#i never enjoy the idea of most au’s removed from the original source but girl i’m so obsessed with this now

[singmysoultosleep]

i read rent boy yesterday and am so obsessed with the concept of dally’s murder rap being him roped into a lucrative organ harvesting scheme by some looney old trick but it’s all under the guise of gang activity.

[whitecrossgirl]

Out of Hand

AN: So this is an AU that I had previously written on my ff.net page under the same username but I thought I would edit and rewrite parts of it as my writing I feel has improved. I hope you enjoy it.

Fake Dating AU

“I’ve already promised myself to someone.”

Jaime had blurted out the lie before he could stop himself. The effect it had on his family was instantaneous. Tywin had flickered an eyebrow in surprise (the equivalent of any other person having their jaw on the floor), Cersei looked stunned by his announcement and Tyrion looked simply bemused, eager to watch the scene unfold. Tywin had originally summoned the three of them to discuss marriages which had meant scolding Tyrion for not yet consummating his marriage to Sansa Stark, scolding Cersei for her attitude towards her betrothal to Loras Tyrell and informing Jaime that he was sourcing a bride for him. The ideal would be one of Walder Frey’s numerous daughters and granddaughters or some daughter from one of their vassal houses.

It was the entirety of all of the changes that he would be facing since his return to the capital; being stripped from the Kingsguard, forced into a marriage with someone he didn’t know or care for, the useless lump of gold attached to his right wrist; that had caused Jaime’s mouth to act without informing his brain and blurted out the lie about already being engaged.

“Really?” Tywin asked finally. “Who is she?”

Jaime cursed his own stupidity as his mind began to race. Marriage. A wife. Children. The life he had always wanted but simultaneously never wanted was in front of him. He knew what Tywin’s unspoken questions were; what family was she from, what could they (Tywin) claim from the match, how suitable a bride was she and of course, how dare Jaime do something so independent without consulting him. As he tried to think of an answer, a believable answer, only one person came to mind. She would kill him for this but he had no other option. He couldn’t tell the truth now.

“Her name is Brienne. Brienne of Tarth,” Jaime answered, sealing both of their fates.

“That beast you dragged back here with you?” Cersei asked with a scoff. “You can’t be serious.”

“That’s enough,” Tywin said and Cersei fell silent at one, glaring at Jaime suspiciously instead. “She is Selwyn Tarth’s daughter.”

It wasn’t a question and Jaime wasn’t stupid enough to think it was. “She is, she stands to inherit the Sapphire Isles.”

“The Evenstar is also a possible rallying point for the Stormlands when Stannis Baratheon dies. Tarth have declared neutrality in this war, despite her own actions. It also has good trade routes, a strong fleet of ships and a strong control in the Narrow Sea. Not the most attractive of wives, but there are compensations.” Tywin stated, pragmatic to a fault. Jaime wasn’t surprised that Tywin had already found out so much information about Brienne and her homeland. Of course, control in the Stormlands was a higher benefit to Tywin than what some nameless Frey girl could give.

Every single Lannister match had been planned to ensure they controlled it all. Cersei’s first marriage got them the throne and the crownlands. Joffrey and Cersei would keep the Tyrells and Highgarden in the fold. Tyrion’s marriage to Sansa would get them the North and help secure the Eyrie through her blood relation to Lysa and Robin Arryn. Riverrun and the Twins was theirs after the Red Wedding. Myrcella’s marriage would secure them Dorne and when Tommen was old enough, they would find a suitable match for him too. With Jaime’s supposed marriage to Brienne, it would gain Tywin the Stormlands (possibly) as well as a higher control over the Narrow Sea. All that would remain would be the Iron Islands. Tywin Lannister would win the Game of Thrones; regardless of who actually sat on the Iron Throne.

“I don’t care about any of that,” Jaime admitted truthfully, now that there was no turning back, it was as if all the thoughts he had been suppressing about Brienne had burst forward. “She protected me, she helped me when I lost my hand. She kept me alive when I was at my lowest point. Brienne is honourable and true and I know it sounds absurd but her heart is where her true beauty lies.”

‘Gods save us, he does actually love her,’ Tyrion mused before he smiled at Jaime. “If that’s the case, then I wish you both every happiness Jaime. It’ll be good to have some honour in this family for once.”

“That’s enough Tyrion,” Tywin warned without looking at him. “If you have promised yourself to the Tarth woman and as she is a suitable match, we will hold the wedding in three weeks; before the Royal wedding.”

Wedding! Oh gods he was an idiot. He had not thought this through. He had expected Tywin to dismiss his supposed promise to Brienne or be sceptical of his feelings. He should have put the pieces together when Tywin had actually seemed approving of Brienne, or rather what he could benefit by having Jaime marry her. This was bad, this was really, really bad.

Brienne was going to kill him.

“Thank you Father, I’m pleased we have your blessing.” Jaime lied, managing to fake a sincere enough smile.

“She will join us for dinner tonight, I want to meet her properly.” Tywin stated, looking almost… pleased that Jaime was not arguing the marriage.

“Of course,” Jaime replied, feeling the panic inside him build even more. As Tywin dismissed them, Cersei had stormed off immediately, poison in her eyes at the idea of the beast from Tarth managing to steal Jaime, her Jaime from her. Jaime and Tyrion however rounded the corner, walked down the passageway and once Jaime was confident that they were out of earshot, calmly hit his head off of a locked door.

“Stupid! That was so stupid! We are so fucked!” Jaime muttered as the penny dropped for Tyrion.

“You haven’t proposed to her, have you, you stupid bastard?” Tyrion asked and Jaime rounded on him.

“I didn’t mean to say that. I panicked and I didn’t think he would take it seriously. I do care for her and she is a close friend but no, I didn’t ask her to marry me. We don’t feel that way about each other.” Jaime replied, ignoring the almost hurt feeling at the reminder that Brienne didn’t actually love him.

“Well you did say it.” Tyrion said heavily. It had been said. It could not be unsaid. Tywin expected Jaime and Brienne to marry and soon the word would be travelling around the Red Keep that the Kingslayer was so in love with Brienne the Beauty that he had asked her to marry him; Kingsguard and tradition be damned. Once the court knew, all of Westeros would know and they would have to get married. Tywin expected it and no one defied Tywin Lannister or made him look a fool and lived to tell the tale.

Brienne was definitely going to kill him.

“Come on, we need to speak to Brienne and Sansa before Cersei or anyone else does.” Tyrion warned and they headed for the water gardens where they had left Brienne and Sansa when they had been summoned to Tywin’s office. Since Jaime and Brienne’s arrival in Kings Landing, the four of them had banded together into a group. A band of rejects and misfits, Tyrion had dubbed it. The Kingslayer, the demon monkey, Brienne the Beauty and the disgraced daughter of a traitor. What a group they made. Still it meant that they could be honest between the four of themselves and each had three others that they could trust without question. Something that would be needed now.

