Tikki had finally fallen asleep, and breathed deeply, curled up on Marinette's cat pillow. Marinette draped a soft kleenex over her for a kwami-sized blanket, and crept down her ladder. "Keep an eye on her," Marinette instructed Wayzz, who nodded solemnly in response.

Marinette padded downstairs to the bakery to restock her stash of cookies and macaroons for Tikki, once she woke up...plus she figured she would make sure to have some extra snacks on hand for when Chat Noir turned up at some point later that night. Her heart skipped a beat just thinking about him. Would it be weird between them, now that he knew who she was?

She poked her head into the bakery, and noticed her Dad expertly balancing a tray of freshly baked croissants, while he slid a new batch into the oven. "Honey, can you pass me that extra oven mitt over there?" he asked, spotting her.

"Sure thing Dad!" Marinette responded, reaching for the oven mitt...but the edge of a tray of molasses cookies was setting on it, and as soon as she snatched up the oven mitt, the tray catapulted the cookies into the air.

"No! Gingersnaps!" Marinette screeched, trying to catch the raining down cookies in her arms unsuccessfully.

"Need a hand...or a helmet?" a voice from behind Marinette asked in a smooth voice.

Marinette spun on her heel to come face to face with Luka, who was holding his bike helmet upside down with a few of the cookies he had caught out of the air.

"You're always there when I need you!" Marinette smiled at Luka, stooping down to pick up the cookies which hadn't been lucky enough to be rescued before hitting the floor. "I didn't think you were coming with deliveries till tomorrow."

"I actually came by to show you the new Kitty Section CD...your artwork turned out awesome on the cover they printed!" Luka handed her the helmet full of cookies, and pulled his backpack off his shoulder, to pull out the new CD.

"Marinette, the oven mitt?" Marinette's Dad called from the kitchen.

"Sorry Dad! I didn't mean to leave you hanging" Marinette jumped up, bumping into Luka, gushing out a apology to the tall teen with blue tipped hair, and ran the oven mitt straight over to her Dad.

"Don't worry Dear, a baker knows good things crumb to those who wait!"

Luka smiled at Mr. Dupain-Cheng's pun, and watched Marinette shuffle around the bakery.

"And...uh...sorry...I kindda made a mess of things...I'll clean it up," Marinette ducked her head, and looked up apologetically at her Dad.

"Oh my," her Dad observed the scattered remains of the cookies. "Well, good thing I always make a bakers dozen...or two!" he brushed her cheek affectionately with a flour covered finger, and pointed to another pile of ginger cookies on the counter. "Can you watch the front while I get another batch started, your mom isn't back from her art class yet," her Dad asked.

"Of course!" Marinette nodded quickly, and swept up the remaining crumbs off the floor, while Luka knelt down with a dust pan. "You don't have to help clean up, it's my mess," Marinette tried to take the dust pan from Luka.

"I don't mind," Luka flashed her a easy-going smile. "You're always helping everyone else."

"Thanks," Marinette relented, and accepted the help. Once everything was tidied up Marinette pulled up a stool to the bakery counter, and perched up on it, while Luka leaned against the class display case, showing Marinette the Jagged Stone independent label on the inside of the jewel case. "I can't believe your Dad finally broke away from Bob Ross, and started producing his own music...well his, and yours," Marinette grinned up at Luka.

"He said he had always wanted to, but after seeing how Bob Ross treated Kitty Section's submission to the XY contest, and when he even tried to steal our work...well Dad said it was "so un-rock and roll, and that it was time we make our own music!""

"How do you manage it all?" Marinette asked in admiration. "With everything I have going on, I always feel like things are getting away on me!"

Luka smiled tenderly at Marinette, understanding more than she knew about how much rested on her shoulders. "I think you've done a pretty amazing job balancing everything in your life. There is no one else like you Marinette," he said meaningfully."

