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Adrien paused his computer game and leaned back, swiveling in his desk chair. The lovely Ladybug had been chosen for some serious hero business out of city and country. He’d promised her Cat Noir could pick up the slack – and of course he would. Plucking up Marinette’s postcard from Hawaii, he eyed it, glad she and the others were enjoying their summer break at least.
So far though, nothing. It almost seemed suspicious, as if something horrible was bound to suddenly happen all at once after two whole peaceful weeks.
Then his phone beeped – twice. Plucking it out of his jeans pocket, he saw two voicemails. The first was from guitarist Luka.
“Hey, Adrien! So I hear you’re stuck at home for the summer. Major bummer, heh. Hey, so, would you be up for a jam session this afternoon? My band and I’re doing some live performances this weekend, thought I could double-up practicing and hanging out. Lemme know. Peace!”
The second was from Felix of all people. “Hey, Cuz! …I…know it’s been a year since we’ve talked – and last time I…kind of tried to ruin your life, but…well, my mom’s taking a vacation to Paris and she said you guys’d be there so…maybe we can still spend some time together? It’s…fine if you’re still cooling off. Hope to hear from you. Okay, bye!” He did sound sincere enough, though it was still a bit jarring.
The boy blinked. “Uhhh…okay. Well, that was…something. Hmm…” Then he tensed, teeth gritting with a twitch and a squirm “Aaaha, Plagg, get outta there!”
“Aw, what’d I do now?” the little black kitty Kwami asked innocently, head popping out of Adrien’s shirt collar.
Setting the phone down and plucking him out by the scruff, the boy reiterated with a soft tired glare “Inside the jacket, not inside the shirt – you KNOW I’m ticklish!”
“I know, but some crumbs got inside the shirt, I couldn’t just let them go uneaten!” he protested, limbs flailing in the human’s grip.
Adrien sighed, dropping him on the desk. Tugging on his shirt, he shook out a few clinging bits of chèvre into a cupped palm, holding them out to Plagg who eagerly lapped them out of his palm. The boy wiggled his fingers at the light tickle and wiped his hand on his jeans.
Picking his phone back up, he decided it’d be quicker to text them back, reciting as he typed. First, to Felix Hey, I’m just glad to hear from you. What time are you getting in? I can pick you up. And your pick for what we do, you name it, you got it. :) See you soon! then to Luka Sounds like a blast! I’d love to help you out and learn some new chords. What time is good for you? Can’t wait. And good luck with your shows! :)
With another couple tings in turn, his cousin replied Thanks a ton. No worries I’ve got a cab. Be there at 2.
Then Luka. Thanks. Sweet, same. We’re having some lunch right now but I’ll swing by around 2. That OK?
Teeth gritting briefly again beneath convex brows, Adrien muttered “Great. Now it’s a problem…” He paused, eyes darting, one brow slowly rising “Or IS it…?” His thumbs hovered over the screen. Closing his eyes for a moment, he decided to try and feed two birds with one handful of breadcrumbs, so to speak.
Sure, he told Luka, see you then and typed as much to his cousin before setting the phone down and leaning back in his chair with a sigh.
“What’s wrong?” Plagg asked, sitting up from his literal power nap.
“Nothing. Well –…see the thing is, both Felix and Luka wanted to hang out today. At the same time. And I felt I couldn’t tell either of them no, so…I said yes. To both of them. But Luka doesn’t know about Felix coming and Felix doesn’t know about Luka coming.” His eyes widened with rapid blinks. “IN fact…the only thing Luka knows about Felix is that he tried to set me up a year ago. Ohhh BOY…!”
“Well, maybe you wouldn’t get another chance to see Felix for a while – but why couldn’t you at least tell Luka later would be better?” the kwami asked with a head tilt.
“Because honestly, I’m really dying to see him again too – especially for a sessh!” the boy replied, glancing away while sweeping a hand through his hair. Now Plagg raised a brow – but said nothing. Though Adrien added “He’s just really cool, okay? I kinda look up to the guy,” and shrugged with upturned palms.
“Now you’re starting to sound like Marinette!” the kitty kwami mused, “You like him, don’t you? I’ll bet euros to Danbo!”
