Marinette sprinted the last few blocks toward Agreste Tower. What was once a loose braid now resembled more of a bird's nest and her cheeks were pink and glistening from the exertion. She was, as always, running late. Having to swing back by her house after the battle with Crystalizer had cost her precious time, but showing up without her portfolio was career suicide. The receptionist in the lobby of the prestigious high rise visibly jumped at the sight of her.
"Marinette Agreste. I mean, uh, I'm Marinette! And I'm here to see Mr. Agreste." She sputtered, earning a confused look from the unfortunate receptionist.
"Do you have an appointment?" She inquired, incredulity obvious in her tone.
"Yes, I do! I have an interview for the internship position." Marinette bubbled a little too emphatically. "I'm running a little behind though." She offered a sheepish smile. The receptionist, Anita, Marinette spied on her nametag, quirked a suspicious brow before shifting her focus to the computer screen.
"Dupain-Cheng?" Anita looked to Marinette for confirmation.
"That's me!" She pointed to herself awkwardly. Anita was not amused.
"It appears you're in luck. Mr. Agreste had an unexpected delay in his schedule. You should be able to make it just in time." Anita continued in a dull tone. "I suggest you take a moment to freshen up first." She gave Marinette a critical once-over, causing the girl to blush a deep red.
After Anita gave her directions to the nearest bathroom and where she would be meeting with Mr. Agreste, Marinette shuffled away with a soft thank you.
She cringed upon catching her reflection in the pristine bathroom mirror. No wonder Anita had been so harsh. Tikki poked a small hairbrush out of her purse, and Marinette made quick work of taming the windblown braid into a simple bun. It wasn't her favorite style, but it would have to do. Thank the kwami for the complementary basket of pins and hairspray. With a final check of her appearance, she rushed out the bathroom door.
Following Anita's directions proved to be harder than she thought. First, she got off the elevator on the wrong floor, then she turned down the wrong hallway. Luckily, she noticed Nathalie- Miss Sancoeur- she reminded herself again.
"The office is just around that corner." She pointed, and Marinette nodded. "He is finishing up a meeting and should be ready for you momentarily. Excuse me." She walked off briskly before Marinette had time to thank her, her heels clicking on the polished marble floor with each step.
Marinette buried her nose in her portfolio, compulsively checking it over one last time as she quickly rounded the last corner...and collided face first with someone's chest. Sketches from her portfolio went flying in all directions, causing her to squeal in panic. She vaguely registered a low voice apologizing as she scrambled to gather the scattered pages. It wasn't until she reached for the last page and his hand landed on hers that she finally looked up. Their eyes locked and her heart skipped a beat. She knew those eyes. They were the same mesmerizing emerald she had spent countless hours pining over.
"Adrien." She whispered almost reverently.
"Marinette?" She could feel his breath on her skin, making her realize holy cow his face was incredibly close to hers, followed by the realization that his hand was still on top of hers. He seemed to realize that too and they simultaneously jerked away with an awkward chuckle. "Here." Adrien hesitantly picked up the last page and handed it to her with a reserved smile.
"Thank you." She replied quietly and cursed the heat she felt rising in her cheeks. She wasn't in love with him anymore. She shouldn't be reacting like this. As they both stood to their feet, Adrien glanced through the sketches in his hands.
"These are great!" He commented with a smile. "Are they yours?"
"Y-yeah." She stammered. "The internship- your dad- I mean..."
"You're the one who got the internship?" His eyes lit up with realization and a hint of pride.
"Well, not exactly. Not yet, anyway. I'm here for the final interview with Mr...with your dad. Are you here to see him too?" She could see his countenance darken and mentally berated herself for bringing it up.
"I, uh," He rubbed the back of his neck. "Nino and I are getting a place together and I didn't want to leave on bad terms. I came by to see if I could maybe patch things up. Wishful thinking, I guess." His gaze dropped to the floor and Marinette impulsively reached out to squeeze his hand. She said nothing, but offered him a sympathetic smile, which he returned. The moment was broken by Nathalie clearing her throat behind Marinette.
"Mr. Agreste will see you now." Nathalie informed her, then strode smoothly over to the office door, her hand poised on the handle.
