Okay! Here's another Miraculous Ladybug one-shot. It's a bit of an AU. Some of the stuff runs canon, but just go with me on this, okay?
After getting teased about her lack of love life from her best guy friend Adrien, Marinette meets and gets asked out by a handsome new delivery worker for the bakery, a boy named Luka. But she's so smitten that her brain isn't working, and lovesick Adrien smells a rat. Is he jealous, or is he right?
The scene pictured one of the most popular food businesses in Paris: the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie. The bakery itself was bustling with customers coming and going, and the titular owners of the bakery were down below, baking and packaging items, and selling them to the customers.
Upstairs in the living area, two teenagers were playing their favorite video game. One of them was a girl with dark blue/black hair in pigtails, blue eyes, fair skin and wearing a white shirt with a flower on it, a dark gray blazer, and pink pants. Next to her was a boy her age with sunshine blonde hair, green eyes, wearing well-made clothes, including blue jeans, a black shirt with stripes, and a white button-down. They were holding onto video game controllers and they were working them furiously.
"Okay, now a triple-punch combo with a double jump and..." The girl began, and soon.
"PLAYER 1 WINS! PLAYER 1 WINS!" The game's music said.
"Woo-hoo!" The girl squealed as she started cheering for herself a little bit. "Trounced you again, Adrien!"
"You sure did, Marinette," Adrien chuckled back to her. "What do you say to best three out of five?"
"You're on!" Marinette laughed as the two of them started the next round.
They went back to playing, and it didn't take long for them to be locked in a dead heat. They were tied, each having one two rounds, and the last round would determine who would win. If it turned into a tie in the last battle, they would have a rematch.
"And..." Marinette began as she continued scoring points while the timer ran down.
"PLAYER 1 WINS! PLAYER 1! WINS!" The game played out again.
Marinette started cheering and dancing in response to her victory, and she turned to Adrien before saying, "Two out of three! I win!"
Adrien laughed before saying, "Beat me again, Marinette."
Marinette laughed in response as she sat back down on the sofa. She giggled before saying, "Had enough, model boy?"
"Of gaming? Yes. But I wouldn't mind a movie," Adrien said as he pulled up a movie streaming app on the TV. "Wanna pick?"
"Isn't our rule "loser picks the flick"?" Marinette asked in a joking manner.
Adrien laughed back before saying, "You're right. So..."
He started scrolling through the movies, and he found a romantic comedy for their age group.
"Oh, "The Fault in Our Stars"? I haven't seen this one before!" Marinette said.
"Neither have I, but it's supposed to be really good. It's about two cancer patients that fall in love and live what's left of their lives to the fullest together." Adrien said as he pressed play.
When the film got to the part where Hazel and Gus had their first kiss at the Anne Frank House, Marinette was choked up. Adrien looked at the girl next to him before his eyes went back to the film. He subtly scooted closer.
Once the movie was over, Marinette was wiping tears away from her eyes.
"Oh, that was beautiful! Sad, but still beautiful!" Marinette said as she tried not to cry.
"I know." Adrien said.
Marinette nodded.
"I loved their dynamic," Marinette said to him. "They were there for each other until the end. It was very sweet."
"It was," Adrien agreed, but he fell silent for a bit. "It makes you look at life a little differently, doesn't it?"
Marinette gave an agreeing nod before saying, "Someday, I hope that I'll find someone to share that kind of love with."
Adrien's face turned into a scowl as he thought of Marinette hugging and kissing someone else, and he spat under his breath, "When pigs fly."
Marinette, hearing him, she said, "Excuse me?!"
Adrien's heart stilled in panic, but he thought, 'Just roll with it!'
He smiled mischievously and said, "Come on, we both know that the chances of you getting a boyfriend are pretty slim."
"And what makes you say that?!" Marinette asked, angry.
"You have a tendency to jump to conclusions and you're pretty impulsive at times. And you sometimes don't make a lot of sense, either." Adrien chuckled, while thinking, 'Because you're meant for me.'
"Hey, I can too find a boyfriend! And what about you? I'll bet you'd have a much easier time finding a girlfriend, what with all your fans." Marinette fired back, crossing her arms.
"Marinette, you and I both know that I get tired of all those fans. I hate it, honestly. And besides, they don't know the real me, not the way you do." Adrien said.
"What about Kagami?" Marinette asked, rolling her eyes. "You two are the perfect match! Why'd you break up?"
"I'd rather not talk about it. Besides, she dumped me, and I wasn't that upset over it." Adrien said with a shrug.
"Really?!" Marinette asked, annoyed. "In that case, don't go teasing me about my love life when yours isn't all sunshine and rainbows, either!"
"Okay, okay, I give!" Adrien laughed.
Marinette growled in annoyance, just as Adrien's phone started going off. He took the device out. He sighed before saying, "Shit. Sorry, but my bodyguard's gonna be here soon. Piano lessons."
"Then go!" Marinette griped as she crossed her arms and looked away.
Adrien's face became a bit sad as he left the living area of the bakery. Once he left the establishment and he got into the car, he slouched into his seat and groaned, face-palming in frustration.
The following morning, Marinette was helping her parents in the bakery. She'd brought in a crate of apples, but she was grumbling and muttering in anger at Adrien's comments the other day.
"I'll show him! Someday, I'll find my soulmate and we'll have our own fairytale! Then I'll rub it in Adrien's face!" Marinette grumbled as she set the apples down.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Marinette? Getting a boyfriend just to spite Adrien?" Tikki asked. "That sounds like something Chloé would do."
Hearing this, Marinette deflated and said, "You're right, Tikki. I don't wanna sink to her level. But still..."
Marinette turned around and saw her parents working together in the bakery. They were in perfect sync with one another, and Marinette sighed at the sight.
"Is it a crime that I want what my parents have?" Marinette asked.
"No, it's not..." Tikki agreed.
Marinette sighed sadly before wondering to herself, 'I wonder... Will I ever find my one and only? Or am I destined to live a life alone, like Adrien said?'
The bell above the door rang, and Sabine said, "Marinette, can you come here? We have someone for you to meet."
