Chapter 13: Doubts from the Heart
If there was one thing in the world Nino loved about dating Alya, it was the fact of her mother, Marlena, being one of the best chefs of Paris, not to mention of France. He knew that whenever he was invited to have dinner with Alya's family, that he would leave with his stomach full, and that night was not going to be any different. It was not the first time Nino was invited to one of the Cesaires dinners, and as things were going, it would not be the last time either. On that night, Alya had invited him over, because she felt like having dinner with him, along with her family. She liked to do that, because it would mean she would get to spend a little more time with her boyfriend, while also enjoying dinner with him and her family. If one would ask Alya if she was the sentimental type kind of girl, she would say that she was not. But the truth, was that she was incredibly sentimental and she liked to have those she cared the most around her, especially around a table, so they could enjoy a meal together.
On that night, Marlena had prepared some of Alya's favourite dishes, which were also her sisters' favourites as well. On the table there were Boudin Créole and Poulet boucané, among other delicious goodies, which were then perfuming the Cesaires' dining room. Marlena could just cook up anything, but her true specialty was French cuisine and Creole cuisine. And you could see that was a fact, from the delicious aroma that came from the plates she had prepared that evening. The aroma was so good that even Ella and Etta, Alya's younger twin sisters, had not said a single word, since they had sat at the table. The other one who had not said a single word either was Nino.
"You're talking very little today, Nino. Is there something wrong?" -Marlena asked Nino.
"N-No, no, on the contrary." -Nino said, as he took another bite from his Poulet boucané. –"It's just that, the food is so good, that a person even forgets to talk." -he said.
"I have to agree on that one with the boy, Marlena. Once again, you have outdone yourself." -Otis told his wife, who smiled back at him. –"And from the look on everyone's faces, I'd say, me and Nino aren't the only ones to think that. You know when no one says a word at the table is because our forks and knives do the talk for us, thanks to your cooking."
"Oh, come on, you're always saying that." -Marlena said.
"But it's true, mom. Your food's the best." -Alya declared. –"And the best part is that we don't have to feel jealous of the hotel guests at the Le Grand Paris. It's them who have to feel jealous of us, because we get to eat your food almost every day, while they don't." -she joked.
"Oh, stop it, you're going to make me blush." -Marlena said.
One thing was certain at the Cesaires house. There was never a shortage of praising between them.
"Alright, alright, I think we can stop with all the praising." –Marlena said. –"Changing the subject, it's nice to have you coming around for dinner, Nino."
"Indeed, it's nice to have you over for dinner, kid." -Otis told him.
"It's always a pleasure to accept an invitation to have dinner at your place, Mr. Cesaire." –Nino answered Otis.
"Nino, I told you already, that Mr. Cesaire is Alya's grandfather. You can just call me Otis." -Otis told Nino, always smiling at him. From all the boys Alya could have picked to have as a boyfriend, to Otis, Nino had been the best one ever, and he was happy she picked him.
"I appreciate the offer, but my parents have raised me to never address older people by their first name." -Nino smiled. Maybe in a couple of years, when he was older, he would begin to treat Alya's dad by his first name, but not right then.
"And they did a very good job raising you." -Marlena told Nino, also with a smile on her face. –"They must be very proud of you." -she declared. –"I know I said this once, but I'll say it again. You really picked the nicest boy in Paris for a boyfriend, Alya. Not only is he a nice, he's also quite handsome."
"Mom! Don't say those things! You're embarrassing me in front of Nino!" -Alya told Marlena, in a playful tone, which earned a couple of giggles from Ella and Etta. –"What are you little Sappotis giggling about, huh?" -she asked the twins, in the same playful tone, and calling them by the nickname she had given them.
"N-Nothing!" -Ella and Etta laughed in chorus.
As everyone was laughing, they failed to realize that Nino was blushing a little from all those praises.
"Well, I still think he's too skinny." -Nora declared.
