Remind Me How To Breathe
Nora Césaire, tall, strong and beautiful, has a sensitive, insecure side that she tries to hide from everyone.
Jalil Kubdel, diligent student, historian and archaeologist, loses his capacity to think when he bumps into Nora.
What happens when such opposites meet? Well, a school party and a painfully oblivious couple of teenagers may help them find out.
This is my July participation for the @mlwritersguild, fulfilling an anonymous request for the Noralil pairing. Thanks to @adventuremaker21 for the beta read.
It all began on a perfect, sunny Saturday afternoon.
The graduating classes of the Françoise Dupont school were hosting a Family Day. There were art exhibits, coffee, art auctions, food stands, and school newspapers for sale. They even had live music, with Kitty Section playing soft bossa nova ballads, instead of their signature hard rock. The students were enthusiastic, and most of them had their whole families there.
Alix waited by the door for her father and brother to arrive, excited as she was to show them her art installation: a mural mixing urban graffiti with Ancient Egypt designs and pictograms.
“Hmm, yes, Alix. Very well done,” her father said, as he tapped her shoulder. “I really like your work. I might even use it for the Museum’s next youth guide!”
“Wow, Dad! That would be so cool!” She hugged her dad, as her brother, Jalil, examined the graffiti more closely.
“Are you sure, Dad? There are a few errors in these hieroglyphs…”
“Don’t be a spoilsport, Jalil!” M. Kubdel scolded. “This is a great project, and you should be proud of your sister.”
Jalil sulked and walked away from his family to go look at the other exhibitions.
Blah blah blah! You should be proud of your sister. You should be proud of me, too, Dad!
He knew it was unreasonable to be jealous, he was an adult now! So what, if Alix was his favourite? He was the one actually studying History and Archaeology to follow in his father’s footsteps. No, he would surpass him! He’d be—
Jalil was so caught up with his thoughts, he bumped into another person. He looked up to apologise… and kept looking up.
“E-excuse me, I—”
“No, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
His brain stopped working when he got a good look at the person he bumped into.
She was a tall, strong and beautiful woman, dressed in a ruby red off-shoulder top and skin-tight black shorts, showing off her toned muscles and tiny waist.
“G-goddess…” Jalil whined, then dry swallowed and cleared his throat. “I mean, GOSH, yes, I’m fine! Are you alright?”
She chuckled, and Jalil went weak at the knees.
“Of course I am!” She smiled and flexed her muscles. “It takes more than that to knock me down!”
Jalil whimpered an imperceptible reply.
“Excuse me, I have to go.” She ran across the school patio as she shouted. “Ella! Etta! Get your hands off that cake!”
“Huh? Bye?”
“No!”
“Please?”
“NO!”
Jalil actually knelt down at Alix’s feet with pleading hands.
“Please! I promise I’ll never ask you for anything again!”
“You’re a grown-ass man, Jalil. You find a way to talk to her.”
“How? I don’t even know her name, or where she hangs out!”
“Fine! Her name is Nora.”
“Nora…” Jalil repeated in a dreamy voice. “What a beautiful name.”
Ugh! I just made him worse, Alix thought.
“You have to set us up, my dear little sister… I’ll do all your chores for a month!”
Alix looked at him, smirking.
“Three months!”
“Two months… and I’ll do your History homework.”
“Deal!”
It wasn’t long before the tables were turned, as Alix begged Alya for help.
“You have to help me, Alya! He won’t shut up about Nora… he’s writing poems for her! And then he sings them, playing that awful drum of his, all day and all night!”
Alya tapped her chin in deep thought. At first she thought Alix was pulling a prank on her. How could Jalil, the impish bookworm, be interested in her super strong, kick-boxer sister?
Then again, maybe it was true. The heart works in mysterious ways, as she very well knew.
Nora had been dumped by her training partner a few months ago — his fragile masculinity couldn’t handle getting his ass kicked by his girlfriend every day. Maybe it would be good for her sister to be wooed properly, with poems and songs. From what she knew of Jalil, he was a really good guy, in a nerdy-cool kind of way. He was dedicated to his family and fanatic about his interests, just like Nora.
