Chapter 16: Where Walks Aphrodite
Marinette worked through most of the afternoon to finish both the chocolate cake and the chocolates for Adrien. When she and Tikki finished them, the whole kitchen looked like a field of war, with dirty bowls and kitchen utensils, half-used ingredients among other things, all over the place. You did not need to be a genius or a mind-reader, to know that they were going to take at least half an hour to clean it all up. But that did not mind. What did mind was that the chocolate cake and its decorative chocolates were done and they all looked perfect. They had made it to look like a giant bonbon coated in powdered sugar, and it looked like one. As for the decorative chocolates, they were shaped like little hearts. Looking at the whole thing, Marinette wondered if she had ever made a more beautiful chocolate cake than that one.
"It's so beautiful, Tikki." -Marinette sighed. –"I almost feel sorry for giving it to Adrien… almost." -she giggled. –"I can't wait to give it to him."
"Well, you'll have to wait until tomorrow." -Tikki told her. –"I bet he's going to be impressed, and he's going to love it." -she said. –"By the way, you told me that you were going to offer Adrien something, when you asked him to be your boyfriend. What did you get him?"
"Get him? Nothing… I decided to make him something, instead." -Marinette declared. –"I decided to make him a love bracelet. I used beads of different colours to make it, and each colour represents a feeling." -she said. –"In fact, I made it for him almost a year now, but I was too scared to give it to him. But that's going to change tomorrow."
"I'm sure he'll love it, as much as you loved making it for him." -Tikki told her.
"I hope he does. I made it, while thinking about him and his beautiful green emerald eyes." -Marinette declared, as she imagined Adrien standing in front of her, looking at her with a smile, which was a mix of his usual dashing debonair smile, and his cocky grin, for when he was Chat Noir. Just the thought of it, made Marinette's heart pound a little faster inside her chest.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the kitchen door. Before whoever it was that knocked, entered the kitchen, Tikki quickly disappeared out of sight, leaving Marinette alone. As the door opened, Marinette saw who had knocked. It was her mother, Sabine, who had come up to see what Marinette was up to.
"Who are you talking to, Marinette… oh, my God, what happened here?!" -Sabine asked out loud, as she looked at the state of the kitchen. –"It looks almost like a tornado was here, Marinette!" -she exclaimed.
"Sorry, mom…" -Marinette smiled nervously. –"I guess I got a little carried away." -she kept smiling, as she looked at the mess she and Tikki had done.
"Just a little, Marinette?" -Sabine asked her.
"Okay, a lot… but it was worth to finish this for Adrien." -Marinette told her, as she showed her cake.
"Oh, my, that looks so precious. I know I keep saying this, but you have inherited your dad's talent for baking, sweetie…" –Sabine said.
"And your good looks. I know, mom, I know." -Marinette giggled. She was happy her mother liked the chocolate cake she had baked for Adrien. –"I made it, so I could offer him tomorrow morning at school." -she said.
"Does that mean, what I think it means?" -Sabine asked her with a hopeful voice.
"Yes, mom. I'm finally going to ask him if he likes me, and if he does, I'm going to ask him if he wants to be my boyfriend." -Marinette answered her.
"Oh, honey, I'm so glad to hear that! And what do you mean, if he likes you? Whenever he was here, I saw the way he looks at you, Marinette." -Sabine told her daughter. –"It's about time you decided to ask him if he likes you… the poor dear; he's probably too shy to ask you if you want to date him." -she giggled.
"Mom… may I remind you that the last time you thought a boy liked me, it turned out that he liked Alya, instead, and the reason why he was always staring at me, was because I was always next to Alya?" -Marinette giggled, remembering when Nino began to set his eyes on her best-friend.
"Oh, Marinette, even a mother can be wrong sometimes." -Sabine chuckled. –"But this time, I really believe that I'm right." -she said.
"Well, we'll find out if you're right tomorrow, after lunch." -Marinette said, as Sabine inspected the cake a little closer. –"What is it mom? Is there something wrong with the cake?" -she asked her.
"Oh, no, no, honey. I'm just seeing, if we could, perhaps add it something more, to make it even more special." -Sabine said, as she looked at the cake. –"Maybe we could add pink sprinkles to it? Just a little bit. The cake looks absolutely beautiful, but it doesn't feel like a Valentine's Day cake, even with these little heart-shaped chocolates around it." -she suggested to Marinette.
"Well, I don't think it would hurt." -Marinette said, as she imagined the pink sprinkles on top of the cake. –"Do we have some? I couldn't find any in the cupboards." -she said.
"Not here… but downstairs, we've got plenty of them. I'll go get some and tell your dad the good news." -Sabine smiled at Marinette.
"What good news?" -Marinette asked Sabine, not understanding what she had just said.
"That his daughter is about to become the girlfriend of the cutest young model ever, who also happens to be a very big fan of our macarons and pretty much every other delicious pastry that we bake in our bakery." -Sabine laughed happily.