Marinette, deciding to indulge her mother, she came towards the counter at the bakery. When she looked up, her heart stopped in its tracks. Before her was a boy a little older than her. He was taller by about one head. He had bright blue eyes, dark hair dyed blue, and he was head-to-toe in blue and black clothing. He had black fingernails and black gages in his ears. He had a helmet under his arm.
"Marinette, this is Luka. He's going to be a delivery worker for us starting today." Sabine said.
"Wow... Those eyes... The hair... His clothes!" Marinette swooned, clasping her hands together and staring at Luka, in all his "tall, dark, handsome" glory. Her heart was beating like she'd just run a marathon.
"Nice to know you like what you see." Luka chuckled.
Marinette blushed before saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry about it." Luka said, smiling back at her. Marinette seemed to swoon a bit, too.
'He's so cool...' Marinette thought, her face still red, her eyes becoming half-lidded, her heart continuing to pound, and her smile becoming goofy. One might think cartoon hearts were fluttering out of her head, too.
Outside...
"I can't believe you did that, dude!" Nino, Adrien's best friend, said over the phone.
"I know," Adrien groaned. "That wasn't a smart move."
"No kidding!" Nino snapped. "Teasing her like that?! You pulled a HUGE Chloé! Not cool!"
Adrien grimaced at that, saying, "Don't compare me to her."
"Sorry dude, but you know I'm right. You don't get a girlfriend by giving her crap about her love life!" Nino scolded.
"I get that, Nino," Adrien admitted as he made his way to the flower shop. "There's no excuse for it."
"Nice to know you acknowledge that, dude. I thought you were gonna feed me some nonsense about you getting jealous over the idea of Marinette dating someone else, then you put your foot in your mouth." Nino said, before chuckling.
Adrien was awkwardly silent. After a few seconds without any response from the blonde...
"...Dude, don't tell me that's exactly what happened?" Nino questioned.
"Yeah." Adrien confessed as he looked around at all the flowers.
"Adrien, are you kidding me right now?!" Nino spat. "You keep that up and she's gonna leap into some other guy's arms!"
"Which is why I'm here at the florist's so I can find a bouquet of flowers for her. Once I give them to her, I'm going to apologize and tell her how I feel." Adrien said as he examined the roses.
"Perfect, dude!" Nino praised. "You'll win Marinette over yet! Anyway, I gotta go. Chris is acting up again."
"Okay. I'll let you know how it goes." Adrien said as Nino hung up.
The blonde gave the flowers another once-over and his eyes immediately settled on the pink roses - Marinette's favorites. He also found some baby's breath, red chrysanthemums, and white camellias. He immediately went to the counter and requested a bouquet made of his chosen blooms.
As he approached the bakery, his eyes widened at the unfolding scene: Marinette was standing in front of the bakery, talking and laughing with a boy who seemed a bit older than her. He was on a bike and had a helmet on. He took a few boxes from the bakery, put them in his basket, and he pedaled away from the curb, leaving a blushing Marinette behind.
Marinette still seemed smitten as Adrien approached, the flowers in hand.
"Hey Marinette." Adrien said.
"Oh. Hi, Adrien." Marinette said absently, her eyes still on the boy leaving.
"So... Um, who was that?" Adrien questioned.
"That was Luka. He's a new delivery worker for my parents." Marinette said, her eyes still lidded and a smile on her face.
"I, um... I see... So..." Adrien began, trying to present the bouquet to Marinette. "I... Guess he's..."
Adrien caught the sight of Marinette's face, and he saw she looked taken by the new boy. Feeling a rock in his stomach, he cleared his throat and said, "I got you these flowers."
"Thanks, Adrien." Marinette said, absently taking the bouquet, but still watching Luka until he was out of sight.
The silence was hard for Adrien to cope with, so he said, "Wanna play some Ultimate Mecha Strike?"
"No thanks," Marinette said as she went back to the door. "Mom and dad need me."
"I can help, if you'd like!" Adrien offered.
"That's very sweet of you, but now that we have Luka as our delivery boy, all I have to do is help package up the delivery orders." Marinette said before going back inside, twirling on the balls of her heels and giggling.
Adrien felt sick. Nino's prediction was beginning to come true. Instead of dwelling on it, the blonde sighed before following after Marinette, insisting, "Marinette, why don't you let me help? I mean, it's the least I could do after yesterday."
Marinette, ignoring the reference to the previous day, said, "Sure, I mean... You can hang out and help if you're so adamant on it."
"Great!" Adrien said with a smile as he got behind the counter.
Within thirty minutes, more happy customers were walking out the door, and soon enough, Luka pulled back up on the curb on his bike. Marinette was handed a few more delivery boxes by her mom before she jogged out to see him.
"Hey, Luka!" Marinette said as she blushed and handed the boxes over to him. "Here's more to deliver."
"Thanks." He said to her as he took the boxes.
His hands brushed against hers, her heart thrummed, and she blushed hard. She giggled before saying, "They're so dreamy- er, delicious, aren't they?!"
Luka chuckled in response before saying, "I'm sure the people who eat this stuff are thrilled. I think Food Network star Ina Garten said, "You can be miserable before you have a cookie and you can be miserable after you eat a cookie, but you can't be miserable while you are eating a cookie.""
"Definitely. I know I'm happy while I'm eating cookies from my parents." Marinette giggled, blushing.
Marinette gazed at Luka, her eyes focused on every detail. The sunlight was highlighting his features, including lighting up his blue eyes and making his hair shine even more. Marinette's face was getting even redder and her heart was pounding harder as she examined his clothes.
"I... I like Jagged Stone..." Marinette murmured.
"You too?" Luka asked, causing Marinette to break out of her stupor.
"Um, yes!" Marinette said, regaining her senses.
The two of them kept talking, with Marinette still red in the face and hiding furtive glances from him. Luka seemed to pick up on her nerves, but he kept giving her smiles that made her heart melt.
Inside, Adrien looked on, scowling at the sight of this new boy suddenly taking up all of Marinette's attention. He was absently serving some more of the customers, while glaring out of his peripheral vision. Luka put the boxes in his bike basket, gave Marinette a charming smile and wink, and he biked away again. Marinette sighed before spinning on her heels and walking back inside, just as another customer left the bakery.
