Everything I Want - Part 2

"Okay, I can do this," Marinette said, slapping her cheeks to get herself worked up. Then, before she could chicken out again, she rapped on the door to her father's office.

"Come in," she heard him say, and quickly stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

"Papa," she said primly, "I would like to talk to you."

Gabriel Agreste barely spared her a glance. "I'm very busy, Marinette. I'm due for a meeting here—"

"—with me," Marinette interrupted, pausing a bit at her own daring. She regained her composure and stood tall again. "I had Nathalie schedule a whole hour for us to talk, so if we make this quick, you should be able to actually get ahead in your designs afterwards."

Her father regarded her silently for a moment, then flipped to his schedule to confirm her words. She heard him hum as he found her name under the appointed time.

"Very well, Marinette," he said, lacing his fingers together. "You have my attention."

She let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.

"I want to talk to you about the issue of my going to school—"

"Absolutely not."

"But, Papa—"

"Out of the question," he growled. "I will not have you outside in that dangerous world!"

Marinette firmly told herself not to scream. Not to cry, or pout, or stomp her foot. Those were things Chloe Bourgeois did to get her way. She was not Chloe Bourgeois. She was a lady. The Lady. Ladybug.

"I am Ladybug, Papa," she reminded him, gritting her teeth to keep her words calm and even. "I am 'out there' every time you release an akuma."

"Oh, are you going to go to school in your suit, then?" Gabriel sneered at her.

"I won't need to," she replied swiftly. "But I'll have Tikki with me all the time, just in case. Please listen to my reasoning. I know the signs of an imminent attack; I know what to look for in your victims. I can help you find more people—"

"I am more than capable of doing that on my own," her father interrupted, holding up his hand. It was clear he thought the matter was over.

"And I might be able to find Chat Noir easier!" Marinette burst out, before he could dismiss her completely. That made Gabriel hesitate, just like everything else that had to do with Mama. The Cat Ring was the one thing they were missing in order to bring her back. Marinette took another deep, calming breath. "Look, you and I have both tried to sketch him to figure out who he is, but the Miraculous magic gets in the way. We know he's my age, and somewhere in the area. School's the best place to look for him, you said so yourself—that's why you keep akumatizing people from that school!"

To her delight, Gabriel appeared to be considering her words.

"I'll be able to be on the scene that much quicker," she said. "And I'll have more of a chance to catch him that way. I can—" make friends, she almost said, but she swallowed it. She didn't want Papa thinking she was going to get too distracted from her mission. "I've been having some difficulties in creating my own casual line," she said instead. "And it would really help me if I could see what people my age are wearing these days. Normal people. You've been talking about making the company more marketable…."

Her father shot her an amused glance. "You're still too young to take over my company, little bug."

She grinned at him cheekily. "More information is always better, Papa. We have the advantage here. We need to press it."

He nodded thoughtfully. "If we're going to do this," he said sternly, "we are going to do it my way…."

Marinette mentally cheered.

"I'm off to school, Mom—what's that?" Adrien skidded to a stop on his way out the kitchen door. Sabine quickly hid the piece of paper behind her back.

"It's nothing, dear," she said, giving him a smile. "Have a good day at school."

Adrien frowned, but gave his mother a quick kiss on the cheek and waved goodbye as he headed out. They thought they could hide it, but he knew better. Dad was an amazing baker, and Mom's chocolate was to die for, but their PR skills were crap. Hardly anybody knew about the gem that was the little bakery on the corner.

Dad couldn't even come up with a marketable logo.

So, they were struggling. Not much, just a bill here and there. Still, Adrien was old enough to notice. And he was also old enough to want to do something about it.

"I think it's about time to put my plan into motion, Plagg," he muttered as he made his way downstairs.

"You want to get a job?" his kwami asked incredulously. "You're barely a teenager! Learn to relax and live a little! Who would even hire you? You don't have any skills!"

"Yeah, as you keep reminding me, the only thing I have going for me is my pretty face," Adrien snarked back. He waved to his dad as he left the building. "So, I'll use that."

"Please tell me you're not gonna let that blonde harpy hang over you even more than she already is," Plagg moaned.

"Chloe's rich, and well-connected," Adrien argued. "She already thinks I should be a model."

"Yeah, 'cause she wants you as arm candy."

"A good word from her will almost definitely land me a modeling gig somewhere," Adrien continued, pretending he couldn't hear the tiny cat. "Besides, it doesn't hurt to be a little nice to her. She's got barely any friends."

"Probably because she's rude," Plagg drawled, rolling his eyes. "Baker Boy."

