Two weeks ago, Marinette came her to see her aunt.  It has been a long two weeks. She still longs for home. She wishes she could see Adrien again. She wonders if he thinks about her any while she is away. *flashback: She recalls the kiss he gave her on her forehead the day she left to go to the airport to fly out here. Marinette remebers he leaned into the window, and kissed her forehead just like that and pulled away.  He told her, "I will miss you!"  She saw he turn away as if he could not bare to see the car pull away with her in it.  Flashback ends, just as quickly as it began.   

      Marinette's  POV:  

        Two weeks, ugh!  Must she really stay her for another few weeks. She is not to happy about the phone call she got from her mother last night. The one in which she was told she has to stay away for an additional three weeks. She sighs. She wishes she could just get on  a plane and head back home now!  What is the use in waiting an extra three weeks anyway?

      Adrien's  POV:

       He dashes into the bakery in the hopes to see her.  He knows it is a long shot, but he must see her.  He has to speak to her.  He has to tell her that he will be away for six weeks for a last minute photo shoot in Thailand.  He does not want to leave without telling her he will miss her. 

       Only, when he enters the place he cannot see her.  He sighs, maybe this was a mistake to come here!  Perhaps, she does not want to talk to him.  He does not blame her as he did not have her permission to kiss her forehead even if only for a short while before she saw her aunt. 

     "Adrien, why it is nice to see you!  How have you been?"  Tom says.

    "What brings you here?"  Sabine ask. She acts as if she has no idea.

      "Oh, I came to see Marinette!  Tell me she is back, please!  I need to tell her something important." Adrien says.

      "Adrien, she is not here. She is still at her aunts in fact she will be there for at least another three weeks." Tom tells him.

     "Three weeks,but I have to go away to Thailand for a photo shoot. It will be six whole weeks and I leave tomorrow!"  Adrien blurts out.  His face shows his disappointment that he cannot see Marinette before his trip.

     "Well, do not worry, we will be sure to let her know." Sabine says.

        Adrien just nods his head and dashes back out the door. He runs home sad. He cannot believe it. He does even get to tell Marinette himself.  He feels as if everything in the universe is against him. He goes to his room, and finishes getting his things ready.  He does not look forward to the last minute photo shoot anymore than he has any other ones.   He feels like his father ruins everything with these silly things.  Sometimes, he wishes he could live his own life without any photo shoots to tie him down.

        Natalie's  POV:

        She sees Adrien storm past her in a hurry!  She can see his mind is not at ease. She does think his father makes him work far to hard.  She feels sorry for the lad that he cannot have  a life outside the modeling job.  She longs for him to be able to do as he pleases.  It is not right for Adrien to have to live his life in his fathers footsteps all the time.

         She shakes her head.  It is not like she can do a thing about it.  She is not his mother. She is just a secretary.  She cannot  stop the business of Adrien Agreste anymore than she stop his father, Gabriel Agreste. She sighs. She often wishes she could confess her affection towards Gabriel, but as life would have it she knows it would do no good. She cannot possibly compete with his love for his dear wife though she maybe dead, she can see how he still refuses to move on.

       Gabriel's  POV:

        He has an opportunity here  bigger than the rest!  Why can Adrien not see that anyway?  Why you think it was the end of the world to travel aboard for a two month photo shoot!  Goodness, the reaction he got from him earlier that day was not what he would expect from someone so young!   If he did not know any better his son has gone and fallen in love!  

       He is glad to be on the plane with Adrien first thing tomorrow!  Perhaps, the trip will do them both some good.  It will be nice to have a change of atmosphere than the Paris air, and plus there will be plenty of  opportunities for so good photo shoots there for sure!  Besides, they could use this as an excuse to try some new food!  He decides he might even give Adrien some money to spend as he pleases.  This way if his hunch is right than Adrien could buy that girl he crushes on a souvenir or  two!  

    Back to Georgia...

      Marinette refuses to speak to her aunt. She ran out of conversation topics weeks ago.  Besides, she reasons that she has no need to get close to someone she will not hear from or see again once she heads home.  

      Aunt  Lydia  notices Marinette  gives her the silent treatment. She does not question her about it.  She figures it best not to insist she tell her anything more. She is sure her niece has made it clear she does not want to be here anyway.  