"Good luck, Marinette." Adrien said with an encouraging smile and began to walk away.
"A-Adrien?" She called after him and he turned. "Well, we uh, haven't seen each other in a really long time, and... I dunno... I thought maybe...do you want to maybe catch up? Like over coffee or something? I mean, do you drink coffee? It doesn't have to be coffee! Do you still like croissants?" She rambled and he chuckled at her familiar blabbering.
"Coffee sounds great, Marinette." He interrupted with a surprised, yet fond smile. "Are you free tomorrow?" She nodded emphatically. "Great. We'll figure out details later." With a parting wave he disappeared around the corner.
Marinette marched to the office door with her head held high and a fire in her heart. Whatever remnants of anxiety had been fluttering about in her mind had completely dissolved. That man did not intimidate her. He didn't deserve to intimidate anyone.
Nathalie silently swung the door open for Marinette, then closed it behind her with a barely audible click. Gabriel Agreste himself stood not fifteen feet away from her, his back to her as he silently gazed out the window in a statuesque state. Several moments passed before Marinette cleared her throat.
"Mr. Agreste?" She pressed, but he didn't so much as twitch. "My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I'm here for my interview."
Still nothing. Making her way to the desk, she gently set down her portfolio.
Daring to walk up to him, she followed his gaze to the street below. At first, he didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular, then a young man pushed through the lobby door to the street outside. She would recognize that golden blond hair anywhere, even though it was cut differently than the last time she had seen him. Adrien. Gabriel stood there like a stone, watching without any visible trace of feeling as his only son ran his fingers exasperatedly through his hair and down his face before striding away.
"He's quite something, isn't he?" Marinette remarked.
"He has the potential to be." Gabriel replied in a calculated tone, not even sparing her a glance. "Yet, he insists on continuing in his childish defiance."
Marinette shot him a shocked look.
"Childish?" She challenged. "Mr. Agreste, Adrien isn't a child anymore. He is an adult. Personally, I respect him for standing up for himself. And I think he is demonstrating great maturity by not letting you manipulate him with your wealth."
This earned her a cold stare. But she didn't shrink under his gaze. Instead she met his eyes with a fire of her own.
"Adrien is one of the kindest, purest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He deserves nothing less than the opportunity to follow his dreams, not have someone bully him into abandoning them."
Gabriel arched a single brow, and Marinette could have sworn his features visibly darkened, giving his angular face an ominous look.
"One day, my son will realize that chasing after happiness is a futile pursuit. In this life you do what you must to ensure your own survival. I have given Adrien everything; fame, wealth, success. And yet he dares to spit in my face by recklessly walking away to pursue his dreams." He sneered the word. "My son is a fool."
"What some call foolishness, others call freedom."
"Freedom is nothing compared to power." Gabriel retorted.
"What good is having power if you can't even hold on to those you love?" She challenged.
"You know nothing of true power, foolish little girl." A dangerous glint in his eye sparked a warning in her gut. Something was very wrong with this man.
Searching his hard eyes, she let out a sigh, the sound a mixture of frustration, sadness and pity.
"Leave your portfolio on the desk." He said, turning languidly back to the window. "I believe this interview has lasted long enough."
Marinette blinked in surprise. "But I didn't even-"
"Good day miss Dupain-Cheng." He said, finality in his tone.
In a daze, she turned and quietly slipped out the door. She didn't even notice Nathalie's presence as she made her way back to the elevator. Pressing the button for the lobby, she stared in bewilderment at the wall as the doors closed.
"I just lost everything, Tikki." She whispered.
Her Kwami peeked out from her hiding place and gently patted her hand.
"You did the right thing, Marinette." Tikki encouraged in her tiny voice. "You stood up for a friend. I'm sure that will mean far more to Adrien than you could imagine."
Marinette released a deep sigh, letting her stress fade away as a small smile touched her lips.
"You're right, Tikki." She replied. "I'm determined to be a good friend to Adrien, and this is the first step. Who wants to work for Gabriel Agreste anyway? The man is a nightmare."
The doors of the elevator opened, and Marinette marched to the street with her head held high. She didn't even notice the distorted butterfly that had been following her as it fluttered off.