Author's Note: This chapter made me laugh and cringe with excitement. Hope this tickles you in the same way :)

Chapter 4 – Discovery

TRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!

SLAM

CRASH

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu….." Groans of agony was heard beside the 4-poster bed, where Marinette had clearly fallen in the midst of escaping the alarm. Unfortunately, the girl had taken prior measures to override snooze, knowing how she badly she woke up in the mornings.

"It's 6:30 on a Thursday and this is breakfast with Tiffany! [Breaaaakfaaast with Tiffanyyyyyyy]"

Can you believe she also went full swing and activated the radio feature to the blasted thing as well?!

"Today's news is aaalll about the hero of the hour, the saviour of the darkness, our very own mini LADY. BUUUUUUUUUG!"

Digging deeper to escape the unbearable noise, the athlete (currently face forward on the carpet, bottom high in the sky) attempted to ignore the reporter through a half-hearted mental meditation sequence, still as a statue.

Breathe in… Breathe out...

"Paris was saved aGAIN in an absoLUTELY amazing show of courage, strength and beauty from a fashionable lady in red. Jumping in front of a speeding car to help a parent and child! Like, I could never! And we have a caller! Lila, is it true that you were at the scene of the crime when everything happened?"

"Hiii and YAAS. My friend was the girl in red and she totally just went in and saved everyone. We were walking home from a meal at Antonio's and it was the craziest thing. I won't say who she is because, her safety and all that, but yaah."

"That sounds INCREDIBLE. Girl, you gotta give us more so stay on the line and we will see you all after this short message!"

[Breaaaakfaaast with Tiffaaaaan… BOOM

"Oops." Clearly unapologetic at the sight of the machine in 2 messy piles, Marinette wiped the edge of the table (victim to her half-awake angry strike) and finally stood up to prepare for the day. Silently making plans to buy another alarm clock at the duty free, the designer pressed a few buttons beside her bed to pull back the curtains and turn on the hallway lights.

Stopping for a moment to drink on a bottle of water, she gazed at the city of Paris gleaming under the first lights of the day. The deep blues of night slowly melted into purple, pink and reds as the sun rose to wake citizens for another day at work. The skies were clear and provided the perfect backdrop to the Eiffel tower and surroundings.

Perfection

No other words could describe the sights before her. 15 years separated from this city had not decreased her love for it, rather it made her more appreciative of every detail that made up her hometown. Putting on yesterday's bra and black leggings, the ex-hero set up a yoga mat (provided upon request by the hotel) in front of the window so that she could continue watching the sights whilst completing her morning routine.

Pilates, kickboxing and running were 3 of the activities the woman had picked up after relinquishing her title as Paris' hero. Partly to maintain her health and partly to manage her personal wellbeing, the Chinese-French athlete had taken part in multiple workout routines over the years, now possessing an enviable portfolio of certificates, awards and belts that boasted her success in multiple fields. To be able to attend such classes around her busy schedule, Marinette had invested into a local gym founded by her best friend and trainer Felicia. During her free time, the girl helped with personal training sessions, exercise classes and whatever was required to keep the business going and in return was given full reign of the gym whenever she needed.

This morning's workout focussed on flexibility and core, the 2 hours of warm ups, stretches and ab exercises releasing every knot within her body with ease. Although her outfit was not the best, it worked well enough to do the job and she wasn't going to complain.

Before showering, Marinette made a quick call to reception to order breakfast and then got ready for the day. A knock on the door signalled the foods arrival and she welcomed the bringer of coffee, pastries and fruit with enthusiasm.

"Merci"

"No worries, Mlle, please enjoy your meal." Taking an imperceptible glance to the floor, the waiter asked without pause. "I see that your clock faced the wrath of a beast. Would you like me to repair this for you, Mlle?"

"Sqwark.. No! I mean, no thank you" The graceful smile did not hold back the reddened ears and blooming cheeks, filled with half eaten pastry and chokes of surprise. Clearing her throat with a sip of coffee, Marinette returned the staff member's teasing tone with a straight face. "Don't feel sorry for the clock, it had run out of time"

The pun extracted a grin and impressed sweeping curtsey.

"I see. I will leave you to enjoy your meal and final moments with your time."

Behind the closing doors, nobody saw the hands go up or heard the squeals of embarrassment from the seated diner.

At 12, Marinette opened the door to find the dear porter waiting outside with his luggage cart. Smiling, the lady allowed her new friend to step in and collect the bags, which were to be loaded into the waiting car as she finished her final preparations. Stacking the last suitcase, the old man paused with a frown, alerting the guest to a potential issue.

"Mlle, I see you have a mark on your coat. Please allow us to clean this for you. I will see that it is sent to your address."