"Mom!" -Marinette exclaimed, while giggling. –"I don't even know if he really likes me." -she said. –"I really wish he really liked me, though. Every time I think about him, my heart goes crazy. He's got to be the sweetest and cutest boy I know… at least, when he's not Chat Noir. When he is, he's both sweet, cute, cocky, protective, has a thing for puns… he's perfect, just the way he is."
"Well, you will know tomorrow, honey. And please, try not chicken out… again. You've been trying to tell him that you love him, ever since the day you first saw him, and it's starting to become ridiculous how you can't just go up to him and tell him how you feel." -Sabine told her daughter.
"Et tu, mom?!" -Marinette asked her with her dramatic voice, before bursting into laughs. –"Last time I checked, you're not Alya, who keeps telling me that." -she giggled.
"Just proves that she's right. You need to be bold and daring, so you can tell Adrien that you love him. Or else, you're going to lose him to some other girl… or boy. We never know if he likes boys." -Sabine joked, which made Marinette giggle a little. –"But seriously, honey, he'll never know you love him, if you don't tell him." -she stated. –"Now, let me get those sprinkles, so we can both finish decorating that delicious looking Valentine's cake."
While Marinette, with a little help from her mother, placed the last finishing touches on the Valentine's Day surprise for Adrien, Rose was picking up the box of chocolates she had ordered for Juleka. The box was of a beautiful red colour and it was square shaped. Adorning it was a pink bow. Just from looking at it, the blonde believed that was the prettiest chocolate box she could have gotten for her girlfriend. As she left the candy store, she wondered what would Juleka's reaction, when she ate the first chocolate in the box and realized that it was filled with liquorice.
"I'm sure you're going to love it, Juleka. My heart is telling me that, and it's never wrong." -Rose thought to herself.
And while thinking about Juleka's reaction to her gift to her, she also thought about the fact that the next day, she and Juleka would be revealing the truth about their relationship to their friends. She was both nervous and excited at the same time. She was excited, because when they told the others, they would not have to pretend they were just the best of friends when they were around them, and they could act like a real couple. And she was nervous, because she feared the others might not accept her and Juleka being a lesbian couple. But she tried to keep those nervous thoughts out of her head, because she believed her friends would not judge them, and would not see them in a different light, just because they were dating one another.
"Everything will turn out okay tomorrow, and it will mark a new beginning in our relationship. Jules and I will finally be able to express ourselves in front of the others, without having to keep hiding the truth about our relationship. But what if something… oh, stop thinking about what could go wrong, Rose! Everything will turn out okay, you'll see." -Rose thought to herself. –"This is not the Dark Ages… it's the 21st century. And your friends will keep liking you and Juleka, because they are your friends and they want us both to be happy. So, everything will turn out okay, and that's that." -she thought, trying to have positive thoughts about it.
To keep her mind from wandering into unpleasant thoughts, while feeling that the way home was taking too long, the blonde decided that some music would be just what the doctor ordered. Checking her playlist, she chose one song she felt was perfect for that walk. It was a song which she had not listen in a long time. "Back for Good" from Take That. To say that Rose was a big fan of romantic songs, was to say little. Being the inveterate romantic that she was, there were very little romantic songs, especially romantic ballads that she did not like, and that one was quite special for her. Because her mother was a huge fan of Robbie Williams and of Take That, that particular song was the first one she heard of them, when she was younger. Putting her headphones on, she began walking down the street, listening to the song, while being careful not to drop the box of chocolates she was carrying, as if it was the most sacred object in the world.
"If Flint was here, he would already be telling me that this song sucks." -Rose thought, becoming amused by the thought. Flint was not really romantic; or at least, not like her. And whenever she started to hear something that resembled a love ballad, he would immediately beg it to stop. –"Then it's a good thing, I allowed him to stay home, while I came pick this up. This way, he can't say bad things about this song." -she giggled, as she turned up the volume.
And as if by magic, her way home became a lot shorter and a lot jollier. Music had that effect on Rose, and she loved it. While walking, she checked the time and saw that it was almost time for her mother to close the shop, so she decided to go and get her, so they could walk home together.
Flora Lavillant had just finished dealing with the last customer of the day, and was getting ready to close up shop. She owned a small flower shop, which sold all kinds of beautiful flowers and plants, all year long. It was the kind of place that a person upon entering, would not leave without purchasing something beautiful. And just like it happened with so many other flower shops, Valentine's Day was one of the busiest days of the year for her; not that that was a problem for her. As she began to sweep the shop, she could not help but to look herself in one of the many mirrors that were around the shop. Flora was a slender woman with long blonde hair worn in a ponytail, brown eyes and she had one of the cutest smiles ever, according to her husband, and her daughter. She wore a light-green long-sleeved shirt and a pair of light-blue jeans, with matching shoes.