Alix’s voice interrupted her musings.
“I’ll do anything you want, just… help me!”
Alya twisted her lips into a wicked grin and tapped her chin.
“Anything, huh?”
“Well…” Alix replied, narrowing her eyes. “Anything within reason!”
Alya cracked her knuckles and bent down to look Alix in the eyes.
“So… Shorty? What do you have in mind?”
“Just… introduce them, or… or set them up on a date, and let Jalil do the rest!”
Nora finished getting dressed and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Maybe playing chaperone won’t be so bad, she thought.
She had to admit, she looked good in this dress. Usually she just wore training clothes or comfy shorts and baggy t-shirts. It was hard to find nice clothes that suited her: regular sizes didn’t fit her, and plus sizes were designed to hide big bodies instead of showing them off. She always got upset after she went shopping, looking at endless pretty clothes that would never fit her, only to end up getting ugly stuff from the man’s section.
One day, after one of those excruciating shopping trips, Alya suggested commissioning her friend, Marinette, and she was a true godsend — she’d been so nice to her all this time! Always patient when taking her measurements, making sure to use elasticised fabrics, so they could adapt to her muscles whether she was in competition season or on a calmer period with less training. All while making feminine, practical clothes.
Little Baguette was definitely an impressive seamstress, but Nora’s dress for the school graduation party was a masterpiece. She looked amazing in her jade green, draped satin dress, and the plunging halter neckline and thigh-high slit made her feel confident, feminine and sexy.
With Alya’s help, she styled her dreads into a bun and enhanced her honey-coloured eyes with green glittery eyeshadow, and painted her generous lips with bright red lipstick.
Alya’s dress was a Marinette creation too — a short, fitted little number, where the true standout was the colour: bright, almost fluorescent, orange.
When the sisters walked out of Alya’s room, the twins jumped on them.
“Nora! Nora! You look like a Hollywood star!”
“Can I wear that lipstick, too?”
“You look pretty, too, Alya!”
“Can I borrow your dress?”
“Come on, girls, let us go, or we’ll be late,” Alya scolded, trying to keep a straight face.
After prying the twins’ hands off, they went downstairs, where a limousine was waiting for them.
“Alya, how did you—”
Nino came out of the limo for them to go in, guiding them in by the hand. There were more people inside: she knew the model kid — oh right, he’s rich, this must be his car; Marinette sitting next to him, pretty in a rose-coloured dress and rosier cheeks; the pink-hair little girl — Alice? Alex? She knew it was similar to her sister’s name; and an older guy she hadn’t met.
Alya sat next to Marinette, with Nino on her other side. Nora took the only empty seat, next to the other guy.
“You know Alix’s brother, don’t you, Nora?” Alya said in a sing-song voice.
Nora looked at the man by her side, who was offering his hand for her to shake.
“Jalil… I bumped into you the other day.”
She took his hand and shook it vigorously.
“Oh, yeah… Family Day, right?”
Jalil smiled as he retrieved his hand, flexing his fingers.
“Yeah, right. Nice to meet you again, Nora.”
He was kind of cute, in his black suit and tie, matching his lovely blue eyes. His long red hair was tied up in a ponytail.
“Thanks again for agreeing to this, Nora and Jalil!” Marinette said, after some moments of silence. “It’s thanks to you that our whole class can go to the party.”
“It’s cool, Baguette,” Nora smiled. “You kids are almost eighteen anyway, I’m sure you’ll behave…” she made a serious face and punched her left palm with her right hand. “Right?”
The younger crew collectively gulped and nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jalil gulp and nod too.
The conditions for the party had been set by the class parents’ association: no alcohol, no substances, at least an adult chaperone present at all times, and no funny business. Jalil wasn’t sure about that last part — it would be impossible to control a bunch of hormonal teens in their last class party.
When Alix asked him to chaperone, he almost turned it down, but quickly changed his mind when she said Nora would be there, too.
