Marinette and Aaron(Adrien) are now married and living the couple life. Marinette now works as a professional designer, but that comes with a certain level of anxiety for Adrien as he strives to keep his life simple. There's a big development by the end of the chapter so enjoy.=^-^=
Ch. 23 - Married Chat
Marinette dashed down the hall holding her delivery closely as to not drop it on her way. It was do or die time and she didn't want to think about what would happen if she didn't make it on time. After nearly stumbling twice she flashed her pass to the security guard and slammed open the door to the photo studio. "I got it!" She shouted to a group across the room and a few cheers rang out.
"Nice work, Marinette!" The young woman slowed her pace as she approached them and held out the folded bag to Stephen, her immediate superior as a designer for Gabriel.
"And without having to delay." Katrina, an older woman on the design team, took it once Stephen inspected the dress and whisked it over to the dressing rooms.
"Yes, excellent. Now, Marinette, and… Where did Frankie go?"
"Over here." Another woman called jogging back from one of the photo stations. "I checked in with Vincent and he'll be ready to start on Lila in a few minutes."
"Excellent, both of you." The older man beamed as he picked up his tablet. "Nathalie just messaged me that Gabriel will be here any moment. It's do or die time, ladies." Both women nodded knowing what he meant. Ulrich, the oldest member of Gabriel's senior design team, would be retiring soon and that meant one of the junior designers could get promoted.
As a junior designer, you could do important design work and get noticed, but the majority of your time was spent working under a senior designer. That meant your first priority was whatever they were doing and could even mean spending a day as a gofer. A senior designer, on the other hand, was recognized. Senior designers were always credited and usually got invited to special events where connections could be made. If a Gabriel designer wanted the best shot of going out on their own, then being a senior designer for a time was it. Marinette and Francesca, aka Frankie, were lucky enough to work under Stephen who was Gabriel's lead designer. That gave them a slight edge over other junior designers in that if Stephen backed them then Gabriel would listen. With a dozen other contenders for the spot, all advantages were fair game. "Frankie, you will be in charge of Lila, and Marinette, you take Adrien. I want all outfits of this shoot checked, ordered and tagged immediately after the models change. Remember, if a problem comes up, do not panic, just come to me." Not to say the girls would panic, but having Gabriel Agreste around did tend to work ones nerves. As soon as he was done directing them, the studio doors opened and a primly dressed older man walked in with his assistant on his heels. Stephen immediately approached his boss with a tablet in hand. "We're ready right on schedule."
"Good." Gabriel responded with no emotion in his tone. He looked over the tablet Stephen had showing the outfits and models before turning to Nathalie. "Go ahead and confirm the photo spread." He then turned back to Stephen. "Have Vincent begin immediately." His orders were immediately followed as Stephen took his position behind the camera crew to oversee the shoot while his younger designers did their jobs. Having been with Gabriel for a year each, he was sure the girls knew what they were doing. First up was Lila as Frankie directed her out of the dressing area. She didn't seem to really care about what she was told, but went out gracefully, and instantly took a pose on the small stage in front of Vincent.
Marinette watched from her position outside Adrien's dressing area. She thought working with him would be hard at first, especially with how he used to flirt with her, but it actually wasn't. To her great surprise, he barely spoke with her unless he needed too, though it wasn't as though he was being mean. She supposed the best word for it was an entirely professional relationship. He greeted her exactly how he would greet others, and wore the exact same plastic smile when doing so. She saw Stephen give a signal and nodded. "Adrien, you're out in one minute." He didn't answer but left the curtained cubicle wearing a designer sweater with slacks and boots. Felix gave the woman a side glance when she started adjusting the shoulders of the sweater, but was used to it by this point and just walked away once he saw Lila step down from the stage. It went on much like clockwork from there, with everyone but Vincent and his crew working off subtle cues and hand signs. Gabriel wasn't one for a lot of noise outside his shows.
