@princess-of-the-corner
Thinking of Aware Lila being part of the group and how that probably pisses Marinette off and had this discussion in mind.
Marinette was practically pulling out her pig tails as Kagami watched on with a fond sort of bemusement at the girls expressive antics.
"I just don't get why she has to keep lying, its so frustrating listening to her just spew nonsense after nonsense like its nothing."
Kagami tilted her head, just a little, "It is quite obviously vexing you, and for that I am sorry."
Marinette waved her off, "You're not the one whose pants should be on fire. Though... I mean why do you hang out with her? Chloe & Adrien I kind of get, your parents are all vaguely aligned and you're in the same circles. Lila's not actually rich or famous-" Marinette gasped, "Has she tricked your parents!?"
Kagami actually let out a huff of amusement, despite its quiet nature, it ran through her whole body.
"That would be amusing to see, my mother hanging on Lila's every word, but no. That woman has no time for even sly boasting and the others parents are little different."
She held up her hand when Marinette looked ready to speak and added, "Lila's mother is genuinely a diplomat, and while not in our parents sphere of wealth she is connected enough that it behooves all of us to at least be polite."
Marinette sighed and flopped back down on the bed at Kagami's side.
"I suppose, though you'd think being able to attend events like you do and having a respected diplomat for a mother would be enough. Like its not even as if she's stupid or has no talents so she has to make things up to brag about even. What's the point? I just... I don't get why someone would lie when they don't have to."
Kagami stilled, and Marinette watched as her friends manner shifted, no longer angling towards her but instead stiff as she stared into space. Experience said to let Kagami think and after a minute of growing anxiety in the silence, Kagami spoke, her voice like tempered glass, strong but made of fragile things.
"I don't think you can understand, Marinette... Or perhaps it is not something I have the words to explain. Maybe if you experienced it... But I would never wish that on you, never."
She finally turned to Marinette, gaze intense, even as her eyes focused somewhere other than Marinette's own.
"It is love, it always comes back to love, or more, the absence of it and the quest to find it, to claim it. To let it fill that gaping chasm inside yourself that exists only because of something integrals absence."
Marinette took one of Kagami's hands and squeezed and saw the fencers breathing steady as she pressed on.
"You can't imagine what its like to never know it but always feel like its just out of reach. The depths someone might sink, the lengths they would go to finally have it."
"You might convince yourself if you just twist yourself a little more for them, tear another piece of yourself away, break yourself or someone else, that it will finally be granted to you. That you can let it sink deep into your bones and sinew and finally, oh finally, you can be happy without hurting."
Marinette shuffled closer, pressing herself at Kagami's side.
"If you can't do that, can't trick yourself into going down that path on a fruitless quest you do the next best thing. You lie. You lie to yourself, or to others. Because even false happiness is better than real despair. Or at least, that's what you tell yourself, even as you starve and wither on the inside..."
Kagami's entire body shuddered, it was somehow both the most powerful sensation Marinette had ever felt and the most subtle she'd ever seen. A reminder that even in her moments of deepest hurt Kagami could not show even a hint of weakness.
Her eyes were stinging now, and Marinette let out a sob.
Kagami's entirely frame pivoted to her, something like terror in her eyes. "Marinette, I- I don't now what I did, b-" She let out a surprised breath as Marinette practically flung herself into the taller girls embrace, pressing Kagami down on the mattress of her bed.
"You didn't make me cry... I'm crying... Because you can't, and you deserve to!" The other girl's powerful arms embraced her so tightly it was like she wanted them to stay locked together forever.
She buried her face in Kagami's neck and whispered, "You are loved, I love you Kagami."
Kagami couldn't speak, so she just held tighter, letting Marinette etch herself ever deeper inside her soul and sinew. She'd do anything for this moment to last.
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if you wanna know how i think philip and benoit ended up married, well- blanc always introduces philip as his “partner” everywhere they go and philip doesn’t like it. it confuses people, you see! do you know how many times people have met him and turned to blanc and said “i thought you worked alone,” or asked philip condescendingly if he’s sure he isn’t jealous at all that his partner gets all the credit for their cases while his name’s not even in the articles about them? but blanc doesn’t like the term “boyfriend” (and, frankly, neither does philip- they’re too old for that), and philip can’t help but cringe at the word “lover”, so there aren’t many other options.
he doesn’t mention this annoyance of his to benoit, of course. the man’s a semi-public figure who’s in the news fairly often- it’s not for philip to decide how much the public knows about blanc’s personal life. five years into their relationship, though, they’re at a dinner party hosted by an uncle of a friend of a sister of benoit’s, and after a few introductions and a few misunderstandings, philip says mildly to blanc that he wishes he’d stop introducing him that way. doesn’t he see how it confuses people?
blanc chuckles and points out that philip’s affectation for calling him by his last name doesn’t exactly make it easier for people to figure out the nature of their relationship. philip rolls his eyes. “well, i did ask you,” he reminds blanc. “i asked you if you wanted me to stop calling you that on our first date, and what did you say? ‘no, no,’ you said-” his imitation of blanc has an even more ridiculous accent than the real thing- “‘i don’t think i could get used to you callin’ me benoit all the time.’”
the real blanc grins. “that’s cause i heard you say benoit once when we first met and you pronounced it- now, how did you pronounce it? say it with me: be-noyt.”
philip does not say it with him. he looks down at his plate and frowns, humbled slightly. “i took one french class for a semester and dropped it,” he mumbles. “all those damned tenses. it’s a miracle they know when anybody’s doing anything. look, this isn’t about your name. i just- well, i just-”
he just- what? it’s silly anyway. he spreads his hands as if searching for the right words, then drops them in defeat. “never mind. whatever. whatever. partner’s fine. you know what, forget i said anything. how’s your steak?”
blanc just looks at him, blue eyes inscrutable. god, his eyes are the bluest philip’s ever seen. you have to try not to lose yourself in them. philip gave up on that a long time ago. right now, there’s something in those eyes that makes him worry he’s brought something up that blanc’s going to fret over and not let go, terrified of hurting philip’s feelings.
a week later, blanc comes home from work with a satisfied, almost smug look on his face. “you’re right,” he says simply, arms crossed, smiling impishly. “you’re absolutely right, philip. i’m tired of calling you my partner. and not just because you would be completely useless in a murder investigation, bless you, sweetheart, but because i’ve finally thought of something else i’d like ta call you better.” he reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a small box, and it doesn’t take philip any detective work to realize what’s in it. “so, my darlin’, if you’ll have me, i’ll make sure everyone i meet knows you’re my husband. maybe you can even take my name- then i can call YOU ‘blanc.’ wouldn’t that be somethin’?”
and just like that, philip remembers why he puts up with it all.
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