Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.
Chapter 50,
When Marinette got home, she just couldn't stop smiling. It was so much fun to be working with the kids on the fashion show, and they were so smart too.
"Are you gonna get ready for the dance now?" Tikki asked her owner, who was gliding around the room.
"I suppose I should." Marinette said reluctantly, but still with a smile.
"Did you figure out what you were gonna dress up as?" Tikki asked and Marinette shook her head.
"Not really. I mean I still have my masquerade costume, but I'd really don't want to wear that." Marinette said, gesturing to the costume on her fashion mannequin. TIkki flew over to it, and looked at the dress.
"It's different then the dress you wore when you were akumatized. Maybe you could tweak it a little and get it to work for tonight." TIkki suggested and Marinette stood up from her desk chair and stared at it for a moment.
"Well, I guess I could try that." Marinette commented and she took the dress in her arms and held it up to her body. She stared at her reflection sadly and sighed.
"What is wrong with me?" Marinette asked herself. She dropped the dress and held her face in her hands.
"Are you ok Marinette?" Tikki asked and her owner shook her head.
"I'm conflicted Tikki. All I can think about is slow dancing with Adrien." Marinette lowered her hands to her mouth and she looked at the kwami beside her.
"But when I think about that... I..." Marinette looked away and wiped her eyes.
"I can't help but feel like I'm cheating on Cat." Marinette said softly and Tikki blinked, surprised by this response.
"Oh, Marinette." Tikki said and Marinette dropped to her knees.
"I know, I know... you can't cheat on someone you aren't dating... and I'm not dating Cat... but that's just how I feel." Marinette said and Tikki paused for a second. For some reason she thought how Plagg would deal with the situation.
"You know... if you keep falling to your knees like that, you're gonna break them. And then you're gonna break the,. And then you're gonna need to replace them, and use an old lady walker." TIkki said. Marinette bloinked and looked at the red thing, making Tikki instantly regret acting like Plagg. Unsure what else to do, Tikki pretended to walk with a walker.
"Scoot, scoot, scoot." TIkki said as she did this. Marinette chuckled slightly.
"Thanks Tikki." Marinette said and Tikki smiled.
"You know Marinette, even if you dance with Adrien with Adrien, it doesn't mean you are choosing him over Cat Noir. There's no reason for you to feel guilty if you dance with him." Tikki said and Marinette nodded.
"Maybe you're right. My mom told me that the last High School dance she went to, she didn't have a date, and she danced with all the guys she ever had a crush on. That she just wanted to have fun... It didn't mean that she wanted to date them, just dance with them." Marinette said and Tikki nodded.
"Marinette it's been stressful; with Hawk Moth, and that war, and rushing to do this Fashion Show... This will probably be the only break you get for a while. Why not have fun?" Tikki asked and Marinette stood up.
"Good point." Marinette said. She lift the dress and held it up to her again.
"You know if I make the skirt longer, and shorted the sleeves and maybe wear a pair of elbow-high gloves... that could be really nice." Marinette said.
"And if you replace the black lace with white, it would give it a lighter look to it." Tikki said and Marinette nodded.
"Good eye, Tikki. I better get started if I'm gonna wear this tonight." Marinette said and Tikki smiled brightly.
As it turns out, Marinette was not the only one worried about what she was gonna wear. Adrien knew what he was doing... At least he hoped that he did. He stared at his completed costume and was trying to bring himself to put it on.
"Oh, what's the point Plagg. I know there's no chance that Father will want me to go out. He never wants me to do anything or have a life of my own." Adrien huffed.
"Your father is a stick in the mud. I say don't ask and sneak out." Plagg said and Adrien glared at him.
"I sneak out enough as Cat Noir. I'd rather not do that as Adrien." Adrien said and Plagg sighed. He wondered what type of advice that know-it-all Tikki would give Adrien... hmm...
"You know... opportunities are like a door in a wall." Plagg said and Adrien blinked at him.
"What does that mean?" Adrien asked and Plagg bit his lip.
"Sometimes your opportunities are frequent, like when you walk down a hotel hallway. And sometimes they are far and few between... almost like walking across the desert. You can have a key to a certain door, you can turn the handle, you can knock, you could even get those dental tools and break in... er, you shouldn't but you could." Plagg said.
"Oookayyy... what's your point." Adrien asked, unsure what the kwami was doing.
"Well it's rare that a door will open if you don't even try to open it." Plagg said. Adrien's eyes widened and he sighed.
"You're right. There's no chance he'll say yes, if I never ask." Adrien said. He ran a hand though his hair and took a deep breath before leaving his room. He went downstairs and he saw Nathalie sitting at the dining room table typing faster then any other person her knows. Already feeling defeat, he walks up to her.
"Hey, Nathalie?" He said gently as to avoid shocking her and ruin the work she was doing.
"Yes Adrien?" She asked calmly.
"Well, I..." Adrien rubbed the back of his back of his neck, still unsure. Nathalie paused to look at Adrien.
"Is everything alright?" Nathalie asked and Adrien almost got more nervous at the fact that Nathalie was giving him her undivided attention.
"I... I-I just hoped that maybe I could go... to this dance at school tonight?" Adrien asked and Nathalie paused a moment.
"Tonight? Oh I doubt your father would like that." Nathalie said and Adrien's shoulders fell.
"Yeah, I thought so too." Adrien said and Nathalie smiled at him.
"Go get dressed. I'll tell Armand to warm the limo." Nathalie said, standing up. Adrien was almost too shocked for words.
"You just said-"
"I said I doubt your father would like that. However you did not ask your father, you asked me. And I say you've been working hard, and you deserve a night out with your friends." Nathalie said and Adrien smiled at her rebellion.
"But won't father be angry to find me gone?" Adrien asked.
"Maybe, but I don't care. Heck you helped decorate for it with the kids. It's almost cruel to forbid you from attending... I mean, you're not Cinderella." Nathalie said and Adrien couldn't believe it.
"Oh, you're the greatest Nathalie, I love you." Adrien said, and he hugged her. Nathalie wasn't expecting this reaction. She's not sure that Adrien has ever hugged her, much less said he loved her; but she hugged him back.
"I love you too, kiddo." Nathalie said genuinely. Then she pulled away and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Now you better get dressed. You don't want to be late." Nathalie said and Adrien ran off. As he raced up the stairs, Nathalie took a deep breath. She'll probably get in a lot of trouble for allowing Adrien to go to the dance... but nothing Gabriel can do, will ruin how happy Adrien is to get to go to the dance. And Nathalie knows that he will have a fantastic time; how she loves that dear sweet boy.