Now here he was, sitting next to her in a limousine, reminding himself he ought to breathe. If Nora looked good on the day they met, tonight she looked fantastic! Sitting next to such a beauty, legs and shoulders touching when the car took a turn, having her smile at him and shake his hand… he was in heaven.
If tonight went well, he’d be thankful to Alix forever. Even if he had to do her chores for the next months… Nora was worth it.
The limousine pulled up at the Hotel Grand Paris. The party would be on the top floor and terrace.
Being closer to the door, Jalil exited the car before Nora and offered his hand to help her out. Not that she needed any help, he was just being gentlemanly, as he saw the other boys do with their girls.
It was early, so the party hadn’t started yet. They couldn’t all fit in the lift, so Jalil and Nora let the kids go up first. After all, it was their party.
Only after the doors closed did he realise he was in an enclosed space with the person who’d inhabited his dreams for a few weeks now. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, trying to make himself look taller.
“You, erm… I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but… you look very pretty tonight, Nora,” Jalil started.
Nora looked a little embarrassed by the compliment, but not in a bad way.
“Why…” she pulled a stray dreadlock behind her ear. “Thank you, Jalil. You look nice, too.”
Yes! Jalil fist-pumped internally, thankful that Alix’s friend, Adrien, loaned him a suit and helped him with his look.
The doors opened to the terrace. It was all decorated with banners and paper lanterns made by the class. Nino was already setting up his DJ table, with Alya helping with the wires. His sister was already jumping in and out of the pool, which was filled with balls for the occasion. The other two kids seemed to be talking and appreciating the view from the railed balcony.
“So… uh… how do we do this?” Jalil asked.
“I don’t know, I never did this before,” Nora answered with a laugh. “I guess we let the kids have fun and try to enjoy the party too.”
“Well, they’re good kids, most of them anyway. I’m sure we’ll survive the night.”
“Haha! You’re funny, Jalil.”
His heart swelled with her compliment, and he wanted to hear her loud and raspy laughter some more.
They found a table near the bar and sat down for their duty. The other official chaperone was the hotel’s head butler, who was in charge of serving the drinks while keeping an eye out for any contraband.
Nora fanned herself with her purse after a while.
“Can I get you a drink, Nora?” Jalil asked.
“Sure. Surprise me.”
He nodded and approached the bar, where Jean was filling champagne flutes with non-alcoholic cider. After some consideration, Jalil picked a water bottle and put it in his pocket, then took two bubbly flutes.
“Mademoiselle,” he said, handing Nora her drink with exaggerated formality.
“Ooh la la,” she said as she took a sip of her drink, “I see they have the good stuff here.”
They shared a laugh as they drank. Conversation flowed easily between them, and they almost forgot what they were there for. By now, more kids had arrived, and the party was in full blast.
“We should let ourselves be seen,” Nora said. “Let’s take a stroll around the terrace. You go left, I go right.”
Jalil was a bit pained by the plan, but nodded and stood up.
As he expected, everyone was in their best behaviour. Some teens were dancing, others goofing around (there was Alix’s silly friend Kim, having some kind of push-up bet with another boy), but they all seemed to be having a good time.
Well, maybe not everyone. One of the girls was leaning against the railing, hiding her head in her arms.
“Marinette, are you alright?” Jalil asked. She was one of Alix’s best and oldest friends, so he’d come to see her almost as a family member. She looked like she’d been crying.
“Jalil!” She snapped straight up and turned her face away, trying to wipe away some tears. “I’m fine! Just f-fine!”
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not really… but thank you.”
Jalil didn’t quite know what to do, so he gave her a few consoling taps on her shoulder and kept walking. Spotting Alya dancing close by, he pointed out to her that her friend might need her.
He walked on, after a few stern looks at a couple getting too frisky while making out, and some boys being too rowdy. Halfway around the terrace, he crossed paths with Nora, and was once again blown over by her beauty. Her dress floated around her body in the summer breeze, and her smile lit up the night.
“All clear?” Jalil asked, when they met.
“All is well!” Nora replied.
