Notes: This chapter was supposed to cover Wednesday through Friday, but then Stuff Happened and now I think it's going to work better if this is just Wednesday? One of these days I'll update this fic without increasing the chapter count. I hope. xD

Princess Heartmaker

Chapter Three: It's True I Really Like You, But I Just Keep it in My Head

Wednesday morning dawned bright and early.

Rose stood before her desk, a determined smile on her face as she looked at the simple blue envelope in her hands. Marinette's name was scrawled upon it in her messiest, most unrecognizable hand. Inside, a simple white card – one decorated with a cursive, red thinking of you in the corner, the tail of the y looping to underline the words and end with a heart – held the message from Marinette's Secret Admirer, an unknown stranger who hadn't even signed his (or her) name at the end.

Her plan was simple.

It was perfect.

…regardless of what her stupid brother had said.

There were three days until Valentine's Day. Until the school dance. Rose had written three notes. She would head to school early for the next three days, sneaking a note into Marinette's locker before anyone could catch her. Each note was designed to complement and fluster her friend, leading up to the final note, where she would ask Marinette to meet her at the Valentine's dance. Or, more specifically, to meet Luka at the dance. Because he would be going, whether he wanted to or not, and would be revealed as Marinette's Secret Admirer. And when everything was out in the open, they would finally be forced to talk about their feelings, and then they would spend the night dancing in each other's arms before living happily ever after with six kids and four goats and probably some chickens and a horse and…

Rose bit back a squeal as she did an excited little wiggle. She was probably getting a little ahead of herself. That was starting to sound a little silly.

But the point. Her plan.

It was simple.

It was perfect.

Rose tucked the note into the front pocket of the pink hoodie she'd donned for the day and headed out to the kitchen. She grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter, kissed her mom goodbye, and raced out the front door.

It had to work.

– V –

Marinette was a block and a half away from school when the akuma struck.

It wasn't a very big one – or a very dangerous one either, for that matter. But it was an annoying one, and just problematic enough that she ended up missing her first class and half of the second one. She slipped into the room as quietly as she could, mouthing akuma and a quick apology when the teacher shot her an annoyed look at the disruption. Rose shot her a worried look when she slid into the seat beside her, but Marinette was too busy looking for her notebook to even try and answer.

…which is when she discovered that she only had the books for her last morning class and one afternoon class in her bag. Her homework load had been light the night before, and she hadn't had time to stop at her locker what with how late she was. She sighed and pulled out the spare notebook she kept for sketching, determined to make the best of the class and not miss any more than she already had.

Talking to the teacher after class (to apologize and hand in her homework) had also meant she didn't get to swing by her locker before the next class, and her next teacher assigning a group project (and her groupmates wanting to hash some things out after class) prevented her from going then, too. Already having the books for her last class was a small comfort, but after a morning where it had felt like everything that could go wrong would it was one she would gladly take.

Nearly getting thrown into the street by an akuma had also caused her to drop her breakfast (she had been steadfastly ignoring the coffee stain on her pants all day), so by the time her last class was over she was tired and hungry, which only made her cranky. She would still have to stop by her locker at some point before afternoon classes started, but as the students filed into the hall and started making their way towards the canteen lunch seemed more important. She could always swap her books out after she ate, right?

It had been a Morning, and a Morning after what was quickly becoming a Week to boot, and Marinette was kinda over it. Enough that, when she spotted her friends at their usual table, she didn't even think about her plan to distance herself from Luka (at least for now, until her stupid heart wouldn't start fluttering every time she saw his stupid smile) as she made her way over.

She dropped her lunch onto the table, plopped into the chair beside him, and slumped against him without a second thought. He had been leaning forward, elbows propped on the table and sandwich in his mouth, when her head hit his shoulder. She told herself she didn't care that she wasn't supposed to be doing things like this anymore: Luka was warm, and comfy, and she was too tired and cranky from her bad morning. And Luka was her friend, and he'd always been a very physical person, so he'd definitely be ok with it. There was nothing more to it than that: just a friend using another friend as a pillow. Perfectly normal. No matter what her stupid heart said.

(…she would deal with said stupid heart later, damn it.)

"Rough morning?" he asked once he had swallowed. She grumbled in response.

"Marinette was late," Rose supplied when she failed to answer. "She came in halfway through second period."

"There was an akuma," Marinette sighed.

"Really? I didn't get…oh, there it is," Dingo said. She glanced over at him to see he was checking his phone. "Doesn't look like it was a bad one, though."

