Alright, this is my first Miraculous Ladybug fic. Please go easy on me. I hope you enjoy, and I'll answer any questions you have.


"Aloha everybody!" Marinette said loudly, one hand to her mouth, the other raised in greeting towards the group that were assembling before her at the tourist station, "Welcome to beautiful Hawaii! My name is Marinette and I'll be your tour guide today!

"First things first, everyone!" She continued, "We'll be walking a lot today, and it's going to be a scorching 80 degrees out there, so make sure you have a water bottle or two filled up. You can also burn easily out there in the sun, so make sure that you have sunblock on!"

Marinette waited for her group to check their things, a worried mother applying more and more sunscreen to her children until they had turned a pale white. It wasn't a very large group, only one family of four, a couple who appeared to be on their honeymoon, another couple who had cameras slung around their necks, sunglasses covering their eyes, straw hats and Hawaiian shirts. They weren't the only ones in Hawaiian shirts, though, the last one there was a fat man who was clearly a local judging by how he shot Marinette sly looks in regards to the other tourists.

Marinette lead them down the street, giving them a brief lesson on some things that they could see. This was going to be the last group she had to show around before she got to clock out and go to the beach. It would be crowded with just as many tourists as she could already see, but at least she would be able to hang out with her best friend, Alya. She might even see Adrien surfing!

Ah, Adrien, ever since Mari had heard her favorite surfing star actually lived on the same island as she did, she couldn't stop but try to see him as much as she could. Alya would often give her grief for not actually talking to him save a few broken sentences and stuttered words. But Alya didn't understand how it was to be so smitten with someone that a look from them could send her reeling. Just being around him made her heart flutter and her head swim. If he ever took a tour of the island like some of the locals, Marinette would probably forget everything she would say, even though it was the same every time and was now so natural to say that she could think all of this while still telling her group about the volcanoes and islands.

As they walked down the street, Marinette explaining to her group that the volcanoes really weren't as dangerous as everybody made them out to be, a guy about her age skated past and bumped into her.

"Hey!" Marinette exclaimed, turning to see the offender as he kept skating. It was Kim, usually he worked down at the record shop, but he must have gotten the day off or something, judging by the fact he was here to bother Marinette on her tour.

"Aloha, cousin!" Kim called back, raising his hand into the air, his pinky and thumb stuck out on either side, the middle three fingers folded down to form a shaka. "How's it hanging?" He asked, swinging back around to join with her as she kept walking with her group.

"Shove off Kim," Marinette groaned, "I'm working. Not like you'd understand." Kim wasn't actually Marinette's cousin. It was just island slang. Marinette called Alya her cousin even though they had only met after Alya moved to the island almost a year ago.

"So am I, can't you tell?" Kim asked, nodding his head up the street, "Have to get some mixers for Nino. Concert ain't a concert with no music."

Marinette glanced back at her group, all of whom seemed excited to hear about a potential concert, as tourist traps go, it was a big one. Marinette grabbed Kim's arm and pulled him close, switching to speaking Hawaiian so that the rest of the group couldn't listen in on their conversation, except for the local who was chuckling in the back.

"Explain. Now." Marinette growled.

"Alright, cousin, chill!" Kim replied, looking around to see if there were any eavesdroppers. Of course, there weren't, it was rather early and the locals tended to stride away from tour groups, while tourists walked closer to listen to the attractions. "Nino is setting up a beach party tonight. He and Alya wanted to throw a party for Adrien since he just got accepted into a big surfing competition next month. He's going to be training a lot going up to it, so they wanted to give him one last hurrah before we don't get to see much of him. Everyone is going, even you."

"I never said I was going," Marinette hissed.

"It's Adrien, you're going." Kim replied with a huge grin before skating off again, "Remember, cousin, 8 o'clock at the beach!"

"That sounded exciting!" The woman with the sunglasses said, clutching her camera tightly.

Marinette sighed and shrugged, "Sorry, Kim is kind of crazy. Anyway," Marinette said, switching back to her chipper, tour-guide voice, "This is possibly the best ice cream store in town, and it's run by two of my good friends. Does anyone wanna try some?"

Marinette held the door open for her group as they all entered the small shop, a marble counter adorning most of the space through the door, a few tables squeezed near it, most of the sitting area outside. Hanging on the wall above the counter was a large chalkboard with lists of all the different kinds of ice cream and frozen yogurt the store made available to their patrons. Marinette recognized the pair of handwriting adorning the blackboard, one flowing and pretty, and one more messy and hard. Just like the two owners, Mylene and Ivan.

