Chapter 12: Cartier
With her eyes set on the limousine, Marinette was being guided by nothing but her instinct, truly believing that something was not right about that situation. She did not why that was happening, but in her heart, there was something that was telling her to do that. She had been following it on foot for four blocks, when the first signs of exhaustion began to appear, making it harder for her to keep up. Her first thought was to find a place where she could transform into Ladybug and continue the chase on the rooftops. When Marinette transformed into her, her stamina increased enormously, allowing her to do things that in her civilian form she could not. But she also knew that using her powers for something like that was not something she liked. So, she tried to come up with an alternative. Looking around, she quickly found what she was looking for. On her right, several electrical scooters, the same kind that tourists were encouraged to use to move around, were laid in a perfect parallel line. Ever since these showed up, that the traffic in Paris became a lot more dangerous, especially because whoever used them to go around, represented a menace to the pedestrians, as well as cars and buses. Still, Marinette could not care less about that small detail, given she was in a hurry. Swapping her bus pass on the display of one of the scooter's, she placed herself on top of it and sprinted out of there, with her eyes set on the limousine. She never drove one of those scooters before, but she kept telling herself that it could not be harder than riding a bicycle. Turned out, it was a lot easier than it looked. In an instant, she understood why so many people liked to drive those things around. But she put those thoughts aside, and told herself that she needed to focus on what she was doing.
"Am I taking things too serious here?" -Marinette asked herself, as she dodged a pedestrian that was coming her way. –"Maybe I am, and I'm panicking over nothing. Maybe it's just like Tikki's saying… then again, my instinct rarely fails me." -she thought to herself. –"No matter what, I'm going to find out what's really going on."
Inside Marinette's backpack, Tikki tried her best to stand still, so as to not get sick. The little scarlet kwami hated whenever Marinette would start to run like crazy, because that meant that everything inside her backpack would start to shake and jump like crazy. And right then, even with Marinette riding a scooter, the craziness that was going on inside her backpack was just as bad as when she was running.
"Why can't Marinette just accept that maybe there's nothing wrong going on?" -Tikki thought to herself. More and more, she was tempted to just spill the beans about Adrien loving her, the same way she loved him, so she would stop with that crazy pursuit. –"But what if there really is something wrong going on? Maybe Marinette is on to something." -she thought, pondering on the remote possibility that Marinette was right about seeing Adrien's limousine on the opposite side of town.
The pursuit went on for a few more blocks, when Marinette noticed the car's rear lights signalling, that they were about to park. Stopping the scooter, she knelt behind a parked car and waited to see what happened. As she waited for the car to park, she noticed that it had parked right in front of a jewellery. And not just any jewellery. It was one of the three Cartier jewellery shops in Paris. It was the kind of shop that one would need to book an appointment, just to enter in it. Marinette, like most girls, had always dreamed of one day entering one of those jewellery shops, where some of the most beautiful jewels in the world were for sale, even if it was just to admire them. She knew that only in her wildest dreams would she even be able to afford their cheapest piece. At least, until one day, when she became an important fashion designer, and even then, she was not sure she would be able to afford such a luxury. It was a magical place. Looking at the shop's entrance, she wondered if it was really Adrien inside that limousine.
"Maybe it's Adrien's dad who's inside the limousine. But if that was the case, then during lunch, Adrien would have said something about him coming home today… unless, of course, if he didn't know about it." -Marinette thought to herself, without taking her eyes from the limousine. –"Still, what would Adrien's dad be doing at Cartier's? And even better, what would Adrien be doing at Cartier's?" -she wondered, as she tried to figure that small riddle. –"The only reason people come to this shop is to buy jewellery pieces, expensive ones…"
Before she could finish that thought, Adrien's driver/bodyguard, nicknamed Gorilla by Adrien himself, exited the car and quickly proceeded to open the rear door on the passenger's side. Exiting from the limousine was a slender girl, of average height, pale skin, with visible freckles and sharp yellow-brown eyes. As for her hair, it was dark blue, swept to the left with light blue reflections. She was wearing a white long-sleeved blazer with black outlines around the collar, running down across her waist all the way to the bottom to the hem, with an attached logo on the right of her chest. Underneath it, she was wearing a black collared blouse with many gold buttons, and attached to the collar she had a red tie with blue parallel lines. She was also wearing a red skirt with an asymmetrical texture with blue and white intersecting vertical and horizontal lines. tight black leggings and a pair of red sneakers with white toecaps. Just from looking at her, Marinette had the distinct impression that she was not a very friendly person. And then, exiting the limousine came Adrien. Marinette, who was still trying to understand what was going on, was shocked to see Adrien there.
