Dabble in Drabbles 24: Chat Day
So I went to this café two days ago, and boom! Plot bunny!
I hope it isn't too sweet for your taste!
Summary: Every two months, Adrien would have a Cheat Day (or in his words, 'Chat Day') where he would stuff himself with sweets. But on this particular day, it seemed he was in the company of someone even sweeter.
Every two months, Adrien would have a Cheat Day (or in his words, 'Chat Day') where he let go of all his diet prohibitions and break every single rule in the diet book in favor for the temptations of sugar and dairy.
But on this particular Chat Day, he didn't know that he would be accompanied by an even sweeter existence.
Looking for the tell-tale sign of a large bulky frame and spotting none, Adrien breathed out a sigh of relief and grinned at his kwami. "All clear."
"Thank goodness." Plagg stretched. "I don't think I'll ever get used to being stuffed in your bag for a three hour drive with no camembert to comfort me."
Adrien rolled his eyes. "You know the drill, Plagg. I save up money so you can binge eat as much camembert as you want."
"Yes, but this and that are different." The cat kwami ranted. Adrien just shook his head in exasperation and pushed the kwami back in his jacket, hidden out of view.
He peeked out of a pillar and looked around. His eyes zeroed in on the dessert café across the street. With cat-like stealth, he quickly crossed the street and headed towards the café, when, due to his rotten luck, he tripped on the sidewalk and toppled over somebody.
They were a flurry of angled limbs and apologies as they tried to untangle themselves from each other. Adrien dusted his jacket and held out his hand to his victim when he noticed the very familiar sky blue eyes.
"Marinette?"
Said girl looked up and her jaw dropped down. "Adrien?! What are you doing here?!"
He pulled her up to her feet as his eyes glanced at the café directly beside them. Marinette followed his gaze. A smile quirked on her lips. "You're having a cheat day?"
Adrien grinned sheepishly. "Well, I should at least deserve a day for myself, right?"
Marinette nodded. "I-I guess, from your modeling, you get hungry from sweets."
He nodded with her. "That's why I have today as my cheat day."
Marinette opened her mouth, as if to say something, and then closed it. Adrien waited, but it seemed like she wasn't going to reveal what she was about to say any time soon. He looked back inside the dessert café, comfy chairs and bright lights with the aroma of vanilla and chocolate, and an idea struck him.
"Would you like to join me?"
Her head shot up, mouth agape as he smiled at her. He repeated his offer. "Would you like to join me with eating the sweets? My treat."
"I-I couldn't!" Marinette stammered.
"I usually order more than enough for one person, so it would be great if you could help me finish all of it. Besides," He gave her a toothy grin, "food taste better with a friend."
He could see the gears whirling inside her brain as she decided. Finally, she looked shyly back at him and nodded. A giddy feeling bubbled inside him as he realized he would be, for the first time, eating out with a friend from school.
He took a hold of her hand and went inside the dessert café, not noticing the steaming face of Marinette behind him.
"Ah, Monsieur Adrien, back again without fail." A plump woman with frizzy hair and a patterned apron looked up from the counter and gave her regular customer a warm welcome. She noticed the girl behind him. "Oh! Did you bring your girlfriend along?"
Adrien and Marinette exchanged looks and he quickly let go of her hand, both of them protesting at the comment. "N-No, we're not like that-"
"She's just a friend-"
"We go to the same school-"
"Sit behind me-"
The woman laughed heartily. "Calm down kids, I was just messing with the both of ya. Go sit over there and I'll ring your order right up."
"Thank you, Madame Elmira." Adrien said gratefully. He gestured for Marinette to follow him and they wove through the chairs and tables until they walked out at the back of the café, a small garden coming in view. In the center was a circular glass table with two chairs on either of the sides. Adrien approached the table and pulled out a seat for Marinette. With a dark blush, she sat down. He circled around and sat down in front of her.
"So, what do you think of this place?" He asked with a grin.
Marinette looked around in awe. "Where did you find this?"
"It was more of an accident, really." Adrien confessed. "I was running away from Gorilla – I mean, my bodyguard, when I stumbled inside the café. I asked Madame Elmira to hide me, and so she led me out to this place. While waiting for my bodyguard to leave, she offered me sweets and now I'm a regular at this place."
"It's really nice." Marinette said. "It's like a secret garden."
"Well then," Adrien put a finger to his lips and winked, "this'll be our little secret."
He watched in amusement as her blush reached the tips of her ears. He was about to see how far he could get her to blush, when the dessert course came filing in.
