Until Next Time, My Lady

Secondhand Love

The sun's warm rays hit her face the next morning, pulling her out of her slumber. Turning over slowly, she gently tapped her phone. The time of 8:13 a.m. flashed across its screen. Yawning, she rolled off the couch and made her way into the kitchen.

Adrien would probably wake up soon and he would insist on helping her make breakfast. Not that she didn't enjoy cooking with him; she just wanted to do something nice for him by herself. If she hurried, the pancakes would be done by the time he came downstairs.

She carefully began pulling everything out she would need from the pantry and refrigerator. Her list consisted of flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, milk, eggs, butter, and chocolate chips. Once she placed her items in the order of use, she pulled out her mixing bowl and started her mix. The contents started to blend together as she stirred but she soon realized something was missing. Her free hand darted to the cabinet above her to pull out her secret ingredient: vanilla.

A smile crossed her lips as she unscrewed the cap and poured a decent amount into the bowl. Quickly, she put it back into the cabinet. No one knew the secret ingredient that made her pancakes different from the rest and she wanted to keep it that way. They were so fluffy that her friends said they would melt in their mouths. Unfortunately for Marinette, she never understood the novelty of them. Her father had taught her how to make pancakes at a young age and they weren't as special to her as they were to her friends.

Once she was satisfied with her mix, she poured the first round into the pan. Knowing Adrien's appetite she'd need to make at least five for him alone; good thing she had decided to double the size of the mix. After flipping the first batch, she switched on her coffeemaker. She could definitely use a cup or two of cinnamon coffee after last night.

Gradually, the delicious scent of coffee and chocolate chip pancakes began to fill the small cottage. She was in the middle of flipping the second batch when she heard a groan from the hallway.

"So nice of you to finally wake up." She giggled as she turned around to look at him.  "Sounds like you had a rough night."

He was peering out from behind the corner, glaring at her. "I didn't want to leave your bed, it was so comfy and warm. You're the one who coaxed me out here with pancakes and coffee."

"See? I told you that you'd prefer my bed over the loveseat. Now relax, sit down and have some pancakes," she said.

Within a matter of seconds, she flipped three pancakes onto a plate, poured syrup over them and handed it to him.

"Thanks," Adrien smiled.

His gaze shifted between the table and the bar for a moment before placing his plate down on the bar. He wanted to watch her cook, especially since she was one of the best cooks he knew. Any of his personal chefs would be put to shame by her if they were ever in a cook-off. Her exactness and attention to detail would probably give her the blue ribbon without much effort at all.

He cut off a small bite, examining it for a moment before putting it into his mouth. Sweet syrup crashed into his taste buds, making him hum with pleasure. One day, this woman would have to tell him her secret on how she got them to be so fluffy and sweet!

Marinette flipped another batch and turned to pour a cup of coffee. "Would you like any cream or sugar in your coffee?" She asked over her shoulder.

"You know how my dad feels about me drinking coffee with cream or sugar," he sighed.

"Oh, I know how he feels about it. But how would he feel if he knew you were going to eat about five of those pancakes this morning?" She smirked.

"Touché," he laughed. "I'll take it with a little cream, but no sugar."