The Deal

3

HAPPY SAINT PATRICKS DAY! 🍀

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   Emma slid on a sweatshirt over her head before grabbing her small bag. She was so excited, she was practically jumping off the walls.

   Finally, she was going to her first-ever fashion show! Not just any fashion show, but one with her idol, Adrien Agreste, modeling! Plus, she was going with a newly made friend, who would arrive at school within a few minutes!

   Emma almost ran out the door but had to play it off cool as if going to Joly's house. Her mother would be very suspicious if her daughter was overly excited to go over to her best friend's house.

   The young bluenette took in some calming breathes before walking out of the bedroom. Marinette was in the living room, snuggled up on the couch with some popcorn and watching a movie. The woman heard footsteps coming from down the hallway and looked away from the screen when her daughter came around the corner.

  "I'm heading over to Joly's house," Emma informed, walking over to her mother and placing a kiss on her cheek, "I'll be back home around a little late tonight."

   "Why don't you just sleep over at Joly's house? I don't want you coming home in the dark all by yourself," Marinette said, questioning the teen. Emma stiffened for a moment before an excuse formed within her mind in seconds.

   "I just wanted to sleep in my own bed tonight," she said, mentally cringing on how awful of an excuse that was. Luckily for her, she has asked to come home once before so she could sleep in her own bed. Yet, that was only used the first time she slept over at Alya's house or anyone's house for that matter.

   Emma grew frightened and wanted to return home to sleep in her own bed. So, her mother got up in the early night to come pick her up. Emma was only seven-years-old at that time so it was weird to see her as a teen to be making that excuse.

   Marinette didn't show it on her face, but she saw many red flags being waved in her face. She knew Emma was lying to her but couldn't figure out why and what she was up too.

   Yet, the woman trusted her child a little too much to go off and do something bad. Emma didn't have an evil bone in her body to do anything that her mother would very much disapprove of. Yet, she was sure her little girl was still a bit mischievous every once in a while.

   So, what was it that she was hiding?

   "I'm sure Alya won't mind bringing me home around 9 or 9:30," Emma explained before looking at the clock, "Okay, I'll be going now. Enjoy the rest of your movie! I'll see you later!"

   The teen almost made it out of the living room when Marinette called out to her.

   "Emma..." her mother said, getting the younger bluenette's attention. Emma paused and looked back at her mother nervously. Marinette gave her daughter a warm smile, calming the girl's tense body.

   "I love you, kitten."

   Emma returned the soft smile and replied, "I love you too, mama."

   Then, Emma her home and began to run towards the school.

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   Charlotte bit down on the bottom of her lip nervously and held the V.I.P tickets close. Nathaniel constantly glanced in the rearview mirror to sneak a peek at his daughter constantly shifting in her seat. His eyes returned to the road.

   "Are you excited?" The redhead asked. Charlotte blinked, processing her father's words.

   "Uh—y-yeah! Thrilled!" The blonde teen exclaimed, smiling widely.

   "I forget. Who was that girl you're going to the fashion show with again?" Nathaniel asked, genuinely curious about the identity of Charlotte's crush. The said teen felt her face warm up as she answered, "Emma, Emma Dupain-Cheng."

   Nathaniel's eyes widen once hearing the familiar last name of his old high school crush. Don't get him wrong, his feeling for Marinette had diminished a long time ago and moved on.

   Yet, he wouldn't say the person he moved onto was the best but he couldn't complain. After his ex-wife left, his life grew better when Marc entered it. They loved daughter and each other with all their heart. He wouldn't trade what he had now for what he had then.

  He was more shocked that his old classmate had a kid. The last time he ever heard or seen anything of Marinette was her wedding day. He and Chloe were invited, but Chloe didn't go unlike him. He remembered that day like it was just yesterday.

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   Nathaniel adjusted his tie as he sat down next to some of his old classmates.

   Kim and Alix, even as adults, were childishly playing a game of rock, paper, scissors. Kim's fiancé, Ondine, was sitting next to him and shaking her head, smiling. Rose and Juleka were behind him, talking about something about the wedding. Mylene and Ivan were sitting on his left, Mylene cradling a boy in her arms.

   Before he could search for anyone else, the wedding began. Everyone, except for the bride herself, walked down the aisle and stood where they practiced. The groom was talking to his best man. Everything was going perfectly so far until Marinette came out and walked towards the alter.

   She just arrived at the alter when her soon-to-be-husband suddenly stomped off back down the aisle. Nathaniel could hazily see the burning rage in his green eyes.

   Marinette was left alone at the altar. He couldn't see very well but knew that the bluenette was devastated. Alya, her best woman, had to take the bride away when she began to cry.

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   After that, he never heard anything about her re-marrying or have a child. Now that he thought about it, she wasn't very social anymore in public or media.

   "Is Emma in the same grade as you?" Nathaniel asked, wanting to see if he could line up his daughter's age to her crush's.

   "Yeah, we're actually in the same class. S-She is actually about a month older than me," Charlotte said, rambling a little bit. Before Nathaniel could continue thinking, they arrived at the school. On the steps of the school, sat a bluenette teen.

   The man parked on the side of the curb. Charlotte rolled down her window and waved her friend to come over.

   Emma did just that and entered the car, practically jumping in her seat. Nathaniel looked over his shoulder and smiled. He looked into her green eyes and couldn't help but feel like he's seen eyes like that somewhere before.

   "You must be Emma," The redheaded man said before beginning to drive off once again.

   "Yep!" Emma chirped, "Thank you so much for taking us to the fashion show..."

   Then, Emma turned to Charlotte with the warmest smile, "...and thank you for inviting me! I hope we can become really good friends!"

   Charlotte's brain malfunctioned after that and spoke incoherently. Emma didn't seem to mind about the blonde's mess-ups and carefully listened. Nathaniel smiled at the sight.

   Yet, something within him seemed to be putting pieces together to finish the mysterious puzzle that was Marinette and Emma Dupain-Cheng.

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