The portrait was magnificent, true beauty. The young man looked like an angel with gold locks that were now slick back with a small amount of gel. Unlike an angel he wore a black petticoat with a dark green scarf that reached down to his waist, which was quite the journey seeing how he was pushing six feet. His perfect smile, guaranteed by the thousands of dollars his father had spent on in his early teen life, a must-have for his debut in modeling. But this wasn't a magnificent painting, not a statue created by Michelangelo, but my lovely reflection in the tall mirror that occupied Mireille's living room. Grinning and stroking another loose fly-away, I looked up the staircase with longing as my date was taking her sweet time. But I guess it was for the best because she came down with a thin looking long sweater, braided designs that reached her exposed knees. She wore a dark green winter jacket fit with fingerless gloves. Her dark brown boots that came to her calf gave her an extra three inches, she must've came up to my shoulder now. Everything looked bare and fresh, accept her makeup that was excelent executed but felt much unneeded for her natural beauty. I couldn't help myself blush when I saw her approach me, kissing my cheek on her tiptoes leaving a sticky imprint from her lipgloss. "Ready?" I managed to find my composure, happy that my voice didn't crack with puberty.
"Ready!" She beamed, grabbing her purse, one that looked almost identical to Marinette's. Shaking the image and the incident that happened that day out of my head, I extended my elbow for her to latch on and guided her carefully to the black sleek mercedes. Like the gentleman I am I opened the passenger side door for my date, and with that I drove us to an italian restaurant, not to cheap or expensive for the first date.
….
"Hello! My name is Lily, I'll be your waitress. Are you ready to order?"
"Oh yes! I'll take a water with a lemon and your apple breaded chicken salad, with italian dressing." Mireille executed the perfect almost calorie-free meal order I've probably heard a million times by my exgirlfriends. Toying with the menu I couldn't help but wonder if she'll just be another one. I blew off the thought thinking I didn't really care either way. I'll learn to love her if we're meant to be.
"I'll take the steak tips with a caesar salad on the side, and a coke please." The waitress blushed unwillingly at the smile I gave her and then received a deadly glare from my date.
"Okay, your orders will be out soon." And with that she bounced away just as she came.
"So… Thank you for, you know, everything." Mireille started, still keeping a conscious eye on our waitress.
"Oh, no it's my pleasure." I pretty much purred out, winking at her surprised embarrassment.
"Adrien, I really like you." It looked like she was fighting to keep her eye contact with mine, like fighting to keep her words steady and blushing under control. It was really cute actually, despite only talking to her for one day, I confessed prematurely.
"I like you too." My hand found her's and I squeezed lighting. "A lot."
…
The streets looked bleak and drained, my boots skidding on patches of ice on the sidewalk. Not wanting to face that fact I was walking into a cold home that still smells warm and of the sweets I've grown to love and to bake, sharing the love of my family. Shrugging, I put in my headphones and played my favorite Imagine Dragons songs, starting with Battle Cry as its beat helped me draw out my surroundings. Smiling slightly only at the familiar or endearing glances I got from neighbors or people my age. It wasn't until I slowed down my speed as I came to my street. Glancing at my phone, not to change the song but to remind me of the time that it was almost 6:30 and that the December weather threatened my health. Sighing I took bigger strides, no longer drawing out my time from my house that was surely to be dark as if it was haunted by angst and the strong feelings that only my family and I were exposed to. To any other stranger it would've looked like an apartment building abandoned by its occupants for the upcoming holidays. I fiddled with the keys that stung my chapped hands, silently cursing my unpreparedness. I shrugged my backpack off, stripping the layers that clung to my sweaty body, all but my face and hands, if on cue with the door slamming shut from the breeze, Tikki came rushing out still eating the sugar cookies I had purchased at Starbucks before my "little" journey around Paris.
"Marinette these are my favorite," She flew to the kitchen, probably to draw herself a cup of cold milk to dip it in as she usually did. "Are you okay?" She called.
"Huh? Yeah." I was half conscious of the demigod who was enjoying her cookies and milk on the counter, where the empty cash register sat. I was fiddling with my phone once again to see if Alya could come over. "Wow."