They're all bad ones when you're the one who has to stop them, she thought a little bitterly.

"It wasn't," she said, sighing as she sat up and reached for her lunch. "It's just…you know." She wasn't even sure what she had grabbed. Some kind of overcooked pasta dish, it looked like. "You never know, so I still hid. But I haven't had a chance to go to my locker yet, so I didn't have the right books, and it ruined my breakfast. I'm just…disgruntled today."

"Tch," Dingo snorted, popping an almond into his mouth. "You and Lulu both. You really are perf-ouch! What the hell, Bri?"

Marinette looked up from her lunch, her eyebrows lifting as Brielle looked up at the ceiling, innocently sipping her iced coffee. Dingo grumbled and rubbed his side (where Marinette assumed Brielle had just elbowed him) before going back to his nuts. She ignored him and turned back to Luka. Now that she was actually looking at him, she noticed he did look a bit…disgruntled as well. His hair was messier than usual, like he either hadn't brushed it or had been fiddling with it more than he usually did, and his eyes looked tired.

"I'm fine," he said before she could ask. He glanced at her over his sandwich and gave her a slight smile. "Just didn't sleep that great last night. It's nothing, Marinette."

She wasn't fully convinced, but he had already gone back to his lunch and she didn't want to press. She turned back to her own meal, eating as quickly as she could. She borrowed Rose's notebook and copied down the notes she had missed while she ate, idly listening to the conversation flow around her while she worked. It wasn't long before she was done, and she found herself slumping against Luka again. She ignored the fluttering in her heart when he leaned his head against hers, her hair ruffling when he turned his head slightly and took a deep breath. It was just Luka being Luka, she told herself. He didn't mean anything by it.

"I need a nap," she mumbled, turning her face into his hoodie. He hummed in response.

"So take one," he murmured. "You still have time before lunch is over. I'll wake you."

"I need to stop by my locker more," she sighed. She groaned and pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "Ok. Ok. I'm getting up."

"Want me to go with you?" he asked. She sat up and shook her head.

"You don't have to," she said. His smile was easy, but his eyes still looked…tired. She would say troubled, but what could Luka possibly be troubled about?

He smiled and leaned closer, pressing his cool lips to her forehead. She prayed her face wasn't as warm as it felt.

"I want to," he said softly, his low voice doing stupid things to her stomach. "C'mon."

– V –

The truth was…Luka was troubled. And he hadn't slept well the night before.

And it was all Rose's fault.

He just hadn't been able to get her voice out of his head. He knew she was crazy – he knew she was wrong – but he couldn't help the little, niggling voice that whispered what if she's not? He would think of Marinette's eyes the day before, and he would wonder if the stress he could clearly see in her face and on her shoulders was her usual overworked stress or a new kind – a kind inadvertently caused by him. He kept playing the past few weeks over and over in his mind, trying to remember any little detail he might have missed that would support Rose's crazy theory.

…he tried to not remember the winter dance, which had mostly sucked except that he had spent the night talking and laughing with Marinette, which hadn't actually sucked at all, and that one song that had quickly become two towards the end of the night when he had finally drummed up enough courage to lead her onto the dancefloor. Holding Marinette close as they moved to the music had really not sucked. That hadn't sucked at all.

Except that wasn't exactly right. It hadn't been that he'd needed courage to ask her to dance, not really. He'd known Marinette would probably – definitely – dance with him. If he just asked. It was just…he hadn't wanted to push. Marinette had been under so much pressure – was still under so much pressure, between school and her commissions and the bakery and saving Paris – that he hadn't wanted to be one more thing for her to worry about. It was part of why he had stepped back in the first place. When she was ready – when she felt like she had the time to commit to a relationship, when being in that relationship wouldn't be just one more thing to stress her out – he'd be there. He was still there, supporting her in whatever way he could and willing to take whatever time she could give him.

He just…wanted to be in her life. Whatever way she would have him.

And she knew that. It didn't matter what Rose thought – Luka knew they were good. He knew they were on the same page, that Marinette knew exactly how he felt about her, that she knew he'd take her to a hundred dances whenever she wanted. Rose was wrong. Marinette wasn't avoiding him. He knew that.

…but that stupid little voice that kept whispering but maybe she's not still kept him up half the night anyway.

And he was trying to not make a big deal about it – he honestly was – but…it had bugged him just enough (was still bugging him) that he had planned on talking to Marinette before school about it. Just…not to make sure, because he knew Rose was wrong, but…to clarify. If nothing else, actually talking to Marinette would at least get Rose off his back.

