Chapter Two: The Heart Knows

She wasn't going today. She'd decided against it, despite Tikki's firm protests.

"It's wrong to skip school, Marinette, especially if your parents don't know where you're going," she urged.

"I know," she sighed, shrugging a little, "but I can't face him, not today, okay?" The agony cut fresh into her heart, and more crystalline tears cut a swath down her pale cheeks before she'd diverted into an alley to hide. "Plus, I'm not doing anything dangerous. I just thought I'd go to the park and design for a little while. You know, keep my mind busy," she insisted.

The crimson being twitched, but let out a resigned breath. "If you think it's what you need," she caved.

"Thanks, Tikki," she cooed, hugging the ancient to her cheek before letting her flutter into her purse, running down the corridor to next street over.

***POV Change***

Adrien's eyes shifted restlessly to the empty seat at the back of the class, his stomach twisting with guilt. Marinette was notably absent. Even late, she'd normally be here by now. Alya was pointedly avoiding his gaze, and he had the gut wrenching notion she knew exactly what had happened the day before. After all, she was Mari's best friend. She would have told her about the incident, he was sure, unless the bluenette would have been too embarrassed to share. However, Alya wasn't one to let things go.

The bell shattered his thoughts, but he made sure to move to block the caramel skinned woman's obvious attempt at a swift retreat, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Where's Marinette?" He nodded his chin at the empty chair for emphasis, as if it was needed, but she glanced in the direction of his prodding anyway and winced.

"I d-don't know, Adrien," she whispered, fingering her bag, diverting her golden orbs to the floor as she moved to go around him. "Does it matter?"

The words cut through his soul more effectively than any blade, and his eyes immediately stung, but he swallowed around the sudden tightness in his throat. "W-Why wouldn't it matter!? She's my friend," he hissed, feeling a burst of anger erupt beneath the layer of his skin, barely contained. He didn't like the fact she implied he wouldn't care.

"Yeah, you made that quite clear, didn't you?" This time, Alya's voice held a note of her own fire, and he took a step back, eyes widening in surprise.

"I d-don't…I mean, I c-can't change how I feel, Alya," he croaked, but somewhere, whispering along his heart, it didn't feel right. Why?

"Right, Adrien, I understand that," she sighed, pushing by him this time, and the sorrow in her voice dragged all of the fury out of his body, ripping it through his gut so he was left winded. "You just…I wish I'd known how you felt too, because you sure had us all fooled, honestly. We were sure you had feelings for her, and God knows that girl has been in love with you forever," she breathed. "I wouldn't have encouraged her, for years, to confess if I had thought otherwise. It's not your fault if you really don't think of her that way, but I don't think you two should be friends anymore," she said firmly. "I already told her as much, just so you know. She gets the wrong messages when it comes to you."

The walls of his world felt like they were closing in, and he was having a hard time gathering in a decent breath of air. "A-All fooled?"

"Y-yeah," she laughed bitterly without looking back at him. "The entire class, well, save for Chloe and Lila, who'd prefer to keep you for themselves, were sure you at least…liked her a little more than a friend, Adrien. I'm sorry, we were wrong, but please, for all of our sakes, don't make things worse now, okay?"

"This isn't f-fair," he said firmly, stepping forward, grabbing her shoulder. "You can't tell me I can't be friends with her!"

Alya yanked free of his grasp, and whirled on him, the fury in her eyes scaring the secret feline a little. "She needs you to stay away, Adrien! She needs friends who aren't going to confuse her and lie to her!"

"I n-never lied to M-Mari," he insisted.

"N-No, but apparently another close friend of hers did, but she wouldn't tell me who last night," she sniffled. "She had to deal with you…rejecting her, and feeling like it's because she's plain and unworthy of the great Adrien Agreste—"

"Mari is anything but—"

She continued, cutting him off. "And then some other friend she hangs out with—"

The windows exploded, and Adrien automatically grabbed the journalist, shielding her with his body as he pushed them to the floor, panting. Her body quaked uncontrollably beneath his solid form, but she took in a deep breath.

"A-Are you okay?"

She nodded firmly. "Y-yeah, thanks." Both of their phones sent out shrill sounds, and she gasped. "Akuma alert," she said excitedly, and he groaned.

"Any chance I can convince you to stay away?"

"I have a duty to the Ladyblog!"

He sighed. "At least be careful," he grumbled, releasing her from his strong grip as she dashed out of the room. Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Nino had tried for years, with no success to keep her away from the danger, so, he didn't see much point in trying. She always found her way back when he dropped her off halfway around the city.

"Plagg," he sighed.

"Cheese time?"

"Very funny."

***POV Change***

Mari stared at the blank sheet of paper, frustrated. Nothing came to her. Not one single inspired design or even a colorful whimsical idea. She'd been gazing for awhile, unable to conjure anything that resembled creativity. Instead, her mind kept wandering back to her two recent betrayals.