"What?" She said between chews.
"Alya read my message, two hours ago, and hasn't responded. She's probably too busy sucking the face of her boyfriend." I rolled my eyes and started walking to the kitchen to get a box of cheez-its I've been craving all day.
"Oooh, jealous are we?"
I snorted, "Oh please, as if I have the time for a boyfriend." It was my only excuse, really.
"Mhm," She winked mischievously. Then she slowly blinked, setting down the cookie she was so happily examining. "Hey, about what that teacher said, is it true?"
"Is what true?" I asked numbly.
"That your designs- they're just hobbies?"
"Well yeah, what'd you expect?" I set down the box of crackers and stood in the doorway, facing the counter where my friend sat. "I mean we're in PARIS. And fashion is such a big and exclusive industry, as if I could make it, and odds I'll be spending my life trying to save whatever this-" My hands waved around, gesturing the bakery, "-Is."
"I don't think so." I saw her posture slightly shrink. I rolled my head in exhaustion, scratching it trying to find what to say.
"I'm not giving it up, Tikki, everything will work out, okay?" Walking towards her, she turned slightly to my presence, still not convinced in my own stability. "I just need you to be here for me, okay?"
She looked shock, and hurt as if she regretted whatever conclusions I had came up with in my head, "Of course! I'll always be there!" She turned fully towards me, floating eye level to share a tearful stare. "You'll be there for me too, right?"
"Of course!" I scoffed, shaking my head of the tears, a gross grin spreading to my face and infectiously to hers. "We're partners, right?"
"Speaking of partners, I sense an akuma," She groaned, "Ready?"
"Uhg…. Can't we leave this to that cat?"
"Something's telling me Plagg hasn't transformed yet, c'mon, the hatred doesn't seem that strong. It'll be over in a jiffy. C'monnnn." She pulled my sleeve.
"Okay! Fine, let's do this. Tikki, spots on!"
…
One thing or another, I was back in Mireille's house, we stood in the threshhold practically sucking our faces off. Her lipgloss left my cheeks and jawline sticky and chilled as the a breeze from the door I was pinned against on brushed passed us. Her hands were practically scrubbing my scalp, trying to get a good grip on me, as the distance between us increased when she expertly kicked her boots off. I was still trying to fumble with my jacket she just unbutton, being very careful to hang it up as Plagg was still sleeping in the inner pocket. "Mire-" I gasped but she took the opportunity to explore as I opened my mouth. I groaned, sliding my hands inside her jacket's sleeves to take it off. She unlatched, unwillingly, pulling him to the sofa that occupied the living room.
"Adrien, I've had such an amazing night," Her eyes hungry with desire. her hands sliding from my hands to the hem of my v-neck.
"Mireill-" I tried again, gasping for a break, I frantically took in the surroundings but struggled as I slouched down to meet her lips. My eyes caught the reflection of my flushed face, a black form darted back in forth with stealth, although I don't think she'd noticed if my demigod just blatantly flew in front of her face. I paused my moving lips and hands, she saw the lack of motivation and backed away to meet my eyes.
"What? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just remembered-" I glanced at the clock, "My father, he wanted to have a meeting with me around 7." I felt embarrassed that it was I who tried to decipher the makeout session, and not the girl's parents or their eagerness to withhold taking it to any other levels. "Hey, I'll call you after." I started backing away from her grasp and to the door we just barged in from.
"Wha-What?" She was winded and still trying to comprehend the situation.
"I have to leave," Grabbing my jacket and scarf from the rack by the threshold, feeling Plagg hide behind my back, I stepped towards my girlfriend with unsettled nerves. "I'll call you, okay?" I grabbed one her hand and moved one of her black strand of hair from her face. She looked remarkably like Marinette, with her blue eyes and black hair… Anger and something else tugged my heart, guilt probably- Guilt for my girlfriend.. Or I hoped.
She still looked confused and embarrassed, holding one arm she hesitated smiled up at me and nodded. "Okay." She got on her tippy toes and brushed her bruised lips on mine. Taken back, I smiled ghostly and lingered a little longer than I should before briskly slipping out the door and into my car. Going way passed the speeding limit, I found myself parked in an alley, waiting for Plagg to speak.
