Im gonna trrrrryy and work this the way I want to lol.
Marinette paced the floor of her room while she and Alya waited for their girlfriends to arrive. In the past week and a half, she had come into some important information. Marinette's birthday had just past and besides her grandmother on her father's side getting akumatized because of her, something wonderful had happened. Adrien had given her a present. Not just any present, a handmade present. A lucky charm much like the one she had given him all those months ago while they practiced for the gaming tournament together. It was a small gift that for Marinette held so much meaning. He could have gotten her nothing, or a simple card, or a random item that he thought girls like, but instead Adrien had taken the time to give her something that connected them. It had to mean something. Adrien cared about her, he thought about her. If you could love someone, and keep loving them, without being loved back...then that love had to be real. It hurt too much to be anything else. She couldn't let this go, so she and Alya devised a plan, one that involved sharing her secret with a few select people. Eventually, her room filled with herself, Alya, Lucy, Rose, Juleka, Alix, Talia, and Mylene. As it turned out, Paris was a small world that revealed Talia was actually Juleka's cousin. When they both arrived and saw one another it was clear neither knew they had mutual friends in the same social circle. That may have been due to Talia being a good three years older than the rest. The girls sat and waited while Marinette stood in front of them with Alya. Lucy and Talia of course already knew what this little meeting was about. Or at least half of it. Alya had told them how the two were going to bring in their other classmates into the loop on Marinette's crush on Adrien in order to get some help.
"Thanks for showing up, girls. So, check this out. I've got the...biggest...scoop! But FYI, it's seriously hush-hush. Top secret, classified information."
"Is it though?" Talia remarked, examining her nails. Lucy nudged her Talia with her foot as she sat on the lounge chair above her.
"You know who Ladybug is?" Alix asked earning a gasp from some of the other girls.
"No," Alya clarified. "but it's almost as hot. Marinette is—"
"Wait, Alya." Marinette turns Alya to whisper to her, nervous about letting people in on her little secret. "Do you really think this is such a good idea?"
"I don't think it is, I know it is. But remember, girls, your lips are sealed. Got it?" Alya spoke to their friends getting a nod of agreement from them all.
"Well, Marinette is head-over-heels for somebody."
"Yeah, Adrien," Alix remarked, getting a small laugh from the others.
"Wait! How did you!?"
"Sweety, you're super obvious about it" Lucy said with a small smile.
"Do you think...A...Adrien...knows."
"No way," Rose spoke. "Boys never pick up on that." Marinette sighed in relief.
"Right, so let's get down to business. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to arrange a ridiculously romantic date between Marinette and Adrien." Alya proposed as she paced the floor. Most of the girls seemed enthusiastic to help. Talia watched as Lucy gave a breath out her nose as she gave a small smile and nodded in Marinette and Alya's direction before giving a silent nod herself. Talia still couldn't totally get behind pushing Marinette and Adrien together. At first, she really had been all for it. Really, she was, but how could she now? Now that she knew the truth that no one else did. She watched as Alya and Marinette went over the complicated plan on a way to make what was supposed to be a simple coincidence become a magical unexpected date. It was all so...much. There's a reason for the word heartbeat not to be called beat of the heart. The perfect woman only needs a good beat. The heart will follow. Emotions, when put in equilibrium with reason, create more miracles than any emotion, no matter how strong, deprived of reason. This is why it's much easier to love a woman that can play the drums or any other instrument with rhythm, than one that believes in unreasonable magic, simply because there's more magic in reason than in the lack of it. You see, loving someone that you truly want to love, someone you admire, someone you want to spend your time with, helping, sharing, and growing together, makes much more sense than expecting someone to love you for no reason other than your will, needs, and desires. And when humans understand this, they will understand love, find it easily and never lose it again. Lucy didn't play the drums, though she had mentioned to Talia that Adrien had shown her a bit about playing the Piano. But for some reason, Talia could just see how better of a fit it would be if Lucy and Adrien got together. Talia didn't hang around Adrien much. but she did around Chat and she could tell in the way he talked about Lucy that he was definitely interested. Knowing who he was under the mask and seeing them at Chloe's party several days ago just further confirmed her own suspicions. Oh, how complicated this all was.