Not taking her eyes off Adrien, she wished she was closer to know what he was talking to Gorilla right then, who had just closed the passenger's door.
"Kagami and I won't be long." -Adrien told Gorilla, before turning his attention to Kagami. –"Shall we?" -he asked her.
"Lead the way." -Kagami said in her usual formal tone, as she followed Adrien inside.
"Who's that girl?!" -Marinette asked, shocked to see Adrien with a girl she had never seen before. –"And furthermore… did Adrien just lie to Nino and everyone else about having a photoshoot, so he could came here with that girl?!" -she asked herself.
Entering the Cartier shop, Adrien felt a little intimated by the opulence of the shop. It was not so much the number of jewels that were on display, but more so because of the shop's décor. It looked like time had stopped in it, and they had been transported at least 100 years in time. The only things that prevented that from truly happening was the fact they knew that they were on the 21st century, as well as the employees who were dressed in modern, yet formal attire. As soon as they entered, a man wearing a black business suit with a white shirt underneath it and a black and yellow tie, approached them. He was a man in his late fifties, with greyish hair, combed in a way that not even a single hair was out of place, blue eyes and a gracious smile. Smiling, he welcomed the two teenagers.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Agreste, welcome. I'm Renée Arnault, and I'm the manager. We spoke on the phone yesterday." -Renée told Adrien.
"Uh, yes, how do you do?" -Adrien shook his hand. –"Thank you for receiving me on such short notice." -he smiled at Renée.
"Not a problem at all. Your father was, and still is, one of our finest customers." -Renée said. Sometimes, when Gabriel wished to seal a deal with an important business partner, especially if that partner was a woman, he would offer her a piece of jewellery, to demonstrate his appreciation. –"So, logically, when you called, I did not hesitate." -he declared, as he looked at the two teenagers. –"And who this young lady might be?"
"This is my friend, Kagami Tsurugi." -Adrien said.
"Enchanté, mademoiselle." -Renée said, as he was about to kiss Kagami's hand, only to fail, because Kagami refused to extend her hand to him. She was not someone who liked that kind of greetings, even if they were part of a gentleman's code of conduct. -"Y-Yes, well, follow me please, I took the liberty of reserving one of our private rooms just for you."
As they followed the manager, Adrien's eyes could not help but to gaze at some of the beautiful jewellery pieces that were on display. Some were quite simple, while others were intricately complex. But all of them looked beautiful. Even he, a boy, would not mind wearing some of them. Still, he tried to focus on what he and Kagami had come to do. To avoid anyone knowing what he was going to do that afternoon, he lied to everyone that he had a photoshoot. He did not like to lie to his friends, but he could not risk anyone knowing about that. He wanted to find the perfect jewel to offer Marinette, when telling her about his feelings for her, and more importantly, he wanted it to be a secret. And to find the perfect jewel, he had brought Kagami to help him. He did not know much about buying jewels, and he believed that neither did Kagami, given her personality. Still, she had offered him her help, in finding the best way to tell Marinette that he loved her, and that meant help him finding a jewel which Marinette would love.
Arriving at the private room, this one was a small round room, with its walls covered by red satin curtains. The only furniture in it was a beautifully hand-carved mahogany desk with a green felt top and three equally beautiful hand-carved armchairs. All in all, a very simple, yet stylish room.
"When you called, you said that you were looking for a special gift for a young lady. I assume that Miss Tsurugi is the young lady in question?" -Renée asked Adrien, as he and Kagami sat down.
"No, it's not Kagami, I'm afraid. It's for another girl." -Adrien said, slightly embarrassed, as he sat on the armchair. He had never done something like that before in his life. –"I'm going to ask her to be my girlfriend and I want something special." -he admitted.
