"Good morning Marinette." Nathalie had a slight smirk across her thin lips as she greeted her.
"Good morning Nathalie." Marinette smiled back and made her way towards the staircase.
"How was your evening," Nathalie called to her while still sat at the computer desk, eyes not moving from the screen she was looking at. "I believe the Seine was particularly beautiful yesterday."
Was there a coldness to her voice, or was it the entrance hall that made it seem so? Marinette could feel her heart beat quicken as she hesitated before turning back to Nathalie. There was no one else in their immediate vicinity, as most of the house team were at the shoot taking place that morning.
"It was, yes." Marinette nodded as she turned towards Nathalie, who was still focusing her gaze on the computer screen. Not wanting to question Nathalie if she was getting at something in particular, Marinette was unsure if she should carry on up to the studio, or walk back to speak with Nathalie.
Nathalie made that decision for her, "Marinette could you please come and take a look at this?" The first time her eyes had ventured over to Marinette. Her gaze was as monotone as her voice. One brow slightly cocked as Marinette came to her side to look at the screen, the smirk was gone, leaving her lips looking flat and bland.
Tilting the screen towards Marinette, Nathalie showed her the two pictures shown on screen. The first showed her and Adrien sitting on a bench over looking the Seine, Marinette's finger under his chin as his head leaned in. The camera angle had given the impression that their absent hands were interlaced, that was circumstantial, the look on their faces however were not. Even under that hat, his green eyes were sparkling at hers, soft, goofy smiles clear as day. The second picture was of the two of them standing on the Bridge of the Archbishopric. His hands on her shoulders, her hands, unknowingly, had been resting on his abdomin.
Did I even do that?
Her gaze was playful in this shot, his gaze was adoring.
"He is one of the most photographed people in Paris." Nathalie brought Marinette out of her observations, "even with a disguise, Adrien is noticed." Nathalie continued in her monotone voice.
Marinette was still looking at the screen, mouth agape with a slight dusting blushed on her cheeks. Still not finding any words.
"These are not the only pictures we have been sent."
Nathalie closed the two pictures down and brought up two more. Both outside Nino's front door. The first of the two showed just Marinette and Adrien entering the property, a perfectly innocent action of two people, it was the second picture which had implications attached. The bluenette had been stood in the door way, seeing off the visibly disheveled blonde. His body was turned away from her but he had been looking at her over his shoulder, exposing some of the make-up still present from the night before. Smudged lipstick, smeared from his lips to his jaw, his hair sticking out all over the place, three buttons of his shirt left undone as a smirk played on his face. Eyes looking at a giggling Marinette.
A giggling Marinette, leaning casually against the door frame as she had said goodbye to him that morning. A giggling Marinette who's over-sized Jagged Stone t-shirt, perfectly hid the fact she had shorts on underneath. A giggling Marininette with a sparkle in her eyes as she had met his gaze.
This did not look good.
Oh my god! No! Fuck what if...
"Chat..." Marinette let escape from her lips in barely a whisper.
"Pardon?" Nathalie had a brief quizzical look on her face, glancing slightly to Marinette who chose to ignore what had escaped her.
"It's really not how it looks Nathalie," Marinette was obviously panicked with seeing the images. The colour had drained from her face, thinking about how Chat would perceive the pictures. "Are these already-"
"They are not available to the public." Nathalie resumed her monotone state before closing the windows with the pictures on them. "We are fortunate enough to be able to pay more than the press for images such as this," Nathalie turned to a slightly relieved looking Marinette. Arching a brow with a knowing look, she focused on Marinette as she spoke, "we have never received pictures which speak such as this however, Adrien does not look at any of the models like this on set, even though he is instructed to do so."
Marinette stood still, biting her bottom lip as she audibly swallowed on a suddenly dry throat. Nathalie continued, "Gabriel will want to speak to you this afternoon once Adrien is back." Nathalie turned back to the screen bringing up the schedules for the day ahead. "If I did not know better, I would have thought you two knew each other on a personal level for more than the two days you have worked in the same building." There was a chuckle and a small smile from Nathalie as she commented on how long they were supposed to have known each other, "I recommend you head up to the studio before everyone gets back."
Without a word, not that Marinette could form a coherent sentence at this moment anyway, she walked in a stunned, expressionless fashion to the room where she had been working.
