MIRACULOUS ALLIANCE

INTERLUDE: A NIGHT OUT

"Thanks again for taking me along. I really appreciate it, but your date…" Kagami said as she, Adrien and Marinette arrived at the movie studio.

"It is fine, we told you we want you here. Besides, you could use some cheering up." Adrien assured her.

"Besides, Adrien and I will have many more dates in the future, so this isn't a disaster." Marinette noted. "We actually planned to watch a romantic comedy movie, but since there are three of us, we may need to pick another one."

"Actually I would love to see one of those rom-coms. I don't think I have ever seen one before. And the movies I used to watch with Lysander were just plain comedies." Kagami noted. "If that's not too awkward, that is."

"Well, if you want to experience new things in life, whom are we to stop you. The movie got good reviews so it would be a nice place to start." Adrien pointed out.

"Good thing too because I don't think any of the other movies scheduled are our cup of tea. Now, you want popcorn or chips and a fizzy drink while we watch?" Marinette asked.

"Pocorn is a bit greasy…" Kagami noted.

"We'll work it off, with our extracurricular activities?" Adrien pointed out.

"Oh right, I tend to forget that…I am still getting used to eating junkfood." Kagami added. "Thank our new increased metabolisms."

"Let's order the tickets and see what the buzz is about with this movie." Marinette said as she went to stand in line at the movie theater. Once again Adrian was incognito mode and she and Kagami also had disguises.

"What was the name of the movie?" Kagami asked.

"It says here 'Socqueline has two hands'. The summary reads 'Socqueline Wang has been in love with her classmate Fenix Phantom for the longest time. One days she meets a new kid, Mira, whom she quickly befriends. But Mira is also in love with Fenix. She wants to save her friendship but also win Fenix' love. But no matter what decision she makes, she is afraid to lose at least one of them.' Sounds more tragic then comedic." Marinette noted as she read.

"Comedy is derived from strategy. Now, the summary sounds promising but I don't get the title." Adrien muttered.

"Oh, it is not just me, then?" Kagami noted. "I'm still struggling with some figures of speech."

"To be honest I don't know this figure of speech. Everyone but amputees have two hands, so there is a hidden meaning in the title but I don't know. Maybe it will get clearer if we watch it." Marinette replied. "Now, we have separate popcorn bags or one big one to share?"

"Take the big one it saves money." Adrien noted.

"The three of us are literally rich due to our parents or commissions." Kagami noted.

"Yeah, but three separate bags cost more while the big bucket has more then what three small bags have." Adrien noted.

"It's the principle, then? Well it does sound like a steal if we don't take the big bucket. But separate drinks, still." Marinette said.

A few minutes later they entered the movie theater, sat down in their seats and saw the movie. The found that the clumsy but sweet Socqueline, the sheltered but sunny Fenix and the composed and direct Mira seem to have been familiar but they couldn't put their finger on it. The three clearly had a chemistry in different ways but it comes off as endearingly dorky.

"Did you ever get that feeling that when you watch a movie and series it feels like they are taking cues from your life?" Adrien asked.

"No, I never had that." Marinette asked as she and Kagami threw a questioning look at him.

"Oh, er…no, me neither." He said as he coughed awkwardly.

Then the three all reached for popcorn in the bucket at the same time…however, their hands all touched as they all tried to do at the same time. Their fingers got tangled and they broke it off. They blushed a little. They waited and all started reaching for the popcorn, but drew back. They did this a few times before all three sighed. Then they tried rock, paper, scissors…but all three kept ending up with the same.

Marinette just pulled out a few bags, those paper bags her parents put pastries in for their customers at the bakery. "You always have those on hand?" Kagami asked.

"You know me, always prepared." Marinette said with a smile.

After the movie, the three let it sink in what they watched. "Ok, I think I get the meaning behind the title now…" Marinette said dryly.

"Yeah…didn't expect polyamory in my movie. I know it exists but didn't expect it to…you know?"

"Wait, that is a thing in real life?" Kagami asked.

"Yeah, polyamorous relationships do exist, multiple people in a romantic relationship." Marinette answered.

"And that's ok?" Kagami asked, sounding interested.

"As long as there is proper communication and consent, it shouldn't be. I don't know, I'm far from an expert." Adrien noted.

"You know, despite the surprise, it was quite a fun movie." Marinette noted.

"I admit some moments put a smile on my face." Kagami noted.

"That's good, you could do to smile a bit more. You may not know but you're pretty when you smile." Adrien noted.

"I agree with that." Marinette noted. The two realized what they said. "Did we make things awkward?"

"I'm not sure…" Kagami said.

"Let's go get to the restaurant!" Adrien quickly suggested.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The three went towards a fancy bistro. "Why so somber?" Marinette asked. "I thought you were enjoying yourself?"

"I do but…I look at other people. They are either here as a couple or with family and I feel like I…I am a third wheel." Kagami said.

"You are not. Like I said, we want you here. We invited you, remember?" Adrien noted.

"And I am thankful…" Kagami noted.

"And…" Adrien asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing, I think I feel a bit better." Kagami noted.

"Good evening. Welcome to Mama Maria's, what can I get you?" the kind middle-aged waitress asked.

"One, two, three orange sodas?" Adrien asked as he eyed Kagami and Marinette, whom nodded. "I would like the garlic steak."

"The salmon sounds nice." Kagami noted.

"I would like the chicken and mushroom pasta, please." Marinette said.

The waitress took their orders happily. When she returned a few moment later with their drinks, she saw the three had calmed down and started talking amicably. She put the drinks down and gave them a soft smile. "The three of you are cute together." She noted. "Your meals will arrive in a bit."