Adrien didn't love her. She had to move on, as much as it pierced the center of her chest and left her hollow inside, but somehow…Chat's betrayal felt more hurtful now. He'd lied to her…so blatantly. If he didn't want to spend time with her, he should just say so instead of…pretending to enjoy her presence. Instead of pretending to like her, for what? Out of pity? Maybe he'd told her to talk to Adrien in hopes he wouldn't have to waste time on her anymore.

Her heart clenched tighter, and Mari spread her legs wide, keeping the pad between her thighs, and reached for a piece of charcoal. The bluenette drew a few lines before scribbling furiously over the sheet until it was a mess, and her fingers were stained, her uninvited tears decorating the page.

"Wow, you really didn't like that paper," Luka chuckled, startling her.

She yelped, wiping at her face anxiously as she scrambled to her feet. When she spun to face him, his eyes widened, and the man looked like he was fighting several emotions at once. "You, uh, smudged your charcoal all over your face, Mari," he said gently, and she balked, staring at her coated hands.

"Oh God! Kill me," she squeaked, sobbing, covering her face in embarrassment. "I'm a mess, I'm s-sorry! I'm an idiot."

"May I?"

She peered through her fingers, and he was smiling softly, holding his palms out. She swallowed and frowned, but nodded incrementally. He nudged her hands gently from her tear streaked face and wiped her cheeks gingerly with his thumbs, smearing the residue on his black jeans.

"D-Don't ruin your pants!"

"Don't worry," he chuckled. "It'll blend right in," he joked, continuing his delicate work.

Marinette's heart thumped a little more heavily in her chest with each tender stroke of his warm fingers as he cleared the mess from her face, and she felt herself flushing, but if Luka noticed, he didn't comment as he finished cleaning her up. However, his digits strayed a little along her jaw, close to the corners of her lips, igniting electricity in her body, and it would be so easy to close the distance between them.

Had he been that near the whole time? He was only an inch or two from her, his intense blue eyes intent on her face, but he gradually pulled free, a small frown crossing his face before his hands dropped.

"As good as new," he finally murmured, smiling. "Even a mess though, you're still cute," he commented. "And you're far from an idiot, not a cool thing to say about yourself, Marinette."

The blush in her cheeks intensified, and she stared at the ground. "Th-Thanks," she croaked, trying desperately to get her thoughts back in some semblance of rational order.

"Mind if I sit with you? I was just going to try and play some tunes," he whispered, almost hesitant. "Plus, you look like you could use the company."

"I'm not s-sure I'm very good company," she admitted, "but if you can stand my misery, that's fine," she muttered dejectedly, plopping back in her spot on the grass.

Luka trudged to sit in front of her pad so she could see him, and pulled the instrument from his back, strumming a few melancholy chords. "This is like déjà vu," he said carefully, playing a familiar tune. "Didn't I say, I thought a girl like you should feel more like this?" He switched the tune to another equally memorable one, and she felt her face heating up again as warmth burst across her aching chest.

Marinette bit her lip, remembering the date Adrien had with Kagami at the ice rink. She'd even invited Luka to be hers to keep them company. "How do you…remember that?"

"You're hard to forget," he replied easily, smiling genuinely, making her heart falter and butterflies exploded through her stomach.

"Why? I'm not special," she sobbed immediately, willing down the hope, and a fresh wave of agony encompassed her soul as she pulled her knees up to her face.

Luka struck a few chords, and they startled her because they sounded angry. She looked up, blinking, and he was frowning. "Whoever made you feel like that is a fool."

"Y-You make playing s-seem so easy," she breathed, trying to bypass his obvious declaration. She didn't want to dare think he meant what he said. She'd already placed too much thought and false hope into one person. "You can express yourself so clearly."

His frown twitched, and he nudged his head. "C'mere, I'll show you," he offered, holding the guitar out for her.

"O-Oh! I'm a complete klutz," she muttered. "I wouldn't be able to play!"

"You're full of heart and compassion, that's all you need, and I can show you the rest," he said firmly, gesturing again, and she felt compelled to crawl towards the musician. Mari wiped her hands a little on the grass before holding it awkwardly, and he chuckled. "It won't bite," he teased.

Marinette stood up, and tried to hold it correctly, but her fingers trembled, afraid of making an idiot of herself. After all, she wasn't special. She couldn't do anything right.

"I c-can't," she whispered.

The man stood gracefully and got behind her, gripping her wrists gently, his breath warm against her ear. "Don't over think it," he murmured, making her shiver. "You're psyching yourself out. Just relax."

Despite the fact he kept his body from touching hers, she felt the heat from his chest against her back, and she couldn't think if her life depended on it. She nodded deftly, allowing him to reposition her fingers, but before he could give his next instruction, someone shrieked.

The sound was accompanied by some sort of invisible blast, because her and Luka flew backwards before she could react. She dropped the instrument, trying to correct herself mid somersault, but Luka's arms snared her body, and as they landed, he cushioned her blow. They toppled several feet, and she released a loud gasp, dazed.

