Marinette pulled the brown string taut, then snipped it close to her client's body. Once she stood back and shook her hand free of the loose thread, Martinette came face-to-face with her client.
Alya's forehead and nose were nearly pressed to the seamstress's with the strength of her conviction. Brown dug into blue with such ferocity that Marinette felt forced to look away.
"Spill," Alya ordered shortly. Marinette's voice wavered with nervous laughter as she fumbled to reply.
"I… I don't know what you mean."
Alya pressed forward,a secure measure to trap her visibly anxious co-worker. "Girl, if I have to point him out," Alya said, looked behind her and then back to Marinette, "I'm gonna have to slap you."
Marinette pulled away to find the source of her friend's exasperation. Across the room, the leather clad boy was perched on the common room's fainting couch with his full attention on the two girls. With the sudden attention, he perked up and waved at the seamstress. No matter how much others tried to grab his attention, Chat Noir kept focusing back on the girl he caught the night prior.
"Ah." Marinette breathed, not even sounding convincing to herself, a word of feigned realization which prompted a loud response from Alya:
"Ah? That's it?" Not quite losing composure - but coming really close - Alya crossed her arms, eyeing her friend down. When she spoke next it was in a grudging mumble, so they wouldn't be overheard. "Something is most definitely up, and it's not like you to keep a dude in the dark."
"Nothing happened." Marinette protested. She still feared to make eye contact. Alya just readjusted by slipping in front of the girl; forcing to be noticed.
"Something happened." Something did happen but-but you don't need to know. Marinette thought to herself for a little bit before spinning a story that she hopes quenched Alya's thirst for knowledge.
"He just helped me with my routine." It wasn't a complete lie but it was far from the truth. Chat Noir did help her with her routine by rooting her on but it wasn't the only thing they accomplished.
"Whatever girl. Keep your secrets."
"Hello," came a long drawn-out protest from near the door. The person responsible for the whining was no other than the blonde. Chloe was decked out in sequins and beadwork with tumbling jewels off her rump. The problem with her outfit was plain to see. The person in charge of tying off the beads half assed their work to save time and it resulted in strands of beading slipping off- line after line. "I've been waiting for you to finish for like an hour!" Lies; it'd been like five minutes, but Marinette was willing to make her wait a lifetime.
"I would like to remind you that Chloe is the Ladybug and is to be seen before all the other dancers." Sabrina popped up by Chloe's side to point out the fine print in Marinette's contract. Sabrina had been upgraded to help the diva in any way possible. Plagg even supplied her with a black suit to run around backstage in.
Chloe had her utilize the suit as often as possible. During Chloe's act, she'd be in charge of the music (with an irritated Nino behind her), she'd direct the fog machine, and she'd hand her props from off stage. Marinette knew of the aforementioned rule, but seeing someone try to enforce it only aggravated her.
"Chat Noir!" Chloe's voice chirped above the chatter between the others in the room-causing everyone to stare at her. Chat pivoted slightly to face her with a patient aura about him. How he was able to manhandle the diva was beyond even Sabrina. "What are you doing hanging around with these losers?"
"Oh, Chloe…" His voice was apologetic to anyone who might have felt hurt from her harsh words. Chat shifted to completely look at her with intent to set the situation straight but as the queen bee would have it, he did not have a chance to speak further.
"Since you have no other business with this cheap dancer, why don't you come over here and fix my jewels?"
"In a minute, Chloe." Marinette calmly requested.
"I say let your seam ripper slip." Alya mumbled into Marinette's ear as she was trying to rethread her needle to the needed color. With surprise, Marinette almost dropped the thin metal.
"Alya!"
"Just saying." Snickered Alya in return.
Chat guided his partner(in name only) through the door and excused himself from the room. As soon as he left, the room burst into chatter over what had transpired and what was going on between Marinette and her cat. The two girls were about to get comfortable when the boy popped back into the room.
"Oh, and Mari?" Marinette perked up. In the background, a rampaging Chloe was stomping around while yelling expletives. Chat Noir's head was the only thing in view, but Marinette knew the rest of him was holding back her competitor. "After the bar closes, we'll work on your ballet basics!"
Before Marinette could argue, the boy was gone again. Without looking at Alya's knowing look Marinette proclaimed, "see? Just practice!"
It was just practice.
Marinette closed the door behind her with a quiet click. Everyone in the bar had vanished when the two a.m. call came, and it was up to the two of them now to keep the stage company. Chat was already waiting for her on the edge of the stage.
He had changed from his stage clothes into tight leggings and a loose, tucked shirt, his mask and hair done in the same way as before. Marinette was in something similar, along with a thigh-length skirt, and advanced a few wary steps. Chat glanced up from his cellphone at that point and brightened when he saw her, offering a cheerful wave.
Marinette knew nothing had changed between the two of them, at the same time everything did. He was still that dorky cat that flexed for attention, and she was still the seamstress on call. Ignoring their kiss wasn't the best option, but it was the option she was going to take.
I'll tell him tonight.
Marinette squared herself up and moved to meet the eager boy. "Chat, I-" was all she managed before Chat took her hand up to his lips.