Walking over to check, Marinette saw that the coat indeed had a large smear on the side, which she strangely had not noticed previously.

"Oh dear, yes if it's okay." Staring at her packed bags, the lady tried to mentally locate another coat within that would be easy to unpack. As if seeing her thought, the porter smiled.

"If you don't mind, I have a spare coat that you can use. From my daughter who is now a different size." A surprised reaction delayed the chance to refuse. "Please accept the whims of this old man"

Taking in the earnest look on his face, the designer smiled her thanks.

"Then, please accept my thanks." A business card was handed out to give an address for the cleaned clothes "And please let me know how much I owe you for this."

The offer of payment brought vigorous shakes of the head.

"Oh no, you are our esteemed guest!" The very thought of payment appeared out of the question and no further discussions were made. "I will return to bring your coat and take you downstairs."

Ring

"Bonjour, maman." Waiting to be collected, Marinette made a quick call to her parents for an update "I'm off to the airport now. Hopefully there will be no more issues and I can arrive by 6 tonight."

"That is good. You'll call when you reach your house?"

"Of course! Is papa resting?"

"No, the bakers are not allowing papa into the kitchen but he still tries to disturb them. He will get his break and we can see you in a month."

The thought of 4 bakers pushing her giant of a father out of the bakery caused the mother and daughter duo to snicker.

"Okay maman, see you soon!" Placing her phone down, the younger woman stared at her style for the day and checked for any last smudges of makeup before huffing in satisfaction.

The Mulan top was slightly shorter than expected, following every curve of her body perfectly. Mid waist jeans followed and, when she stretched, allowed the slightest peek of a belly piercing. Exaggerated liner, red lips and a bell choker were added, and hair pulled into a French braid with false bangs.

So long as the coat was plain, her outfit should be able to match any colour coat that was provided.

The porter had not returned with a coat, he had returned with a masterpiece. Long flowing, emerald green and with a hood large enough to cover her whole face, the fur trimmed woolly coat displayed the work of master hand stitchers. Pushing back the cries of panicked refusal, the man forced the coat into Marinette's arms with happiness and joy.

"You must accept this! It is my gift to you"

The leading her gently to the back of the hotel, the porter suddenly walked with his guest briskly to the waiting car and said his goodbyes with a kiss to the hand.

"Mademoiselle, it has been a pleasure to serve you. If you are ever in the city, La Papillon will always have a room for you to stay."

Closing the door without a word, the girl watched in confusion as the car made slow exit to the streets before catching sight of the crowds of reporters and people pushing to get a glance into the main hotel reception. Shouts of Ladybug, Lady in Red, Paris' new hero seen entering the Butterfly filled the air and cameras zoomed in to capture anything hinting to a lady dressed in red. Staff members barred the door with impassive looks on their faces, not talking or revealing anything to the crowds.

Gripping the different coat in her arms and silently thanking everything that stopped her from donning her normal coat, Marinette felt the crinkle of paper and took out a note that had been written with shaky hands.

You have saved my daughter twice and my grandchild once.
Without you, I would have lost my family.
The Butterfly will always be here to shield you in all your forms.

I am eternally grateful.

Valentin Blanchet, La Papillon

Turning to the hotel, she met the eyes and smiles of Mr Blanchet, owner of The Butterfly and part time porter. Feeling the car pulling away, now free from the crowds, she saw him bow his head a final time in happiness and gratitude.

Tears threatening to pool, the ex-hero hugged the coat tightly, feeling the amount of love she had been shared with this act of kindness.

The airport was filled, travellers from 2 days of delays waiting tired and impatiently for check-in, security queues spanning the full length of the area to cram every person in.

Due to oversubscription on her flight, the clerk apologised profusely to the waiting travellers and asked for volunteers to a later flight with an upgrade. Having no issues with an additional 2 hour wait, Marinette agreed to the upgrade and spent her time eating her lunch with leisure and wandering the duty-free strip.

Flight FR-347 is now boarding at Gate 23.

Making her way to the plane, the lady enjoyed the smooth handling of tickets and seating and was in her seat in no time at all. Seated next to a window, the lady looked outside and ignored movement beside her as another passenger sat down, apologising for the slight jostling as he made himself comfortable. The whiff of male cologne hit her nose and she closed her eyes in silent pleasure.

Spice, heat and man.

Damn she sounded desperate. Maybe she was, but having been too busy for relationships, she honestly couldn't tell. All she did know was, damn, this neighbour of hers smelled amazing.

Sniff, sniff.

Sneaking a glance sideways, Marinette spotted blond hair under a face mask, baseball cap and earphones. Even better.

Sniff.

