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Marinette fell against Luka, unable to hold herself together anymore. She let the tears flow freely over his shirt as he held her closer. The musicians heart broke to see the girl he loved so much trembling and frail.
“It’s alright Marinette. I’m here for you, I'll always be here for you.” He soothed as he stroked her hair. Marinette pulled back slightly to look up at him. Luka still thought she was beautiful, even as her eyes glistened from the tears.
“Thanks Luka, I think I’m okay now.” She tried to smile, but Luka wasn’t buying it. He wished he knew what had upset her so much, but she wasn’t saying and he didn’t like to ask. He just wanted to be there for her. He held both her hands in his looking earnestly into her bluebell eyes.
“Marinette.” His voice was soft and warm. “You know I told you once that you were the music inside my head. You’re the most amazing girl I have ever met and…” He paused, trying to find the right words to express how he felt. “You know you mean so much to me and I want to tell you…” Marinette placed a finger on his lips to silence him.
“Don’t Luka, please.” In her mind she could hear Chat Noir’s voice, declaring again and again his love for her. She had already broken his heart, she couldn’t do the same to Luka. “You mean a lot to me Luka, I mean that but…” The tears started coming back. Luka pulled her back into his strong and comforting embrace.
“I understand.” He whispered, but Marinette didn’t understand. Why did she keep loving someone who only saw her as a friend. She had pushed away Chat, who has loved her since day one and now she is pushing away someone who was sweet and kind and who cared about her. Someone who saw her. Yet, deep down in her heart, she couldn’t let Adrien go. She still loved him, even if he loved Kagami. She couldn’t bring herself to hate Kagami for that. She was strong, brave and fearless. Why wouldn’t Adrien be attracted to that - not stumbling, bumbling Marinette.
“I’m so sorry Luka.” She said softly. “I don’t want to hurt you.” Luka hooked a finger under her chin lifting it to look at him. There was resignation in his eyes, as well as love.
“Sometimes you have to just follow the music your heart hears. I play your song with strings, but I think the song you hear is played on ivory keys.” Marinette didn’t know what to say. Her heart felt so heavy and yet comforted. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
******
On the river bank, Adrien had found Kagami after the battle with Heart Hunter. He was surprised when she told him that Ladybug had taken her because the villain was after people in love. No sooner had his brain started to process that information then Kagami was snaking her hands up his chest and around his neck. On one level his heart skipped a beat. For months now Ladybug, the love of his life, had been rejecting him for another boy. It hurt more than he could say. He desperately wanted love, and to give love in return. Here now was a girl he cared about and respected offering to him exactly what he wanted and yet his first reaction was not to wrap her in a warm embrace, but push her back. “Wait.”
Kagami looked at him with confusion. “Why Adrien, what’s wrong?” Adrien turned from her wrapping his arms around himself.
“I can’t Kagami. I care for you and part of me wants to see where this could go, but the other part, the larger part of me, longs for someone else.” Kagami stood silently for a moment. She was so close, yet she couldn’t find the key to his heart. She wiped a solitary tear from her eye. She didn’t have the key, but she was pretty sure she knew who did. Drawing on all her courage, she raised a hand to his shoulder, encouraging him to turn around.
“Adrien, it’s...it’s Marinette isn’t it.” The blondes eyes widened.
“Why would you say that? Besides, Marinette doesn’t feel that way about me.” Kagami let out a dry laugh which only confused the boy more.
“Oh Adrien, you really are blind! I saw how you looked at her all afternoon. I had hoped you might have looked at me that way.” Adrien could feel a slight blush rising to his cheeks. Had he really been looking at Marinette that way. “And as for Marinette.” The Japanese girl continued. “She’s been head over heels for you for months.” Wait...what?
“But if she felt that way, why did she leave? Why didn’t she say anything?” Kagami turned her eyes away looking out over the river.
“Because she was afraid.” She gave him a sideways glance. “Afraid you wouldn’t love her in return.” She could see in his face he was trying to piece what she was saying together. Kagami turned towards him and cupped his face with her hand. “Marinette gave me a chance, now I will give her one. But the outcome is up to you Adrien.” She reached up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Tonight. He had forgotten about the evening reception at the Bourgeois Hotel. He stood frozen watching as Kagami walked away. They were going together because their parents expected them too. Obviously Kagami was hoping for more than that. He felt really bad, but he just couldn’t bring himself to feel that way about her. This wasn’t even about Ladybug anymore. He had decided that he wouldn’t keep banging his head on the wall she had created for them. So why couldn’t he bring himself to just accept Kagami?
His mind started to think about what Kagami had said about Marinette. It was true that ever since he had seen her as Multimouse he had begun to regard her in a different light. She had show how clever and brave she was and clearly Ladybug had trusted her. He had been trying to get closer to her, pulling that ridiculous stunt at the wax museum. Then there was that horrible mess with Lila. He shuddered at the memory of that photoshoot he had to do with her in order to get Marinette back in school. Why would he make a deal with the devil like that? Because that’s what friends do, he reasoned. Is it really though?
“Thinking about someone with with pigtails who smells like cinnamon and vanilla.” Plagg popped his head out of Adrien’s shirt with a look of mischief in his eyes.
“How did you know that’s what Marinette smells like?” Adrien frowned.
“What makes you assume I was talking about Marinette?” Plagg responded cheekily.
Adrien’s eyes widened. It was because he knew what she smelled like. He had smelt it when he danced with her at Chloe’s party, she smelt it when she thought he was a statue and he had smelt it again today when he was standing next to her at Andre’s ice cream. Then a moment of clarity hit him. Of course the ice cream. Marinette told Andre to make the orange and peppermint for him and Kagami - and then she left.