"She knows everything about Adrien! Creepy, no?" Alix whispered getting a look from Talia.
"Extremely."
"I think it's sweet!" Rose said dreamily.
OoOoOoOOoOoOoOoO
Adrien posed as his photographer, Vincent, continued to shoot him. He smiled and tried to focus on the task at hand but his mind was elsewhere. He hadn't spoken to Lucy as Chat Noir in days. It was really starting to bug him. He was trying to give Lucy her space. Adrien had spoken to her a few times since but she never seemed to want to talk about it. He didn't want to push her but at the same time, he wished she would just talk to him or more importantly Chat Noir. As a lollypop was tossed into his hand, Adrien made eye contact with a small child who clearly wanted in on the treat but was denied by his mother.
OoOoOoO
Lucy crouched down with Marinette and Alya as they waited for Adrien to be done with his shoot. Juleka A.K.A Rose was given the task of placing the fake parking sign in front of Adrien's car, while Mylene A.K.A Sunflower was supposed to get the police officer to move the car due to the fake sign. Rose A.K.A Tulip stood by to send off the rickshaw driver to pick up Adrien and Marinette for their "date". Alix A.K.A Violet and Talila A.K.A Iris is to wait down the road a piece and when the Chariot drives by toss flower petals on their skates and skateboard. Alya A.K.A Tigerlilly is to signal when Adrien A.K.A Buttercup is done with his shoot while Lucy A.K.A Daisy is to run interference with anything or anyone who might change the direction of the plan. An example of that would be the woman who seemed to be struggling to get her child up the stairs in his stroller. Marinette, noticing first attempted to go and help the poor woman but Alya stopped her.
"Adrien might see you." She turned to Lucy who gave a small nod and quickly made her way down the steps to assist the woman. Racing down the steps, Lucy took ahold of the bottom of the stroller, giving the mother and child a smile.
"Looked like you could use a little help." The woman graciously accepted Lucy's help as the two carefully walked up the stairs together. The woman's phone then slipped out of her purse and bounced back down the steps making Lucy head back down to grab it for her once they reached the top of the first stair set. Handing her back her phone after running down and back up again, Lucy picked the bottom of the stroller up once more and proceeded to help carry the baby to the top of the second set of stairs only for this time, his bottle to go flying down the steps. "Buttercup is on the move!" Alya's voice rang through her ears. Lucy sighed as her legs now began to hurt a little from the cardio but once again ran down the steps to retrieve the fallen bottle.
OoOoOoOo
The sound of crying grabbed Adrien's attention to see the woman from before struggling to get her child up the steps. As he about decided to go and assist her, Vincent stopped him, bringing his attention back to the shoot. Adrien frowned a little and looked over once more, only to find the woman was ow being assisted by someone else.
"Lucy?" Adrien asked allowed to himself, only to get a groan from the photographer.
"Forget it, I think we got all we need, have a good day!" He spoke, waving Adrien off. Adrien gave him a small wave and quickly made his way toward the steps in hopes to catch Lucy before she got too far ahead of him. As he reached the top, Adrien looked around quizzically. Lucy was nowhere to be seen which was a little odd. He had not been that far behind after all. In his search, Adrien's eye widened as he spotted and Akuma fluttering by, looking as if it would be attaching himself to his bodyguard who was making his way over to him. However, the butterfly fluttered right by the large man and right onto a baby.
OoOoOoOooO
Lucy watched in horror as a once regular-sized baby suddenly grew into a giant one under Hawkmoth's control. Or at least, somewhat under Hawkmoth's control. Lucy wasn't sure just how much power he could have over a child whose attention span would only last a matter of seconds on one particular thing but here they were. A part of Lucy wondered if he had even chosen a baby on purpose. If had not, she wondered who the Akuma had been going for.
"There you are." A familiar voice rang out, and suddenly Lucy was being voted into the air and on top of a building by none other than Chat Noir.
"Looking for me?" Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. I mean no! Well...kinda...I mean..." Chat sighed. "Can we talk?"
"Do you really think now is the time?" Lucy responded with a deadpan look as she hitched her thumb behind her to remind Chat of the giant baby walking around looking for a lollipop. Chat looked behind Lucy before bringing his eyes back to her and giving her a grin.
