-Just a warning- this might be an emotionally taxing chapter. But I had fun writing it.

Chapter 9- Andre the Matchmaker

-Adrien-

"Monsieur Adrien! How lovely to see you again! But what is this? Did you settle for another other than the one I promised to you last time?" Andre's words came in all at once, and Adrien turned to Kagami, who was now giving him an expectant look. She had slowly released his hand.

"Is something wrong with Kagami, Andre?" Adrien asked the ice cream man. Andre nearly burst with indignation,

"Yes! I promised you a very special girl! Remember? I said: 'Strawberry with chocolate chips, blackberry for her hair, blueberry for her azure eyes!' But I am afraid you may have gone astray!" Andre insisted, and Adrien nearly doubled over as Andre repeated the words that had given himi hope with Ladybug.

"Andre, I don't know who you're-" Adrien sputtered as Andre spotted something over his shoulder.

"Ah! Could this one be the special lady?" he called and Adrien and Kagami both whirled around to see Marinette, his princess, walking hand in hand with none other than Luka.

"Andre, this isn't really necessary," Adrien protested, but he couldn't stop Marinette and Luka from walking over anyway, or Andre at his heavy-handed matchmaking. He could do nothing but stand and wait in awkward silence as Marinette and Luka strode over. Upon seeing Adrien, Marinette smiled sweetly and waved hi.

"What are you two getting?" She asked politely, but out of the corner of his eye, Adrien saw Kagami mask a scowl.

"Um, that's what we were trying to-" but Andre cut him off again.

"Adrien! Don't be so reluctant to the fulfilling of my magical ice cream! Does lovely Marinette not fit the bill?"

"Andre-" Adrien started, but this time Marinette cut him off.

"Wait. What's going on?" She turned to the ice cream man, "Is there a problem I'm not aware of?" Andre sighed dramatically.

"Yes, Miss Marinette! Dear Adrien here is all mixed up! And it appears you are too!" Marinette looked even more confused.

"Andre, what are you trying to say? I'm here on a date with Luka, and Adrien is here with Kagami." The ice cream man sighed and shook his head again.

"I am just trying to make the right match here, but you and dear Adrien here are making wrong choices. Tell me, my child- have you consulted your tattoo?" he asked.

"Yes, it's turned pink for Luka!" She answered, an edge growing in her voice, but her anger was unnecessary.

Andre's shoulders slumped, "Then it is doomed to fail! If you insist on ice cream with the one I did not promise you, I cannot guarantee your soulmate and sweetheart will still come to you! He may drift away!" He declared dramatically. Adrien's heart dropped into his stomach, did that mean he would no longer have a chance with Ladybug? He hurriedly tried to clarify with Andre.
"So you mean that she might not-?" He asked, not even finishing the question.

"Why do you care?" Kagami snapped, "Am I suddenly not enough for you?" Adrien tried to answer, but Andre answered for him.

"It is not that you're not enough, dear! You were born enough! What I'm telling Monsieur Adrien is that you might not be right for him!" Kagami shook her head sadly.

"Then who is right for me?" She begged, her voice growing thick. Andre smiled gently,

"I can find that for you if you would like me to." Kagami hesitated a moment, and in her hesitation, Luka finally spoke.

"So wait, what you're saying is that I'm not supposed to be with Marinette?" Andre turned to the blue-haired boy with a grave look on his face.

"I am afraid so," he answered gently. Adrien watched as Luka slowly let go of Marinette's hand and she threw him a worried glance. Andre seemed satisfied with the little movement and he pulled a cone out of his cart.

"Now we can begin!" he said gleefully and the four teenagers turned to each other in confusion.

"What do you mean, Andre?" Marinette asked for all of them. Andre looked up from his cart.

"My child, I promised you a very special boy: 'red cherry like his mouth and green mint like his eyes.'" The ice cream man's words registered with all four teenagers at once, but it seemed to hit Adrien the hardest. He turned to her, his mind trying to fathom what was happening.

