Wow I can't believe how many followers I have already! And thank you to my one reviewer Hatsune Miyu, you asked for more so here is more! Sorry about the delay. Work sucked me down into the depths of its abyss.
Miraculous Ladybug doesn't belong to me, but I wish it did.
Silence isn't loud, but it certainly felt loud in the limo. Neither teen talked as the vehicle accelerated, slowed and stopped. Something heavy was in the air and Marinette wasn't quite sure she liked it. She watched the model's reflection in the window, he was sighing a lot and seemed out of it. Green eyes were glazed and unfocused on anything going on around him. She chewed on her lip slightly, she wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure what to say.
When the gorilla pulled up in front of the fabric shop Adrien held the door open for Marinette. She thanked the boy as she exited the vehicle, he only smiled at her in response. The two teens entered the fabric store and the young designer immediately brightened. All the colours, the different textures took her breath away.
Adrien followed the young designer as she looked at different bolts of fabric, confusion apparent on his face. She turned to him with a smile, "Never seen this before huh?"
He shook his head no, "There's so much here, I wouldn't even know what I was doing."
She laughed quietly, "Different types of fabric are used for different things like furniture upholstery or interior decorating. Not all of it is used for clothing."
The boy nodded slightly, reaching out and touching the fabric she was looking at. "What are you going to use this for?" his eyes and voice seemed far off, like this was a dream world that didn't exist until then.
"Well if I choose this fabric I'll probably be using it for your shirt, it's breathable so even if it's a little warm you won't be sweltering in it. But I'm not sure if this is what I want to go for," the male teen nodded as he followed Marinette as she picked bolts up and started layer fabrics over one another. By the time she had picked up three bolts of fabric Adrien took them from her with a soft smile, "Thanks," she mumbled.
The teens were quiet while wandering the store. Once she had chosen the fabrics, she smiled, "Time to get them cut." A scream cut through the quiet air in the store. Adrien dropped the bolts of fabric and wrapped an arm around Marinette's shoulder pulling her down and away from where the scream was heard. They hid behind a large table where the sale fabrics were held.
"Stay here, I'll try to find help," he looked up where the Akumatized victim was. Marinette held onto his shirt sleeves and shook her head no. She pleaded with him to not go with her eyes, but he only smiled softly down at her, "I promise to be careful. Stay here Marinette."
She watched the blonde duck and run behind stands until he was out of sight. "What are you waiting for Marinette?" Tikki's voice worried.
"You're right Tikki, the quicker I transform the faster I can save Adrien!" Marinette nodded at Tikki, determination in her eyes. "Tikki, spots on!" in a flash of pink she felt herself become more agile and brave. Leaping over displays and shelves filled with fabric she came up on the Akumatized victim. "What's got your seams in stitches?" Ladybug stood with her hands by her side, yo-yo at the ready.
"Milady," Cat Noir landed beside her with a small smirk playing on his lips. She nodded in response to his entrance.
"I am the SEAMSTRESS! All shall become the finest of fabrics for me to use," she waved her hand and a needle appeared in front of her. Ladybug quickly took in the victim's appearance, fabric patchwork made up her dress and hair, varying shades of blue and purple, white as fresh snow skin and skinny as a twig. As much as she searched she wasn't sure what she should be looking for. A purple outline of a moth floated just above her face, "Of course Hawkmoth." With needle in hand the villain laughed and pointed it at unsuspecting bystanders trying to hide, they disappeared in a poof of bright blue light and in their place were dolls that looked just like the villain.
"Quick Cat Noir, distract her while I try to find where the Akuma is," the male superhero nodded before pouncing off and at the Seamstress. She didn't pay attention to his cat puns but she did watch as he used his baton to bat away her powers. It wasn't the needle. He managed to kick her hand and dislodge the weapon from her hand. She scanned the victim's body as she leapt back from Cat Noir, there was one patch of fabric that was pitch black by her waist. "Cat Noir! The black patch of fabric!" her voice rang out loud and clear. Her partner nodded and she tossed her yo-yo into the air, "Lucky Charm!"
A sling shot dropped into her hands, "A slingshot Milady? I thought you had grown out of such toys," Cat Noir smirked, doing a backflip and landing by her side. Ignoring him, her eyes darted around the room, a rack of beads had spilled on the floor by the cash register, that was the ammo, she looked back at the villain, then to Cat Noir.
"You have to get the black cloth, I'll distract her with this," Ladybug smiled with confidence gleaming in her eyes.
