh… Urg…" He held his mouth.
"What's wrong now?" Adrien asked from across the room feeling even more insulted by Nino's actions. Was he that desperate to change the subject? It wasn't like he would hold it over his head forever, it just seemed only fair to be angry for at least a day.
"Dude, it's like a wheel of cheese just died over here!" Way worse than the apartment smell. Nino reached for the pillow and found an old sock he recognized as Adrien's sticking out. "Ewww… Do you ever wash this thing?" When he picked it up he found a half eaten wheel of camembert sticking out which fell to the ground seconds later. "Do… Do I even want to know?" He turned to see Adrien looking either panicked or exasperated. Probably some mixture of the two with his eyes showing more panic than the rest of his expression. "Look, dude, no judgment, really… But this cheese has been out all night? Hidden in a sock under your pillow?" Which may have hidden the smell for awhile, but it was really permeating the area now.
The taller man just took his hands to his temples and nodded ready to take the blame for what was Plagg's obvious handy work. Couldn't that cheese snarffing kwami control himself for a single day!? "Okay… Well… I hope you don't mind if I just get rid of this." Nino offered since he was used to being in charge of garbage. At this point Adrien was now on the hunt for where Plagg was hiding so he could keep him from being found. This was the only reason he made his next mistake of letting Nino attempt to dispose of the cheese. A mistake he didn't realize he made until one dark skinned young man yowled in pain and started flailing his arms around like he was covered in bees. "Ouch!" Nino slapped his left arm before an immediate jolt of pain sprouted on his back. "The hell!?" He was already pulling off his night shirt when his friend came over to give him a hand, but it was too late. Adrien saw the bite marks, and Nino had whatever was responsible wrapped up in the shirt along with the half eaten cheese. "Oh my god, you have a rat!?" He looked over the bites on his arm. "Am I going to get the plague!?"
"Aw… Shit." The secret hero reached down for the shirt just as the kwami busted through one of the sleeves with his cheese prize. "The plague would be getting off easy! You're lucky I don't cataclysm you to…" He trailed off at seeing his chosen's angry look from over Nino's shoulder. "I mean… Meow….. Meow… he he…."
"So… Did you know smells can make you hallucinate?" The baker tried to cover though Nino wasn't fooled for a second.
"Dude, don't even try to tell me I'm not looking at a kwami right now. And not just any kwami, but a black cat kwami… Shit… You're Chat Noir!" He turned and pointed a finger looking equal parts shocked and confused.
"Um… Let's not jump to conc-"
"And omg! If you're Chat Noir… Then… Wow, Marinette has to be Ladybug! It makes perfect sense!"
"Wait, what? What do you mean?" Adrien was in full panic mode at the leap in logic. He understood not being able to cover the fact he was Chat Noir with the obvious evidence, but how would he know about Ladybug?
"I can't believe it!"
"Nino!" He grabbed his friend by the shoulders to shake him. "What are you talking about?"
Nino pointed to the kwami who looked like he was looking for a chance to vanish and eat his cheese. "That's Chat Noir's kwami so the only reason it would be here is if you are Chat Noir, duh. Plus it makes perfect sense with your hair change." A change Alya had highlighted on the Ladyblog when it first happened.
"Okay, yeah, at this point I can't deny that, but you said Marinette was Ladybug?" Adrien was hoping he was doing a good job of looking genuinely confused.
"Because Chat Noir and Ladybug are an item, and you and Marinette are engaged! Alya's been working on the LadyNoir story since September when she saw them meeting up along the seine for dinner on a roof top… Actually, I bet it was because of your birthday, wasn't it?"
"I uh…" It was Ladybug's birthday present to recreate a romantic dinner, but it had been interrupted by an akuma. By the time they were done, the food was cold so they'd gone back just to pack it up… Which may have been how Alya found them. She did tend to follow them around during and after battles.
Nino could see the unease on his friend's face and wore a smirk as he cornered him. "Unless, you happen to be having a romantic affair with Ladybug and Marinette at the same time?" Now that was a hard choice. Did Adrien want to admit to Ladybug's identity or his alleged infidelity? "But, dude, even if I believed you could hurt Marinette like that, I wouldn't hide it from Alya. I may be your best friend, but I'm also friends with Marinette, plus Alya would murder me if I kept that sort of thing secret."
"So…" Adrien started with a sigh. "It's not really a choice at all, is it?" He deflated into his chair at the table. "Mari is going to kill me."
"If you think you're in the cat house, Tikki's going to lord it over me for the next few centuries…" Plagg complained with him while still eating the cheese wheel that started the whole mess.
When the girls returned to the apartment Alya was very pleased to find the both of them sitting on the couch watching TV. "See, Marinette, what did I tell you?" Nino and Aaron waved though neither looked very stoked. "So, you boys obviously worked out something, right?"