Welcome aboard C N Airlines to Milan Linate Airport. We will arrive at our destination in approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. Please ensure that your seatbelts are fastened and trays are up…

Sniff.

We will now begin our safety demonstration.

Oh lawwd, the gentleman had shuffled to push his backpack safety under the chair, bringing a new wave of fresh air her way. Pinching her arms to stop her eyes from rolling back in ecstasy, Marinette practically pushed her face into the window to think of something else.

Adrien was tired and grumpy. Nothing bringing him down, indeed.

Having finished his photoshoot successfully earlier in the day, he had joined his father for what he expected to be a normal lunch and faced surprising news.

"Your flight to Milan is at 6" white wine sprayed all over Gabriel's face.

"My flight to wuuh?"

"Milan! " wiping the liquid as best he could, the older man scowled "I need a rep down there to oversee the set up. This should have gone to Nathalie but she is still dealing with Mattheo's mess."

"I have work this eveni…"

"Cover has been arranged for today and you can attend virtually from tomorrow."

Adrien watched his father unhappily.

"Father, you know I don't appreciate you doing things behind my back" The statement immediately brought a look of remorse in the white-haired man, who had made every effort to bring the two closer together.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done this." Placing the napkin aside, he looked tentatively towards his child. "I made the arrangements without thinking. If you don't want to do it, I won't force you."

The statement was said with the reach of a hand, which the model returned with a tight squeeze.

"I'll go this time, only because I know this has been a very busy day for you and the team. But not again!" Standing up, he gave his dad a kiss to the cheek and small smile of appreciation "Thank you for lunch, dad. I'm going to pack, so please extend my apologies to the stakeholders."

Hi Philippe,

Apologies for the sudden absence today. My father has only informed me of the plan to travel to Milan, which I cannot decline as it relates to the family business. Please find notes for today's lecture and all slides are already available on the teaching page.

I'm available for a call if you have any questions.

Kind regards,

Dr Adrien Agreste
Associate Lecturer in Physics

Hi Adrien,

No worries, it's not as if you do this every week (also, please DON'T do this every week ). I used to think you a lucky rich guy but seeing you work so much has me sympathising.

Good luck in Milan and don't get too flirty with the models!

P.s. Marking is still all yours

Kind regards,

Dr Philippe Toussaint
Lecturer in Physics

Breathing a small sigh of relief, Adrien put his phone away. His colleague was aware of the additional commitments the model had to his family business and thankfully always took it in his stride to cover lectures or seminars as needed.

"If you know of any ladies who likes stars, introduce me!" was always the response.

Hilariously, this wasn't a joke. Philippe Toussaint was a huge fan of space and used this as a talking point for any, and all, dates. A tall guy in his early thirties, he wore a man bun, glasses and possessed the confidence of an entertainer. His obsession with stars aside, the physicist inadvertently attracted more attention than he knew and many found his fascination to one topic extremely cute. The only downside was his thick head and ability to friendzone every potential partner within the first 3 meetings.

Adrien had started a game with close friends, challenging any interested females to try their chance openly flirting with the man, winner obviously gaining the opportunity to date him. After 3 years, the challenge had snowballed to become a university wise activity, with men and women both taking their chance with attracting the scientist's attention. He was still none the wiser.

The airport was busy, but easy to navigate through. Jogging calmly to his gate, Adrien boarded the plane with plenty of time to spare and sat himself on the aisle seat allocated. He barely noticed the lady beside him, busy putting his suitcase into the overhead bins and sitting down with his back pack. Having taken his right earphone out, he heard sniffling which he attributed to dust. The sniffs were quicker as he manoeuvred to secure his bag under the seat so he mumbled a quick apology before sitting back and fastening his seat belt.

We will now begin our trip, please ensure your seat belts remain fastened during take-off

Eyes moving to the window, Adrien glanced at the slim figure of his seat mate who had her head turned away to follow the runway journey. Relaxed, with raven braided hair placed over her shoulders and her legs crossed over the knees, the woman had moved far enough from the window to allow him to also watch the tarmac roads passing by. Feeling the bumps getting faster, the man leaned back and closed his eyes to experience the change from bumps to air rushing through his body as the airplane got higher and higher. Ears plugging and stomach dropping, the model sighed in relief when they were stable in the air once more. Commercial flights were a newer experience for him, after all.

He felt, rather than heard, the gasp of amazement and glanced back to see the city of Paris below, shining as the plane tilted and turned to face the right direction. Pride and love dwelled within for his city. As well-versed as the heir was in exploring different cities, cultures and cuisines, France and Paris will always be home.

Shutting out the sounds of the rest of the passengers with his earphone back in place, he leaned back and fell asleep to consistent lull of engines.