Hey...is anyone still even coming to look at my stuff? It's been much longer than I expected, so I wouldn't be surprised if everyone completely gave up on seeing an update from me in the near future already. The last few months have been tough for me and my family, so I had to focus on that, but at long last, it's part 2 of Drops of Jupiter! I apologize for any errors made in this. I'm a bit on the rusty side since I haven't had the time and I honestly haven't felt like writing in quite a while. I hope everyone enjoys this story. I will try to continue with more stories as ideas present themselves and I will hopefully be uploading chapters more often.

Only a moment ago he had come into the room with his letter from Julliard, ready to open it and find out what their response to him would have been. Only a moment ago he had been ecstatic at the possibility of studying music at such a prestigious school. Only a moment ago he had been so ready to pack all his things and attend college in the same city as the girl he liked. The prospect had been so alluring, only a moment ago. It was funny how one's entire world could change in only one moment.

"Okay, well, thank you," He'd never heard his mother speak so dejectedly before. She hung up the phone, turning to look at her son, then released a heavy sigh. The hand that held his letter fell to his side, its contents forgotten as he saw the sorrow consuming her features.

"What's wrong Mom?" He asked, feeling the dread wash over him at the defeated look on her face.

At that exact moment, Juleka caught up with him, still caught up in the excitement that she had shared with her brother when they had found the letter in the mailbox. "Luka got his…" As the heavy atmosphere washed over her and she glanced between her mother and brother, Juleka felt her words slowly begin to disintegrate as they fell from her lips. "…letter…what's…going on in here?"

"Kids," She began, motioning to the table, "You should sit down. There's something ya need to know."

As if they could sense how easily breakable she suddenly was, both of them took a seat at the dinner table without any protest. They both listened carefully as she explained what had been going on for the last few months. Apparently, at a recent exam, a mass had been found and later it had been biopsied. The phone call Mrs. Coffaine had just ended was from her doctor's office. Then came the two words that destroyed their entire world in an instant. Breast Cancer. Malignant. Treatment was to begin shortly. Further recommendations would be forthcoming from the doctor. Consultations and office visits would need to be set up.

Whatever their mother said after those two words really didn't seem to matter anymore. She had cancer. Cancer. She would be starting treatment for cancer. His letter dropped out of his hand and onto the table as Juleka jumped out of her seat to wrap her mother in a hug, tears rolling down over her cheeks. He felt the tears sting at his eyes as he looked down at the letter and then back at his mother. It wasn't the time to share good news. It was time to let the grief wash over them, then dust off their nerves and steel their resolves for what laid ahead. Standing, he walked over and joined in what became a small group hug. A bittersweet moment of comfort and affection shared by a family of three.

"Don't worry," Luka said, voice shaking. "We'll do everything we can."

"We're here for you mom…" His sister managed between sobs.

Later that night Luka found himself laying in bed, the still un-opened letter laying on his nightstand as the thoughts whirled around in his head. He glanced over at the envelope laying at his bedside, taking a moment to consider if he even wanted to know. He'd been going back and forth about it in his mind all afternoon. Sure, he was curious but in the face of the news he'd received that afternoon if seemed quite trivial. To be curt, really, what was the point in looking at it? Still, he found himself reaching out and picking it up. For a few seconds, he seriously considered just tossing it in the bottom drawer and forgetting about it. Somehow, the compulsion to know what the letter might say won out in the end. Quickly, he tore into the envelope and pulled out the contents, reading through before he could talk himself out of it.

Gritting his teeth, he felt utterly betrayed by life. Conversely, was it not a betrayal on his part to even care about the school with that afternoon's revelation in mind? He couldn't help but to feel that it was. Still, he was just so…angry. This ruined everything. All the time, all the work, all of the effort, wasted. The letter fell to ground as Luka let himself sink down into his bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. How wrong was it to feel so angry when this wasn't even his struggle? This was her struggle. She was sick. She was his mom. There were more important factors in play now than his own personal feelings and desires. Yet even in spite of how aware he was of those things, waves of anger and guilt took turns battling for the dominant place among his other emotions. He was convinced he must be the worst person on Earth.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his back pocket and pulled it out to see the screen displaying a message from Marinette.

(Marinette 7:53pm: Did your letter come yet?)