“What? Pfff…NO,” the boy insisted with an eyeroll, “Come on, that doesn’t even make sense!” With another quick puff-cheeked purse-lipped sigh, he sprang out of his chair, declaring “Anyway, no time – I’ve gotta get ready for my guests! You just stay outta sight, okay?” He’d only just passed the door when he grabbed the frame and ducked back in, with a stern reminder of “And stay outta my sock drawer!”
“But they’re so soft and comfy!” Plagg protested, paws already on the handle.
Twitching with a lurch, Adrien uttered “Fine, just – GAH!” before pivoting and jogging off.
With a small triumphant squee, the kwami yanked open the door, grabbed another wedge of cheese and dove in.
___
Hopping down the front steps, Adrien happily and loudly greeted the other two before they had much more time to give each other confused, awkward glances; throwing his arms around them in a double back-patting side-hug.
“Hehey, guys!” he began, withdrawing, “Luka, Felix – hey, wow! I didn’t realize you’d both be here, that’s great! The more the merrier, right?”
“But I said –” the latter began.
“Two o’ clock,” the former finished, “And you said that was fine.”
“Oh, two? Today?” their host echoed, glancing up with a light slap to his temple. “Shoot, I thought you said twelve –” looking from his cousin to his friend “– tomorrow. Buuut now that you’re here, I mean…” and trailed off with another sheepish shrug.
After another wary stare at Graham de Vanily, Couffaine finally gave a chuckling snort and a broad smile below lowered lids, mirroring it. “Whatever. Maybe we can show Felix how to shred?”
The other blond-haired boy’s snort was sharper, but his smile remained polite if nothing else. “I admit I’ve never played guitar before, it’d sure be interesting.”
Before their gazes returned to him, Adrien let out another quick shoulder-lowering sigh of relief – and after, grinned again. “C’mon, I’ve got everything set up upstairs, let’s get jamming!”
___
Flanking the blond-haired ZX keyboardist, lead guitarist Luka led with their first cover song’s harmony before the former and spare guitarist Felix joined in. The younger blond-haired boy seemed intuitively good at the strings, which put a smile on the teal-haired one’s face as he began a cover of the Yannick Noah classic.
Cement covers the plains
Into the mountains flows
Poison in our fountains
Cross-country it goes
Like a great tempest
Our history’s down the drains
But our ideal remains
To “look our best!”
Adrien quickly piped up with the crooning background vocals. Couffaine feigned surprise, though quickly smirked, stealthily poking Agreste playfully in the ribs with the headstock – making his voice waver as he jumped. He turned, with a slight blush, eyes meeting the teal-haired one’s.
Having quietly witnessed this, the cunning cousin moved in for a quick like jab, making him pivot with an “Aah, hey!” Then Luka leaned in again for another prod. This went on for another few moments before the older blond-haired boy cried “Okahay, okay! Lehet’s just finish the song!”
Couffaine nodded.
Now we buy air by the block
And into balance are locked
Paying dollars by the gallon
Just to carry on
From equator to the poles
This charade’s getting old
Slowly crushing under the weight
Of all our short-sighted mistakes
Even the quiet, reserved Graham de Vanily couldn’t help belting the chorus along with the other two, fondly remembering it from music classes in CE1 and 2.
It’s time to change things up
Treeward march, treeward march!
Hup-two-three, two-three-four, hup!
For tomorrow, we charge
As they finished with a flourish, the teal-haired one’s eyes met Adrien’s again for a happily tired flushing stare. The blond-haired boy couldn’t help it; Couffaine’s gentle shiny blue eyes were like looking out on a beautiful blue ocean on the most perfect sunny day. He didn’t even realize that Luka seemed almost as caught up in his.
The younger blond-haired one sliced through the tension with an audible yawn which he barely masked, declaring with lowered lids “I’m bored with music now. Can’t we play some chess?”
Agreste twitched, giving his head a quick clearing shake, looking over. “Uh, sure! Sounds great!”
The teal-haired one frowned briefly. “I don’t know much about chess,” he admitted, “and I kinda wanted to practice our other songs too – but…I guess we can take a break.”
Now Felix frowned, echoing “A break, right…” And Adrien gritted his teeth behind closed lips and a strained smile. Everything had, well, miraculously worked out. It couldn’t fall apart now!
Luka sat opposite Graham de Vanily with the chessboard between them. Adrien sat next to the former, giving his shoulder a coach-like pat and leaning over. “Okay, you’re white, so you start!”
