Marinette made it up the side of the building and found the bat signal.
She had no plans for what to do when she got there. She strapped back on her red stilettos, crossing the laces back and forth all the way up her calf before turning to look at the massive light.
No one actually expected any of them to make it to the bat signal when they planned the scavenger hunt. Marinette hadn’t planned on it either. The building was closed and had been for years. Gotham no longer honored Batman, even though there was still a never ending list of vigilantes and an even longer one of second rate villains.
“Tell me what you are doing here,” a voice behind her demanded.
She turned suddenly, surprised that the bat girl was right behind her. Her face was mostly covered by a black domino mask, leaving only her stern frown and the black hair falling all around her face. Marinette didn’t have to look up too far to make eye contact with the other woman, even in her heels, she often had to look up at others.
“Yes, ma’am,” she responded, while coming up with the best way to explain.
She hadn’t suspected with the tone of the voice and the neutral cadence that she would be facing a woman. A delicate woman who was clearly toned for combat, but there was something in her eyes that made Marinette feel brave.
She wasn’t going to lie. There was no reason to do that. She didn’t lie without a reason, but she also didn’t want the woman to just dismiss her and leave.
She wanted her to stay; she wanted to know more.
She wasn’t sure what she wanted, but she sure told the truth.
“I came up here as a dare, part of our scavenger hunt,” she said it; Batgirl was already taking her gloved hand to Marinette’s bare arm to move her away. Saying it had been easy. So easy she kept talking, “But now that I’m here with you, I don’t want to leave.”
Batgirl froze and looked back at Marinette like she didn’t really know what to expect, but was ready for anything.
“What if we kiss like we are in love?”
Clearly that was something that the vigilante was not ready for. Considering she hadn’t planned to say it, Marinette wasn’t really ready for it either. Maybe something in the Gotham air was affecting her or maybe she just wanted to see softness on the other woman’s face as their breaths mingled.
“Kiss?” Was the only question Batgirl had for her.
Marinette’s throat went dry at the soft lilt she had when she wasn’t being stern.
“I doubt we could turn the big light on, but maybe I could use the one on my phone and get a picture with you,” she kept explaining the idea as it came to her, as if it was the most normal request.
It was later that she found out that this Batgirl was never pictured. Many refused to believe that she existed. All the sightings were blurred images and stories told later with hauntingly similar descriptions. Batgirl walked over to the light and flipped a switch, angling it so it was more on them than high up in the sky.
Seeing that, Marinette turned with a shaky hand and set her phone up on the ledge with the video recorder aimed in the direction that Batgirl now stood, with the light behind her. Marinette’s shadow joined Batgirl’s low in the sky.
They were larger than life.
Marinette fiddled with the high slit on her shimmery black gown nervously. The other woman seemed to have embodied Marinette’s boldness. She reached over, cupping Marinette’s cheek with a steady hand. Without waiting to see what Marinette would do, she dipped her head down until her lips were pressed to Marinette’s.
Tingling moved over her whole body when the kiss started, but as she moved forward to deepen the kiss, Marinette could feel herself heat and her blood pumping. She wrapped her arm around Batgirl’s waist and pulled her against herself. Batgirl returned the gesture and they were like that for several minutes before one of them pulled away. It had been awhile since Marinette had been in love, but the feelings she had as they both pulled back breathing heavily were definitely what she remembered.
She tried not to feel it in the gut when Batgirl walked over and casually flipped the switch on the bat signal. She bit her lip and walked over to her phone, stopping the recording. She paused and turned back to say ‘thank you’ or ‘bye’ to Batgirl, neither felt right for the situation. But the other woman was once again right behind her. She didn’t have time to startle because Batgirl was leaning down to kiss her again and she didn’t want to disappoint her.
She didn’t make it back in time to qualify for their scavenger hunt. When asked what kept her so long, she said she was trying to get to the bat signal. No one ever saw the video. Because, of course, there are no videos of Batgirl.
Give it up for Marinette & Cassandra, competing for the first time as Seamless Spin! These girls have previously appeared under the Rare Flair banner, but this year they're taking the place of last year's last place team.
Looking for some inspiration to create for these two lovely ladies? Check out their playlist!
Remember that if you save the Spotify playlist, you'll be potentially earning points for this team!
For those of you who don't use Spotify, we did make a YouTube Playlist too, but we can't track those saves, so they can't earn points. (If you know a way of tracking YouTube Playlist saves, please let us know).
Song list below the cut.
1 Boyfriend by Dove Cameron (cw flashing lights, snake)
2 Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko (cw violence)
3 1950 by King Princess (cw flashing lights)
4 Broken Parts by Mokita, The Ready Set
5 Nobody Like You by Louis The Child, Vera Blue (cw flashing lights)
6 She by dodie
7 For the Dancing and the Dreaming by Erutan (originally from How to Train Your Dragon 2)
8 Force of Nature by Bea Miller
9 Bright by Echosmith (cw flashing light)
10 She Likes a Boy by Nxdia (cw flashing light)
11 Sad Machine by Porter Robinson (cw flashing lights)
12 Tiny Dancer by Florence + The Machine (originally by Elton John (cw: bright sunlight, flashing lights, snake, weed)
13 She Keeps Me Warm by Mary Lambert
14 Better Than Love by Hayley Kiyoko
15 Party Tatoos by dodie
BONUS: Moonlight by Grace VanderWaal (cw: flashing lights)
Thank you @izanae and @nottesilhouette for helping @newdog14 find songs for this playlist, even when her standards for "vibes" and "playlist flow" were entirely inscrutable and utterly ridiculous.