But then Marinette had been late.

And he hadn't seen her in the halls before lunch.

And when she'd finally gotten to lunch, she'd looked like she needed a nap more than he needed her to calm his stupid insecurities. She still looked like she needed a nap, actually. He wondered how pissed her teacher would be if he locked her up in a practice room with him during the next class. Napping with Marinette sounded better than his composition class, anyway.

"You're quiet," Marinette said as they neared the locker room, jolting him out of his thoughts. He hummed as he looked at her, and the way she reached for his hand to tangle their fingers together did more to ease his troubled mind than any of the bullshit reassurances Dingo had been giving him all morning. She squeezed his hand as she peeked up at him. "Dingo was right. You do look…disgruntled. Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine," he said, brushing his thumb along the back of her hand. She hummed, and he sighed as he opened the door to the locker room for her. She peeked at him again before passing under his arm. Letting go of her hand physically hurt. "…I'm mostly fine."

"Well, I know why I'm having a bad morning," she said, slipping her backpack off as they neared her locker, "but what's going on with you, Luka? You said you didn't sleep well."

"It's…" he paused, the lie dying on his lips. It wasn't nothing. Not really. Or at least it should be nothing, he supposed. "Rose was just giving me shit last night. She maybe got in my head a little. I'm fine, though."

"Rose is mad at you?" she asked, pausing halfway through entering the combination on her lock. He leaned against the locker beside her, dropping his head back with a heavy thump as he stared at the ceiling. Traced the lines of the ceiling tiles. Watched a fluffy cloud crawl its way across the sky through the skylight. She nudged his side, and he closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. "What did you do? Insult a puppy?"

"Never," he chuckled, glancing down at her in time to see her smile as she turned back to her lock. With the locker open and her face hidden, it was a little easier to think. "Nah, she just…it's stupid. It is so stupid, Mari. But she's got it in her head that you're mad at me, so she's mad at me by proxy."

"…I'm not mad at you," she said. He huffed out another chuckle.

"That's what I told her, but you know Rose," he said. Marinette peeked at him around the door of her locker. There was…something in her eyes. A look he was having trouble placing that didn't quite sit well with him.

"Why…why does she think I'm mad at you?" she asked.

"Because I'm not going to the dance," he said. She quickly disappeared behind her door again. His eyebrows rose. "Something about how much work you've put into it. How you want me to go. But I told her –"

"I only want you to go if you want to go, Luka," she said quickly, and he winced at how roughly she shoved her books into her locker. "Don't go just because you think…if you don't want to go, you don't have to go. Ignore Rose. She doesn't…just ignore her."

"I usually do," he agreed, nodding. Marinette seemed angry, though, which was just making that annoying voice in his head gloat. God, he was too tired for this…kidnapping her for a nap next period was sounding more appealing with every passing moment. "Thing is, though…I think there's a little more to it than that. It's just…God, why is this so hard?" he muttered, tapping his head against the locker. She hummed, as if to ask him what was so hard, and he sighed. "Asking you out wasn't this hard last time."

…except last time there wasn't so much…baggage? Pressure? Whatever the hell it was between them. Spending time with Marinette was the easiest thing in the world, but asking her out on a date when none of their dates had ever really worked out before and now a voice that sounded suspiciously like Rose was gloating in his head over how this one wouldn't, either, because he was being dumb?

He closed his eyes and took another deep breath. Then another. She had stopped moving beside him, like she was waiting for him to continue. He kept his eyes closed. Somehow, not looking at her made this easier. It was too easy to fumble his words when her eyes were distracting him, when one look at her nervous smile and all he wanted to do was show her, to kiss her and tell her they were fine and he was still there and…but that was pushing, and Luka didn't want to push.

"I know Rose doesn't know what she's talking about and that I should just ignore her, but knowing that doesn't change the fact that I'm starting to wonder if she was maybe just a little right?" he started in a rush, and when Marinette didn't respond he pushed out another breath and continued. He had to get this out, now that he'd started. "Thing is, you've been working so hard on this dance, Mari, and you deserve to enjoy it. And I know you will, and I know you have to go, but…I don't know, maybe you would enjoy it more with…someone. Else. Me. Going with you. On…a date? If you want to. I could…God, I'm so bad at this…"

He thumped his head against the locker again, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he took a steadying breath. He forced himself to calm down. Forced the words to come slow and clear, to leave no doubt in her mind just what he was asking. He squeezed his eyes shut so tightly they pricked at the edges as he pushed out the breath.

