Stuck on the Puzzle

A Green Tea Cake

It was Saturday.
Marinette had no school, so therefore, she didn't have to be Marinette.
"Transform me," she called out (embarrassingly loud) in her (almost) empty bedroom, and Tikki swirled around her, transforming her into the black-and-red speckled superhero, Ladybug.
With her yo-yo (which, conveniently, acted as a cellphone as well), she contacted Chat Noir.
"My lady!" He cried ecstatically.
Ladybug smiled. "I need to talk to you."
"Eiffel Tower?"
"Ten minutes."
Chat winked. "I'll make it eight."
The air was pleasant that day. The sky was vibrantly blue and completely cloudless, the air was light and cool. Ladybug's hair whipped at her face as she swung from building to building, using her multifaceted yo-yo as transportation.
Infuriatingly, Chat Noir was waiting smugly at the iconic tower for her, using his pole as a cane to lean against.
"Told you," he taunted. "What'd you have to tell me?"
Ladybug rolled her eyes at him. "A friend of mine thinks Hawk Moth is planning something."
"Oh?"
"She thinks he's trying to lure us into feeling comfortable and safe before attacking."
"This might be bad," Chat said sternly. "It could take us a whole hour to defeat him rather than the usual twenty minutes."
"Chat!"
He laughed. "I'm only joking, my lady. I guess we should keep an eye out?"
"Yeah. It's been quiet lately. I don't trust it."
"Really though- we're a team. Nothing and no one can stop us if we stick together."
Ladybug smiled. "We are a team," she agreed. "Though I'm surprised to hear you say that."
"I should be a motivational speaker," he considered.
Ladybug laughed. "I'll have your back if you have mine," she promised.
"I'll always have your back, my lady."
"Yeah, you better." She paused. "Well, that's all I had to say. Until next time, cat."
He saluted her with two fingers. "Until next time, bug."
They jumped off the building, and left like morning doves in flight.
~
When Marinette arrived at her parents' bakery, she jumped when she found Adrien there first.
"A-Adrien?"
"Oh, hi, Marinette!" He greeted cheerfully.
Rays of sunlight were pouring in through the window, illuminating the vibrant pastel colors of the bakery and showcasing the freshly baked pastries. The smell of sugar and vanilla lifted the air.
"What... what are you doing here?" She asked. Her face grew warm, as it always did. What was it about him that made her blood rush to her face?
"Just getting some macaroons. I had a craving," he explained, ruffling his hair endearingly.
"Oh, I see," she said, a little quietly. She wondered if...
"Hey, Adrien?"
"Yeah?" He perked up.
"Are you busy today?" It was a dumb question. He was always busy.
"Surprisingly, no. I actually have a day off today." He smiled.
Marinette brightened. "If you want... we could try baking a green tea cake?"
Adrien grinned. "That sounds great. But then, I'll steal all of your family's secret recipes," he joked.
Marinette faked a horrified gasp. "Villain!"
He laughed. "Let's do this," he said, determined. "I can finally learn how to bake!"
~
A green tea cake requires, obviously, green tea. This is otherwise known as matcha, and it cannot be found in your average grocery store. Luckily, Marinette's father occasionally used it when flavoring his macaroons.
Marinette got Adrien an apron to protect his clothes, and they started working on the recipe. It wouldn't be too different from a chocolate cake, she had decided, but they would use matcha in lieu of cocoa powder.
"Just tell me what to do, Marinette," Adrien said, beaming.
"Well," she started. "First you do the dry ingredients..."
She watched as he struggled to cleanly measure the flour, sugar, and matcha, spilling powder everywhere and unto himself. She couldn't help but giggle.
"Clean as you go," she instructed. He sheepishly cleaned the kitchen counters, cheeks pink.
"And then, the wet ingredients!"
He was hopeless- he either overfilled the measuring cups, or didn't fill them enough. He got egg shells in the batter (though he quickly fished them out). When he mixed the ingredients together, droplets splashed out the bowl and onto their faces. Marinette was there to help him all the way, though. She actually enjoyed it, strange as it was to see Adrien not be perfect at something.
"And now..." she said, building suspense, "we put it in the oven!"
Adrien sighed, finally able to relax. "That was harder than I expected," he admitted.
"Fun though?" She shrank a little, apprehensive of his response.
"Incredibly fun. I can't believe I've never done this before," he said, grinning. She noticed his smile crook just a little.
Just like that, Marinette was an absolute mess again. No matter how hard she tried, her smile wouldn't leave her face, as if someone had taken a black Sharpie and written "HAPPY" across her forehead.
"So what do we do in the meantime?" He asked.
She smiled as an idea came to mind.
-
Marinette was a god when it came to video games. She was a clumsy, literal mess in real life, but virtually... she was divine.
Time and time again, she beat Adrien. As in, pulverized him. Finally, he threw his head back and groaned.
"I give up!" He cried. "Have mercy, I can't beat you, oh-powerful-one."
Marinette giggled. "It's not your fault I'm amazing," she teased. And then realized what she said, froze, and turned bright red. Did she sound way too cocky just then?
But then he laughed, and she relaxed.
"I think the cake should be ready around now," she suggested.
They went downstairs, and after waiting for it to cool and nibbling the scraps, they iced it and then sliced it. Finally, they got to eat their creations.
"This is so good," Adrien groaned. "You're incredible, Marinette."
She turned bright red. "You're the one who made it," she said modestly, casting her eyes down.
"Because of you!" He laughed and she smiled. She couldn't remember talking to him this freely before. She breathed out the butterflies floating in her stomach, and felt them flutter past her lips, and everything was good.
-
Adrien left a few hours before sundown; his father wouldn't like him out after dark.
And a few hours after sundown, Chat Noir appeared.
"Did you see your crush today?" Marinette prodded, playfully.
"I did, actually," he said, grinning. "Although, I don't think we've gotten past the whole I'm-a-joke thing."
Marinette cocked her head. "You can be serious, right?"
"Of course! It's just, I don't know. How do you randomly go from joking and kidding around with someone to telling them your life story?"
"Well, what is your life story?"
Chat Noir eyed her. "Oh, I see what you're doing. Very tricky, princess. Trying to answer my question with another question."
Marinette laughed. "Well? Are you going to answer?"
"Okay, princess. I'll tell you my life story. When I was young, my mother was beautiful. I mean, not face wise, 'cause that's kind of weird. But just who she was as a person. She was warm and kind and... like a fairytale godmother or something. Sometimes I think she was the only warmth in my father's life, because when she died, he became utterly cold. And suddenly, I wasn't a little kid anymore. I had to always be safe. I had to always be perfect." He furrowed his brow, staring at nothing in particular, and gently shook his head. "I know he's trying to protect me, but I went from being happy and playful and carefree to being a plastic mannequin in a showcase."
Marinette looked at him, her face slack. She didn't expect this from him. She didn't expect anything like this.
"The day I put on the mask, I didn't have to worry about being safe and isolated. I didn't have to worry about being perfect. I could just be me." He shrugged and smiled at her, softly. A little crooked.
Something heavy shifted inside of her. "I'm sorry, Chat," she said, not knowing why. "It probably means nothing, but I think this you is pretty great." She offered a small smile, which he returned.
"I think you're pretty great too," he said. His cheeks warmed. "Well, I have to go. Nice talking to you, princess!"
And then he ran off before she could say goodbye.