"Uh, I totally look like a mess, don't I?" -Flora said out loud, as she looked at some chrysanthemums that had not been sold that day. -Oh, don't look so sad, girls. You might be lucky tomorrow, and make someone incredibly happy. Trust me, I know what I'm saying. There are tons of people who love chrysanthemums, you'll see."–she said, talking to the flowers. –"There I go again, talking to you. "
Flora loved to talk to flowers when she was alone. She truly believed that they understood what she told them. The last few days had been incredibly exhausting, and she knew that the following day would be no different, with people shopping for beautiful flower bouquets at the last hour. But, as long as she was surrounded by flowers, she would not mind. Unlike her husband, Michel, who worked in an office, Flora was someone who would never feel alright, working in one. She had always loved flowers, so when it came the time to choose a career, she decided that she was going to open a flower shop. That was the place where she felt she belonged, and she would not trade it for any other in the world. She had just finished sweeping the floor, when she heard someone knocking at the door. Before turning around to see who it was, she figured it would be a customer, who wanted to ask her, if it could still place an order for the following day. It would not be the first time that happened. But when she turned around, she saw that it was no customer, but her daughter waving at her.
"Hey, mom." -Rose said, as she waved at her mom through the door's window.
"Rose! I thought you were home already." -Flora told her daughter, as she opened the shop's door, and allowed her to enter. –"Come on in, come on. It's cold outside. Oh, a box of chocolates. Is it for me?" -she asked her.
"No, mom, sorry. It's for tomorrow. I'm going to give it to Juleka." -Rose smiled. –"Miss Bustier decided that this year's everyone in our class, would be sharing a box of chocolates with a person they choose to." -she explained.
"And so, you're going to offer a box of chocolates to your best friend." –Flora stated. –"And here I thought that you were going to give it to one of the boys in your class. I'm sure you must have a crush on at least one of them, Rosie." -she said, calling Rose by the nickname she and her husband had given her.
"Hmm… there isn't one in my class that I like enough to offer him a box of chocolates." -Rose declared, with an uneasy voice.
Her parents did not even suspect that she liked Juleka, and she feared what would happen if they found out. She knew they were not against gay or lesbian couples, and they both supported the LGBT community and its rights. But she did not know how they would react, when they found out their only daughter is a lesbian. Still, she tried not to think about it. She had talked to Juleka about it, and they had both agreed they would not reveal the truth about their relationship to their parents; at least, not until they felt ready and believed the time was right, for fearing that their parents would not accept it.
"Oh, don't worry, Rosie. I'm sure one of these days you'll find the right boy." -Flora told her daughter.
"Y-Yes… I suppose I will." -Rose said. –"Mom… if only you knew the truth. That I already found the love of my life…" -she thought to herself.
"By the way, I wanted to ask something. Do you know if your dad has some surprise planned for me tomorrow?" -Flora asked her. Her husband was the romantic kind and he would always come up with something special for her on Valentine's Day. –"Come on, you can tell me, if you know. I won't tell him that you spilled the beans, in case he asked you keep a secret." -she smiled at Rose, while continuing to tidy up the shop.
"Nope, sorry mom. Whatever he has planned, if he has something, he hasn't told me a thing." -Rose said, as she placed the box of chocolates on top of the counter. And it was the truth. That year, her dad had not told her if he had something planned, though she knew he had, like always.
"Your dad's up to something, I just know it. He's probably the most romantic person I know, right after me, of course." -Flora said.
"No wonder, I'm incredibly romantic." -Rose thought to herself. –"Are you going to offer him another one of those WWII little figurines he likes to collect?" -she asked. Her dad was passionate about anything regarding World War 2, and one of his biggest hobbies was to collect miniaturized figurines of that time.
"I am. The one I got him this time, is one that he's been looking for nearly two years." -Flora told Rose.
"I'm sure he's going to love it." -Rose smiled. –"Oh, I almost forgot. Juleka asked me if I wanted to go to a concert with her, tomorrow night. Her brother's going to play at it, and she asked me if I could go with her and support him. Can I go?" -she asked Flora.
"Hmm… I don't know, Rosie. You've got school in the morning." -Flora stated.
"I promise that I'll do the house chores for a whole month, if you let me go, mom. Please, it's very important to Juleka's brother, and to her too." -Rose said, trying to sweet talk her mom into allowing her to go to the concert.
"Well… I suppose that if you do the chores for a whole month, and that you come home before 11, I suppose you can go." -Flora told her. –"But, I'll be holding you to that promise of doing the house chores. You miss one day of chores, and you're grounded until the end of the month, Rosie." -she warned her.
"I won't, I promise. Thanks, mom." -Rose said, as she hugged Flora.
