Day 18
“Love seeks to understand,” Tikki began. “Today, prepare a dinner for you and Adrien. Like, a nice one, okay? Make it a surprise date and treat it like one. Use that time to get to know Adrien better and just enjoy the evening with him.”
“But I know Adrien.”
Tikki gave Marinette a small smile. “When was the last time you two sat down and had a conversation. About anything. Besides,” Tikki quickly interjected, “that little conversation you two had a couple days ago when you congratulated Adrien on his spot at nationals.”
After a few seconds, Marinette found herself ashamed that she couldn’t answer that.
“So, prepare dinner for the night. Go all out, and surprise him.”
Slowly shutting the journal, Marinette gave a nod. “Okay.”
It was about the time Adrien was supposed to get home that Marinette lit all the candles she’d set up at the dinner table. She’d finished dinner; it was sitting warm on the stove. She’d even dressed up in a simple red dress and did her hair and make-up to compliment it.
When was the last time she’d done that?
When she heard the clack of the door unlocking, she stood with a smile. She watched Adrien enter, kick off his shoes, then look up and freeze when he locked eyes with her.
She smiled. “Welcome home. I made dinner.”
He stared at her a moment, his brow furrowed in confusion before quickly hurrying off into the master bedroom.
To say she was shocked was an understatement. But there was a thunk off somewhere in the house, and when he returned, he was no longer carrying his sports bag. Meaning that he was standing there with his hands on his hips glowering at her. “Just what are you trying to pull?”
Words lodged in her throat as she tried to answer. “Wha-what are you talking about?”
“This!” he said, gesturing to the kitchen and dining room. “This! And the days before and you getting groceries and doing laundry and all the other things and what are you trying to pull?”
Again, she struggled for words. “I’m not pulling anything.”
“Really?” he challenged. Her heart sank and gut twisted. “Because I find it oddly coincidental that all this started after we agreed this,” he pointed to the two of them, “was done.”
“I never agreed to that, Adrien,” she countered, trying to keep the anger out of her tone. “Otherwise, why would I have done any of this? What do you think I’ve been trying to do these last two weeks if not try to salvage our marriage?”
“Salvage our marriage?” The growly undertone was unexpected and hurt more than she ever could have guessed. “Really?”
“Yes!”
“Even when you’re not here?”
“What do you mean? Of course, I’m here.”
“No, you’re not!” he shouted. Unconsciously, she took a step back. “Do you know how many nights that you’ve been here out of the last several weeks? Not many. You know how often you’re here in the mornings? Not often. You’re always at the office. Heck, the day I came home to all the laundry done and you still weren’t here. You never are and all this just feels like a bribe to make up for the fact I never see you.”
The world had faded away as Marinette stood frozen at her husband’s words. Even he seemed shocked at them.
But it didn’t stop him. “And I am not going to just sit around and let you bribe me into staying when it’s clear you don’t care.”
“I do care.”
“No you don’t!” Adrien shouted. “Or you would be here.” He took a breath, and when he spoke again, he didn’t shout. “I’m done with having people in my life that buy their way into keeping me. I’d understand if there was an emergency that needed to be handled, but I will not sit on the backburner to someone else’s career. I’m done with that, Marinette. And I can’t keep doing that, so don’t ask that of me.”
With her heart beating overtime, her breath came in quick pants as he began to walk away. “Adrien,” she shouted, hoping beyond home he would stay. “I’m sorry, but I’m trying to keep a company afloat.”
He looked at her and snorted. “Company’s fine,” he snipped, his smile bitter. “And you know it. Would be even better if you had an assistant or two instead of doing everything yourself. But I know you. You’re so much like my father: you have to be in control. You have to fix everything. The company takes precedence. And I will not be second to that damn company anymore.”
Five seconds later, the master bedroom door slammed shut, leaving Marinette standing in the kitchen. The world still hadn’t come back into focus as she stood there, empty and hopeless and exhausted.
Next thing she knew, the tears were bubbling up. She ran to her hiding spot in her bedroom, slamming her own door shut a second before the floodgates opened and she fell to the ground sobbing.
________
Tikki blew out the last candle while Plagg turned on the warmer setting on the stove and put lids over the food Marinette had prepared.
“Well, that could have gone better,” Plagg grumbled.
“It also could have gone worse,” Tikki said. “It wasn’t really an argument despite it being heated.”
Plagg shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Adrien just point blank told Marinette why he doesn’t want to stay in this marriage. And she does have the ability to fix it. She’s been so focused on the company and all the business aspects of it and making sure it’s perfect that she’s lost herself in the process.”
“Do you really think she’ll be open to hearing that?”
Tikki sighed, then floated over to his side. “Actually, Plagg, I think it’s long overdue. And with Adrien telling her that now, I can try to soften that blow he gave so harshly, even though it’s the truth.”
The two kwamis were quiet for a moment before Plagg sighed. “You’re right,” Plagg agreed. “Likewise, there’s a long overdue talk I should have with Adrien, and I think that on the heels of tonight, he needs to hear it whether he likes it or not.”
“Looks like we both have our work cut out for us,” Tikki sighed. “But right now, help me dish up dinner for them before we spend the night cleaning up.”
YOU ARE READING
The love dare
Random⚓After Hawkmoth was defeated, Adrien and Marinette are both hurt, leaving their marriage strained. Worried, Tikki and Plagg decided to take matters into their own hands by issuing a series of dares in an attempt to help their charges fix their marri...