Biting down onto his lower lip, he tried desperately to keep the tears stinging his eyes at bay. It was as if Marinette somehow knew exactly the right time to reach out to him. Whether it was intention, intuition or coincidence, Luka was grateful for the timing of her message. He hadn't realized until precisely that moment how desperately he needed someone to talk to. Even if he didn't confide in her, hearing a friendly voice would really help. He quickly typed out the only thing that he could think of.

(Luka 7:54pm: Would it be okay if I call you?)

(Marinette 7:55pm: Sure.)

His thumb pressed call within a second of receiving her text. She picked up right away and Luka had to use all of his inner strength to keep his voice steady. This phone call wasn't about causing the poor girl undue stress.

"Hey!" Marinette bellowed excitedly, bringing a small smile to his face despite all the negativity that surrounded him. "Sooooo…what's the verdict?"

"I…got accepted…" His voice trailed off into the silence of his bedroom as she listened to her excited squeal from the other end of the line. The sigh fell from his lips before he could stop it and his ears burned as he realized he'd just given himself away.

"Wait," She paused, her voice dropping down an octave or two, "Why do you sound so…disappointed?"

"I…" Suddenly, his resolve crumbled. He felt his hand begin to tremble as he gripped the phone. He tried to bite back the uneven breaths that came as a precursor to sobs, his shoulders beginning to shake. His lower lip trembled with the effort it took to remain even minimally functional. Once the first few tears fell, though, Luka knew he was done for. Soft sobs quickly overtook him as he hung his head in shame and sorrow, both sorry he was making her worry and angry at the entire situation. He heard the small surprised gasp through the phone line and bit his lip, suddenly regretting this phone call. "I-I…"

"Luka," Her soft voice stills him, "you can talk to me if you want. I'll listen."

"Mom…" He felt the tears rolling down over his cheeks as he forced himself to get the words out. "My mom…has cancer. I…I'm sorry I worried you…I just…" But words ended up completely failing him.

The line had gone silent for a moment after the words were out in the open. Luka wondered to himself if she simply didn't know what to say. Would it be so strange? Lots of people distance themselves from friends who are going through things like this simply because they have no idea how to speak to or behave around them.

"Is it okay if I come over? You sound like you need more than just a phone call." At this soft-spoken question, Luka felt a warmth wash over his body. Of course, Marinette wasn't like most people. When someone truly needed support, comfort or a helping hand, she was always the first to offer it. He smiled through the pain, some of the weight lifting off his shoulders. A 'yes' came flying out of his mouth almost immediately.

After arriving home, the pair head to their mother's cabin to check on the woman and afterwards Luka helps his sister prepare dinner. With the large meal they'd had earlier in the day and all the snacks from the party that had lasted most of the afternoon still in their systems, neither of them feel particularly hungry. Still, they sit with their mother at the dinner table and happily chat about how their time with the Dupain-Chengs had been.

Once clean-up is complete, Luka retreats to his room, flopping down on his bed and letting out a deep sigh of frustration. He knows that his sister had been right in saying he is spending too much time idling on this issue. His feelings for Marinette are something he's carried in his heart for a long time and he's angry with himself for not having the guts to just bring it up in a conversation. Staring at his bedroom ceiling and internally lamenting his own inaction, he feels his phone buzz in his back pocket. Initially, he makes a conscious decision to ignore the message for now and look into it later, but when the phone buzzes again and again and he realizes that it's a phone call, he pulls the device from his pocket and glances at the screen. Marinette's name appears across the screen and he sits up, pressing the button to answer almost instinctively.

"Hi." Her soft voice floats into his ear from the receiver. He can hear Jagged Stone music floating around in the background before it fades off into Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me." Hearing it makes him remember all the exchanges of songs that took place while she'd been away. It's nice to hear that some of his favorite things stuck with her after all this time.

"Hey." Scooting back, he shoves a pillow against his head board and leans onto it.

"Are you okay?" The worry in her voice makes Luka bite down on his lip.

"I'm fine…why do you ask?" A rhetorical question. He's acutely aware of why she's concerned about him and the guilt is mounting at the idea that he spent all day today making her worry about him when she should have been enjoying a happy reunion with loved ones.