Couffaine blinked, turning up his palms and looking down at his tan skin – though gave Agreste an ‘I know, I know, kidding!’ grin.
The older blond-haired boy gave a sheepish smile, adding “Pawns first – and first one can double-space.”
Hovering a hand over the pieces, the teal-haired one finally picked; plucking, lifting, and placing it gently. The younger blond-haired one watched with a discernibly impatient stare; then announced “Pawn e4” as he made his move in a blink, sitting back and resuming his waiting arm fold.
It took Luka a minute, but finally he took the same pawn and lifted it, ‘kicking’ over the black one before snatching it up as well – hearing a “Great move, you got ‘im!” from the older blond.
Graham de Vanily swiftly rolled his eyes. “Knight c3.”
“Two down!” Agreste cheered as Couffaine snagged another pawn on d3.
Now Felix smirked. “Bishop d3,” he said casually, snagging the teal-haired one’s champion pawn.
Luka snorted, shoulder-shrugging. The match didn’t last much longer, checkmating with his king on d6 and the younger blond’s queen on d8.
“Good game,” Adrien said with a smile and nod.
“Good game, yeah…” the teal-haired one echoed, though frowned. Standing up, looking back at the equipment still set up, he said “Hey, let’s do another song now.”
Jaw in hand, elbow on the table, Felix griped “Of course, just when I was actually starting to enjoy myself…”
“Hey, heyyy, c’mon, guys!” Agreste piped up, also standing, brows convex. “It’s no big deal – m-maybe we can find something else cool to do?”
“I came here to practice my jams,” Luka pointed out again.
“I know, but –”
“I should’ve stayed with mother,” Graham de Vanily muttered with another half-eyeroll.
“Hey! Seriously, Cuz –!”
“Seriously,” Couffaine echoed, “You shoulda just told me your cousin was coming. I coulda swung by another time, y’know.”
“But I –…didn’t…wanna, I –!” the older blond-haired one stammered, now fidgeting.
“Why DID you lie to us, anyway, COUSIN?” Felix pressed, sitting up and focusing a glare. He couldn’t help looking a little genuinely intrigued as he added “Do you have something up your sleeve?”
“NO, I don’t have ANYthing up my sleeEEve!” Agreste protested – unwittingly raising his arms, and just dodging a deft underarm prod from the teal-haired oned. He pivoted – only to see his cousin already close to his right aiming a light side pinch; which he again only just ducked, stumbling around to face both of them. Holding out both hands and waving them crosswise, he pleaded “Nooohoho, dohon’t tickle me! Again! Guys!”
At this point, Plagg yawned, sitting up and hanging on the edge of the still-open sock drawer, watching the goings-on.
At first, the other boys grinned, stepping forward slowly – but as they lightly bumped into each other, they turned, exchanging a glower with a bit of a growl.
From his slowly window-spotlit lair, Hawk Moth stood leaning on his cane, glowing butterflies scattering like dust. “Annoyance is such an underappreciated emotion,” he began, grinning wide, “It can lead to such anger and despair, which can lead…” he paused for effect, as if he had an audience to listen and watch him evilize two of the incandescent insects in one cup of his palms, “…a couple little akumas right to them!” and cackled.
As Adrien looked on with gritted teeth and raised shoulders, he double-taked when the two black-and-glowing-violet lepidopterans fluttered in through his floor-to-ceiling window, heading right for the quietly fuming pair. However, this only got a frame-wilting sigh and a mumble of “Oh, thank heavens, something evil is happening…!” before he retensed, adding “I – I mean, oh no! I gotta get outta here!” and dove for the door. The black cat kwami twitched, zipping out after him, appearing in time as the older blond-haired boy pumped his ring-fingered fist. “Plagg, CLAWS OUT!”
The ring gleamed, flashing from silver to black, acquiring a glowing green pawprint once the kitty kwami had been pulled inside. A misty glowing green sphere enveloped the boy, finally vanishing to reveal the super-cocky black spandex-clad Cat Noir striking a pose.
Meanwhile, the Moth was perplexed. “Hmm? You’re not Silencer! And you –”
“Can it, Mothball!” the akumatized Felix snapped.
“Oh, nevermind!” their evilizer echoed with a bat of his hand, “You’re right, it doesn’t matter WHO you are – as long as you can go find and bring me Ladybug and Cat Noir’s Miraculouses!”
