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“It’s very nice, Marinette,” said Tikki, studying the little stone castle through the glass wall of her tank. “But where are you going to put it? As much as I appreciate your generosity, it’s getting a little bit cramped in here.”
Marinette had to admit that Tikki had a point. Between the forest of aquatic plants, the bubbling treasure chest, the diver’s helmet, the hollow log, and the collection of seashells, Tikki’s aquarium was stuffed to the gills with accessories. The rest of Marinette’s bedroom was in similar shape, what with the drawerful of goldfish treats and the ten years’ worth of fish food she kept in a box under her bed.
“I know,” said Marinette. “I’m sorry.” She bit her lip. “Oh! What if I saved up my allowance and bought you a larger tank? Then I’d have to spend a lot of time at the aquarium store while I decorated it.”
Tikki swam a little lap. “I wouldn’t mind a bigger tank,” she said carefully. “I’m sure you only have my best interests in mind when you suggest this, and you’re not thinking about him at all.” If Tikki had had a human-style mouth, Marinette knew she would be smirking.
Him, of course, referred to Adrien Agreste, the beautiful boy from her school who Marinette always seemed to run into at the aquarium store. She hadn’t managed to say anything to him yet, but that hadn’t stopped her from naming their children and planning their wedding. In short, Marinette had it bad.
“Not at all,” Marinette assured Tikki. “I’m not thinking about his soft, perfect skin, or the way he always smells like a mixture of Camembert cheese and expensive cologne, or his gorgeous green eyes…” She groaned, flopping backward onto her chaise lounge. “I’m a mess, aren’t I?”
Tikki wove between her plants, her scales glimmering. “Yes,” she said smugly. “And I love you very much. So will Adrien, if you ever manage to talk to him.”
Marinette covered her eyes. “You don’t know that.”
“Neither do you,” said Tikki. “The only way to know is to try.”
“I hate it when you’re right,” Marinette told her. “And maybe someday I’ll take your advice.”
“And I reached for it at the same time as her,” Adrien told Plagg, straightening the little castle. “Our hands touched, and I absolutely panicked. So then I said, ‘You can have this one. I’ll take the chipped one from the clearance section.’”
If Plagg had been biologically capable of rolling his eyes, he would have. “And now I’m stuck with a chipped castle. Great.”
Adrien dried his hands. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ll keep an eye out for a better one.”
Plagg swam a lap of his tank, studying its lavish furnishings with a critical eye. “I could use more plants.”
Adrien smiled. Good aquatic plants were hard to find. That would give him an excuse to keep coming back to the aquarium store. Every time he went, he ran into a girl he vaguely recognized from school. She hadn’t warmed up to him yet, but something about her made Adrien hope she eventually would. It would be amazing to befriend another dedicated fish keeper.
“I can’t date her, of course,” he said aloud, turning to look at the Lady Koi poster on his wall. “But someday, when Lady Koi and I take down Chaetodon, who knows?”
“Who knows?” Plagg echoed, grimacing to the extent that a catfish could grimace. “You and Aquarium Girl will elope the next day, I’m sure!”
Adrien flopped backwards onto his bed, pillowing his head on his arms. “It isn’t like that,” he said. “She’s nice, that’s all. And she feels like a kindred spirit.”
“The girl you haven’t had a real conversation with feels like a kindred spirit?”
Adrien sighed. “I can’t explain it,” he said. “It’s like… it’s like I already know her somehow.”
Catfish Noir was already waiting when Lady Koi swam up to their usual meeting place at the bottom of the Seine. He bowed to her, bubbles escaping from his mouth. “Milady.”
“Chaton.” Lady Koi couldn’t help but smile at her partner. “Another week without an akuma attack. Any ideas?”
Catfish Noir frowned. “Maybe there’s been a shortage of Parisians getting angry underwater. That lost submarine pilot was kind of a fluke. See what I did there?”
Lady Koi rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. “Yes, I see the pun, kitty. I thought it was pawsitively terrible.”
Catfish Noir sighed, expelling a cloud of bubbles. “I can’t believe my joke floundered.”
“Honestly. Do you ever stop joking around?” Privately, Lady Koi was grateful for Catfish Noir’s antics. They distracted her from her uncertainty about Chaetodon’s next move.
“Not if I can help it,” Catfish Noir assured her. A dark look flashed across his face, and his whiskers twitched. “I did want to ask you something, though.”
Lady Koi’s loose hair swirled around her head like a cloud of ink. She flicked her golden tail, moving closer to him. “Anything. Is something wrong?”
“No. Sort of.” Catfish Noir rested his head on his lady’s shoulder. “You’ll be shocked to hear this, Milady, but all the time I spend transformed into a fish-themed superhero is killing my romantic life.”
“Ugh. I can relate.” Lady Koi took his webbed hand in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. “There’s a boy I like, and I see him all the time. He even goes to my school! But every time I think about approaching him, I remember that Chaetodon is still a threat to Paris. What if I asked the boy out and Chaetodon tried to use him to get to me? Maybe our lives are just too complicated for romance.”
“Maybe.” Catfish Noir fiddled with one of his whiskers. “It’s a shame we’ve never fallen for each other. I mean, you’re probably the only person in the world who understands what I’m going through.”
Lady Koi snuggled into his side. “You know I feel the same way about you, Chaton.” Now it was her turn to sigh. “If we can’t really fall in love, at least we can dream, right?”
Catfish Noir nodded. “And make wishes in every fountain we pass. I keep thinking water magic has to work in my favor.”
Lady Koi squeezed his hand. “Someday,” she said.