"Got it," the male superhero bounded off towards the villain, and she dove towards the beads scattered by the front register. Scooping up a handful of the different sized glass and plastic beads she armed the slingshot. Aiming was difficult with Cat jumping all over and the villain trying to dodge his swings with his baton. Firing one bead she managed to peg the villain right in the forehead, Ladybug took aim again and this time hit her in the arm, bouncing the shot off the ceiling. Cat Noir took the moment to call on his specialized power, "Cataclysm!" Ladybug was still trying to keep the villain distracted with beads, launching them faster and to different parts of her body. Head, arm, leg, wrist, head again. Cat noir launched himself as the villain shook herself out of the shock of being assaulted by beads, and he touched the black fabric just on her waist. It melted away and the black Akuma fluttered out, the victim soon returned to normal and Cat Noir caught her.
Ladybug took her yo-yo and ran her finger across the surface, causing it to split and open up to reveal the part of the device that cleanses the Akuma. "No more evil doing for you little bug," catching the small black butterfly, she pulled the yo-yo back to herself and smiled as she let the now pure white butterfly go, "Bye bye little butterfly." She waved slightly as it disappeared out of the building. Taking the slingshot back in hand, she tossed it into the air, "Miraculous Ladybug!" Soon pink swirled around the store returning the building and its patrons back to normal.
Cat Noir walked up to Ladybug and held his fist out, "Pound it," they said in unison as their fists connected lightly.
Her earrings beeped and his ring made a similar sound as one of the green pads on his ring blinked out, "I would love to stay and chat, but we should get going before we turn into pumpkins." She smiled at her partner before running out of the store and launching herself behind the building. Landing on the pavement behind the store her transformation melted away. Quickly looking to see if anyone saw, she let out a relieved sigh before looking into her purse to see a sleeping Tikki, "Thanks Tikki, I'll make sure to treat you when we get home." Suddenly her blood ran cold, Adrien! She ran back into the store and saw him standing by one of the tables with all the fabric she had picked out. His phone was in his hand, her phone buzzed and she looked at the screen, it was Adrien. "I'm alright, sorry, I saw an opening and got out of the building are you alright?" she ran up to the boy and leaned on the table to catch her breath.
He laughed nervously, "I am now, unfortunately I was turned into a people sized ragdoll. It wasn't pleasant." His smile shone down on her like the sun shines down on the beach on a wonderful summer day.
"I'm glad that you're okay," Marinette smiled up at him before she was interrupted by the store worker. She apologized for taking up their time. She went through the bolts one at a time and requested the required amount of each one. Once all the fabric was cut, marked for the register, and paid for she and Adrien stepped out of the store, him carrying the bag, "Thank you again so much for this Adrien."
"It's not a problem Marinette. Like I said, I'm kind of excited about this. It'll be the first thing I own that my father hasn't made," he held the door open to the limo for her. She slid in and he followed after her. "I also think you have a good chance to win this competition. I know you'll make it into the fashion world."
She blushed and pulled on one of her pigtails slightly, "Thanks Adrien, I feel a little more confident if you think I have a chance."
"Of course I think you have a chance! Remember when ChloƩ tried to steal your design but you embroidered your name upside down as part of the design? That was super cool," he kept looking over at her as he talked. She was glad that he was out of whatever slump he seemed to be in before, but what dragged him out of it.
"That's true I guess. I still can't believe I won that time," she tapped her bottom lip a couple times. As her eyes turned to the bag between them she smiled with excitement, she would most certainly start marking the fabric for cutting tonight. She shouldn't stay up super late on a school night after all, so even if it wasn't cut and only half of it marked she would be content.
"Excited to get started?" Adrien had leaned closer while she had been spacing and she jumped slightly at his voice. She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat before nodding. "I'm glad, it makes me feel excited for you," he leaned back to his side of the vehicle and looked out his window.
"Th-th-thanks," she just barely managed to mumble out. After that the rest of the ride was silent, but not a bad silence.
Tom and Sabine greeted the two teens with the enthusiasm of forty people. Adrien got a plate full of baked good, wrapped in cellophane and everything. Sabine insisted he take them home, maybe even share them with Nathalie, the gorilla and even his father if he had time, or if any was left. Adrien of course said he would more than be happy enough to eat it all himself, but he wouldn't be selfish. After all, if he kept Paris' best bakery under wraps he would feel sad not being able to tell anyone about the place. Sabine giggled behind her hand and Tom rubbed the back of his neck, they took his kind words to heart. Marinette was happy her family liked Adrien, after all she did want to marry him. That was still a far off fantasy at the moment. Her heart lodged in her throat, Sabine was holding out a plate of red velvet cookies towards Adrien. Well, they weren't exactly 'red', more like the sad burgundy colour of failure. The only reason she knew what that sad plate of cookies were was because she had made them the day before. Watching in horror as he slowly took a bit out of the cookie she waited to hear the worst. Instead he praised the cookie for its taste. Both her parents turned their gaze to their daughter with sly smiles on their faces. Tom mentioned that Marinette made the cookies, and that even though the taste is on point, they couldn't sell them since they weren't red enough.