"Because you hardly talked to me at all today and…you left without saying a word." This time in her tone there is obvious hurt. The guilt only builds up more and he frowns at the thought that he has upset her. He opens his mouth to explain, stopping when he hears her begin to speak again. "Did I do something that made you angry? If so…just tell me. You know that you can tell me when something is bothering you, right? Even if it's my fault…well, actually especially if it's my fault! I can't do anything to change it if…"

"Whoa!" He cuts into to her rambling, jumping into action to stop the stream of worry pouring through the receiver and into his ear. If there's one thing she's gained from her experiences abroad, it's the ability to say whatever is on her mind. If she's thinking it and feels it needs to be said, there's a good chance it's coming out of her mouth unfiltered. Especially in the case that she is worried or upset. "Hang on…it's okay. We're good. You haven't done anything and I'm not mad."

"Okay…" Her voice trails off, "Then what's going on? You weren't acting like yourself."

Closing his eyes, Luka releases a deep breath and leans his head back onto the headboard. How many years has he been preparing himself for this eventual conversation? He's stalled long enough. It's time to take a step forward. Biting the bullet, Luka finally puts his thoughts into real words. It's so small, but its more action than he has taken in a positive direction for some time.

The two young people stepped out onto her parent's small front porch. Marinette offered a wide smile, face looking redder by the minute in the cold winter air.

"Tonight was fun. Thanks for inviting me." Face red for different reasons, his mind was sorting through all the things he knew needed to be said. It was no secret that for many months now, their relationship had evolved into something completely new. As yet, neither of them had brought up the strange dynamic between them and he knew for sure that it would still be a considerable amount of time before it would be addressed. Her feet shuffled in the moment of silence that hung in the air between them and he smiled, hoping it would help ease her nerves. She shot a small smile his way, but he knew better than to assume it meant she felt completely calm.

"Y-yeah. Of course," She squeaked out, then bit down on her lip and fidgeted with the collar of her coat.

"We're...friends right?" Not that he wanted to reinforce the status-quo, the musician instead hoped her answer would help temper his concerns about the next question he would ask. Her features fell ever-so-slightly in response to his question and he felt it as a similar expression settled over his features. It was just possible that there had been hints of a deeper connection between them for some time now, but, for the time being, friendship was as far as he was willing to let this go.

"Y-yes...we are." Disappointment not well masked, her blue bell eyes shone brightly in the artificial light of the streetlamps as she trailed off into the silence of the snowy night, patiently awaiting whatever words he still had yet to speak. Standing before the young woman on that cold and snowy December night, he knew there were so many words he wanted to speak. But he also knew it wasn't time. The many obligations and busy schedules they were both juggling – to say nothing of the entire ocean that separated them- were to be handled as a priority. So yes, as much as he wanted to be completely honest with her, Luka bit back the extra words.

In spite of his otherwise steely resolve, he needed to understand where she exactly where she stood. Surely there was no harm in having at least that much reassurance, right? The day would come when the time would be right to have a real discussion, but in the meanwhile, some clarity would be good for both young people.

"Marinette," His blue eyes sought out her own embarrassed ones as Luka asked the question that had been on his mind for several weeks, "If you don't mind me asking...what happened between you and Adrien?" After Alya's unexpected admission and acceptance of him at the end of that video chat gaming session, curiosity had been eating away at him. Her silence would have made someone who didn't know her as well think they had overstepped a barrier. But he knew how easily she could be caught off guard. He knew her well enough to know she was very likely just taking time to let the question sink in and consider a response. If he was interpreting her words, actions and behaviors correctly, this was not a question she'd feel terribly put off by. It even appeared briefly as though there were much more she wanted to say.

"I told him that I liked him." The reply was simple enough, but he could see in her ever-increasing nervous fidgeting what anxiety she felt saying those words. "I also told him...that now there's someone else." This time, he could see the meaning flashing in her eyes as snowflakes caught in her lashes. It was clear who she was talking about. His heart did a flip in his chest.

"Oh," He wanted to say so many things. So. Many. Things. But he just wasn't ready yet. Again, he reminded himself to keep a clear mind and think rationally. Too many other priorities. Not now. Just be patient. "I see. Well, in that case, there's something that I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Those imploring blue bell eyes very nearly broke him as she stared up at him with great interest.

"I can't right now. But once you're done with school, I promise we'll talk." He hoped she'd understand. Her face fell ever so slightly as she stared up at him.

"Oh," Just as soon as the disappointment had crept into her features, it vanished, replaced by one of her usual smiles. "I understand Luka."

What he doesn't need now is a repeat of that moment. He needs to gather his courage, let go of the anxieties that have been building over the last few years and be proactive.

"What's the next day you're free?" Again, not much, but it's still a start.

"Saturday…I think. Why? And are you gonna answer…" Without thinking, he cuts her off again.