Adrien scoffed before saying, "Couldn't you go on deliveries yourself? You have that electric scooter your grandmother gave you, right?"
"The bakery's getting so busy that I can't handle the deliveries alone anymore." Marinette absent-mindedly explained as she took the tongs and created an assortment box for the next customer.
Adrien sighed before continuing to help out. The rest of the day came and went with customers coming in and out, Marinette and Adrien serving them, and Luka coming by to make more deliveries for the bakery. Every time Marinette and Luka talked, she seemed to find him more attractive with every encounter, and Adrien only seemed to get less and less comfortable with it.
Soon, the bakery was beginning to close up for the day. Luka was behind the counter, sweeping the floor. Marinette was also scrubbing, stealing looks at the blue-haired Adonis behind her. Adrien was on the other side of the back area, also cleaning up, but he was going in circles in the same spot with the cleaning rag. He was trying to keep his cool while casting suspicious glances behind him.
"Luka, your shift is nearly over. Why don't you clock out and head home early?" Tom suggested as he and Sabine came back from the dough room.
Marinette let out a light gasp as she stood up, feeling her heart begin to ache. She'd almost forgotten that he was actually an employee to her parents.
"Thank you." Luka said as he emptied the dustpan into the trash before putting the cleaning supplies away.
Marinette watched Luka with a sad expression on her face. He turned to her with a smile. She said to him, "So... I guess... This is it for now?"
"Actually... I wanted to ask you..." Luka began, giving her a charming smile.
Marinette's heart thumped as she looked at him. She asked eagerly, "Yes?"
Adrien watched and listened to the two of them talk. Marinette was acting shy, while Luka seemed to be slicker than oil - and that bothered Adrien for some reason.
"I was thinking... There's a new mini golf course opening up and I was hoping you'd like to go with me." Luka said.
"Really?!" Marinette squealed, clasping her hands together. One could swear her eyes were hearts. The world around her seemed to fade away as she looked into Luka's eyes.
Adrien's own eyes went wide, his blood went cold, and his mind roared out, 'Are you kidding me?! Did he just-?!'
Luka chuckled before saying, "So, what do you say?"
Adrien balled his fists and held back a growl.
Marinette furiously nodded and said, "Yes! Yes, I'd lo- like! I'd really much like to go with you!"
"Okay. I'll pick you up at nine tomorrow?" Luka said as he walked in front of the counter.
"Yes... Please do." Marientte sighed.
Luka nodded at her before leaving out the door to the bakery. He hopped onto his bike, put on his helmet, and he gave Marinette a two-fingered air kiss before pedaling away. Marinette let out a loud, wistful, romantic sigh, and she didn't take her eyes off the spot where Luka and his bike once were.
Adrien let out an angry scoff before sarcastically saying, "Smooth. Real smooth."
He heard a loud thud and he turned to see Marinette's back was slumped against the wall, and she was swooning. Her face was flat-out smitten, like she was dizzy, and Adrien looked at her in worry/jealousy. Her parents were giving similar expressions.
"Um, Marinette? Are you okay?" Adrien asked, approaching her and waving his hand in front of her eyes.
"I have a date. Isn't it awesome? Luka asked me on a date!" Marinette began, rambling and repeating, "Luka asked me on a date" like she was a broken record.
After what seemed like hours, she finished rambling, she stood off the wall, pointed right at Adrien's face, and she said, "Screw you, Adrien! IN YO FACE!"
She squealed and began laughing in delight before rushing up to the house to go to her room.
"Oh-kay..." Sabine said as Adrien face-palmed.
"I can't believe this! Our little girl is growing up! She has her first date!" Tom chortled in delight before turning to Adrien. "But I was honestly thinking you would ask her out first."
"Um, yeah, I was hoping to do that..." Adrien began, before thinking, 'I'd better tag along.'
The next day, Marinette and Luka were at the mini golf course, waiting their turn on the holes. They were standing next to each other, talking to one another, and smiling as they chatted.
"This is going to be so much fun!" Marinette giggled as she held her club.
"I'm sure it will be." Luka agreed.
"Hey, you two." A voice said from behind. The two of them turned to see Adrien was there, holding a golf club.
"Adrien? What are you doing here?" Marinette asked.
"Oh, um... Chaperoning." Adrien said as he tried to think of an excuse. He stepped forward before asking, "Mind if I go first?"
"Um... Sure." Marinette said, still surprised that Adrien was at a mini golf course.
"Your parents are protective, aren't they?" Luka asked.
"My dad, yes, but I don't think my mom would've been on board with this," Marinette whispered back. "I wonder..."
Adrien gently hit the lime green ball towards the hole, and it rolled over to it, only stopping just at the edge of it. Marinette leaned up against Luka, who started glowing light blue. Marinette grew a bit dizzy, like her strength was leaving her. She wasn't paying attention to that. Her eyes were on her date.
Luka smiled at her before taking his turn. He approached the blue golf ball before hitting it, and it went right into the hole.
"Wow! Great shot!" Marinette praised as she ran over to Luka. He gave her a high-five, and Marinette once again had a bought of dizziness. She still looked at him with love in her eyes.
Later on, they went to lunch at a restaurant. Marinette was sitting next to Luka at the table, meanwhile Adrien was at the next one, picking at his food while watching them.
Marinette ate a bite of her food, and she said, "This is delicious stuff!"
"May I try?" Luka asked as he reached over and took Marinette's fork. His hand brushed up against hers. Her heart pounded and she blushed as she watched Luka take a bite of her food, then wink at her.
Marinette internally squealed at the indirect kiss she'd given him, and hearts were in her eyes again.
Some photographers came over to Marinette and Luka's table.
"How about a photo of you and the mademoiselle?" One of them asked as they held up their cameras. Marinette and Luka leaned in closer to each other.
Adrien came in from Marinette's side and asked, "Can I get in?"
Marinette gave him an unhappy expression, as did Luka. The latter shoved Adrien out of the shot, saying, "No third-wheeling, please!"
Adrien landed on the floor, and he sat up, rubbing his head, meanwhile Marinette and Luka were doing multiple poses, with Luka still holding her.