      Aunt Lydia's  POV:

       She feels sorry for Marinette!  Really she does because it could not be easy for her to stay when she has no desire to whatsoever. She can tell Marinette longs to speak to Adrien!  She knows as she heard or say so a time or two.

     Marinette's  phone rings. She does not look at the caller id. She thinks it is her parents and does not wish to speak to them. She hears it ring again. This time she looks at the number and realizes she has  no idea who it is anyway. She answers though this time out of curiosity sake if not for any other reason.

     "H-Hello?"  Marinette says. She wonders who it could be that calls her now.

     "Hi, Marinette!  Glad to have caught you!"  The voice on the other end says.

      "Who is this?"  Marinette ask. She does not want to be rude, but she cannot help it.

      "Haha, oh, yeah, it was silly of me not to tell you.  It is Adrien, Adrien Agreste!"  Adrien says.  He says it as if  it were everyday he calls her.

        "A-Adrien?  Wow, w-what gives me the honor to hear from y-you?"  Marinette says.

         "Marinette, I  have to go away on business for six weeks and I am not sure how soon you will be back home!  I did not want you think I was mad at you." Adrien says.

        "Oh, I see!  Where will you b-be th-this time, A-Adrien?"  Marinette mutters. She feels silly that she cannot seem to avoid the stutters even over the phone.

        "Thailand."  Adrien answers here. 

       "Wow, that sounds amazing!  I have always wanted to travel to see it, well that and Italy!  Okay, really I want to see the world!"  Marinette says.

        Adrien laughs, he thinks her to be adorable even over the phone.  "Marinette, I shall miss you something horrible while I am away."  Adrien says.

        "Same h-here, A-Adrien!" Marinette says. She is glad he cannot see her blush through the phone.

         Adrien and Marinette talk late into the night.  At some point, Adrien ask, "Marinette, how about we go out for smoothies, sometime?"

        Marinette almost drops the phone. Did he really just ask  her out to smoothies?  She grins.

          "S-Sure, smoothies sounds g-great, A-Adrien!" Marinette answers.

           "Good, then I shall treat you to one when you return to Paris!" Adrien shouts into the phone.

          "Okay, you do that then, I will hold you too it, A-Adrien A-Agreste!" Marinette says.

            "Good night, Marinette!" Adrien says.

          "Good night, A-Adrien!" Marinette says. She hears a click in her ear to signal Adrien hanging up the phone.

        Marinette sleeps well that night with the thought of a certain promise from her crush to smoothies. She really cannot wait til she sees him again now!  

       Time skip to three weeks later...

        Marinette wakes up, with one thought on her mind!  Today, is the day she goes home to Paris, France!  She knows because her mother and father said as much last night!  She cannot wait to see them again!  She heads home with the knowledge that her smoothie date, or is it a hang out with Adrien is only one week away!

         Marinette's  POV:

         She looks forward to the smoothies with Adrien more than she thought possible!  Will she be able to confess to him when she sees him that day!  She shrugs her shoulders. She honestly has no idea.  She looks at her wrist and smiles to see the bracelet Adrien gave her is still there.

        Aunt Lydia's  POV:

         She will miss Marinette!  She know she will,but at the same time knows it is time for the visit to come to an end. She hugs her as they arrive at the airport. She helps her with her bags. Then, she hugs her once more. She wishes the stay could have been longer, but it is probably for the best it was not.  She waves a good bye to her niece, then drives back to her home.

         Sabine's POV:
          Marinette arrives home today!  Why, Tom and I can hardly wait to see her again!  We do hope her trip went well and that she will tell us all about it.  We also hope she is not to upset that Adrien will be still be away for at least another week.  Not that we can do anything about it either way.

          Tom's  POV:

           Marinette shall be here soon!  Just in  a  few hours, our daughter will be home!  Just think of all the fun times we shall have upon her arrival.  There is a huge break from school now.  Miss Bustier is out on sick leave and no substitute means no school for a few weeks!  

    Thailand... 

       Adrien eats rice again!  He is grown rather fond of it.  He can tell the rice along with the other Thai food is quite delicious.  As much as he enjoys it and the scenery he has a certain bluenette on his mind. He wishes she could be here to see all this.  He knows that is not possible though.