“Whatever you say, Moth Man,” the differently akumatized Luka quipped.
Reappearing through the tall window with a pouncing leap, Cat Noir straightened himself – then twitched, doing yet another double-take. “Huh?! Where’d those two go?”
Feeling a tap on his shoulder he jumped, whirling around – looking shocked to see only a floating disembodied hand there, which then casually waved. Feeling another tap now on his other shoulder, he turned again, only to see another hand.
“WHAT the HECK?!” he exclaimed.
“Coucou, hello, kitty cat!” came an affected familiar voice. Looking up at the spiral staircase, Cat could see what looked like Couffaine – but in similar, differently colored and patterned spandex. Noir noticed that his hands matched the two autonomous ones. “Fancy seeing you here!”
“And just who are YOU?”
“The one who’s going to finally steal your Miraculous!”
The floating hands rubbed themselves gleefully before diving for the superhero – though were knocked aside by a swing and a spin of Cat’s staff. “Cuckoo is right, because THAT is NEVER going to happen! And I won’t let you lay any one of your fingers on Paris, either!”
“He’s right – because I will!” came another similarly sinister interjection. The akumatized Graham de Vanily called from atop the closet, hopping down and stepping forward. “Call me Cachou, Potion Master!”
“Gesundheit,” Noir bid with lowered lids.
“I’ll paralyze you, or maybe just put you to sleep and slip it right off you – and you’ll be helpless to stop me!” Cachou went on, pulling a couple small flasks from his costume’s jacket.
“Not if I do it first!” Coucou snapped, conjuring more hands to chase Cat who ducked, leaped, and dodged with more spins and swings of his staff.
“Sorry, I told you, nobody gets my Miraculous but me! And you sure won’t get the lovely Ladybug’s either!”
Then the two new villains paused, blinking; then looked around. “Where IS Paris’s greatest superheroine, anyway?” the suited one asked.
“Wouldn’t you two like to know?” Noir said.
“Actually, we would,” the costumed one noted, glancing up. “Hold him down and I’ll whip up a little truth serum…”
“I’ll do that handily!” Coucou sneered. Another wave of at least a dozen hands swept Cat’s way. He evaded most of them as before – however, two managed to grab his tail, dragging him to a stop, He twisted at the waist, trying to take his staff to them – and keep the rest at bay likewise. As he felt graze and grab at his side, he jumped with a very noticeable yelp, almost losing his balance. Teeth gritted, he smacked it away like a cueball.
“What was that all about?” Cachou asked, brow rising as he paused with a fizzing, smoking flask.
“Ooooooh, you know? I think the little catboy is ti-ckl-ish…!” the suited one sneered, clawing his fingers and wiggling them. The others still hovering mimicked the motion.
“NOPE! Try again!” Noir countered as confidently as he could, finally kicking away the two hands on his tail. However, he could just about hear Plagg’s snicker.
“Oh, I will, don’t you worry about that, kitty cat,” Coucou said, lids lowered.
Two more simultaneous waves of hands were too much for Cat Noir; on the suited one’s command, they hoisted him up into the air, pulling his limbs taught. First holding him upright, they then quickly flipped him upside down, getting a “Whoaaawhoa! Nngh…” out of him and more struggling.
Cat half-flinched with another grunt, watching as the costumed one approached him with his full flask, taunting “One drop of this, and WE’LL have the CAT’S tongue, open wide, kitty-kitty…” as he slowly tipped it toward his lips.
The hero shook his head vigorously – but another few hands cradled his head, pushing it up, another finger and thumb promptly pressing his nostrils shut. Eyes widening briefly before shutting in another wince, Noir held his breath for as long as he possibly could; his cheeks ballooning before he forcibly exhaled in a “PUH!” and panting a few times.
As the foretold generous drop of syrupy serum splashed onto Cat’s tongue, he steeled his jaws – but it was too late. The numb prickle in his mouth spread to his trunk and limbs, slowly fading. Blinking, his eyes darted.
“So…where is the little Ladybug?” the suited one asked, casually walking the rest of the way down the spiral stairs, standing at the bottom with folded arms and a cocked head, giving a broad calm grin.