Adrien, meanwhile, still rubbing his head, watched the scene while thinking, 'Why do I feel drained...?'
"Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom. Gotta freshen up for the girl here." Luka said as he winked at her before leaving.
Marinette sighed and held her face in her hands. Adrien came over and sat next to her, saying aloud, "Weird. When he pushed me, I felt some of my strength leave me, or something..."
"Isn't he a dreamboat?" Marinette absentmindedly asked, not paying attention to Adrien's claim. He sighed.
When their date was over, Luka brought Marinette home (with Adrien following them from the car).
"I had so much fun today, Luka!" Marinette said as she hugged him.
Feeling a bit different, a little weaker, Marinette opened her eyes in surprise.
She immediately pulled away before asking, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I forgot to ask you if you're okay with me hugging you. Th... That's okay, right?"
"Of course it's okay to hug me." Luka said gently as he hugged Marinette back.
Marinette returned his hug and snuggled into his chest, not caring that she was getting dizzy. She chalked it up to the scent of his cologne. Adrien was watching, looking a bit sad, and wishing that was him hugging Marinette instead of Luka. But at the same time, he tried his best to respect his friend's wishes.
"After all, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't like it?" Luka responded, rubbing Marinette's back.
"A boyfriend that doesn't care for physical affection, which is perfectly okay." Marinette said.
After hearing that, Adrien's facial expression went from sad to suspicious. He thought, 'Something's off...'
It'd been about a week or two since Luka showed up, and it seemed like he was all Marinette could be bothered to talk about.
Up in her room, Marinette was lying on her bed, swooning over Luka. She had his picture on her cork board on her wall, and she sighed in bliss as she hugged the plush pillow she'd made.
"You seem so happy, Marinette!" Tikki giggled.
"I am happy, Tikki! So happy!" Marinette responded, swooning. "I've finally gotten a boyfriend! And he treats me so well!"
"It's so sweet that you're blissfully in love! It's like a fairytale!" Daizzi squealed.
"Indeed... But I always thought Adrien would play the role of the prince in this story." Wayzz commented.
"Oh, are you kidding me? Adrien, my Prince Charming? Like he said, when pigs fly!" Marinette laughed, but she winced and looked at Daizzi. "Sorry, Daizzi."
"Don't worry." Daizzi reassured.
Marinette swooned as she laid back on the bed, thinking aloud, "I can't believe this, Tikki... Two whole weeks of bliss with Luka, no akumatized supervillains or sentimonsters... Can life get any better?"
"I don't know, Marinette, but I'm sure you two will have a great time on your next date!" Tikki said.
*KNOCK KNOCK*
On cue, the kwamis hid, and Marinette asked, "Hello? Is that you, Luka?"
"No, it's Adrien." He said from below.
Marinette rolled her eyes before going down the stairs to her bed and opening the door.
"Adrien, hi." Marinette greeted neutrally as she let him in her room.
"Great, I caught you," Adrien said as he sat on the lounge. "We haven't hung out, just the two of us, in a long time."
"So what?" Marinette said as she took out one of her projects. It was a dark blue hoodie with black accents. "You hardly have time for your friends at all, what with your father micromanaging your schedule."
"He has loosened up a little bit lately," Adrien insisted. "I actually have some time today, and I was wondering if you'd like to go to the movies with me today. That new comedy is coming out and-"
"I'm actually already going with Luka," Marinette said with a giggle. "It's going to be so much fun!"
"It'd be more fun without him." Adrien muttered.
"Huh?" Marinette asked.
"Oh, um, nothing..." Adrien said, backpedalling. "Why don't I join you and Luka at the movies? I mean..."
"Remember last time? He shoved you out of the way, you were third-wheeling." Marinette pointed out.
"I won't sit right next to you," Adrien assured. "Just... Chaperoning."
"Really? A chaperone? I don't need one." Marinette sighed.
"I just want to spend time with you," Adrien insisted. "It's been so long..."
Marinette sighed in defeat before saying, "Okay, fine, just don't sit so close to us."
Adrien smiled and said, "Thank you!"
Later at the movies, Marinette was snuggling up against Luka, and they were watching the film. Adrien was sitting about three seats away from Marinette's left. Marinette was looking towards her boyfriend, but she also looked at the screen.
Every time there was a break in the action, Marinette stole a glance at Luka. Her heart pounded and she smiled at his handsome profile. Luka looked back at her and winked, and she blushed with a giggle.
Meanwhile, Adrien was watching the two of them with a petulant scowl. He was chowing down on buttery popcorn in anger.
Luka looked at Marinette and whispered, "Wow, that water went right through me. Stay here."
He kissed Marinette's cheek, causing Marinette to feel weak in the knees, and he stood up before leaving for the bathroom.
Adrien shuddered before moving closer to Marinette. He spat, "He's like velcro, don't you think?"
"If by "like velcro" you mean "so perfect that he can't be real", then yes." Marinette said, her bedroom eyes still following Luka.
Her brain was completely filled with Luka, and she didn't want it any other way. Her heart was pounding at the sight of him, even when he walked out of the room, Marinette stared at the door, waiting for his blue head to pop up again.
"Doesn't matter. I still think there's something fishy about this." Adrien said, propping his face on his hand.
Marinette didn't respond, merely heaving a lovesick sigh.
"I don't trust him." Adrien said, a little louder.
Again, nothing from Marinette.
Adrien got closer and said, "Hey, what do you get when you cross a cocker spaniel, a poodle, and a rooster? A cockapoodle-do!"
Radio silence.
Adrien sighed before saying, "Well, this is about as much fun as cracking jokes with Nathalie. Gonna go to the bathroom."
As Adrien left the room, he started walking to the men's room, with a purpose. He was grumbling curses against Luka.
"Adrien, are you sure you're not just letting your jealousy cloud your mind? It's not the first time that's happened." Plagg asked him as Adrien walked to the men's bathroom.
"I'm sure, Plagg. He shoves me out of the way, then I feel more weakened than usual? That's not normal," Adrien said. "And the way Marinette's acting isn't normal, either! She's almost always up for a round of video games, but now she's spending all her time with Luka outside his work hours. Hell, she's so taken with him that I'm becoming an afterthought to her. It's really hurting my feelings."
