A/N: Re-uploaded with correct document.
Marinette looked up at the towering Wayne Foundation building, reverently tracing the way its spires jutted into the sky. Architecture was something she admired in Gotham. Coming from Paris, that was high praise, but where Paris was old, welcoming, and familiar, Gotham was harsh and stark.
"Well, are you just going to stand there and gawk or actually go inside, Dupain-Cheng?"
She started at the familiar haughty sniff behind her, whirling with wide eyes to face one Chloe Bourgeois. Who- Oh Kwami she was an idiot. Chloe was even wearing the dress Marinette had made for her for a mystery event happening around this time. This event.
"I wanted to tell you," Kagami said, suddenly appearing at Chloe's side, "but she insisted it be a surprise."
Kagami too was clad in an MDC original, though an older commission. Marinette vaguely recalled making it last year for the girl's birthday. Together, the three cut a striking image in the crowd. It couldn't be said that MDC's designs were… safe by any means. Each outfit pushed the boundaries of what one could get away with at a formal event.
Kagami's Haori and Hakama-inspired combo certainly drew looks from the Western crowd, appearing almost underdressed among the crowd of dresses that clung tight to lithe thighs. Of course, it drew even more looks from those with knowledge of the traditions behind the formalwear, both from who chose to wear it and the lavish embroidery and cut that made the edges ripple like flame.
Chloe's outfit aligned closer with the sensibilities of the rest of the gala, though the design clearly took inspiration from old Hollywood, aiming for timeless rather than the current fad, bordering on too much decadence. Her form-fitting dress fell just below the knee, golden fabric shimmering this way and that in the mood lighting, revealing a shimmering pattern of honeycomb along the surface. A wool capelet trimmed with fur completed the look. A capelet Marinette knew for certain could unfold until it was large enough to wrap someone up in. She distinctly remembered deciding not to ask if Chloe's request for the size was for the purposes of protection or hiding a body.
With a gentle tap on the jaw, courtesy of Chloe, Marinette's jaw snapped shut. Her mind spurred back into action, confusion replacing surprise. "But what? How?" Another thought struck her and she stood up on the tips of her toes, teetering to peer over the girls' shoulders. "Is Adrien here too?"
"No," Chloe all but growled, "someone decided to take him off the guest list."
"The Wayne family is picky with who they support. The Agreste name no longer aligns with their standards." Kagami stepped forward, looping an arm through Marinette's.
Chloe took her other side. "Something we will be fixing while we're here."
Allowing them to drag her forward, Marinette shook her head. "That- You didn't answer my question."
"Oh, please, Dupain-Cheng. Everyone who's anyone knows each other."
Which, yes, for Chloe that made some sense. Who would dare snub Audrey Bourgeois at an event like this? But for Kagami…?
"I am an acquaintance of Damian Wayne," Kagami answered before she could ask. "He is quite an adept fencer."
Her mouth opened. "Wait, did you fight him because of the Lea-" She never got to finish her sentence as the girls dragged her through the threshold, thrusting her into a world that was decidedly not her own. Finely dressed women hung on the arms of stiff, solemn men as they meandered and mingled through the pleasantly crowded ballroom. Idly, she noted Chloe handing their invitations over to a staff member.
And then they were in the thick of it.
Tim's phone buzzed thrice. He pulled it out, mouth set in a thin line, and politely excused himself from a talk with a Lex Corp. Head of Acquisitions. She was here, her invitation scanned in at the front not even a minute ago. Now he just had to find her before his siblings did.
Head on a swivel, he scanned the crowd, easily weaving between clusters of conversationalists and lightly swaying dancers, none of which were her. He kept moving, gaze skimming over a group of three girls near the entrance as she brushed past. Only to catch Damian making his way toward him with a surprising amount of… excitement? He had the sleeve of Cass' jumpsuit fisted in his hand as he dragged her along with him.
Turning to find where Damian was going, he spotted more fast movement from the corner of his eye. Dick was racing toward him as well, with gleeful purpose.
Tim closed his eyes. It was the three girls who he passed over before. He didn't think much of them at the time. He assumed Marinette would come alone given how unfamiliar she seemed with the Wayne family in general. Turning on his heel, he darted back toward them, not quite shoving people out of the way but not exactly being gentle as he slipped past either. He'd probably get a lecture from Alfred later.
Then he was there. Standing in front of her. And damn… she looked like a Drake. Well… mostly. He wasn't quite sure about the dress… It seemed to be some sort of leaf-patterned leather? Shaking his head, he tried desperately to find something to say as an awkward silence stretched on.
