Adrienette Love Story

Chapter 12

The Gorilla could actually manage that.

At least he didn't like airplanes.

"Then the fact that age 25 just so happens to dovetail with Father's plans isn't just convenient?"

Nathalie nodded, cutting him off. "As you suspect, it was to give him just enough that he wouldn't fight. You will have all the business skills you need to take over the company some day, should you choose to do so."

Adrien dropped the clothes he had been folding. "I've literally done everything he has ever asked."

She tilted her head. "I can't tell you how often I must insist to your father that you need the space and freedom you have. Believe me when I say it will take very little provocation for him to put his foot down."

"Even with acting? For pity's sake, Mom was an actress."

"That is exactly why your Father would react so badly."

"So I've got no choice but to hold on for two more years?"

"Until your birthday exactly." Nathalie shrugged. "I'm going to have to get moving, Adrien. My assistant scheduled an early meeting this morning."

Sighing, Adrien nodded. "Have a good day, Nathalie."In a positively blissful turn of events, Marinette allowed herself to sleep in until the second alarm. She didn't have to rush out to get boxes in the mail, but that was only because she was figuring out how to batch them, which meant she could sleep an extra half hour.

Not that she hadn't used that half an hour and more last night, preparing patterns for every one of the sizes people had ordered.

This morning would have been perfect.

Except for the fact that Chat Noir hasn't gotten back to her at all this morning either.

It was funny how she didn't realize how much she missed hearing from him until she didn't.

She still scurried out of bed, racing around to get ready, sparing only a minute to stop and feed Tikki since she had forgotten about it last night.

Glutton that she was, Tikki lingered up near the surface since she saw her near the tank, so she probably had spaced it.

Since she knew she had a little extra time, Marinette sat down in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal.

It didn't take long before she checked her phone again between bites.

The silence was disheartening.

Absently, she pulled up the gallery on her phone, puzzling if she could figure out why he hadn't responded. She'd thoroughly scoured the pair of photos he had sent this weekend.

Admittedly, she already had a favorite.

The costume work was hers but Chat Noir pulled it off very well.

Sighing at herself, Marinette downed a glass of water forcing her eyes to close to try and forget about the shirtless pic of Chat Blanc that had scorched itself on the back of her eyelids.

And failed, utterly.

Perversely, he would have been very proud of the pun.

If only he would answer.

With only a few minutes left before she had to leave, Marinette finally gave in.

Marinette got into the office well before Lila typically arrived, so she was already sitting down at her desk when the answer came in.

She hated being terse, but after everything with Marie-Hélène, she wasn't taking any chances with rocking the boat before she had enough to make La Petite Coccinelle her full-time job.