I think I will leave this as a two-shot.
I really hope you all enjoyed this! thanks so much for the support!
Let's just say no proper manners class or instructor could have prepared me for dinner.
At my house I don't speak at the table unless spoken to.
At my house my meals are small and perfectly proportioned to my restrictive diet.
At my house we don't tell jokes, and tease each other during meals.
At my house I sit on one end of the table with my father on the other.
At my house the maids serve us food that the cooks had made.
At my house there are several pieces of silverware for each course of the meal.
Marinette's house is nothing like mine and for the first time in a very long time I have no Idea what to do during a meal.
Marinette pauses her conversation when she notices I haven't touched my stir fry.
"Y-You ok Adrien? You haven't eaten anything."
I glance down at my full plate of food. It's more food to eat in one sitting than I've ever had before.
My eyes stare down chopsticks.
We don't eat fatty messy stir fry at my house. Especially not with chopsticks.
I rub the back of my neck. "I'm not really sure what to do with these and I um, I'm not used to eating like this. My father doesn't really let me do this very often…"
Marinette blinks at me for a moment.
Seriously! Where is that rulebook on how to not be socially awkward? can somebody dear god please bring it to me? Like NOW!
My heart skips a beat when Marinette reaches over and takes my right hand and holds it for a moment.
I stare at our hands as she positions a set of chopsticks in my finger.
"Like a pencil," she mumbles moving back to her food and demonstrating.
Is that blush?
Maybe she likes me? I really don't know anything anymore…
I attempt to pick up a slice of meat only to catch sight of marinette smiling back at me.
All of a sudden my hand doesn't want to work anymore and my hands slip and the meat plops straight onto my shirt.
I think I'm going crazy! What's wrong with me?!
Marinette and her parents giggle and my face heats up.
Pick the meat off my shirt and set it back down onto the plate.
Why me?
Before I know it marinette takes my hand and excuses us.
She leads me to the bathroom where she promptly grabs a damp washcloth and begins rubbing out the stain on my shirt.
The close proximity to her is driving me insane. I can smell a sweet vanilla scent that surrounds her.
When I catch a glimpse of her face her eyebrows are furrowed and the tip of her tongue sticks out of the corner of her mouth.
My hands twitch at my sides and all I can think of is kissing her.
"M-Mari?"
She pauses and looks up at me with wide eyes.
"Yes, Adrien?"
"I-I uhm… You and me? Do you like m-m…"
"Do I like what?"
I suddenly panic.
"Monkeys!" What?
"What?" Marinette blanches.
"Do-Do you like monkeys?" Out of all of the words I could have chosen I chose monkeys? I think I'm just gonna curl up in a ball and die now…
"What do you mean?" she questions.
"Well… I uhm, I just remembered there's a new exhibit at the zoo for monkeys..." I turn away completely and entirely ashamed of myself.
I can handle myself in front of thousands of fans, during press conferences, meals with my father, in front of the camera, and on tv, but somehow I can't even come up with a simple sentence around this adorable, sweet, dark haired, brilliant, shy, selfless-wait where was I going with this?
When I glance back at the suddenly silent Marinette and I realize how completely confused she is..
Does she like me? She probably thinks I'm crazy...
"ok?" she mumbles.
We stare at each other in silence before Marinette speaks up.
"We should head back before my parents get any crazy ideas…"
I nod and we slip out of the bathroom and back into the dinning room.
I take a seat once again to the right of Marinette.
I take much more care when using the chopsticks than before and after a while I begin to get used to them. Only my every time Mari moves or makes a sound, my heart jolts in my chest.
After a while I glance at her and notice her empty hand in her lap.
Before I can stop myself I'm reaching over and taking hold of her hand.
It's suddenly as if my whole body is being lit on fire.
Marinette gasps and Tom stops mid sentence.
"Are you alright Marinette?"
Her face flushes entirely but she doesn't let go or pull away.
"I-I'm fine Papa, bit into a rather spicy pepper."
He glances at me and I quickly shovel some food in my mouth to avoid talking.
"If you say so sweet heart."
When we finish eating Sabine turns to us with a smile.
"Why don't you take your boyfriend up to your room while your father and I finish up the cake, alright Marinette?"
An onslaught of sputtering coughs overtakes me as I completely and entirely forget how to breathe.
"Maman! It's not like that!"
Marinette ushers Sabine out of the room as quickly as possible before taking me up to her room.
When I've finally regained composure Marinette sighs.
"I'm really sorry about her. She's got some crazy idea in her head about us," she mumbles as she takes a seat on her bed.
I take a seat next to her and shrug.
"I wouldn't really call it crazy. I mean you're very beautiful and kind. A guy like me would be lucky to have you for a girlfriend," I admit quietly.
My eyes widen at the meaning of what I just said.
"I-I mean not that I think we should date or anything, I mean you might not be ready, or you might not like me, or… or… I uhm… You know what? I'm gonna be quiet now."
Marinette stares at me with wide eyes. "You're not under the impression that I don't like you, are you?"
I rub the back of my neck and stare down at my shoes.
"Kinda?" I mumble. "I mean you're alway stuttering around me and you tend to avoid me a lot. I just kinda figured you were still mad about the gum thing… I've been going crazy all night because I can't figure out if you like me or not. I'm not sure anymore…"
Marinette rests her head on my shoulder and take my hand.
"I like you, not even just a little. I like you a lot. I've just been really afraid you wouldn't like clumsy, stuttering, nervous Marinette."
Wait… She's liked me this whole time?
I entwine our fingers, finding hers fit perfectly with mine.
"Before tonight I don't think I realized how much I really like you. My heart has been going crazy and I've never been so nervous around someone before."
Marinette giggles. "I make you nervous?" she asks as she moves closer and rests her free hand on my chest.
I swallow a lump in my throat and nod, realizing her lips are mere centimeters away from mine.
Marinette smirks. "Good," she mumbles before pressing her sweet lips to mine.