Valentine's Day arrived, and it was a beautiful day. The Sun was shining and the temperature went up a couple of degrees, making it feel like Spring had arrived earlier that year. You could smell the love in the air, per say. The streets were even more decorated with more red and pink balloons than the previous days, and everywhere you looked. From the early hours of the morning, numerous tuk tuks, all of them fully decorated to celebrate the holiday, began to transport numerous tourist couples to the most romantic places in Paris. But these were not the only ones who were celebrating in such a way, welcoming the tourists and anyone who would be celebrating Valentine's Day. Throughout Paris, restaurants were advertising special Valentine's Day menus for those who would want to have lunch or dinner at them. Bookshops
The spirit of Valentine's Day that was all around, and in College Françoise Dupont it was no different. The whole school had been decorated earlier that week, but just like it happened with the rest of Paris, on the day itself, more decorations were placed, more heart-shaped balloons were filled and tied to the railings in the courtyard, among other things. In the school's gymnasium something was also be setting up, but no one could see what, because the doors were closed, which led many students to wonder what could it be. As the students passed the front door, on top of a makeshift stage, which had been assembled just before the school opened, Principal Damocles welcomed them with kind words, telling them to enjoy the day and to make sure they demonstrated the spirit of Valentine's Day, not only to those they loved, but also to all of their classmates, promoting camaraderie, friendship and respect. The principal made that speech every year on Valentine's Day, and it would usually end with him adding that on that day, the cafeteria would serve a very special menu to all of them.
Inside Miss Bustier's classroom, upon entering it, her students all saw numerous boxes on top of her desk. They were all square-shaped, and they were wrapped in colourful paper, and each one had a beautiful white bow, along with a small card, which said "Happy Valentine's Day.". Like the previous years, Miss Bustier had decided to offer everyone in class chocolates. It was her way to say that she loved her students, as if they were her own children. The first one to check them out was none other than Kim. He was not one to admit it, but he had a sweet tooth, and he whenever he could, he would eat up a whole bunch of chocolates, claiming he needed to replenish his blood sugar levels.
"Looks like Miss Bustier is going to offer us chocolates again." –Kim said, as he checked the boxes. –"I bet they are from that usual candy shop she's always talking about." -he said, as he imagined himself opening the box and seeing the 16 delicious chocolates inside it."
"As if they needed to be from that specific candy shop for you to swallow them all, like they were Tic Tacs." -Alix said in a sarcastic tone, as she entered the room, having listened him saying that. –"You keep eating chocolates like you do, and in a matter of time, you'll end up with a pot belly!" -she joked.
"As if! These here are made of steel, Alix, and they will continue to be made of steel!" -Kim said as he pointed to his abdomen.
"You want to compare six-packs, Kim? Because you aren't the only one who has them here." -Alix shot at him, with a smug-like smile on her face.
"Could you guys stop that?!" -Max asked them as he walked into the room. –"People can hear you from the street." -he joked. –"You guys really need to calm down with the throwbacks this early in the morning. The next thing you know, you're throwing dares at one another."
"Well, in case this case we don't need to throw dares at each other, because we already did, a couple of days ago, bro." -Kim told him. –"I dared Alix to offer me a box of chocolates. But I guess she didn't get me one." -he said, as he looked at Alix and saw no box of chocolates.
"Guess what? You're wrong, sucker!" -Alix shot at Kim with an evil grin on her face. –"I have it in my backpack. But I bet that you didn't get me a box of chocolates. Or have you forgotten that I also dared you to get me one?" -she chuckled maliciously at him, truly hoping he had failed to get her one, so she could rub it in his face.
"Well, guess what, you're wrong, as usual, Short stuff." -Kim smirked at Alix. –"I did get you one, just to prove to you that whatever dare you give me, I'll do it!" -he shot at her.
"Oh, very funny! One of these days I'm going to give you a dare so bad, you won't even dare to do it! And don't call me Short stuff! I hate it when you call me that!"
"Why do you think I call you that, then, Short stuff?" -Kim asked her with a mocking voice, once gain calling her that nickname she hated.
"How would you like if I called you String Bean or Stilts?!" -Alix shot at him. –"I bet you wouldn't like that, now would you?!"
Watching Kim and Alix bickering, Ivan and Mylene, who had entered a little before them, could not help but to chuckle, as they watched them. The scenes those two put up were as much hilarious, as they were cute. They were clearly in love with one another, but had not figured it out yet.
"When do you think they will realize that they love each other, but just don't want to admit it?" -Mylene asked
"I don't know… but they do love to spend time bickering at one another, so, I think it will happen, sooner or later." -Ivan smiled at her. –"But right now, the only think I really care about, is the fact that I can't wait to tell the others about us." -he told her.
"Why? So, they can be a little jealous of us?" -Mylene asked him, while giggling.
"A little… but also, because I want everyone to know that you're my girl, and that my heart belongs to you." -Ivan said, as he placed his arm around her, making her giggle a little bit more.
And they were not the only ones who were anxious about revealing secrets. As he entered the school, accompanied by Nino, who had just arrived, Adrien was a little bit nervous. Everything that he had planned was about to culminate, when he revealed his true feelings for Marinette to her. Seeing the nerves in his eyes, Nino tried to calm him down, as they walked into the courtyard.
"Relax, Adrien. Everything's going to be alright. Tell me, you brought it with you, didn't you?" -Nino asked him, referring to the pendant he was going to offer Marinette.