"She believed it, without a doubt." Nathalie spoke quietly over the phone.
"Good," he replied in deep appraisal. "I have a plan which I can not see failing."
Sat at his computer desk in the office, Gabriel had been watching the exchange between Nathalie and Marinette over the webcam on Nathalie's computer. Since the fashion show on Friday, Gabriel had been intrigued by the bluenette and her resemblance to the spotted superhero. He had heard how Adrien had spoken about Marinette in the past, and was also aware of his infatuation of the super heroine in his younger years. An infatuation he was certain his son still had.
Gabriel wondered if Marinette could be one half of the hero team responsible for thwarting his plan for so many years, and had wanted a way to gain confirmation for quite some time. When he had seen pictures, the resemblance was difficult to make out, so the need to spend time around her had persuaded him to leave the confines of his mansion.
The end of year fashion show had given him the excuse needed, it was even better that she did have so much talent and an eye for design. He was glad the opportunity had arose to see for himself, the resemblance in person. The way Marinette held the mask to her face outlined the uncanny likeness of the two ladies. Since this had almost but confirmed it for him, Gabriel had employed a notoriously cunning member of the Parisian paparazzi to trail her.
The pictures shown to Marinette, had not been taken because she was with Adrien, they had been taken because of her. Gabriel was now looking at two more pictures on his screen. One from Sunday night, when a certain black cat had perched on her railings, and one from Monday morning, when Chat Noir had been saying goodbye to the bluenette. Although nothing to confirm Marinette was Ladybug had been captured, the close relationship that was there could also prove fruitful. A relationship that was much more obvious since she had said his name while panicking about the pictures that Nathalie showed her.
The first picture showed nothing but him crouching on her balcony railing. The position of the photograph showed it was taken from the street looking up. The second picture was almost identical to the one taken on the Bridge of the Archbishopric, her playful look with his adoring gaze shining over her. It was too familiar for Gabriel's liking.
There was a war going on within the fashion mogul. Could it really be that ironic, that the other Miraculous he had been so desperate to capture, was right under his nose? Either way, this idea gave him an unwanted conundrum, one that he would not decide on lightly.
"I don't see the problem with these photos if I'm honest." Adrien was half smiling behind his coffee cup as he took a sip, "I think our focus should be elsewhere anyway, on the bigger picture, purr-haps." Adrien acted aloofly while trying to hide how entertaining he was finding the situation. Marinette was trying to focus on different fabric swatches while coping with her inner dilemma.
Immaculate timing on the pun! Idiot.
"What if those pictures got out and were taken out of context as they could so easily be huh? What if the guy I'm seeing saw them? How do you think he would feel?" Marinette exclaimed quickly, while rummaging through the papers on her desk. Completely avoiding eye contact.
"They haven't though so I don't see the purr-oblem-"
"The problem?" Marinette cut Adrien off, vaguely noting another cat pun to come from him, her voice becoming more frantic, while still trying to distract herself in types of buttons. "The problem is I have no way of contacting him at the moment! And I would like to be able to speak to him about a few things."
Finally looking at him, Marinette pouted crossly and folded her arms across her chest, rolling her eyes at his calm demeanour.
He wouldn't be so calm if he knew it was Chat!
I bet she'd flip if I revealed myself now! How many times can I drop hints?
Throwing her arms up in frustration, Marinette walked into Adrien's personal space, anger rising at herself for getting into this situation in the first place. She knew she couldn't tell him too much, but she could find some way to explain the situation. Before she was able to speak, Adrien spoke with amusement, a playful smirk playing on his lips.
"Purr-sonally, I would be ok with this, it wouldn't be a cat-astrophe. Im sure he's paws-itively feline meow-vellous about it all."
There's only one person who would drop that many cat puns at once!
Eyes widening, pure horror on her face. Had she let it slip last night without realising? The colour drained from Marinette's face as she looked into his strikingly green eyes.
Shit that hint was probably too much.
Adrien's confidence faltered as he watched Marinette make the connection.
"Do. Not. Move." Marinette instructed Adrien, emphasis on each word as she thinned her lips. Frustrated, Marinette turned to the cutting table, she was kicking herself that she had let this happen, but she needed to know for sure. All the pieces were there, she just had one left to help them fall into place.