After an hour Stephen began consulting with Gabriel as the models went through their last outfits. Depending on how the pictures turned out, Gabriel may change what outfits were featured and whether they would be done in pairs. Both junior designers kept their eyes peeled to Stephen for what the models would need to change into. As soon as he made his choices, Gabriel glanced over to Felix who had just finished his last solo shoot, and was walking back to his dressing area. It had taken years, but Felix was finally acting more professional about his job. No, they still didn't really get along, but so long as he did what he was told, the man didn't particularly care. In a few more years he could simply cut Felix loose and Adrien will just be passed over for the company. At this point he had no real plans on who he would eventually give the company to, but he would never hand it over to Amelie.
His thoughts were interrupted by a clang sound and all eyes turned to the source. Felix had Marinette by the hand as she leaned with her face less than a foot from the ground. The curtain rod for the changing area was half out of place and a few metal hangers were on the ground nearby. "You need to be more careful." The stoic model stated before pulling her up on her feet, and heading back over to the stage where Lila was already waiting.
"Th-thank you…" She called back though completely self conscious now as she realized how many people were watching, including Gabriel Agreste.
"Anyway, Mr. Agreste, have you had a chance to look over those portfolios I sent?"
"Regarding?"
"Who will be joining the design team once Ulrich retires." Stephen effectively redirected as Gabriel's eyes turned back to him.
"No, Grayson hasn't brought in recommendations yet." Which was the man's worst quality. If Grayson wasn't such a good designer, he would have been fired years ago for being late or behind all the time.
"Of course, sir. What about the Fall line? Katrina told me she was waiting on your approval before putting any of the designs into production."
"Nathalie." Gabriel called and she handed him her tablet. "I had told her to clean out this folder." He remarked with a sharp tone before sliding through an assortment of designs and tapping each one he liked with practiced ease. "She can go ahead with these, but I want the others reevaluated before submitting them again. I don't want a repeat of last year."
"Definitely understand that, Mr. Agreste." Stephen pressed a few buttons on his tablet before putting it down on a table nearby to begin overseeing the photo shoot again. Gabriel handed the tablet he had back to Nathalie before gesturing to the door. He didn't see any more reason to remain now that he'd seen all of the outfits, and Stephen already proved once again that he had everything handled. Perhaps if he couldn't find someone in the next few years, then he would have him succeed the company.
The designer took one last look around the room taking note of one young woman trying very hard not to make eye contact before following his assistant out the doors. "Sir, considering Grayson's usual delays, perhaps it would be a good idea to go ahead and review Stephen's nominations?" Nathalie proposed as she followed her employer dutifully.
"I suppose if he honestly had someone worthwhile, he would have said so earlier." Gabriel agreed with a distasteful expression regarding his employee's time management skills. "What time does my meeting with Mr. Chevron end?"
"At 4, and it is your last appointment of the day."
"Good, I'll take some time after that to look over a few. Cyrus and Ulrich already told me they had no recommendations from their group. Did Katrina?"
"Yes, she submitted one name. I added it to your folder this morning."
"Good, and email Henry about securing models for Haute Couture week. I haven't seen anything from him in weeks."
"Just sent." She responded as he reached for the door to his office.
"Send Mr. Chevron in as soon as he arrives." And without waiting for a response, he closed the door and Nathalie took her seat at a small desk nearby.
Aaron cursed silently as he looked at his watch. He'd wanted to get home earlier but, for whatever reason, the grocery store was packed. That added to how long he spent hunting down a good deal on cheese caused him to be nearly an hour late coming home, which meant dinner would also be nearly an hour behind. "Okay, Mari probably won't be home for about 30 minutes. If I start right away she probably won't notice." He muttered to himself as he opened the door to the lobby of their building.
"Afternoon, Mr. Bassett!" An older man called from the counter, though the baker merely waved with his mind concentrated on his mission. Living on the second floor made bypassing a slow elevator easy even with a couple of bags in hand and he set one down to unlock the door to his apartment.