“She’s…” Noir began, “she’s…she – she’s somewhere fighting an ancient evil so deep in space you’d never find her in a million years if you tried!”
There was a moment of silence while the three of them looked a bit shocked – then the akumatizees both chuckled. Coucou gave a snort, shaking his head. “Is that the BEST you can do?”
“Uhhh…I THINK your truth serum’s busted…” Cat said, looking up at Cachou as the hands withdrew from his head.
“Oh, did I forget to tell you?” the costumed one began coyly, jaw in hand, smirking already. “Since we found out your weakness, I decided to make another concoction…”
“What did you DO to me?!” Noir demanded, brows angled, fangs gritted – trying to keep the non-evilized butterflies in his stomach from spilling out.
“You’ll see!” Cachou cooed in sing-song. Looking across at the suited one, he asked “Would you do the honors?” with a light spin of his wrist.
“I’d LOVE to…” Coucou said ominously, slowly walking around to face their captive. “I’ll ask you again, Kit Noir: where is Ladybug?”
Turning his head sharply, Cat snorted, saying “I’d never tell you even if I DID know!”
“I think you DO, and I know you WILL,” the suited one said, one arm in a gentleman’s tuck behind him as he commanded more hands with the other.
Two swept in, extending fingers and swiftly prodding the hero’s sides – making him jump with another, squeakier yelp. He twitched and squirmed as they continued to prod up and down, hopping over onto his stomach, his lips quivering slowly into a helpless grin.
“What a cute little soft tummy you have, kitchy kitty!” Coucou cooed, commanding the hands to start spidering and pinch-pinching.
Noir was shaking already, visibly holding back with everything he still had. “B –pppppbbbbbfffffffffaHA!” Which was less and less by the second. Opening one eye from his flinch, he managed to quip “D-Do-Dohon’t you knohow i-ihit’s a b-bahad idea to t-…toho try and g-gihive a cat a bellyruhub?!”
The costumed one only snorted.
“Hmm, I hadn’t heard…but if you insist,” the suited one said, adding “do these boots come off, kitty-koo?” He could feel and even see Cat tense – ears flattening back, tail flicking vertically before it flung straight up though there was no fur to flare.
“TOUCH THE PAWS, YOU GET THE CLAWS!” Noir yowled, locking his ankles as four more hands tugged at them. It took a minute or two, but finally, they slipped off frontward from the seams above the flared cuffs – and were unceremoniously tossed aside.
To the villainous pair’s genuine surprise and intrigue, much like the mark on the miraculous ring, the hero had green pawmarks on his feet; ovals on the soles and dots on the toes. A rather adorable visual effect of the enhanced strength for leaping and pouncing.
“He has smush-beans!” Coucou cried, chin in v-shaped hands.
“STAY AWAY FROM THE SMUSH-BEANS!” Cat echoed, mustering a hiss. However, the prods at his toes and the raking fingers at his soles turned it into a snorting chuckle, his jaws finally springing open again. “GGgaHAhahahahaHAHA! HahahaHAHAhahahahaHA! LeHEmmehe GOhoho!”
“Not until you tell us where the other miraculous is,” the costumed one said plainly, eyes closing.
“But take your time if you insist,” the suited one mused, sending the fingers at Noir’s belly flying faster, “This is SO much FUN! Kitchy kitchy koo!”
“Kkkkh…KAHAHAHA! HAHAHA! AAHAHAHAAA!” the hero laughed harder, fully writhing now, despite the hands’ iron grip. “AHAHAHE! I – I – I – I CAHAN’T!”
“Sure you can, we’re all friends here, aren’t we?” Coucou jabbed, lids lowering, brows angling lightly. Cachou snorted again with a glare.
“N – NoNOHOhohoHO! IhiHIt’s – it’s – it’s naHAHAT THAHAT!”
“No? Do you mean you’re out of breath already then?”
Cat panted again, almost like a dog, as the hands slowed – though didn’t withdraw. “Noho! I – I mehean…she – she f – fihigured I’d blab under prehessure so she didn’t tehell mehehehe!” he professed.
Another pause from his captormenters. An approving smile from the suited one. “Now that’s more like it…a much more believable lie.”
“IhiHIt’s the TRUHUTH!” Noir insisted breathlessly.
The costumed one closed his eyes thoughtfully, then opened them as he said “Even if she did, you must have SOME idea of where she and her miraculous have gone, don’t you? At least tell us that!”