"Come on, she's over the moon about her boyfriend! Don't you humans want to spend as much time with the ones you love as possible?" Plagg questioned.
"Maybe so," Adrien admitted. "But still, something's not adding up."
"Still sounds like it's your jealousy talking." Plagg teased.
"I won't lie, I am jealous, but..." Adrien began, only to see Luka up ahead. He was in front of the men's room, but Luka was also looking around, as if watching out for something. He was trying to act casual, but he soon slipped into the bathroom.
"Come on, Plagg. Let's get the dirt on this guy." Adrien whispered as he followed after Luka.
Adrien peeked into the men's room, and saw his rival was standing in front of the sinks, and he had his phone out.
"Everything's going according to plan," Luka said to someone on a video call on his phone. "I've got Marinette wrapped around my finger."
Adrien scowled and looked at Plagg. He mouthed out, "I knew it," and he started approaching Luka from behind, anger on his expression.
"I'll bet if I can get her to kiss me, I can become strong enough to-" Luka continued, but the person on the other end of the line pointed behind him before hanging up.
Luka whirled around to see Adrien, who was crossing his arms and glaring at him.
"Strong enough to do what, if I may ask?" Adrien asked, his tone even, yet betraying his suspicions.
Luka quickly asked, "Don't you have something on your schedule to be doing? I thought I heard Marinette mention that you have another Chinese lesson coming up soon?"
"What?!" Adrien said as he looked at his phone and quickly opened his schedule - Luka slipped out.
Later in the bakery's living area, Marinette and Luka were watching TV, and Marinette went to change the channel. She reached for the remote, but Luka put his hand on top of hers. Marinette had another dizzy spell at his touch, but she looked at him like nothing else mattered.
The door opened, and Luka looked behind him to see Adrien, who was pissed off.
Thinking fast, Luka asked Marinette, "Hey, you said you were working on a project in your room?"
"Yeah! A blue hoodie! I can go and get it if you'd like?" Marinette asked, unaware that Adrien was storming over to them.
"Yes, please!" Luka said loudly as he watched Adrien come closer before calming down and saying, "Sweetheart."
Marinette blushed and giggled before teetering up to her room in bliss.
"Hey, what was that about?" Adrien demanded. "There wasn't anything on my schedule! You lied to me!"
"I've been lying all day. About everything." Luka said, a wicked smirk on his face.
"Listen, I care about Marinette a lot! I really like her! But nobody said I had to like you, which I don't." Adrien said, crossing his arms.
"What are you going to do about it?" Luka asked, confident. "Try and convince her to dump me? She's so enamored with me that she won't hear of it."
He pushed Adrien away, and once again, the blonde model got dizzy for some reason.
"Okay... You're one of those people I can only handle in small doses, aren't you?" Adrien asked before Luka once again shoved Adrien to the floor. Realizing what he was going to do, Adrien tumbled out of the way as Luka tried tackling him.
They started scuffling with each other, like a stereotypical boy brawl, but Adrien's karate and fencing skills seemed to leave him, because every time Luka landed a hit, Adrien seemed to get more tired and weak.
"You like blues and blacks, right?" Marinette asked.
"Yes!" Luka responded, even though he was still tousling with Adrien.
"You're playing, huh?" Marinette asked, blissfully unaware of the animosity between the boys. "I knew you two would be buddies at some point!"
But Adrien shouted in pain, screaming at Marinette, "Hey, a little help here?!"
No response from Marinette.
Later on, in Adrien's room, he'd just finished applying some first aid to himself. Luckily his face was fine (he knew his father would have a fit). He was looking over the photos that Marinette sent him on his phone. His own suspicions notwithstanding, just seeing Marinette in the arms of another boy was boiling his blood.
"Are you okay, Adrien?" Plagg asked.
"No, I'm not. Yes, I'm jealous, but there's just something wrong about all of this," Adrien said, putting his phone away and crossing his arms. "If he doesn't care about Marinette - which is criminal - then why is he hanging around her?"
"Kid, you know what they say: if something's too good to be true, it probably is." Plagg advised.
That's when it hit him.
"That's it! Plagg, you're right! Luka is too good to be true!" Adrien concluded as he zoomed into the picture. "Look! His hair's like Jagged Stone's! His eyes are bright blue, just like Marinette's! And his clothes are identical to what Marinette's been designing lately!"
He turned off his phone and said to his kwami, "There's no way he's real! Come on, we've got a not-so-innocent romance to ruin! Plagg, claws out!"
He burst out of the bedroom window in a hurry.
At the Dupain-Cheng apartment, Marinette was sitting next to Luka, who had his arm draped over the couch, meanwhile her hands were folded in her lap. They were watching a romantic comedy movie.
"It's romantic, isn't it?" Luka said to her, leaning in closer.
"It is." Marinette agreed, blushing.
"So... Does it give you any ideas, chérie?" Luka said to her. Marinette looked at him, a bit awestruck, and she saw his lips were pursing and his eyes were closing.
Hearts in her eyes, she gave a light, delighted gasp. She started leaning in closer to him as well, reciprocating his puckered lips.
They got closer to each other, with Marinette's heart on a high. Romantic music was in her mental background, and she was thinking, 'Yes! Finally! A kiss with my bo-'
But her train of thought was cut off when she felt her lips on fabric instead of skin.
She pulled away and looked up to see that Adrien had burst in and slammed a throw pillow between them. Towering over them, he pointed at Luka and said, "Hold it right there!"
"Adrien, cut it out!" Marinette scolded in annoyance before saying in a lower voice, "I was about to have my first kiss, you spoilsport!"
Luka stood from the couch and said to Adrien, "You know, I've had enough of you getting in the way!"
"Well, I've-" Adrien began, but Luka snagged him by the arm and threw him over his shoulder, into a nearby wall.
Marinette gasped and said in scolding, "Luka! How could you?!"
Adrien, weakened, got up before charging at Luka and shouting, "And I'VE had enough of you LYING TO MARINETTE!"
He did a flying kick at Luka's stomach, knocking him to the floor.