"Do you want to go to the dance, Marinette? With me? Together, on a date?" he asked, as calmly as he could. He heard her suck in a breath, and he bit his lip as he waited for an answer that…didn't seem to come, which wasn't exactly helping his nerves. Had…had he completely misunderstood the situation? Had he been right all along and she really didn't want the extra pressure of a date right now, regardless of what Rose had claimed? He opened his eyes and looked down at her, but he couldn't see her around the locker door. He moved it aside, frowning. "Marinette?"

…she wasn't even looking at him. She was staring at a notecard in her hands. She…he didn't think she was even listening to him anymore.

"Marinette?" he called again, reaching up to squeeze her shoulder. She looked up at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. Her lower lip was pulled between her teeth, and she was worrying it as she looked up at him like… "What's…what's wrong?"

"You…Luka, did you…" she started, but then she was looking at the card again. He frowned as she held it up to him. "Was this…was this you?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. He moved to stand beside her, to better read the card. His eyebrows furrowed as he read the first few lines. I often struggle with finding the right thing to say, especially around a pretty girl… "You've seen my handwriting, Mari. That's way too neat to be me."

…except he kind of wished it had been him, especially with how her face fell as soon as he denied it. She looked back at the note, closing it before he could finish reading it – but he had seen enough. It was a love letter. From what looked like a secret admirer, as the card hadn't been signed.

Who the hell was sending Marinette love letters?

"Right!" she squeaked, quickly shoving it back into a blue envelope and into her bag. He frowned as she grabbed two more books and stuffed them in on top of the note, hiding it from view, before throwing her backpack on so quickly it knocked him in the stomach. He stepped back as she slammed her locker shut and spun on her heel, grinning up at him with a too-wide, manic smile that didn't sit well with him. He reached up to cup her cheek, but before he could touch her she was ducking past him and moving towards the door. "Of course it wasn't you! Silly…silly me. Why would it be you? It's never yo…anyway, let's go – can't be late, right? Already late enough today! C'mon!"

And then she was out the door, and Luka was left alone in an empty locker room with a good five, ten minutes before anyone else would wander in for the change of class feeling like he'd just been tossed overboard. He blinked after her, wondering what exactly had just happened and not understanding any of it. That stupid, niggling voice that had been mocking him all night was louder than ever, though. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but he was left with the sinking feeling that it was somehow his fault. He slumped back against her locker, thwunking his head against the cool metal as he replayed the scene in his head.

"…dammit."

– V –

As soon as she was in the hallway – as soon as she was sure Luka wasn't actually following her, because he had a tendency to do that, especially if he thought she was upset – Marinette broke into a run. She was in a third floor bathroom that was nowhere near her next class before she stopped, and even then only long enough to transform and throw herself out the window and up to the roof. Her transformation dropped as she pressed herself against the wall of the roof access, blaming her rapid breathing on her quick escape and not the tears she was desperately fighting back.

Which was stupid, because…because…she had just received an anonymous love letter! Three days before Valentine's! That was exciting, right? Right?

…except she had been so sure it was from Luka, even if the handwriting was worlds neater than his messy scrawl. Luka wrote like he couldn't get the thoughts out fast enough, like his creative brain was moving too fast for his hand and if he didn't write as fast as he could the words would disappear like an early morning mist. The handwriting on the card had still been messy, but there had been a steadiness – a precision – to it. Which…could have still been Luka, right? If he was trying to take his time with it. If he was trying to disguise his writing so she wouldn't immediately recognize it as him. If…

I'm not the best with words, her anonymous admirer had said. I often struggle with finding the right thing to say…

It wasn't that far of a stretch to think…to hope…Luka said he struggled with words all the time, no matter how many times she told him he was crazy. She'd always thought he knew the just-right thing to say in every occasion. Marinette loved his words. She loved…

She hugged her legs tighter, pressing her forehead against her knees with a groan. Except she couldn't love him, because he didn't love her. Not anymore. He'd moved on, and she needed to, too. She needed to stop pining after stupid boys who were never going to love her back. She needed…

"Marinette?" Tikki asked softly, but Marinette ignored her. She couldn't handle Tikki's well-meaning, ultimately false encouragement just yet. She slipped her backpack off with a shaky breath and reached in for the card that had been waiting for her in her locker. She bit her lip as her fingers traced over the messy hand that spelled her name.