His eyes were locked on hers till the moment his lips brushed her knuckles. Never did he stop smiling-even when he pulled away. He had it bad, Marinette knew that. Hell-Marinette knew the whole time. But knowing and accepting weren't quite the same thing, at least not for her..
He pulled her onstage. And he spun her, and he dipped her, and with every move Marinette felt the guilt weigh on her heart more and more. She knew he had it bad. So did she. Marinette ached to tell the boy who watched her without fail every time she danced. The way her stomach flipped more times than she did. The smile she was able only to give to him.
And it wasn't fair. Marinette knew. Chat deserved better than lies, and that kiss definitely was one. She had been tired. There was no possible way she would have done it with a clear head. She would have stopped. She would have let him know that there was someone else on her mind- there was someone else that kiss was for.
Marinette couldn't blame Chat Noir for doing what he did. She let him do it-hell, she kissed him back.
The kiss.
The feeling of the alley cat on her melted and squeezed its way into every part of her brain. Every memory ended with the scene of her and her co-worker. The way he could barely stand but held on to her so tightly. The moments when she pulled away she knew was hurting him. He wished for more kisses-which he promptly received. Over and over she lied to him and no amount of words could ask for forgiveness.
"I don't think Alya approves of us," Chat all but purred from behind her.
They were supposed to be practicing their basic ballet, but the session turned into a crude therapy session, and the only target she had in mind was the one who was guiding her feet.
Chat's hands were strong, and there was nary a chance that she would fall. The care he put into holding her seemed to curtain the whole dance floor. It gave Marinette a calmed heart, room to breathe, and courage to give the boy the news he needed to hear.
"I haven't...told her." The confession could have been any combination of words in the world, and Chat would still have looked at her the same.
"Oh. Well, she's going to freak when she does hear."
His laughter was genuine and hopeful as he pulled her back to her feet and turned her around. Marinette returned to third position, where Chat corrected the stance of her arm by a few inches, and patted the air from her belly. With the air up in her chest like she had practiced for many years before but neglected in situations like this, she continued to disappoint her advisor.
"I don't think I'm going to tell her," she said with an oof. Chat fidgeted her other arm a few inches and Marinette found it was more comfortable when he helped her. Chat rested both of his hands on Marinette's hips. The familiarity was welcomed. Deep down Marinette understood that it was still the boy who cried alterations, and he would never be a stranger to her.
"A secret relationship." Chat Noir lifted Marinette off the ground by a few feet in which Marinette responded by fluttering her feet back and forth. After a few times, he spun her to face him. His smile was as big as always, and shone just as brightly as his eyes were. "I like it." Slowly, Chat lifted her above him till she got a complete aerial view of him. Marinette supported herself on his shoulders and pointed her legs in the spread eagle position. "Although, I thought you'd have fun holding it over Chloe's head."
Marinette broke.
"There's no relationship, Chat," she said, closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to see his expression. He deserved someone better than who she was turning out to be. She was good at sewing and that was it. Despite practicing every night for the upcoming battle, Marinette knew this world belonged to Chat Noir, not to her. She was only a passing figure- a side character to his wonderful story.
"I'm sorry,"she added softly. The words echoed throughout the hall repeatedly for them, even though the world around them was silent. It was only after the fifth repetition that she opened her eyes to meet him. The expression she was greeted with at first sight was a replica of the face she made the night she ran back to Chat's empty dressing room. Disappointed and slightly broken, but definitely able to be repaired. She was returned to the ground with care. The amount of force of her feet was barely a patter upon impact. Marinette stumbled over a few choice words to continue her long needed apology for the night before.
"No need to apologize, Bugaboo." There were no excuses for what she had done nor was there any way to properly make amends to the hurt boy. Marinette tried to read Chat's expression, but Chat Noir allowed no more than a millisecond of face time during the rest of the practice. The knowledge he had about the most comfortable way to hold a position was priceless. Marinette, on a normal day, would want to write down the words of wisdom he gave her. Today, she was focusing on any indication of where their relationship would go from there.
"He must be lucky." His whispers broke the silence between the motions. Marinette hesitated in her pirouette resulting in stumbling and almost falling over. True to his nature, Chat leveled her out and supported her till she regained footing. Marinette pulled her hair behind her bright red ears.
"What makes you think there is someone else?" A mixture of guilt and red painted her face as she looked away from Chat Noir enough to just keep him in her periff.
"How else can you keep your eyes off me?" And with that smile. That loving smile. That smile that can kill the masses-shone at her. And in those moments, those lovely unforgettable moments, Marinette knew they were okay. And nothing else in the world would ever matter now or ever again. Chat Noir and his seamstress would still be the same.
"You know sugar bean…" Volpina continued to call her multiple pet names, all involving baking terms. Cookie after cookie disappeared into the wide grin of the bartender. If anyone else tried to nab a cookie from her, Marinette was positive they'd lose their arm. "I wasn't always this cool and collected, amazing, hot piece of ass that you've admired since day one." Marinette stifled a laugh. Volpina was always the eccentric, fun-loving, barista that she couldn't imagine her being anyone else.