"Adrien, what are you talking about?!" Marinette said as Adrien stood in between her and Luka.
"Marinette, wake up!" Adrien said, gesturing to Luka with an open palm. "Look at him! The clothes! The eyes! The hair!"
As Adrien pointed out each feature, Marinette focused on them individually, and then she mentally put them together in her mind to see the boy before her.
"Don't you get it?! He's an amalgamation of your favorite things - literally your fantasy boyfriend come to life!" Adrien said, trying to get through to her.
Marinette once again looked at Luka in shock before saying, "H... He's right..."
Adrien's face started to melt into a smile, but Marinette only got her own lovesick smile back. She spun on her heels and swooned with a squeal before saying, "OMG, Luka, you really ARE the man of my dreams!"
Marinette ran past a flabbergasted Adrien and into Luka's open arms. He turned around before dipping her down over his knee, the two of them sharing a kiss, with Marinette making a huge kissing noise.
"NO! MARINETTE!" Adrien hollered, afraid.
Once Luka pulled Marinette back up, she started stumbling around, dizzy. Her hand was on her head.
"Ugh... Man, I feel like I was hit by a bus..." Marinette mumbled before looking up at Luka. "This... Can't be what love feels like, can it?"
"No," Luka said before dissolving into a maniacal chuckle. "This is what victory feels like!"
Immediately, he shoved Marinette away, and she tumbled before hitting the wall. She sat up, rubbed her head, and she watched in fear as Luka underwent a change. He got taller, his figure filled out with sheer muscles (thus causing his clothes to rip), and his facial expression turned wicked. Marinette's eyes widened at the sight.
"Wh... What's...?!" Marinette began, as Adrien ran to her side.
"I knew it! You're not a real human being! You're a sentimonster!" Adrien declared, pointing at him.
"Luka" (or whatever the sentimonster's name was) laughed before saying, "Absolutely."
"I... I don't... I thought..." Marinette blubbered, looking at the monster in fear.
"Foolish girl. Did you honestly think there was something going on between us?" SentiLuka said to her.
"I... I did... I..." Marinette began, tears pricking at her eyes. "I really thought you liked me!"
"Luka did..." SentiLuka said before taking up one of the photographs of the two of them and crushing it in his hands. "But Luka's not here anymore, is he?"
Marinette's eyes started leaking tears, her heart shattering like someone dropped a porcelain vase from a skyscraper onto the ground. She covered her eyes and her face fell forward. Adrien looked at her in dismay before growing angry. He stood up and glared at the sentimonster before charging at him.
"YOU MONSTER!" He hollered. SentiLuka merely grabbed Adrien by the arms before spinning around and throwing him against a nearby wall. Adrien groaned and sat up.
He looked to Marinette and said, "Marinette, we gotta get out of here and wait for-"
He gasped when he saw Marinette crying, her hands over her eyes and hunched over. His heart broke at the sight.
"Marinette?!" Adrien asked.
"You were right, Adrien - I'll never find a boyfriend!" Marinette cried as she looked at Adrien with hurt/sad/angry eyes.
"Marinette, I was only teasing you! I'd never really mean something like that!" Adrien insisted as he went over and reached for her.
Marinette smacked his hand away and leveled a glare at him before saying, "Just go! Leave me alone! This is your fault anyway!"
"But Marinette-" Adrien began to insist.
"But nothing!" Marinette screamed as she ran up to her bedroom crying, slamming the door and locking it.
"Marinette!" Adrien shouted before turning to SentiLuka.
He lunged at the sentimonster, who once again used his superior strength and power to grab Adrien by the arm and lift him up. Like Marinette, Adrien's love was being drained and turned into energy for the sentimonster.
Up in Marinette's room, she was sobbing into her pillow on her bed. The kwamis were watching their guardian in worry.
"Adrien was right! I'll never find someone to have and to hold!" Marinette cried. "Why can't I have a love story of my own?! Is a happily-ever-after too much to ask?!"
"Marinette! You gotta calm down! Shadow Moth's going to get you at this rate!" Tikki said.
"Let him, Tikki!" Marinette cried.
"WHAT?!" The kwamis said in shock.
"Maybe if I wasn't Ladybug or even the guardian, I'd be happier! I'd be happily dating someone, I'd be safe! I wouldn't be suffering this way!" Marinette cried.
"Marinette, you can't think like that!" Tikki reassured.
"SCREW IT! I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!" Marinette screamed into her pillow, sobbing again.
In Shadow Moth's lair, the window opened and the butterflies started flying around.
"Everything is going as planned. I've never felt such pure pain and despair! The heartbreak of realizing that the one you love led you on and never cared about you! The desire to change your circumstances to be happier!" Shadow Moth said as a butterfly landed in his hand, and he charged it before letting it go.
"Fly, my little akuma! And help me turn Marinette Dupain-Cheng into my ultimate masterpiece!" He declared as it flew out the window.
Adrien continued to struggle against SentiLuka. The sentimonster chuckled before saying, "Defending her? Says the guy who said she can't get a boyfriend."
"I fucked up, I get it!" Adrien screamed as he kicked at SentiLuka's chest. "I was wrong to tease her!"
Marinette heard Adrien's scream. She looked up from her tear-stained pillow before climbing down from her bed and cracking open the door and watching.
Adrien, although weakened, managed to slip out of the sentimonster's grasp before standing up and glaring at him.
"You might've been Marinette's dream-come-true, but you're also just one of Shadow Moth's machinations! You didn't bother getting to know the real her! You never cared about her! Not the way I do!" Adrien said in outrage.
Marinette's eyes dried a bit after hearing this. She continued to watch.
"Oh, you care about her?" SentiLuka teased.
"Yes! Very much!" Adrien confirmed, causing Marinette's heart to squeeze a little. Her face was still red, but now she couldn't tell if it was flattery or her own sadness.
"What do you even know about her?" SentiLuka stated.
"Plenty! She kicks ass at video games!" Adrien said, rushing to tackle the beast by the torso. Unfortunately, his strength was getting drained. "And believe me, she can wipe the floor with people who've been training for over a year for a tournament!"
SentiLuka pulled Adrien off like an old bandage before slamming him down on the floor. Marinette held back a worried gasp.