“I HAhave no cluHUhue!”
“Bad kitty,” Coucou scolded. “Kitchy kitchy kitchy kooo!”
“NOHOOHO!”
The suited one stepped forward, wiggling his own clawed fingers, digging them into Cat’s belly as the others slowly picked up their pace. “Squishy, squishy tickly kitty tummy!” he teased. Then, several minutes later as the hands flipped the hero around, so his ‘hind paws’ were in reach, tweaking his spotted toes “And tickly piddle paws…kitchy kitchy Kitty Noir!”
“AAHAhahaHA! GGAAHAhahahaHAA!”
The costumed one walked around, now standing behind Noir’s head. Watching for a moment, he reached up and plucked the feather from his goggled, bottle-holding top hat “How about this?” and waggled it inches from the hero’s face.
“N – aah! Nonon-n-nonoNO! Nahat f – fehe – ah~ Haa~ HA’CHOO!”
“Kitty sneezes! Too cute!” Coucou noted.
“I could make a sneezing potion,” Cachou said, flitting it over the tip of nose, “But honestly, this is more fun…feel like talking now, Alley Cat?”
“I – I trie – heaa~CHOO! Tried! HA’CHOO!”
“Liar.”
“Liar, liar!” the suited one echoed with a devious grin. “Guess we’ll just have to keep tickling you ‘til we get tired.”
“YOU get ti~hi~aa’CHOO! Tired?!” Noir reiterated, an exhausted rasp in his voice “What abo~hou~haa~CHOO~HOO!” and sniffled. “…ME?”
“Whenever you decide to stop being a naughty stubborn little kitty, maybe we’ll stop. Maybe. For now, feel the wrath of MY claws!”
All the tickling fingers were joined by even more, raking and wiggling at his knees and thighs, hips, belly, ribs, underarms, neck, and cheeks. The hero went back to thrashing, yowling and laughing – eventually mewling between hushed heaves of his chest, tears beading at the corners of his eyes, trickling with a blink.
“AAHAHAAA…mrrrwww...HAHA…mrrrw! AHA…I’m goHOnna DIEhehe…mrrrrw! …plehease…Bugaboohoo, rehemember MEhe…!” Gulping down a breath, he closed his eyes “…cehement covers the plains…ihinto the mountains flohows…”
“What is he…?” Cachou asked, though his eyes hazed.
“That…song…” the suited one said, likewise. Both slowly took a step back, continuing to watch and listen.
The hands’ fervor seemed to slow, caught up in the boy’s determined crooning. “Like a great tempest…our history’s down the drains, but our ideal remains…to ‘look our best!’”
Now the costumed one found himself chanting the background vocals. Coucou’s lips twitched, the following stanza pouring out of his throat like water from a spring.
“Now we buy air by the block, and into balance are locked…paying dollars by the gallon, just to carry on…”
Blue eyes met green again as Cat took the next, still singing as passionately as he could in his dizzied exhaustion – energized still by that shining blue sea beneath teal bangs.
“From equator to the poles, this charade’s getting old…slowly crushing under the weight, of all our short-sighted mistakes…!”
The three voices harmonized perfectly on the chorus once more. “It’s time to change things up, treeward march, treeward march! Hup-two-three, two-three-four, hup! For tomorrow, we charge…!”
An overwhelming soulful burst of positive energy seemed to ebb away at the evilization – which was fortunate, since Ladybug and her Yo-Yo were still MIA. Glowing light appeared at the villainous pair’s throats, growing until it had undone the akumatization in much the same manner it had occurred. The affected items, Luka’s earring and Felix’s tie, released their akumas, which themselves shed their darkness as they flapped away.
“What in all the ridiculous –!?” Hawk Moth growled. “You got lucky this time, Cat Noir! But perhaps I might as well wait for the Ladybug…hmph.”
“Bye-bye…butterflies…” Noir practically mouthed as his miraculous let out its dying chime. Thankfully, the other two were still swept up in the song, Couffaine belting the final refrain.
“No poiiint in poiiinting fiiingeeers…Weee aaall must help each ooother! Our wooorld we cannot just leeeave…with you, I dooo beeelieeeve…!”
