He's a Keeper

Dancing Tears

Marinette runs into the ballroom, still mute with shock.

She enters as a square dance starts. She walks to Tanya, smiling.

"Hi! Aunt Tanya, I thought I wasn't going to be able to find anyone to talk tonight."

Tanya nods towards Marinette and they start to dance.

"Yeah, I guess without Adrien this isn't really your circle." Tanya smiles. Marinette freezes for a moment before deciding to ignore the remark.

"So Aunt Tanya, are you Adrien aunt on his mother's side or father's?"

"Father" the lady replies quickly.

"Oh, were you close with Adrien's mother?"

Tanya's plastic smile falters. "She wasn't my favourite person, but we were forced together a lot so I knew her well. Gabriel was really infatuated with her."

Tanya's hand in hers was sweaty. Marinette wondered how strongly Tanya could have disliked her sister-in-law for her to get this heated up about it. She'd thought most people had liked Emilie, especially the Agreste family. Marinette shook the thoughts from her head and turned back to Adrien's aunt.

"Well, I guess you knew her better than I do. Can I ask why you didn't like her?"

Tanya flushes. "The Mrs. was a little bit of a gold digger, she had her moments when it seemed like she really loved Gabriel, but for the most part I knew she was just trying to get herself pregnant and take his money and company. You should have seen the disappearance stunt she pulled with Adrien just after he was born, saying Gabriel was abusive and controlling, asking for a divorce. And then again just before she died."

Marinette frowns. "The same Emilie Agreste?"

A smirk replaces the smile on Tanya face. "Well I shouldn't speak badly of the dead but you know what they say."

Tanya pauses and Marinette nods her on warily.

"Karma always comes back to bite you in the butt, and Emilie got hers!" Tanya smiles again but this time it was even more disturbing to Marinette than the manufactured one that she'd worn before because it looked genuine. 

Tanya shakes Marinette out of her thoughts by pulling her off the dance floor and handing her an hors d'oeuvre. 

Marinette decides to push her concerns away. Mr. Agreste was an acquired taste as well but that didn't mean anything other than that the family had an unconventional way of expressing their love.

'Except for Adrien' she thinks, 'who is very clear with what he wants. Obviously I'm the issue.'

They chat about the fashion industry with Nathalie for a bit and Marinette is surprised to learn how in touch Tanya is with the happening of her brother's brand. When she asks about it, Tanya smiles broadly and mentions how high up she is in the company.

Nathalie's leaves shortly after Tanya starts talking about her place in the company and after an extensive conversation about the fit Tanya was wearing Marinette was wishing she'd left too.

"Who are you wearing?" Tanya asks, sensing how low Marinette's interest in continuing the conversation was.

"It's mine actually. Adrien had one of the company's interns assemble it for me but I designed it."

Tanya crinkles her nose. "I was wondering if it did seem a little, well you know..."

Unfortunately, Marinette did know. She'd asked Adrien if she should have bought a dress but he'd said that her designs held up and she'd thought so as well, especially considering how detailed the embroidery she'd put on it was, but now that she'd looked at the rest of the guests'-

Tanya shakes her head quickly, "The design is wonderful dear, it's just some of the assembly, must've been the intern. And the stitch pattern on the top it's a little amateurish."

Marinette smiles tightly and backs away. "It was very nice talking to you Aunt Tanya, I'm going to go find Adrien."

Tanya's face crumples and she smiles sadly, "I'm sorry dear, the rest of your design in very well done though, I adore the accessories. Your earrings are so lovely and your makeup is on point."

Marinette keeps her smile on her face and turns away and leaves that ballroom to look for Adrien. She stumbles on a bathroom before she can find him so she pushes in and throws her bag to the ground. She rips the embodied patch off the dress and puts her earrings in the bag with Tikki. Then she finally allows the tears welling up in her eyes to fall.