"Akuma?"
"Yeah, it doesn't feel too bad." He spared. I slammed my head into the steering wheel with regrettable force.
"Can't Ladybug handle this?" I groaned.
"Hey, I've been in your pocket ALL DAY. I deserve this." He filled his mouth with the cheese stash in the dashboard. I silently wondered if Mireille could've smelled the cheese I hide in my jacket pocket. I chose the least smelliest to my favor, and not to Plagg's sadly. He's right, he does deserve it. "Thank you." He added seeing me give up whatever resistance I had.
"C'mon, let's just do this." I said as a blinding flash admitted from the car.
…
The akuma must've been an elder man, he was pissed off about… Buying toys? Spoiled kids? The true meaning of Christmas? He was shouting as he turned spoiled little girls and boys into soulless soldiers who started destroying toys and gifts. It wasn't the worse akuma, I mean his hatred wasn't driven by anyone in particular. He wore a dark red robe with golden straps that rose around him like tentacles or wings that kept him airborne. He had a belt full of candy cane knives and ornament bombs he didn't waste throwing them at me. I rolled my eyes as I effortlessly did flips from building to building, stopping once in awhile to save someone who was stupid enough to stay in the direct path of the deadly orbs. I thought it was safe to say Chat wasn't going to show up, but as always he pounced right by my side to get a glance at the damage and akuma.
"What's the motive?" He sighed heavily, in a pouncing position. I glared at the light reflecting from certain parts of his face as if it was wet-or sticky.
"What does it look like?" I snapped, still fuming about what occurred in school earlier today. He straighten up and gave me an annoying look.
"What you can't spare two seconds to elaborate? Or is it too much for you?" He put his hands on his hip, his glare threatening me to say another word. So I didn't, I flipped towards the next building behind the akuma instead.
Once again he rolled his eyes to see what was suppose to be his partner leave him hanging. I used my yoyo to catch hold of one of the straps that seemed to be floating on water, but in mid air. I jumped down the tall 6-story building, gripping the yoyo for dear life, dragging him down with me. He hit the ground with a bone crunching impact. I took the chance to slam my foot right in the center of his head, his white curls that mimicked a certain iconic figure of December coming loose. Since I couldn't really hit a bunch of five and ten year olds, I did my best to avoid their candy canes swords, but one managed to graze my right side. I winced and pounced back from where I was holding down the Akuma, taking the yoyo that wrapped him up. Chat came up from behind me, managing to push down an older kid who would've cut me once again, as my back was entirely open when I was moving away from the akuma. I stifled a 'thank you,' finding us both stagger for balance on an edge of a building.
"Any idea on where the akuma is?" He tried again.
"I think, the only thing that didn't look like it belonged on his santa outfit was a pin, it looked really old and said something about Christmas Town or something."
"Probably something he treasure from his childhood. I think I know who the poor chap is." He bent down, squinting towards the man who was spitting more order to the kids to destroy the candy and toy shops.
I raised an eyebrow. "You do?" Didn't think he cared enough to remember faces that weren't glued to his face.
"Yeah," He hesitated, eyeing my behavior. I shrugged, I didn't feel like shooting him an uncalled for insult. He blinked away once again and standing up again, like a cat stretching its back but kept going until they were on their hind legs. "He used to give me toys when I was younger, small wooden ones. He said I looked and acted like an angel." I snorted but he decided to brush it off. "He was big on the whole Christmas scene but always hated how spoiled the kids who vandalized his toys and shops were." I did notice how he kept one shop guarded and protected in the aftermath of destroying every other tourist attractions toy and candy shops. The shop was called Christmas Town. My family never took me to this part of town very much, especially around Christmas time for obvious reasons seeing how many toy shops and attractions there were.
"Soo.. Destroy the pin?" I tried, kicking off some debri off the roof, grinning as it managed to strike the akuma on the head. I glanced up to see him looking down on me. I never did like our height difference. His face looked like I was speaking another language.
