The day had came for the seniors at Collège Françoise Dupont: the Masquerade Ball.
It was like the homecoming before the commencement prom which would take place in April, shortly before the big fashion show and the ceremony.
The Masquerade was going to be held at the hotel that Mayor Bourgoise and his daughter Chloe lived. Co-funded by Gabriel Agreste, it was going to be the biggest party of the year with Gabriel's partners showing up for the reception.
The majority of the seniors ditched school the day before to do last-minute errands for reservations, arrangements, and such. Unfortunately, the majority had tests to take so ditching again was a no-go for most.
Alya told Marinette she had got tied up with the afterparty arrangements with Nino and wasn't sure if they could tag along with her best friends afteward. But, if there was a possibility she would let her know asap. But as far as Marinette knew, Adrien had arranged for them to leave pretty early for...whatever they were trying to do. It was a surprise.
Speaking of surprises, she had to tell Adrien about his brother. But she didn't want him to jeopardize their day...and the next week while they were far apart.
He wasn't going to like that; neither did she, but she would do anything to get Gabriel off her boyfriend's back.
"Mari?" Adrien asked as they sat across from each other at her parents' bakery.
She swallowed, "Adrien, your father is making me work with your brother for the holiday party the day you come back. He wants to make sure everything goes well..."
Adrien's jaw clenched, "Fuck..."
Tom Dupain ahemed the boy as a warning.
"Sorry sorry! It just slipped..." Adrien apologized, before turning back to Marinette, looking back with worry eyes.
"Don't look like that..." Marinette scolded. Adrien snorted.
"Like what?" He asked.
"Like you're thinking about ditching your flight to babysit me." Marinette told her boyfriend. "I'm going to be okay, and this will all be ok."
"I really, really don't want to go on this trip because of not only that but for...other reasons." Adrien swallowed, averting his glance.
"Other reasons?" Marinette challenged.
"Would you like to know?" He smirked before she pushed a hand through his short hair, gaining a purr from him. At this point, her parents left to sit in the living room together out of ear shot, so they were able to talk about that night...
"About that night though...we never really talked about that-" Marinette recalled.
"Were you comfortable...with me...us? Doing that stufff..." Adrien asked.
"Adrien. Were you?" Marinette asked the same question as he shifted.
"I..I'm not sure. I wanted to hold back from some reason. I don't ever want to hurt you. Not when there's so much at stake...I need to protect you." As Adrien held her hand in his own.
"And I'll help you. We're a team, you're my chaton." As she leaned up to give him a chaste kiss on the lips.
He sighed in relief when he returned the affection. Cupping her face, Adrien's lips slanted and fit her so smoothly.
"Mmm, let's not get too carried away right now...the 'rents are home..." Marinette preferred. But maybe that later tonight...when it was just them alone wherever they were going to be: even it was for a short while before he left for Japan.
"Ugh...I'll wait. I'm just...going to miss you so much." Adrien sighed. Marinette hummed in agreement. " Nathanael can look out for you while I'm gone...including Alya and Nino of course. But if you need someone to walk home with or just...feel safer around I trust him."
"Nathanael?" Marinette wanted to be sure he wasn't desperate. Not that it would be a risky move, but she couldn't ask Nathanael to chaperon her...
"I'll talk to him. He loves you anyway. He will not mind..." Adrien told her.
"And not like the 'one who wants an affair' kind." Marinette joked.
"He's definitely not...but he cares about you. Just like Alya, Nino, your parents, our other classmates and possibly even Chloe." Adrien chuckled.
"Chllooooeeee." Marinette drawled as if the longer she sounded it out, the more sense it could possibly sound; but it didn't.
But both of t hem burst into laughter as they got up.
"Remember, the reception is first, and then the opening is right after." Adrien remembered.
"Got it...we can pull this off." Marinette smiled. Then she remembered, "Wait...come here." As she started walking upstairs to her room.
"Wait...we got school in 15 minutes we should head-" Adrien reminded.
"Ladybug and Chat Noir can get there faster. C'mon, this will be super quick." Marinette whined as her boyfriend gave up so early and began following her upstairs to her room.
Guiding him back upstairs to her room, Marinette had him close his eyes as she unsheathed her newly built collection.