Sure enough, Brienne and Sansa had been sitting by one of the fountains in the water gardens and it was Sansa who noticed the grim expressions on their faces as they approached and felt a familiar sense of dread in her stomach. Something terrible had happened again. “What is it? What’s happened?”

“Not here,” Tyrion warned as he led them to the secluded waterside where Jaime, Brienne and Bronn practiced their sparring away from prying eyes. The sound of the waves crashing against the stones would ensure anything they said would be drowned out and not even one of Varys’ many little birds would overhear them.

“What’s happened?” Sansa asked again fearfully. If it was something that couldn’t be overheard then it was something terrible.

“Our father was speaking to the three of us about marriages. Ours, Cersei and Loras and he was discussing planning a match for Jaime when Jaime decided to inform our father that he had promised himself to someone else. A love match apparently.” Tyrion explained to Sansa and Brienne.

“I don’t understand,” Sansa said, puzzled as Brienne hit a realistation and her shoulders slumped.

“Jaime, you didn’t.” Brienne said as Jaime looked at her and turned scarlet. “Jaime what were you thinking?!”

“I didn’t mean to!” Jaime protested. “He was talking about removing me from the Kingsguard and about marriages and a suitable bride and I just thought of you and I panicked and it just came out.”

“You told your father that we were promised to wed. Is this some sort of sick joke?” Brienne asked; that had to be it. Another cruel joke against her because of course handsome, rich Jaime Lannister would want to marry her.

“It’s not a joke! He was talking about marriage and you were the only person I could think of who I would want to be married to. You’re kind and brave and strong and you think you’re hideous but your eyes are beautiful and your smile lights up your face and I know this sounds forced but it’s not. I know it’s a bad situation but I know how I feel about you. It’s not a joke. It’s never been a joke for me.” Jaime confessed, finally letting some of the thoughts and feelings that he thought he had hidden away through.

“Jaime, we need to be rational.” Brienne said after a tense moment of silence. “Your father expects us to wed, everyone will. How are we supposed to do this?”

“We will work it out,” Jaime reassured. “We will have to make it look believable.”

“But it’s unbelievable.” Brienne argued. This whole situation was unbelievable. Damn Jaime for his stupid lie, forcing them into this mess and damn his stupid confession as it was causing her to question the stupid thoughts and feelings that she had forced away since Harrenhall.

“You’re going to have to make it believable. Jaime, you saw how Cersei was; she doesn’t believe this for a moment and Father won’t believe it until the two of you are in the Sept and married. If he even suspects that any of this was pretend or false; then it will be unthinkable.” Tyrion warned them both as Sansa nervously spoke up.

“If anyone had heard what Jaime had said a few minutes ago, they would believe he was in love with Brienne. You could have had to hide how you felt when you were travelling, in order to keep each other safe. It could have been a habit that you’ve just found difficult to break until your father knew of the engagement and it became official.” Sansa suggested; everyone was hiding something here. This was where all the liars were, even the terrible ones like her.

“Exactly, you already are good friends and everyone has seen how the two of you talk and laugh with one another. It will be the more physically affectionate side that you will need to start showing; hand holding, linked arms, kisses, that sort of thing.” Tyrion suggested; if he was honest with himself, he had suspected since they had arrived in the capital that there was more than just friendship or companionship between Jaime and Brienne. Clearly both of them had repressed it just deep enough to hide it from one another but now it was time to force that into the open.

“That will be the difficult part,” Brienne stated and Tyrion dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

“It will take practice. If Sansa can act like she’s not repulsed by me, the two of you can fake affection for each other.” Tyrion quipped and Sansa smiled softly.

“I’m not repulsed by you.” Sansa protested and Tyrion smiled at her. Their marriage was a sham but they were just trying to make the most of a bad situation and survive as best they could.

The next few hours were spent coaching Jaime and Brienne on how to act. Part of the difficulty came from the fact that both of them felt like little children playacting. It all just seemed forced and wrong. The barrier of awkwardness between the two of them didn’t help matters. It was strange; they had shared a bath together and during their travels had seen the other wash, piss and shit without blinking an eye. But something as simple as walking with their arms linked seemed almost unbearably awkward. The sun was beginning to set by the time they felt comfortable enough to even try returning to the Red Keep for their evening meal. As they made their way back up the steps, Jaime took Brienne’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

“I’m sorry,” Jaime apologised sincerely. “I never meant for you to get caught up in this.”

“We just need to get through it,” Brienne said and smiled suddenly. “I just realised,”

“What?” Jaime asked.

“This is probably the longest you’ve gone without insulting me. Maybe we can make this work.”

“We will,” Jaime reassured, looking her in the eyes. “I do care deeply for you Brienne. I don’t know exactly what this is but I know how I feel is real. Even if this isn’t.”

“Thank you Jaime,” Brienne said as they wandered through the gardens and found a few people shooting them not to subtle looks. Time to make it seem real. Brienne lowered her head and kissed his cheek. “Kindness suits you.”

Jaime felt a wide, silly smile cross his face as he resisted the temptation to touch the spot where she had kissed him. As they walked through the gardens and into the Red Keep; it was clear that the news of their engagement had started to circle, as had different rumours about their travels; as courtiers and servants alike, shared looks and whispers as they passed.

“I heard she helped him escape Robb Stark singlehandedly.”

“Apparently he saved her from a wild bear.”

“She’s not the prettiest one but she’s definitely more than what the Kingslayer deserves.”

Jaime rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb as he considered that last remark. Brienne was definitely more than what he deserved. Jaime paused in his tracks and turned to face Brienne. In that instant, time seemed to stand still as he stroked her cheek before he leaned in to kiss her. He knew that she hadn’t kissed a man before but she didn’t hesitate in kissing him back. Believable. It had to be believable. They broke apart, smiled at one another before continuing towards their destination.

Just a kiss between two lovers. Nothing else.

As they entered the room, they found Tyrion and Sansa just taking their seats. It seemed Joffrey and Tommen had not been expected to attend this dinner. Tywin was stood beside the table, clearly waiting on their arrival. Cersei was already sat that the table, glaring daggers at both Jaime and Brienne who both tightened their grip on the other’s hand. Showtime.

“Father, may I introduce you to Lady Brienne of Tarth, my future bride.” Jaime said politely as Brienne smiled and bowed at Tywin.

“My lord, it’s an honour to meet you.” Brienne said politely as Tywin managed to hide any shock or surprise at Brienne bowing.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Tywin replied politely as they took their seats. As the meal was served, Jaime and Brienne managed to keep their hastily contrived story of how they apparently discovered how they felt and Jaime’s proposal. They managed to join in with Tyrion’s joking, deflect any sharp comments or criticism from Cersei and even Tywin seemed won over by Brienne. Although it was hard to tell, he also could have been constipated. As their second course was served, Jaime scowled at the portion of mutton on his plate and picked up his fork.