Flower shop owner Cass x Baker Marinette for my wife @boldlyanxious. happy early birthday congrats on Age
Marinette stood under the awning of her shop, frowning at the thick droplets of rain threatening to soak her in seconds if she dared to step out from under it. The forecast that morning had suggested a zero percent chance of rain. They had insisted that the clouds overhead were simply the classic Gotham pollution that they all knew and hated. But no. It was pouring. She hoped that the news anchor would get targeted by the mob again. They deserved it.
Okay, perhaps she was being dramatic. She was annoyed, though. She hated rainy days. They made her tired and irritable. Always had, always will.
If she had her way, she would close up shop the moment the asphalt darkened.
Unfortunately, rainy days were great for business, people would be more than happy to ward off the chill with a warm pastry, to enjoy the natural heat that radiated from the ovens no matter how much AC they blasted.
They were also basically every day in Gotham.
At this rate, she would retire early. Which would be great. Maybe she could retire somewhere where it didn’t rain as much.
In order to do that, though, she should probably get back to work soon. Adrien, while good at the customer service part of things, wasn’t all that great at the actual baking part of working at a bakery, and they had been getting dangerously low on low-price items. She glanced back through the window, at people casually chatting and eating, then at Adrien, manning the register.
He caught her gaze and sent her a mildly exasperated look. She checked the time. They would be closing up soon, and they had… well, it would be tight, but it definitely wasn’t worth making another batch this late in the day.
Which meant that her job for the day was pretty much done.
She could see the exact second he realized this, too. His shoulders slumped in defeat.
But this was quickly wiped away in favor of his best smile because a customer had finished their brownie and was in dire need of another.
She snickered to herself, mentally promising to make a quick batch of passionfruit macarons as an apology as she went back to glaring at her mortal enemy: the weather.
But then unexpected movement out of the corner of her eyes drew her attention.
It was the flower shop a few places down. The woman that ran it was quietly gathering the displays she had left out, looking just as annoyed by the rain as Marinette. But probably for a better reason, seeing as the water could easily mess up her displays and deter people from buying from her.
Still, Marinette felt a kinship with the woman.
Maybe that was why she offered to help her take the boxes of flowers in.
The woman – ‘Cass’, according to the sign above the door declaring this her flower shop – looked mildly confused for a moment. She looked at the box of flowers in her hands, briefly, as if processing the idea, and then eyed Marinette up and down. She hesitated, before sending a tiny, grateful smile and nodding.
Marinette helped gather boxes and take them inside. It was slow moving, since Marinette didn’t want to risk accidentally ruining any of the flowers (she wasn’t sure whether they would ‘expire’ at the end of the day like the goods her bakery sold, but she wasn’t going to risk it in case they wouldn’t), and the woman didn’t seem to be in any particular hurry. The store was cold, especially in comparison to Marinette’s bakery, but that probably wasn’t helped by the fact that neither of them were particularly dry. It was silent, save for the rain outside, and though she remembered being told once that Cass was mute and that that was the reason for the woman’s quietness, she couldn’t help but feel that it was a little awkward to work in silence like that.
So, she filled the silence. Talking about how this one movie from the other day had been painfully boring and that she needed to avoid it at all costs, if only for the sake of her own sanity. Rambling on and on about all of the different times that Adrien (her roommate, who she could not stress enough was her roommate, and by the way he was just a roommate) had nearly killed both of them trying to cook, whether that be by exploding a microwave or by poisoning them. Running down her to dos for the next few days and mentioning that she needed to buy more flour for the shop. And then, when Cass had sent her a mildly amused look, said flour not flower. Then she decided that, actually, maybe her shop could do with a couple of flowers, a pop of color could do them nicely, but they would have to be scentless, or the entire eating experience would be ruined. Cass had looked confused, so she had had to quickly explain that taste is actually largely based on smell, and sometimes smell can rub off on foods, so people who serve food are actually required to ensure that they never smelled too much – whether good or bad.
She was… definitely talking the woman’s ear off, but she didn’t seem to actually mind all that much, smiling faintly.
At least until Marinette was done helping her.
But, when Marinette made a move to leave, she held up her hands, briefly holding up a finger in the near-universal ‘one second’ gesture.
Marinette watched as the woman flitted about her shop, her lips pursed in thought, a tiny wrinkle between her brows, her cheeks puffed out the slightest bit. She was… extremely expressive. Marinette figured that was probably because she almost definitely used sign language, which Marinette admittedly didn’t know too much about, but she knew that a lot of meaning in sign language was conveyed not actually through the signs themselves, but instead facial expressions. Or, at least, that was what she had guessed by the few interactions with deaf customers she’d had – Adrien was the polyglot, not her.
Either way, the expression was kind of cute.
It was, perhaps, because of that particular line of thought that it took her longer than it should have to realize what was going on. It wasn’t until she saw the woman start arranging the flowers into a careful bouquet that she realized what, exactly, was going on. Marinette’s eyes widened. She did not know that much about plants, save for the edible ones, but she knew enough to know that bouquets were probably expensive.
“I don’t – here, let me run back to my shop and get some money.”
She shook her head and paused briefly, if only to pull a pad of paper out from behind the desk and start writing.
They are to thank you. If you pay for it, I’ll have to thank you again.
Marinette smiled bemusedly. “What a tragedy that would be, getting a bunch of flowers from a pretty lady.”
