Mayura
A Beautiful Lie
Finding herself waking up on the living room couch, her head fuzzy and her memory blurred, Nathalie slowly rose into a seated position as her mind tried desperately to flash back to the feverish dream she had just experienced. Though it felt like hours had passed, the woman knew the vision had come recently.
Distorted by fog and unnatural sources of light, a beautiful, tear-demanding scene began to play itself out: Nathalie lay atop an elegant bed no smaller than king-sized, its sheets creased and unmade. Draped only in a loose-fitting, black silk nightgown that hugged only her dressed, the woman's long, dark hair spread around her head like a halo atop the roughened bedspread as her smoke-stained eyes gently shifted from the serene yet unclear sky above to the room she now rested in. Her breath silent but heavy, she felt her tender breasts rise and sink down dramatically as her skin struggled to contain the passionate beating of her fluttering heart. At last, he reentered the room, dressed in grey silk and a radiant, purple tie that blew like a loose scarf upon unseen winds, still buttoning the cuffs around his wrists, and staring at the one he had longed for. Nathalie's breaths grew louder and heavier as she reached out her pale left arm and allowed her hand to sink downward for him to take.
Graciously receiving his beloved's delicate fingers into his own, feeling every tiny embrace like a surge of electricity, the man slowly raised her hand up to his moist lips and kissed it as he gently wrapped his right hand around her left forearm, just below her elbow. As his single kiss spawned more, the man's right hand slowly glided upward until it petted her upper arm. Upon sliding the very tips of his fingers along the woman's soft shoulder, the woman's lover gently pressed into her skin, drawing a sigh of ecstasy from her very heart as the radiant sensation sent goose bumps down her arm and over her entire body.
His bare, muscular, tight chest and toned stomach exposed, the man discarded his glasses as Nathalie ran her hands from the edges of his forehead through the sides of his supple, warm hair, her mouth agape with utter fascination. Taking the woman's left arm yet again, the man delicately squelched her wrist and slowly made his way up her arm from embrace to embrace. At last, he made his way to her shoulder, kissed it passionately, and lovingly ran his fingers under the strap of her gown. Nodding her head in consent, Nathalie saw a glimmer of hope flash in her lover's eye as he carefully slid the strap down her arm and followed with her right arm. His movements reverent, almost to the point of worship, the man made vulnerable placed his right palm atop the neckline of his beloved's gown, allowed his fingers to slide beneath it, and slowly dragged it down with no more than his lightly trembling finger tips.
Nathalie's breath grew heavier as the air seemed to vanish from her lungs as her nipples tightened and her heart took to flight. Once her entire body, so pale, pure, soft, and masterful, was exposed, the man cast the woman's clothing to the shadows of the room as he adored her holy shape and form. Her lips moist and open, Nathalie whispered a precious secret, and the man lay down atop her. Their breasts pressing against one another, each lover felt the other's heartbeat against their own as an undeniable warmth overtook their bodies. Wrapping her arms around Gabriel's neck, Nathalie let out a joyous sigh of surrender as she kissed his beautiful, heavenly lips.
Finding herself sitting alone atop a couch whose surface had grown cold around her, Nathalie looked down at her hand as it rested all alone. For only a second, the woman searched for her lover, only to remember she had nothing. She was alone, shamed, and surely left for dead in a house that was no longer a home. As she lowered her weary, pounding head in despair, Nathalie felt a gentle little hand touch her shoulder, though she knew no one was there.
"I haven't forgotten," a woman's familiar yet childlike voice assured its lonely audience. Her head jolting towards the source of the sound, the purple-haired woman saw nothing and no one within the room. Though she could not see the one that called to her, Nathalie knew she must have been an angel from Heaven. "Find me…"
Unable to fight the image her mind knew to be her true destination, Nathalie stood up and attempted to walk away from what she refused to understand. The truth no longer served a purpose to her, and no joy would come from its discovery, she knew.
"Hey, Nathalie?" a truly familiar voice spoke up, turning the woman's head. His warm, loving eyes gazing with concern at the woman who had become a surrogate mother to him, Adrien slowly approached his guardian. "Nathalie, are you alright? Um, no…No, I don't mean that…I know that something is wrong. Please, tell me. Let me help you."
Her eyes glossy, the purple-haired woman walked towards her charge, her face expressing confusion and yet, a sense of purpose as she slowly raised her arms and ran her fingers through his wavy blond hair. "…You look so much like your mother, Adrien," she exclaimed with sorrow in her voice. Sensing his guardian's pain, Adrien stood still and allowed her the comfort she needed.
As images of Emilie, her kindness, and the promise she brought of a brighter tomorrow began to flood through Nathalie's mind, she felt a crushing sorrow overtake her heart, only for Emilie's true nature to wash over her and dry her tears. Emilie's memory soothed what the cruel world had tried so hard to take.
"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Gabriel's harsh voice broke the silence. "The dining hall looks a mess, and I won't…"
"Father, no," Adrien declared with forcefulness in his voice. "…I can't let Nathalie do any work today…I'm going to spend the day with her. She should be around someone she can talk to."