“Let me,” Brienne said quietly, taking his plate and cutting the meat up for him. As she did so, Jaime smiled softly at her, touched by the gesture. Brienne’s action and Jaime’s reaction hadn’t gone unnoticed by everyone else at the table who watched the tender action between the two with a growing realisation.

It may have started out as something pretend.

Only now, it seemed to have become very real.

[hazellvesque]

Some Kind of Miracle - Chapter 9

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: G

Pairing: Adrien/Marinette

Summary: If Marinette had her way, she would have had nothing to do with Alya’s latest celebrity crush. So how did she get roped into stalking him around Los Angeles? When fashion icon Adrien Agreste quite literally crashes into Marinette’s life, they have no choice but to put up with one another or risk ruining both of their potential careers forever.

An AU based on the iconic Disney Channel Original Movie, Starstruck.

Read on Ao3

Chapter 9 - Searching

<<< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >>>

At first, the silence had been a welcome respite from the non-stop hustle of the trip thus far. Marinette had uttered a silent thank you to Gabriel Agreste and his obscene fortune, as it was the main reasoning behind her overwhelming sense of serenity and downright coziness as she burrowed further under the endless expanse of blankets on her expensive hotel room bed.

Until now, she’d never realized just how comfortable a pillow could be. If she ever came into possession of a massive inheritance or managed to marry rich, she decided, her first order of business would be to invest in half a dozen down pillows. With silk pillowcases. The highest thread count she could find.

And to think, some people lived like this every day . All tall ceilings and open floor plans and the most expensive materials making up every inch of their living space, never needing to share with or see anyone, having every possible thing they could want in the world right at their fingertips.

Incredible was one word for it. Intimidating was another. Yet glancing around the massive space with nothing but the sounds of morning rush hour traffic in the distance to distract her, Marinette couldn’t help but wonder how quickly this life would turn from luxury to loneliness. Owning everything you could ever want, but having no one to share it with? No doubt the novelty would turn stale eventually.

Admittedly, as the hours dragged on, the quiet and comfort quickly turned to restlessness and an odd tickling sense in the back of her mind that she should be doing something. Anything besides lying around and letting the day waste away.

At this time of morning, the only shows on television were overacted soap operas and old childrens’ cartoons, which could only be entertaining for so long. Scrolling through other people’s pictures and posts was never very rewarding, and opening her sketchbook only helped to make her realize just how lacking her brain was in the inspiration department. She couldn’t think of a single new idea.

Compared to the past couple of days she’d been having, a single afternoon of relaxation and silence was dull at best, and downright torture at worst. The most productive thing she’d done all day was rummage through Alya’s bag for ibuprofen and wander to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. In retrospect, caffeine probably wasn’t the best for a headache, but the energy was worth the side effects.

All Marinette could think about, honestly, was how much she hoped Alya wasn’t going to completely freak out being in the Agreste mansion. It was all fun and games until her best friend got so excited that she popped a blood vessel or fangirled too hard in front of the wrong snobbish elite.

At least Alya was having more fun than she was.

--

Alya Césaire had never been more stressed in her entire life.

Her nerves were a direct reflection of her mother’s, who was pacing back and forth as she read over her to-do lists. If her incessant circling went on any longer, she might very well leave a permanent rut in the Agreste’s perfectly manicured back lawn.

It seemed neither of them were very good at handling last-minute wrenches in their plans.

Nathalie Sancouer had greeted them as they entered the car outside of their hotel, giving only a brief apology for the last minute addition to Mme. Césaire’s itinerary and ensuring her that she’d receive a substantial pay raise as a result. Putting a face to the mysterious assistant’s name was the first thing that put Alya on edge. The woman had a fierce stare, even as she remained watching straight ahead and hardly spared her backseat passenger a second glance.

The next source of tension came from what Alya thought was an innocent question. Slicing through the thick silence, she dared to ask, “So, do you plan and hire people for all sorts of celebrities like Gabriel Agreste or is this a one time thing?”

Nathalie’s smile - though it seemed more like a knowing smirk - quirked just slightly enough for Alya to see in the rearview mirror. “I am Mr. Agreste’s personal assistant,” she said coolly. “I handle all of his affairs.”

Alya had suddenly felt as motion sick as she did on the plane. She tried her best not to gape at the woman like an idiot. Instead, her shock was directed towards her mother, who sat innocently looking out of the window of the passenger seat as if she hadn’t heard a thing.

Before Alya could open her mouth, Nathalie cut in. “I’ll be adding your name to the non-disclosure agreement your mother signed upon accepting the job. You won’t be telling anyone about the things you do as part of this job. Understood?”

Even if the words seemed harsh, Nathalie still had a hint of amusement lingering on her face. A threat hidden under a smile was enough to send a chill down Alya’s spine.

“Understood,” Alya gulped.

By the time the tables were set up and guests began arriving, Alya had stress-eaten about five cupcakes. Maybe six. But who was counting?

Stand up straight. Smile politely. Don’t let your hands shake too much. She plastered on a cheery demeanor as she passed plates of sugary confectioneries to anyone who approached the table.

Nathalie watched her from the other side of the garden, a small approving smile on her face.

The guest list seemed to be entirely incohesive. Attire ranged from business casual to black tie and everything in between, and there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the conversations happening around her. So far, there was no sign of Adrien or his father.

There were, however, many guests her age. Young people, likely models and musicians and the like. And there in the distance, a familiar spectacled face in the crowd. Alya squinted to get a better look, but that proved unnecessary as the boy and a female companion approached the desserts.

She prayed there were no cupcake crumbs or icing remnants on her chin. She cleared her throat once to get his attention, then again to try and look casual. “It was Nino, right?”

She remembered at the last second that she should speak English, so her vowels were slurred in all the wrong ways, but at least it sounded vaguely understandable.

Nino’s eyebrow raised in recognition. He nodded. “Nightclub girl. Anna, or-?”

“Alya,” she supplied.

“Right,” he tapped his temple with his index finger, as if he were committing the name to memory this time.

Alya’s eyes slid to the blonde girl. If her glossy high golden ponytail weren’t recognizable enough, she made sure to stand out with her insanely high shoes and little black dress. No surprise that she was the best dressed person here by far. ‘ Posh ’ was one of the kinder words that Alya’s blog followers used in their comments about her. “And you’re Chloe Bourgeois.”

“You know who she is?” Nino frowned.

Chloe scoffed. “It’s about time someone did, right?”

“She’s Adrien’s friend,” Alya said too quickly, too matter-of-factly. Her eyes widened as her mind scrambled for a cover. “At least, I assume you both are. That’s why you’re here, right?”

“Well, you’re here too,” Chloe looked her up and down. Not disdainfully, but quizzically. “Alone?”

“Chef Césaire is my mom, I’m here to help her set up and serve.”

“Serving? Oh please,” Chloe rolled her eyes, placing her hand on the small of Alya’s back and guiding her away from the table, not bothering to ask if she actually wanted to leave. “These people may have enough cash to get everything handed to them, but they’re not entirely helpless. You shouldn’t have to stand there all night and kiss their asses.”

