Hedgehogs Dilemma

Sisterlove

"I... actually don't know how to start." Nathalie admitted to her sister while she was looking at the cup, which she was now clutching tightly with both her hands.
Carefully, Celine put her hands on her sister's soothingly so that she would look into her eyes. "Then let me begin. I know how difficult it must be for you.. Mother... Mother always had a strange way of showing her affection for you."
"Affection? Is that what you call the fact that she gave me away the moment she held you in her arms?"
"No! I'm just saying that she never showed how important you are to her, but she really loved you."
A soft sigh escaped Nathalie as she placed the mug on the wooden table in front of the couch on which she had also placed her Miraculous. She couldn't use Duusu's excitable manner in this very emotional situation, which is why she had ordered Duusu to withdraw again. At least until the matter was resolved.
"Celine" she began her sentence "You were still so small, so you didn't get a lot of what happened back then. But I didn't move out because of the divorce from my father and our mother. Your father and our mother had an affair . She was happy with him. Happier than ever."
"I know about that.. But just because she loved someone else doesn't mean she didn't love you. Your parents' marriage may not have lasted but-"
Gently but firmly, Nathalie interrupted Celine in her flow of words with a sad smile, "She left us to elope with him. She just left me behind. She wanted to start over. That's why I grew up with my father. It was never a matter of they marriage not working."
She could watch exactly how Shock took control of Celine. She hastily pulled her hands back to focus her wide-eyed gaze on the floor in front of her. "There... That.. no..." she stammered uncertainly.
"Mum never told you. But believe me when I tell you, I was never the child she wanted. But you were. She was happy when she got you. The perfect Child with a perfect Partner." Nathalie carefully tried to take her sister's hand again to calm her down, but Celine prevented this by standing up in a rage.
"That can't be true! M-mum would never..... I mean she always invited you over there at Christmas and Easter.. You were there... I know it.. there are pictures to prove this.."
Nathalie followed her sister's hasty pacing. Should she hug her to help her calm down?
"She invited me. But I wasn't welcome.."
"Then why did you come at all?!"
"I felt obligated." Nathalie admit which made Celine stop for a moment to look at her.
"..arg!" Angry, Celine brushed the strands of hair out of her face. Rarely have you seen her so upset. Nathalie already regretted having brought up the whole subject at all.
"I know how difficult this must be for you.. But you have to believe me.." she carefully got up to go to her sister "And it's okay too. I broke up with mother a long time ago. She didn't want me , never even regretted leaving me behind." she said in a soft voice before wrapping her arms around her sister's shoulders. "But she took care of you. And that's what matters."
Nathalie could feel Celine burying her head in her shoulder to hide the small tears that were now rolling down her cheeks and she couldn't help but gently put her hand on her head.
"She shouldn't have treated you like that..." Celine protested after she had calmed down a bit.
"But what good would it have been to stay with her if she didn't want me in her life. Besides." Nathalie said while leaning back with her thumb to brush away a tear from Celine "I got you through that. You are my dear little sister." which brought a little smile to Celines Face.

"Please what?" Nathalie stammered while blinking at Gabriel a few times. She tried to process what she had just heard without losing her professionalism. Something she couldn't do right now.
"You heard me. I'm going to organize a gala. Here in the mansion" Gabriel repeated once more.
Again Nathalie couldn't help but blink at him implausibly.
The events that led to Nathalie being akumatized were now a few days in the past. The trouble that had caused this had slowly subsided, which was particularly due to the fact that Celine had become a great help to Nathalie. Both had spoken out and decided to take a step together towards a future in which they could be more open and honest with each other. It was a work in progress.
Nathalie was all the more surprised about the decision of her very introverted boss to organize a huge gala out of the blue, with all the important personalities in his wider environment.
"I think it's appropriate to celebrate the very successful release of my designs, don't you think?" Gabriel added after noticing that his assistant was slightly overwhelmed.
"For that.. there are other ways, sir. With all due respect, but this is the first time that you think it's important. At least since-"
"Since my wife left. Yes. I'm aware of that."
Nathalie was silent for a few seconds. She was aware of how carefully she had to choose her next words. Emilie was and probably always will be a painful topic that shouldn't be brought up when you speak to Gabriel Agreste.
"There are other ways to celebrate something spectacular."
"So you're saying I won't be able to host a gala since my wife is gone?" Gabriel asked with a razor sharp look that made her shudder. Luckily she was a pro at hiding this.
"No! I'm just worried about you, sir. It's going to be a very big event."
Satisfied with that answer, Gabriel turned away, back to his designs on his screen. "The mansion is big enough. We will order caterers who will provide the guests with drinks and food. Of course, People are more then welcome to bring someone with them. If they want, that is."
With this information, Nathalie couldn't help but prick up her ears from her tablet, on which she wrote everything down. "company?"
"Company. Everyone is welcome to do so."
"So - theoretically a date for the evening"
"Yes. Nathalie, this isn't your first gala."
"Of course not sir, I'm just asking to be more specific in the invitations for the guests." She hastily spoke while turning back to her tablet. A date.For one evening. At the thought alone, her eyes wandered over to her boss again. Should she ask him directly? Mention it casually? Should she even ask? After all, it was still the first gala without his wife. What if it was still too early for him. But then again, it has been 10 years. But she never saw him having a Date since then. Maybe it was to soon.
"Do you already have a date on which the event should take place?" she asked to move away from the topic that was going through her mind.
"I've scheduled it for next Saturday. Please write in the invitations That I expect a more formal style dresscode. As always, but I just want to make sure."
"Of course, sir."
Gabriel took the chance to catch a glimpse of her while Nathalie concentrated on writing down everything he asked for.
She looked beautiful. In her red blazer and black jacket which caught the soft light of the evening sun. He almost felt bad for taking such advantage of her and akumatizing her the other day. The question which Grave it was, she was standing in front of, was burning in his mind. He wanted to know but didn't wanted to ask.
"Do you already know what you're going to wear?" asked Gabriel whereupon Nathalie looked at him in amazement
"May I understand that you want me there?"
"I couldn't do it without you," Gabriel replied, which made Nathalie blink again. They both looked at each other for a few seconds before quickly turning their heads away. "I think I have something to wear. So If you need me there, I can come." Nathalie added quickly, which Gabriel nodded absently.
"Of course it doesn't have to be a dress either. A suit is also perfectly appropriate, should you feel more comfortable in that one."
"I'll find something." she assured him.
"Good, good," Gabriel added before clearing his throat once more. "I actually have another issue I'd like to hear your opinion on. What do you think about inviting Mayura?"
".. Mayura?" Nathalie repeated while her heart sank to the ground.
"I thought it might be appropriate. She does such a good job saving Paris from Hawkmoth and is a real beauty. I thought it might persuade people to show up even more if she were present."
"With all due respect, sir. A superhero is not a tourist attraction."
"No of course not."
"Then why do you want to invite her if not as an attraction?"
"That would be just a nice bonus, I...was thinking of asking her out as my date"
It cost Nathalie all remaining self-control not to split the tablet in two in her hands at that moment. She would have enough anger for that. 'So as a date'
"You can ask her, sir!" Nathalie hissed at Gabriel, in a tone that would let the heavily emphasized 'Sir' with out sounding to offended.
"But when should I meet her?"
'Make an inquiry in the newspaper. Maybe that helps.' "Maybe just ask her next time there's an akuma attack"
"But then I would have to wait for Hawkmoth to move again."
"Meeting a superhero will be hard without a villain to fight."
Questioningly, Gabriel looked again at Nathalie, who no longer even looked in his direction, but stared stubbornly at the tablet.
Should he say anything else? Better not. He would only make it worse after all. And he also thought it was inappropriate to ask questions.