"You say that about every boy out there, Nora." -Alya told her older sister. –"Sometimes I wonder if you would want me to date a bodybuilder. I mean, you would, if you found one that was strong enough to take you down in the ring." -she told her, with a voice filled with sarcasm.
"At least he would have a bit more muscle to protect you, if you were attacked by either a robber, or one of those nasty Akumas that that Hawk Moth freak is always throwing at the city!" -Nora said.
"Nino doesn't need muscles to protect me. He may be skinny, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the strength to protect me from anything or anyone who might threaten me." -Alya told Nora, while winking an eye at Nino, who returned it. If Nora knew just how Nino, as Carapace, had saved Alya's life more time than she could count, she would not talk that way about him. –"Besides, I can take care of myself." -she shot at her. Just because Nora was her older sister, she believed that Alya could not take care of herself.
"Now, now, girls, what have we talked about this? No fighting at the table." -Otis told his daughters, ending that discussion. –"Why don't we change the subject again, so Nino here doesn't think that you two spend your time?"
"Oh, he knows that we spend our time fighting, dad." -Alya joked, which earned her a smirk from Nino, and the stink eye from Nora, having decided to ignore the last one. –"But since you insist, why don't you choose the subject?" -she asked
"Oh, alright. I actually have something to tell you all. Today, at the zoo, we received a new animal, and guess who's going to be in charge of its well-being for the next couple of weeks?" -Otis asked them
"You, daddy?" -Ella asked him.
"That's right, Ella. I am." -Otis smiled.
"And what animal is?" -Marlena asked him. –"Hope it's not a very dangerous one." -she said, a bit worried. She knew her husband was used to handling wild animals, but she still worried about his safety.
"I bet it's an elephant!" -Etta said, as she imagined Otis next to an elephant, as the elephant petted him with his trunk.
"No, sweetie, it's not an elephant." -Otis said. Being as young as she was, Etta, as well as Ella did not understand that their father was a specialist in felines, both large and small, and because of that, whatever animal he was going to be responsible for, it could never be an elephant. –"It's a panther, a black panther." -he said.
"A panther?" -Marlene said.
"Really? Is this one, another animal that has been rescued from poachers?" -Nino asked him. Alya had once told him that the zoo where her father worked, sometimes received animals that had been captured by poachers and other illegal hunters, to be sold on the to the highest bidder in black market. –"Just like that lion, last year?"
"No, not this one. This one came from Berlin's zoo. We traded a gorilla for this panther." –Otis declared.
The way Otis was talking about it, it almost sounded like he viewed the animals as trading cards. But his family, along with Nino knew that that was not the case. If anything, he was happy and thrilled that the trade happened without a hitch, because when these trades or loans happened between zoos, it was for a good cause like getting a mate for an animal, or providing better accommodations to a particular specimen, because the original zoo did not have the proper installations to care for it. And this panther was an animal that he had been trying to get to the zoo, under one of the many wild life exchanging accords the zoo had signed between countless other zoos in the world, over the last decade.
"Then, you're going to have another panther to keep company to the one the zoo got a couple of months ago." -Alya said.
"Indeed. This one's a male panther, and we're hoping that he becomes the mate of the female panther we already have. Providing they like each other, of course." -Otis declared. –"Hopefully, they will be on good terms with one another, when it's time to show them at the exhibit." -he said
"An exhibit? What exhibit?" -Nora asked her father.
"Oh, I forgot to mention that. On Valentine's Day, there will be an exotic animal exhibit at the Champ de Mars, and the two panthers will be taking part in it." -Otis said.
They all had seen the ads and the posters for that exhibit over the last two weeks, and they were a little surprised, when Otis told them about the panthers. In them there was no mention to the fact that there would be two panthers in the exhibit.
"I know I'm not an animal expert like you, Mr. Cesaire, but isn't it a little too dangerous to have two wild animals in an exotic
"Well, they won't be the only wild animals at the exhibit, Nino. There will also be snakes, bearded dragons, geckos, spiders, frogs, fennec foxes, marsupials, hedgehogs, and even some monkeys." -Otis told him. –"I admit that the panthers were not among the animals that are going to be in it, but the zoo has decided to loan them to exhibit, as part of a marketing campaign, to get more people to visit it." -he said.