Marinette's eyes widened as cheesecakes, mousse, rolls, croissants, pastries of several kinds, cookies, soufflé, to ice creams, sundaes, pudding, sherbet, etc., stacked on the table. It was a wonder how it all could fit. The course finished with a set of butter, cream, honey, jam, and a huge jar of milk. And a while later, five large rolls of camembert covered underneath a crystal lid was set at a corner of the table.
She looked at the table piled high with the various pastries and back at Adrien. "You think you can finish all of these?"
"Don't underestimate this young man's black hole of a stomach, child." Madame Elmira said. "One time, he cleaned off every plate and even asked for seconds! Seconds! If this boy came every day, our one month stock would already have disappeared within a week's time."
This time, it was his turn to blush as Marinette looked back at him. He gestured to her. "Ladies first."
Marinette looked around, and picked out a strawberry tart from a tray and sank her teeth into it. She moaned in delight as the sweet and sour taste of the fruit, coated with the gelatin, filled her mouth. It was amazing!
Adrien grinned as she finished the tart in three bites. "How is it? Does it pass a baker's daughter's taste buds?"
"Are you serious?" Marinette took another one, this time, apricot flavor. "It's just as good, even better actually, than my dad's!"
"I'm glad to hear that from Dupain-Cheng's daughter." Madame Elmira laughed heartily. "We were in the same patisserie academy and often competed in the same competitions."
"I'll tell him you said hi." Marinette said. "But this is amazing! I love it!"
"I'm glad to hear that." Madame Elmira winked. "I'll leave you two to your eating."
And with that, she left. Marinette and Adrien wasted no time digging in the food, often exchanging small talk and desserts ("Try this!" "Taste this one!").
When the amount of food dwindled down (along with the mysterious disappearance of the camembert cheese), Adrien watched his classmate for a while. It was nice seeing a different side of her that wasn't stuttering or running away from him. Out of the blue, he said, "Someday, I hope I can see your designs on the runway."
Marinette froze, a spoon of chocolate ice cream halfway through her mouth, as she looked at him. Swallowing, she said, "You think I can make it?"
"It's not that I think you can make it, I know you can make it." Adrien grinned. "And off in the far future, I hope I can model your designs."
The blush spread throughout her face until she looked like a tomato. "I-I'm holding you onto that offer!"
Adrien beamed. "I'll keep it."
Marinette held out her hand, all fingers closed except a pinky jutting out. "Pinky Promise?"
Adrien's eyebrows wrinkled as he mimicked her. She hooked her pinky around his. She asked again, "Promise?"
He nodded. "Promise."
As Marinette lay on her bed later that night, her stomach full, she suddenly bolted awake.
Didn't Adrien mention once that he was always deprived of food because of his modeling diet?
A smile worked up on her features as her brain whirled with an idea.
Adrien stretched as he walked up the school steps. He looked around, hoping to see Marinette, but when she was nowhere in sight, he shrugged. She was probably late again. He smiled. Yesterday was definitely fun. He should invite her out more often.
"Adrien, wait!" A voice called out to him. He stopped and turned around. Marinette rushed to him and braked to a stop, a bag in her hands. She thrust it out to him. "I- it's a thanks you – I mean, thank you gift for yesterday! I hope you like...it…?"
Adrien accepted the bag and looked inside. His eyes widened and he looked back and forth from the bag and to Marinette. He noticed the bags under her eyes, her slightly unkempt hair, and her burnt fingers. "You…made this for me?"
She beamed at him and nodded. Feelings overwhelmed, he wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you so much."
"Well, we are friends." Marinette laughed. "Also, if you have cravings in between your cheat days, you can always come to me. I'll bake for you."
Adrien pulled away, his eyes sparkling. "Really?"
"Absolutely." Marinette nodded.
"Marinette, you're the best friend I've ever had!" Adrien said happily.
"Hey, hey, I thought I was your best friend." Nino said with mock hurt as he walked to them, Alya grinning behind him. Adrien just laughed as they exchanged fist bumps.
"What was that about?" Alya asked Marinette. The girl just smiled at her and shook her head.
Adrien grinned and bit in the cookie.
All aboard the fluff train! I hope you guys didn't get toothaches from this!
You know that moment where the author gives you all these fluffy scenes and nice stuff between your otp and you feel that they're planning something suspicious?
Ehehehehe...
Just wait for the Marichat guys. It's coming. I'm just making certain preparations for your hearts first. XD
Anyway, see ya'll next time! I hope you liked it!