Cass sent her a look that was surely meant to be stern, but there was amusement crinkling the corners of her eyes.
The paper crinkled in that same gentle way as she tied off the ribbon and offered it to her.
She hesitated, before carefully taking it into her hands. The bouquet certainly smelled floral, but not to the point where it was overwhelming, though that was hardly what most people focus on. Still, it was nice that Cass had taken that into consideration.
As for the flowers themselves… the bouquet was made up of vibrant yellows and soft whites. Marinette tried to pick out what any of them might be. She thought that a couple of them could have been daisies, but don’t quote her on that.
“I’m guessing that all of these have hyper specific meanings?”
Cass nodded, giving her a briefly amused look before starting to write them out. Then, she scribbled over the words and wrote something else. Unfortunately for her, Marinette was nosy, and therefore she squinted long and hard at the section that had been crossed out to try and decipher what she’d originally been trying to say:
Agrimony means gratefulness. White carnations and yellow daisies are about how you’re really sweet and I want you to be happy. Mayflower and Queen Anne’s Lace together usually convey a sense of ‘welcome to my place’.
Basically, I’m really thankful.
Marinette’s eyes widened. She looked down at all of the different flowers. She had been mostly joking about the flowers all having some sort of secret code – she’d heard of flower language, of course, vaguely, in passing – but that was… a lot. It was interesting, knowing how much thought could go into all of the different parts of a bouquet, how it all came together to convey a specific feeling. She wondered if adding or taking away a single flower could change the meaning entirely.
She sent Cass a hesitant smile. “Don’t know how you can keep up with all of that.”
Cass rolled her eyes, waving her compliment off easily.
I don’t know how you can make all of those sweets in time for the breakfast rush.
Marinette felt a faint blush creep across her cheeks. “Well, first, you have to wake up super early.”
Cass looked as if she would rather die. Marinette couldn’t help but laugh at the way her entire face scrunched up in disgust at the mere idea of waking up early.
She could only shrug. “The struggles of a small business owner.”
Tell me about it, Cass wrote, before leaning back against the desk heavily, as if even the memory of work was enough to make her feel faint.
Marinette giggled. “I’d love to, but we should probably get back to our jobs as small business owners and all.”
Cass gave a clearly overexaggerated pout (Marinette wasn’t sure quite how to explain how she knew that this particular overexaggerated expression was more for the sake of a joke than the overexaggerated expressions the woman always did, but there was a definite difference), and Marinette could only laugh and lift her hand in a lazy kind of wave as she headed to the door.
A hand caught her sleeve before she could reach the door, and Marinette wouldn’t even pretend in the privacy of her own head that the reason she was hesitating was just because she didn’t yet want to brave the rain.
The woman hesitated, before offering her another flower. It did not quite go with the bouquet – where the bouquet was white and yellow, this flower was white and pink. Still, it was pretty. And, for the first time, as she gently took it into her free hand and started looking it over, she was pretty sure she recognized them.
“Almonds?” she said.
Cass’s eyes gleamed. She nodded eagerly.
Marinette couldn’t help but giggle at the woman’s excitement. “What do they mean?”
She had her trusty notepad on her. But she hesitated this time, her pen hovering over the page.
“Oh, don’t tell me you forgot,” Marinette teased.
Cass’s lips twitched upwards in amusement.
Finally, she started writing.
Help me pack up the next time it rains, and I will tell you. Promise.
Marinette could look it up, of course. It was the modern age. Phones exist and, if she really wanted, it wouldn’t be that difficult to check the moment she left. And she was pretty sure the woman knew that, too, since Marinette had already told her that she was well aware of what flower this was. It wouldn’t be hard to look it up.
The choice was hers.
She smiled faintly, soft petals coming to rest against her lips when she pretended to tap her chin thoughtfully. As if she would ever actually need time to consider her options.
“Promise,” she agreed, quietly wondering if she might have to reassess her hatred of rainy days.
Genre: Fluff. All the fluff. @flufftober 2023 Day 9: ___ at First Sight. Random Word Generator chose 'Employee'.
WC: 1k exactly
Maribat Taglist (Open): [I'm so sorry I keep forgetting people like my works and join the list and i forget to tag everyone😭] @axis-for-the-dead @jennifer-rose123 @questioning-blob-of-fog @sarcasticbambi
A/N: Thanks to @axis-for-the-dead for betaing and hyping me up!! For @ramos123. Thanks for defending my wifey and me<3 (even if you did laugh at us). Edit: after scrolling through a million messages apparently I mixed my dates up😔 Happy day of birth anyways ig.
I did too much research into late-19th Century French fashion. Ignore any ballet mistakes I made; I forgot everything I once knew. Title inspo here.
Ao3 Masterlist
The sun was shining, the air was crisp with the promise of fall, and the smell of freshly baked goods wafted around the girl casually strolling the aisles of vendors at the autumn market.
Buckets of wildflowers added pops of colour, various species of gourds provided visual texture, and the sound of leaves crunching underneath her light stride put a spring in her step.
Hefting the bag on her back, loaded with goods from the many vendors she’d stopped by, she paused to watch a demonstration by a young woman around her age, who was explaining fashion in the late 19th century.
Several replica pieces hung on racks in her booth, and a couple women were trying on jackets and bonnets eagerly.
“Excuse me!” The young woman waved at her, and she walked over, curious. “What’s your name?”
“Cass.”