"Marinette. . is that really what he said?" He asked. She nodded her head silently, and Adrien could find no words.

-Marinette-

This was mortifying. But it was only getting worse. Andre was trying to hand her and Adrien a cone with green mint and blueberry matching both of their eye colors, but her brain couldn't seem to think. She turned to her old crush, "I don't know what to do. . " She said softly, but the blonde took charge. He took the ice cream, and said thanks, and with that exchange, Kagami stepped forward.

"Who could possibly be for me?" She begged to know, and Andre smiled at her with a glitter in his eye.

"Let's see, my sweet girl." He reached into his cart with his scoop and produced the first scoop.

"Dark chocolate for the pain you both share, blueberry for his eyes, but don't look far, because he's right there!" Andre declared. Kagami looked from Andre, to the ice cream a few times before her eyes fixated on Luka standing there.

"Is it even possible?" She muttered just loudly enough that Marinette could hear. She took the ice cream in her hands and turned to the blue haired boy. Luka reached for her hand, and she took it.

"Mind if I steal your date?" Kagami asked Marinette, and Marinette nodded. She was too shocked to speak. Luka walked off with Kagami, and Marinette watched them settle on a bench a little ways off, sharing the ice cream. She watched them for a moment with a smile, before she heard Adrien calling her back to reality.
"Marinette?" Marinette turned around to face the model that Andre wanted her to be with. The ice cream man looked as though he could burst with joy as he looked between them.

"Um, do you want to walk over this way?" Adrien blurted. She nodded and walked side by side with him and neither of them spoke until they were out of Andre's line of sight.

"So, how are you?" Adrien said, trying to fill the awkward silence.

"I'm a little rattled," She said anxiously, wondering how she'd be able to explain this to anyone.

"I'm really sorry about everything that's happened," Adrien said rather suddenly, but Marinette wasn't sure how to answer that, so they drifted back into awkward silence again.

"I'm sorry too," She finally said, and he smiled at her.

"You don't have to be, Marinette. I'm the one who turned down one of my best friends." he said. Marinette shifted uncomfortably at his answer. Adrien held out the ice cream to her, "I can't eat this all by myself." She grudgingly tried a little bit, but after a couple bites, she wasn't that hungry. As the ice cream began to slowly disappear, she stopped and just fingered the spoon in her hands, thinking about how disconnected she and Adrien were. She just didn't know what to do.

"I think I'm gonna head home." she finally said, and stepped away from Adrien. He smiled sadly at her words,

"Do you want me to give you a ride?" He asked gently.

"No," she answered a little too quickly, because he raised an eyebrow just a little.

"Are you sure? It's getting kind of late."

"I'm sure." She said firmly, and waved once before slipping away down the streets, taking the fastest course towards home where she could cry out her confusion and fear.

-Adrien-

He didn't originally intend on following her home. He just wanted to know that she was safe. He ducked into a quiet darkened alley and transformed into Chat Noir. He watched from above, following silently as she hurried toward home. He followed down the dim streets, and after a short while, his princess was swinging open the bakery door and he had no doubt that she was hurrying up to her room. Chat turned to leave, but he couldn't let himself leave her in this state. He landed silently on her balcony and peeked through a crack in the hatch. His cat hearing picked up sniffles and what he believed to be crying, but after a few minutes, it stopped rather quickly, replaced with a sad sigh. He poked his head in and saw that she had collapsed on her lounge and fallen right to sleep. Then he couldn't stop himself, he tiptoed down the steps and bent over her sleeping form.

"I'm sorry about everything, Princess." he whispered and kissed her cheek before slipping back up through the hatch and out into the night.

AN: Okay- I personally don't totally ship Luka x Kagami but I just did it to pave some way for the windy road to Adrienette and because I wanted to humanize Kagami some more because sometimes she acts really coldly towards people in general and I wanted to make her seem more real.

Let me know your thoughts and opinions- or what you think might happen next between Adrien and Marinette!