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“Listen, I’m sorry for last night but… in the end, it was impossible. Voilá , I’m apologizing for it now. I hope you’re well.”
Marinette buried her face back in her pillow, muffling the beep at the end of the voice message. Her tear-streaked cheeks stained the soft fabric, turning rouge into rosewood, splattered pieces of her broken heart laid out for display in the comfort of her room.
She was the most beautiful girl at the soirée! She was gorgeous!
She had worn the red satin dress he had chosen for her from an outdated fashion magazine, even though with its cowl back and spaghetti straps it exposed more skin than she was comfortable with. She had wobbled in her stilettos and made small talk with strangers until her boyfriend's brother came to her rescue.
What made it worse was that all the adults assumed they were a couple. Marinette and Félix, so damn cute together!
And her gorgeous boyfriend never even showed up!
Nathan standing her up without warning was horrible on its own, but Félix, clearly overwhelmed with the duty that had suddenly fallen upon him, had joked how it was their first date of many. It was so humiliating it made her wish the floor would open up and swallow them both, even if it meant spending eternity without the boy she loved.
What hurt the most was the blunt knife of knowledge against her navel telling her that Félix was probably right.
Nathan had always had a habit of disappearing. He said it was because people annoyed him but recently, a seed of doubt had settled on Marinette's heart, making her wonder if it was true.
Maybe it was simply she who annoyed him. Maybe he was ashamed of being seen with her. Maybe there was someone else.
Marinette sat up, wailing. She let out a cry that was almost hysterical; how awfully her heart hurt at the thought!
But if that was the case, then she had to change. Maybe, if she was prettier, if she was more fit, then he’d stop disappearing on her like that!
Marinette tied up her hair and looked around, her blotched face glowing with confusion until she spotted her pink duffel bag and determination took over. She wiped away her tears.
She was willing to risk everything on that “maybe”. That’s how much she loved him!
At record speed, she threw her gym clothes together, zipped up the bag, and ran, the only thought on her mind how she could fix everything as long as she kept trying!
The gym was empty, except for the two blonde girls taking photos of each other in front of a large full-length mirror and a grizzly old man doing bench presses across the hall. None of them paid any attention to her.
The first time she had been there, the machines had overwhelmed her, and she'd spent thirty minutes imitating another beginner, who was also there in hopes of getting closer to Nathan. Now, Marinette knew what she was doing. (At least, that’s what she thought.)
Having already changed in the locker room, she headed straight for the treadmills, reaching them in a couple of long strides. She dropped her bag down beside it and fished out her phone. Her earphones were wrapped around it, white cord full of tangles, which her nimble fingers took apart with practiced ease. She put the buds in her ears while pulling up her playlist and scrolling through it, settling after a while on a speedy pop song.
The sweet melody promised to take her mind off Nathan and she stepped on the treadmill with a hint of a smile on her face. She picked a fast pace, going for cardio over endurance and regretting it only a minute in.
Running was so much easier when she was transformed. There was no sweat, no odors, no dying of thirst. She could effortlessly scale the rooftops and climb the Eiffel tower with nothing but her yo-yo, feeling the wind in her hair and strength coursing through her veins.
Out of the supersuit, she was just an ordinary girl, who loved sports as much as she loved cockroaches. The disadvantages of physical exercise outweighed the benefits. But she had her motivations!
Namely, her boyfriend, Nathan.
For him, she would become the very best version of herself! Marinette vol. Perfection!
She wiped a droplet from her face, unable to tell whether it was a bead of sweat or a tear, hyperfocused on moving forward. One step at a time, she would rid herself of this heartache. She would prove her worth to Nathan. She would be gorgeous, so he wouldn’t have to be ashamed of her!
Frustrated, Marinette slammed the buttons, amping up the speed. She could go faster. She knew that. She could…
A pair of arms appeared in her view and the machine slowed, gradually powering off with a displeased whine. Marinette squinted at the figure in front of her, about to snap, not recognizing him immediately. She could tell it was a boy, blond, taller than her.
“You're going too fast,” Nathan's familiar voice cut through the haze. Marinette's vision sharpened, pulling his face out of the blur. “You're going to hurt yourself.”
“I'm fine,” she snapped, clumsily turning the machine on again. It defaulted to 2 km per hour.
Nathan covered the button with his hand. “Look, if it's about last night, I already said I'm sorry.”
Marinette flushed, recalling her embarrassment from the night before. She tried to pry Nathan’s hand off the button but it wouldn’t budge. Anger made her lightheaded, and she rested her arms on the handrail, as her heartbeat thrummed in her ears like a desperate hummingbird extinguishing a forest fire.
She took a deep breath to steady herself. She closed her eyes.
“It’s fine.” It really was not but she couldn’t tell him that, now could she?
Nathan sighed, offended that she’d think he’d buy it. Just because he felt no remorse towards leaving her alone at the party did not mean he was blind to the consequences of his actions.
“Oh, sweetie .”
Nathan rounded the machine, sliding his hand across the handrail. His fingers brushed over the back of her hand, sending a gentle current through her skin, inviting her to look up. Marinette opened her eyes and followed him with his eyes, heart stuttering at the way he looked at her, eyes soft and understanding.
She hardened her heart and pushed past him, her heart melting as their shoulders brushed. He was warm. He was always warm.
She loved how warm he was.
“Where are you going?”
The betrayal in his voice was a snake slithering after her, teeth bared, ready to attack its prey. Marinette knew better than to look behind her, yet she did anyway, weak in the face of his soft-spoken objection.
She could never resist him, let alone when he made puppy eyes at her.
She was putty in his hands.
Nathan opened his arms wide. “Come here.”
Marinette’s cheeks burned. Her shirt stuck to her body, more wet than dry, and she was suddenly aware of the sweat trickling down her back. Still, she hesitated, berating herself in her mind for not taking a shower beforehand, for not wearing something pretty, even though she should have known she could run into her boyfriend at the gym.
He was gorgeous Nathan from the gym club, after all, not gorgeous Nathan from the math team.
The boy in question crossed the distance and wrapped his arms around the sweaty girl just as she began to hyperventilate. He held her close, resting his chin atop her head, and enveloped her, unbothered by everything that bothered her. His warmth sank into her, passing through her skin and muscle down to the bone. She sighed, melting against him.
They stayed like this for a short eternity, until her heart calmed and her breathing slowed down. Only when he was sure that she was calm enough not to walk out on him did he relax his hold, kissing her hair gently before letting his arms drop beside him.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he promised, hands curling into fists, as he recalled his own humiliation from the night before. The fox had tricked him into thinking Ladybug would be out, and he, the lovesick fool, had believed him.
It wasn’t Marinette’s fault though.
Nathan really liked Marinette and the way she followed him like the sunflowers follow the sun. How malleable she was, how perfect for him.
He ruffled her hair, offering her one of his rare smiles. It stunned her with its brightness and made a different kind of blush rise to her face. He liked her red; it reminded him of his Lady.
“Come on,” he enlaced their fingers and picked up her bag. “I know a place. You can tell me all about the party.”
“Really?” Marinette’s eyes lit up with a hopeful sparkle.
“Yeah.”
As he said that, Nathan’s eyes already wandered in search of another lady. Almost absentmindedly, he wrapped an arm around Marinette’s waist and pulled her closer, craving to be touched.
For as long as his Lady refused his affections, Marinette was enough. At least, she made him feel gorgeous.