Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Author's Note: It's a good thing I finished the next few chapters already so all I have to do is to post it.

Desideratum

Chapter 10

She stared at the phone in her hands, the numbers on the touch-screen jumbling together before her eyes.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Droplets of water slid down the large, floor-to-ceiling window she was facing, overlooking dark streets and wind-swept trees. The door to her office was open, muted sounds of people buzzing with activity seeping inside the four walls. It was late morning, and Marinette was at work.

She thought it could hardly be said so, though, because all she had been doing since she came in was spare furtive glances at the telephone or spend minutes with it in her hands, tapping numbers and hovering over the call button, only to back away and delete them after traitorous second thoughts.

Quite frankly, she believed she was being ridiculous – childish, even – so the next time her fingers touched the keyboard, she didn't let them stop halfway.

The phone rang – once, twice, thrice – until the call connected, and a familiar voice greeted her.

"Hello?"

Taking a deep breath, she tried to reign in her emotions and to calm her erratically beating heart. "You know, it's a bit arrogant of you to assume that I still remember you phone-number," she said.

There was a moment of silence from the other end.

"Which you do," the answer eventually came.

"Not exactly," she denied. "Anyway, why're a you calling, I have a job you know."

"A rather nice job if I may say so myself. A designer now? It was always your dream."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "No, I am not a designer, and what was your was your first clue of me having a nice job?"

"Your car, how come you're not a designer." he answered simply.

"Being a designer doesn't exactly pay my dues before but that's none of your concern now, isn't it? Anyway, Cadence wants to meet with you on Saturday. So, you can pick a place and I'll drop him off. Let me know."

She was left to wonder, as she clutched her phone in her hands, whether the reason why she had ended the conversation before he could say something else was because she wanted to hear his voice again.

Heaving a sigh, she allowed the tension to leave her body as she leaned back in her seat, hands massaging her temples. The entire situation was hectic, without norms or regulations, and it was putting a tremendous strain on her. Seeing Luka again had not done her any good. Of course, she hadn't assumed it would, but she had expected to be more detached. She had expected not to feel her heart breaking into a million pieces—and not because she should be over him by now, but because she knew this was doing good to her child.

"Are you alright?"

Her head snapped up at the unexpected voice, and she turned around to face its possessor, slightly surprised upon being met by blue eyes and worried features.

"Alexandre," she acknowledged. "I didn't see you there."

He nodded, walking further into the room. He seemed to be debating something for a moment, before he spoke. "I apologize, but… was that him? I heard without wanting, and… and a million scenarios formed inside my head."

Alexandre and Marinette had spoken about 'him' a couple of times over the duration of their still rather short collaboration, mainly due to his insistence to become involved in her personal life. The blonde indulged him that, up to a certain point, not because she enjoyed his attention, but because she wasn't bothered by it. She had learned to let people in, and as long as their relationship remained professional and he was not crossing any of the lines she had drawn, she didn't mind sharing a few words with him every once in a while.

She didn't care to lie to him, either. "Yes, that was him."

"Do you…" He stopped, resting his hands over the back of one of the chairs available in front of her desk. "Do you need me to find you a lawyer?"

Marinette raised her eyebrows. "A lawyer? What for?"

"I don't suppose he took the news well. He couldn't have not been upset about the fact that you kept the existence of his child a secret."

She nodded once, encouraging him to continue.

"He will try to take Cadence away from you."

Marinette shook her head. "No," she said, with even more confidence than him.

"The need for revenge is something that characterizes the human race. He may seem complacent now, but I think it's better for you to lay down some terms in writing."

"Alexandre, Luka isn't like that. He knows how much Cadence means to me. He would never do something like that."

"You sound sure," he remarked.

"I am sure," she responded, mildly irritated now.

"Well, then if he's such a good person, why did you leave him?"

"That is not your problem!" she snapped, scandalized. "And you know what? I find it very low of you to try to drag another man in the dirt because it suits your needs."

Alexandre frowned. "I am not—"

"I know perfectly well what you're doing!"

"Marinette, it's just—" He stopped himself, throwing his hands in the air in a gesture of frustration. "It's incredible how much trust you still have in him."

"Our situation is… different," she said, eager to end the conversation. "Okay? It's messed up. It's… difficult to explain what happened, and—and in all honesty, what's still happening. I warned you from the very beginning: stay away from this subject, Alexandre. That would be best for you."

The message was clear. And as she looked straight into his eyes, he could tell that she meant every word she had said.

A/N: Yes, Alexandre, it's none of your business. Please leave a review. I have to get back to work. I'll try to update later tonight though.