He'd almost missed the lights and TV already on when he walked in since he'd prepared to go right to the kitchen. "Huh…?"
"Aaron?"
The man glanced over to the kitchen. "Marinette? You're home?"
She peeked from around the corner and shot him a smile. "Yes, I come home early every once in awhile, you know." Though it was more of a once a month sort of thing.
"So you do, but…" He walked into the kitchen to see she was already halfway done putting together a pasta dish, and the smell was just what he'd come to expect.
"What? You don't feel like pasta tonight?" She asked once she noticed his furrowed brow.
"Oh… No, I was just…" He lifted the bag. "I thought it was my night to cook."
She nodded. "True, but I figured since I came home early, then I could do it. Besides, I missed two nights last week." Their schedule for dinner came down to Aaron having four days and Marinette having three. This was decided based on how often Aaron had afternoon shifts at the bakery and the fact Marinette's schedule could be rather brutal at times.
"You know you don't have to feel bad about that? I know your work can be time consuming." Aaron declared as he set to put the perishables in the fridge for the next meal. He knew more than she though he would when it came to fashion work.
"Which is why it's important to do what I can when I have the chance, Aaron. Set the table?" She asked as he reached into a cupboard for plates.
"Sure, and I do appreciate you coming home when you can, though…" He paused a moment. "Wait, isn't Haute Couture week coming up? Why are you home early?"
Marinette raised a brow at his question. "I'm surprised you remembered. You've never taken much interest in fashion events before."
Adrien hid the eye roll he gave. The irony was palpable. "I may not have an interest in fashion, Mari, but I do pay attention to you." He gave her a kiss on the cheek as he passed her and headed to the table. "Now, why did you come home early with such a big event coming up?"
Marinette let out a sigh, but her smile showed it wasn't frustration. "Well… Today we had a shoot which is going to be in a magazine. Because some of the outfits will be featured in the big show, Mr. Agreste came in person."
Adrien schooled his features before turning to her. If he was being honest, he hated the fact his wife worked for his father. He'd given extra encouragement to send her portfolios to multiple fashion houses once she graduated, but it was just his luck that his father's called first. Then again, it was Stephen who made the call and he was always very prompt and prodigious. It was probably why Gabriel liked him so much. As soon as she landed her position as a Junior Designer he made a promise to himself that he'd be supportive. It was Marinette's career, not his. Another thing he used to keep himself calm was that Gabriel treated his designers well so long as they did their jobs. He knew that first hand since he worked with most of the team multiple times. "Oh, the Gabriel Agreste?"
"I know!" His wife sounded so stoked he was worried he would laugh on impulse. "Anyway, I told you that one of the design team was retiring, right?"
Did she? He raised a brow. "Ulrich?"
"Wow, you really were listening. Impressive." She gave him a smirk though he was almost positive she never told him who. He would need to be more careful… "Anyway, so Ulrich is retiring and the next design team member will be a junior designer recommended by the other designers. Stephen is putting both mine and Frankie's names forward." She then leaned over to him. "He told me after he told us we were being considered that I had a really impressive portfolio even before joining Gabriel."
"Stephen didn't come off as the kind of guy that would flatter you." Adrien pointed out though Aaron had only met him on a few occasions.
"Usually, but when he does lie he has an awful tell."
Aaron chuckled. "His…" He stopped himself before he could blurt out Stephen's off smile that curved a little to the right during a lie.
"Tell is his smile, though it took me awhile to notice." She didn't appear to notice his near slip.
"Right, so what you're telling me is you're going to become a lead designer before summer's end?"
"Might, Aaron. There are plenty of other talented designers also up for consideration, and they've been with Gabriel Fashion longer than me."
"I might be biased, but you're obviously the best." He emphasized dramatically while leaning behind her as she stirred the sauce at the range. "In more ways than one." He finished with a smirk and a slap to her rear that made her jump.