"Nathalie! I'm home!" announced Celine, who had just come in through the front door with a full shopping bag.
What she didn't expect was Duusu who now came straight towards her. "Miss Celine..."
"Duusu!" Celine greeted her with a big smile "Don't worry. I got the little sweets you like to eat so much. They where hard to find, but I got them."
But Duusu paid little to no attention to it. Even tho she loves sweets.
"Miss Nathalie.. I don't know what's wrong with her!"
"Nathalie? What happened?"
"I don't know! She's been sitting on the couch for hours just drinking this weird juice.. But she doesn't say a single word.."
Hastily Celine put the bags down in the hallway to hurry into the living room with Duusu.
Nathalie herself has made herself reasonably comfortable, she had thrown her blazer into the corner and her bun, that had seen much better days, where hold on the last bits of strands there where. She must have been sitting there for a while.
"Nathalie?.." Celine asked cautiously to draw attention to herself.
For a second Nathalie turned her head to look at her sister only to turn back to the bottle.
"Do you want to.. tell me what's going on?" she tried again.
"Gabriel is an ass," Nathalie breathed out. Still with a clear voice, but you could tell she drank something.
"Okay.. and why?"
"Apparently he has now ditched blondes and embraced a new booty scheme. Blondes were yesterday, the new trend for the fashion-forward fashion king is blue-haired."
A quick exchange of looks with Duusu revealed to Celine that even little Kwami had no idea what she was talking about. "So he got a girlfriend?"
"Nonsense. Who would voluntarily sleep with him?"
'You my dear..' it shouted trough Celines head while she slowly approached her to sit next to Nathalie on the couch. "Then what's the problem? He doesn't have a girlfriend. So what makes you think he likes blueheads?"
Annoyed by this question, Nathalie took another sip directly from the bottle before she continued to explain, "He's planning a gala. People can bring companions as dates. And Mr. Oh so great - Agreste wants to invite the oh-so-fine Mayura to accompany him. He even called her a real beauty!" Nathalie almost spit out the last words.
"..You're aware that you are Mayura. So you're on a date with him. What's so dizzying about that?"
Uncomprehendingly, Nathalie stared at her with glassy eyes "Didn't you hear me? He doesn't want me, he wants Mayura"
"YOU are Mayura!"
"But he shouldn't like my Mayura version. He should like me!"
"That's no reason to get drunk.."
Annoyed, Nathalie looked over at her again "Are you my mother.. because that's a lot of judgment I feel there."
Also annoyed, Celine rolled her eyes before she took the bottle from Nathalie's hand, which Nathalie looked after, only to then fall back on the sofa. "You sacrifice the precious years of your life to the man, and that's the thanks you get." she announced, slightly pouting. "He falls for the first best. Woman that comes arround.."
"Again. That's still you."
"I don't want him to like this version of me though... I want him to like the original..."
"Look at it like that," Celine said before she carefully undid the hair tie and the clips that had held Nathalie's last remnants of the bun together, so that her hair slowly slipped onto her shoulders. "At least he's taken a liking to a part of you. Now all you have to do is convince him of the rest."
"Hmh..." Nathalie mumbled while she put up with Celine stroking her hair. "And if he fell in love with your version of Mayura?"
"Then I'll turn him down. I promise!" Celine announced with a laugh, which also made her smile.