"That's our only option." He cracked his knuckles and rolled his eyes. Claws out and extended he dove head first towards the akuma. But the wall of kids basically left him hopeless. He couldn't risk hurting them with his cataclysm.. Sighing I called out Tikki for my lucky charm. I glared as a wind up toy fell in my hand. It was a toy nutcracker. I used my vision to draw out a plan, using the surroundings to my favor. I swung my yoyo opposite from the crowd and placed the wounded toy away from the crowed, quite a long way.
"Hey Santa! Forget something?" I teased. The akuma's eyes blazed as he saw the toy that wasn't destroyed.
"I'm tired of all of you asking for what you want and not doing a single thing to deserve it. Including you LadyBug and Chat Noir! Acting as if your violent behaviors are acceptable! After them, redeem yourself my children!" He roared,
I shot Chat Noir a look, he was obviously worried and confused upon seeing the lucky charm, the ladybug designed toy, that was suppose to help us defeat this man and army of children. I shot my glare towards a billboard, of course it was Adrien's modeling face on an upcoming fashion show, and met his once again. He cringed noticeably, seeing that he understood he had to use his cataclysm to destroy his beautiful face. But he did it with little resistant to my relief. I took the chance to swing my yoyo by the akuma, saving and pushing the little wall of kids that hadn't been approaching the moving toy and were right where the billboard will fall. To my luck, I moved them with little injuries as the board fell cutting the street's path. Before the akuma could rise above the segregating barrier, I shouted to Chat to jump down on him. Which he did gracefully despite not knowing what to do, I rolled my eyes of course. Knowing I had limited time, I pounced ontop of the edge of the billboard where I hopped to a street light. Then, maneuvering the yoyo back to my grasp, I threw it once again to hook on his wavering straps of his robe, the one Chat wasn't hanging on for dear life, like a cat who was about to fall into a tub. Getting a secure hold of the Akuma I did flips off the extended bar on the light post I occupied. Taking the beginning of the yoyo, it gradually got shorter as it was being wrapped around with every flip, gradually and painfully yanking the akuma down with it. With one final flip, I head butted him in the gut after using the swinging momentum to pin him painfully on the cement. It happened in a flash of red. Straddling the akuma's unconscious body, I swiped the pin from the collar of the white blouse he wore underneath his thick robe. He really did look like Santa. I hopped backwards, away from his flailing arms to get his pin back. I wasted no time slamming the heel of my boots on it, breaking it in a flash. The black butterfly rose infront of my nose. Drawing back my yoyo I managed to purify it before it could fly away.
"Bye bye butterfly," I muttered, now fully aware I had been holding my breathe. Chat pounced silently towards my side, and handed me the lucky charm. He must've been holding the kids back and keeping everything safe after I lost him. I nodded, taking it from his hand and throwing it in the sky where it burst into light, recovering everything that had been destroyed in the last hour. We turned to the akuma victim who held his pin fondly and scratching his head with his free hand.
"What happened?" The man's gaze went to the both of us. I shrugged and give him a heartwarming smile, which he surprisingly, and confusingly, returned. Chat Noir was too busy rolling his eyes at my kind gesture. A pang of hatred shot through me.
"What?" I poked his chest, no longer caring about the older man on the ground.
He rubbed the place I poked, returning my glare. "Nothing, just thinking how fake you are, princess."
I cocked an eyebrow. "Excuse me? I'm fake?"
He wiped what looked like a smirk off his face, and extended his hands as if he was referencing to my body. "Yeah I mean look at you! You'd do anything for people who'd throw you a bone. Damn, you have everyone wrapped around your finger huh."
"Says the douche who chases anything in a skirt." I shot back, steaming with anger. He stepped back and glanced to look around, as if he was expecting someone to be there behind him.
"Wow. Hey, I think your facade is breaking, and on camera, too." He shrugged, "Have fun, my lady." He cooed and hopped backwards onto the street light I swung from before, and then into the darkness with a glance to his ring and a wave to the forming crowd. My face was scorching hot, I knew for the fact it was red, I didn't even have to look in the reflection of the cameras that surrounded me. What made it worse is that Alya was in the crowd as well, with Nino right on her tail. She had ditched me like I thought. I shot her a glare, not remembering my appearance. With a wave of annoyance towards the reporters, I swung my yoyo and darted from the scene with ease. Leaving them all starstruck and disappointed with their loving super hero.