"Um… You mean about this morning?" The baker asked looking tired.
"To be honest, we didn't really go into it much." Nino agreed as he leaned on the arm rest no longer in his PJs.
"Well… I guess as long as you're not arguing?" Marinette wasn't entirely sure it was good to just ignore it, but she didn't want to dictate their friendship.
"Anyway, Mari, I sort of… Need to talk to you about something." Aaron stood up and gestured to the back room.
"Sure, Alya, are you going to start the tomatoes?"
"I'm on it, but I still haven't forgotten about that bomb you dropped earlier." The reporter gave her a look that made Marinette a little nervous.
Aaron found her expression curious but was more focused on what he had to tell his partner before it was too late. "Okay, start… I'm really sorry and I didn't realize until it was too late, but…. Nino figured us out."
The designer looked at him with a raised brow. "What do you mean by 'figured us out'?"
The man let out a sigh knowing she was going to be angry, but also knowing if he waited that would be much worse. "Nino figured us out, like Ladybug and Chat Noir? Because we are together?"
Marinette looked worried for a moment before suddenly looking relieved. "Oh, this makes it much easier. I don't have to explain it to you now, good."
"Good?" Aaron asked back in confusion.
"Yeah, Alya's been working on figuring us out for months, and then I let slip about our patrols and well…?" She shrugged. "Anyway, at least now that we're on the same page we can deal with it quicker. I was wracking my brain over how you would take it since you know Alya will want to interview us about it. I mean we obviously can't say everything, but you know how she is."
The man chuckled recalling all the crazy things Alya does for a scoop and this explained why Marinette had been nervous too. "Yeah, I know, and I'm really happy you're not mad at me about it. Honestly, I thought you'd well… I guess that doesn't matter at this point." He finished with a shrug. "I'll follow your lead for whatever interview she wants, milady."
Marinette rolled her eyes at his snark and turned back to the door. "I suppose I was just worried over nothing." She chuckled to herself as they re-entered the living room where Nino found it curious that Aaron looked so chill.
"You did tell her, right?" He couldn't help but ask.
"Yup, and she was very understanding."
"Really?" The DJ wondered thinking about just what was revealed. Would Marinette really be okay about their super hero identities being revealed after all those years of hiding? Maybe it was because he was Carapace? She might have trust in him because of that.
"Yeah, actually, she let the Chat out of the bag with Alya earlier so I guess we're both guilty."
"Hey, you know how easy it is to say the wrong thing around her, okay?"
"I know." He agreed with a knowing expression. "Anyway, that's out of the way so I guess we need to actually think about the oven thing?"
"Right, the oven." Alya chimed in as she entered from the kitchen area with bag of bread. "I'm going to toast my bread, but does anyone else want it toasted?" Nino raised his hand and she nodded. "Cool, but we do need to go ahead and talk about that oven, babe. Has Mr. Bueno contacted you about costs?"
Nino checked his phone with a mutter. "No, but that guy was never a morning person anyway." He sighed and leaned back in the couch before an idea came to mind. "Hey, Marinette, couldn't you do a guy a favor and use a little miraculous magic to fix the oven instead? I mean you've fixed way worse."
"W-what are talking about?" She asked with a slightly panicked tone.
"Come on, Chat's destroyed roads, and buses and all sorts of way bigger things and one wave of your miraculous ladybug brings them right back good as new, right? I mean, one little oven fire should be nothing."
Aaron crossed his arms. "You know, he's right, you've destroyed the Eiffel tower a few times now and it get's brought right back." He glanced at his panicking partner and quickly amended his words a little. "Not that I'd encourage you to use the miraculous for self gain or anything since that's irresponsible, but… It's just a point… A bad one, sorry." He glanced away worried he might have just screwed up after dodging a bullet minutes ago.
"Hold up…" Alya started as their words hit her and she looked between them. "Miraculous magic…" She pointed to Marinette. "Wait, you're Ladybug? And you're Chat Noir?" Her eyes were wide as dinner plates as the shock set in.
"What the hell did you just do, Aaron?!" The shorter woman demanded on the verge of shouting.
"Hold up… She didn't know?"
"Of course she didn't know! Do you think I just go off telling our identities to people when it's convenient!? And Nino, how did he know?" She pointed to the spectacled man.
"I just told you like two minutes ago, he figured us out!" Aaron argued back in slight fluster.
"That's what you meant!?"
"What did you think I meant!? Nino discovered Plagg and instantly put together that I was Chat Noir and you were Ladybug because Alya's been putting together a LadyNoir story. And what about Alya!? I thought you said she figured us out because you mentioned our patrols!"