"Chloé!" A loud, familiar shout broke the group from their awkward staring contest. Dick cut into the group expertly, immediately angling for a hug from the blonde girl. The girl's expression melted from haughty and judging of Tim to soft affection as she happily leaned into Dick's arms.
"Hi Dick," she murmured.
He clocked it then, seeing them together. Chloé Bourgeois, daughter of Paris' Mayor and, more importantly, Audrey Bourgeois. She came to this gala every year with her parents when she was younger. And every year, without fail, they wandered off without her. Dick had noticed first and taken the girl under his wing.
Marinette and her other friend, however, still seemed lost. After a couple hushed whispers passed between Dick and Chloé in French, the girl stepped away from his arms and turned back to her friends. "Dupain-Cheng, Tsurugi, this is Dick Grayson. He's…" she trailed off, lips pursed, trying to think of the word."
"Her gala husband," Dick answered for her with an easy grin. "And you must be Marinette and Kagami, right? Small world."
"Small world indeed, Grayson."
Tim didn't react. He was too professional for that. But he did note the immediate sinking in his gut as Damian joined the group. As usual, the kid had his arms crossed petulantly, her all out of sorts despite his pristine suit. Hair that was gelled… A slow grin split his lips as he ran a deliberate hand across Damian's head, smoothing out the spikes until it was flat to his skull.
A scoff. The kid whirled around, anger blazing in his eyes. Instinctively, Tim lightened his stance, ready to dodge the katana that would normally come his way by now. But it seemed the kid was full of surprises today as his anger turned to haughty disappointment.
"I see your childish antics, Drake, but seeing as I am the bigger man, I shall choose not to respond." He turned, offering a deferential bow to the girl on Marinette's other side. Extending an arm he said, "Come, Tsurugi, let's find more pleasant company."
"Of course, Wayne." Tim noted the pointed look that passed between Tsurugi and Marinette before Damian whisked her away. He didn't miss the small nod of permission Marinette gave.
Dick let out a low whistle, watching Damian go. Then turned to Tim excitedly. "That was smooth? Did you see that?" A pause, then a hopeful, "Do you think he learned it from me?"
With a dismissive eye roll, Tim answered. "Yeah. Sure."
"Oh! I see Barbara!" Chloé said, excitement lighting her features once again and serving the fortunate dual purpose of catching Dick's attention too.
"Go say hi to your friends, Chloé," Marinette said, her command soft but firm.
The girl tore her eyes from Barbara to share a silent conversation with Marinette. After a moment, she nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But you know the rules, Dupain-Cheng."
With a fond smile, Marinette shooed the two away.
And then it was just them.
She broke the silence first. "Hi, Tim."
"Hey, Marinette."
He could do this.
"I am guessing you have questions."
"Yeah… A lot."
She giggled at that. Which… was not meant to be a joke but okay. "I will do my best to answer them. Maybe… over a dance?" She asked the last portion quietly, shoulders already hunching in preparation for being rejected.
He couldn't do this.
Nothing showed on his face, as far as he was aware, but his silence was likely enough. She quickly walked back her offer. "It's okay if you don't! I just find that doing something, moving or dancing or…" she shook her head to dispel the last, unvoiced thought on that list, "anyway, it helps me be less um… anxious. But if it would make you more anxious we don't have to-"
"Let's do it," he said before he could mess up the one shot he had at making this relationship work.
"-dance or anything. Wait. What?"
Stepping forward, he took her hand in his and guided her to the center of the ballroom. He took up the lead position and they began to dance. Quiet at first as he tried to get his thoughts together. Where did he even want to start with his questions? And Marinette quiet from… nerves, he guessed.
For once, he put his important questions on the back burner and offered her a softball to start. "Where did you learn to dance?"
From the way her shoulder relaxed and her expression opened, he knew he made the right call. "At school. It was silly, I liked to work backstage doing costumes for the school plays but one of the actresses dropped out and I was free so my friend Adrien gave me a quick lesson." She smiled a bit at the memory. "What about you?"
"Mother taught me when I was seven, that's when they started allowing me to come to events."
Marinette blinked. Right. Baker's daughter. Different worlds.
"Oh."
Silence stretched in the small space between them. Just as Tim was debating asking one of his more… intensive questions, Marinette beat him to it.
"What is she like?"
"Mother…?"
"Mhm."
"But…" He frowned. "We share a father, not a mother."