Adrien turned to her cookie in hand, "You made these?" She nodded slightly, her blush was beginning to creep up to the tips of her ears. "They're amazing Marinette!"
"Thanks," she crossed her arms and looked at the floor nervously.
Her parents wrapped their arms around her in a quick hug. "Now why don't you two run along upstairs while we finish preparing dinner," Sabine gently pushed her own daughter towards the young male. Adrien smiled and nodded before grabbing the bag full of fabric and heading up the stairs, completely forgetting his plate of baked goods to go.
Marinette slowly followed him up the stairs, and once she was through the trap door she saw the male walking around her pink room, looking around. He stopped in front of her dress form, before slowly reaching out to touch it, "This wasn't here last time," his voice had a faraway quality to it.
"I usually keep it tucked in my closet for storage, it honestly makes putting together the clothing a lot easier. Especially since it's my size," Marinette smiled to herself. "Alya helped me make it. We used an old shirt I was never going to use again. It was unquestionably a trust exercise, that's for sure."
Wide green eyes turned to look at her, "What do you mean?"
She laughed slightly, "Well it involved a lot of duct tape, and a pair of scissors. Here I'll show you the pictures." Moving towards her chaise she pulled out her phone and opened up the gallery of pictures. Scrolling through the images she felt Adrien sit next to her. She pulled up the images she was looking for, the first being a very shy Marinette in a long green shirt. Then was an image of her torso completely covered in duct tape and Alya laughing, followed by an image of Marinette's bare back slowly being exposed by a pair of scissors cutting through the duct tape. Marinette's ears instantly felt like fire, she forgot she wasn't wearing another shirt on underneath the one they used to make the dress form. She had been paranoid of wrecking any other shirt. She quickly glanced up to see a faint blush on Adrien's cheeks. "After we managed to get me out of it, we sealed it up and stuffed it with newspaper. After that we filled it with expanding foam and to finish it off I got some stretchy cloth and slipped it over top so I can pin fabric to it easier," she closed her phone suddenly aware of how close the model was to her.
"It's really cool that you guys made that together, I thought you had to buy something like that and that they were normally made with wood," the one ear she could see was tipped pink.
"You can buy them like that and have them specially made, but this is a lot easier on my wallet," she laughed again.
Adrien turned to face her, he stared into her eyes and he looked like he wanted to say something, but before any words could escape his mouth Sabine called for them. Dinner was ready. He stood and held his hand out for Marinette to take to help her up. She took his hand and after she was up he let go of her hand and headed downstairs. She cursed her parents' bad timing, she may have been lost in his eyes, but maybe he was going to tell her what was wrong.
During dinner Adrien asked what it was like running a bakery, her parents happily chatted with him about their mornings, how they alternated who was down in the bakery first thing in the morning and who would make breakfast. How sometimes even after the initial bake they would sometimes be making things throughout the day. Adrien was enraptured by their descriptions, he was listening so intently he didn't even notice Marinette staring at him the whole time.
Once he was about to leave Marinette realized he didn't have his plate of baked goods. "Adrien, don't forget these," Marinette held the plate out to the young model.
"Thanks Marinette, I would have been sad if I couldn't take this home with me. Any way I could get some more of your delicious cookies?" as she went to hand him the plate their fingers brushed slightly.
Her heart began to race, "No, I don't think so. But maybe I'll bring some to school tomorrow. We'll see." She smiled at him, sure her face was pink.
The boy pouted slightly before giving her a wink and a smile, "Alright Marinette, sounds good to me. If not maybe I'll have to call and place an order for a batch of cookies from the baker's daughter." He laughed and her heart melted slightly, even his laugh was perfect. "See you tomorrow," the model turned and started to head towards the limo.
"See you tomorrow," she called after him. Once the vehicle had pulled away she leaned against the door of the bakery and sighed dreamily. He liked her baking, he seemed to like her parents, if only she could find a way to get him to look at her.
Well that's it for now folks! I am probably going to touch up the first couple of chapters in the next couple days between this chapter and the next. the spelling and the length bothers me. I feel they should be longer. But if you think they're fine the way they are let me know! I'll just fix up the spelling in that case. Bye for now!