      He finishes the meal to go to another photo shoot. He tries to visualize how Marinette would look with one of the pink flowers from the restaurant in her hair!  He blushes at the visualization!  He arrives on time to the shot and is glad when it lets out early.  Now, what?

     "Here, Adrien!  Take this!  You did work hard this entire time you have been here!  Now, it is time for you to go buy some things for that lady you seem to keep in mind regularly?" Gabriel Agreste says.

    Adrien takes the money, but frowns.  "Wait, how did you know?  She does not know.  She someone special, but I cannot seem the find the time or words to tell her.  For now, I am just a secret admirer."  Adrien says.

    "I see, well you could still buy her some gifts if you wish to do so.  If not then, maybe you could buy something for Natalie."  Gabriel says.

     "Natalie, funny you should mention her, father!" Adrien scoffs. 

     "What do you mean by the smart remark, son?"  Gabriel demands to know.

     "Oh, it is just that she really seems to like you. I can tell, in fact everyone can expect for you." Adrien says.  He walks away before his father can say another word about it to him.  He looks to see if he can find a small souvenir  for Marinette!  

      Adrien finds a cute pair of rose earrings.  He is sure those will be good to give her!  He purchases them without a thought about the price. Then, he looks around some more. He finds a poster with roses on it.  He buys this next and finally, he buys a pair of sunglasses that have roses around the edges to the ear pieces. He smirks, as the lady wraps them up in a box. 

 Adrien's  POV:
    He is pleased with his purchases!  He cannot wait to send them to her!  He wishes for Marinette to enjoy them as soon as she can anyway!  He waits for his father to finish shopping first!  He has no idea what his father buys or whom it buys it for not that it is his business anyway.

    Gabriel buys some coffee. Then, he sees a small peacock shape pendant on a gold chain necklace. He inquiries about it. He finds out is more than he thought it would be, but buys it anyway. He knows someone back home who will adore it. He cannot wait to see what she says when he gives it to her.

    Gabriel's  POV:

     He thinks, do I appreciate Natalie enough?  He feels it bugs him that his son should question him about her.  He did not know she was in love with him until his son gave him the hint about it tonight.  He blushes at the thought that Natalie could see anything in him that no one else has in years.

    He does hope she will appreciate the necklace.  He also, hopes he can call on her when they return to Paris. He blushes at the thought of him and Natalie, dear sweet, Natalie on a date.  He is rather fond of her.  He shakes his head, no, try as he might, he finds himself to be in love with her?  Could she be the key to heal his broken heart?

    Paris, France...Four days later!

      Marinette smiles. She sees the sun shine and thinks could this day get any better!  She checks the mail and sees a package from Thailand. It has no address or name as to who the sender could be!  She blushes. She thinks, could it be him?  Could Adrien really be her mystery man? She shakes her head.

    Marinette's  POV:
     As she carries the package inside she thinks about how Adrien plans to take her out for smoothies as soon as he can. She cannot wait for him to do so. She opens the box, pulls out a poster, the rose earrings and a pair of sunglasses!  She cannot help,but notice the sunglasses have the same rose pattern to them too. She smiles.  She looks closer and sees that there is a ladybug on the sunglasses as well, along with the poster. She can see it on top of one of the rose petals. 

   She sobs. She puts the poster up, puts the earrings in and sets the sunglasses on top of her dresser. She feels tears flow hard as she thinks about the possibility that someone other than Adrien could have sent all this.  She does not want anyone else. She knows that now, she loves Adrien and only him!  

   Adrien is glad his father insist he leave Thailand early!  He cannot wait to see her again!  He longs to hold her hand and take her out as promised for the smoothie. He grins as he flies back to Paris, France. He sleeps softly with Marinette on his mind as usual.

  Gabriel Agreste is on the same flight. Unlike his son, he is awake!  He feels nervous about the necklace. How shall he present it to her?  He feels out of experience with this sort of thing!

    The plane arrives safe and sound.  Gabriel grabs the luggage from the luggage claim. Adrien helps him.  Now, the two drive back to their mansion.  

     Once inside, Adrien takes his things to his room. He unpacks, then rushes out the door to see a certain, bluenette.  

    Gabriel smiles.  He says, "Adrien, hope it goes well, son!" He waves at him.

    Adrien smiles back, "Thanks father!"  He runs to the bakery.

  to be continued in Chapter  15  Smoothies, smoothies, Smoothies!