"Plagg is keeping it safe inside my backpack." -Adrien told him.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? Do I need to remind you what happened the last time your kwami got a little too close to an expensive piece of jewellery?" -Nino asked him, reminding Adrien the time that Plagg got his head stuck on a priceless bracelet that belonged to Chloe.
"He learned his lesson. Besides, what he's guarding isn't a bracelet, it's a pendant, and I already promised him a wheel of Camembert if he keeps it safe. You know that he'll do anything for that stinking cheese." -Adrien told Nino.
"Let's hope so, for your sake." -Nino told him, as they went up the stairs and saw Marinette and Alya at the end of them. –"There she is. Don't worry, and keep calm, bro." -he whispered to Adrien. –"Morning, ladies."
"Hey, there, turtle boy." -Alya said, as she wrapped her arms around Nino and kissed him. –"Happy Valentine's Day."
"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, my sneaky fox." -Nino smiled at Alya.
"Hi, Adrien." -Marinette smiled nervously at the blond. She was trying her best not to sound nervous or eager.
"Hey, Marinette." -Adrien smiled at her. Right then, he had his heart pounding like a crazy ticker, and was trying his best not to show it. –"So… valentine's Day, huh?"
"Y-Yeah… who would have guessed that it's already here again?" -Marinette giggled nervously. –"Stupid, stupid, stupid! Couldn't you have come up with something a little less awkward to tell him?!" -she thought.
"Y-Yeah, who would have guessed?" -Adrien answered her. –"What were you thinking? You don't just repeat what a girl says… she's going to think that you're an idiot!" -he thought.
Noticing their friends sounded a little stressed, Alya and Nino exchanged a look and quickly went to their rescue.
"Well, I think we should be going in, don't you think?" -Nino asked.
"Yeah, you're right. Miss Bustier should not be long now." -Alya agreed with him, as she pulled Marinette. –"Come on, Marinette, let's go."
And just like Alya said, a few minutes later, Miss Bustier showed up. Unlike most days, when she would be dressed in white, on that day, she was dressed in pink, to celebrate Valentine's Day. The amount of pink she was wearing was so much that she looked a bit like Rose, who was known for wearing mostly that colour. The only thing that was not pink in her garments was her shirt which was white, and a small golden brooch that she was wearing on a lapel.
"Good morning, class!" -Miss Bustier exclaimed, as she walked into the classroom.
"Good morning, Miss Bustier." -the whole class said, as they
"First of all, let me wish a Happy Valentine's Day to you all." -Miss Bustier told them, as she leaned against her desk. –"As you might have noticed on top of my desk, we have 14 beautiful boxes, one for each of you. I feel that I've learned from you as much, as you have learned from me, and what's inside the boxes, is just a little gift from me to you, to express just how much I appreciate having you all in my life." -she said, doing her best not to get too emotional. –"But before I give them to you, and you can also offer the boxes of chocolates you brought with you to the person you want, I want to tell you that today's class will be a little different. Instead of staying inside, we're going outside, until lunch time. And after lunch, we're going to watch a movie."
"Is it going to be a romantic movie?" -Ivan asked Miss Bustier.
"Yes, it will be. But it's also a very funny movie. You'll see which one is, after lunch." -Miss Bustier declared.
"And, what will we be doing outside, Miss Bustier?" -Juleka asked.
"We will be attending a play." -Miss Bustier answered her.
"A play?" -Max asked. –"Guess that explains why they weren't letting anyone enter the gym, when we arrived." -he thought to himself.
"Yes, we will be watching one of the most celebrated plays in French History, Cyrano de Bergerac, courtesy of a local theatre company, who has agreed to put it on for the whole school." -Miss Bustier said. –"But before we go downstairs and see it, I think we should start with our usual Valentine's Day friendship letters exchange, as well as our new box of chocolates exchange tradition." -she smiled. –"I hope none of you has forgotten either the letters or the chocolates at home."
Upon saying that, everyone took out from their backpacks a letter they wrote and went to place it on Miss Bustier's desk, where she quickly sorted them out, before calling each of the students, to give one to each. It did not matter who had written them, because all of them contained messages of praise, friendship and admiration. And after reading one of them, they all felt great. But on that day, what they all really wanted was to exchange the boxes of chocolates they had bought with a special someone. Wasting no time, Miss Bustier handed hers to each student, earning a smile and a hug from each of them. And then, it was time for the students to share theirs.
"Here, Kim… I hope you like it. And don't worry, they haven't been filled with laxative, just in case you're thinking I might have done it." -Alix told him, as she handed him a box of chocolates.
"Well…. Thanks, I guess. Here's yours, and don't worry, I didn't add any laxative to yours, in case you're wondering." -Kim told her, as he gave her the box of chocolates.
"Don't think that just because I gave you those chocolates that it means anything."
"And why would it mean something? I just gave you those, because you dared me to." -Kim said.
And while Kim and Alix kept bickering with one another, Chloe and Sabrina were busy offering chocolates to one another. They both had the same idea of offering each other chocolates, and they could not help but to feel a little surprised about it. Each thought the other would be offering a box of chocolates to someone else, so it came as a nice surprise to both.