Nora felt a little dizzy when she got up for her lookout, even if the champagne was fake. Jalil was a cute little guy, polite and knowledgeable. They’d talked about their interests, finding common ground in things like French hip-hop and old adventure movies. She was sure they’d be very good friends after this, but didn’t dare think about taking it any further. She reminisced about her ex and how some men could feel threatened by her.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by a sad, soft melody, which she could hear despite the booming dance music. It came from the white grand piano, a few steps further.
Nora approached the piano to find the model boy — Adrien, playing. He stopped when he saw her approaching.
“Don’t stop,” she smiled at him.
He nodded and resumed his song.
“Everything okay there, kid?”
“I… I think I just broke my friend’s heart.”
“Marinette?” Nora asked, concerned. “Did she finally manage to confess her love?”
“Wait… you knew?”
Nora gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder.
“Everyone in Paris knows, Adrien.”
“Then how could I be so blind?”
“You… don’t love her back, huh?”
“No, I mean… yes, but not—”
“How can anyone not love Marinette? You’re so weird.”
Nora was well aware of the whole situation. Whenever the girl gang had a sleepover at their apartment, they made sure to include her in the games and conversations.
“I… do love her… but I’ve been in love with someone else for a long time.”
“And how’s that working out for you?”
Adrien dropped his head onto the piano keys, producing an almost comical sound.
“Think about it, kid. Don’t let her get away from you… again.”
She ruffled his hair and walked away, reaching the other side of the terrace in a few steps. When she saw Jalil walking towards her, she couldn’t help but smile.
“All clear?” Jalil asked.
“All is well!” she replied.
They walked back to their table together. The party was at its peak, Nino’s beats at their fastest, and almost everyone was dancing. Nora turned to Jalil.
“Do you want to dance? I feel like dancing!”
“I—” Jalil started, momentarily surprised, then smiled and nodded.
Jalil swayed awkwardly, snapping his fingers to the beat and singing along. He couldn’t take his eyes off Nora. The way she moved her perfectly toned legs, rocked her hips with her arms in the air, and totally lost herself in the songs, were absolutely hypnotising.
They danced a few songs before heading back to their table.
“I really needed that!” Nora sighed, as she sat down.
Jalil, still panting from the effort, took a sip from his water bottle.
“I hope that’s water and not vodka, young man,” she joked as he drank.
“O-of course it’s water!” Jalil replied.
“I’m kidding you. I know you wouldn’t do that!”
Jalil sighed in relief, then wet his finger in the water and flicked it in her direction. Nora feigned indignation.
“Why, I never—”
Both broke out in laughter, then resumed their animated conversation from before.
It was the best night in Jalil’s life.
It was almost time for the party to end. The music changed to a calm, pre-recorded playlist, so that Nino could hang out with his friends, too. A few couples were slow-dancing in the moonlight.
Nora noticed Adrien and Marinette dancing together.
“Aww, look at them,” she cooed. “Looks like they worked things out.”
Jalil followed her line of sight to see the young couple. Adrien was cupping Marinette’s face and speaking to her, then he leaned in to kiss her.
“Yeah,” he replied. “Finally.”
“I know, right? Four years those two danced around each other, can you believe it?”
“I know, Alix used to tell me all about the shenanigans to help her confess.”
“I can’t believe he never figured it out… what a waste of time.”
“Indeed.”
Jalil was lost in his thoughts for a few minutes, then turned to Nora.
“I… I don’t want to waste time,” he said, putting a hand on top of hers. “Please go out with me… on a date.”
Nora looked at him, a little confused, but didn’t remove her hand. Encouraged, Jalil continued.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’ve been thinking about you since the day we first met, but tonight, talking to you, dancing with you, making you laugh… I want us to do that again!”
“Okay.” Nora replied.
“Okay?”
Jalil held her hand tighter, with a smile of pure happiness, as she put her other hand on top of his.
“Okay! I don’t want to waste time, either,” Nora said.
Nora pulled him closer to her and planted a kiss on his lips.
“So, where are you taking me tomorrow?”
Fin