Alya looked to Nino for help, but he seemed just as confused. He snatched a cupcake from the table before trailing behind them, biting into it as if it were movie theater popcorn to accompany the entertaining scene about to unfold.

“Are you sure Natha- er, Miss Sancouer won’t mind? She seemed pretty serious about this whole thing.”

“Oh, she’ll mind,” Nino smirked, taking another bite. “But you’re not her kid, so she can’t get mad at you for whatever trouble you might get in like she does with Adrien-”

“Except she’s not his mom,” Chloe grumbled, “and she should stop acting like she is.”

Alya nearly flinched noticing the way Chloe’s grip suddenly felt like claws in her back.

Nino continued on, either not noticing the icy shift in tone or choosing to ignore it. “Besides, there’s nothing to do tonight to even get you on her bad side. This whole thing is just another scheme of hers to make Adrien look good. ‘Stand around, eat some food, talk to some guests, don’t say or do anything questionable, be mundane all night so no one can bad mouth you later.’”

The three of them had made it over to the bandstand, where a guitarist had just finished setting up. Chloe sat on a white stool, immediately leaning down to unfasten the buckle on her stiletto heels. She removed her shoes and folded her legs under her, somehow effortlessly poised in her odd seated position. Evidently she was very comfortable here. Nino wasted no time making himself comfortable too, swinging an extra stool around to use as a footrest.

“Is this a normal thing?” Alya asked. “I mean, a band, a caterer, a whole huge crowd of people to entertain. Just for some flashy pictures?

“Welcome to Hollywood,” Nino gestured as the last open seat next to him, urging Alya to relax. “Enjoy your stay while you can.”

As the guitarist plucked out the first few notes of a soft rock song, Chloe leaned over to talk with Alya. How she had perfect posture even when sitting so precariously was a mystery. “Is it your first time at something like this?”

Alya swallowed nervously as she sat down. “How could you tell?”

“You don’t fit in,” Chloe said bluntly. “Trust me, that’s a good thing. You haven’t let any of this stuff go to your head. Don’t let it corrupt you or else you’ll feel obligated to start wearing stuff like this-” she gestured to her discarded shoes, “-to impress people you don’t even know.”

As the song picked up, Alya’s two new companions lapsed into comfortable silence. A few people had wandered over to listen as well, still huddled in their odd exclusive conversation circles.

Chatter and a half a dozen camera flashes in quick succession to Alya’s left caught her attention.

There, coming out of the sliding glass doors of the large house, was the reason Alya’s heart suddenly started palpitating. Adrien had finally arrived, fashionably late to his own party. That, too, was probably calculated down to the minute.

He looked exactly like his pictures, which was probably why her brain hadn’t entirely processed yet that he was indeed a real person, standing less than 10 meters away, totally accessible. Alya took a deep breath as she watched him descend the short steps and properly enter the garden area. Stay calm, she reminded herself for the tenth time that night.

Various partygoers struck up conversation with him immediately as he put on a show for the cameras, smiling and shaking hands all around. Knowing it was all mostly fake left a weird feeling in Alya’s gut.

“There he is,” Chloe looked up, quickly fastening her shoes back on. “I’ll be back,” she said, abandoning her seat.

Nino tipped his head back and sighed. “No you won’t,” he said to no one.

The band’s guitarist strummed out the last notes of their song to polite applause from the small crowd. Alya cast a nervous glance back at the dessert table, but her mother was deep in conversation with other party guests, laughing and even enjoying some of her delicacies for herself. Nathalie stood in her own circle not too far away, not seeming to care in the slightest that Alya had abandoned her post.

Chloe had made her way to Adrien’s side, planting quick bises on both of his cheeks and gesturing for him to come join them near the band. He smiled and gave her a ‘later’ gesture before turning to greet the rest of his guests while Chloe shrugged and dissolved into the crowd.

And then there was Nino, still lounging beside Alya, nodding along to the opening notes of the next song, completely lost in the music. His glasses had slipped down the bridge of his nose. His tie knot was slightly loose, hanging around his neck revealing that the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. Casual. Like he didn’t care at all about the crowd and cameras. He was completely in his element listening to the music.

He was kind of cute, now that she thought about it.

“I’ve never heard this song,” Alya tested the waters.

Nino smiled just a little, his eyes still closed blissfully. “Neither have I. It’s got a nice beat to it though. It’s probably an original, not a cover.”

His foot tapped against the stool to the steady rhythm. His fingertips twitched, as if he were playing an air instrument.

Alya tilted her head. “Is that how you and Adrien met? You’re a musician? What do you play?”

“Musician is one word for it I guess,” his voice was low, allowing the other party goers to enjoy the music. He spoke only loud enough for Alya to listen. “I’ve tried picking up strings and keys but none of that really suits me. I leave the original work to the more talented folks, but finding ways to remix and mashup songs is my favorite. I’m trying to think of a way I can use this bass line.”

His hands continued their odd little dance, moving through the air as if he were placing invisible notes on a floating staff.

Alya was glad his eyes were closed, so he wouldn’t notice her staring.

As often as Nino’s name came up in tabloids alongside Adrien, not much was known about him. No one really knew who he was - and judging by the way he chose to blend in tonight, all casually clothed and careless air, that was probably intentional. All he was known for was being Adrien’s best friend. But clearly there was more to the story.

She waited until the song was over and his hands came to a rest at his side to speak again.

She decided to try a new topic, one that wouldn’t have her gaping like a fish out of water while he went on and on about a hobby she knew nothing about. “So Chloe seems. . . nice.”

“She can be when she wants to,” Nino said, leaning his head closer to whisper, “but to be honest, I was the one who saw you over there stressing yourself out and I figured you could use a break. I guess her getting your attention was her way of being nice to me today.”

“Oh.”

Before she could think of a response, Nino stood and shrugged his head towards the growing crowd at the center of the party. “Come on, let me go introduce you to the man of the hour.”

Alya’s stomach dropped to her toes. Nino led the way through the throngs of people, having no trouble making his way up to the superstar model. It was like the red sea of flashy glitz and glamor parted perfectly to make way for best friend privileges.

Adrien immediately lit up at the sight of Nino. “Dude!” They did that strange boy shoulder-bump handshake-high-five combo.

“Adrien, this is Alya,” Nino turned and waved her forward, politely taking a step back and giving her the floor.

“Um, hi!” She didn’t know if she should shake his hand. She could hardly breathe, now was not the time to be considering social etiquette. Part of her almost wanted to curtsey, but to save herself the embarrassment, she just waved politely. “Alya Césaire. Nice to meet you!”

“So you’re the daughter of the chef. Lucky you, getting to eat amazing food like that every day,” he smiled, and Alya practically melted into a puddle right there.

“Yeah,” she gulped. He was real. And talking to her. He was an actual living human person and she was in his backyard and this was his party and suddenly it felt hotter than it should even for July. “I’m pretty lucky.”