"Let's go somewhere together," He runs a hand through his hair, feeling his ears burn. "Just the two of us." He hears the gasp that passes over her lips from the other end of the line.

"That sounds great," The genuine pleasure in her voice gives him courage, "But you still didn't…"

"I know. This is something I'd rather talk about…in person. If that's okay with you." There is a short silence from the other end of the phone line before he hears Marinette begin to giggle. When she finally does speak, Luka can hear the smile in the tone of her voice.

"I get it. Meet me in Champ de Mars around noon then? We can decide what we're doing after we meet." He's heard this tone in her voice before. It's difficult to assign a characteristic to it, but he knows it well and it means he's done something right. With the main concern finally put into words, Luka feels himself finally relax into the pillow and smiles into the receiver.

"Sounds good. So, what are you up to tonight?" The conversation goes on for some time, composed mostly of light-hearted banter.

Saturday seems to come around quicker than he expects it to and he pulls on a pair of blue jeans and his favorite Fleetwood Mac tee-shirt before checking his hair in his bedroom mirror. As he plays with the highlighted strands, he finds himself wondering absently if he should put on any cologne. Heading to his bathroom, he finds an old bottle of a generic store brand and sprays just a little into the air inside the room, wanting to be sure it smells okay before he sprays some on his shirt as well. It isn't until he leaves the bathroom that he begins to wonder if she'll think he's trying too hard. Turning to pace back toward the bathroom and grabbing the hem of his shirt, he hears a small laugh come from the doorway. A wave of heat rolls up the back of his neck as he turns to see his sister leaning on the door frame, looking more than a little amused.

"How long have you been there?" His ears burn with shame as Juleka takes a few steps toward him, still smiling in amusement. Her hands fall onto his shoulders and their eyes lock.

"Long enough. She isn't gonna care if you have cologne on and you know it." A brief refrain from the anxiety that had such a strong hold on him only a moment ago. She's right, after all. He slowly nods at his younger sibling, embarrassed that he let his nerves get the better of him. As he tries to stamp down his frazzled nerves, Luka is roughly pulled into a tight embrace. "You had to let go of so much to help mom and I and we both appreciate everything." Before he has a chance to respond to the comfort or the sweet words his sibling just offered, she shoves him back, swinging her petite form into the space directly behind him and shoves his shoulders so that he has to take a few awkward steps forward to gain his balance back. Puzzled at her forward and somewhat out of character behavior, Luka stares at Juleka who simply shrugs and offers a coy smile. "Just go sort it out already and be happy."

Chuckling to himself, he grabs his jacket and heads up on deck. He takes his time walking to the park, knowing that he had left earlier than he needed to in his anticipation. Despite the small pep talk from Juleka and all the time he's spent building himself up to this upcoming moment, he still can't help the small flashes of uncertainty he feels. Though he knows better, the same insecurities are buzzing about in his mind as have been there for the last few years. How do you even quell irrational fears anyway? Things like 'what if she thinks I'm boring' or 'what if she's grown out of it', aren't they so hard to ignore because they're irrational fears?

He finds the girl hanging out on a bench near the outskirts of the park, wrapped up in a cozy sweater with her bag in her lap and a book in her hands. As he approaches, he realizes that the book she's so engrossed in is a Neil DeGrasse Tyson writing titled "Origins." That reminds him that at some point during the second semester of her first year, she had really gotten into these kinds of non-fiction books. His mind suddenly recalls seeing lots of similar works strewn about her desk and dorm room during their numerous video calls. She'd even been reading a few at the start of some conversations. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he hopes to greet her without startling her.

"Hey there," She jumps in response and his shoulders slump a bit, but he still grins. So much for not scaring her. "Good book?" He swings his body around and flops into the empty space beside her as she calms herself.

"Jeez Luka…you scared me!" Using the book as a weapon of sorts, she smacks him on the shoulder.

"Sorry," He chuckles, then playfully leans in, intentionally nudging her shoulder with his own, "But I wasn't the one so lost in my book that I totally checked out, to be fair."

She closes the book quickly, stowing it away in her bag and slinging her bag over her shoulder. Standing, she reaches out and offers him her hand, which he takes, though he doesn't need help up. Now fully balanced, he moves to pull his hand out of hers and is surprised to feel her fingers squeeze his. His eyes follow hers as they trail down to her fingers clasped over his and then slowly meets her eyes again. She offers a shy smile before speaking. He feels his heart rate pick up as she slowly threads her fingers through his.