"I don't like the manner you're speaking to me, son," Gabriel replied, his voice like that of a snake. "Remember, I am your father and the master of this house."
"Yes, but Nathalie's job is to take care of me," the blond young man boldly retorted, his voice one of concern and not of anger. "And, today, I need her. We're going into town, Father. We'll be back later."
Before anyone could utter a word of complaint, Adrien took his guardian's hand and quickly walked her through the room and out the door, leaving Gabriel alone. Staring at the door as it shut, the man tightened his eyes as feelings he could not yet fathom began to flood his mind.
Walking down the sidewalk, Adrien refused to let his friend's hand go. "I'm so sorry for how he's been treating you," he exclaimed, nearly on the verge of tears. "He's always so cold, but I can tell you're in pain."
"Adrien, you're not allowed to leave the house like this," Nathalie attempted to dissuade her charge. "Your father only wants what's best for you."
"No, Nathalie, he only cares about himself," the blond young man insisted. "Besides, this isn't for me…I want to be here for you."
"Adrien, stop this!" the purple-haired woman commanded, stopping the boy immediately. "Your father loves you. Everything he does is for you…I am his employee. I have an obligation to him to fulfill the duties he has given me."
"Aren't I one of your duties?" Adrien replied with a growing sense of pain in his voice. "Didn't you say you'd always be there for me? Didn't you promise?" Nathalie's glance shifted towards the ground. "Nathalie, you're not just one of my dad's assistants…You're my friend. You're a part of my family…The way he treats you is wrong. Please…The thing I need now, more than anything, is to know you're okay. All I'm asking is just one day in the sun…That's all I need."
"…You truly are your mother's son," Nathalie gave in with a smile. Adrien smiled back at his surrogate mother and continued down the sidewalk with her hand in his own.
Despite the looming darkness of the morning, which now seemed like a lifetime ago, the day proved bright and warm as a cool breeze blessed the land and all who stood upon it. As they followed an undecided path, Nathalie glanced over at Adrien and couldn't help but see the days they would spend together. Although the times were at their purest when Gabriel and Emilie walked with them, every walk Nathalie and Adrien went on with just one another was sacred. During Emilie's final days, as her thin, pale body lay at rest within a sterile hospital room, the purple-haired woman spent most of the time not devoted to sitting at her sweetest friend's side trying to comfort the confused and suffering child. Now, he was doing the same for her.
Stopping at a park near the Dupain-Cheng family's bakery, the two sat beside one another atop a green bench. Not far in the distance stood a life-size marble statue commemorating Ladybug and Chat Noir while depicting them rushing into action. Nathalie glanced at the image for a moment, conflicted by her feelings toward the young heroes, and the truth she was forced to hide. Until recently, she had allowed herself to separate her employer and beloved friend's mission with the Miraculous' heroic deeds. Now, the harsh reality was beginning to set in, and the line between good and evil blurred even further. Turning away, the woman settled for a sight infinitely more comforting: Adrien, the boy she had known and loved since his birth, now a young man, smiling at a group of children as they made their way through the park with a woman who must have been their mother.
"…Your mother used to be the same way," Nathalie warmly declared.
"Huh?" Adrien replied as he turned to his guardian.
"She loved children," the purple-haired woman explained. "No matter what she was going through, she always managed to smile for them. Whenever they'd smile back, her eyes would light up. Even now…you look so much like her, Adrien."
"Thanks, Nathalie," Adrien warmly accepted the compliment. "…I miss her, a lot."
"I do too," Nathalie answered with a sigh. "The only sin she ever committed…was leaving too soon." At any other moment, the sorrowful words that slipped through the woman's mouth would never have been allowed, but her ailing mind and unhappy heart now spoke louder than her reason or care.
Folding his hands, the blond young man nodded his head. "…Yeah," he choked out under the weight of a painful agreement. "Yeah, I think you're right."
"Adrien, I didn't mean…" the woman attempted to reclaim her grace.
"How could she leave me, Nathalie?" Adrien begged as his eyes quickly filled with tears. As he looked up at his guardian, she found it hard to believe he was no longer the child who needed her protection. "I mean…I know she was sick, but…couldn't she have stayed? Just a little longer? …Why wasn't I enough to make her stay?"
As the suffering young man lowered his head and wept without fear or shame, he soon felt a gentle and loving hand, like that of his long-lost mother, rest upon his left shoulder. "You were, Adrien," Nathalie assured him with no trace of doubt in her voice. "But the disease was too much for her body to take. She fought so hard to stay with you…" Images flashed through the purple-haired woman's mind, showing her Emilie's desperate expression as she struggled so greatly to take in breath as streams of blood flowed from her nostrils in that sterile hospital bed. "…And I'm so sorry you couldn't say goodbye to her, one last time."
Snuffing back and trying to maintain enough composure to speak, Adrien's voice cracked until it was distorted by his pain and sorrow. "I don't hate her for leaving," he managed to force out as his reddened eyes flowed with hot tears and his nostrils released thick streams of mucus. "I just…Why does everybody leave me?" Throwing himself forward, the young man buried his face in Nathalie's inner shoulder as his arms wrapped tightly around her ribs.
