Betrayal (Through It All, ch 12)
Hypocrisy | Betrayal | Saint
AO3 link
Wordcount: 831
@miraculousfanworks
The next room they step into is some kind of party. Aurore looks over at Mireille, and…wow, she’s breathtaking. Her hair is cropped short into a bob, and she’s wearing a suit.
People are rarely ever gorgeous to Aurore, but that’s the only word she can use to describe the way Mireille looks right now.
“I wonder what’s going on here,” Aurore murmurs.
“Did you forget your mission, Agent Beaureal?” a voice says in her ear. Okay. Whoa.
Agent implies something else.
“Review it for me one last time,” she mutters.
“Caquet’s organization will be making a move tonight at this party for Dupain-Cheng and Agreste’s engagement. Your job is to keep her occupied so she is unable to carry out her mission.”
“Copy that,” Aurore whispers. It won’t be hard, all things considered. Mireille probably won’t go through with whatever the mission she’s been given anyways.
“Now, weren’t you supposed to remove your comm?”
Aurore fumbles for the device in her ear, and easily crushes it.
“Mireille,” she asks, “what have you been assigned to do?”
“I’m…” Mireille looks down. “Supposed to assassinate someone.”
“I’m supposed to stop you from doing that,” Aurore responds.
“I’m not going to, you know. You don’t need to stop me.”
“No, but I suspect someone will be watching. So we should…stick together.” Aurore smiles.
“I think…that’s a conclusion we already came to.” Mireille’s dug out a phone, and shows Aurore the screen.
How did this alternate version of herself work up the courage to ask Mireille out?
Well, this alternate version of herself didn’t have the literal devil encourage her to ask Mireille out. And it was probably meant to have no real feelings behind it; probably meant as a part of the espionage gig.
(The actual devil encouraging her to ask Mireille out is…the opposite of promising. He was probably hoping for the worst.)
“Huh. Want to see what’s going on with the rest of the party?” Aurore offers her elbow to Mireille. Mireille links their arms together, and into the crowd they go.
There’s a decent crowd out there — Aurore and Mireille can assimilate easily.
“Aurore!”
She looks over in the direction she heard her name.
“Marc! How are you doing?” She looks to see if they have anything identifying for today, and sure enough, there’s a pin affixed to his breast pocket. “It’s good to see you here.”
“And you as well, Aurore. I see that you’ve brought someone, too.”
“This is our first date,” she explains, looking over at Mireille. “Are you here with anyone?”
“My boyfriend’s out mingling with the rest,” Marc says. “He isn’t super extroverted either, but he’s better with people than I am.”
“We should go find Adrien and Marinette,” Mireille says. “Offer them our congratulations.”
Aurore nods. “Talk to you later, okay?”
“I’ll hold you to it,” he answers.
Adrien and Marinette are mingling in the party with some of the other guests — she recognizes Alya, Nino, Chloe, and Kagami. Aurore doesn’t like that Chloe’s here, but maybe in this universe she’s a better person.
Aurore enters the circle of people in the conversation with Adrien and Marinette, Mireille still holding onto her.
Huh. She must have missed Luka and that Adrien-lookalike when she was looking at the crowd.
“Who do you think’s going to be next?” Alya asks, probably teasing Marinette.
“I’ve been focusing on the wedding plans,” Marinette comments. “But if I had to place any bets it’d be on you and Nino.” She lightly nudges Alya.
“Hey, Marinette, Adrien,” Mireille says.
“Mireille, Aurore, I didn’t know you two were…” Adrien trails off.
“Ah, this is our first date,” Aurore offers by way of explanation.
“I see.” Marinette smiles. “Congratulations. Remember, in college, when…”
“I was such a mess,” Aurore responds, playing it off with a laugh. Mireille looks over at her. “But now I think…things are better when she’s with me. More clear.”
It’s the truth, but she hopes Mireille thinks of it as part of the illusion.
From the look on Mireille’s face, Aurore’s probably too convincing about it. Too much of the truth told.
“You two seem really happy,” Adrien responds.
Would it really be so bad if they actually were?
“We’ll see you around,” Mireille says, dragging Aurore away from the circle. “Going to get something to drink.”
Aurore sighs. “Congratulations again, Marinette and Adrien — may you have the happiest of marriages.”
“I felt something,” Mireille whispers. “I think the door’s open.”
Oh. Okay. That makes sense.
And she lets Mireille take her to where she thinks the door is. They make their way through the dance floor, out on the other side.
When Mireille opens the door, the other side is just pure white. As it has been for all of them.
“You were right,” Aurore says.
Mireille smiles. “Let’s get out of here. I’ve had someone shouting in my ear all night…”
So they walk through the door quickly, before anyone can notice them.