"Here, Chloe. These are for you. For being such a great friend." -Sabrina smiled, as she handed the blonde, a box of chocolates, which was wrapped in a golden wrapping paper with a black satin bow. –"I hope I got you the right ones." -she said.
"Oh, thanks, Sabrina!" -Chloe hugged her. –"I've also got you a box of chocolates… it's my way to thank you for having the patience to put up with me." -she smiled, as she broke the embrace and handed Sabrina the box of chocolates she had bought for her, which was wrapped in a red satin wrapping paper with a white bow.
"Chloe, you shouldn't have." -Sabrina said.
"Oh, don't say that. You're being ridiculous, utterly ridiculous, Sabrina." -Chloe giggled, making Sabrina giggle as well. –"Of course, I had to. Like I said, it's my way to thank you for putting up with me." -she smiled.
"I don't mind putting up with you, especially when you're nice to me and everyone else." -Sabrina told her. –"You're my best friend. And a box of chocolates is not nearly enough to thank you for being my best-friend." -she smiled tearfully.
"Oh… don't say those things! You're going to make me cry and I don't want to smudge my make-up, you sweet redhead!" -Chloe smiled her, trying not to start crying.
But Chloe and Sabrina were not the only ones to exchange emotional words. Rose was surprised by Juleka, who offered her a box with her favourite chocolates, with each chocolate having a letter on it. Spelling them, it formed a sentence, which read "To Rose, the bestest girl in the world.". Upon reading it, Rose almost cried, knowing that "bestest girl" was the expression they both used to say girlfriend, without anyone realizing it. Smiling at Juleka, the blonde gave her the box of chocolates she had specially ordered for her.
"I hope you like them, Juleka. I wanted these to be extra special." -Rose said, as Juleka opened the box and looked at the chocolates, which seemed pretty normal. Looking at Rose, Juleka noticed that she looked a bit nervous, who seemed to get even more nervous, as she grabbed one of the chocolates and bit it, savouring it. –"So?" -the blonde asked.
"Black liquorice? They're filled with melted black liquorice?" -Juleka asked her, as she gulped the chocolate. You could see in her face that she had loved it.
"I know that you're not a big fan of chocolate, but that you love black liquorice, so I decided to surprise you with it." -Rose smiled.
"Thanks, Rose. I loved it." -Juleka told her, as she hugged her. What she really wanted, was to kiss her, but she told herself that they could not do it in class.
And while those two hugged, Marinette had gotten out of her place and went to Adrien's, so she could give him the chocolate cake she had baked just for him. Feeling nervous, she tried not to think too hard on what she was about to do. Alya, who was being given a box of chocolates by Nino, could not help but to keep her eyes on her friend, and the same thing could be said for Nino, who has his eyes on Adrien. Taking a deep breath, Marinette smiled, as she stopped in front of Adrien's desk.
"Uh… this is for you, Adrien." -Marinette smiled, while feeling like her heart was about to stop. –"Happy Valentine's Day." -she said.
"T-Thanks. It's quite big." -Adrien said, as he grabbed the box and carefully placed it on top of his desk. –"I… I also got you something." -he told her.
When she heard him say that, Marinette's heart nearly stopped beating for a full second, only for that to almost happen again, when Adrien showed her the box of chocolates, he had bought for her. Seeing that, Marinette smiled at him.
"Thank you, Adrien." -Marinette said, as she accepted the gift. Looking at it, she knew it had been incredibly expensive, due to the quality of the paper and the way it had been wrapped up. Still, she did not care about how much the chocolates inside had cost Adrien. She was just happy that he had decided to offer her a box of chocolates, when he could have offered it to any other person in her class. –"Uh… I hope you like mine. I know you like chocolates, but I wanted to offer you something a little bit different." -she said.
"T-Thanks. I'll open it right now." -Adrien smiled, curious about what could have the girl he liked had offered him, as he gently ripped the scotch tape that was holding the wrapping paper. Once that was out of the way, he carefully opened the box and saw what was inside. Upon looking at it, his eyes sparkled with joy at what Marinette had offered him. –"A chocolate cake?" -he asked, absolutely surprised.
"I know it's your favourite. Like I said, instead of just chocolates, I decided to offer you something a little more special." -Marinette admitted. –"I also add those little chocolates, so the cake wouldn't feel so lonely." -she giggled.
"It's beautiful… I'm kind of sad that I'll ruin it, when I decide to eat it." -Adrien smiled. –"It's perfect, just like you, Marinette. More and more, something deep in my heart tells me that when I ask you to be my girlfriend, you will say yes, and I'll be the happiest guy in the world." -he thought to himself.
"He loved it! I'm so happy I could die right about now… But I can't! Only when I tell Adrien that I love him. Then, I can die happy." -Marinette thought to herself.
Seeing them interacting like that, Nino and Alya looked at one another and silently agreed that everything was going according, and the same thought went through their minds.