"Is it okay with you if I don't let go?" Her fingers are hot as she grasps his hand.

"Yeah, it's fine." In fact, it's more than okay. Funny how with a few little words and the smallest of gestures, she is able to stave off his insecurities just like that. The pair begins to walk through the park, Marinette entertaining him with idle chatter. The warmth of the November sun warms him as he walks hand-in-hand with the young woman and lets his mind wonder back in time as he listens to her stories.

"What are you reading?" He asked into the camera, leaning his head into his hand and waiting for her to look up and respond. Based upon similar interactions in the past, Luka knew it may take a while to get her attention. "Hey Marinette…" He drawled out in a sing-song tone, finally getting her to look up.

As soon as her eyes fell upon the screen, the girl immediately became quite flustered, tossing out several quick apologies before closing her book and setting it aside. Even through thousands of miles and a computer screen he could see how red her face was as she looked nervously into the camera. The laughter overtook him before he could do anything about it, the burst of amusement so strong that he couldn't stop even when he heard her begin to protest.

"Don't laugh at me!" She complained, the indignant look in her eyes only making matters worse for the young man as he desperately tried to collect himself.

"I-I'm not," He trailed off into another short fit of laughter, trying not to look at the screen for a moment.

"Don't say you aren't laughing at me as you laugh at me you jerk!" Came another protest from the girl as Luka began to get himself back under control.

"Sorry Marinette…I swear I wasn't making fun…" Just as he'd begun to formulate a sensible reply, another girl, whom he knew as her housemate appeared in the background. Glanced at the screen for only a second before turning away, smiling to herself as she slipped into a coat that had just been hanging on the door.

"Hey Mari, are you gonna be done talking to your cute friend soon so we can go?" Luka, while it wasn't the first time someone had ever hit on him so openly, still found himself feeling flushed as Marinette turned back to her friend, looking nearly as flustered as he felt. After their conversation from her Christmas visit, the dynamic had changed between them. Though nothing specific was ever said, their interactions had changed. She had begun to treat him with a certain intimacy that hadn't been so evident before. Other recent discussions on video camera floating around in his brain, he eyed Marinette's body language carefully. The way she squirmed anxiously and her fingers tightly gripped the hem of her shirt, he had to wonder if her thoughts might have been echoing her friend's opinion.

"Dani!" She scolded, her ears looking red as she turned back to the camera. "Sorry about that Luka. I guess I forgot we were going somewhere tonight. I should go get ready."

"That's fine," He couldn't help the sudden pit that he had in his stomach at the idea of her out alone at night in an unfamiliar city. He knew she could take care of herself, but so many things could go wrong. That's not even getting into how conflicted he felt about all the attention she might get from other romantic interests. A little flash of jealousy surged within as he maintained his smile on the surface. "Meeting anyone special?"

At the word, he saw the way she froze up. Perhaps it had been wrong to ask. He shuffled uncomfortably in the short silence as Marinette stared at him through the camera.

"No…" The young woman finally replied, easing his nerves if even just a little. "Just meeting some friends from class…" Another short silence. After a moment of introspection, Marinette finally looked into the camera again, her eyes serious. "And…the only 'special' person isn't here, unfortunately. Anyway, I gotta go. Bye Luka. I'll text you later."

The video call ended abruptly, leaving him stunned.

Her voice breaks into his train of thought and he turns to look at the girl. "I just realized you came here to talk to me and I've just been going off on a tangent this whole time…hahaha…sorry." Her feet stop moving as the pair paces along the sidewalk. He has to wonder when they had even exited the park. Turning, she looks up at him, gaze pointed, eyes inquisitive. Luka takes a breath as he feels his heart rate begin to pick up. His grip on her hand tightens as he pulls her off to the inside of the sidewalk and out of the path of passersby. "What…did you want to talk about?"

"Remember Christmas? This is about that night...and...you've waited too long already." All outward appearances may point to a calm and collected young man, and all outward appearances point in the wrong direction. His heart feels like it might explode. His throat is dry. Are his palms perhaps a bit clammy as well? Those words had come flying out of mouth unbidden. No time is left to consider words or come up with an eloquent way to say everything on his mind. He's basically just winging it at this point.

"I remember." Blue bell eyes watch him intently as he idles in front of his companion.