"Oh, I see. Well, either way, you have come to the right place." -Renée declared. –"I can assure you that you will not leave this jewellery store empty handed." -he said. –"Now, if I may, what exactly are you looking for? A necklace? A ring? Perhaps a pair of earrings?"
"Actually, I'm not sure." -Adrien admitted. He really had no idea what he wanted to offer Marinette. –"That's why I brought her with me. To help me choose." -he said, as he looked at Kagami. –"But there's one thing I know. I don't want something that is incredibly pricey."
When he said that, Adrien felt a little bad about making that comment. He did not want Renée to think that he did not have the money to buy even the cheapest piece that store had to offer. The truth was he did not have the money to buy the most expensive piece in the store, but he certainly had more than enough to buy the cheapest. The reason he said that was because he did not want to buy something which made Marinette feel bad about accepting it. Thinking about it, he was beginning to think that perhaps he should have thought of another place to buy something for Marinette, and that place was not the right one. But then he told himself that he had come looking for something special, and if he did not find it, he was not obliged to buy anything.
"What I mean is, I don't want something that's worth hundreds of thousands of Euros or even millions of Euros. I'm looking for something that is beautiful, but that doesn't have to be incredibly expensive. So, no diamonds or any precious stones." -Adrien declared. –"I don't want Marinette to feel bad about being offered something that is more than her parents make in a whole year." -he thought to himself.
"I understand what you're saying. And I can assure you that we will find the right piece for the young lady, you wish to declare your love to." -Renée said, as he got up from his chair. –"If I may suggest, shall we begin with perhaps some earrings? We have some that are sure to be what you have in mind for the young lady." -he said, as Adrien nodded his head, thinking that earrings could be a good option. –"I'll go get them, right away. With your permission."
And with those words, the manager left to get the earrings he was talking about, leaving Adrien and Kagami alone. The blond decided to take the opportunity to once again thank Kagami for helping him with that.
"I know I already said this, but thanks for helping me with this." -Adrien told Kagami.
"My pleasure. I told you that I would offer you my help, and I stand by my solemn oath." -Kagami told him, always speaking in the same formal tone Adrien was used to hear from her.
"I know that. Still, this is really important to me. I could not have asked for someone better to help me with this." -Adrien told her. Though he was not being entirely honest about not having someone better to help him with that, he was still incredibly thankful for having Kagami with him. He could have asked Chloe, who always had an eye for jewellery to help him choose the perfect gift for Marinette, or even Alya, who was Marinette's best friend, and who knew her better than anyone else. But fearing that one of them would accidentally tell the blue-haired girl what he was up to, he preferred to have someone who Marinette did not know, helping him. –"I'll never forget this."
That last comment made Kagami smile for the first time that day. It was incredibly hard for anyone to make Kagami smile, but Adrien seemingly had a special talent to do it. Kagami herself believed he truly had the unique talent to make her smile, even when she did not want to. She did not know how he managed it, but the truth he did it, almost without wanting to.
"Like I said, it's my pleasure to help you finding happiness, Adrien." -Kagami said, this time with a smile on her face.
Shortly after, the manager returned, caring a case, which he quickly placed on top of the desk. Opening it, Adrien and Kagami saw some of the most beautiful earrings they had ever seen in their young lives. Just like Adrien had asked, none of them had any precious or semi-precious stones. They were all shapes and sizes. From simple hoops to studs, as well as dangles and clip-ons, there were earrings inside that case for every occasion and personal taste.
"As you can see, we have an incredible selection of earrings." -Renée said, as he pointed to some of the earrings. –"Now, it will all depend on your taste, as well as the young lady's taste in earrings."
Upon hearing Renée saying that, Adrien immediately realized that earrings were not an option for Marinette, given that she had her ears pierced, but she was always wearing her Ladybug earrings and could not remove them. Thinking about it, Adrien assumed that she could pierce her ears once more, so she could wear another set of earrings; but at the same time, he did not feel comfortable forcing Marinette into doing that, just because he offered her some earrings. He would just have to choose something else.
"They are pretty, there's no doubt about it." -Adrien said. –"But now that I think about it, I don't think that earrings will be the thing I want to give to Marinette. She's quite picky when it comes to her earrings." -he lied about the last bit. Marinette was many things, but she was not picky about most things.