It wasn't Luka, she told herself firmly as she opened the card. He had said as much. But…if it wasn't from Luka, then who was it?

I'm not the best with words. I often struggle with finding the right thing to say, especially around a pretty girl. And you, Marinette, are so much more than a pretty girl, the card read. She heard a soft giggling beside her. She felt her cheeks growing warm at the flattering words. Every time I see you in the halls I'm struck completely dumb. How I long to approach you and offer up a simple hello, yet one look at your beautiful smile and I forget my own name.

Who was this person? Did she even know them? If they were too shy to even approach her in person, it was unlikely. But surely she would have noticed someone noticing her, right?

Have you ever seen someone so lovely you just forget how to speak? How to breathe? I hope someday I can find the courage to tell you this to your face. Until then, may this do. My dearest Marinette, I see you. I hear you. I think I might love you.

There was no name. No signature. Nothing beyond the looping cursive claiming the writer was Yours and a little heart to seal it.

"Who do you think it's from, Marinette?" Tikki chirped, nuzzling against her neck. Marinette raised a hand and held the kwami there, biting her lip as she reread the note. And then read it again.

"I…I don't know," she murmured. Whoever it was, they were sweet. Kind. And…they claimed they were in love with her.

…but they weren't Luka. And to Marinette's aching heart, if it wasn't Luka…did it even really matter?

She dropped the note and pressed her forehead to her knees, groaning as she curled into an even tighter ball. She just needed a few minutes to regroup. And then she could go back inside and face the rest of her classes with a fresh start.

Just a few minutes.

That's all.

– V –

"Soooooo…"

Luka looked up from his phone, his eyebrows furrowed and lips turned in a frown, but otherwise ignored Rose's wheedling. He looked back at his phone without answering, and she tipped her head back and groaned. She swung her legs a bit more forcefully, kicking her heels against the wall lining the steps outside the school. He'd been like this all day. He still hadn't been talking to her when he arrived that morning, and he'd barely said a handful of words (at least to her) before Marinette had arrived at lunch. And then he'd had the nerve to disappear with her, and then neither of them had come back before the end of lunch, but he'd been Moody ever since. He'd still ignored her in the halls, and he was ignoring her texts during class, and now he still wouldn't talk to her.

Marinette had found her note. She knew Marinette had to have found the note when she went to her locker. And Luka had been there when she'd found the note. And now Luka was moodier than ever.

She needed answers, damn it, and no one was supplying them.

"Lukaaaaa," she whined, kicking her heels again. She stretched her leg out, just enough to lightly kick at his side, and he shot her a Look. "Come on. What happened?"

"Nothing happened," he said, stashing his phone back in his pocket with a sigh.

"You're too grumpy for nothing to have happened," she huffed. "Did you ask her?"

"Rose," Juleka warned. Luka pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. He tipped his head back to stare at the sky and didn't answer her.

"Luka, you're running out of time," Rose said, scooting closer to him. Her hip bumped into his shoulder, and he glanced at her. "The dance is Saturday, and –"

"Marinette!" Juleka called, cutting her off, and both Rose and Luka turned to find Marinette frozen on the steps before them, her hands locked on the straps of her backpack in a death grip. She was staring at Luka with wide eyes, her lower lip pulled between her teeth. Luka pushed himself off the wall, standing straighter when he saw the look on her face. Rose tried not to grin too much at the concern that flickered across his own. "We were about to head out. Study party at the boat. Wanna come?"

"I…" Marinette started, but she was still staring at Luka like…Rose pursed her lips in frustration. She didn't care what Luka said: something had definitely happened. But what? "I…sorry. I. Um. Bakery."

Rose glanced at Juleka and Luka, who looked just as confused as she felt. Marinette worried her lip a bit more and tugged on the straps of her bag.

"Valentine's rush, you know," she said, shrugging. "My parents are really busy right now. I promised I'd help out again. Sorry."

"You still have to do your homework, Marinette," Rose tutted. Marinette laughed, but it sounded jittery and nervous. She rocked back on her heels and nodded.

"Yeah, I know. My last class ended up being a study hall, and I did most of it then," she said. "I can finish the rest later. They really need the extra hands."

"It's cool, Rose," Luka said, nudging her knees with his shoulder. He smiled at Marinette. Rose didn't miss the way Marinette flinched at that, and she didn't think Luka did, either. "We get it, Mari. Valentine's is a big day for bakeries, right? We just miss you."

He pushed himself off the wall and moved to the step below Marinette. She squeaked as he pulled her into a hug, ducking his head to press a kiss against her temple.