How to even begin? What is most important? There are just so many thoughts to sort through. He has no freaking clue what's best. Any phrase he's ever conjured up in his private thoughts is suddenly just gone. Poof. Vanished. He stands before her now with no words to offer and everything to say. Taking a deep breath, the musician steadies himself.

"First of all…I don't think I ever thanked you." These were the easiest words to get out first, so this is where he decides he will start. Looking confused, she arches one eyebrow at him.

"For what?" Though she looks and sounds genuinely confused, he must wonder how she can be so unaware of what an impact she's had on him.

"When I…first found out about my mom's cancer, that night you came over and spent time with Juleka and I. Maybe it didn't seem like you were doing much, but it meant a lot. You're kinda one in a million, you know? You could have avoided the topic or distanced yourself like people do when they don't know what to say, but you stuck with me- with my mom and sister through all of it. Even when you were so far away. So, thank you." His thumb gently brushes against the back of her hand as she offers him another bright smile. The words don't seem to do the true depth of his feelings justice, but the words are all he has, so they'll have to do.

"That's what you do when you care about someone." The sweet words and the bright smile encourage him as he prepares to continue. Another deep breath. 'You've made it this far,' his brain spits at him, 'don't quit now!'

"I also want to say thank you for not saying anything to my mom and Juleka about Julliard. I did tell them eventually, but things were rough for a while and I didn't want them feeling guilty about it. I…" He bites his lip, suddenly a little overwhelmed by his own emotions. The gentle squeeze of her fingers around his snaps him out of it immediately. "I just appreciate you giving me the time to take care of things on my own, even though I know you don't like keeping secrets."

"Well…you're welcome. But I was just doing what a person who cares about you would do." She maintains her position from her last response, her smile now softer. Someone who cares about him, huh? It sort of makes him wonder.

"That's a great Segway into the other thing I wanted to talk about, actually," a sudden rush of adrenaline overtakes him and the words come tumbling out in a bit of a rush as Marinette watches him with an expectant gaze, "I've loved you all this time. At first, I knew you were interested in someone else, so I didn't want to take that from you. Then we got closer as time went on but I couldn't say this while we were both in school, in different countries with so many things we both needed to focus on but now I…" Need you to hear me say it. The words are lost as the musician is abruptly cut off by a surprise kiss from the young woman in front of him. Luka abandons his train of thought and leans into the affection, returning it enthusiastically. He feels her soft fingers running through his hair and trailing along behind the curve of his ear as they begin to move back out of the kiss. The warmth of her fingers is such a stark contrast to the cool evening air that the hair on the back of his neck stands on end for a few short seconds. His heart is beating a million miles a minute in his chest as her warm, blue bell eyes gaze up at him. A soft smile ghosts her features before she speaks up.

"I love you too. I think you know that by now though. I haven't really made a secret out of it or anything." Her eyes flash with amusement as her grip on his hand tightens. "Why don't we go get some lunch or something?" She finally asks, breaking the spell cast by their admissions.

Before either of them realizes it, he's dropping her off at her parent's front door, time seemingly having evaporated as they had spent the afternoon together. Leaning in, the young man places his lips against hers, a moment of short-lived perfection interrupted by the front door suddenly swinging open. For a split second, Luka feels the color drain from his face as he looks up to see Marinette's overprotective father towering over the two of them, then is drawn into the man's arms in an almost painful embrace that about knocks all the air from his lungs.

"Congratulations, both of you!" He bellows, releasing Luka, who takes in a few deep breaths as he desperately tries to recover from the surprise attack. As Luka's wits begin to return to him, Sabine steps out from beside Tom, wrapping the young man in another -this time much less uncomfortable- celebratory embrace.

"We were beginning to wonder if this would ever happen!" Sabine's knowing smile causes him to freeze up in place just as he had started to get over the initial shock of her parents appearing at the door during the kiss he'd been sharing with their daughter. His eyes snap to Marinette, who doesn't look nearly as shocked as he is. Her shoulders rise and fall in response to the questioning stare before she responds.

"They're my parents. I tell them things." In retrospect, this isn't that surprising. Marinette was always close to her family, so of course these types of things would be discussed openly in her home.

Before his brain formulates a witty reply or a tease, he finds himself swiftly ushered inside the lobby of the bakery for what Tom and Sabine are calling 'celebratory dinner,' and some drinks. It's a wonderful night full of many questions, banter and good food and it- like the rest of the day he had spent with his new girlfriend- seems to end all too soon.