Adrien grinned at his kwami. "It's only an insult if I feel insulted, Plagg. I'm proud of my father. So, I happen to like being called a—"

"Baker Boy!" Chloe's voice sang through their conversation and Plagg quick hid, trying to find a place where he wouldn't be glomped with the rest of Adrien.

No luck. The kwami was swept up in the tight squeeze, more grateful than ever for the ability to phase through things.

"Oh, Adrikins, the most horrible thing happened!" Chloe sighed dramatically, draping herself over the blond again. "She's somehow convinced her father to let her come to my school! It's awful! She'll ruin everything!"

"Who are you talking about, Chloe?" Adrien asked, disentangling himself and gently keeping her a good arm's length away so Plagg could breathe. "Who's she?"

Just then, a large car drove up to the school. Chloe gave a shriek of outrage and hid behind Adrien. "Her," she hissed angrily. "Marinette Agreste!"

Adrien blinked. Agreste? The daughter of the famous fashion designer? Rumors said she'd done a few pieces for her father's company, and even designed a CD cover for Jagged Stone! Ever since he'd considered modeling, he'd wanted to model for them!

And… the girl that stepped out of the car… her hair done up in pigtails, with a pleasant smile on her face… Adrien felt himself blush.

Oh damn, she was cute.

She glanced over at him and, to his dismay, her eyes hardened.

What had he done? He couldn't have done anything to her yet! He'd just seen her for the first time!

Adrien felt his stomach drop further as she headed towards him.

"Chloe Bourgeois, how nice to see you," she said, and he realized she wasn't staring at him, but the blonde gripping his shoulders like he was her personal shield. Chloe realized she'd been called out and, of course, responded in kind.

"Marinette Agreste," she sneered, stepping up to Adrien's side and looping her arm into his. "So your daddy finally let you out of your cage?"

"Mmm," Marinette agreed, and Adrien felt the temperature drop in his immediate area. "So nice of you, to send him police reports of all the crime in the area for the past three years."

"Glad to help," Chloe simpered.

"It's too bad they were doctored," Marinette said, her voice hardening. "Or that my father's assistant isn't as stupid as whatever flunky you hired to fudge them."

"How dare you!" Chloe shrieked. "When my father hears of this—!"

"He'll investigate immediately?" Marinette suggested, her voice sugary sweet again. "Wouldn't want to lose my father's vote after all, since he's one of the mayor's most prestigious supporters."

Chloe actually growled, and clutched Adrien tighter.

Marinette glanced at Adrien dismissively. "Your arm candy, I assume?"

Inside Adrien's shirt, Plagg started cackling. Adrien considered smacking the kwami to shut him up, but he was too mad to focus on that right now. How dare she? She'd hadn't even met him properly, and she'd just assumed….

"I am not!" he exclaimed, pulling away from Chloe so he could face her better. "My name is Adrien Dupain-Cheng, and I want to be a model!"

Crap, why had he said that?

"But just because I look good doesn't mean I'm stupid," he continued, trying to save face. "And you're being very rude to assume something before we've even met!"

Marinette took a step back, blinking. Her mouth opened, but Adrien didn't want to hear it.

"Now, normally I'm not this rude either, so if you'll please excuse me, ladies, we're going to be late for class!"

With that, Adrien stormed off into the school, not even caring if either of them were following.

She'd been in his class, Adrien reflected miserably as he waited for the sudden downpour to stop. Almost all of his classes. He'd had to see her practically all day and remember how he'd tripped over his words, and shouted at her, and how Chloe had practically clutched him all day long….

Ugh.

He was mad at her. But he was also mad at himself.

He hadn't needed to react that way. So what if she saw him as nothing other than Chloe's accessory? Maybe she still would've considered letting him work for her. Now he'd ruined all his chances.

Talk about bad luck.

"Um, excuse me," came a small voice behind him. He yelped, jumped and spun around, his eyes going round when he saw who'd addressed him.

It was her! Marinette Agreste!

But instead of the haughty fashionista he'd seen this morning, she looked almost… shy. And she blushed when she realized she had his attention.

"I wanted to apologize, for earlier today," Marinette said softly. "You were right, I had no right to assume—and no right to talk to you like that. I'm sorry."

Adrien blinked, only part of his brain realizing that he'd backed out into the rain, and water was now dripping into his eyes.

"I'm sorry too," he said, looking away. "I didn't have to yell at you either. It was uncalled for, and totally unlike me."

"Truce?"

He looked back at her to see her holding out her hand. He smiled as he grasped it firmly with his own.

"Truce."

Water from his hand squirted up at her with the handshake, and he grimaced. But, before he could pull away and apologize again, Marinette flicked open an umbrella with her other hand and held it above them both.

Above them, thunder rolled.

...

TBC...?