"And is it safe to do that?" -Alya asked him. Just thinking about the possibility of two man-eating panthers escape their cages, was something that no sane person would want to happen. The whole thing was just as bad as having one of Hawk Moth's Akumas on the loose.
"I admit that it's a bit dangerous to take two wild animals that still haven't had the chance to get accustomed to one another's presence, to an event with so many people in it. But we'll be taking precautions to avoid any incident, like having the two panthers in separate cages. Plus, I will be there, along with other zookeepers, and we'll be carrying tranquilizer darts, just in case." -Otis told Alya, assuring her that there was no reason to expect the worst would come to pass.
After dinner, Alya and Nino went to her bedroom, where they could get some privacy. Most parents would not let their daughter alone in her bedroom with her boyfriend, without at least leaving the room's door 10 centimetres open, so they could see what was going on. But knowing Nino, and knowing their daughter the way they did, both Otis and Marlena felt there was no need for such a thing. They had once been young, and knew just what young people in love did, when alone. But they trusted their daughter to do the right thing, and as such, allowed her to be alone in her bedroom with Nino.
"Your family sure is something." -Nino joked, as he lied in bed next to Alya, and placed his left arm around her.
"Yours isn't so bad either. Your parents are also cool. And your little brother, is only half the devil my little sisters can be." -Alya chuckled, being honest, as she cuddled to him. –"I'm glad you had fun." -she told him.
"Are you kidding? Your parents make me feel like I'm their son." -Nino said, as he allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder.
"Well, don't tell anyone I told you this, but my dad thinks of you as the son he never had." -Alya whispered at him. Otis had been blessed with four beautiful daughters, but he had always dreamed about having a son. And in Nino, he saw that son he never had.
"I won't. And it's nice to hear your dad thinks of me that way." -Nino said.
"You know, what my mom said about you was true, as well. I could have not picked a better boyfriend than you." -Alya told him.
"You're not do bad yourself, you know?" -Nino told her, making her giggle. –"You know, I consider myself lucky, because I've got the best girlfriend in the world, whose family also loves me… well, except for Nora. Your older sister really doesn't like me."
"Well, every family has a black sheep, so they say." -Alya commented. She did not like to admit it, but Nora managed to behave in a way that was not the way her girl her age should behave. -"Sorry about what she said, again… sometimes I think that she loves to mock you and to tell you that you're not good enough for me, just because she believes she's a lot stronger than you are." -she sighed, knowing that if Nino ever used his real strength against Nora, he would knock her out with either a punch or a well-placed kick. –"Sometimes, I really wished you would challenge her to an arm wrestling competition and beat the snot out of her…"
"So did I. But if I did that, she would wonder where I got all that strength, and she could find out about my secret and yours as well. But hey, when we get married, she'll be part of my family as well." -Nino told her, as he kissed her on the cheek, making her giggle. –"Maybe then Nora will think that I'm man enough for you. I always thought that if I had problems with anyone accepting me as your boyfriend, it would be your dad." -he joked.
"You know what? Forget what Nora is always saying. If she knew just what you've done to protect me, as well as this city, she would never, ever attempt to badmouth you again, thinking that you're not good enough for me." -Alya declared. –"I love her with all my heart, but sometimes she behaves like…"
"Like a little kid?" -Nino chuckled, finishing her sentence.
"No, a kid would be a little less idiot than she is." -Alya laughed.
One of the things they both loved was to talk to one another for hours. And the best part was that they never ran out of subjects to talk about. They could talk about what had happened in school, or about what had happened during one of their missions, or even about something they had seen on the street. But what they liked to do, more than anything else, when they talked, was to point out the things they loved about each other.
"You know what I like the most about you, my sneaky fox?" -Nino asked Alya, as he caressed her hair.
