The Deal

11

We're going to take a break from the backstory but it will continue in the next chapter!

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Lunchtime arrived, giving Charlotte a breather from all her classes. She was really tired and needed some coffee to stay awake for her last two classes. The only place she could think of was the Cat and Bug cafe.

   Not only did the small cafe make a mean coffee, but the blonde also hoped she would possibly run into her crush. Maybe...Emma would happen to notice her and talk with her.

Eagerness pumped adrenaline through Charlotte's veins and caused her to speed walk faster. She arrived at the small building within a minute and pushed open the door with a giant smile on her face. The blonde walked in and sat at a barstool. Blue eyes began to scan the area for a certain bluenette, almost falling off the barstool when a waiter came out of nowhere.

Charlotte stopped her search for a moment to order a coffee and waited to continue once the waiter left. The short teenager spotted Emma sitting at the other end of the cafe, sitting at the bar. Yet, Charlotte wondered who the elder blonde male was sitting next to Emma.

   The blonde soon noticed the distant look on the bluenette's face and the stiff posture of the man. Charlotte jumped again when hearing a simple tap of the coffee she ordered being set down in front of her. Nervously laughing for possibly being caught staring, Charlotte thanked the waiter.

   The waiter raised an eyebrow at her odd behavior but shrugged it off and went back to work. The blonde grasped the cup of coffee and continued to spy on the two at the other end of the building. Mindlessly, she took a sip of her coffee and almost spit it out from almost burning her tongue.

   "Forgot that it needs to cool down," she thought, unshed tears brimming her eyes and fanning her tongue. Yet, that didn't stop the teen from observing.

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   Adrien continued to stare down at his drink, unable to think. What was he supposed to say to that? Green eyes finally gained the courage to glance at the teen sitting next to him. She stopped messing with her food and began to eat it.

When Emma was halfway done with the food, her emerald orbs moved over to look at the man.

"But," she added, making the blonde male freeze for a moment, "I want to hear your side of the story too."

Adrien relaxed his tense muscles and sighed in relief. He didn't know where this conversation would've headed but he was glad of the direction it was being taken.

   "Before I explain my story," Adrien began, "I'm quite curious. Who is your father or father-figure?"

   Emma took a moment to stare at the dense blonde sitting next to her. She blinked, trying to figure out if he was being serious or not.

   "Isn't it obvious?" She thought, questionably before shaking her head.

   "My father..." she trailed off, making the model tense in nerves and wondering if he crossed a line. Adrien knew it was a personal question but curiosity killed the cat. He just wanted to know if Marinette was with someone else and a decent role-model for the teenager.

   "I'm sorry, you don't need to-"

   "I know who my dad is but he doesn't live with us anymore—at least, he never lived with my mom after I was born," Emma explained, "I don't think he even knows that I exist...until now."

   Emerald met emerald.

   A sudden realization swept over Adrien in an instant, recognizing the same eye color of, not only his, his mother's. Emma's age came through his mind. It was around the same time of the...

   His shocked mind and frozen body began to melt away into guilt—remorse. He felt a terrible ache in his chest. Adrien shakily looked away, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighed as the new information was still being processed.

   "You figured it out..." Emma spoke, nonchalantly and a small grimace on her face, "...didn't you, dad."

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   Marinette walked into her house, shutting the door behind her and slipping off her shoes from her soar feet. Tired bags rimmed underneath her eyes and hair messily stuck up in different directions. Let's just say, she had a long and stressful day at her two busiest jobs.

   She couldn't wait to warm up some leftovers, change into some more comfortable clothes and watch some TV. Her stomach growled in agreement to leftovers, especially lasagna.

   Marinette hummed as she made her way to the kitchen and assumed Emma was in her room playing video games.

Much to her dismay, the bluenette found the teen sitting at the table in the kitchen and scrolling through her phone. The woman raised her eyebrow slightly since it was a rare sight to see her daughter "out in the open" at such a time.

   Marinette walked over to the fridge and decided to start up some conversation.

   "How was school?" She asked, pulling out a container of lasagna.

   "It was...interesting," Emma answered after some thought.

   "Interesting? How so?" Marinette asked, placing the food on a plate and shoving it into the microwave. Emma shrugged, "It just was."

Marinette hummed in acknowledgment before the microwave beeped in confirmation of being done. The bluenette was just taking out her food, a wafting aroma filling her nostrils and made her mouth water in hunger.

"Can tell me more about dad?"

Marinette was so caught off-guard and startled that plate she held in her hands slipped out her fingers. The plate and food clattered onto the floor, making a splattering mess of sauce and shattered plate. Emma jumped, turning to see the mess and immediately felt guilty.

She stood up and went to help her mother clean up the mess off the floor.

"W-What do you wanna know about your dad?" The woman asked, throwing the bits of plate into the trash can. After cleaning up the mess and Emma warming up another lasagna, the two bluenettes sat at the table.

"Does he know that I exist?" Emma asked, already knowing the answer. Marinette nearly choked on her food before swallowing and staring at her daughter. Marinette sighed, setting her fork down and turning towards Emma with a small, tired smile.

Emma could vividly see the guilt and sadness with her bluebell eyes.

"I never got the chance," she answered, whimsically.

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