The Situationship

History Repeats Itself (Try and You'll Succeed)

"How many points will I earn if I can get Mary to stand on the table and sing 'New York, New York'?" Chat Noir asked lazily, stretching out on the windowsill and gazing out at the streets of Paris.

Marinette struggled to contain her amusement, covering her mouth with her hand to muffle the giggles that threatened to escape. She disguised her reaction as a yawn, hoping no one noticed.

Here she was, hours into her workday, having accomplished little beyond fetching coffee and treats from the bakery and sharpening Lillie's pencil. It seemed Mary was once again revelling in the return of her preferred assistant. In a swift 1 minute and 20 seconds, Marinette had been ousted from her first assistant role, with Lillie triumphantly reclaiming the position. The sight of Lillie's smug smirk ignited a mischievous urge in Marinette. She entertained a fleeting fantasy of wielding that sharpened pencil for more dramatic purposes.

Glancing out of the window, her mind drifted to more creative pursuits. She longed for the freedom to design her next fashion masterpiece, instead of being entangled in office politics.

Perhaps, she thought wryly, this was just another twist in her ongoing saga, where she played the role of the underdog heroine striving for recognition in a sea of competitive assistants. As she daydreamed of escaping the mundane, she couldn't help but wonder when her chance at a happy ending would finally arrive.

Lillie leaned in close to their boss, her voice carrying a tone of conspiratorial excitement that made Marinette cringe inwardly. She busied herself with organising papers, trying to drown out their conversation, but her curiosity got the better of her.

She clenched her jaw, vowing not to let Lillie's antics derail her focus. Yet, beneath her composed exterior, she felt a surge of determination. This wasn't just office politics; it was personal. She was determined to rise above the drama and show everyone—including Lillie—that she was more than capable of succeeding, despite the obstacles in her path.

She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something peculiar about this girl. Every time Adrien was in the office, she seemed to go out of her way to avoid him. Case in point: the incident where she'd supposedly fallen down the stairs, which had miraculously turned into a car accident resulting in nothing more than a tiny scratch on her knee. Yet, it had conveniently kept her away from work for three whole days. Suspicious? She thought so!

"We really need something to dazzle Mr. Agreste. Adrien's feedback from his visit was less than favourable," Mary declared, glancing over the documents Adrien had emailed to Marinette earlier that morning.

Despite her no longer holding the role of first assistant, and Adrien being very aware of Lillie's return (thanks to her rants), it seemed he was eager to keep Marinette involved. She couldn't help but smile to herself, grateful for his thoughtfulness—even if it meant he was multitasking during his return journey to France just to keep her in the loop.

As she pondered the contents of the emails, a familiar warmth spread through her.

"If you want to impress him, have Marinette do the designs," Chat Noir suggested to no one in particular, a slight blush colouring her cheeks from her partner's unwavering support. She couldn't help but feel like she must look unwell with how often she found herself flushing.

It appeared that Gabriel wasn't satisfied with the collaborative ideas presented by Mary and Lillie, urging them to create something more unique for his upcoming visit to Paris in a month's time. Furthermore, he had spoken to Mary about considering a collaboration with another designer in the city, whom he'd touted as the "next best thing," much to Mary's dismay.

Whilst Mary and Lillie chattered away, Marinette glanced down at her notepad, once again lost in her sketches. As she thought about Adrien singing topless in his car, a vivid image that refused to leave her mind, a new idea sparked.