"You're right. Work before play, but in this case, work might very well involve play!" Chat joked before hopping onto another building, leaving Lucy behind. Lucy took a deep breath as she tried to scream in frustration. Luckily it only took a few seconds for Chat to realize his mistake and return.
"Nope! Sorry! I remember!" He said, grabbing her by the waist and bringing her back to ground level. Before Lucy could say anything about it he was off again to distract the baby. Alya, Juleka, Mylene, and Rose came up behind Lucy and gave her a hug, happy to see she was safe.
"Saved again by super boyfriend huh?" Alya joked but only got an annoyed glare from the blonde in response.
OoOoOoOoOo
Alix and Talia stood on the lock bridge near Andre the ice cream man's cart awaiting Marinette and Adrien to stroll by. To say the two girls were bored was an understatement.
"This is so stupid, why am I even entertaining this?" Talia asked. Alix groaned.
"Because we are good friends who want to help those with poor communication skills." As Alix watched Andre serve up another customer she rolls her eyes. "Did she take the rickshaw ride with Adrien or not?" From the distance, yelling could be heard that was getting closer. Bam! Chat Noir crashes into Andre's cart. He smiles and attempts to take the ice cream the man is holding, never having had it before, but his unused cataclysm destroys the ice cream before he can get a bite. He gives everyone a smile and nod before leaping back into action leaving a stunned Alix and Andre and an even more annoyed Talia.
"Welp, I'm out." She said grabbing her skateboard. Alix ran up to stop her.
"Hey wait! What about the plan?!"
"In case you didn't notice, Chat Noir just dropped in which means there is an Akuma running around. Talk about good timing."
Alix furrowed her brows at Talia as she skated away. Looking at Andre's cart and then back to the direction the other girls were, Alix quickly began skating in the same direction.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Meanwhile, Lucy and the other girls watched as Ladybug was dragged along by the giant baby in an attempt to stop him. The baby spun around and went to grasp Ladybug and the light she was holding on to, picking it up and bringing her to his mouth.
"We have to do something!" Rose shouted. Alya quickly grabbed the carriage and rolled up next to them. "Grab the sign!" She shouted, and the friends worked together to lift the metal parking sign, heading off to distract the baby. Alya peddled as fast as her legs would let her, the giant baby following behind. Eventually, her legs began to give up and she told the girls to abandon ship, all of them tuck and rolling off the rickshaw and onto the ground before the baby could get any of them.
OoOoOoO
After Ladybug and Chat took down the giant baby, Lucy and the other girls waited at the entrance of the Trocadero to see Marinette running up to greet them. They all hugged her, happy that she was safe and that the whole ordeal was over.
"I'm glad everything worked out," Marinette said happily.
"Except for your date with Adrien." Alya poked, raising her glasses.
"Oh yeah? Where did he go?" Mylene asked looking around. Rose, noticing him first pointed ou the blonde boy in question.
"There he is!"
"Maybe we can finish the plan after all." Suggested Alya, to which most of the girls agreed.
"No, no, no," Marinette said, surprising them. "No more complicated plans. Sometimes it's best to get right to the point."
OoOoOoO
Adrien walked up the steps and made his way to the car for the second time today. He had kept his eye out for Lucy but had no luck spotting her again. He sighed but before he could reach the car the sound of his name being called caught his attention. Marinette came running up to him with a warm smile. He returned the smile, greeting her and asking what she was doing here.
"I came here to do some sketching! I can't believe we've run into each other here! Hey, would you like to—?" She explained, holding up her sketchbook. Adrien nodded before a sudden realization hit him.
"Hey, did you come here with Lucy?" He asked, looking around for her once again. By the pillars with the other girls, Lucy ducked down as the others gave her a curious look.
"Lucy? Oh..um, no. I didn't."
"Huh, I saw her earlier during my shoot. I tried to catch up to her but then the Akuma happened and well, I guess I was hoping she was still around." Adrien explained rubbing the back of his neck. Marinette's eye twitches slightly. She looks Adrien over once before attempting to get her question out again. "Would you like to-?" The sound of Adrien's driver honking the horn interrupting. "Hang pout? I mean, hang about? No, hag out?" A groan of annoyance could be heard from inside the car and the pressure of getting her words out in a timely manner cause Marinette's confidence to buckle. "Forget it, better not keep him waiting."