Mylene was taking people's orders, hopping along the countertop to each guest and calling back their orders to Ivan who scooped it into dishes or cones and handed them over his girlfriend's head to the awaiting tourists. Marinette held the door open again as some of her group squeezed outside into the hot sun again to eat their frozen treats.

"You guys going to the party?" Marinette asked, quirking her head to the side like a little bird.

Mylene smiled at the last person to order before turning to talk with her friend, Marinette, "Uh-huh!" She said, a small gleam in her eyes, "I was talking with Rose and Juleka about it earlier, they said that they were going to bring a present for Adrien, you know, to wish him luck!" Ivan nodded and grunted in what seemed like agreement. Marinette never really understood how such a sullen person as Ivan and such a glowing ray of sunshine, Mylene, ever got together, but if they were happy, Mari wouldn't complain.

Marinette groaned, now she had to get Adrien a present?! When would she have time to do that? And what should she even get him? Should it be better than whatever Juleka and Rose are getting him? What were they getting him? Oh no! If Marinette got him a present, she would have to give it to him, wouldn't she? Right to his face! How desperate would that make her look? Did she want to seem desperate? She was kind of desperate. But she didn't want him knowing that! And what if he didn't like it? Marinette could really use some help from Alya right now. Somehow she always seemed to know exactly what to do in a romantic setting, even though she wasn't currently in any romantic relationship with anyone.

But Mylene was. And she was so easy to talk to.

"Mylene," Marinette pleaded, "You gotta help me! I don't know what to do!" She flopped on the counter and sighed languidly. She felt like she was going to crack like an egg if much more of this party stuff went on, and it had only just started!

"Marinette," Ivan said, surprising her. His voice was gentle, but also hard to ignore, "You're making a scene in front of the tour." He muttered, jogging her back to the present. Marinette shot up like a bullet, a red-hot blush spreading across her face as she tried to play it off with a smile.

"Right!" She exclaimed, "Let's keep going!" And with that, she lead the tour back on to the street.

As the tour went on throughout the day, Marinette found herself stumbling over her words and sometimes even forgetting which direction they were going, or what site they were trying to get to. Luckily, the local in the group would always help her get back on track, only to have her mess up again a few minutes later.

What is wrong with me? Marinette asked herself after showing her group a beautiful waterfall, the last stop on the tour before she led them all back to the tourist kiosk. It's just a party, I've been to parties before. This one is no different.

But even as she thought it, she could tell it wasn't true. Something about this party was going to be very different from the rest. Maybe it was because of the fact that it was for Adrien, or it was such a big deal, maybe it was because everyone she knew was going, or perhaps she was more hung up about a present than she thought.

Rose was great at getting presents for people, so how could Marinette compete with her? But more importantly, why did she feel the need to compete with her? It wasn't a competition, and it wasn't even like Rose liked Adrien. Not in the way Marinette did.

She needed to talk to Alya.

After reapplying sunblock and having a short break for lunch at the waterfall, Marinette had everyone up and moving again, assuring the whining children that they were almost done, and headed right for the beach so they could go play in the surf if they wanted. Winding back along the route they had taken, it didn't take nearly as long to get back as it did to get there, considering that they didn't stop for pictures or explanations or to get ice cream. They couldn't if they wanted to, though, the shop was closed, a short handwritten note tacked on to the door in Mylene's flowery handwriting.

Marinette slowed down long enough to glance at it, trying to find out where they had gone, they usually didn't leave this early. Sure enough, the note had said that they were closing early for a party, Marinette could only imagine which they were referring to.

When they came back to the tourist center, Marinette gave her last lines:

"Thank you all for coming with me on this trip around the island, I hope you all enjoyed yourselves! If there are any questions one of the people inside can help, or you could ask me. I hope you all enjoy your stay here in Hawaii, aloha!"

There was some discussion among the tourists as to what they wanted to do, the local man leaving with a smile and raising a shaka to Mari as he left which she returned to him. The couple with the cameras asked for a few photos with Marinette since she was "the first Hawaiian they'd ever seen" The man even gave her a flower to stick behind her ear, which made her blush. Usually it wasn't strangers to hand out flowers to others, but Marinette was nice enough to not point it out, slipping it behind her right ear and smiling for the camera.

