25. When the Other Isn't Looking
Watching Marinette from the corner of his eye, Adrien couldn't help but be starstruck all over again. It didn't matter how many times he looked or how long he spent with her each day, she seemed to grow more beautiful every time.
The twilight sky was her hair, the lights in it a constellation of stars and novas that twinkled and shone just as bright. Her brilliant blue eyes resembled aquamarines, gleaming in the reflected light of the overhead lamp. The fair skin between her delicate brows was furrowed as she concentrated on icing a fresh batch of macarons. Her complete attention on the treats and the piping bag in her hand, she didn't notice how his eyes traced a path across the light freckles adorning her cheeks before they settled on full, pink lips, the tip of her red tongue poking out between them as she worked.
Still watching her, entranced, Adrien reached forward—
Marinette struck quicker than a viper, smacking Adrien's hand away from the giant mixing bowl in the centre of the counter. Adrien yowled like a wounded cat, nearly toppling from his chair as he flinched and whipped his hand back.
"Marineeette!" he whined, cradling his hand to his chest as he pouted at her. "What was that for?"
"I've told you already—no paws in the batter!" she scolded, grabbing the bowl of creamed butter and sugar and pulling it a safer distance away. Adrien scowled; he'd just spent the last ten minutes inching it closer to him.
"If I catch you one more time with your claws where they shouldn't be," she warned, brandishing the piping bag at him like it was a knife, "I'm going to kick you out of the kitchen. I'm serious. You're bad for productivity."
Adrien huffed, looking away. "It's not my fault you're too distractingly beautiful," he muttered.
"W-what?" she choked, caught off-guard, red spreading across those lightly freckled cheeks like wildfire. Grinning, he leaned forward.
Adrien did get kicked out of the kitchen, but the kiss he stole in return was much sweeter than any batter in the world.