"Aaron! Not while I'm cooking! Sauce-"
"Stains, I know. Sorry." Though he didn't look it.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Note to self, buy an apron." Though designing one might be nice, stain resistant fabric would be murder.
"Hungry!" Plagg whined on the top of the fridge.
"Aren't you always?"
"What's your point?" The kwami asked back with a carefree tone.
"His point, Plagg, is that if you're patient, you'll be fed." Tikki cut in holding a cookie she'd taken from the back of the bread box. Each kwami had a secret place where food was stored for them so they could eat even if their chosen were busy or if people were over. Plagg's was usually empty simply because he ate it all right away.
"Remember, Plagg, one wheel of camembert a day, period." The man reminded and placed a little cup of assorted cheese blocks on the counter.
"Yeah yeah, whatever." Plagg floated down to the food and began inspecting each cube before swallowing them whole. He'd already made his gripes about camembert for years since he used to have as much as he wanted before Adrien ran away. After the incident with Nino, however, he learned to keep that complaint to himself, or fear Tikki's wrath.
Once everything was done, Aaron insisted he do the serving and Marinette was encouraged to sit at the table and wait. "So, anything interesting come up at the bakery today?" She asked once he joined her.
"Not particularly. I did get a crazy order for cupcakes. The man said he wanted to make a cupcake cake."
Marinette snorted at that. "One of those, huh? It always sounds redundant."
"It is." Aaron agreed and spun some pasta onto his fork. "But I suppose it means you don't have to cut the cake?... Usually." He nearly muttered at the end. "He meant it pretty literally this time in that they needed to be stacked in the shape of a cupcake. Tom was really working his brain on how to pull that off. Me? I'm wondering why it has to look like that specifically but you know how customers can be."
She nodded as she chewed her food. "Definitely, though that might have been a child's request. Was it for a birthday?"
"Daughter, age 6."
"Yup, so the father wants to make his daughter happy."
Adrien smiled at that. "Understandable I guess." When they finished eating Marinette was booted from the kitchen seconds after entering to clean up. "Go and get whatever work you still need to do done, Mari." She wore a sheepish expression knowing he was right. She would often do work at home especially when she came home early. When he finished the kitchen he joined his wife on the couch where she was drawing on her tablet. "So… Dress?" He inquired before turning the TV channel to the news.
"Yes, but..." She lifted her sketch book from the table beside the couch. "Give this to dad tomorrow."
He looked over the picture on top depicting a cupcake cake and cross sections of how to implement the design. "Wow… I was only cleaning for about 15 minutes."
"Isn't that why you told me dad was having a hard time?" It wouldn't be the first time she'd helped them out with a design for an odd request.
"No, but it is appreciated." He cuddled closer to her while careful not to obstruct her drawing posture.
She yawned as she began a new layer on her dress. "Fall is always tricky…"
"It would be less so if you'd get more sleep." Her husband scolded lightly at her tired yawn. "You've been working pretty hard lately. Go to bed early tonight."
She usually stayed up well past midnight being the night owl she was. "No promises. I don't want to give Mr. Agreste any reason to pass me over."
Adrien glared at the pen in her hand and thought of his father. He would stay up late too. "Marinette, being exhausted on your first day in a new job won't make a good impression."
"I'm sure the decision will be made soon, and I'll be able to relax more after Haute Couture week."
"Until winter release and then Fashion week." Aaron added looking more serious. "I know you, Marinette, now you can promise to go to bed early, or I can give you a curfew. I refuse to stand by as my wife turns into a zombie."
She looked at him as if gauging whether he was serious or not before pursing her lip to think about it. "Midnight."
"And not a moment later?" He confirmed.
"Yes, not a single minute."
"Good, because I'll drag you to bed if I have to." He warned playfully. "I work afternoon shift tomorrow so I will be enforcing this."