"You were always telling me not to work so hard, but I had to...because the new vision was there and if I didn't get to put the maximum effort as I did I don't think it wouldn't came out the way I wanted to." Marinette told him. Holding his hands, she pulled him down as he slowly looked up, and his eyes blown wide.
"Is...is this?" Adrien said almost in a hush.
"Yeah..." Marinette nodded.
"It's...more beautiful than before. You did it...in just a few weeks." Adrien said, beyond amazed. "I feel..."
"Yeah." Marinette agreed. "Like, we been here before...standing here."
"Y-yeah. And we have. When you first showed me the collection. We all helped you made sure this vision came true. I'm so glad it did..." Adrien kissed her hand.
"Do you think I'll win?" Marinette smiled.
Adrien laughed, and laughed so much his heart could explode, "Think? I know Mari. You got this..."
She nodded as their foreheads touched, "Thank you chaton..."
"Anytime my lovebug..." As he swallowed hesitantly, "We should get to school...before we're late and people start asking us questions..."
"I wouldn't mind, I get bragging rights now we're dating." Marinette wink as she went back downstairs. With a feline glint in his eyes, Adrien could nearly pounce after her, but the well-behaved Adrien Agreste would have to wait until tonight for the cat to come out the bag.
"So how is it gonna work?" Alya asked in the beginning before their English class.
"How's what going to work?" Marinette raised a brow at her best friend.
"Uh you guys and Ladybug and Chat Noir being there at once." Alya said lower. "Who's going to be there first?"
"We are. Ladybug and Chat have crime to fight, so they're going to be a little late." Marinette told her. "You get to distract people while we slip out the reception."
"Ooh, yikes, you both gotta go to that thing...gross." Alya said in mock disgust. "Lemme guess, next to Lord Agreste and his ugly gremlin son?"
Nino gasped, "Brutal babe! The dude ain't that bad...umm not really."
"If there's anyone that could put Chloe in such a good mood such as him, something is definitely wrong." Marinette side-glanced Felix and Chloe talking as she chuckled.
"She's happy, the ugly witch has found her true love." Nino chuckled.
"Ouch bro." As Adrien fist bumped his friend.
"Okay, Chloe isn't ugly, her personality makes her pretty ugly." Alya defended.
"Still gross." Nino scrunched his face.
"C'mon guys, I got to prep for this test. Help please!" Marinette insisted. Her friends huddled around as they helped each other prep for this test in a few minutes.
After school, Adrien briefly got Nathanael over to talk to the two of them about the plan.
"I'm babysitting your girlfriend?" Nathanael asked.
"You're...keeping her safe. You know...?" Adrien scratched the back of his neck.
Nathanael chuckled as Marinette couldn't help but laugh as well, then sipped their drinks, "I'm babysitting, kinda-sorta. Parenting, guardian angel duties, bodyguaaard?"
"Yeah yeah you got it okay? You know why right?" Adrien place his hands on his shoulders.
Nathanael hummed, "I have a hunch this is about your stick-in-the-ass brother."
"Yes, very good." Adrien nodded.
"He's going to be collaborating with me for the holiday party and Adrien is going to be gone. He doesn't want him to..." Marinette winced at another thought, "Get through us and screw things up."
"Oh I will show him screwing around." Nathanael huffed.
"NATE!" Adrien groaned.
"Not like that. Eww. But of course, anything for my lovely roommate and his girlfriend." Nathanael assured.
"Thank you. It means a lot...I owe you one." Adrien sighed.
"One day." Nathanael hummed, "Anyway I got to check up on my club for the decorations for tonight's party. I'll be expecting you two at the reception?"
"Yes, you're going too?" Marinette asked.
"Of course, I'm one of the head designers. Gabriel Agreste really liked my work and arrangements for the reception. I get to sit with the adults today." Nathanael smiled.
"Congratulations Nate, you deserve it. But yeah, we'll let you go alright? Hit us up later." Adrien nodded.
"Bye Nate."
He waved as he hummed and sipped his drink.
By the end of the day, it was inevitable that Marinette crossed paths with Felix before the reception. He wore a blazer with a navy blue shirt. His laptop bag in one hand as he locked eyes with Marinette. He looked stiff and serious as usual; almost always looking for a target.
