What if 'the one' split into two...?
Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Lady Luck herself, has finally fallen on her feet after years of playing catch-up. Her boss, Mary Humphries of The House of Humphries, has invited her to be first assistant at an important...
Marinette followed Gabriel past the security team and into the backstage area and it was everything she had ever imagined. People were rushing around with headsets on, as models scurried about in their underwear with dressers chasing them. The woman tottered around unstably on incredibly high heels and men strolled around shoeless.
For years, this had been her dream. A dream which had taken her away from her love and also, ultimately, brought her back to him. All the time she'd spent fretting and feeling like she would never make it, and the answer had been right in front of her. Chat Noir, her Adrien, held everything she'd ever wanted. He was everything she ever wanted.
She froze for a moment, taking it all in. This was it. Her designs will be on stage, alongside a top fashion designer - her name besides Gabriel's, all thanks to her partner. Adrien was something special. She couldn't help the smile that encroached on her professional facade. Adrien. Just his name sent warmth to her core.
She couldn't wait to show her creations to her friends and parents, then she could party the night away with the man–men–she truly loved. Life was amazing. Everything was amazing—apart from her psychotic stalker.
"Nathalie will be along in a moment to show you to your models," Gabriel said. "They just need your check before we can release them onto the catwalk. It shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes. Then you can return to Adrien."
Marinette nodded, soaking in everything Gabriel was telling her. "Thank you."
Gabriel tried to smile, then walked away in the opposite direction.
In a week she'd put together a selection of fourteen outfits, each of them cohesive, yet not too outrageous for Gabriel's show. She'd had so much support, not just from Adrien, but Nathalie and other designers as well. Even Gabriel had taken her under his wing to bring out the best in her designs. She wasn't even that scared of him anymore.
Nathalie strolled over, holding a clipboard and a small smile. "Follow me."
She led her down a corridor before opening a door to a changing room. The four female models she'd chosen stood around in their closing outfits. They looked stunning, and Marinette couldn't help the little bubble of happiness taking over her nervous flutters.
"If you can just check the fit is as you desire, they can carry onto hair and make-up," Nathalie said, bringing attention to the outfits and the women.
"Sure." Marinette smiled. She got to work, finding the needle and cotton on the work surface and placing the pincushion on her wrist. She made a couple of adjustments here and there. Everything was perfect, or as close to perfect as it could be.
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"All done," she announced, Nathalie coming to double check the alterations and cracking a slight smile.
Using her forefinger, Nathalie pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Excellent. I'll take them down now, and you can head back out to Adrien."