"A-Are you okay!?" She could barely think.

"Yes, are you?" His voice didn't sound okay as he wheezed, and she wriggled free from his grasp, getting up to inspect him.

"Yes!" Tears stung her eyes as she blinked down at him, searching for any apparent wounds but he pulled himself to a standing position. The rocker doubled over for a few moments before correcting himself again.

"You're sure?" His digits reached out and touched her cheek, and she blushed, bobbing her head.

"Are you?" He nodded, and Mari lunged forward without thinking, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "You saved me," she whimpered. "Thank you!"

"Of course. I care about you," he replied. "You're unique and beautiful." His arms were warm as they encircled her, hands clasping near the small of her back.

"Don't you think this is an inappropriate time to be getting lovey dovey," a scathing voice spat, making the bluenette jump backwards.

"Ch-Chat!" She blinked up at him, leering from a tree branch.

"You were expecting some other handsome hero to come to your rescue?" His tone was bitter, and she frowned, her heart fracturing again, and her eyes fell to the ground.

"Chat Noir," Luka said politely. "It's good to have you. Is Ladybug here too?"

"No," he growled. "She's not."

"I-uh-didn't mean any offense," the musician offered calmly. "We know you're capable of handling yourself. We'll just get out of your way." Warm fingers entangled with hers, and Mari's face erupted bright crimson, at which point the feline leapt down to greet them.

"Marinette," he said firmly, and she swallowed.

"You should go check on the Akuma victim, Chat," she countered, managing to keep her voice even, but she felt his body stiffen. "We'll let you do your…hero stuff." She nudged Luka almost urgently. Plus, she needed to find a way to duck out and transform. He didn't try to stop them, but something about his form told her that he wanted to…

***POV Change***

Ladybug stumbled out of the way just in time, but before the woman could emit her awful Siren's call, Chat threw his baton into her gut, forcing her to double over, hacking.

"Now or never, Chat!"

"I got it," he snapped back brusquely. "Cataclysm!" He felt the power rush around his fingers before he dove in, rolling up under the woman to touch the sash dangling from her neck, watching it disintegrate.

The butterfly floated free, and Ladybug wasted no effort in capturing and purifying it.

"I have a friend to check on," he muttered. "You can handle the rest, right?"

Ladybug gasped, but then nodded as he vaulted away. He needed to see Marinette. Seeing her wrapped up in Luka's arms had irritated him on a level he couldn't explain, and he just wanted to make sure she was okay.

Kitten…

"I just don't want her to rush into something if she's feeling hurt," he reasoned. Plagg sighed, sounding annoyed. "What?"

I can't even right now.

Chat Noir frowned, shaking his head as he made his way, again to a skylight…that was locked, and there was still no sign of his bluenette. His soul fractured a little more. What had he done to her? He knew…what Adrien had done, but was she really that mad at Chat for encouraging her to talk to the boy she liked and it backfiring?

He cringed, prowling over the flat surface. He'd wait all night if he had to. He settled down, curling up beside the opening, his ears flickering. His tail twitched, agitated as it started to pour, and he convinced himself that the hot saltiness on his cheeks were just part of the raindrops…even as his heart hurt…for so many more reasons than he could put definitive names to.

Author Note:

Wow, the amount of support already actually surprised me. I wasn't expecting it, honestly as I just…wanted to get the idea down before it slipped away! I PROMISE, I'm in the middle of working on the next chapter of Fashion, it's just taking a little more mental finesse than I care to admit, so it's taking a little more time…than I'd like, so I'm working on other chapters at the same time, hence…this stuff, lol!

Trying414, glad to see you over here too! It wouldn't be a fic without your name on the review list! I love that you love the feels ;) yes, there will be a lot of OMG moments here, hopefully!

Calerose, Yes, I'm working on FMHAN, the next chapter is just taking a little more mentality than I want to admit, but I AM WORKING ON IT! I've not abandoned it, I promise ^_^ I'm always working on things, like weave and madness take a lot out of me too, hence the updates tend to take a little longer (especially when I have 'fluffier' things I can work on at the same time) Also, Plagg is always right in some odd way ;) Plagg is awesome, and I'm glad you're enjoying so far!

Kazza2182, Yes, OOC will come in a bit, but I'm glad you think it's a gem already! There will be TONS of crap in this one, so hopefully it'll be a fun ride. Lots of…love…drama! LOL! I miss you guys too, and I'm…glad to be missed ^_^'''

Faefolk11, I'm doing okay, things are…eh, lol, but I'm glad you enjoyed the update! Here's another! :P

NotOften, Hello new name! Welcome, hope you stick around! Here's some jealousy for you!

Italian Guest, welcome back, lol, hey, keeping your hands full with my reading material is my job ;) hopefully you keep enjoying it all.

Jenihensley, I'm glad you enjoy my writing. I know it isn't always perfect, as I have three children constant cycloning the house, but I try, lol! Here's an update, and hopefully you enjoy it enough to stick around!