“Cass, it’s nice to meet you!” the woman smiled warmly, her cheeks a pretty blush from the cool breeze. “I’m Marinette. Would you be my model for the bicycle suit, to demonstrate how well it allowed for mobility?”
Cass nodded. “I do ballet.”
The girl grasped her hands dramatically, eyes practically hearts. “You do?! This is perfect! Thank you so much, Cass! My usual model is out sick today,” she mourned, gathering a pile of clothing and heading towards a small change stall. “Let me know if you need any help. The styles were a lot simpler as the fashions changed and drew inspiration from menswear, but they can still be confusing to someone who doesn’t typically wear antique clothing.”
Cass nodded and entered the change stall, leaving her backpack behind Marinette's sales counter before she began to don the old-fashioned garments.
She emerged and looked questioningly at Marinette, who led her to her sales pitch circle.
“Here’s today’s model, Cass, who will show you how flexible the clothing really was!”
Cass started off with some basic stretches, warming up before she attempted grander moves. She preferred her proper ballet attire or looser clothing, but this wasn’t bad. The loose fabric was breathable and not very restrictive, so once she was sufficiently warmed up, she began some simple jumps and movements.
Marinette continued her spiel as Cass performed one of her favourite dances, the solo from Act I of Don Quixote. It was short, but had jumps, twirls, and kicks, which provided a good range of movements to show off the clothing.
Cass finished with a professional bow, looking at Marinette during the applause to see if she had liked it. She had a wide-eyed, smiling look on her face, so Cass guessed she had done a good job of promoting Marinette’s work.
Once the demonstration was over, Cass hung around examining the wares of Marinette’s booth. Some half-finished pieces were on display, Marinette showing the process of making historically accurate and comfortable clothing.
A gorgeously embroidered blouse with many small wildflowers and birds and ladybugs caught her eye, and Cass held it up to herself. Once it was completed, it would be the right size to fit her, she thought.
Marinette came over, her eyes sparkling. “Thank you so much for your demonstration, Cass! I just made at least three sales because of that. Oh, I love this blouse. The embroidery is a pain, but it’s so worth it. The prettiest things always take the longest and hardest to become that way, don’t they,” she mused. “Did anything else catch your eye, that I can get for you?”
Cass shook her head. “Just this.”
“If you give me your contact information, I can let you know when this is completed, if you’re still interested in it. I’ll give it to you for free after the help you’ve been today,” Marinette offered.
Cass pulled out a business card from the depths of her retrieved bag and handed it to Marinette.
“Will you need me to come in and try it to make sure it fits properly?”
Marinette smiled at her. “I might.”
~~~
Marinette set her pincushion down. “Alright, it’s all done, except for the finishing embroidery.”
“Can I add a flower?” Cass asked.
“Sure, what one do you want?”
“I need to research it first. Can I tell you tomorrow?”
“Okay,” Marinette agreed readily.
~~~
“Can I add another one?”
“Sure. Do you need to do more research?”
“Yes. Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow works! Oh, do you want your reference flower back?”
“You keep it.”
“Thanks, Cass. See you tomorrow.”
~~~
“I’m going to miss embroidering these flowers,” Marinette mused as she clipped the loose threads off her latest addition to the blouse’s garden.
“I’ll buy you more,” offered Cass. “You can embroider more of my clothes if you want.”
Marinette laughed. “Thanks, Cass. I appreciate it. Want to add another blossom?”
“Of course. Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.”
~~~
“Another?”
“Yes.”
“Tomorrow, then.”
~~~
“Can I-”
“Yes!”
“Tomorrow.”
~~~
“One more?”
“Always,” Marinette grinned. “Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow.”
~~~
“Hi, Cass! Be with you in a sec!” Marinette called from the depths of her shop the next afternoon, at two on the dot, as usual.
“Okay.”
Cass looked down at the stalk of tiny white flowers in her hand.
Marinette emerged, brushing the curtain to the back room out of her face (the one she always walked into), a smile on her lips.
Cass held out the flower for Marinette’s approval.
“Ooh, a mignonette! This would be pretty by the camellias on the lower right hem,” Marinette mused, pulling out the form with Cass’s blouse on it.
“So, any flower requests for tomorrow?” Marinette asked at the end of their session.
“No.”
Marinette’s smile dimmed a bit. “Oh, okay. Finally done with your garden? It’s actually been fun doing all this embroidery,” she looked at her handiwork sternly.
“Come with me to buy flowers tomorrow,” Cass asked.
“What?”
“I’ll buy you flowers, but you don’t have to embroider them anymore.”
Marinette’s eyes widened. “Are you asking me out?”
Cass nodded firmly. “Go on a date with me. Please?” She pulled out the puppy eyes Damian had perfected.
Marinette flipped the switch, forgetting why she had turned it off and then looked down while blocking the light with her hand. She saw Cass’s hand move in front of her and with a small click, the light turned back off. She rested her hand on the counter to help the dizzy spell pass and commented on what she saw when the light was on.
“That’s a lot of chocolate.”
Cass hummed in agreement. It had a pleased tone to it. She didn’t always feel like talking too much but Marinette could always tell by the way she hummed when she was happy or frustrated.
“You’re sick. Lay down.”
Marinette pouted but then turned to go into the other room. She said her mom’s hot chocolate and snuggles always made her feel better but she mostly just wanted Cass to come over and lay with her while she laid down.
Cass brought her the hot chocolate and then moved away and started cleaning her apartment.
“Come on Cass, I know this is what I asked for but this is not what I meant.”