The three looked at the waitress confused. "I think anyone ever called a friend group like ours cute before." Adrien said, not knowing what to say. Why did she have the feeling several people out there started face-palming.

Kagami held up her finger and wanted to say something, before stopping herself, looking confused, before she just shrugged and continued talking with the trio.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Good evening André." Marinette said as she, Kagami and Adrien arrived at the familiar ice cream car.

"Ah, if isn't my favorite couple and a friend…Incognito again?" the friendly pudgy man said, whispering his last two words."

"Still a necessity at this point." Adrien said.

"I see. No worries, you're safe with André. Now, would you like a sweetheart ice cream, and your friend something else?"

"Not really. We are just hanging out with our friend to cheer her up. She has been down lately. So a bit of normal ice cream would do nicely." Marinette added.

"To be honest, I don't know what flavor I'd like." Kagami said.

"No problem, I think I have an idea…" André said as he prepared a cone. "Peppermint, refreshing with a kick." He said as she added a scoop of minty green ice cream. "Strawberry, nice and sweet with a hint of sour." He looked at Marinette as he added a nice pink scoop. "And Cinnamon, may seem unusual but it can balance out the sweetness." A brown speckled scoop. "You're free to try."

The three took a tiny plastic spoon to have a taste and they found that they liked the combination. "This is a really good combo." Marinette pointed out.

"Wait, is this ice cream representing us? Because I keep having the feeling today everything and everyone is trying to tell us something…" Adrien asked.

"I thought we didn't take sweetheart icecream?" Kagami wondered.

"Oh, this isn't a couple's cone." André notified them. "There are different cones like there are different kinds of love."

"Oh, so this represents the love of our friends? Well if this tastes good it means all of us are good friends right?" Adrien asked.

"Yeah…feels about right." Marinette said, not able to figure out like she was missing something.

"My friends taste good." Kagami noted. Adrien and Marinette nearly choked on their bite of ice cream before Kagami showed an impish smile. The three laughed, paid for their scoops and left the scene.

André sighed and shook his head. "To be young, in love and oblivious." He noted.

The three had sat down on a bench, admiring the view in the park. They had finished their ice cream. "Today was…very pleasant. I think it was what I needed to cheer up, to get my mind of things." Kagami noted.

"Glad it helped. We hate seeing you unhappy." Adrien noted.

"Yeah, you mean a lot to us." Marinette added.

"Thank you. But today has been about you. You've done more then enough. But there is still time, if I go home now…" Kagami started.

"NO!" Adrien and Marinette both shouted. Not only Kagami, but the two of them seemed as surprised by that outburst.

"I mean…it is fine. You can stay with us as long as you want. We don't feel bad for inviting you along. In fact…I feel it has been great." Adrien said.

"Yeah, I felt that if you left now…I dunno how to say, it would feel incomplete." Marinette said.

"In that case, I think I can stay a little longer. It feels…good." Kagami said. "Would it be ok if we hang out more like this? Just the three of us?" she asked as she looked at them, and Adrien and Marinette just looked at her a little bit. "It was a dumb idea perhaps."

"No, it's ok. It was fine. It felt right. I think we could do this more often." Marinette said. This eased Kagami.

"It is like a date, but just us three hanging out as friends and…why did I say it like that?" Adrien noted.

"You have been talking weird all day, Kitty." Marinette said as she shook her head and smiled. Kagami chuckled.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagami had returned home with a small smile on her face. She was greeted with her mother. "You have been late today again." She said, not trying to sound firm. "And that is fine, but please warn me next time. Did you continue some solo training?"

"No mother, I hung out with my friends Adrien and Marinette, they have been inviting me to movie and to a bistro to cheer me up. I think it worked." Kagami replied.

"That is good to hear." Tomoe said as she stood there awkwardly. She had tried to be more of a good mom to Kagami but while she tried it isn't easy. "After the thing with Lysander…it's good you remain good friends, it's better if amicable. But sometimes your first relationship isn't always the one. I mean me and your dad's was arranged but we really liked each other and he wanted to fight for me to prove it…"

"It is ok, I have taken peace with it and I do not feel sad anymore, Mother. For now I feel fine, as I have good support, especially from Marinette and Adrien. They are both wonderful but it is a shame they both have each other…and I would not get in between that and it would also feel like if I would lose and…" Kagami suddenly stopped.

"Kagami, were you going anywhere with this? Is there something you wanted to say?" Tomoe asked her daughter.

"Mother, I believe I am a polyamorous bisexual and I desire both Adrien and Marinette." Kagami blurted out.

Tomoe may be blind, but she could still blink. "That's…something. I accept your choices but…why don't you get some rest and we can talk about this tomorrow?"

"Yes, that's fine. I feel like I have a lot to think about." Kagami said as she headed towards her room.

Tomoe would go to her reading room, looking for a book called 'Parenting for Dummies: Braille Edition'. "I hope that this book can provide the answer I seek…" she muttered.

Kagami just plopped on her back but sleep was far from her mind. She pulled out her phone and looked at a picture. It was of her, Adrien and Marinette earlier today. They all looked happy on the picture. Kagami smiled. "Well, this time I won't hesitate…"

Both Adrien and Marinette felt a shudder, and it felt both scary and pleasant somehow.

I want to apologize for the delay. I had trouble getting the chapter write, and there were a lot of things going on distracting me. Doesn't help that I didn't plan this chapter but wanted to include it regardless.

But after this, is the final arc and I got it planned out in my head, so it would be easier to update. I hope.