And like that, as Adrien landed in a faceplant on his floor with a grunt, the three boys were back in the bedroom almost as if nothing else had occurred. Though now, the others gave their heads a shake and a rub, blinking rapidly.
“What…happened?” the younger blond-haired one asked a bit groggily.
“We, uh…kinda got in a fight,” the older informed them as he picked himself up with one last half-flinch, brushing himself off. “Because I…I REALLY wanted to see both of you today because I was so bored – but also because I really missed you. And I kinda…didn’t tell either of you about the other…” he wound up with wrists crossed, pointing at each, then let his arms drop, eyes closing. “But that wasn’t fair of me, and I shouldn’t have made you guys spend time together if you were planning to just spend time with me. I…I should’ve made a better choice – heck, made a choice at all! – but…I didn’t…and…I’m sorry.”
Graham de Vanily shared a curious glance with Luka, but both faced Agreste with a nod. “Apology accepted,” the latter said on their behalf, smiling genuinely again – even stepping forward and putting a hand gently on his host’s shoulder, making the older blond-haired boy blush and look up. “Hey, I get it, and I’m…kinda flattered you’re psyched to see me that much. I’m always happy to see you too.”
Adrien blushed harder, blinking faster, and simpering with a nod. “Y – m – mmhm~mm…”
“It was actually really fun spending time with both of you,” Felix admitted, smiling. “You’re not too shabby a chess player, and I think I’m going to try practicing the guitar more. I didn’t realize how calming playing it really was.”
The teal-haired one and older blond now shared a grin, nodding back at the younger – who twitched when he heard a beep. Prying out his phone, he checked it. “Looks like that’s mother. I guess I’ve got to go now anyway…” He walked over for an individual hug with his cousin, then a brief back-patting embrace with Couffaine – followed by a quick group squeeze, sharing chuckles. With a last wave, he headed out the door. “See you both later, whenever!”
“Bye, Felix! Thanks for putting up with me! Heh…” Agreste bid.
As the door slowly swung shut, he turned to the teal-haired one, who gave an arms-out shrug. “Guess now we do have some time alone together.”
“Y-Yeaheheh…” Adrien nearly stuttered. Now he definitely heard more snickering from his sock drawer – which he casually walked over to slide shut, much to Plagg’s protest.
Luka already had his guitar back on when he turned back. “Hey, so, do you mind if we play some more?” Those big blue eyes darted with another chuckling snort. “I DO kinda wanna try chess again…but maybe I’ll get better playing you instead…”
“Sure!” the blond-haired one said, green eyes sparkling, “What should we play? Another ‘Treeward March’?”
“I LOVE that song so much,” Couffaine noted.
“Me too! I mean, it’s great…and so catchy!”
“Mm, mmhm – but…I had another one we were gonna play too. Lemme get the music…”
Scanning the notes, Adrien began playing the keyboard in time with Couffaine’s strumming. He watched as the teal-haired one began to sing the round’s only verse.
“This pretty planet, spinning through space…your garden, your harbor, your holy place…golden sun going down, gentle blue giant spin us around…all through the night, safe ‘til the morning light…”
When he’d finished, Agreste gave the lyrics a try, enjoying them just as much; hearing Luka chime back in before he’d quite finished. They did another round, then Adrien got a sneaky idea, tiptoeing over and giving him a few stealthy side squeezes and belly pokes, sending his voice wobbling.
“…gohoholden suhuhun gohoihi – hehehey! Ahahahaa!”
“Shoot, you sound a little outta tune, you okay, buddy?” the blond-haired one teased. Not waiting for an answer, he reached a hand around, getting the teal-haired one’s other side and clawing around to his belly with both hands. Couffaine laughed louder, stumbling a bit.
“AHAhahaHAA! AhaHAdrieeHEn, noHOhoo! Wahatch the guitaHAar!” he laughed, finally flopping over onto the bed – taking Adrien with him. They wound up lying on their sides, facing one another.
The sun had indeed begun to set, casting its goldish-yellow light across the bedcover. Still-sparkling green met still-shiny blue, like a lush spring shore meeting lapping waves. Neither said another word, the latest melody still ringing in their ears and their minds. Hearts beating slightly faster, they slid slowly closer, fingers brushing together before knuckles met palms. Lost in each other’s eyes, they didn’t realize they’d come nose to nose – until slowly eyelids closed, lips meeting lips.
THE END