"Oh, I see. Then, perhaps, a brooch or necklace would be more to her liking?" -Renée asked him, as he closed the case.
"Definitely." -Adrien answered him. A brooch or a necklace were things that Marinette would be able to use, without having to relinquish her miraculous.
"Very well, I'll be back with some of our finest brooches, along with some necklaces." -Renée declared, as he got up and grabbed the case. –"And if you don't see anything that you feel is perfect, I will be happy to show you some bracelets and pendants, that we received early this week." -he said.
Time went by, and Marinette wondered what Adrien and the girl he had entered with in the jewellery shop were doing. Seconds turned to minutes, and the more she waited for the two of them to exit, the harder it was for her to just stay there and wait for them to get out. She needed to enter that jewellery store and see what they were up to. But she knew that unless she was someone incredibly important, or had booked an appointment, she would not even be able to get close to the store's entrance. Desperate, Marinette decided to use a tactic to know what was going on inside the store. In fact, she was wondering why she did not think about it before.
"Tikki, go and find them." -Marinette asked her kwami. –"Go inside the jewellery store and find out what's going on between them." -she begged her.
"Marinette… don't take this the wrong way, but aren't you being a little paranoid about this?" -Tikki asked her with a soft voice. She did not want to insult Marinette or her feelings, because from the way she was looking at her, Tikki knew that she was really thinking about the worst possible scenario.
"Paranoid, me?!" -Marinette exclaimed, surprised by what she was hearing Tikki saying to her. –"I'm not being paranoid. I just want to know why Adrien entered in one of the most expensive jewellery stores in Paris with a girl that I've never seen before in my life, instead of supposedly being in a photoshoot where he said he would be this afternoon. I mean, it's not too much to ask… my precious Adrien, with a girl that I know nothing about. For all I know he could be buying her an expensive gift that says "I love you", and instead of dating me, he'll end up dating with her, and he and I will never be happily ever after with three kids and a hamster!" -she practically yelled, trying not to sound like she was about to go insane, but failing. –"Okay, that sounded a lot less creepy in my head…"
"I call that paranoia. And what's with the whole having a hamster idea?" -Tikki asked her in a sarcastic tone, while raising an eyebrow at Marinette. –"You know what? Never mind that last comment. You don't have any reasons to be worried, Marinette. For all we know, she might be a friend of Adrien, that he has never talked about. You must also have friends, which you never mentioned to your other friends, right?" -she told her.
Marinette knew she was being paranoid about all of that, and that Tikki was right. She was letting her imagination and her fear cloud her judgement. But right then, her brain and her heart were not going hand in hand, and she knew it.
"You're right… still, please, Tikki, go inside and see what's really going on. My heart can't take much more of this…" -Marinette said with a slightly over-dramatic voice. If she could hear herself talking, she would say that she sounded the way Chloe did, when her dad did not agree to do something, she had asked him to do.
"You're being incredibly paranoid about all of this… but I'll do it." -Tikki sighed, as she got out of Marinette's backpack. –"Stay here and don't do anything stupid, okay?" -she asked her.
After deciding that he was not going to offer Marinette earrings or bracelets, Adrien decided that the best idea was to offer her a necklace or a pendant. Still, there were a lot of options and Kagami herself was not helping very much. She would only say if she liked it or not, if Adrien asked her about it. Still, he could not say he was not learning a couple of things that afternoon, while shopping for Marinette. Renée was kind enough to explain to him the difference between the various types of necklaces and the name they all had. All the while, Plagg, who was inside of one of Adrien's jacket pockets, was becoming increasingly bored with all of that. In that short time, he had already heard more about jewellery than he needed to.
"Come on, Adrien, just pick one… I'm getting tired of just hearing that guy talk! It's like he's a broken record, who only says the same thing after you ask him to show you a different jewel piece!" -Plagg thought to himself. –"If you're already taking this long to choose a gift to give her, when telling her about your feelings for her, then I don't even want to think how long it will take you to choose an engagement ring, or the wedding rings, when you two decide to get married!" -he mused to himself. Right then, he just wanted to be home, savouring a delicious piece of Camembert cheese, while watching something on the television. –"Hey, wait a moment! I'm not the only kwami around here…"
Plagg had sensed that one of his fellow kwamis was near. He did not know which one, but he knew that whichever it was, it was near. Determined to see which of the other kwamis was around there, the black cat kwami placed his head out of the pocket and waited for the right moment to slide down Adrien's jacket, without anyone noticing him. While waiting, he felt that the other kwami was getting closer and closer to where he was. Finally, the right moment came and he slid down the jacket, quickly hiding beneath the desk. Having made up his mind to find out which other kwami was roaming around there, he made his way out of that room, always being careful to not be spotted.