"I meant the Ladybug and Chat Noir together thing, not our secret identities!"
They were both breathing heavy now from shouting and Alya, while still a little shocked looked worried too. She traded glances with Nino before stepping between the angry couple. "Okay… Um… There was obviously some miscommunication here, but I think you both need to calm down before-"
"Before what, Alya!? It's not like he could reveal anything else!" The designer spat in frustration. "Apparently we can't live together one day without something going wrong." She then glanced to her fiancé who looked more hurt than angry and realized how that sounded. "Wait, that didn't-"
He cut her off with a hand. "I get it, really. It really was my fault this time so… I get it." He glanced away.
Alya grabbed Nino's hand and subtly gestured towards the door. With how things were going she knew Marinette and Aaron needed to deal with each other before having her and Nino involved. The two of them snuck out as quietly as possible though Marinette was too caught up in what she'd just insinuated to notice. "I'm sorry, Aaron, I didn't mean it that way."
"But you are right, Marinette. It was my fault and this whole day has just been… awful!" He let out in exasperation. "I mean, it's just been one thing after another. I couldn't find my own sheets, I wouldn't shut up and you kicked me out of bed, Nino calls after burning out an oven because he mixed up oven cleaning with prep, then I spend the morning all agitated at him over a simple mistake only to absolutely blow it when he finds Plagg. How much more can I screw up?" He smacked his own head. "Damn, I don't even want to know!"
"Aaron? Aaron, stop." She implored as she grabbed the hand that was beating his head. "Please, stop. I didn't say that to blame you, I was just frustrated, okay. It's not your fault."
"So I'm not the reason Alya and Nino know about or secret identities?" He asked with a dry expression. Marinette hesitated to answer which only confirmed he was right from the start. "See? I'm the reason this whole day has gone to-"
"Stop!" Marinette cut in sternly and pulled his hand from his face. "And listen to me." She locked eyes with him which caused him to turn away. "Look at me." She insisted and pulled his chin to look him in the eye again. "Aaron, it's okay. Yes, some of this is your fault, but this whole day is just something that happened and I know you weren't trying to do anything, okay. I know you didn't give us away on purpose. You've kept the secret for seven years, so I know you wouldn't if you'd realized what I meant back in the room. Part of that was my fault. I didn't explain what I was talking about more clearly." She'd realized that seconds ago as she recalled their chat. "If I had been more specific you would have known we weren't talking about the same thing, okay?"
He nodded. "But I could have been more specific too..."
"Yes, that would have been helpful." She felt him pull away but she held firm to his chin. "But, you already know I have no room to judge about miscommunication. Plus, I would like to point out that last night was mostly me. I was tired and not really thinking, alright. I'm sorry, Aaron, and while I can't promise I won't ever be cranky, you are free to do exactly what Alya said this morning. I doubt I'll even notice. Heck, you can even relocate me to the couch if you really want to. I fit on it better anyway."
Aaron chuckled at her joke. "But if I did that, I'd only want to join you on the couch."
"Then let's just stick with the bed." She glanced over to the couch. "I don't even know how you slept on that last night." Aaron was obviously too big for it when laying down so it was no wonder his back hurt when he got up this morning.
"So…" He started looking worried again. "You're not mad I just… dropped the ball with Nino?"
She took a breath but kept her expression schooled. "Not so much it would be a bad thing, Aaron. Yes, I'm a little mad, but judging from what you said before, I bet Plagg is partly to blame."
"He really was."
"Way to throw a cat under the bus!" The kwami whined popping up out of nowhere.
"Plagg!" Tikki scolded and grabbed him by the tail. "This is your fault so don't ruin it!"
"It's not… all my fault." He amended slightly.
"Just get over here." The spotted kwami then proceeded to drag him through a wall leaving their chosen to continue their talk.
"I'm assuming she has to do that a lot." Marinette mused.
"I bet. Plagg mentioned her holding his messes over his head."
"Well… I'm going to try not to do that to you, after all, we're only human, right?"
"I suppose." He took her hand in his to kiss the back. "I love you, Mari, and I really want to start this day over, you know? Hopefully this isn't going to be the norm around here."
"Don't even joke about that." Marinette agreed not wanting to think about the drama of a single day. "Also… I just remembered I was the one to pack your sheets…" She admitted in the end with a sheepish expression.
And it ends on a funny note. I had to do something silly and dramatic for them moving in together. Being an adult is so stressful so knowing when to pick your battles in a relationship is a must. Marinette, by this point, has good experience in this. When you make a mistake, the longer you wait then the harder it is to admit. Also, take a lesson in oven safety.=^-^=
(I figured the reveal was something that was better done earlier this time around.)
Thank you for reading, and look forward to renewed plot and drama next chapter!=^-^=