"Do what you have to do," he said softly. "Just…save us some time once Valentine's is over, ok?"

Marinette's arms came up to wrap tightly around Luka's middle, and she pressed her face against his chest before nodding mutely. She let him go in the next moment, calling out a hurried goodbye as she ran down the steps and off in the direction of her home. As she fled.

And Luka had the nerve to watch her run off like some kind of kicked puppy, like she was breaking his heart when really he was just breaking his own and…ugh!

"What. The. Hell," Rose huffed, kicking her heels against the wall with each enunciated word as she glared down at Luka. "Was. That?"

"What was what?" Luka sighed, reaching up to rub at the bridge of his nose.

"She could barely look at you!" Rose nearly shrieked. She unclipped the stuffed unicorn keychain off her bag and chucked it at his head. He easily caught it and raised an eyebrow at her. "Luka Couffaine, what the hell did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything, Rose," he sighed.

"I don't believe that!" Rose huffed. "What happened at lunch, Luka? She was fine at lunch, and then you two disappear, and now she's running away from you again!"

"She's not…Rose, you're overreacting," he said. "Nothing happened."

She crossed her arms over her chest, pursed her lips, and lifted an eyebrow. He sighed and hung his head.

"…I asked her to the dance, ok?" he said. Her mouth dropped open. He what? "Or…I tried to. But there was…someone had left a love letter in her locker, and she was…distracted. I don't think she even heard me. She was fine, though. And she's not running away from me. She's just busy, Rose. Can you please just…drop this?"

"Luka…!" Rose shrieked, her voice so high it was barely audible. He shook his head and walked past them, heading down the steps.

"I have to get to work," he said. He glanced back at them, and Rose would almost swear he looked…angry. She had seen Luka angry before, of course, but rarely at her. It was…disconcerting. "I don't know what you're up to, Rose, but please. Cut it out. Marinette's got enough on her plate without you…doing whatever the hell it is you think you're doing."

Rose pursed her lips as he headed over the bike rack. He just…didn't get it. He didn't know. He would, though, and by Saturday he wouldn't be angry anymore. He'd be thanking her.

She sighed and jumped down from the wall, reaching for Juleka's hand. She was so caught up in her own self-reassurances that she completely missed the disapproving, concerned look on her girlfriend's face.

– V –

Marinette hadn't exactly lied when she said she had to help her parents out at the bakery. She had told them that she would help out whenever she could that week, and she did spend a few hours behind the counter after getting home so they could focus on the larger orders in the back. Still, after they closed up shop for the night and shared a brief family dinner, her parents had gone back downstairs to finish up a cake that would be picked up the next morning, and Marinette had quietly slipped up to her room.

Where she had climbed up to her bed, the anonymous love letter in hand, and proceeded to read and reread the note for the next half hour.

She was on her back, the notecard open and face down on her stomach, as she stared at the closed door of her balcony.

"…I think she's broken," Barkk whispered from somewhere above her head.

"She's not broken," Kaalki huffed. "She's pining."

"I would, too, if someone wrote me a note that sweet…" Mullo sighed, sounding closer than the others.

"So it's a happy broken?" Daizzi asked, confused. "Because it looks a lot like the sad broken when Sass's chosen stopped coming around…"

"Let her be," Tikki whispered crossly, and Marinette could hear a scurrying – like Tikki had chased the other kwamis off. She squeezed her eyes shut and rolled onto her side, the card falling forgotten to her bed. She tried to ignore the concerned chittering around her. She wasn't broken…

After a moment, she felt the cool press of scales against her hand.

"Missstresss?" Sass hissed softly, his tail coiling around her wrist. She opened her eyes to find the kwami sitting on her pillow, watching her with worried eyes. "Shhhall I call Masssster Luka? He always knows how to cheer you up."

She bit her lip, trying her best to smile at the little snake when all his question made her want to do was cry.

"Thanks, Sass," she said, bending forward to press a kiss against his hood. "That's really sweet of you. But…I don't think Luka can help this time."

Sass frowned, looking like he didn't believe her, but he didn't press.

"I'll be ok," she said, holding out a hand for Sass to curl into. She held him close, smiling as he nuzzled her cheek. "I just need to be sad tonight. I'll be better tomorrow. I promise."

It wasn't long before the other kwamis had joined them, nestling around their guardian and offering whatever comfort they could. And as Marinette drifted off to sleep, the anonymous note almost forgotten beside her, it was almost too easy to believe that she would be.