"It's today. It's today that they finally become a couple. And about time too… they have been doing this dance for more time than anyone should." -Alya and Nino thought together.
Love was everywhere that day. In fact, it had been everywhere for the past week or so. And that was not good for Madame Romani. After failing to retrieve the miraculouses from the Miraculous Team, she was given another chance to succeed by her master, who warned her that if she could not find another victim for him to akumatize in the next couple of days, she would be severely punished. And with those words echoing in her mind, the gypsy witch had not returned to Hawk Moth's hideout since then. She remained on the streets, scouting, checking, and looking for anyone who she thought would become a truly fearsome Akuma. After what happened with Origami, she could not take any risks and suggest any bumbling idiot who was merely upset at something in his life, to Hawk Moth, for him to akumatize. But no one seemed to be good enough for what she was looking for. And to make matters worse, the spirit of Valentine's Day seemed to have infected people into having romantic, or at the very least, friendly thoughts towards everyone. For someone like Romani, who never felt loved by anyone, not even her parents when she was little, it was hard to understand how could people love or feel love. And more importantly, it was hard for her to understand how could those feelings be magnified by something so shallow and artificial as a holiday that had been created to sell cards, boxes of chocolate and baubles, which would end up in the trash.
"Curse all this pseudo-romance! There's nothing more fake that this accursed holiday!" -Madame Romani thought to herself. –"For days I've been looking for a victim to be akumatized, but all that I find are just idiots who are angry about their jobs or pathetic losers who don't know what to do with their lives! I need someone whose heart is filled with absolute insecurity, or rage, or hate, or fear, or whatever! Something that can be used to turn it into a powerful Akuma!" -she thought. –"But it seems like this holiday only makes people think about nice things, instead of the opposite… If I can't find someone, who seems worthy of master Hawk Moth's Akuma Butterflies, I'll be in deep trouble."
She had been walking for many hours, always with a disguise, which she alternated every two hours, when she saw herself in front of the Le Printemps Haussmann, one of Paris swankiest and most fashionable department stores. Like every other major department store in Paris, the building's front was decorated with all kinds of Valentine's Day motifs.
"Look at this place. A monument to opulence! To imagine that people enter a place like this just buy things that cost a fortune, because they think that because they cost a fortune, they are better than those you would find in a regular store… Curses! Look at me! I've been spending so much time with that slithering lizard, that I'm even starting to talk like him!" -Madame Romani thought to herself. –"Still, it's true… people who come here have more money than most people in Paris. You would figure that their hearts would be filled with greed and envy, but the amount in them is not enough, not for what I need and… wait! What is that?! What is that I'm feeling?!" -she thought, as she picked up a huge spike of negative energy, which was quite close to her.
Following it, she wondered where it would take her and who she would find there. Two minutes later, she saw herself on an alley behind Le Printemps. This alley was used for deliveries, as well as for employees to come and take a break. Walking slowly, she tried not to make much noise, as she approached the source of that spike of negative energy. She believed that whoever it was that was letting out all that energy, it was the one person she had been looking for. Stopping behind a few piled up wooden crates, she tried to see who it was, without being seen. Spotting it, she saw the negative emotions were coming from a young woman in her early 20's. She was slender, with peach skin and long dark raven hair, tied into a French braid, which reached her hips. Her eyes were light blue, and she had a small nose and heart-shaped lips. She was wearing a white long-sleeved blouse with matching pants, a black blazer, white shows and a pink star-shaped pendant around her neck. In her blazer, you could see a golden tag with her name on it: M. Ambrose. The "M" stood for Madison. And she was having a really lousy day.
After a customer, who kept talking about how perfect her Valentine's Day date was going to be, made her make a scene, in which she insulted her, Madison's boss told her to take her break, while adding that when she came back, she ought to come back calmer or she would be fired. So now, she was there, in the back entrance of one of the city's largest shopping centres, trying to not to explode from all the anger that was coursing through her being.
"Valentine's Day this, Valentine's Day that! Curse this blasted day! I can't stand it anymore!" -Madison said. Her heart was filled with anger and envy, after hearing people saying they had found the perfect Valentine's Day gift for the person they loved, or that they had made a reservation in a fancy restaurant, where they would later be dining with their better half, and it would be the most perfect date ever. Hearing that over and over, was making her go insane, especially after what had happened to her the night before. –"It's bad enough that I got stood off yesterday by that pretentious jerk, who texted me that he wasn't interested in me anymore, because he felt I wasn't pretty enough! But now at work, I've got to listen to every single customer saying that they love Valentine's Day, the most fake of all holidays?! A holiday that was made to sell crap!" -she yelled into the air. –"They truly believe that Valentine's Day is the most romantic day in the year! But guess what… it's not! It's the day of the year where you buy cheap baubles and give them to someone you think might care about you, but who doesn't! That's what this holiday is all about! Love is the last thing that matters in this day, and I'm probably the only one who knows it!"