"My heart-shaped lips?" -Alya giggled.
"I'll admit, I like those too, but no. What I like the most about you, it's that fiery and incredible personality you have. The things and the people you love, you will do anything to protect them with everything you got. While the things that you hate and the people you despise, you will make sure that none of them will ever harm the ones you love." -Nino told her. –"In sum, I fell in love with someone I know will do anything in her power to make things right when they're not. You may have been granted the fox miraculous, but you've got the heart and the soul of a lioness, girl." -he said, as he caressed her
"I didn't know you were such a poet and a philosopher, turtle boy." -Alya smiled at him.
"Well, when you are into music like I am, you pick up a few tricks." -Nino smiled back at her.
They continued to talk to one another, while their kwamis finished the dinner they had brought to them. Having sneaked a couple of goodies from the kitchen, when Alya's mom was not watching, Alya and Nino made sure that neither Trixx, nor Wayzz would go hungry. Like always, they had picked one of the empty spots in one of Alya's bookshelves, to have dinner, giving the two lovebirds a little privacy. And as they listened to the two teenagers, the more they felt that the two were made for one another. It was not the first time that the holders of Trixx and Wayzz's miraculouses fell in love with one another, but Alya and Nino's relationship had something to it, that made it different from others. Different and special.
"I think they have even forgot that we're here with them." -Trixx giggled, as she ate a piece of Poulet boucané Alya had brought her.
"Let them be. Young love is such a beautiful thing to see. Besides, as Confucius once said "Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue", and what is more sincere and true than young love, Trixx?" -Wayzz asked her, as he nibbled a baby carrot. –"I'll tell you what, nothing. Absolutely nothing." -he declared.
"I'll take your word for it." -Trixx she told him.
After a while, Nino and Alya began to talk about a particular subject they both needed to talk, Valentine's Day. This was one subject they could have talked at school, or even on their way home. But people like combine business with pleasure, and Alya was no exception to the rule. Though she admitted her plan was not that one, by inviting him over for dinner, she managed to get Nino to have dinner with her and her family, and spend a little more time with her; and thus, giving them the chance of talking about what they were going to do that day. They were already going exchange chocolates, but that was happening in school, and they both wanted to celebrate Valentines the way it should be celebrated, once school was over.
"So, what do you want to do for Valentines? Go to the movies? Romantic dinner? Or, who knows, go out on patrol?" -Nino asked her.
"Mmm… well, it would be fun to go to the movies, but I bet everyone will have that idea, especially since the newest Deadpool movie is going to premiere on Valentines, and you remember what happened with the previous one? It became everyone's favourite Valentine's Day movie that year, and I just bet the same thing is going to happen again, and that means, major confusion and very little romance." -Alya told him, preferring to wait for another time to go to the movies with Nino. –"Besides, we got school the next day. As for going on patrol, tempting, but no. The nights have been really chilly, lately. Plus, we can do that whenever we want." -Alya told him. –"But a romantic dinner sounds like the perfect idea. My place, or yours? I can try and get my parents and the rest of my family out."
"No need for that. My parents are going out on that day, so we have the whole house to ourselves. And before you ask, I can ask my neighbour to babysit Chris. I'll be happy to cook a delicious dinner for my lady." -Nino declared in a chivalrous voice.
"Since when do you know how to cook?" -Alya asked him, laughing. –"The last time you tried to make food, we ended up having to order pizza." -she said.
"I've been taking a couple of lessons." -Nino said. –"I asked my mom to help cook something that wasn't macaroni and cheese, without burning it." -he admitted. After that mishap, Nino decided that he needed to learn to do something more than just toast and macaroni and cheese, so he asked his mother to teach him. –"I can cook up for us a delicious Beef stroganoff with white rice, or maybe some spaghetti Bolognese with meatballs, if you like?"
"Well, well, my boyfriend, the cook. This I've got to see." -Alya chuckled, as she kissed him.
