Cinnamon and Vanilla

Chapter 13

A/N - Apologies for being a little late with this chapter. I wasn't happy with the original version so scraped it and rewrote it. I hope you  are still enjoying where the story is heading. Also please excuse any errors in this chapter. I have a head cold and things are a bit fuzzy.

Adrien noticed Marinette had been quiet all through dinner. Aunt Lottie was a lively conversationalist, with an array of stories about the estate, the many influential visitors that have stayed there over the years and adventures with her late husband. Nathalie was quite intrigued, and asked a lot of questions which Lottie was more than happy to answer. Marinette would smile and nod, adding to the conversation here and there, but her mind was clearly elsewhere. Adrien worried that maybe he had done something wrong. Was she upset they had confirmed their identities? Was she having second thoughts about them? She must have sensed his worry because her hand seeked out his under the table, entwining their fingers tightly together. He looked at her and when she turned her eyes towards him, he saw nothing but love in her gaze. He felt his heart flip over. What did he ever do to deserve her to look at him like that?

"So tell me dears, when did you two meet?" Lottie asked the two teens, who both turned back to her with shy smiles. "At school?" Lottie prodded, and they nodded their heads. "Aww, how sweet. And was it love at first sight?" They both giggled.

"Not exactly." Marinette said, Nathalie raising an eyebrow. "At first I thought he was a snooty rich kid like Chloé." Lottie let out a laugh.

"Oh I haven't seen Chloé Bourgeois in years. Do you remember Adrien those summers when you were all little and you, Chloé and your cousin Felix would go swimming in the lake with my twins while the adults sipped cocktails in the sun. Ah, it seems so long ago." Lottie's face softened with the memories before she came back to her original question. "So, what changed?"

"An umbrella." Marinette said cryptically. Adrien looked at her confused as she continued. "We had a misunderstanding about some gum on my seat. I thought Adrien had done it as a prank on his first day at school along with Chloé. I was wrong though, so very wrong." Marinette looked back at Adrien with a fond smile on her face. "That afternoon it was pouring down with rain and Adrien came and talked to me, explaining everything. He didn't have to, but he did and then he selflessly gave me his umbrella so I could walk home. I just knew after that." Adrien's smile was so radiant it could have warmed up the room.

"Way back then?" He asked her in awe and she nodded her head.

"Way back then." Marinette reaffirmed. Lottie gave Nathalie a smirk.

"What about you Adrien?" Lottie turned the question onto the blonde who suddenly looked quite red in the face.

"Oh, she just kind of crashed into me one day and I've just been falling for her ever since." Lottie roared laughing at that and Marinette gave him a knowing smile, she knew exactly what he meant. Adrien cupped his hand on her cheek, rubbing his thumb gently across her smooth skin, Marinette leaning into his touch.

"You two should go for a walk in the gardens." Lottie suggested, breaking the moment between them. Oops, they had forgotten where they were for a moment. "They are quite beautiful at night and you can see so many more stars out here in the country than in the city."

After dinner, Adrien and Marinette took the kwamis up to their rooms with some snacks so they could spend some time together. The two of them then headed outside and started walking down towards the lake. There were fairy lights trailed along the pathways creating a soft glow. Adrien put his arm around Marinette's shoulders and smiled as she leaned into him. They found a sheltered spot further up the lake from where they had the photoshoot and sat down on the grass. Marinette laid down on her back, looking up into the night sky. She had changed before dinner into a soft pink summer dress and flat sandals, but her hair was still down. Adrien laid down next to her, wrapping his fingers between hers, looking up towards the sky. For a while they just stayed that way in a comfortable silence, enjoying just being together like this. They had done this so many times before, high up on a Parisian rooftop, but not like this where they could feel the warmth of each other's hands together without the barrier of their suits.