She gestured at the cocoa and then back at Cass cleaning her mess. Cass turned back, she bounced slightly with her hands behind her back and a mischievous smile on her face.
“What you want?” she asked.
“I want you here with me. I need to cuddle, not worry about you cleaning up my mess.”
Her pleased smile was back but she came to the bed and climbed in with her. She rubbed her back and pressed a kiss on her forehead. Marinette could feel the frown as she pressed her lips there.
“Too tight,” she said.
Marinette hadn’t even remembered that she had put her long hair up in a tight bun. She was supposed to be getting a lot of things done today so she had put it out of the way. The tension released as soon as Cass pulled the pins out. She sighed as the other woman's fingers moved into her hair and pressed at her scalp. Over and over her fingers wove through and then massaged the tightness away. The relief was intoxicating as was the feel over her hands in her hair. Marinette was nearly asleep. She relaxed against Cass as she felt her weaving the mass of hair into a loose braid.
The bed shifted and Marinette’s hand moved out trying to stop Cass from leaving her there. She peaked at the rustling noise.
“Are you taking out the trash then?” Marinette pleaded, really begging for her to stay.
Cass kissed her cheek. “Sleep. I will come back.”
She was asleep by the time Cass did return but she had kept her promise and Marinette snuggled into her sleepy embrace. The headache was mostly gone but she was happy where she was.
She reacted before she was even able to explain why. Her new charge looked at her in confusion but she remained silent, looking around for any possible disturbance. Marinette shifted as her grip loosened but she saw and covered her mouth rather than holding her back when she realized the danger she had seen. Her other hand slid silently to the other woman’s hip and felt around for the emergency button she had attached there only a fraction of a second before armed men entered the building.
Cass was fairly confident that they wouldn’t be seen if they just remained there. She could hear terrified voices of others and it did concern her. She didn’t think it fit the profile of any dangers to her current charge but if she were to come out of hiding to help, it would likely expose Marinette to the risk.
The beacon had worked and she saw backup arrive within minutes. She watched quietly until the men had been apprehended before she was able to check on the other woman. She was clearly shaken up and worried about being late after taking the time to make a statement to police about what they had seen.
—
They had fallen into a routine over the past few weeks. Cass was always by Marinette’s side when she was out but their lives were mostly separate even though they lived in the same building. Their apartments were directly across the hall and Cass was alerted any time someone accessed the floor. Marinette would let her know she was expecting a food delivery and offered to add something on for her. Cass had said what she wanted and set about making her favorite tea for the evening. She preferred to be relaxed before bed and the tea was part of her relaxing routine.
She looked at the video as the man got off the elevator. She went to the door immediately to watch. He had a bag that looked like take out but the colors seemed off and his movements were nervous. It could be any number of reasons for either of these but caution was of the utmost importance so as he knocked, Cass opened her door noiselessly.
The door opened and Marinette smiled before looking down at her wallet. That was the moment the man moved. Cass didn’t even know what his intentions were but he was definitely doing more than handing her food. His hand left a red scratch down Marinette’s arm as the only evidence of his ill intentions before Cass had lunged for him.
Marinette had watched in horror but then seemed to remember the protocols Cass had told her before. The door shut and the dead bolt made a sound. The beacon would not make a sound but after a few minutes back up arrived in the elevator. It took longer for the stairs to be cleared. The original delivery person had been found at the bottom with clear signs of having been attacked. Looking back at the attacker, the hat didn’t quite match the shirt color and there was a bit of blood on it.
When all was clear, Cass gave Marinette the signal. She was shaking again. Much worse than before and there were clear signs of crying. The take out food was reordered and Tim brought it up along with Cass’s tea from her apartment. The tea seemed to help Marinette too but she barely touched the food she had been so excited about previously. Cass recommended a soothing bath and early bed, promising that she would be right there with her. She slept on the couch and wondered if she should bring up the idea of staying in a safer building.
–
The security arrangements had tightened since the delivery attack. Marinette no longer answered her own door even for friends she recognized. Cass was always there. She could tell the other woman was getting frustrated but sometimes she could see the frustration turn to a worried frown, as if she was remembering exactly why it had changed. The hope was that the concerns would fade soon. Today was the press release for the final event that should get some of the attention back on the fashion instead of the designer. Cass expected it to be a security minefield and everyone was out today with cameras on every angle and security in every blind spot.
Even with all that is was going to be a long day. Cass had been happy that Marinette had stayed home to work on designs last night so she could get plenty of rest. It was clear when she saw her this morning that she should have been a bit pushier about Marinette protecting herself. The woman appeared to be pretty tired but they would have to be to the event early so she would be in place on time. Cass would not necessarily be the one standing next to her all day. Some one would always be near but she preferred to be near as much as possible. Marinette tended to keep her reactions close to her and hidden. Cass felt like she could understand her face most of the time like they were speaking but she was slightly concerned that others might not see when she was uncomfortable.
All her fears turned out to be unfounded. Marinette took to the stage and addressed the crowd, squinting at the lights from all the cameras. Her smile was happy and beautiful. When she walked away, she looked relaxed. Cass could see her muscles straining slightly as if the relief was feeding into her previous exhaustion now that the event was done. There was noise as everyone was leaving. A few more eager fans and reporters were trying to find a way through the security to ask one final question. Cass allowed the extra security to handle the crowd, looking through them to see if any of them looked suspicious. Seeing none, she made her way back to where Marinette would be exiting.