An odd look crossed his face. “I thought Nathalie told me there were two girls working with Mrs. Césaire during her stay?”

“My friend Marinette, she wasn’t feeling well tonight.”

“That’s a shame, you’ll have to tell your friend hello for me.”

If she could remember how to speak after this conversation was over, she would gladly. “Speaking of work, I should probably get back to helping my mom. But, uh, it was nice to meet you Adrien.”

“You too, Alya,” he held his hand out to her, and she steadied her breathing before shaking it briefly, afraid that if she held on any longer than a second she might burst.

She turned on her heel to leave and came face-to-face with Nino. That quickly, she had already forgotten he was standing behind her. And now he was standing incredibly close.

Nino took an awkward step back, chuckling.

“It was nice seeing you again,” he said. “I don’t want to keep your mom waiting, so I’ll tell Chloe to stop bothering you.”

Alya laughed at that. “Yes, well, tell Chloe I said thanks for kidnapping me for a little while. I had fun. And when you figure out how to mix that bass line, you should let me listen.”

Before she could embarrass herself any further, she hurried back to her spot at the dessert table.

For the rest of the night, every time she glanced up and saw Adrien and Nino in the crowd, she had to swallow down the feeling of her heart leaping up into her throat. Actively resisting the urge to stress eat more tiny desserts proved to be a difficult challenge.

And oddly enough, she didn’t think Adrien was entirely the reason why she was so nervous now.

--

The moment Alya left earshot, Adrien’s mouth morphed into a sly smile. He walked quickly, leaving the camera circle and following Nino further out into the mass of partiers.

“So Alya seems nice,” Adrien said. Casual, yet straight to the point. He applauded himself internally.

“No,” said Nino.

So much for that.

Adrien scrambled for a response. “I mean, you think she’s cool, right?”

“What scheme are you about to get me tangled up in next?”

“Just answer the question, please?”

“Yeah, she’s cool,” Nino grumbled under his breath. “I still don’t appreciate you making me her chauffeur the other night, but I can look past that now. Why do you need to know?”

“No reason,” Adrien may as well have been twiddling his thumbs and whistling a jaunty tune under his breath for how hard he was pretending to be aloof. “I just thought it might be nice for her to have someone to hang out with.”

“Right. You mean other than her best friend who she came halfway across the world with. The same girl who you keep sneaking off to talk to.”

“Well, I think Alya likes you.”

“That’s not the point,” Nino deflected, though the look in his eyes seemed to say he wasn’t totally against the idea.

“And if you, my best friend in the entire world, could do me a massive favor and distract Alya tomorrow so that Marinette doesn’t have to worry about getting caught leaving her hotel for a few hours…”

“You want me to entertain Alya so you and Marinette can go on a da-”

“I promised I’d show her around the city,” Adrien insisted. “I kind of owe her a favor, all things considered.”

Nino stood silently, his brows furrowed. Finally, he muttered, “You’ll be owing me a favor too, after all I’ve done for you.”

Adrien clapped Nino on the shoulder. “You’re the best.”

“And you’re the worst,” Nino replied.

--

Just before drifting off, Mariette noticed her phone screen light up.

She had a single notification from the app she had installed the night before. A new message.

A little birdy told me you weren’t feeling well tonight. A shame you had to miss out on the fun. Let me make it up to you tomorrow? Be ready at 9am.

- AA 

[artificialqueens]

The Lost Princess {Biadore} Chapter 3 -C*NT

A/N: Alright we finally have some Biadore interaction like I had promised in the last chapter. 😄 Thoughts, inner monologue, words I thought needed additional emphasis, and a song are all italicisized (i hope i spelled that right lol whoops). Like i said before, cis AU loosely based off of the disney movie Tangled. TW for mention of blood in the begining bit here, and alcohol consumption (!!!!) Enjoy!

“Oh god, please don’t wake up yet.” Adore murmured, wiping off all of the blood from the mysterious mans skin. His arms had gotten badly scraped against the brick wall of the tower when he fell, which lead to a ton of sticky blood all over her hands as she disinfected his wounds.

Adore had managed to drag him up the stairs, into the living room and even sat him into a chair all by herself. At first he kept slumping over, so she had found nearby rope and was about to tie him to the chair- until she found a satchel hanging from his shoulder.

Removing the bag gently from his shoulder, she noticed that it was very heavy. Curiously, she opened it up revealing a perfectly intact tiara. It had 3 pear shaped diamonds and a bunch of smaller gems encrusted into it. Rubies and smaller diamonds gleamed in the light as she stared at it fixated. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen. How it didn’t break with his fall was beyond her, but she realized this could be her leverage. This could be her way out of the tower and to wherever the floating lights were coming from.

She concealed the crown in the satchel, and hid it under a loose floor board as she wondered if this man was going to attack her once he woke up. She needed something to defend herself in case he became as wild as her mother had described to her in the past.

An iron frying pan that was hanging against the wall caught her eye. That would have to do, she thought. She grabbed it and then looked over at the unconscious man slumped over in her chair.

He didn’t look so good, and was still bleeding through his clothes. Adore pressed a finger to her lips as she thought about what to do next.

He was handsome, he almost looked like how a character in a book she had read would look in real life.

He had dark hair the color of ebony that complimented his olive skin, hollow cheeks and thick eyebrows. He was slender, but not too muscular and was wearing long tan pants and a black long sleeved top with a tan vest over it to match.

Was he really a monster?

Inching closer, Adore grabbed his cheek softly and lifted up his upper lip. She jumped as he twitched instinctively, but raised an eyebrow in confusion at his teeth.

His teeth aren’t sharp and pointy,Adore thought puzzled. Why would her mother lie to her about that?

He shifted in his seat, groaning out in pain. Adore frowned, suddenly not wanting to see him suffer anymore. She pushed the hair out of his eyes and revealed smooth skin and very long eyelashes.

Adore stared. And stared. She stared until she couldn’t look at him anymore. She had always been under the impression that men were the personification of the monster underneath your bed, that they were frightening and ugly.

There was absolutely nothing ugly about him. At least aesthetically.

Realizing he resembled her mother after a long trip away from home with all of his cuts and bruises, she got an idea.

Wrapping her long hair around him, she grabbed a brush from a nearby side table and began to brush her hair. She hummed her mom’s favorite spell that she would sing to her twice a day.

Flower gleam and glow Let your power shine Save what has been lost Bring back what once was mine

Her hair began to glow around him, enveloping him in a bright golden light. He sat there seemingly at peace as her hair made all of his cuts and bruises disappear. Once the light faded, she unwrapped her hair from him and stepped back.

Now she waited.

————————

Pain.

White hot pain.

That was all Roy could feel as he began to wake up. Groaning, he tried to reach his arms above his head to stretch. When they wouldn’t move, he opened his eyes and realized what was going on.

There was rope. Lots of it, wrapped tightly around his wrists which were pinned behind his back. That explains the burning, he thought grimly. He also realized he was sitting on a chair.