“Ahhh, Plagg I’m an idiot.” He moaned, rubbing his face with his hands.
“I could have told you that.” Plagg quipped, earning himself a scowling glare. “What, you’re the one who stuffed up, now you’ll have to fix it tonight.”
******
“You look stunning girl, you’re going to knock his socks off.” Alya gushed as she brushed Marinette’s hair.
“Who’s socks?”
“Who’s do you want.” The report replied throwing in a wink for good measure. Marinette looked at herself in the mirror. She did feel beautiful in her dress. The soft pink layers and the butterfly motif really set it off and she was proud of the work she had put into it, but she felt far too melancholy for a party. She had been half tempted to just pretend she was sick, but the ticket was given as a thank you for the quality of the pastries they had supplied. Needing to be up early in the morning, they thought it best that Marinette went along to represent them. She couldn’t let them down.
Marinette was more than happy Alya could come and be her sounding board, telling her everything that had happened that day, minus a few Ladybug details.
“Adrien will be there with Kagami you know.” She said dejectedly. “And I can’t pretend to love Luka the way he loves me. That wouldn’t be fair on him.”
“You know Adrien has to go with Kagami, they didn’t have a choice. Besides, we don’t know what happened after you left.” Alya put both hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “Just because they ate ice cream together doesn’t mean anything, okay.” Marinette tried to smile as she nodded. “Good, now what do you want me to do with your hair. How about a loose bun?”
Marinette looked back at the mirror remembering back to earlier in the day when her hair ties came out. Adrien was playing the piano and when Kagami complemented her hair he turned to her and the look on his face made her heart skip a beat. “Down.” She answered. “He liked my hair down.” Alya didn’t have to ask who she was referring too, knowing her friend couldn’t turn her heart away from young model. Marinette grabbed a pearl adorned comb, sliding it into her hair.
Arriving at the Bourgeois Hotel, Marinette felt nervous on her own until Luka found her. “You look amazing Marinette, but then again you always are.” He smiled, kissing her on the cheek and offering her his arm. “I have to set up with the band soon, but I just wanted to check how you were.”
“I’m good now, thank you Luka. You helped me more than you know.” Taking a plate from the buffet, Marinette made her selections before looking up and seeing Adrien and Kagami walk in. Marinette had to admit that Kagami looked stunning in her Kimono inspired dress, but she immediately picked up on Adrien’s fake smile - the one he used in photoshoot or when he was trying to be polite. Adrien looked over and their eyes met. She couldn’t explain the depth of his gaze, but it made her heart jump. She quickly turned away, letting Luka guide her towards some seats.
After making sure Marinette was okay, Luka left to join the rest of the musicians and begin the entertainment. The music was lively and people were in a good mood, even the Bourgeois, which was a relief after the anarchy they had already caused that day. As Marinette watched Luka on stage, she wasn’t aware of a body taking up the seat next to her.
“Mind if I sit here.” She turned suddenly almost crashing into the emerald gaze that stared back at her.
“Sure.” Was all she managed to get out. Adrien looked at her with concern before his face softened. “Where’s Kagami?”
“Oh her mother wanted to introduce her to some people. My Japanese is a little rusty for full on conversations.” There was a moment of silence and he began fidgeting with his ring. “I..um... didn’t see you leave this afternoon. Was everything alright?” He asked.
“Oh sure.” She faked “I just had to get back and help my parents out, you know.” She started playing with her hair and a smile slid across his face.
“You wore it down again.” Marinette could feel a blush rising in her cheeks.
“Yeah, well change can be good, don't you think?” He hummed an affirmation in return.
The pair continued in conversation until the tempo of the music slowed down. Adrien took Marinette by the hand asking “You want to dance.”
“Oh...i...ahh.” She flustered. “I’m not much of a dancer.”
“Nonsense, I remember dancing with you at Chloe’s party. You’re an amazing dancer.” He flashed her one of his winning smiles, clearly all to smug with himself for her deepening blush.
“You remember that?” It was his turn to to gain some pinkness as he turned her around to face him on the dance floor.
Pulling her close, he caught that delicate scent of cinnamon and vanilla and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Holding her like this, he realised that this was what he was missing with Kagami. His pulse excellerating, his heart beating faster and the thought of kissing Marinette almost made him feel weak at the knees.
“You look beautiful tonight.” He whispered in her ear, her hair brushing against his cheek.
“Thank you.” She replied, proud at herself for not stuttering. Peaking her gaze out she saw Kagami watching them from a distance, still in conversation with her mother’s associates. “I didn’t get to ask you how your ice cream was earlier?”
Adrien paused a moment before he replied. “It was okay I guess.” Marinette looked at him curiously.
“Just okay.” He brought her closer to him, resting his cheek on her head.
“WelI I think you made a mistake with that pick of orange and peppermint. The flavours kind of left an odd aftertaste which I didn't expect.”
“Oh” It was then that Marinette realised he wasn’t talking about the ice cream, but Kagami. Whatever happened after she had left, they were not a couple. Her heart quickened.
“Yeah, I think next time I might try that blackberry and peppermint combo.” He heard her breath catch although she tried to hide it. Laying her head against his chest, she hadn’t noticed how much closer still they had become during the course of the dance.
“It’s an unusual combination though don’t you think? Maybe the flavours will clash?” Adrien smiled to himself as he leaned back running his fingers through her hair before coming to rest against her face.
“No, not unusual, unique. A special blend.” His emerald eyes gazed deeply into her ocean blue as he ran his thumb across her cheek. “Just like you.”