She was smiling. The guard was standing near, but didn’t seem to notice the pinched look. She was chatting but she was not happy. Cass approached to see why the current security guard had allowed him back there.
“Let’s move,” Cass addressed the guard.
“He just needed a moment. Since he had a pass I knew it would be okay,” the guard said.
Cass glanced back at the man. He looked like every business man she had ever seen at a Wayne party. Of course the rules don’t apply to him. Cass turned back to the guard an barely moved her chin to signal him to move on. Marinette’s eyes held only relief at the interruption.
“I thank you so much for coming, Monsieur Agreste. I am delighted to hear that a designer such as yourself would be interested in my work.”
The words came out soft and forced, confirming Cass’s suspicion that she had only been talking to him because she didn’t feel like she had another option. Cass looked back at the man as they headed down the hallway. He had a sneer on his face as he watched the young designer walk away. She made a mental note to learn more about him to determine if he was a possible threat.
–
Cass was still uneasy as they made it to the building. Marinette was clearly tired and just wanted to go to bed after all the excitement. She barely even looked over the response to the announcement. As the car got to speed and moved down the highway the short distance to their apartments the other woman relaxed. Her phone screen went dark and her hand barely held onto it. Cass allowed her to remain when she slumped slightly and rested against her. She was thinking that she might make her favorite tea if she stayed awake long enough. She didn’t share it with her every night but she had started making the offer every night after she had returned to her own apartment.
She had stayed on Marinette’s couch for three nights after the last attack. She was very apologetic but it had been clear that she was scared to be alone so Cass had insisted, for her own security until they could be sure everyone was familial with the new protocols. She made sure not to smile at the the clear relief in her eyes. There was no reason that it should make her smile or feel warm when her charge felt happy. Her only job was to keep her safe.
Cass shifted just as they arrived and moved towards the door so she could pretend that she hadn’t noticed the other woman was dozing. She wasn’t even facing her but could hear all the emotion in her voice as she gasped at the realization that she had fallen asleep. By the time Cass looked around the lobby and to verify that it was secure, Marinette had cleared any evidence of her slumber and exited the car. Her shoulders were still relaxed.
Cass was happy that the elevator had already been on the ground floor. She ushered Marinette there and they rode up in silence. She wished she knew what to say to her to make her smile now. She didn’t expect that they would spend any time together tonight. She sucked in a breath to say something but the words didn’t come so as the elevator dinged she stepped forward towards the hallway. She reacted instantly as she realized Marinette was getting off the elevator right behind her. She shoved her back against the wall and slapped the button for another floor before turning to face those who had been waiting for them.
Getting separated on the elevator was not something they had discussed. When clear headed, Marinette was very alert and very capable of making good decisions. But sometimes when she was tired she reacted more slowly or made clumsy mistakes. If she were home that involved putting her purse in the fridge and tripping over the coffee table that had not moved. Cass hoped that she would become alert quickly and come up with a plan. She expected that her beacon would be activated but just in case, she would need to find a safe place to be until Cass or backup arrived.
Movement from behind her and to the right put her on defensive but she would not stay that way long. She hit hard and threw the man into the woman in front of her and to the right, blocking her own door. That would keep them busy for a moment so she could handle the other man. He was bigger and his stance clearly showed training. Cass lunged and hit him in the throat, dropping the instant her hand connected so she could take out his legs. Still she was surprised when he fell. She moved forward and punched him in the face, hoping that would be enough to keep him down.
The other two were ready for her. Still she took a second to glance at the floor the elevator stopped on so she would know where to find Marinette. She was fairly certain it went to the floor she had pushed the button for without stopping. The other man looked back when she did and his smile told her that he knew what it meant. She immediately hit him in the mouth twice so he couldn’t share the information. The woman tried to come at her from the side and Cass blocked it and then kicked at her. It was enough to make her jump away but barely hit the side of her head. Cass was too focused on taking down the man first. She hit him several more times and then kicked the side of his knee causing him to topple over. One more kick to the head and he was unconscious and unable to immediately pass on the information.
The woman lunged forward and connected right as she made the last kick. Ignoring the sting, Cass grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her. She hit her several times and then pushed her into the wall. The larger man was moving again so before he was able to get back up, Cass pulled the woman to her and threw her on top of him. She didn’t wait to see whether they would get back up. She ran to the door for the stairs and got to the floor Marinette was on as quickly as possible.
The stairs were clear but she heard a door open right as she got to the correct floor. She slipped in the door and held it as it closed behind her to soften the sound. No one was in sight so she quickly looked up and down the hallway for easy hiding. There was a faint thump, just twice and it didn’t repeat. She walked right past and another faint rustling sound made her turn back. She could hear footsteps coming and the elevator dinged. She darted into the small space, impressed that Marinette had hidden herself so well.
She still looked so tired and Cass knew that this would add more to their evening. They would have to move somewhere more secure and Marinette would not be allowed back to her apartment until they had verified that it was secure. She stiffened at the sound of fighting in the hall. Cass didn’t even need to silence her, she had already covered her own mouth to keep from making a sound. Looking around, Cass motioned for her to move further into a more hidden spot that she might be able to use to defend herself. They hadn’t done a lot of training because Marinette had a very busy schedule but the moves came easy to her so they had focused on how to get away from a hold or out of a situation rather than fighting moves.
