Chapter Text
Alexis grinned with unrivaled maniacal glee as she took scissors to paper and made a mess of Nathalie’s freshly swept floor.
She’d accepted Emilie’s offer to come live at the mansion, seeing as somehow she had become the resident babysitter. She didn’t mind too much at the moment; the kids were entertaining themselves quietly with the art supplies she’d set out, finally giving Nathalie a moment to spend on her own hobbies.
“And what should we name this one?” She whispered to Chloe, who was laying on the bed beside her.
The little blonde girl scrunched up her nose in concentration. “We… stick with the crystal theme! Call it Diamondtopia!”
“What about Diatopia?”
Chloe thought carefully for a moment, then nodded. “That’s good too.”
Nathalie wrote the name down in neat letters next to the city layout they had sketched together. Her lines were thin and tidy while Chloe’s were shaky and drawn in thick marker. Together, the combination made their fantasy map look horrendous, but Natalie didn’t really care about that.
Chloe was smiling and kicking her feet back and forth happily, so that was what mattered.
Adrien made his way across the floor, avoiding his siblings’ various projects with natural grace and agility. He plopped his paper in front of Nathalie for her approval.
She glanced at it, then did a double take.
It was an amazing rendition of the Eiffel Tower for someone his age. Though the perspective was off, the lines were confident and steady. He’d even shaded it. She took it with awe filled fingers and held it up for a better look.
“Adrien- this is incredible! Where did you learn to draw like this?”
He smiled shyly and rocked back and forth on his toes. “Mme. Sabine has been teaching me, when Marinette visits.”
Nathalie handed it back to him, “Well… Keep at it!”
She glanced at Chloe, who had withered slightly. The girl fiddled with her fingers, pretending like she wasn’t listening and, more importantly, like she didn’t care.
“Why don’t you invite Chloe to come learn too?” Nathalie suggested. “Next time Mme. Cheng is over.”
Adrien lit up. “Okay! That’d be fun! Chloe? Do you want to?”
Chloe glanced up. She first looked to Nathalie, then to Adrien, then smiled and nodded.
Adrien beamed. “We should have her come today! I’ll get Mom to call her-”
He took off, leaving Nathalie to call after him- “Mme. Cheng is working today, don’t bother her- And he’s gone.” She tsked and looked down at Chloe. “What are we going to do with him?”
She pointed to the new city they’d just made. “Throw him in the kingdom’s dungeon!”
“Ah, but then Emilie would get mad at me. Hmm…” Nathalie nudged the marker back towards Chloe’s hands. “But maybe we can make somewhere else to keep him, somewhere nicer.”
“Okay!” Chloe uncapped the marker and frowned at the map. But instead of beginning to draw, she set it down carefully and looked up at Nathalie again. “Aunty…”
“Hm?”
“Can you be my mom?”
Nathalie blinked. “Wh-what?”
“You’re always here and Emilie isn’t,” Chloe explained, in that earnest way only a child could manage. “You’re the one I make maps with and sit by during dinner. I… I want you to be my mom.”
“Oh. I…” Nathalie sighed and put her pencil down. “I’m not good… I’m not a parent. I wouldn’t be good at it. Emilie loves you. She’s your mother.”
“But I want you to be my mom.”
Chloe’s face turned pleading. Her little lip quivered and her eyes sparkled with such genuine hope- Why was she so good at that? Nathalie could feel her heart melting.
Hgh. Fine.
“How about I’ll be your mom and Emilie will be your mother? Is- is that okay?
” Chloe exploded with joy and hugged Nathalie tightly. “Yes- thank you thank you thank you-”
“Yeah…” Nathalie patted her back awkwardly. “Any time, little diamond. Any time.”