Chapter Text
Four years before canon.
At the young age of ten years old, Alix was already getting into trouble with authority. Her rebellious attitude and habit of talking back landed her in detention too many times to count.
This still didn't stop her from getting into reckless situations with one of her best friends, Kim.
Which is how they found themselves at the stop of the staircase at their school in a cardboard pirate ship with skateboards duct taped to the bottom.
“We are pirates and we are here to steal all your gold!” Kim yelled with a mock sneer, just barely hiding his giggles.
“Oh no! It's the horrible pirates!” Marinette squealed, fainting into Nathaniel's arms.
Their entire class was gathered at the bottom, giggling madly as they watched Alix wave around a cardboard sword Nath had made for her.
“Let us go and plunder their village!” Alix announced and pushed the ship down the stairs. The pair held on for dear life as they plummeted down the stairs at full speed, screaming all the way. Their classmates moved out of the way as they zoomed past.
“WE FORGOT ABOUT BREAKS!” Kim screamed as they got closer and closer to the wall at the other end.
CRASH
Next thing she knew they were lying on their backs on the rough ground, the blurry faces of their classmates staring down at them.
“Are you okay?!” Nathaniel fretted and pulled her and Kim up. She stumbled a little before regaining her balance and flashing him a grin.
“A-ok, Red.”
“I told you to stop calling me that,” He mumbled half heartedly.
“Not a chance!” She pat his cheek—still chubby with baby fat—and grabbed Kim by the hand, “Let’s clean this up! We can make something else out of the cardboard!”
“Oh! How about more weapons!” Kim suggested, picking through the wreckage.
“Heck yeah!!!” Alix grinned. Nath reluctantly joined in and soon they had a wagon full of cardboard to drop off at Kim’s tree house.
———
“Alix?” A quiet voice asked.
They knocked on the door of her room again.
Alix was curled into a ball on her bed, her face buried into her knees as she sobbed.
“Alix I'm coming in.” They said.
The door opener with a creak and her big brother, Jalil, took a hesitant step in.
Jalil was a tall, awkward and lanky 14 year old; he had dyed green hair and round glasses that Alix liked pushing up whenever they were about to fall. Like most socially awkward teenagers, he wasn't very good with emotions, but right now his baby sister was distressed and he needed to do something about it.
He sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her huddled form, “Are you okay?”
“I-I miss her..” she sniffed.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“No,” she buried her face into his side and continued sobbing.
Jalil sighed and pulled her closer, starting to talk to fill the space, “Y’know mom once told me that even when she dies, she'll always be around. She’s probably watching right now, telling you that she loves you.”
They sat in each other’s embrace until they saw the sun start to set. “Jalil?” Alix whispered.
“Yeah?” He said, his hands running through her wild brown hair.
“Can we cut my hair?”
He stopped and frowned for a second, “Sure, why?”
She shrugged and mumbled, “I dunno I just wanna.”
“Let’s go.” He pulled her up and led her to the bathroom, instructing her to sit on the side of the bathtub.
“How short?” He asked as he picked up the scissors.
“Uhh like, here,” She held some hair around her shoulders, Jalil nodded and started snipping.
Ten minutes later they were giggling as her long locks fell onto the floor.
“Do you have any more of that hair stuff that you used on your hair?” She asked as he finished up cutting.
Jalil ran a hand through his mint green hair in deep thought, “I used all the green,” he started, Alix’s face fell before he continued, “But, I do have some bubblegum pink?”
“Yes!” She squealed, he chuckled and went through the cupboards for the dye.
Eventually, the dye was in and washed off and Alix was left with a head of pink hair. She was grinning into the mirror, her earlier breakdown long forgotten.
“Thank you Jalil!” She turned around and hugged him, catching him off guard. After a half second of shock, he returned the embrace.
“You’re welcome, bunny.”
———
The next day, she walked into school head held high. Heads turned to stare and people exchanged whispers. She ignored them all in favour of finding her friends.
“Alix! Hey!” Kim waved her over from his seat on a bench with Nath and Max.
“Hey guys!” She grinned.
Nathaniel invited her to sit next to him. “I like your hair,” He smiled shyly.
She nudged his shoulder and smiled back, “Thanks! Jalil did it!”
“Won’t your dad get mad?”
She shook her head, “He’s not home and when he does come, I'll convince him.”
“Hey Alix! Bet I can beat you to class!” Kim jumped up suddenly.
“You’re on!” She grinned wildly and started running.
She ignored his protests and ran up the stairs, making it into her seat a good five seconds before him.
Nothing could stop her from giving him smug smiles for the rest of the day.