He remembered then, that he had fallen from the tower. How was he not in more pain? How did he not break any bones?

“Where the hell am i?” He asked himself.

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

Roy whipped his head around the room, trying to find the source of the voice. He was about 95% sure it belonged to a woman.

“Look, I needed a place to crash and I saw that this place looked creepy and abandoned. I didn’t think anyone lived here.” Roy started.

“Didn’t you see that the window was open?”

Roy’s face fell in annoyance. She was sassy, whoever she was.

“Yeah, I just thought that it had been abandoned for a short amount of time.” Roy shrugged. “By the way, why don’t I feel like I just fell from halfway up a tall tower?”

Adore wasn’t about to tell a complete stranger about her magic hair. That would just make her more vulnerable to his attack, and he would most likely just cut her hair off making her magic disappear forever.

“You just had a couple of scrapes. I had magic ointment from a witch that I rubbed on you.” Adore lied.

Well as long as he didn’t feel any pain later, he really didn’t care how hurt he was before she healed him with the ointment.

“Wow, thanks.”

He still doesn’t seem like a monster though, Adore thought. She would’ve thought by now he would’ve at least tried to escape. But if men really were as deceiving as mother made them out to be, it wouldn’t take long to figure out whether or not he was a monster.

“Who are you?” Adore asked, emerging from behind one of the bookcases; her long blonde hair flowing softly behind her. Her light purple dress was hemmed just below the knee,and flowed around her as she walked.

For the first time in a very long time, Roy was speechless.

She was a woman alright,Roy thought. Her hair seemed to go on and on for miles, looking more like a golden river then blonde hair.Had she ever heard of scissors? He thought sarcastically. Her eyes were the color of fresh cut grass, mesmerizing in the afternoon light. Dark brown eyebrows framed her angular face, and her slim body was fitted with quite an expensive looking silk dress. Silk and satin were definitely present in the design, both temperamental fabrics to work with. It looked stunning on her. The girl couldn’t be more than 18 years old, if that.

Roy has always had a thing for blondes, and she was by far the most attractive blonde he had seen in a very long time. He raised an eyebrow at her as his eyes drifted to her arms.

“Are you holding a frying pan?” Roy asked bewildered.

The girl huffed in frustration and crossed her arms. She had tried to intimidate him, but it obviously was not working.

“Yes! Just in case you get any ideas. Now who are you?” She pointed the frying pan at him threateningly, glaring down at him.

If he wasn’t seriously afraid of her using it on his face, he would’ve been in tears laughing. Instead, he gulped, biting his tongue to stop the laughter from escaping, and continued. She was cute.

“My name is Roy. What about you blondie? Does a sexy thing like you have a name?” He smirked showing off his pearly whites. He got one good thing from his parents: his perfect teeth.

Sexy? Adore thought bewildered as she looked at Roy’s perfect teeth. They were blindingly white, she realized. He also had beautiful brown eyes, that were warm and filled with..compassion? She couldn’t read the emotion coming out of them.

But she was confused about what he had said: what on earth was sexy about her?

“I’m Adore.” She said hesitantly, gripping the pan tighter. She didn’t trust him, charm was one of the weapons her mom had warned her about with men.

“Adore. That’s an interesting name. You must have been named after the lost princess too.” Roy muttered. How original, he thought.

“An interesting name?! So you don’t like it?” Adore huffed, completely bypassing the lost princess statement.

“I never said that bitch. It’s just… so many girls were named after the princess after she went missing. That’s all.”

Ignoring the curse word, she looked curiously at him. “Tell me about this “lost princess.” If there really is such a thing.” Adore said, using air quotes. She had her guard up now, ready for whatever lie he was about to spew.

“Okay, you really must not be from around here if you don’t know about the lost princess.” Roy rolled his eyes.“Almost 18 years ago now, someone kidnapped the newborn princess from the king and queen in Corona; and she was never found. The kingdom had been so excited about her birth that they were devastated when she was never found. Soon almost all of the baby girls had Adore as their middle name or even their first name.” Roy shrugged. “I can’t believe you didn’t know the story. It’s world famous at this point. Guards are still out there looking for her.”

This must be her vacation home, Roy thought. Maybe she was royalty from a far off land.

Adore studied the man carefully. His story seemed sincere, and not in the least bit made up. It would be hard to fabricate a story like that especially on the spot. She decided she would give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

“A lost princess huh? Seems romantic. Do you think they’ll ever find her?” Adore asked.

“I doubt it, but I have her crown right-” Roy tried to reach down by his side, momentarily forgetting that he couldn’t move his arms. Looking down at his waist, he realized he no longer had his satchel.

“Where the fuck is my satchel?” Roy exclaimed, jerking about in the chair.

“I’ve hidden it.” Adore said proudly. She was happy she hadn’t show her fear at his outburst, but realized this could be the start of him showing his true colors.

“No no no, you see blondie-”

Here comes the manipulation mother warned me about,she thought.

“It’s Adore.” Adore snapped.

“A door, a window, whatever. I need that satchel. There are some scary guys after me and I need to go back to the city to sell that crown on the black market.” Roy huffed.

Adore had no idea what this Corona was that he kept mentioning, where it was, what a black market was, or why Roy had chosen to come hide in her tower out of all of the other places in the world. Nonetheless, she believed that this encounter was meant to be her way out and to the floating lights. It was a sign:

“Something brought you here, Roy. Fate, destiny-”

“A horse.” Roy muttered.

“Whatever. Everything happens for a reason, and I truly believe there’s a reason you’re here with me right now. I’m willing to give your satchel back and the crown; on one condition.”

“What’s the condition?” Roy asked.

“You will escort me to the floating lights, which are supposed to be happening in 2 days time.”

“Floating lights? You mean the stupid lantern send off they do every year for the lost princess?”

“They’re lanterns duh!” Adore exclaimed. “ I knew it! I knew they weren’t stars.”

“You don’t get out much do you?” Roy asked dryly.

“Anyway, yes I need you to take me to the lanterns so I can see them on my birthday. Then I’ll need you to escort me back, then and ONLY then will I give you your crown back.” Adore crossed her arms. “Your birthday is July 14th? How old will you be Adore?” Roy asked, ignoring Adore’s conditions.

“18. Why?” Adore tilted her head smiling, still gripping onto her frying pan.

The color suddenly drained out of Roy’s face as he began to do the math. Long blonde hair. Green eyes. 18 on the 14th. It all matched up perfectly…could this be her? She definitely wasn’t a princess visiting from a far away land.

If this girl was the lost princess, she literally had no idea who her parents really were. If she didn’t even realize that the lanterns weren’t stars, then that would indicate that she had never even left the tower before. Or whoever was keeping her from the city didn’t want her to know about them, for that very reason.

If he could bring her to the king and queen, he would be dubbed a hero for finding their daughter and most likely given a fat reward.

But he had to make sure this was really her. The real Adore would most likely have some sort of magical powers from being healed by the golden flower in the womb.