"Stop joking!" -Nino grabbed one of the pillows that was to his left and playfully hit Alya with it. –"I may not be Gordon Ramsey, but I'm not a hopeless case in the kitchen." -he chuckled, as Alya grabbed the other pillow and playfully hit him with it.
"Okay, I'll stop." -Alya said, as she hit Nino with the pillow once again, before dropping it on the floor. –"A dinner sounds lovely. I mean, whatever we do together will be lovely, as long as we're together." -she sighed. –"And I know that you wanted to go the movies… don't deny it, I know you too well. When you ask me, what is it that you want us to do, the first thing you suggest, is always the one thing you really want to do. But don't worry, we can go to the movies some other time."
"Yeah… maybe the next time we go to the movies, we can ask Adrien and Marinette if they want to come with us. You know, a double-date?" -Nino asked her.
"That would be so good. It would be great if the two of them finally told one another what they really feel… tomorrow I'll have to talk to Marinette and see if she needs help with something regarding her plan." -Alya said. –"I don't know why, but I've failed to talk to her about it these past few days. Don't know where my head's been." -she admitted.
"Don't beat yourself over it. You're only human. Besides, Marinette knows that she can count on you, no matter what happens. You are her best friend." -Nino told her, reassuring her that everything was alright. –"And, since we're talking about it, any chances of you telling me what she's got planned for my bro Adrien?" -he asked her, as a smirk showed up on his face.
"Sorry, but my lips are sealed. I can't reveal it to you, even if I wanted to." -Alya said. She had made a promise to Marinette, and she was going to keep it.
"You promised her, you wouldn't tell me anything, didn't you?" -Nino asked her.
"Guilty as charged." -Alya admitted. –"And let me guess, Adrien made you swear that you wouldn't tell me anything of what he's up to, am I right?" -she chuckled.
"Actually, he hasn't told me what he's got planned, but I know he's got something up his sleeve." -Nino told Alya.
The conversation between Nino and Alya, regarding Valentine's Day went on. But they were not the only ones talking about that. Ivan and Mylene were also trying to decide on what they were going to do, while on the phone.
"If you want to, we could go to the theatre. You've been talking about that new play you wanted to see." -Ivan told her. –"I can get us
"It would be fun, but we got school in the morning. I already checked and the play will only end close to midnight. I don't think my parents will allow me to go to the theatre because of that." -Mylene declared. –"I know! Why don't we go to the movies? I know you're a big fan of Deadpool. My dad has a friend who can get us tickets for the afternoon session on the cinema he works at." -she said. –"We could go after school. It would be our date." -she said.
"I know I am a big fan of him, but you're not, and I don't want to go to the movies to watch a movie that you don't like." -Ivan told her, as he remembered the time, he took her to see the character's first movie. –"I had a great time, but you not so much. I want us to have fun together." -he said.
Ivan was being sincere. He wanted Mylene to have a good time, just as much as he wanted. In his mind, that was the job of a boyfriend, and now that they were officially a couple, Ivan wanted to make sure Mylene was the happiest girl not in Paris, but also in the world.
"I know you say that, but I stand by what I said before. I want you to also have fun. We'll find something where we can both have fun." -Ivan told her.
"Take her to the carnival!" -Muria suggested him. The bear kwami had been listening to the whole conversation, like he always did, when Ivan was on the phone with someone.
"No, not the carnival, Muria. I keep taking her there all the time." -Ivan told his kwami. –"It's Valentine's Day. I want to take Mylene to a nice place." -he said.
"I think the carnival is a good idea." -Mylene told Ivan, having heard him talk to the kwami. –"I know you are always taking me there, but it's a place that I like to go with you. We should have thought of it before." -she said.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to another place?" -Ivan asked her, insisting on the matter. He wanted her to have the best date ever. –"Because we can keep looking for alternatives." -he said.