Started at first, the woman soon lowered all defenses and placed her arms around the child's back, hushed him lovingly, and gently stroked his trembling shoulders with the love of a mother. "It's alright, Adrien," she spoke just above a whisper. "It's alright…She knows you're in pain. She doesn't blame you." Coughing out muffled cries of sadness repressed for far too long, Adrien allowed himself to receive the love he had once fought as a child. "It's okay, Adrien. I'm here. I'm right here beside you… Everything will be okay."
Years ago, Nathalie had stood alone at the tree she and Emilie had planted in their younger days. Just a sapling when their softer hands had placed it in the soil, the fruit of their labor now stood tall and proud, its branches extending in all directions. Clenching her fists, the woman swore at the wind as she thrust her foot against the tree's base over and over again. "You said you'd never leave me alone!" she cried out, just before the tears began to fall. "You promised! So why the hell aren't you here?" Gritting her teeth, Nathalie soon fell to her knees and dropped her head. "Damn you for leaving me, Emilie. Damn you…" The suffering woman then spread her arms and embraced the tree she had planted with her beloved friend. "I'll…never forgive you for that, Emilie…" Burying her face as she would with a sister, Nathalie tightly clenched her eyes shut as the image of a blond angel wrapped her arms around her back.
"…I miss her too, Adrien," Nathalie confessed in a whisper as she tightly held her beloved boy.
Once their tears finally dried, the two continued through the park. The expression of sorrow had paved the path for peace and relief to once again shine within their troubled hearts. Running ahead, Adrien stopped at a yellow bench. "Nathalie," he called out. "You remember when I was five and we came here together?"
"No, Adrien, you came here by yourself, and I chased after you," the purple-haired woman replied as a sneaky smile crept across her face. "By the time I found you, you were out of breath and resting on this same bench. I trapped you in a bear hug and laid down on top of you. I think we spent the rest of the afternoon like that." The two laughed before sitting down upon the old, yellow bench.
Making their way to a small cart, Adrien ordered Nathalie's favorite snack, split it in two, and handed the larger of the pieces to her. Unaffected by the stress or nausea that had plagued her for days, Nathalie smiled and took a bite, permitting Adrien to do the same.
As the two went about their way through the city, Nathaniel, Alix, and Ivan crossed their path, giving a quick wave as a greeting, and continued without looking back. "Whoa, she was hot," Ivan exclaimed without knowing who Nathalie was or that she could hear him clearly. Stunned, the woman blushed and inspired a good-natured chuckle from her charge. After a moment, Nathalie was able to find the humor as well, and promptly joined in.
"So, are you and that Marinette girl pretty close?" the purple-haired woman asked as she and Adrien watched the city grow smaller as their small, black cart rose up in a circular rotation.
Blushing, the young man felt his heart begin to pound. "Um, I mean…I-I like her, but…" he stammered, feeling the uncomfortably warm sweat forming on the back of his neck. "We're just… We're just friends, you know? I mean…I like her, but…It just…won't work out right now."
Nathalie's face took on a sympathetic smile as she placed her hand upon Adrien's. "I understand," she warmly answered. "Does she know how you feel?" Adrien nodded his head. "And she feels the same way?"
"I think so," the blond boy confessed. "I mean, we…" As Adrien spoke, the holy image of the kiss Ladybug and Chat Noir shared began to glisten in his mind. "…We tried, for a while, but she said there was…just too much going on right now for us to really…be something. I'm just afraid that…when it's all over, she might not feel the same way about me anymore. I keep thinking she's going to find someone better."
"Adrien, I've known you since the day you were born," Nathalie sharply replied in a nearly scolding voice. "You are a sweet, caring, kindhearted young man. There is no one better than you. Things don't always work out…but that doesn't mean it's your fault. We're all different, and we all want different things. But, if I ever hear you put yourself down like that again…" Just because you can't live up to the advice you give, doesn't mean it's wrong for him. "I'll never forgive you."
Smiling, Adrien nodded his head and forced himself to forgive who he used to be. "…Okay," he promised. "What about you, Nathalie? Is there somebody you've got your eyes on?"
"…No, not at this time."
"You're lying," Adrien declared. "You're really good at keeping secrets, but I can tell when you're lying about the important stuff. Who is it?"
"…Adrien, I've been around a long time," Nathalie began to explain herself as their black cart aligned with the rays of the sun. "There were people in the past I thought I loved: There were people I thought I was meant to be with…But it just wasn't there for me. This isn't the case with you, but love isn't for me in that way. I don't have another half out there looking or waiting for me, so I just gave up on that dream and focused on what was in front of me." Though she had made the same confession to herself so many times, the woman still felt a lump welling up in her throat as those painful words of bitter surrender came out.
"Nathalie, I'm sorry," Adrien replied with sorrow mingled with shame in his voice. "You're an awesome person. I'm sure there's someone out there if that's what you want."
"Thank you, Adrien," the purple-haired woman warmly answered. What a beautiful lie…