The very next day had Marinette heading into work feeling a little more energetic than usual. Aaron had kept his word about maintaining that midnight curfew, and indeed dragged her into bed over his shoulder right on the dot. While she was not happy about it at the time, she did like feeling a bit more awake as she walked through the doors. For the first time since she first got her job she wasn't the last junior designer in the studio. Frankie and Cyrano were there, but the other three hadn't arrived yet. The shared space was divided into six small workspaces with a severe lack of privacy. The only walls between them were those rolling dividers which were moved on necessity to be used as thought boards. "Well, well, where's the zombie that usually shuffles in ten minutes after?" Cyrano joked as he spotted her walk in.
"She was forced to go to bed early." Marinette shot back wryly. "Anyway, good morning."
"Yes, a very good morning." Frankie called and slid up to sit on a table near the center of the room. "Rumor has it we might be finding out who's getting promoted today?"
"Really?" Cyrano wondered finding her usual in the know interesting.
"Yup, heard it when I dropped Stephen his coffee. I don't know who, but he was on the phone and said something about bringing designers to Mr. Agreste's office for an interview. What else could it be?"
"Personally, I'd be worried if its anything else…" Marinette added as she recalled all the stories she'd heard about corporate espionage that Alya was researching for a class.
"Don't get all worried, Marinette. Think about how Gabriel Agreste does things. If we were being interviewed for something bad, we would have been met with security at the door."
"True." Frankie agreed pointing to the man.
"Morning, Jerome." Marinette waved as another of the junior designers joined the group.
"Morning, and I don't think I've ever seen you come in so early, Mari. Is the world coming to an end?" The woman rolled her eyes as Cyrano joined the other man for a laugh. "Now, who wants to bet how late Grayson will be today? He has that project due, and you know what that does to his schedule." The dark skinned designer placed a paper on a nearby divider with a thumbtack and wrote down a number. "I'm betting at least an hour."
"30 minutes since he got chewed out the last time." Cyrano added. "Ladies?"
"I don't really have a lot of room to judge."
"That's what you always say." Frankie stated with an eye roll. She then checked her watch and grinned. "I'm going with ten." All eyes turned to her curiously. "It's just a hunch."
"Oh, are we betting on Grayson again?" Another female designer joined their group holding a swatch of fabric along with her bag and coffee.
"Good morning, Sera, and yes we are."
She looked at the names and then turned to Frankie. "You must've heard about that meeting they were having."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." The former played innocent taking the wind out of Jerome's sails as he took down the paper.
"I suppose this means you heard more than a phone conversation." Cyrano inquired with an amused grin.
"I may have heard about a design team meeting taking place first thing this morning."
"I see you were eavesdropping once again, Ms. Sidle." Stephen entered the room holding a folder in one hand and the coffee he'd received earlier in the other. "I'm going to remind you never to do this to Mr. Agreste, and leave it at that for now. Mr. Stern, and Mrs. Bassett, you'll be meeting with Mr. Agreste today. Please make your way up to his office and speak with Nathalie. You'll want to bring a file with your latest works in case Mr. Agreste asks for them." He then turned specifically to Cyrano. "And I take thank yous in the form of coffee. I had to remind Grayson last night to actually submit your file to him." When he was met with five sets of blank stares he gestured to the door. "That meeting is now, by the way." He tapped his watch. "I'd get going."
"What are you doing, Mari! Go!" Frankie nudged the young woman beside her to snap her out of her stupor.
"Oh, r-right!" She then went over to her desk to start looking through her things.
Cyrano's expression went from shock to curiosity. "Hold on… I've only worked here for a year… We both have. Why are we being interviewed for what I assume is Ulrich's position?" Sure Grayson had mentioned he had a shot, but positions on the senior team almost always required years of experience.
"Cyrano, you've worked with Grayson ever since you were hired on. You must've noticed his tendency to be late?"
"Yes, almost constantly."
"You also should know how much Mr. Agreste hates that." The younger man nodded. "Did you ever wonder why Grayson hasn't been fired yet?"