I soundlessly made it way through the roof of my house, not risking to see if my parents had came back to where ever they had scattered to. Sitting down in a huff I spun around in my rolling chair, Tikki who wasted no time to dart downstairs to finish the sugar cookies. I flinched when my arm brushed my side, I was reminded of the wound I got that was now scabbed, or somewhat. I took off my shirt and went into the bathroom. Usually teenage girls would spend money on clothing and underwear, I spent it on first aid kits and makeup, no not the red lipsticks or new Naked pallet, but everyday makeup to cover the bruises and scars I got as a hero. It was painful to see my collection, as if I was sacrificing even more for my family and friends, oh and what seemed like the world. It pained me more that my parents would throw my purchases in my face, as if they really spent time to know what I was going through. Adrien doesn't have to worry about any of this. I shook my head, sadden that I was blaming my parents who were going through just as much with their marriage, bakery, and financial struggles. Deciding to take a shower in the morning, I made my way back to my desk to start sketching some new ideas to waste time, I had already finished homework during my detention. Alya's ringtone is what woke me from concentration. I picked it up eagerly, forgetting entirely that I was mad at her. She sounded out of breath.
"Hey Mari, I'm so so sorry I just got your text, I was just so busy-"
"With Nino?" I said flatly, that drew her back.
"...Yeah, I wanted him to meet my parents and it was going so good, I wanted to text you about it but I didn't want to spoil the moment." She recovered quickly from the sorrow in her voice. "Hey guess what, though!"
I had some guilt, understanding she wouldn't ignore me nothing.. "What?" I giggled, kicking away from my desk and turning in my wheely chair.
"LadyBug GLARED at me!" She sounded like she didn't believe it herself.
"No way!" I tried to match her tone, stopping abruptly by slamming a foot down, my dizziness leaving me momentarily delusional.
"Yeah… I got it on camera, I was video taping her battle with some santa guy."
"Are you going to upload it on your blog?" I was genuinely curious rather than concerned, sure I'm ladybug but I only really care about my citizen appearance. I was saving Paris, why care what they say? I was doing it for them anyways. Anger shot through me, remembering the incident with Chat.
"I don't know.. I mean I can cut it out but.." I nodded, knowing she couldn't see me and continued to spin aimlessly in my chair. "She saves the day so I'm sure she gets tired with all the publicity. And it looked like she and Chat were fighting again. I'm sure it meant nothing."
"Me too." I replied happily. "Oh! Mireille invited me to a party this weekend and said I could invite you, you in?"
"Yes! Definitely. We getting ready at your place?"
"Yeah! Always. I have some new dresses too, you're welcome to them." I grinned at her gasp.
"Hell yeah! Okay, I really need to upload the other video I took, people are bombarding me with questions about the fight earlier tonight. Text ya later. Love you."
"Love you! Have fun okay, byeee." I ended it just as Tikki came in. "Tired?"
She struggled to nod and keep her eyelids open, I shook my head at her. Too cute. "Good work today, Mari." She managed to say without yawning.
"It was thanks to you," I made it to the bed with her in my palms, collapsing onto it. She snuggled up to my cheek and sighed. "Night, Tikki."
"Ni-ni." She said sweetly. And like that we both drifted to sleep, I couldn't even remember the fact that my parents were out. I was intoxicated with bliss that Tikki slept beside me and that she was happily contempt. It felt like all my anxiety and pain today were wiped away in an instant because with Alya and Tikki by my side, it felt like things were getting better.
...
Sorry, it'll get interesting. I'm kind of going with the flow, as usual. I'm really excited and happy for this new story. Hope you guys like it, please review! It fills my heart with love and motivation seeing your compliments and words of encouragement. Especially the guests! I always get a little sad seeing I can't respond to your compliments. They mean a lot. Okay, til' next time. New chapter for Under Paris' Sky will be out soon.