Hearing her say that, Madame Romani felt like she had been listening to herself a few moments before. The negative emotions that were coming from her were just the kind the gypsy witch was looking for, and they were highest she had sensed in many days. If there was someone who would make a phenomenal Akuma, it would be that girl. In her mind, Romani imagined the kind of chaos someone who hated Valentine's Day could cause.
"She's perfect! Just what I was looking for… Master Hawk Moth! I've found you, your next Akuma, sir." -Madame Romani said, contacting Hawk Moth via telepathy.
Hawk Moth was in his private quarters, when he felt Madame Romani's telepathic attempt to contact him. He had been expecting news from her for a while now.
"You certainly took your time." -Hawk Moth said, as he looked at the potential victim through Madame Romani's eyes. –"But you have delivered what you promised me. I can sense the anger, the rage and the bitterness in her heart. She will give a magnificent Akuma, no doubt about it." -he said. –"I will be sending you one of my lovely Akuma Butterflies. You know what to do with it."
Walking to the glass dome where he kept the dark diabolical Akuma Butterflies, Hawk Moth gently grabbed one of them and caressed his wings.
"It's time for those infernal heroes to be dealt with, once and for all. Fly my pretty. Fulfil your dark purpose and akumatize her." -Hawk Moth said, as the black butterfly flapped its wings, before disappearing.
Once the Akuma Butterfly appeared in front of her, Madame Romani was careful to hold it, and even more careful upon releasing it. She did not want the girl to see it coming. She and her fellow lieutenants had learned that when a victim sees an Akuma Butterfly, their feelings tend to change, and the Akuma that is created, might not be as powerful as initially envisioned. Waiting patiently, when she saw the right moment, she released the Akuma Butterfly, which flew in the direction of Madison. Because she had her back turned, she did not even see it coming. Upon landing on her back, Madison felt herself in grasp of Hawk Moth, who wasted no time in talking to her.
"Good morning, my dear, I am Hawk Moth, and I have proposition for you." -Hawk Moth's voice echoed inside Madison's head. –"You have been hurt, and you are entitled to revenge. If you do me a favour, I will grant you the power to exact your revenge, not only on the person who has broken your heart, but also everyone else, who believes in this fake holiday, which is in fact devoided of love." -he told her. –"Would you be interested in that?"
"Yes, Hawk Moth." -Madison answered.
"Very well. All I ask of you is to cause chaos and mayhem throughout the city. By doing so, you will cause for the Miraculous Team to show up. Once they do, kill them and bring me their miraculouses, so I can destroy them." -Hawk Moth declared.
"I will do as you command, Hawk Moth." -Madison declared. –"Consider the miraculouses as good as yours." -she said.
"Then… rise, Aphrodite! Rise and make sure to teach people what true love really is!" -Hawk Moth
With those words, Madison's body was enveloped by a cloud of dark smoke, which changed her appearance and gave her the power Hawk Moth had promised her. Her skin was now milky white, while her hair was now blonde and longer than before, reaching her feet. Her eyes were now violet and was wearing pink lipstick. She wore a magnificent pink and fuchsia gown with Greek motifs to it, and around her neck, the pendant which was initially pink was now dark violet. She had become Aphrodite, and she was ready to cause chaos and mayhem in Paris.
"Love. Valentine's Day is all about love. Another pathetic lie… I will teach them what love truly is." -Aphrodite said, as she laughed maniacally.
Watching her from the shadows, Madame Romani could not help but to smirk, as she wondered what Aphrodite had in store for the Miraculous Heroes. Soon, they would be history and she would once again become her master's favourite lieutenant. She was sure that Aphrodite would do what other Akumas had failed to do, and that was to bring the heroes of Paris to their knees.
After nearly a night without sleeping, I finally finished it (I think I'm going to take a couple of days to recharge my batteries, after this one). This chapter is the longest I've ever written for this fanfic series. Initially I was going to split ii into two seperate chapters, but I figured I could assemble them into just one, and I'm glad I did. In it we see the appearence of Aphrodite, the main Akuma for this adventure, who was created by LaViolaViolaRosa, who was kind enough to allow me to use it in my story (I truly hope that you liked how introduced her, and I must say that I have big plans for her main entrance, when she starts to unleash chaos in Paris).
The chapter also gave me the chance to introduce two new original characters to this universe... Rose's parents, Flora and Michel Lavillant (well, we don't actually see Michel, but he is mentioned). And when I say original, I mean that we haven't seen Rose's parents in the show, and I thought it was more than time that we see who they are. I envisioned Rose's mom as the owner of a flower shop, because I always imagined that Rose's mom would work in one. Her name, Flora, was decided after I asked online what name I should give her. To those who helped me, thanks so much. And still speaking of Rose, you might want to check out an illustration I commissioned of both Rose and Juleka, in my DA page. I think you're going to love it.
I also enjoyed writing the part where we some of the couples exchanging boxes of chocolates. We're getting closer and closer to the big reveal, everyone. The chapter's title is a reference to the "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" episode with the same name, where love causes chaos around the city of Crystal Cove. As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic, or for future ones.