"I'm sure. I want you to take me to the carnival, so we can both ride the merry-go-round, the Ferris wheel, and you can win me a plushie from one of the carny games. Oh, and I also want us to go to one of those photobooths and get a special photo of our first date as an official couple." -Mylene giggled. –"It may not be the most romantic place in the world, but that doesn't matter. All it matters us being together. And I want to do all those things I said, with the boy I love, which is you." -she said.
And with those words, she convinced Ivan. No one would ever think that Mylene was such a sweet talker, due to her incredible shyness, and yet she was. But she was only like this with either her parents and Ivan, who she felt at ease to do that. As for Ivan, in his mind, if that was really what Mylene wanted to do on Valentine's Day, then he was happy to make it happen. He also enjoyed going to the carnival with her.
"It's settled then. I'll pick you up after school, and we'll spend the rest of the day there. Just the two of us." -Ivan told her.
"Just the two of you?! And what about us? Are you two going to ditch us?" -Pin asked. Like Muria, she too had been listening to the whole conversation. –"You two know you can't leave us at home, in case of an emergency." -she pointed out.
"Pin! That's no way to talk to Ivan!" -Mylene reprimanded her, before continuing the conversation with Ivan. –"But she's right. We can't leave her or Muria behind. They'll just have to come with us."
"I don't see any problem with that." -Ivan told her.
"Good, because that way you can buy me something sweet to eat, big guy" -Muria told him.
"Do you ever think of anything else other than your stomach?" -Ivan asked him.
"I do, but in order to think, I need to have my stomach full." -Muria said, which made Ivan chuckle.
But while Alya and Nino, as well as Ivan and Mylene, came up with plans for Valentine's Day, Marinette was in her bedroom, trying not to relive what she saw that afternoon. And what she saw was Adrien shopping at Cartier's, accompanied by a girl she had never seen before. When she saw them coming out of the jewellery, the two of them laughing and giggling, Marinette just felt like revealing herself, so she could berate at Adrien, and demand him to tell her why he had lied to Nino about where he was going that afternoon, while also asking him who the girl was. But instead of doing just that, she ran. She ran as fast as her feet allowed her, while trying not cry her eyes out. Of course, deep down, she knew that no matter how sad or heart-broken, she would have never done such a thing. She knew her heart would never allow her to hurt someone, even if that person did deserve it. She was not a vengeful person; but right then, she wished she was.
Upon arriving at the bakery, she used the backdoor, so her parents did not see what an emotional mess she was. She did not want them to worry about her. Right then, she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts, no matter how bad they were. She was incredibly upset, and the first thing she did once she reached her bedroom was drop her backpack and throw herself into bed and began to cry. It did not take long for her to lose any sight of time, as the tears rolled down her face.
Usually, Tom and Sabine would have found out about what had happened to their daughter at dinner, when they called her down. But that would not happen on that day. Because of an unexpected order that was made, an hour before the bakery closed, Marinette's parents were forced to stay down at the bakery to get started on it. Sabine still had the idea of calling Marinette to come and help them. She knew Marinette had arrived, because she heard the backdoor closing. But Tom convinced her that the two of them would be able to handle the order by themselves. So, instead of asking her to come down to the bakery, she sent her a text, telling her to not wait for them and that if she was hungry, to dine without them. She got it, but she did not even read it. The only thing that Marinette did was cry her eyes out, while trying not to think about what she saw, and the more she tried not think about it, the more she thought about it.
"A-Adrien… I lost you… I lost you, because I was scared to tell you how I felt…" -Marinette thought to herself, truly believing, even without proof, that Adrien did not love her, the same way she loved him. –"I-I… I lost you… I l-lost the love… of my life!" -she thought, as more and more tears rolled down her face, unable to stop crying. The pain in her chest was so great that if she could, she would rip it from her chest and cast it away, just so she would never feel that kind of pain again.
This went on for nearly two hours. Two long hours, when the only sound that was heard was Marinette's muffled cries. During that time, Tikki did not say a single word to the blue-haired girl. She wanted to say something, to comfort her, but she did not know what she could say to her. She did not know what to say that could help ease the pain, without revealing what Adrien was really doing in the jewellery. It pained her to know just what was going on and not be able to tell her.