"She's creative! An amazing designer! She can take a piece of fabric that most people would see as scrap and turn it into a work of art!" Adrien said, trying to breathe, even though his energy was being drained.
Marinette's smile grew a bit, once again wiping an errant tear, but thinking, 'He's fighting a sentimonster on his own for my sake? But why?'
Adrien once again got up and he glared at the sentimonster before saying, "Her antics are adorable! She's funny! No one can make me laugh the way she does! She's not afraid to stick up for herself or others! She takes such good care of everyone around her that she forgets to take care of herself sometimes!"
Marinette watched from her hiding spot in her room. Her heart was feeling lighter, like a balm was soothing her pain.
Adrien, near guilt-ridden tears, continued his spiel, hollering, "She's kind! Generous! And she definitely deserves a better boyfriend than a sentimonster! And I'm not saying this to be nice, I'm saying it because I lo-!"
He was interrupted by SentiLuka, who grabbed the blonde and flung him out of the living area and into the hallway.
Marinette quietly gasped before shutting the door.
Outside the apartment, Adrien was groaning in pain as he laid up against the wall. But he wasn't just in physical pain, though.
"Adrien?! Are you okay?" Plagg asked.
"No. Nino was right - I teased her, hurt her feelings, and she leaped into the arms of someone else! And just my luck, that someone else happened to be a sentimonster! I should've just told Marinette how I really feel about her! None of this would be happening!" Adrien said.
"Yeah, and now she's liable to be akumatized because of you!" Plagg scolded.
Realizing that, Adrien's heart sank, his eyes widened, and dread welled up in his stomach.
"Oh no... What have I done?" Adrien asked, holding his hands in his hair. Fighting an akumatized Marinette? That would be his worst nightmare. "I gotta stop this! Plagg, claws out!"
Back up in her bedroom, Marinette, while still a little depressed, was mulling over Adrien's statements about her.
"A... Adrien really does care about me." Marinette muttered, still wiping tears away from her face. She didn't notice the akuma had flown into her skylight.
"More than you think, maybe." Tikki suggested.
Marinette's mood lifted a bit, just enough to drive off the akuma. The butterfly flew out of the skylight.
Shadow Moth, sensing Marinette's change in emotional state, said, "How?! How can such sadness evaporate like that?!"
"He may not care about me like that, but he cares. He tried to protect me! Now it's time to return the favor. Tikki, spots on!" Marinette said before transforming.
Ladybug jumped down into the kitchen from the bedroom, and Cat Noir had arrived on the scene.
"M'lady! Purrfect timing!" Cat Noir said.
Ladybug groaned, but she said, "Nice to see you too, kitty-cat."
"Where's Marinette?! She's the victim here!" Cat Noir asked, a bit panicked.
"I got her out of her bedroom and into a safe location." Ladybug said as the two of them drew their weapons and started fighting the sentimonster.
"What is going on up-" Tom said as he and Sabine ran upstairs to find out what the commotion was.
"M. and Mme. Dupain-Cheng! You need to get out of here! We'll handle this!" Ladybug said as SentiLuka lunged at the two of them.
"Don't worry about your daughter! She's in a safe spot!" Cat Noir reassured.
The bakers nodded before dashing back downstairs and out of the bakery. The two heroes wound up getting flung out the window of the apartment and onto the streets below.
"Any idea what's going on? Marinette was too upset to talk to me clearly." Ladybug asked her partner.
"I got some insight from that other boy, Adrien," Cat Noir said, a despondent tone. "Well... He said it was all his fault. That if he hadn't teased her about her dating life, this wouldn't be happening. He was pretty sad about it, actually."
Ladybug looked at her partner in worry before saying, "He tried to fix his mistake?"
"He tried fighting that sentimonster on his own," Cat Noir said. "But he was pretty beat up."
"But my Miraculous Ladybug will fix his injuries, so no problem," Ladybug said. "Anything else?"
"Apparently that sentimonster gets its power from physical touches and it drains the love out of the person it comes in contact with, zapping their energy. And it seems like a kiss is the most effective way." Cat Noir said.
"Which explains why Marinette seemed so tired." Ladybug added.
"And according to Adrien, Marinette has so much love to give and share with everyone..." Cat Noir said sadly. "He cares about her so much, but he's wracked with guilt over this. He was really scared she'd get akumatized. That was most likely Shadow Moth's entire plan."
Ladybug looked at him with a sad expression before saying, "If he drains love and gets stronger from it, then we need to find a counterbalance."
"But hatred's the only thing that can do that," Cat Noir said. "Wouldn't that be hypocritical of us if we found a way to drain his power through hatred?"
"Fair enough-" Ladybug said, only for SentiLuka to leap out the window and tackle them.
The two teen heroes were knocked to the ground and they tumbled.
"Any idea where the amok is?!" Ladybug asked him. "You know how it is with sentimonsters - the person who has the object with the amok in it has control! If we can get our hands on it, we can get the amok out and get rid of it!"
"The necklace!" Cat Noir shouted, pointing at the guitar pick necklace around the sentimonster's neck.
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug shouted, and out of the flurry of ladybugs came...
"A picture of Marinette?" Cat Noir asked as a framed photograph of the girl in question landed in Ladybug's hands.
Ladybug looked around, saw the picture, and she smiled when she realized what the idea was... Only for the sentimonster to disappear in blue-black bubbles, leaving behind the necklace.
"What?!" They asked as the magical, blue amok emerged from the guitar pick necklace before turning white.
"Why would...?" Cat Noir asked.
"Shadow Moth's plan to akumatize Marinette by breaking her heart failed, so he must have destroyed the sentimonster. Doesn't matter, though," Ladybug said as she looked at the picture of Marinette in her hand. "The point is, she's safe..."
Cat Noir looked at the photo, his face sad, and he said to Ladybug, "I think the solution to this problem is for Adrien to talk to her."
"You're probably right, kitty-cat," Ladybug agreed before throwing her lucky charm in the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"
The magical ladybugs swarmed around the city, removing and repairing any and all damages. The apartment was completely fixed inside and out, like nothing had happened. The ladybugs washed over the heroes, healing their injuries, and they sighed in relief.