She only shrugged, an easy smile on her lips as they swayed. "I know. I still want to learn about her. She sounds important to you." Leaning forward in a fake conspiratorial whisper, she added, "And I need to know how to impress her if I am ever able to meet her."
"She's dead." He winced as soon as the words left his mouth. Could've phrased that one better. "Both of them are… Bruce took me in after father died. I've been with the Waynes ever since."
Her eyes widened, mouth forming an 'o'. He neatly spun her around, away from his body. When the tension between their arms pulled their bodies back together, she had recovered her composure. "I am so sorry for your loss, Tim. But I am glad you found the Waynes. They seem nice."
He accepted the platitude with an empty smile, quickly rolling with her subject change. "Really? Even after the-"
"Very scary glaring and accusations?" she asked brightly, followed by a giggle. "Yes, even after that." Her gaze turned thoughtful, cocking her head. "Now that a think about it… Chloé bullied me all through collège and some of lycée, very scary, but now we are very close. Kagami hated me when we first met and, well, she is friends with Damian. I'm sure you can guess her general mmm… countenance. And then there's Adrien…"
He filed that information away for later. "Boyfriend?"
"Best friend." She corrected him with practiced ease. "I thought he was bullying me with Chloé at first. And then he… well with his father and all, people do not think the highest of him. Even your family uninvited him from this event."
Wracking his brain, he tried to think back to any French Adriens he'd interacted with at one of these functions. Not many came to mind. Unless she was talking about Agreste but…
"Oh! I was rambling. Sorry! I just- anyway. All that to say that I make friends with scary people all the time. I find them to be the best friends once you get past their… prickly bits." She poked a teasing finger against his chest.
A little snort escaped his nose. "Prickly?" She all but had confirmation two of them were involved with the League of Assassins. And she chose to describe them as prickly. Vaguely, he began to question who exactly she would classify as dangerous.
"Oui. Prickly." Deft feet bounced on the floor as she responded to his spin. Once together again, she spoke again. "So you are adopted… Are the others as well? I could not help but notice the different last names."
"Most of us, yeah. Technically I'm his ward, not fully adopted. Dick and Jason are though. Demonspaw- Damian, is his blood son, and don't worry, he won't let you forget it."
"I see." she cast a glance back at the corner of the room where Damian had taken Tsurugi. He hadn't even noticed them in the shadowy alcove until she looked, and he could've sworn he never saw her looking in that direction before. Before he could ask, she focused back on him. "What about Stephanie?"
"Steph?" Blowing out a breath, he looked anywhere but Marinette. It wasn't embarrassing. Not really. They'd moved on amicably enough. But somehow it felt awkward to be talking with his sister about his former dating life. "No. She's not adopted or anything. She, uh, we used to date. And after we broke up she kind of just stuck around?"
A red tinge invaded Marinette's cheeks and he felt it mirrored on his own. "Oh. Okay. Um… same for Barbara too?"
He nodded quickly. "Dated Dick."
"Who did Duke date?" she asked, head tilted, brows furrowed, the flush receding from her cheeks somewhat.
Tim started. "What? No one! Why- oh." Her laughter rang in the hall, echoing like a clear bell tinged with old memory. A laugh that used to reverberate around the home. Janet's. "You're teasing me. Not even a month of knowing about you and you're already teasing your older brother. Rude!" He did his best to cover his melancholy slip with an exaggerated petulance. Almost… afraid of how natural it felt.
"I spent eighteen years without a sibling!" A mischievous grin cracked her lips. "I have to catch up for lost time."
"Damn right you do," came a voice nearby.
Tim's pout turned to a sigh. Of course, Steph would be impatient. He still had questions to ask, desperately curious to ask after Marinette's own parents. "Can't you wait?"
"Nope!" she said. "Can't actually. She's my date and I haven't even been able to say hi yet." Instantly, her attention turned to Marinette, placing an ever-so-sweet facade over her damn mischievous smirk. "Hi, Marinette."
"Hi, Stephanie."
Was Marinette flushing again? Was she nervous? But they were dancing and she seemed fine with Steph before. It couldn't be that.
"May I cut in?" Stephanie asked.
Marinette nodded her assent, her gaze traveling as it did so.
Tim let go as if burned. Steph cut in with a quick wink his way before twirling away with Marinette in her arms. He only watched from afar. Marinette had looked Steph up and down. She flushed.
His sister had a crush on his ex.
"Fuck."
"Tim didn't freak you out did he?" Steph asked as they spun away.
"No? He was nice. Nervous… but nice," Marinette answered honestly, though she was far more focused on examining the woman before her.