Several of the younger designers traded glances. "Well… Yes, actually. Mr. Agreste is all about punctuality."
"Exactly, which means there's something else that Mr. Agreste values more than punctuality." Stephen gave him a knowing smirk before giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Now hurry up. The rest of you need to be finishing up anything you want considered for fall, and there is also a project in your mailbox, Francesca. Get on it. I'll check back in as soon as the meeting is over."
Marinette was already frantic about the interview, but when she and Cyrano saw Anna, a junior designer with three years with Gabriel, come out looking like someone murdered her mother, her nerves nearly rendered her immobile. She held her materials close for the long 15 minutes or so Cyrano was in the office, and felt just a little better when he walked out looking only minorly frazzled. She instantly stood up to ask him how it went. "S-so?"
"I think… It wasn't bad. I'm not sure how he felt about me, but he did seem to like my work." Cyrano rubbed the back of his head. "And he'll like yours too, Mari. Just calm down." After placing both hands on her shoulders he looked her in the eye. "Take a breath." He instructed, and she did so in a shaky manner. "You've got this. If you can't look him in the eye, he'll notice. Show me the confidence you had when you told Stephen his suede pants didn't match his sweater vest."
Marinette's frantic expression cracked to a touch of humor recalling the funny incident. Stephen had been very insulted though eventually came around to agreeing. "O-okay. Yes, I've got this." She took another breath and schooled her expression to calm. Think like Ladybug! She chanted in her head as she turned to the door to enter her interview.
Nathalie, Gabriel's secretary glance up from her desk with a small smile. "He's ready for you, Mrs. Bassett." And she watched the young woman go in. She had mixed feelings about having Marinette work at Gabriel considering she was married to Adrien who was still hiding from his father. Adrien was an adult now, true, but Gabriel had still shown signs of wanting to bring Adrien back into the fold if possible. Her worry was that upon finding his son that he would throw a wrench into Adrien's peaceful life. Then again, maybe Adrien should have a reunion with his father? She knew Emelie would be heartbroken to see how they were now, and as things stood, there was no closure. In the end, however, Nathalie swore to herself she would no longer interfere with Adrien's new life. If Adrien cared his wife worked for Gabriel, then he could take it up with his wife after all.
Inside the office Marinette approached the desk of her stoic employer slowly. There was a chair for her to sit in, but it seemed wrong to sit without permission and Gabriel was known for being easily irritated. No! I need to be confident! She thought to herself and took the seat right as the designer looked up from his papers to address her. "Marinette Bassett, yes?"
She nodded. "Y-yes, sir." She internally cursed her stutter.
"Good, I have your original portfolio from when you applied for your junior design position as well as one from Stephen, but was there anything more current you wanted to add?" His question was normal, and yet his tone was intimidating.
"I uh, can't say for sure, but I did bring my tablet. I have a file of designs I haven't even shown Stephen in there." She handed over the device after bringing up the file she mentioned.
"Good." He responded curtly before looking through silently. Marinette waited for what felt like an hour as his expression barely flinched through the whole inspection. It was really starting to fray her nerves all over again. She almost wanted to see him look disappointed just to get some form of answer through the stifling silence. "Mrs. Bassett." He suddenly called causing her to jump slightly in her seat.
"Yes, sir?"
"There is an odd trend I've noticed in your works. Do you have a concentration? Stephen failed to indicate anything on his recommendation."
"W-well… To be honest, not really. I tend to design things as they come to mind, or based on need."
Gabriel raised a brow and turned over a page from her file. "Such as this dress?"
"Oh, Alya's wedding dress." It brought a smile to her face at the memory. "She's my best friend, and I had promised to make her one back when we were still college students."
He turned it back over to inspect. "Certainly this design is more recent?"
"Yes, I just put it together last year. They were married in April."
"Ah, so you actually made the dress then? Would you happen to have any photos?"