Already outside the private room, Plagg noticed all the cameras that were on the walls, but he was not worried about them, because kwamis could not be spotted on video. He was only worried about someone seeing him. That store was one place where he could not just pretend, he was a harmless little trinket or a kid's toy, because it would raise suspicions. Hiding beneath the store's showcases, he kept looking for the mysterious kwami. But the only thing he was seeing was that no matter how clean that place was, people had forgot to vacuum beneath the showcases, forcing him to hold his breath, so as to not start to sneeze like crazy.
"What's with dust that likes to get into these kinds of places?" -Plagg thought to himself, as he stopped, to feel where the other kwami's energy was coming from. –"Whoever you are, you're really close." -he told himself.
A couple of seconds later, he spotted under one of the showcases that was opposite of the one he was hiding under, a small scarlet creature floating a couple of millimetres from the floor, who was seemingly trying not to get spotted. He instantly recognized her as Tikki, and wondered what she was doing there. Waiting for the right opportunity, he zoomed the distance between the two showcases, and approached her.
"Tikki?" -Plagg called her.
"Plagg!" -Tikki exclaimed. –"Don't sneak up on me like that! You scared me." -she told him. She had sensed his energy, but was too focused on not getting caught
"What are you doing here?" -Plagg asked Tikki.
"I… well, what are you doing here?" -Tikki asked him, trying to avoid answering him what she was doing there. The scarlet kwami would not know how to answer it, without making Marinette sound like someone who had lost her mind, no matter how she put it.
"Adrien came here to buy a gift for Marinette for Valentine's Day…" -Plagg told Tikki, before realizing that he should have not told her that. –"… crud, I shouldn't have told you that.
But it was a good thing he told her. Upon hearing the reason why Adrien had come to that place, Tikki felt like they had removed a weight from her chest. Deep down, she knew that Adrien had a good reason to visit a jewellery store, and that reason had something to do with Marinette.
"Don't worry, I won't tell Marinette a thing." -Tikki smiled at Plagg. –"We both knew that this would end up happening, sooner or later." -she said.
"And about time, if you ask me." -Plagg said. –"It's clear to everyone, including us kwamis that those two are made for one another. They seem to be the only ones who haven't figured that they are both mad in love with one another and that they belong together." -he smirked.
"Still, who's the girl that's with Adrien? Marinette's a little afraid that she might be a competitor for Adrien's heart." -Tikki asked him, omitting the part that Marinette was going bonkers, from just thinking about it.
"The girl? Don't worry, there's no chance those two will ever become a thing. Kagami only sees Adrien as a friend, and vice-versa. There's not even a spark of romance between the two of them, believe me." -Plagg declared. –"Adrien asked her to come with him, to help him choose the gift he's going to give Marinette for Valentine's, because she volunteered to help him out, and because he needed a feminine word on the matter." -he said.
"He could have asked Alya for help." -Tikki told him, knowing that if there was someone who knew Marinette better than anyone else, it was Alya.
"Yes, he could have, but he's afraid that she would spill the beans and tell Marinette everything. He truly believes that Marinette might not like him, the way he likes her." -Plagg said. –"If only he knew the truth…" -he chuckled.
"Indeed. The same thing's happening with Marinette. She doesn't know just how mad in love Adrien truly is with her." -Tikki said.
"Well, she will know in just two days." -Plagg declared. –"Providing you don't tell her what I just told you." -he said.
"I won't tell her, if you don't tell Adrien that she's mad in love with him either." -Tikki said. –"I hate to do this to Marinette, but she only has to endure this little pain for another two days, and then, Adrien will tell her that he loves her, and she'll tell him that she loves him, and everything will be alright… that is, if I can make her calm down and not freak out about the possibility of Adrien falling over another girl." -she thought to herself.
