Masquerade Ballet

Nine

A/N: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I AM BACK! It's been like... Three months? Possibly four??? And I have no excuse other than being lazy and having some mental health stuff going on. But here I am, returning with another addition to Masquerade Ballet! Huge thank you to eternalserenityy for editing for me, and hope you all enjoy!

After technique class, I was scheduled for another fitting. I wasn't sure if I should be grateful to get away from Adrien so I could stop being a stuttering mess, or disappointed because I had to leave him behind. Not because I liked him or anything. 

Sliding into Tikki's sewing room, I spewed out a hello, causing her to jump. After taking a second to compose herself, she smiled and chirped out a "hello." 

"Are you doing better?" she asked after a moment. 

"I think so. I just... I don't know, it's a lot of responsibility and I guess I'm a little nervous I'm going to screw it up... With or without Chlóe." 

"Marinette, you are very talented. But in addition to that, I know you well enough to say that when you step on a stage the audience holds their breath, and it's about what they think, and what you think, not Chlóe." I nodded half-heartedly. "But come on, I'm excited to show you part of your costume!" She smiled broadly as she ducked under tutus and fabric hanging from the ceiling, and danced around piles of trimmings that were scattered on the floor. 

Tikki flitted over to a dress form that had a red, silk bodice pinned to it. It had a plunging neckline similar to the Black Swan's in Swan Lake, and black lace edging the sweetheart neckline. It was impossibly bold and heartwrenchingly beautiful, and I wasn't entirely sure I could pull it off. 

"What do you think?" she chirped. "It's for your final duet with Chat Noir."

"I love it Tikki, but are you sure it's right for me?" 

"We have ten minutes, go try it on. There's a dressing room on the right." She smiled as she unpinned it from the dress form and passed it to me, tossing a red platter tutu my way as well. Shooing me off, she winked and turned around to fiddle with something else. When I found the dressing room, I quickly changed, pulling the tutu on and clutching the top to my chest as I exited, looking for Tikki to zip it up. 

"Zip me?" I asked. Tikki spun around and her nimble fingers zipped the bodice shut. 

"What do you think?" I grinned, turning to face her. 

"One... More... Thing..." she whispered, gesturing for me to bend down. She undid my bun and separated my hair into pigtails before tying on the mask. "You look like Ladybug, Marinette." 

She spun me around and stood beside me as she showed me toward the mirror. I really did look like Ladybug. I was radiant as the sun, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Everything would turn out okay. I was going to be a good Ladybug and an even better dancer, and no one could tell me otherwise. 

"You better get changed, you have rehearsal in five minutes." 

Shaking myself from my thoughts, I quickly took off the costume and put my leotard back on, grateful I hadn't taken off my shoes. Tossing a quick thank you over my shoulder, I ran down the hall, sliding into the classroom seconds before we were to begin. Chat Noir was once again already there, practicing pirouettes. When he saw me, he instantly dropped into a bow. 

"My lady," he crooned, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. 

"Hello, Chat. When will Mme. Gertrude be here?" 

"She said something about getting a drink from the vending machine, so I guess it's just you and me." He winked, a lopsided grin fixating itself on his face as he reached for my hand.