Marinette quickly reached for her phone enthusiastically. "Of course, just a moment." She slid through her photo albums with haste as to not make Gabriel Agreste wait. "Here." She stood up to show him her phone. "I took plenty from the reception."
Gabriel took the device to look over the pictures more closely. "This lace is obviously done by hand, but very detailed." He flipped through another picture. "And looking from the photo to the design I see… A pocket?"
Marinette blushed at the mention. "Oh… Well, Alya begged me to put a place on her dress she could hide her phone. You see she's a journalist and when she finds a story, time and place sort of goes out the window."
Gabriel's reaction was tamer than she expected since most people laugh at finding out a bride would ditch her own wedding for a scoop, but Gabriel Agreste was not normal. "It is well executed." He complimented with a level tone while continuing through his pictures.
She was nearly startled by his sudden expression change since he'd shown so little emotion. He now looked surprised, but she couldn't tell if it was good or bad. "Mr. Agreste?"
He looked up from her phone quickly schooling his expression. "I noticed you in the pictures. Did you design your dress as well?" He turned it to her and it depicted Her, Alya, Nino and Aaron all lined up.
"Yes, though I admit the design is too simple. I didn't want to detract from Alya on her special day."
"An admirable endeavor." He was back to being impossible to read and it was killing her inside. He handed her phone back to her and went back into her file. "Without a concentration, it's difficult to see you fulfilling a specific part on my design team though, considering your talent that may prove more useful." There were a few more back and forth about specific pieces before he closed the folder and tented his hands on his desk. "Your portfolio is quite exemplary, Mrs. Bassett, but I work with my design team on a more personal level. I need to know how they live so that I know what to expect in their work. You're married, yes?"
She nodded with a smile. "Yes, for about a year now."
"Tell me about your husband." It was important that his designers had a stable home life or that would only cause him problems.
"Aaron is a baker working for my parents. We met about 5 years ago when he first got a job there, and it's kind of been hallmark romance ever since. He's supportive, and works very hard though he has a tendency to be a goofball too…" She blushed at her description and glanced away. "S-sorry, you probably didn't need to hear all that."
"No, that's quite alright, Mrs. Bassett. Knowing you have a stable home life is very reassuring as I consider you for the position. Now, would there be any possible problems that may interfere with your work in the future? Possible financial issues, or perhaps you're looking to start a family? You're still quite young, but so are many families a see these days."
Marinette paused for a moment before shaking her head. "No, no financial issues I can see, and while my husband and I do want children, we were planning to wait a few more years before considering that." She admitted with a blush regarding the question. It made sense for him to ask, but it was still surprising.
"I see, well then, I believe that is all I need for my considerations. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Bassett. Please make your way back to your studio work." He dismissed her with a slight monotone but a cordial smile while pointing to his door.
"Thank you, as well, Mr. Agreste. F-for your consideration." When he went right back to looking over his papers she wasn't sure if she should just walk out, but the pins in her feet made it difficult anyway. She took a moment to shake off the nerves sending shocks down her knees and walked out as calmly as she could despite having no real idea of how he thought about her. It was now clear exactly what Cyrano meant when he spoke about Gabriel liking the designs but nothing regarding Cyrano himself. She exited the room silently and closed the door gently behind herself.
"Marinette." Cyrano called as he dashed over from the chairs beside the office door. "How did it go?"
Looking over her body language told him she'd been able to keep her cool, but was still rattled. "I um… Good… I think?" She tittered right before an odd wave of dizziness hit and she summarily passed out.
I told you there would be a big development by the end, didn't I? Raise your hand if you think Gabriel noticed? Or perhaps I'm teasing you and there was a secret subtle event that happened? A new year and I still don't plan to spoil things before they develop. I hope you liked Aaron (Adrien) and Marinette's casual married life in here and be prepared for more next chapter with an even bigger twist!=^-^=
Thank you all for reading this far and Happy New year!=^-^=