The fighting in the hall went silent but there were still footsteps back and forth, searching. She heard the door open to the stairwell and the elevator dinged a moment later. Cass got an alert with the all clear with the proper phrase so she stepped out into the hallway. The back up confirmed that all known assailants were taken care of and the lobby was clear so she brought Marinette to the elevator and took her to the most secure location she could think of on short notice, Wayne Manor.
—
Cass would have preferred to keep her in a secure location at all times, but Marinette pushed back. She did have work she needed to do so on occasion she would need to be in a work space. She didn’t think she was supposed to hear the muttering under her breath about a psychopathic shut in like Gabriel Agreste but she did. It was noteworthy because Cass recognized the name from her research of the man that had made her uncomfortable at the press conference.
They had a history and it seemed rather unordinary except the fact that a baker’s daughter had impressed one of the most notable fashion designers of the time. It all seemed straightforward and pleasant but based on their interactions, there was definitely part of the story that had not been made public. Cass had started tracking his movements, which was fairly easy because it seemed that his appearance at the press conference was very out of the ordinary. He had not left his residence since then. The realization made her think he might not be the most likely threat so she still considered the many other options.
Once the office was secured, Marinette preferred to be in there alone. Cass had begrudgingly agreed, but she was the only one allowed to access the door. She used the time they were there to look over all the information they had compiled. She preferred not to do it when Marinette was around because the idea of needing security bothered her and thinking about the fact that someone was trying to actively hurt her made her visibly upset. She was far too kind for this kind of work. As much as Cass enjoyed her as a client, she would be happy to give the all clear on her safety. Even if it meant she would not be able to see her all the time.
Initially Cass had thought that it was a foolish rule to say that a bodyguard should not be in a relationship with or fall in love with their charge. That seemed to be a given. But the feelings had slid in slowly over time. Just watching her smile made Cass happy. After the attack in the apartment, Marinette had been so concerned when she had calmed down enough to realize that she had been hurt. She had taken the first aid kit from Cass’ hand and pulled it away.
“Let me help you,” she said softly.
Her face was so close that Cass could see each eyelash as she worked to clean the cut on her cheek. Her fingertips were far more gentle than Cass had expected. She dabbed gently and the pressure was barely there before she felt the sting. Then her fingers pressed slightly harder to make the bandage stick. They glided down her cheek for just a second before a blush covered her own cheeks and she busied herself putting away the first aid kit. Cass had to stop herself to reach out to still her nervous hands. Physical contact between them should be limited.
Today Cass had very little left to do. Marinette had been working for hours without a break. Cass prepared for them to be able to leave at any minute, knowing that Marinette would likely be tired when she finished. Today was not the first time she had worked like this. It was probably once a week that she would get a sudden spurt of energy and focus. She loved it because she would design in a rush and then be able to relax for a few days while finalizing the patterns that the design team would work with. Cass was double checking the cameras systematically when the alarm sounded.
She jumped up and rushed over to the office, she didn’t even need to verify that the team had moved into position. She could hear them all moving and sounding off. As it turned out, it was a false alarm. Marinette had gotten so into designing she had forgotten to alert Cass when she was coming out. Cass still had everyone check their surroundings and she secured the office while Marinette watched sheepishly. Within three minutes the entire place was called off as secure and Cass was no longer worried.
“I’m so sorry. I just forgot. I lifted my head and I was hungry so I was going to go for a walk and find something to eat,” Marinette said.
“Surprised drills are good practice.” Cass nodded. “Always ready.”
Instead of the walk, food was delivered and Cass recommended the terrace. She even joked that it had just been cleared in case that is what she wanted. She immediately regretted the joke when she saw the flash of guilt in her charge’s eyes. But she perked up by the time she finished eating and did wander up and down the terrace, taking in all the flowers. She even took out her small sketchpad and started doodling. Cass could tell that she was doodling because her face relaxed and looked serene. When she was designing and focused her face would be intense and sometimes her tongue would peak out of the corner of her mouth.
Cass shook herself out of her thoughts just in time. Marinette looked up and smiled widely when their eyes connected. Cass busied herself making sure the path and door were secure but her focus was more on not grinning at the other lady’s smile. As they walked back to the office, Cass moved ahead of her, checking any blind spots. She didn’t expect any surprises, but she was always cautious.
Rather than going immediately back to the office, Marinette chose to stay in the foyer area. There were more windows and the space was open which made it more complicated for security but Marinette thrived on interaction. After spending so many hours shut away, she was very chatty with everyone around. She sat on the table and started going through the pile of mail that Cass had cleared earlier. She opened them one by one and looked over for any important information and had everyone share a memory they could think of from childhood. Everyone who wanted to had shared a story and they were all laughing when Marinette was sharing a story of how she had managed, or not managed the first time her parents left her to run the bakery on her own.
She reached down for a package and was starting to pull at the string when Cass moved. That package had not been there before. She rushed over and shouted to take cover. She grabbed Marinette and tackled her to the ground. She tossed the package to where she had been sitting away from the others. One of the other security was already moving to tilt the table when she got there, moving Marinette to be against it. It was not a large explosion. It may not even have been intended to kill many people but there was no doubt that it would have injured anyone who opened it and possibly have damaged any of the work nearby.
Cass glanced at the beacon and Marinette had pushed it. She was a model charge. She always followed the security protocols to the letter or if she didn’t she would realize her mistake and correct it. Cass didn’t know how this could have happened. She was itching to go over every inch of the security right now, but she knew that she would not have the opportunity. Marinette had already had a scare today and that was a false alarm. This was a blatant attempt to harm her and had nearly gotten through the security even with their most secure protocols. She needed outside eyes on this. She sent a message to one she trusted above all others to be on the lookout for concerns. Her field team was great but she needed them where they were now and she needed answers as soon as possible.