Stephanie dressed up nice, she decided. Her purple dress fell just above the knees, the hem asymmetrical and clearly ripped, though the flare outward and overlaid tulle spoke of some professional alteration to accommodate the fluffy petticoat she spotted poking out underneath. The neckline, however, niggled something in her memory. The sweetheart neckline and slight bunching of fabric around the bust for added texture was oddly reminiscent of dresses commonly seen at school dances. Certainly not appealing to the dress code of the gala. Then again, neither did MDC designs.
Marinette, by contrast, felt almost plain. She opted for a simple belted leather dress, sleeveless, with a V cut down the middle, and hem falling just below her knees. A deceptively simple starched white shirt with carefully puffed sleeves sat beneath it. Granted, this outfit wasn't meant to look as impressive as it ultimately was. It was… an experiment with fabric more than anything.
Leaf leather, for one, was an invention she had been dying to try. This dress provided the perfect opportunity. The mottled green patterns contrasted perfectly with the off-the-rack cut. And the shirt beneath… well, she did have a vested interest in keeping up with military fabric innovations ever since the war. The current development of a "smart" fabric had caught her eye, getting her hands on it had been a nightmare and she only had enough for one simple shirt, but it was proving an interesting experiment thus far. Hard to work with, however, resulting in a rather plain finished product.
Steph's eyes widened in surprise and Marinette forced her attention away from fashion with considerable effort. "He didn't overload you with questions?"
"No! He actually let me ask most of them." She threw up her hands in frustration, though they were quickly returned to an appropriate place on Steph's shoulder and waist."What is with all of you?"
Now it was Steph's turn to wear indignant confusion. "With us? I don't-"
"You all act like your siblings are some sort of- of- demon creatures!"
Stephanie opened her mouth.
"Ah, ah. Tim tried to call Damian demon…. something. I am sure of it. And he acted surprised when I said I found all of you nice."
Stephanie closed her mouth with a sheepish shrug. "Damian really is a demon spawn. But… Yeah. I guess we do? We mean it lovingly. Mostly."
"But why? I've seen nothing that makes me think anyone in your family is rude or mean or overbearing."
Finally, Stephanie huffed. "That's because you're new, and cute, and good. We're… Gothamites." A self-deprecating sigh left her lips. "We're all a little bit rough around the edges and we don't want to scare you off."
Cute. She called her cute and- no. Not the point. Marinette shook her head to get her thoughts back in order. "Well, I'm Parisian. We're no Gothamites but we aren't exactly well-adjusted either."
She found herself abruptly tugged in close, chest-to-chest with her date, and fought the urge to melt into the hold. Even now, with Shadowmoth long gone, old habits remained ingrained in every Parisian. Be cautious with emotion, good or bad. Let nothing show. If someone is sad, stay well away, and offer comfort only from afar. Better to be far enough to retreat if your friend gets akumatized than to be trapped by a hug. Even her court had to be careful when not transformed.
"-in the City of Love?" Stephanie was asking with a laugh. It died quickly in her throat as she took in Marinete's distant stare. "Marinette…?"
She blinked, images of hopelessly watching from afar as friend after friend turned against her fading in favor of a concerned pair of blue eyes. "Hm..?"
"Why do you think Parisians aren't well-adjusted?" Her voice was as soft as her gentle touch on Marinette's upper arms, having fallen from their assigned dancing positions.
With pursed lips, Marinette pulled away. "It's not as different from Gotham as you might think." A quick glance yielded the results she was looking for. Damian was still in a shadowy alcove monopolizing Kagami's attention. Jason, she spotted on the opposite side of the hall flirting with an older woman who, by the looks of things, had money to spare.
Stephanie was cute, and sweet, and she wanted nothing more than to spend the entire evening with her. But reality came crashing back in. She came here to get to know her new family, yes, but also to deal with the Lazarus Pit. Mission first. Then, she could come back and figure out exactly how she felt about what definitely was not a crush developing on Tim's ex-girlfriend.
"I really enjoyed dancing with you," Marinette said. "But I do need to go talk to my friends really quick. Save me a dance later…?"
Concern still lined Stephanie's normally bright face, but she nodded without complaint. "Sure thing. You know where to find me," she said with a pointed gesture toward the large buffet pushed against the Eastern wall.
Before she could think about her actions, the possible ramifications, the many many ramifications, Marinette had already darted forward and placed a feather-light kiss on Stephanie's cheek. Whispered a thank you. And disappeared.