Adrien gives her an awkward laugh. "Uh, okay. Would you like us to take you home?" He offers, opening the car door.
For a moment it seems like she might take him up on his offer, but in a blink, her demeanor changes.
"No, it's okay! I'll take a coleslaw home. Thanks!"
Adrien gives her another awkward smile, telling her to enjoy her meal, and that he would see her at school tomorrow before getting into the car and driving away. The girls walked over to Marinette who scolded herself.
"Why did I say "no"? I'm so lame! I could have ridden home with him in his car!"
"Well, at least you managed to get a sentence out without losing your cool." Alya encouraged. Rose agreed.
"One sentence out of three! Not bad!"
"You'll get there in the end," Mylene added.
Juleka nodded. "Sure will."
Flower petals fell from the sky as the girls looked around to see Talia and Alix throwing what they had in their basket over them.
"Don't tell me "Buttercup" left the flowerbed with the "Nanny"." Alix joked.
"What a shame that would be," Talia added in a monotone.
"Yup but it's all good," Alya spoke as she signaled the Rickshaw. "Come on, BFF, let's take a ride on the "coleslaw"!" Marinette groaned in embarrassment. "Please tell me I didn't say that!" As the Rickshaw pulled up Talia and Lucy stood aside as the other girls got on.
"Come on Lucy! We can squeeze you!" Rose said cheerily. Lucy smiled and shook her head.
"No thanks. I'll walk with Talia. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
The girls waved and spread off leaving Lucy and Talia to talk amongst themselves as they walked down the street. The walk was pretty silent as a whole, mostly only commenting on the day itself. Talia glanced at Lucy, her fingers picking at her skateboard as she held it in front of her as they walked.
"Lucy, can I be honest with you about something, without you getting pissed at me?" Not stopping her stride Lucy looked overt o Talia.
"I mean...I can try..."
"I don't think I wanna be involved in any more schemes to get Marinette and Adrien together." A small laugh came from Lucy.
"That's it? Talia, you don't have to do any of that. No one is going to force you to do something you don't wanna do. Why would I be pissed about that?"
"Me not wanting to be a part of the Adrienette team isn't what I thought you would be mad about, it's the reason why."
Lucy rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Oh yeah? And why do not wanna hop on the Adrienette train?"
"Because Adrien doesn't like her." Lucy stopped walking and stared at Talia. "I mean of course he likes her as a person, as a friend but...he doesn't like her, like her."
"He could," Lucy said quietly but Talia shook her head.
"He doesn't. And you know that. I'm all for people realizing feeling they didn't realize they had but Lucy, he doesn't need that. Not for Marinette."
Lucy sighed and ran her hand through her hair.
"Relationships are like farts Lucy," Talia said getting a mildly grossed-out look from Lucy. "If you have to force it, it's probably shit."
"That's a beautiful analogy on love Talia, really."
"No, it's not. But that doesn't make it any less true." The continued walking and another question pushed its way to the front of Talia's brian. The past few days, she had become somewhat of a confidant to Chat Noir. His involvement with Lucy was nowhere near a secret to her or Ladybug. In a way, it wasn't much of a secret to anyone anymore. Alya had cleared the air after Prime Queen attempted to out Chat and his personal relationships with Ladybug and Lucy, letting everyone know that the photos they saw were out of context and exaggerated. This of course didn't stop people from making up their own theories and speculations. So when Chat and Tigress were out on a late-night patrol a few nights ago, she could not help but notice Chat's mood. The usually chatty Chat remained rather silent, poping a few jokes here and there but otherwise focused on the task at hand. Tigress, having a feeling it had something to do with Lucy had asked him about it and Chat Noir told her what had happened. He made her promise not to tell Ladybug. That their partner already had her feelings about Chat's relationship with the blonde girl and he did not want a lecture from the bug. Tigress informed him she had no intention of doing that, and that he could talk to her anytime. It was a bit sneaky perhaps. Having Chat confide in her when she knew his identity. She really did only want to help though. Talia wants to tell Lucy every time she sees her. It would make things so much easier n her eyes. Roaar has other opinions and has warned Talia of the consequences of her giving out Chat's identity, even to Lucy. So she holds her tongue, but that won't stop her from meddling.