"I'm so sorry, Marinette. I really want to tell you all about it. More than anything I want to tell everything to you, because I hate to see you crying like that. But I can't… if I do that, I'll be breaking a promise I made to Plagg." -Tikki thought to herself. Right then, she felt like her heart was ripping into two. On one side, she had a duty to share what she knew with Marinette. But on the other, she could not betray Plagg's trust. –"I'm so sorry, Marinette… forgive me…" -she thought, as she tried her best to not start to cry.
When Marinette finally stopped crying, the Sun had already set in the horizon. And she stopped, not because she did not feel like crying anymore, but because she ran out of tears. The pain she was feeling was still inside her. And just like Tikki, she felt like her heart was ripping into two. The difference between them was that in Marinette's case, it was because she felt like she had lost the opportunity to experience true love with the boy she loved, while Tikki felt like she was betraying Marinette. Still sniffling, Marinette sat on her bed, hugged her knees and began to cry again, though this time, no tears came out of her eyes. Still, that did not prevent her from continuing to cry. She hoped that by crying, the pain in her would subside and her heart stopped aching the way it was.
"Marinette…" -Tikki said. –"… please, stop crying." -she begged her. Tikki could not bear to see Marinette crying like that any longer.
But Marinette did no such thing. Instead, she cried even harder for a few more seconds, before stopping. The little kwami hovered in front of the girl's head, waiting for her to lift it, so they could talk. Once she did, Tikki saw just what hours of incessant crying did to Marinette. Her eyes were bloodshot red, as they would be, after all that crying. The mascara she had been wearing under her eyes was all smudged. And her face looked puffy. In sum, she looked awful. But what surprised Tikki was not how Marinette's face looked. What surprised her was the hopelessness she saw in her eyes. She was so used to see Marinette's eyes filled with joy and happiness, that she was shocked to see that all of the joy and happiness in them, had been swept away and replaced by hopelessness.
"Marinette…" -Tikki said.
"I-It's o-over Tikki… Adrien d-doesn't… he doesn't love me…" -Marinette sighed, while trying not to burst into tears once more. Looking Tikki in the eyes, she saw just how sad the little kwami was as well.
"You don't know that, Marinette." -Tikki told her. –"He loves you more than you think." -she thought.
"What are you talking about, Tikki?!" -Marinette practically screamed at her. –"He lied to Nino about that photoshoot! He lied about where he was going to be! If he lied about that to his best friend, then what else is he lying about?!" -she yelled.
Knowing why Adrien had lied to Nino, it was hard for Tikki to see Marinette like that. More than ever she wanted to tell her the truth, but knew she could not do it. Not without spoiling the surprise Adrien had for her.
"M-Maybe what we saw isn't what we believe we saw." -Tikki told Marinette. –"Maybe there's a reasonable explanation for all of it." -she said.
"W-What kind of reasonable explanation is there for what we saw, Tikki?" What reason could there be for Adrien to lie to Nino about what he was going to do this afternoon, Tikki?! Tell me!" -Marinette yelled. Tikki had never seen her acting like that. –"And you saw just how happy he was with that girl! He was laughing with her!"
"Marinette, I know you're hurt, but believe me, I know that…" -Tikki said.
"You know what?! You know what it's like to have your heart broken like that, Tikki?!" -Marinette spat at her kwami. –"You're not even human, you're a kwami! What do you know about having your heart broken by someone you thought you might have a future with?! You don't know anything! You know nothing about love or having your heart broken! So, don't give me that talk and shut up!" -she yelled at her.
Marinette had never spoke to Tikki like that before. And the moment she finished saying those words to her, she knew that she had gone too far. Breaking down into tears again, she cried even harder than before. She was letting all the rage and all the doubts that were in her heart to get to best of her judgement, and Tikki was the one who was paying the price of it.
"I… I… I'm s-sorry, Tikki, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… I didn't mean to say those words…" -Marinette said, between sobs.
