MLB Fluff Month Oneshot: Jack of All Trades
Summary: When Marinette, Adrien, Alya, and Nino stay up late to play Slapjack and it gets bizarrely competitive.
One shot for Miraculous Fluff Month.
This was the first time that his father had allowed a sleepover – a sleepover! He had only seen it from movies and heard of it from people online, and no, he did not count Chloe.
His mother and Chloe’s mother had been close ever since he was little and thus they had been acquainted with each other ever since he was little. This also meant that his father had approved of their friendship even before it had started. Since Chloe was more of family than friend, it wasn’t a friendship that was done from his own accord and was one created from pure circumstance and perhaps necessity. But this – this was different. They were his friends not because someone else had told him to be; they were his friends because he wanted them to be.
Therefore when his father allowed him a sleepover knowing fully well that Nino was going to be there, Adrien had been ecstatic . Although his father had said some things about how hopefully “Miss Dupain-Cheng will keep him in line” which had undoubtedly generated a frown from his son, Adrien was hopeful that this would be the start of something good. His father was warming up to the DJ; he was sure of it.
He really appreciated Marinette’s efforts to make sure that he was going to be, without a doubt, at the sleepover. Even though the girl was still shy and rambled when she was with him, Marinette had been a big part of making this sleepover possible. She had offered her room for the sleepover, contacted Gabriel Agreste multiple times to persuade him to let his son have a sleepover with his three friends, and asked Adrien about any allergies (excluding feathers) he had to make sure that the stay would be as comfortable as possible.
He had been floored to know that someone could go to such lengths to just make a person feel welcome.
He was grateful to have Marinette in his life.
He entered the bakery at 7PM and was immediately squished into a body-crushing hug.
“Adrien, my boy! You’re here!” the burly man laughed.
“Hello, Monsieur Dupain,” Adrien gave a smile. Some of the syllables escaped his lungs and his voice cracked on the “pain.”
“There is no need; call me Tom!” Monsieur Dupain grinned widely.
“Thanks… Tom.” Oh god, was he awkward.
Monsieur Dupain – Tom, Adrien reminded himself – only chuckled, which Adrien guessed was a good sign.
“How have you been?” he said softly.
Monsieur Dupain – Tom – laughed.
With Adrien still in his arms, Tom craned his neck towards the stairs. “Marinette! Adrien is here!”
“Send him up, papa!” Papa?
Monsieur Dupain – Tom – chuckled. “Okay, honeybuns!”
Adrien chuckled. Honeybuns?
“Paaaaapaaaaa!” a whine came from the stairs.
At his daughter’s lament, Tom laughed the biggest laugh that Adrien had ever had the pleasure of witnessing. His chest moved up and down at the involuntary action, which rocked Adrien back and forth. He had mirth in his eyes as his mouth moved as if he was speaking something without words.
It was as if Adrien was transported back in time. In this moment, he was four again, in his mother’s laughing arms, with her head tilted back and laughing from the top of her lungs as she carried a tired Adrien from the woods.
“Oh!” Tom suddenly said. “I’m sorry,” he put Adrien down gently. Tom averted his gaze from him, rubbing his nape sheepishly. The familiar gesture did not go unnoticed, and Adrien beamed. “I must have, uh, gotten carried away, have I?”
“It’s not a problem, Monsieur Dupa–Tom.” Mirth danced in Adrien’s eyes.
Tom’s sheepish look became a warm and gentle smile. “Well then, what are you waiting for, son? Marinette is waiting for you!” he pat Adrien’s back, giggling at the words.
Adrien raised a brow but did not comment.