While the two kwamis swapped words, Adrien believed that he had found the perfect gift for Marinette. Renée had showed him a beautiful white gold ladybug pendant with a matching chain, which he instantly felt in love with. It was both simple and beautiful, and Marinette could wear it with pretty much anything, that she would look good on it. Of course, there was a moment of hesitation, before saying out loud that he thought it was perfect for her. He wondered if she would like it, because she had told them once or twice that she viewed herself and Ladybug as two separate persons; and he feared that by giving her that pendant, she would think that he loves her for being Ladybug, and not herself.
"This one's beautiful…."
"But?" -Kagami said, noticing the hesitation in Adrien's voice.
"I… I don't know. Ladybug's are her favourite animal, but I don't want her to think that I chose this for her, just because I know she likes ladybugs." -Adrien said, lying about ladybugs being Marinette's favourite animals. He remembered her telling him once that her favourite animal is the dolphin, because of a dolphin plushie her dad had given her when she was younger.
"You want my honest opinion?" -Kagami asked Adrien, who nodded at her. –"In my country, when someone offers a present to someone they care about, they usually offer them a present that that reflects one of their interests, not because they think they only know them because of that distinct interest, but because it shows that they know them and they wish to know them better." -she declared in her usual formal tone. –"So, I don't see why you shouldn't give her that necklace. It's a nice necklace and I'm sure that she will like it."
With Kagami there were no fancy words or pretty metaphors in her speech. She was always straight to the point, which could be perceived as either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on who was listening to her. Adrien himself saw that as a good thing.
"When you say it that way, it does sound like a good thing." -Adrien admitted, as he stared at the pendant, admiring it once more, and imagining how it would look around Marinette's neck. –"Alright, I'll take it." -he told Renée, believing that he had chosen well.
"Excellent choice, if I do say so myself. Just like your father, you have splendid taste in jewellery." -Renée told Adrien, congratulating him on his taste.
"Thank you. Oh, just one more thing, if possible. Could we just keep this between us? I don't want my father to know about this." -Adrien asked Renée. Though he did not believe Gabriel would forbid him from dating Marinette, especially because from the times the two had met, she had made a good impression on him, deep down, Adrien believed that it was better to play his cards wisely and not have him know about it. At least, not until he had told Marinette who he felt about her. Once that was out of the way, and if his father opposed to them dating, Adrien would find a way to make Gabriel see he was wrong about it. Of course, that would only happen, if Marinette agreed to date him.
"But, of course. If that is your wish, I'll be as quiet as a mouse regarding this matter. Discretion above all." -Renée said, as he closed the case where the pendant was, leaving it outside of it. –"Will you be paying in cash, check or credit card?" -he asked Adrien.
"Huh… cash." -Adrien said, when it occurred to him that he had not even asked Renée the price of the pendant. He hoped that he had brought enough money with him.
"I see. Well, then, that will be 279 Euros." -Renée said. –"If you follow me, we can take of the payment, while I place this little guy in a proper box." -he said.
As he and Kagami followed Renée, Adrien thought to himself that the necklace turned out to be a little less expensive than he thought it would be. To pay for it, he decided to sell a few videogames he had just lying around in his bedroom. They were some he would not be missing, and that his father would not notice either, given the amount of presents he had bought for him, or had asked Nathalie to buy on his behalf, over the years. While he was choosing the videogames, he was going to sell, he could not help but to realize that though he was rich, he was not able to spend a single dime without his father's approval. Gabriel would assign him an allowance every month to cover some of his expenses, but Adrien could never go on a shopping spree, like Chloe loved to do, because his father controlled every single of his bank accounts, stating that he would get access to them when he was older, and that until then, if he needed money for something, he would have to ask him for it. And for that reason, he decided to sell some of his stuff, so he could buy Marinette that present for her, without his father knowing about it.
"Good thing I managed to sell some of those videogames online. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to buy this without dad knowing." -Adrien thought to himself, as he and Kagami continued to follow Renée. –"I really hope Marinette likes it." -he thought.
While she waited for Tikki to come back with news, Marinette's obsession with finding out what Adrien was doing at Cartier's, led her to get closer to the limousine, where Gorilla was waiting for Adrien to return. She did not want to be spotted by him, or anyone else, so she did her best to keep herself out of sight. Still, she was keeping her eyes peeled for Tikki, who was taking her time coming back.