Tikki did not say a single word, and instead, she merely flew towards Marinette and hugged her left cheek, not caring about the tears that were rolling down it. In other circumstances, the scarlet kwami would probably have been angry, upset or even mad at Marinette, after what she told her. But she knew that was not her talking, it was her broken heart talking, and when a broken heart speaks, one can not control what it says.
"It's okay, Marinette, it's okay." -Tikki told her with a sweet and caring voice. She knew from experience that talking with a sweet and caring voice was the best thing to do, when talking with someone whose heart was broken. –"Just let it all out."
Marinette kept crying for a little longer. And when she stopped crying, and looked at Tikki, the scarlet kwami saw that instead of hopelessness or any other similar feeling in them, her eyes were filled with remorse and regret, which made Tikki feel even worst about not telling her what Adrien had been doing with Kagami.
"I'm so sorry, Tikki. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that." -Marinette said, as she wiped the last tears from her eyes. –"Everything that happened… it's not your fault…"
"It kind of his…" -Tikki thought to herself. –"It's okay, Marinette. I know that you did not mean what you said." -she said.
"I don't know what to do or what to think, Tikki… what if he really likes that girl he was with?" -Marinette asked her kwami, while trying her best, to not start crying again.
"Well, the only thing I know is that sometimes things aren't what they seem." -Tikki told her. –"It's not just you humans who have thought that something had happened one way, only to find out that it did not. We, kwamis have also made that kind of error before." -she said. With that kind of talk, she was trying her best not to tell her the truth of what happened.
"I don't know anymore… I mean, I didn't see them kissing or anything, but… I've never seen Adrien acting like that with anyone else before. Not me, not Alya, not Nino, not Chloe, no one…" -Marinette sighed. –"I don't really know, Tikki… I feel… I don't even know what I'm feeling anymore. And I don't know what to think anymore…" -she sighed, trying to withhold the tears. –"It's like… It's like I've got a puzzle in front of me, and I know that there's piece missing from it, but even knowing that, I don't know what the puzzle is supposed to be."
"Well, I do know one thing. I know that in the end, everything will be resolved, one way or another." -Tikki told her. –"And I know that a few good hours of sleep might help that head of yours, as well as your heart. Why don't you go and sleep earlier tonight? I'm sure that in the morning" -she suggested her. –"But first, you need to eat something. Your parents texted you, while you were crying and said that you should dinner without them, because they received a really big order and were going to work on it."
Right then, she did not feel like sleeping. She did not feel like doing anything but to cry a little more. But in her heart, she knew that crying the way she had been crying for the past few hours, was not going to help her. And while sleeping, she would not be thinking about what she saw.
"You really think I should go to bed earlier?" -Marinette asked Tikki, who waved her head. –"O-Okay, I'll do it. But before that, let's go downstairs and eat something. With all of this happening, I completely forgot to get you something to eat." -she said, as she got out of bed. –"Thanks again for not being mad with what I told you, Tikki. I'm so sorry I said those things… I wasn't myself when I said them."
"It's okay, Marinette. Let's just forget about it." -Tikki said. –"I just hope that you can forgive me for not telling you the truth of what really happened today, Marinette." -she thought to herself.
Things are not going well for Marinette, that's for sure. It pained me to write this chapter, because I hate to write parts where the heroes must suffer. But then again, like everyone else, if they did not suffer, they would not know what true happiness was, am I right? All I can is that she's in need of a pep talk, but that this one must be given to her not by Tikki, but by someone else.
This chapter also gave me the opportunity to write a scene featuring the whole Cesaire family. For nearly two fics I've been trying to write one, but only now have I done it. In fact, we saw the first appearence of yet another character from the series in my AU, Alya's mom, Marlena. The dinner scene was probably one of the scenes I loved to write the most so far, because it gave me the opportunity to show just how everyone in Alya's family sees Nino and his relationship with Alya.
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic, or future fics of this saga, okay?