She stood poised and ready.
"Hi." Was all he said. Marinette said nothing as he lowly sighed.
"Whatever he said about me...that's all he knows. Adrien doesn't really know me." Felix began.
Marinette flinched, "He really doesn't like you, and you don't like him. But I don't want to have a reason to not like you because of what my boyfriend tells me. I know him more than you think, and I trust his judgement. I'm just cautious of what kind of person you really are."
"That's pretty foolish, I thought you were smarter than that." Felix retorted.
"Excuse me?" As she glared at the twin brother.
"We have much different upbringings than you realize, and I don't think you know what exactly went on while we grew up. It's been quite something for the past nineteen years, and you cannot tell me you know more than me for being with him for what? Five years?" Felix pointed out. "If I were you I would just mind my business."
"And you, you think you're any better? I'll decide what to think first of all." Marinette eyed him.
"Don't get involved anymore than you need to. If you want your reputation to be intact. Your resume, your scholarship to that nice designer school in New York, your parents' bakery. I would suggest you tread carefully." Felix threatened.
Marinette, gripped her bag as Tikki told the little voice in her head, 'no don't do it.'
And she turned.
And she got right in his face that she could see more of those purple sparks and some darker veins that started to appear around his temples. An eerie feeling that wasn't quite...human.
"You, have no idea who you're dealing with." Marinette hissed as she turned on her heel.
And Felix clapped.
And when he clapped, Marinette froze on her heel. She froze because he was mocking her. He didn't believe her. He thought she was foolish, childish, and just weak. He didn't know what she was capable of and she swear she wasn't the hero of Paris she would commit some injustice and punch him in the face.
"Very nice, Mari." He merely mocked. "Here, this is for him."
The sound of keys jingling tipped her miraculous senses as she half-turned to catch a car key. She stared back at Felix in confusion.
"Father's order. He wants everyone going to the reception to look good. He's lending a car for tonight. So congrats, you lucked out." Felix huffed.
Marinette scoffed, "Fuck off Felix." As she stomped off.
"Mari!" Adrien caught her afterschool as she stood on the steps. She turned around, the keys still in her hands as he looked at Adrien.
"Hi..." She nodded.
Adrien stared as he tried to picked up something off with his girlfriend. With the way she was turned partway so she wasn't looking directly at him. It bothered her how Felix approached her, threatened her, tried to belittle her and Adrien.
"Don't look like that." Adrien scowled as he repeated what she told him this morning. Her blue eyes lit up at the words.
"Like what?" Marinette gasped dramatically, batting her eyelashes. Adrien slowly smiled as he hugged her.
"Like something is bothering you. I can't take you to the ball with such a grumpy look." Adrien teased.
"Oh, and who would you go with then?" Marinette hummed.
He laughed, "Ladybug probably."
"Well, Ladybug told me she was going with Chat Noir. So you're out of luck." Marinette smirked.
"Good thing I'm Chat Noir too, my lady." As he bumped his forehead against hers. She sighed as she held his hand, giving him the keys. Adrien noticed, looking down at his hand to look at the keys.
"What's this?" Adrien asked.
Marinette sighed, "Your father. He's giving us a car for the night..."
Adrien's jaw clenched, "He's testing me. Don't worry, I'll give him a piece of my mind before this trip."
"Adrien don't please." Marinette insisted.
"WHY?!" Adrien huffed, "All he's done is push and push and just...make me feel worse because I dragged you in this. And it's not far. He think he can try coddle me with things all to make him look good. But we'll see how he feels when I embarrass him in front of his partners."
"Don't!" Marinette pointed, making him shut up immediately, "He wants you to blow up. You said he was testing you...don't let him in. You're in control."
Adrien took deep breaths as Marinette held his face in her hands, staring up at him.
"Do you trust me?"
"...I do. I always do."
"Good."
Well I'm not sure if I'm back from the hiatus but I feel wrong for not posting this when I have this sitting for the whole week. If you want to know more what's been going on with me, the story, etc., check my profile. Half of it is me bantering and whatnot.
Things are always subject to change...
Oh by the way, things are going to happen. Like, death.