"Where's Tikki?! What's taking her so long?" -Marinette thought to herself. She knew the store was big, but not big enough for one to get lost inside.
Minutes went by, and there was no sign of either Tikki or Adrien with the unknown girl he was with. Little did Marinette know that Tikki had found Plagg and stroke a conversation with him. Talking to him, Tikki found out who the unknown girl was and what she and Adrien had come there to do. She found out everything that Marinette had asked her to find out, and yet, she could not tell her a word about it. Not only because she promised Plagg, but also because if she told Marinette, she would ruin the surprise Adrien had planned for her. When she finally exited the store, passing through the building's wall, Marinette, who was waiting for her to show up, quickly waved at her from where she was hiding, so the little kwami would know where she was.
"What happened?! You took so long, Tikki?" -Marinette asked her, a little anxious, hoping that she had managed to find out anything, as Tikki stopped in front of her.
"I'm sorry, Marinette. But I couldn't find them." -Tikki lied to her. She hated lying to her, but she did not have any other alternative. She could not tell her what Plagg had told her.
"You couldn't?!" -Marinette exclaimed, as she felt her heart being consumed by fear and insecurity.
"Yes, I'm sorry, Marinette. I did try and find them, but the store was just so big and I did not see either Adrien nor the girl she's with." -Tikki said, once again lying to Marinette. Every word that came out of her mouth felt like a nail was being stabbed into her tiny little heart. –"I'm sorry, Marinette, but I can't tell you the truth." -she thought to herself.
If Marinette was already feeling absolutely paranoid with what was going on, then when she saw Adrien and Kagami coming out of the jewellery store, a few seconds later, her heart almost stopped. Adrien had just managed to make Kagami smile, once more, and this time, not only he made her smile, but he also managed to make her giggle. The whole scene looked like something out of one of those teenager comedies, where the boy takes a girl out on a date and manages to make her smile or giggle, after telling her really lame joke.
Seeing that, Marinette felt her heart break into a tiny million pieces. After seeing what she did see, the sadness, mixed with doubt and rage that was making her way into both her mind and soul, was making her feel like just show up and confront both Adrien and Kagami and demand a few answers out of them. But instead of doing that, Marinette did the exact opposite; she fled. Gritting her teeth, she ran out of there, as fast as her feet allowed her, while trying not to start crying.
Sorry if this one took longer than expected, but you know how things are... the holidays are always the worst time of the year for us writers, because we don't have the time to write. Still, I did manage to keep the promise I did to myself, which was finish this chapter before New Year's Eve. And before I talk about this chapter, let me just tell you that this year of 2019 has been one of the best years for me, when it comes to writing. I did manage to finish three fics and start a fourth one. It wasn't an easy year, but a couple of good things did happen to me, and I hope that 2020 brings me good things not only to me, but to everyone else (we do need more good things in our lives, and less problems). So, let me just wish you all a Happy New Year. Hope you all start 2020 with a bang. :)
And now, regarding this particular chapter... the scene between Tikki and Plagg wasn't planned, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt that our kwamis needed to know what was going and then keep it to themselves, so they don't spoil the surprises that both Marinette and Adrien have in store for one another. I also enjoyed creating Renée's character, and I might use him on a sequel, who knows?
On an unrelated note, I went to the cinema to watch Cats, and I do have to say, as a fan of the musical, I was a little sad that they did not manage to adapt the musical the way it should have been adapted into the silver screen. Still, there were things about it that I actually enjoyed like the songs and even some of the scenes (it's just a shame that the CGI doesn't live up to the name of the musical. If they had kept the characters design a little closer to the way they look on the live musical, perhaps the critics would have been kinder with the reviews). I just wanted to share this here with you guys, because I already had a couple of people asking me if I was going to come up with a few Cats jokes for Chat Noir... and the answer to it, is no. I don't intend to make jokes regarding that matter, although I might have Plagg criticizing the movie in one of the sequels, xD
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic or its following sequels. With nothing else to say, I wish you a Happy New year 2020, and hope to see you all around here for more adventures of our Miraculous Heroes. :)