They did their customary fist-bump, saying, "Pound it!"
"I'll go check on Marinette! Hopefully she's not feeling too bad about everything!" Cat Noir said as he started to run towards the building.
"No, no! She's probably in her room and needs some alone time to process everything!" Ladybug insisted, grabbing Cat Noir by the arm.
Cat Noir's face fell, his eyes went askance in worry, and he heaved a defeated sigh.
"You're right. Maybe a little time alone will do her some good." Cat Noir agreed, albeit reluctantly.
"...So, patrol tonight? Same time, same place?" Ladybug asked.
"Yeah." Cat Noir stated brusquely before extending his staff and heading up to the rooftops. Ladybug did the same in the opposite direction before doubling back to her balcony.
She fell through her skylight onto her bed before saying, "Spots off!"
When Tikki came out and took a cookie, she looked at her owner and asked, "Are you feeling any better, Marinette?"
"...A little," Marinette said. "But... I'm curious about something. All of those things Adrien said about me... Did he really mean it?"
"Only one way to find out." Sass said.
All the kwamis came together and they all said collectively, "Just ask him!"
Marinette looked at the little ones and heaved a sigh before saying, "You're right... Just not right now. I... Need some alone time, barring you guys, that is."
Shadow Moth, at his lair...
"I was so close to akumatizing that girl! She would've been perfect!" Shadow Moth raged. He took a deep breath, calmed down, and thought about what he learned. "I guess I underestimated how resilient she really is. And I certainly wasn't expecting my own son to care for her so much..."
He grew a smirk on his face as the window closed.
Two days after the chaos, Adrien once again arrived at the Dupain-Cheng bakery, with a bouquet of flowers in hand. He took a deep breath, opened the door, and said, "Hi."
"Oh, Adrien! Good to see you!" Sabine greeted.
Adrien nodded in acknowledgement before his face fell. He looked at his flowers before looking at his crush's parents.
"So... How is she?" Adrien questioned.
"She's doing better. Not quite back to normal yet, but better," Tom reported. "She's up in her room."
"Thanks." Adrien said as he walked behind the counter to head upstairs.
Once he arrived beneath Marinette's bedroom door, he took another deep breath. He gave a gentle knock.
"Hello?" Marinette asked.
"It's me. Um... May I?" Adrien requested.
Marinette slowly opened the door before stepping down the stairs and shutting it.
"Hi, Adrien." Marinette greeted.
Adrien nodded back before gesturing to the couch. He said, "Can we talk?"
Marinette gave a responding nod before they went to the couch. Adrien presented the flowers to her, and he said, "I got these for you."
"Thank you." Marinette said as she gently took the bouquet and buried her face in it. She inhaled the flowers' scents and let them relax her.
"...How you holding up?" Adrien questioned.
"...I've been better," Marinette admitted. "I really thought I found my one and only... But it was all a lie, and Shadow Moth nearly akumatized me because of it."
Adrien looked at her with a guilt-wracked expression as Marinette began to tear up again.
"Listen... About what I said before..." Adrien began.
"Which part? The part about not being able to find a boyfriend, or what you told the sentimonster?" Marinette asked, a neutral tone.
"The latter." Adrien said, red in the face. He couldn't look at her.
"...Did you mean any of that?" Marinette asked.
"Every word." Adrien firmly said, still blushing.
Marinette looked at him in surprise.
"When I said you couldn't get a boyfriend before... I only said that because I got jealous. The idea of you dating someone else really pissed me off, so I ended up letting my jealousy fuel my words." Adrien confessed, gathering the courage to look Marinette in the eyes.
"You... You were jealous?" Marinette asked.
Adrien nodded, and then he said, "I let my heart do the talking towards the sentimonster, and I didn't half-ass anything that I said. I'm not lying or joking when I tell you this, but... Marinette, you mean so much to me."
He scooted closer to her on the couch. He took her free hand into both of his own and kept his eyes on hers.
"I can't imagine a world where you didn't exist," Adrien confessed. "You're easily the one of the best things that's ever happened to me. You make my whole life better, and I... I... I..."
He squeezed his eyes shut, his face turned redder as he felt his heart pound harder and harder. Was he having a heart attack?
'Come on, Adrien, just say it!' He said to himself.
"Marinette..." Adrien said, opening his eyes again. He saw she was also red in the face, a little bashful. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he hugged Marinette close to him, one of his hands in her hair and the other on the small of her back.
"Je t'aime." He said in a whisper.
Marinette's eyes widened in surprise. Her heart began beating faster as she felt him pull her closer.
"Adrien... I..." Marinette said.
Adrien pulled away, and he gently pressed his lips against hers. Marinette's eyes slowly closed and their lips moved against each other like a slow dance.
Once Adrien broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers.
"Adrien, I..." Marinette began, trying to look him in the eyes. "I... I'm going to be honest, I've felt the same way for such a long time."
Adrien smiled in response, tears about to spill. His heart swelled at her declaration.
"I... Wanted to find someone else because I was under the impression that I'd never get out of the friend-zone with you. Then you say that to me and I thought that you really didn't see me as any more than a friend." Marinette admitted.
"I probably would've thought the same thing." Adrien chuckled.
"But... Even though we feel the same about each other... I can't date you right now." Marinette added.
"You need time to recover from this, I get it," Adrien admitted. "Take all the time you need. I'll be right here for you."
Marinette nodded in understanding, and the two of them continued their hug. Some of the kwamis were peeking out from Marinette's bedroom door. They were all smiling at the scene.
"Those two will come together yet." Sass stated.
"They're perfect for each other." Barkk agreed.
Marinette felt warm, safe, and legitimately loved in Adrien's arms. With the air between them cleared, she just let herself relax in his embrace.
Say what you want about how Marinette was acting here, but hey, it's not the first time she made a near-fatal mistake because she got smitten and distracted by a "perfect" guy (Desperada, Kuro Neko, and HELLO, the S4 finale?!).
If you guys didn't pick up on it, I modeled this after an episode of an older cartoon called "Yin! Yang! Yo!" The episode itself was called "Falling Yin Love". Hope you enjoyed it.