Marinette, in a fit of emotion, called her friend for help. After the ballet session naturally dismissed, Marinette pulled her phone out and wrangled Volpina out into the night to talk. Volpina didn't mind coming out so late, but everything - including four a.m. calls to "the office" - came with a price. Marinette was able to run home and retrieve the payment in time before Volpina walked through the door. Since it was so late(early), Marinette's parents had already risen and product was already in the oven. Snagging a couple of cookies and putting them in a tin was child's play.
"You're just saying that." Marinette shifted her hands in her lap. Even with the cat long gone, she was anxious that he was somewhere around the corner. Volpina displayed much confidence despite being dressed in a one piece fox pajama set. The orange complimented her dark brown hair. On the top of her head were perky black tipped ears which somehow showed her unbridled excitement while eating the cookies.
"I'm serious!" Volpina's leg swung out to kick the girl sitting across from her in a playful manner. Marinette retracted with a feigned howl of pain before Volpina could continue. "You see, when I came here, I couldn't do anything but lie to people. I wanted to be on stage-right next to Chat Noir!" Her arms flailed back and forth in an act of theatrical expression.
"So did you chall-"
"I challenged the Ladybug. She kicked my lovely ass. She was a singer and we all know from experience that I cannot sing." Volpina struck a few notes and Marinette guarded her ears. After placating herself with another cookie she continued. "So anyways-Plagg took me in on the bar side. I was amazing. When I first started, I juggled the bottles in a way that made my mixing look like magic. A year or two later, Ladybug vanished! Out of nowhere, no note, no nothing. Though they were sad, Tikki and Plagg didn't show any signs of hope that she would return. I started telling everybody that I was still in contact with her and she was my best friend."
"A liiiiie," Marinette's voice sang when it poked through the monologue.
"Yes, a lie. I felt almost that something in me reset and I was back in my ways. I wasn't as happy as when i spoke the truth. I told people to call me Volpina, though it isn't my real name. Since it's similar to Vixen or Small Fox, I thought it fit perfectly."
"Sounds made up. Isn't weird in a place like this." Marinette snatched a cookie and nibbled on the edges. The brunette glared at her with pointed daggers. The betrayal was the event of the century. She knew the Volpina would never let it go.
"It's Italian. How could you not know?" Her voice was incredulous. Her response came so quick that Marinette questioned herself as to why she didn't know Italian.
"I'm not Italian?" Marinette's voice peaked.
"You're speaking Italian right now." Volpina pushed hard. She was sure in her mind that right now that they were speaking another language.
"You can stop fibbing Volpina." Marinette teased. She confiscated the tin that Volpina had in her grasp and held it above her head. Collateral to stop talking crazy. The fox's eyes grew wide and she reached for the tin in vain.
"Alright, alright you got me! It was a fib!" Volpina was rewarded with the tin again but her face didn't match her statement. Her eyes looked back and forth between the tin and Marinette. It was as if she was deciding it was worth continuing to talk about or to just move on. Gripping tight to her reward, she chose to move on. "Well the thing is, no one knows my name. I haven't told Tikki or Plagg my name and I just kept it a secret. I feel as if I am able to give out my name, I could finally be honest with myself."
"Lying eats you up doesn't it." Marinette's was soft and understanding. It wasn't til Volpina opened her mouth did she realize this talk was aimed at her instead of the fox just talking about her origin. Volpina was trying to give her something that took her years to obtain.
"What's it do to you?" Realization. Understanding that lying may help you in the time being and be a band-aid for the now but in the later moments can become a hindrance. The truth will set you free is always something that she heard but never seen in practice.
"It wasn't a lie." Marinette murmured.
"Then what was it?" The retort felt like a knife in Marinette's gut and it was so fast that she could barely react to it. Volpina only smiled and rose to her feet. The container in her hand, she made her way over to the exit. The fake fox tail trailed behind her with each sway of her hips. The door swung open with such ferocity that it almost came off the hinges.
The roads seen beyond the door frame were foreign and not the ones she was accustomed to seeing day in and day out. When she retrieved Volpina's snack, it was calm. The weather didn't fluctuate that much, did it? The sun was coming out and there was almost a halo around the girl. She looked pure, innocent...and a little bit at peace.
"Wait, Volpina!" Marinette shouted after the girl in the doorway. Peaked with curiosity, Volpina turned around to face the seamstress. The light shone behind her so much now that her body was a silhouette of a fox. The light came out in a blinding way, as if the clouds had hidden it's glory. "What is your name?"
"Lila." Through the blackness of the silhouette, Marinette made out a grin. From ear to ear she knew that Volpina, no, Lila felt great. Lila was finally able to come to terms with herself and say her name. It may seem small but it was something to her and that's all that mattered. Lila waved a goodbye and walked out the door. The wind from outside slammed the heavy door shut.
The loud thud was the last audible sound in the bar that morning. Marinette gathered her stuff and exited the same door she saw the other leave through. Albeit, the skyline was different and the wind was non-existent. The world around her was familiar again and Marinette walked herself home into the rising sun.
