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She tries not to predict the future too much. The possibilities unwind in front of her, each one a different path down the rabbithole, each one a different peek at the possibilities.
As such, it pretty much blindsides Alix when Ivan and Mylene break up. They’ve been fairly steady since Ivan worked up the courage to say something to Mylene, and they’re one of the more unexpected couples in the class, but then again…most of the couples in the class are opposites in some way or another.
Though, armed with the knowledge of the breakup, Mylene coming out as a lesbian is a lot less unexpected.
“It was mutual,” Ivan reassures them. “She’s not the only one who has something to figure out. We’re both happier now that we’re apart. Not sure if I’m as straight as I thought, either.”
“Really?” Rose asks. Sometimes…okay, Rose is Alix’s friend, but sometimes they’re at odds with each other. Alix agrees that Marinette should ask out Adrien (but she’s also privy to more than anyone else knows, she knows so much more, sometimes the pocketwatch feels heavier than it truly is—), but Rose is a little too much of a romantic, in Alix’s opinion. And not in the typo sort of way. “You two were such a sweet couple.”
He shrugs. “Things change sometimes, and this one’s for the better.”
Alix resolves to talk to Ivan on her own — maybe it’ll be easier without any other interference.
As it turns out, the easiest time to get someone alone is during lunch. So that’s when she tries.
“I’ve never wanted to be in a relationship,” she says, “so I don’t really know what it’s like. But I do know that if you’re questioning that’s okay, and you’re not broken if you’re not straight. You also aren’t broken if you don’t want a significant other.”
(She puts down the part of her that insists she’s aromantic because of her fate as Bunnix; it may be impossible to form attachments when she decides to descend into the Burrow full-time, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be completely alone. She wants to have friends. Besides, she’s been aromantic since before she even knew about the Miraculous, even if she hadn’t realized it yet.)
“I don’t think anyone like that is broken,” Ivan says. “I’m just…not really sure. I mean, it’s hard enough to figure out how you feel about someone as it is, much less actually say something about it. I just…have no idea where the lines are. I don’t know if I really wanted to date her or just…I don’t know.”
“There are words for non-romantic partnerships,” Alix says. “Platonic and romantic aren’t a strict binary, either. There’s…more nuance than a lot of people bother with.”
“I hadn’t thought about that,” Ivan says. “I…like that idea, though. That it isn’t either all friendly or all dating. There’s space for something else.” He taps out a rhythm on the table and hums something. “I think…I just got hit with some inspiration for Kitty Section’s next hit single.”
“Glad I could help.” Alix pushes back her chair. “I’ll see you later.”
She skates off. She didn’t mean to say as much as she did, but…it’d be nice to have someone else like her in the class. Max is arospec and asexual (where precisely has been difficult to pinpoint, in his own words), and Adrien’s probably acespec (though most likely not aromantic). She wants people to know that there are other options. That “none” is an option, and that she’s taking it. That she knows what she’s talking about, and she isn’t just some teenaged girl hopping on a trend for fun.
No, this has been who she is. A fundamental part of her she didn’t have the words for. But there will be a point in her life where she’s been able to identify as aromantic longer than she hasn’t.
She eagerly awaits that day. She could do the math, figure it out. But she doesn’t want to. She wants to wait for the realization to dawn upon her.
Besides, time is relative. She knows that better than most, really. Being Bunnix has taught her that. The past is a second ago. The past is four billion years ago. Everything warps around her, and she knows even less about time than most.
It’s kind of a curse, if she’s being honest. Her eyes are open to the possibilities, but at what cost?
Fluff’s certainly…been through a lot. Will Alix eventually be like that?
Well, from the version of her older self she’s seen, she isn’t yet and won’t be until after she meets her current self. Past self?
Still. A lot of Rabbit holders probably burn out young. Will she last any longer?
She takes a deep breath and actually focuses on her skating, instead of doing it on autopilot.
Alix isn’t sure why she was invited to this Kitty Section rehearsal. But then she remembers the conversation she had with Ivan, and the song he proposed — a driving rhythm, lyrics about differences and defiance of binaries.
“This one’s called ‘Something Different’!” Rose declares, looking over at her partner. They smile over at her, and Ivan counts them in.
Rose alternates between singing and screaming, and Luka does backing vocals.
“I used to think things were one way, but I know that’s not true. I figured out today there’s something just for me and you!” The song ends on a thrashing chord, and the band all look at each other. Alix feels like she’s intruding on a moment, but she can tell it was inspired by what she told Ivan earlier, so it’s not…really intruding. Besides, she isn’t the only spectator. Since there isn’t a keyboard part for the song yet, Adrien’s also been watching.
“I have some ideas for the composition,” Adrien says, stepping towards the keyboard. “But…I like it.”
“This is all thanks to Alix,” Ivan says from behind the drum kit. “She’s given me a new perspective, and the courage to say that I think I’m aromantic.”