"Future Rewoven" Book 3 of "Secrets Unraveled" Trilogy |COMPLETED|

Chpt 17: A Few Minutes of Fun.

Marinette and Odette slowly stepped down the staircase that led from Marinette's room, making silly 'model' poses on each one, as Adrien snapped some photos of them using his phone's camera.  What had started out as a more serious modeling session, with Adrien giving them some real tips on how to pose to show off the dresses they made, had devolved into goofiness when Adrien discovered that neither of the girls could manage to walk down the stairs without tripping.  Future models they were not.  But, really, this was way more fun! he thought.  The girls reached the last stair and started giggling uncontrollably and Adrien smiled at them.  

"You're hired for my next photo shoot, which will be . . . whenever you finish your next project!" he said to them.  The girls finally stopped laughing and Marinette fanned at her red cheeks, and Odette held her stomach, which hurt so much from laughing.

"Nice work, Odette, on the dress and the modeling!  I hope you feel like you've learned a lot so far and are also having fun," said Marinette.

Odette smiled and assured Marinette that she was. She noticed the time and realized she needed to go.  Her mom would probably be reminding her soon. "I'll just get my bag from your room and get going," said Odette as she turned around and ran up the stairs.

Marinette turned slightly, watching Odette fondly. 

"Have you heard anything from Odette?  Any news?" he asked Marinette.

She turned back around to face him.  "No, I haven't heard anything.  You could ask her when she comes back."

Odette came racing down the stairs, looking briefly at the missed texts from her friends, before remembering that Adrien was at the bottom and slowed her pace, trying to look more grown-up.  She wobbled a bit on the second to last stair, but managed to make it to the staircase end without any actual tripping.  She smiled shyly at Adrien.

"Have you heard any news from your friends about their assignment?" he asked her.

She jerked slightly at being directly addressed by Adrien. "No. N. . . nothing specific, yet.  I'm seeing them tonight, though. I can ask them if you want," said Odette, not quite able to meet his eyes.

"Thanks, I would appreciate that!" said Adrien.

Odette's phone buzzed, startling her so much that she almost dropped it. She glanced at the screen.  "It's my mom- I've got to go! Thanks!" she said as she rushed toward the door.  She opened it, went through, and then closed the door on her bag strap.  

Marinette gave a small laugh, walked toward the door, and opened it releasing Odette's bag.  She noticed Odette's embarrassed expression and leaned down toward her whispering "Happens to me all the time!  Don't worry!"  Marinette handed her the bag and then shooed her on her way, closing the door.

"So, is she like that all of the time, or just around me?" asked Adrien with a chuckle.

"Well, she has her moments during the day, but it is definitely worse around you.  You're just too swoon-worthy, I guess," she said with a grin, walking over to him.

"Oh, really?  Do all girls feel that way about me?" he asked, returning her grin.

"Only certain girls, I think," said Marinette as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"And you're one of them?" Adrien asked as he wrapped his hands around her waist and slowly pulled her closer.

"What do you think?" she asked, as she looked in his eyes and leaned up to kiss him. Her eyes slowly closed and she placed her lips on his.

He eagerly returned her kiss, enjoying their rare, interruption-free moment.  We've had so little time together recently, he thought for a brief moment before his brain was completely taken over by the feel of Marinette in his arms and her lips on his.

Adrien's phone buzzed in his pocket, but he was determined to ignore it.  What could possibly be more important than this? He concentrated back on Marinette, but before long the phone buzzed again.

Marinette pulled away from him slightly and opened her eyes.  "Are you going to see what that's about?" she asked him quietly.  She noticed that he still had his eyes closed.

"No," he said, keeping his eyes closed as he desperately attempted to salvage the mood. "I'm trying to ignore it.  How important can it be if you didn't also get a notification?  I think we're more important now, don't you?" he asked her, pulling her closer again.

Marinette giggled and was easily convinced to return to their kissing, but when his phone buzzed again a few minutes later, her curiosity took over.  "Okay, don't you want to know who that is?"

Adrien groaned and got his phone out of his pocket with one hand, but kept the other around her waist.  He unlocked the phone and looked at the messages.  They were all from his father.

"Is something wrong, do you think?" asked Marinette, now concerned after seeing that the messages were all from Gabriel.

"I don't think so.  He just seems really eager for us to come over again.  And you know how he expects to get a response right away- he's been better at that recently, but he's still not good at waiting.  I suppose this ruined the mood then?" he asked her, hoping that they might still be able to get back to what they were doing.

Marinette laughed.  "I'm pretty sure that your father will continue to text you until you respond, so, yeah.  And anyway, don't you have to practice for your audition for the concert solo?  It's coming up soon."

"And you said you'd help out this afternoon in the bakery as your mom had some errands she needed to do," he sighed glumly.  "When did our summer, that was supposed to have all this extra time to spend together, suddenly get so busy?"

She reached up and ran her hand through his hair, pretending to straighten it but really just loving the feel of it.  "I don't know.  I guess we'll just need to schedule us in.  And maybe a patrol tonight?"  She knew how much racing on the rooftops cleared his head and lifted his mood.

"That sounds great!  See you later then?" he asked. 

"Okay," she moved away from him before turning back and grabbing his hand.  "But, one more kiss first?"

Adrien grinned his lop-sided grin at her.  "I was hoping you'd say that!"  

Marinette pulled him closer and gave him a kiss.  She then reluctantly stepped away from him and headed toward the other stairs, leaving Adrien a little unfocused.

His phone buzzed again, bringing him back to the present and out of the daze he was in from Marinette's kiss. He rolled his eyes and brought up the messages to respond to his apparently texting-obsessed father.