"Have you talked to Chat?" She asks, earning a groan from Lucy.
"How much do you know?" Lucy sometimes forgets that Talia is Tigress and that she is friends with Chat Noir.
"More than you've told me. Which by the way, offends me."
"Talia I just..."
"Just talk to him, Lu." Talia insists. "The guy is such a buzz kill lately."
"He ran away from me Talia," Lucy spoke, her voice hushed. She sounded angry but mostly sad.
"I know," Talia said. "But he can't apologize if you don't give him the opportunity to."
OooOoOoOoOOOooo
As the evening came, Chat Noir strolled across the rooftops slowly. He had learned the hard way that keeping balance and keeping track of scattered thoughts is a bad combination if one is moving too quickly. He had no particular direction he was headed, no destination in mind, and yet his body came to a halt just as he met the outskirts of the park. It was odd to him, how such an ordinary place could suddenly have such subconscious meaning to him.
"Some would say it's dangerous for a lady to be out at night alone."
"Guess it's a good thing I'm not alone then."
He had spotted her unexpectedly. She seems so cool, so focused, so quiet, yet her eyes remain fixed upon the horizon. You think you know all there is to know about her immediately upon meeting her, but everything you think you know is wrong. Passion flows through her like a river of blood. She only looked away for a moment, and the mask slipped, and he fell. All his tomorrows started there. Chat Noir didn't know if he believed in fate, but what he did believe was that from the moment he laid eyes on Lucy from across the park as he stood for his photoshoot, he knew she would be important to him. He did not know how or why but she would be, and she was...is. He had known her for a little over a year and now he couldn't imagine his life without her. Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there anymore. As if some force beyond his understanding heard his call, there she was. Lucy had wandered into the park and sat down at the very bench she sat the night he introduced himself as Chat Noir.
"Some would say it's dangerous for a lady to be out at night alone." He said softly. The confident and flirtatious tone he carried the first time around absent. When she didn't reply, Chat grew worried. Would she really ignore him entirely? He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding until she finally replied.
"Guess it's a good thing I'm not alone then."
"I'm so sorry." He apologized from behind her. Lucy sighed and shook her head and Chat walked around the bench to face her.
"No, I'm sorry." She countered. " I hurt my own feelings and I pushed you out because of it and that's not fair."
"Lucy..." Her eyes finally met his and Chat wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her, but he didn't want to make her more upset with him than she already was. "I shouldn't have run off like that. I...I wish I had an excuse, a real one, but I don't. I messed up. This..." He said motioning between the two of them with his hand. "This is on me."
"It takes two to tango Chat. Let's just agree that we both made some mistakes alright?"
"I don't want you to think it was a mistake."
"And yet here we are."
A heavy silence filled the air and Chat couldn't bear the weight of it. He walked toward Lucy and crouched down in front of her, taking her hands in his gloved ones.
"Let me make it up to you."
"Chat there is nothing-"
"Please." He pushed. "Friday night, meet me here, I'll take you to dinner."
"Take me to dinner?" She repeated with an eyebrow raised.
"Well not in a public place of course, but I'll throw something together for just the two of us."
Lucy sighed again. "Chat, I don't know...I just..."
"Just think about it." Chat insisted. "I won't force you to do anything you don't wanna do Lucy, but please consider it."
The look in Chat's eyes, the desperation, made Lucy cave. "I'll think about it. That is not an agreement or a promise."
"I'll take it."
Chat stood and extended his staff, giving Lucy a bow.
"I'll be off m'lady. Planning to do and all." He said before vaulting into the air.
"Chat I told you-!" Lucy's words echoed through the empty park. "It's not an agreement..." She finished to herself. It wasn't that she didn't want to have dinner with Chat Noir. It was that in their time apart she had time to reflect and Lucy was coming to terms with how wrong things could go for them. She sighed once more before resting her head in her hands. She should have just said no.
Hope everyone is having a lovely week, Happy hump day! Remember to comment and all that to let me know what you think as I always love to hear your opinion. I'm excited for the next chapter because it's the "Glaciator" episode and I've had an idea rolling around in my head for a bit now. See you in the next chapter!