They left the building and the back up team cleared it. They would comb through the logs to see if there was any information on the package and how it had gotten in past their security. For now, Cass blamed herself. She had personally cleared every bit of the mail. She knew that package had not been in there but she should have taken a moment to check it over before Marinette looked through it. If she had been alone in her office, there would have been nothing to do to protect her and that is exactly what someone had planned.
—
Security was tighter than ever on the night of the big event. A gala that was being held at the Wayne Ballroom. Over the years the security had been upgraded many times. Cass had double and triple checked everything. It would not be possible for her to be everywhere. There would even be times when she could not be right next to her charge because of the nature of the event. She was not the only attendee with a bodyguard and it was cumbersome to include them with the seated guests or on the dance floor. Luckily, Cass got some leeway with that as a daughter of Bruce Wayne. Her family was invited and that was part of the reason she made such a good choice of bodyguard for this charge.
There were so many other concerns when it came to large open spaces filled with people. Then on top of that there were plenty of quieter places to go for people to sit and be away from the crowds and talk. The function was business in nature so there was the expectation that at some point the guests may have business to discuss.
The had made a few changes along the way. Marinette had decided that rather than having a stage set up for her designs she wanted her designs to be seen in used. So there were enough models throughout the crowd to show off all of the designs she had decided to show tonight. The official show was tomorrow but she had wanted to do a sneak peak. Cass had suggested doubling a few of the models as additional security in order to better blend in. She expected that after the other attempts to get to Marinette that there would be something attempted to keep her from the fashion show tomorrow.
Marinette was smiling as she went in to be seated. Cass had made sure ahead of time that Agreste was nowhere near Marinette. She just made sure the event planner took care of seating so the man was not slighted in any way. She knew Marinette didn’t want to work with him but it was important to her future business that he not publicly retaliate if he felt slighed. She had definitely seen proof of him being petty to people he didn’t like in the past. His former assistant had left Paris in disgrace after years of service. No one knew the details but she was no longer working in fashion or any field related to her previous work.
Cass froze before responding when the man next to Marinette reached out to touch her arm. Marinette adjusted without causing a scene and her smile remained. But she did look around for Cass a moment later. She signaled by touching her ear. Cass knew she didn’t like it but wasn’t looking for a response. But the man would be watched closely through the night. He wouldn’t get a chance to be alone with her charge. She didn’t know the specifics of the business deal Marinette was looking for, just that she wanted full autonomy to design with the financial backing.
It was when the guests were finishing dinner and heading back to the ballroom that everything went sideways. They moved mostly as a crowd. They were still chatting in clumps with the people who had been sitting nearest them and some had dragged over others to talk about what they had heard over the meal. Cass moved to the side as she watched Marinette excuse herself from the group. Her charge was nearly to the exit when people dressed as the waitstaff came out from the kitchen. The door was between the dining room and ballroom so there was chaos as everyone was there at once. The chaos turned to panic as more people saw the guns.
The guests ran in both directions to get away. Cass was working against the crowd to get to Marinette. The crowd was being herded together before they could all run away and have to be chased down. Cass saw Marinette had pushed her back against the wall right next to a potted plant that blocked part of her face. It would not hide her long term but it kept her from being spotted out in the open while the assailants were exiting the kitchen and concerned with getting everyone gathered.
Cass moved quickly to get to her, allowing the attackers to believe she was being compliant. At the last second she hit one of the fake servers and rushed to Marinette. She had just been discovered and two of the assailants were pointing guns. Cass took them down quickly and pulled Marinette along to get her out of the room. The reaction of the rest made it clear that Marinette was the target and many of the others rushed over. Cass pushed her back and fought them off as they came. She blocked Marinette with her body and ruthlessly took down any who got close.
The last group approached more slowly. They hadn’t gotten far enough away so they were backed into a corner. They spread out and moved in a bit at a time. There was no way for Cass to strike at any of them without risking both of them. She knew the back up would be close so she lunged for the one in the middle to have the most chance of hitting multiple assailants. She got a good hit in but the others had moved to take her down. She didn’t stop fighting as she hit the ground. There weren’t enough of them to keep her down, but all they needed to do was get Marinette away.
She nearly laughed out loud when she heard one scream that Marinette had bit him. She kicked hard as her arms were held down. The grunts when she connected were satisfying but it seemed that they didn’t agree. Pressure was put on her neck. She choked and struggled. Her eyes kept closing on their own and she could see them dragging Marinette away. She forced herself to keep going, pulling one arm free, she pulled the foot out from one of the ones near her. It wasn’t the one holding pressure. Now when she opened her eyes there were black spots. She had trained for this and she knew she could do it.
Nothing connected when she kicked her legs. But then the pressure came off her neck and she was gasping for breath. The black spots faded and she saw Marinette right above her as she was struck with a gun.
Cass flipped herself over and landed on her feet, knocking the others down. She rushed to Marinette and lifted her into her arms. She was happy to see back up so she worried only about getting Marinette to safety.
She examined the cut on her cheek.
“You should have run when you had the chance. It is my job to protect you from everything.”
Marinette reached up and took her hand and relaxed with Cass' fingers resting against her cheek. She looked up at her before whispering, “You do protect me, but how can you protect me from everything when you are my weakness?”