Once that was over, everyone had left. Marinette sighed a breath of relief, it was nice to be a tour guide, but it was exhausting too. She much preferred her hula classes. She quickly ducked back into the tourist center, waving to Max behind the counter as he was showing the family she was touring a few places that were good for dinner.

Marinette clocked out and changed into her slippers and out of her tour guide uniform, replacing it with a white flower print shirt and some shorts. She grabbed her bag which had a towel and her bathing suit in it and headed for the beach. She was planning on meeting up with Alya even before the whole party mess, no reason to change plans.

The beach was crowded, as usual, with tourists and locals alike. Towels spread out across the sand, umbrellas dotting the landscape here and there, and a few structures for changing, getting refreshments, or renting snorkels, surfboards, or buying forgotten necessities like sunscreen, umbrellas, or towels.

Marinette made a bee line towards one such structure, slumping her shoulders as she saw a long line waiting impatiently for service. She rushed towards the front, just to be certain that it was in fact for the reason that she thought. And sure enough, there was the small sign: "Back in a few!" With a little smiling face at the bottom, which didn't seem to make anyone happier.

"Hey!" said the man behind her, at the front of the line, "Do you work here? I've been waiting for almost fifteen minutes!"

"Um..." Marinette did not work here. Alya did. Usually. More often than not she would run off though, trying to find something more interesting to do, how she hadn't been fired was beyond anyone's range of thought. "Yes! So sorry for the wait!" Marinette jumped behind the counter, dropping her bag to her feet and turning to the intimidating line before her, putting on her best tour guide smile and trying to set about the shop as fast as she could. It wasn't the first time she had covered for her friend, and it probably wouldn't be the last, considering.

The line was made up of tourists, they had no idea of how island time worked. There were still many hours until the sunset, so there was no reason to rush anyone for anything. They would get their stuff sooner or later, but they were impatient. That's what happens when you live on the mainland.

Eventually, the line was gone, and so was the remains of Marinette's energy. She wasn't even sure if she could yell at Alya if she showed up right then. Maybe she should skip the party for some much needed rest and relaxation. Between the stressful tour and this, Marinette was already rather burned out and wasn't sure if she could keep up with other party goers.

"Ughhh... I'm not sure if I can make it..." She moaned, slumping on the floor of the rental shack, leaning her head against the wall.

"That's too bad," A familiar voice said, "I don't think I can eat all these malasadas by myself."

Marinette didn't even need to open her eyes to know who it was, she frowned and could tell that her friend wasn't lying about the fried treats, she could smell them from here. They must have been made fresh. She frowned and cracked open her eyes, glaring at Alya as she leaned across the counter, holding out a box of malasadas enticingly. The logo on the box was the same one for the bakery that her parents owned and operated here on the island.

"Did you seriously get malasadas from my mom?" Marinette asked, snatching one from the box and taking a bite of the sugary treat.

Alya replied with a shrug, sitting on the counter and knocking the sign down with her butt "She makes the best on the island." Marinette couldn't argue with that.

"Are you going to the party tonight?" Marinette asked, already knowing the answer and dreading it.

Alya nodded, wiping some crumbs off her face, "You know it, girl! Why wouldn't I? Hang on, let me rephrase that: Why wouldn't you it's for Adrien!"

"I know, Alya, but I don't know what I'd get him... I'd feel bad if I showed up without anything since Rose and Juleka-"

"Wait, hold up. Why would you get him anything?"

"Well aren't Rose and Juleka getting him something?"

"Who told you that?"

"Mylene."

Alya sighed and shook her head, "I just saw those two. Rose was giving him her lucky lei and Juleka wasn't planning on bringing anything. Nino wanted the party to be kind of low-key so he told everyone to not worry about bringing anything. Of course that went through one of Rose's ears and out the other. Don't worry about it, girl."

Alya always knew what to say to cheer Marinette up. She smiled and hugged her friend, "Thanks Alya."

"Does this mean you're going?" Alya asked hopefully, unable to keep a look of excitement off her face.

"Yeah," Marinette said, looking out across the beach as the sun was slowly settling down in the western sky, painting the ocean a warm orange. The people were slowly trickling out, going to a restaurant for dinner, or back to their hotels. It was much less full now than it was before Alya had arrived, it was getting late, and that's when the locals got free reign of the beach, the perfect time for a party.

"I think I will." She said.