The golden flower… the one that his mother died over. How ironic, that 18 years later he would be trying to get the golden flower yet again. He could he face to face with the human version of it basically if this was the princess.

12 years in an orphanage, all for that flower. That one chance to save his dad’s life, but instead ended both of his parents life.

He had the chance now to make things better for himself. If this was the Adore, she would save his life in the way his parents couldn’t save their own. That in itself would make up for not being able to give his dad the golden flower all those years ago.

“No reason. I’ll help you out blondie. But I can’t do much tied to this chair.”

——————

Roy was standing outside underneath the shade of a nearby oak tree, arms crossed in front of his chest annoyed.

“You’re acting like you’ve never been outside before.” Roy huffed impatiently.

Adore stood at the bottom of the steps with the satchel, and a basket filled with food, clothes, and other necessities.

It was only one more step until she was completely out of the tower.

“I haven’t.” Adore confessed.

Roy’s eyes widened as he looked for any sign of a joke in Adore’s voice. When she didn’t say anything more, he cleared his throat.

“Wait, so you’ve really never been outside of that tower?” Roy asked gently now. He had no idea how locked up Adore had really been. This was pointing more and more to his theory that she was the lost princess.

“No, never.” Adore said softly. She looked timidly down at the ground, bending down to touch it with her fingers.

“Ew. That feels weird. I have to step on that? ” Adore said disgusted wiping the dirt off of her hands onto the sides of her dress.

“You don’t actually feel it! That’s why you wear shoes blondie!” Roy cackled

Ugh, that felt so grossAdore thought. She sighed, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to do. Was this going to be worth it? Sneaking out behind her mother’s back with a strange man that she’s never even met?

There was only one way to find out.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and stepped onto the soft grass for the first time.

“Congratulations. Now can we hit the road? I have a place we could go and stay for the night, but we need to leave now.” Roy urged.

Adore shut the front door and turned around slowly away from the tower for the first time ever.

The field the tower was in had a gold cast from the late afternoon sun. Purple and pink wildflowers were sprouted in various places along the path, and over to the west there was a dense forest surrounding the entire area. Birds sang above her as they flew high above them, and the clouds painted the immaculate blue sky. It was so warm and it felt so so good to breathe the outside air.

She had never realized how secluded she really was from the rest of the world until now. Her heart was racing as she realized she had done it! She had really left!

Just from this little taste of the outdoors, she knew that she wanted to experience every part of the world that she could.

Leaving the tower was definitely worth it.

“Let’s go!” Adore exclaimed, jumping as she began to run towards the forest.

“Jesus what the fuck got into you?” Roy asked as he jogged alongside her.

“This is my first time outside ever! Can’t you be more happy for me?” Adore asked as they slowed down right before the entrance to the woods.

“I don’t know if I should be happy or concerned.” Roy mumbled. He saw the excitement leave her eyes, and he instantly regretted what he said.

“My mom was just trying to protect me,” Adore said in defense, “I’m sure your mom is the same way.”

“My mom is dead, so try again.” Roy said abruptly.

Shit, filter Roy. Try using it every now and then, he thought. Adore was the last person he should be blunt with right now. He didn’t want to push her away.

Adore frowned and reached out to touch the young man’s arm softly.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

Roy shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets.

“It’s fine. I got a dark sense of humor out of it at least.” Roy smirked.

“Dark as night.” Adore mumbled as she stopped at the sight of large curtains of ivy.

“Speaking of dark, it’s going to be almost pitch black in there. Are you afraid of the dark?” Roy teased.

“I’m not afraid of anything.” Adore said confidently.

“Then why did you hesitate?” Roy asked. “Kidding.”

Adore rolled her eyes at him, pushing aside the ivy to lead the way. She had no idea where she was going, but she was sure Roy would guide her if she was leading them in the wrong direction.

It was really dark in the forest. Adore could barely see in front of her, let alone any sort of pathway. She clutched onto her basket firmly, trying not to seem like a scared little girl. Her mother was strong and independent, and she needed to be the same way. She didn’t want to seem weak in front of Roy.

“This way.” Roy said, grabbing her hand softly as he lead them down a new path.

The forest was eerie, there was a sick feeling that Adore was staring to get in her stomach as they moved further and further into the woods. She gripped onto Roy’s hand tighter as they made their way through the winding pathways.

They continued to walk in silence for a little while, until Adore heard a faint rustle of leaves.

“Oh my god, what was that?!” Adore exclaimed, jumping onto Roy. Roy, startled, stepped back to support the both of them but ended up tripping and falling backwards. Landing on his back, shortly after Adore tumbled face first onto his chest he watched her basket of clothes and perishables go flying in the other direction.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t hit your head did I? I really tried not to.” Adore rushed, stroking his face soothingly.

Roy smiled as he felt the soft hand touch his face. No one had touched him so tenderly in years. He let his face relax against her hand as she hesitated studying his features.

This was the first time she had seen him really smile, she realized. He didn’t seem like a bad person, and he didn’t seem so deceiving either. Someone with eyes like melted caramel couldn’t have one bad intention in their heart. There was no way. Adore could just feel the kindness radiating out of Roy as she stroked his cheek, making sure to carefully remove the dirt from it. He smirked, revealing two indentations in his cheeks instantly making Adore’s face heat.

“You have really cute dimples, you should smile more often.” Adore murmured, smiling as she removed her hand from his face. She stood up, dusting herself off and making sure everything was back into the basket. She felt her stomach fill with some sort of uneasy feeling - was she nausous? Was it that weird gut feeling that her romance novels talked about whenever the women found a man attractive? She couldn’t exactly tell, but she felt like it was a good thing so she decided to ignore it. She ignored the foreign feeling in her stomach, and what her mom had always told her about romance novels, that they weren’t real interpretations of men and the way that they acted.

“Thanks,” Roy said, brushing off the dust from his shoulders “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just ready to be out of this stupid forest.” Adore admitted.

“Look over there.” Roy pointed. Why did it seem so long when he was running from the royal guard?

In the near distance, a literal light at the end of the forest could be seen. Adore sighed in relief.

“Thank god.” Adore breathed.

They exited the forest briskly, walking alongside a path for a little while in silence. It was a comfortable silence though, the two of them lost in their thoughts as they traveled.

For having just met, Adore was sure trustworthy of him. If he were any other man, she would most likely be in grave danger. In this day and age,a lot of men were pigs who would take advantage of such a beauty. Roy shuddered at the thought of the young girl being harmed, and in that moment was thankful that he was the one that had found her instead of well, literally anyone else.

Roy would be the first to admit it didn’t take much for him to fall for a girl - but there was something so refreshing about Adore that he was drawn to. He just couldn’t help himself. She was so positive despite being locked in a tower for her entire life- which reminded him he needed to really hear the rest of that backstory.

Then he remembered that would make her curious about his backstory. And Roy didn’t do backstories.

