Chapter Text
Alya and Marinette were huddled on the kitchen table with books and snacks sprawled across it. They were studying for the upcoming math test, which between all of Marinette's heroic shenanigans, and Alya's comprehensive coverage of said shenanigans, the both of them had missed one too many math classes to be having an easy time of it. They had finally managed to catch up with the book, and now they just had to memorize it before Monday. It had been a long day as it was. Though not as long as it had been for Tom and Sabine.
In the middle of the night the bakeries refrigerator had shorted out. A dozen different orders had spoiled or melted enough to be needed to be redone. Since dawn they had been running between the bakery and the home kitchen to bake as much as they could. The two of them worked in a kind of synchronicity only two people who had worked together for years could.
Marinette look a little furtively over to her parents as they scrambled in the kitchen. "Are you sure that you two don't need hel-"
"No!" both of her parents said at once with a kind of manic fervor. Marinette sat back down a little surprised, "It's just..." Sabine started.
"We don't want you to leave Alya all alone!" Tom added helpfully, and her frantic parents flashed a guilty smile before getting back into it.
Marinette sat down as Alya leaned over and whispered "Their just worried you'll manage to knock everything over."
"I am not that clumsy-" She leaned briefly on the table nearly causing it to tilt over, sending everything to the floor. Without missing a beat, Alya counterbalanced the table to keep it from tipping over. Marinette managed to catch herself before her stool fell to the ground. She made eye contact with a very smug looking Alya, "quiet you," Alya just shrugged continuing to smile.
Their attention was grabbed as an egg timer was set off in the kitchen. Sabine snatched it and looked at the hasty scotch tape label "That's the bread," she said and moved to the cooling rack where a two trays of custom decorated cupcakes. She grabbed both of them and moved towards Tom "I'll take the bread from the oven downstairs, then take these to the reception. Will you be okay?"
"Of course, drive safe" he said with a smile.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," she leaned up and the two shared a quick kiss before she rushed off toward the stairs a tray of cupcakes in each hand.
A few minutes past before Tom delicately closed the oven before the call of another couple of egg timers sent him fleeing downstairs.
Finishing another problem Marinette stretched out a little bit, "Sorry, its so hectic here, I didn't think it would be so chaotic."
"No worries, it's impressive watching your parents in overdrive... hey what's that," she pointed at the TV where a news report was playing out, "Take it off mute?"
" I am Nadja Chamack reporting here from the Le Grand Paris Hotel where a Groom has turned rather Gruesome just before his reception started, " the camera panned towards the tall hotel where a great scaly monster man stood at its peak screeching downward. The camera panned back down to Nadja " Everyone stands with baited breath for the heroes to arrive on the scene- "
"Oh man!" Alya suddenly full of energy again stood up stuffing her backpack "Sorry Mari, but-"
"I know, I know I look forward to your vlog about it later," Marinette held her hand up for a high five, which Alya happily obliged, lacing their fingers together.
"You know you could always come with me."
"Maybe one day" Marinette lied "Stay safe alright?"
"Girl, am I ever not?" Alya scoffed and then without really thinking about it leaned down and gave Marinette a quick kiss on the lips. She made it halfway to the staircase before she swiveled around to a stunned and blushing Marinette, realizing what she had done.
"uhhh-" Marinette let out, still a bit short circuited.
"I uh, sorry? I- I didn't mean to."
Marinette stuttered out a response, all her "Oh no, it's fine. Great! I- I mean, you know not GREAT. NOT THAT YOUR A BAD KISSER- I mean" she placed a hand over her mouth to stop the vomit of words, looking mortified.
Alya looked antsy at the television , feeling far more flustered than she had in months. She was used to keeping a pretty cool head on things. She really didn't appreciate her subconscious throwing her a curve ball like this. "you... you know. Lets just uh, pretend this didn't happen. Let's just forget about it and meet up on Monday for some last minute studying?"
Marinette who still looked as red as a tomato nodded readily "uh yeah! Sure, just consider it forgotten" she said fingers nervously tapping on the rim of her stool.
Alya waved a brief goodbye as she headed for the stairs. "Right, great! Totally forgotten!
It was in fact NOT totally forgotten.
In an unrelated turn of events, Ladybug was a nervous wreck in that afternoons Ladyblog exclusive interview.