"Thanks," Marinette said quietly, feeling her face warm under his affectionate gaze. They had gradually transitioned into a friendship, but the way Luka looked at her sometimes...she knew that he maybe wished that things between them had worked out differently...that she could have returned his love. "There is only one you too...I mean...what I meant to say is...I think you're good too..I mean good for me...but not that I...sorry that came out lame!" Marinette fumbled with the CD case in her hands awkwardly.

Luka laughed, and rested his hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, I know what you meant. I appreciate that. Even if I wasn't 'the one,' I'm glad I could at least be someone you can count on."

"You never seem frustrated or angry at me for the way things turned out between us. How can you be so...so...you?" Marinette asked quietly, looking up at him.

"I thought I had figured out your song, but there was part of the melody that I could never get just right," Luka brushed his hand through his hair. "Once I figured out what it was I realized that our songs were a beautiful medley...two songs at different tempos that blended well together...but they were always two separate songs. There is someone else out there who will not only sync with your song, but is already intertwined with it."

"How can you be so sure?" Marinette asked searching his face. "How do you know when you find the right one...especially when both songs are really amazing in their own ways?"

"Listen to your heart, and you'll find that you've known all along," Luka sighed, and wrapped Marinette in a hug that lifted her right off her stool. She hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck. How did he always make her feel better, and yet leave her with riddles locked in music metaphors?

ooooooo

Outside the Dupain-Cheng bakery Adrien stood outside with his hands pushed deep into his pockets staring through the window. Luka had his big arms around Marinette, and she had her arms draped around him! Adrien clenched his hands in his pockets, and his shoulders tensed. He told himself to look away. To not read so much into an innocent interaction. Why was that hug going on so long? A hug between friends should be 5 seconds max! His mouth felt like sawdust, and his green eyes bore into the two of them. He felt torn by the urge to rush through the doors and tackle the lanky guitarist over the counter and pummel him. He liked Luka, and admired him a lot (he hated to admit it to himself at that moment), but how could he just sit by and not fight for the chance to win over Marinette?! He had only just realized how much of his heart was tied to her!

Then it sunk in. Luka was undoubtedly the boy that she had been in love with all along. Ladybug was Marinette afterall, and Marinette had always seemed so taken by Luka. They had even dated for a while hadn't they? Adrien's chest tightened more. They were not dating now were they? No...he didn't think so...but what if...

In the bakery he watched Luka drop his arms from Marinette, and she sat back on her stool smiling at him. Adrien jumped back from the broad window, and pressed his back against the stone at the corner. He had to find out if Marinette and Luka were still together...or if she was still in love with him. If she was...his breath was stolen away even thinking about that possibility. How could he get between Marinette and Luka? Two of his friends?! Both amazing, thoughtful, kind, loyal, trustworthy...just the best kind of people. Why did it have to be Luka that Ladybug was in love with?! He was effortlessly cool, incredibly talented, and heck...even had killer looks! How could he compete with Luka?!

Like being hit with a freight train Adrien realized that if Marinette truly was still in love with Luka he couldn't possibly tear them a part. He cared about them both too much. He had seen the way Ladybug had talked about the boy she loved, and she had always been so devoted to him. Adrien loved Marinette too much to deny her such happiness. He didn't know how Marinette could possibly miss how much Luka clearly cared about her too?

Luka waved goodbye to Marinette, and walked toward the door. Adrien retreated further down to the nearest ally, keeping out of sight. Luka pulled one last cookie from his helmet, and put it in his mouth. Then he snapped his helmet on, and jumped onto his bike riding off in the opposite direction.

Adrien had always thought that once he knew Ladybug's identity he would be able to prove to her that they were meant to be together. Now he realized how naïve that had been. Their masks had never changed who they were...Marinette was Ladybug inside and out. He was Chat Noir whether he wore cat ears and leather, or Gabriel exclusives. Marinette and Adrien had never ended up together...Ladybug and Chat Noir (despite his best efforts) had never ended up together. On either end of his alter-ego he had struck out.

Adrien let himself fall back against the rough, cold brick with a 'thud.' Chat Noir had promised Ladybug that he'd visit tonight. What would he say to her? How could he be so close to her now that he knew?

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