As he continued to ponder why he was so drawn to someone that he had just met, he noticed that they had arrived in front of the bar he had wanted to go to. Adore had stopped on the nearby riverbank for some water, and to gaze at the surroundings. The excitement was written all over her face, and he hated to ruin it; but Roy needed to get inside and talk to Courtney - who knows how long he had until the royal guard found him.

“This is where we’re staying tonight! Let’s go.” Roy called.

———————-

Once they were seated in the bar area, Roy grinned at all of the attention that they were getting from the other customers. Him and Adore sure looked like a motley cru. Adore was dressed in some of the richest fabrics Roy had ever seen, with hair that could wrap around the width of the restaurant two times over. Adore’s hair had leaves, broken tree branches, flower petals, and all sorts of things stuck to the ends.

And Roy was well, Roy.

“What can I get you- Oh my god pussyface!” The short blonde exclaimed. She quickly set down their waters on the table and bounced up and down in excitement, her perky breasts jiggling in her dress. She embraced Roy in a hug, smiling ear to ear.

“Calm down jiggly, jeez.” Roy laughed, squeezing her in for a close hug. When they moved apart the girl eyed Adore, raising an eyebrow at Roy.

“Are you going to introduce me to your beautiful girlfriend or what?” She teased, punching him in the arm playfully.

Roy, blushing and now appearing flustered, stumbled over his words before he uttered:

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Well she should be! What’s your name sweet thing? And where did you get all of that beautiful hair?” She eyed the long hair swept across her shoulder as it drooped onto the floor.

“My name is Adore, and I got it from my mom bitch!” Adore exclaimed.

Roy spit out his water in shock as his high pitched laugh echoed throughout the bar.

“My god you’re feisty. I like you, my name’s Courtney. Your drink is on the house!” Courtney exclaimed amused as she walked away.

“What was so funny?” Adore asked puzzled.

“You’re just this cute little thing, I didn’t think a dainty girl like you could ever utter such a dirty word.” Roy chuckled. He actually found it quite charming that Adore had been bold enough to introduce herself that way. No other girl would ever call another female a bitch to their face, at least not in this day and age.

“First of all, I’m not dainty.” Adore started. “And second of all, doesn’t everyone cuss?”

“Most women usually don’t.” Roy shrugged meekly.

“Well, I’m not like most girls.” Adore said.

It was a simple statement, but something about it made Roy look at her in a different way. Yes, clearly she was not like other girls with her miles of blonde hair but there was something so alluring about her that he just couldn’t put his finger on. There were so many faucets to her personality, she was just so fascinating. He just couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. He noticed that her eyes had deepened to more of an emerald color in the warm light of the bar - was it the bar lights or had they always been that dark of a green?

“Would you believe that Courtney’s a man?” Roy asked wiggling his eyebrows, changing the subject. Adore probably had absolutely no idea what a drag queen was, but she was definitely about to find out tonight.

“A man? What are you talking about? She’s clearly a woman. Stop messing with me.” Adore argued annoyed. Roy’s lips curled up in amusement and she scowled at him. She was a bit irritated with Roy now, he seemed to be enjoying her embarrassing herself.

“When she comes back, ask her.” Roy smiled.

As if on cue, Courtney came back smiling with two drinks. The one for Adore was dark blue, while the one Roy had was brown in a small square glass. Adore raised an eyebrow at him, not challenging his lie as she tried to figure out what kind of drink Courtney made. Was it a blueberry lemonade?

“Have you lost your mind?” Roy hissed, glaring at Adore’s blue drink. The “Adios” was famous for staying true to it’s name, and with the 7 different liquors decorating it - Adore would only need one.

“Whatever do you mean?” Courtney asked sweetly. She winked at Roy, who was now scowling. The last thing he wanted to do was be a babysitter.

Adore had taken a large gulp of the liquid, expecting something fruity and sweet. She coughed as she felt the burning alcohol hit her throat.

Why did people like alcohol? It’s disgusting! She thought. She frowned as she realized it was un lady-like not to finish a drink, especially a free one.

Roy looked at her sympathetically and took a sip of his scotch.

“Adore, you should just chug that and get it over with.” Roy suggested. If she got drunk now, she could go pass out quicker which would leave him more time to sweet talk Courtney into letting them stay the night.

“Yeah right, I’m not going to listen to you again.” Adore said annoyed. She pushed the drink aside, already feeling the alcohol settling in her stomach.

“Wise girl.” Courtney commented. Roy shot her a side eye and she winked in return.

“Thank you Courtney. He was trying to tell me earlier that you’re a man. What a jerk right?” Adore asked, twirling a piece of blonde hair around her finger.

Courtney’s face went from amused to shock and back to amused all within 30 seconds.

“He did now?” Courtney asked playfully, glaring at Roy.

“Yeah, I knew it was a lie because you’re so beautiful and there’s no way! Like look, she has boobies Roy.” Adore exclaimed, pointing to Courtney’s breasts.

Roy was cackling so hard now that he was bent over in his chair. Clearly, Adore was buzzed already, only after a literal sip. He was having way too much fun teasing her. She was a very gullible 18 year old, although he didn’t know how many young girls were really interested in the art of drag.

Adore rolled her eyes, taking the remainder of her drink and chugging it. Roy’s jaw dropped as he watched her successfully drain the remains of the cocktail.

She just knew how to surprise him over and over again.

“He acts like I’m so stupid. Does he do that with you Court? I’ve read more books than he probably ever will in his entire lifetime.” Adore continued, noting that the room was starting to have a foggy edge to it.

“False.” Roy retorted. He had been in an orphanage yes, but that didn’t mean he didn’t take advantage of the education.

“Listen Adore. I’ll tell you a big secret of mine.” Courtney paused for dramatic effect as she stared down at Adore. “I really am a man.”

“No fucking way! Prove it!” Adore shouted, standing up on her chair, teetering slightly. This must be what it’s like to be drunk, she thought. Everything around her was spinning, and she felt giddy. Maybe she was on a natural high from disobeying her mom for the first time.

“Jesus Roy, do you see what you’ve started? Fine, come backstage with me. But I’ll only prove it to you on one condition.” Courtney said.

“What’s the condition?” Adore asked eagerly.

“Roy has to dress up as Bianca del Rio.”

Roy groaned, slamming his drink down on the table.

“No, not worth it.” Roy shook his head.

“You can be a girl too?” Adore asked slurring. “You’re just a fuckin’ magician aren’t you?”

“Bianca is not a girl- trust me. She is a clown in a gown, there’s a big difference. “ Roy scoffed, before turning towards the waitress. “Damnit Courtney, I almost want to humor your stupid condition.”

“Humor her. I wanna meet Bianca.” Adore said.

“Fine, but only if Courtney agrees to fix your rat nest of a hairdo. It’s a fucking catastrophe frankly, and probably has 50 different species living in it as we speak.” Roy snapped.

“Deal, ” Courtney answered, much to Roy’s dismay as she shook his hand