AN: This anthology is a "sequel" to the first volume of "The Life and Times of the Heroes of Paris" and picks up after "A Miraculous Adventure in Tibet." The first chapters of that story give a good recap of everything to-date in the "Mind Games"-verse, so we're starting a new anthology! This is one of three anthology series interweaving with the next several stories. The others are "The Heroes of Paris: Patrol Logs" and "The Woman out of the Fridge."
Marinette knocked on the door to Kagami's bedroom once and called, "Are you ready yet? The guys are getting impatient downstairs. I think Luka's worried your mother will insist that Adrien start teaching him to fence. Though I'm pretty sure that would interfere with your training with him…"
The door opened almost instantly, and Kagami reached out, grabbed Marinette's hand, and dragged her inside. Marinette caught her balance on the corner of a bookcase as the door slammed shut behind her and stared at her surprisingly-disheveled friend in shock. Across the room Longg sat on her vanity in front of a can of sardines, and it looked like both her closets had exploded, with clothing scattered all around the room and piled in an untidy heap on her bed.
"Are… you okay in here, girl?" Marinette asked, taking in the ordinarily spotless room's state of disarray before turning to the girl herself.
"Super," Kagami retorted, grimacing. "I just have no idea what I should wear, considering this is technically our first date."
Marinette furrowed her brows in confusion. "You've been together practically all summer, and this is your first official date? I take it all those late-night rendezvous don't count?"
"Those are training," Kagami insisted. "Not 'dates.'"
"Sure they are." Marinette snorted in amusement but turned it into a sigh. "I should be surprised, but I know your mother! And your schedule! But we both know Luka's not going to care one way or the other what you wear."
"I know," replied Kagami with a frown. "But I will."
"It is no use, Guardian-San," Longg observed from the vanity with some amusement. "I have been trying to convince her of that for three hours."
"You should have seen Marinette the first time Adrien took her out for dinner!" Tikki sang, poking her head out of the oversized bag Marinette had brought, resting her arms on the bag's edge, and fixing her holder with a mischievous look. "If I hadn't threatened to have Plagg Cataclysm every article of clothing in the room and make her go in her underwear, she'd probably still be trying to pick something!"
"You realize Adrien wouldn't have minded that one bit, right, Sugar Cube?" Plagg's voice called from within the bag.
Marinette's face turned beet-red as Kagami burst out laughing. "One more word from you two, and I'm eating all your snacks!" She pushed Tikki's head back into the bag and rolled her eyes before pulling a box out, clasping the bag to muffle the Kwamis' laughter. "Well, you happen to be in luck!" she told Kagami. "Your favorite designer's got you covered – literally!"
Kagami gave her a look of surprise. "I haven't commissioned anything new all summer," she objected, pulling the lid off the box.
"Because I only ever work on commissions," observed Marinette with a smirk.
Kagami reached in and pulled out a navy blue blouse. Serpentine figures in light teal and bright red danced around each other across the front of the shirt. Near the swooping neckline on the front of the blouse was a small insignia reminiscent of the Dragon Miraculous symbol, but with a shimmery teal border that looked a bit like an ouroboros on closer inspection. She looked up at Marinette and smiled. "This is incredible," she gushed, pulling off her old T-shirt and changing into the new blouse.
"It even goes with those Capris!" Marinette told her, handing her a pair of shoes.
Kagami quickly ran a brush through her hair and touched up her makeup, but fixed her eyes on Marinette suspiciously in the vanity mirror. "When did you say you started working on this design?"
"After the Gala," answered Marinette, giggling. "I… may have had a feeling." She held her bag open, and Longg dropped inside to join Tikki, Plagg, and Sass.
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Kagami commented, rolling her eyes, as the two girls walked down the stairs to where Adrien and Luka waited just outside the mansion's front door. "It even fits just right!"
"There's a reason I always save measurements!" replied Marinette, smiling brightly.
Kagami pulled the door open and they stepped out together to find Adrien and Luka deep in conversation about Kitty Section's upcoming concert in Le Havre. As the door opened, they broke off and looked up at the two girls. Marinette wrapped her arms around Adrien and leaned her head on his shoulder. Luka kissed Kagami's forehead as she rested her head against his chest.
"All set, Bugaboo?" Adrien asked, kissing her. She nodded happily and allowed him to lead the way to the car. The four of them piled into the back while Gorilla drove to the ice skating rink.
"That's a really nice shirt," observed Luka, examining Kagami's new blouse and tracing the serpent across her back and over her shoulder with a finger.
Kagami arched an eyebrow. "You like it? Apparently Marinette started designing it as soon as I told her you were playing my song at the Gala without realizing it."
Luka laughed and fixed them with a knowing look. "So is that why you 'arranged' for us to take a trip together?"
"Who, us?" asked Marinette innocently, giving them an impish grin.
Adrien snorted. "Actually, in all honesty that was purely coincidental."
"And a side benefit," added Marinette, smiling. "We definitely can't argue with the results, though…"
Kagami blushed and gave Marinette a playful glare. "The next time we train, there won't be any holding back!" she warned.
Marinette's eyes lit up in anticipation. "Bring it!"
They made small talk about the summer for the rest of the ride to the ice skating rink while the Paris streets flew past. When they arrived, Adrien insisted on covering their costs, and a few minutes later they were changing into their ice skates. Marinette sat down next to Adrien on the bench and his head automatically drifted over to rest on her shoulder. She pulled off her shoes and slid on the skates, wincing when they pinched her feet.
"Are you okay, Milady?" Adrien asked, slipping off the bench to tie her ice skates for her. Luka and Kagami had already gotten ready and gone out on the ice.
"Oh, I'm fine," she answered, feeling heat rise in her cheeks. "It's just been a while since I did this."
"If we're going to make a habit of this, purr-haps I can buy you your own ice skates," he commented, tightening her laces, his hand lingering on her calf. "Then they'll fit purr-fectly!"
"This is my life now, isn't it?" Marinette asked rhetorically. "A constant stream of cat puns? How paw-sitively ap-paw-ling!"
Adrien pushed himself up to his feet and smiled down at her, holding out a hand. "Just stay with me, Princess. I'll be right next to you," he assured her.
Marinette took his hand and he helped her up, resting his hand on the small of her back while they made their way out to the ice. She leaned into his touch and instantly relaxed. Once she stepped out on the ice, all of her Ladybug grace came back and she pushed off, holding Adrien's hand tightly for balance. "Do you remember the last time the four of us did this?" Marinette asked as they made a slow circuit around the rink to warm up.
"How could I forget?" he replied, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand and grimacing. "I still can't believe I asked the love of my life to help me plan a date with a different girl!"
"Yeah, that wasn't exactly the high point in my life, either," she admitted, leaning into him. "After last time, I brought some extra ice power-ups just in case! Still, I think things turned out for the best in the end," she added, nodding to the other side of the rink where Luka was holding Kagami off the ice while balancing carefully.
"And I'm glad it did," Adrien acknowledged, putting his hands on Marinette's hips and pulling her in close. "I can't imagine my life today without you."
"Even now that you have your mother back?" she asked worriedly, turning her head to look up into his eyes.
Adrien spun her around to face him and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the lips. "Especially now that I have my mother back!"