Note: I work tomorrow morning... So, I thought I'd upload this now. ^-^ Thank you for all of the reviews, follows, favorites... and for reading this requested story. :)
Marinette sat in silence with Gabriel and twirled Adrien's silver ring around her right ring finger.
"What do you see in Luka that you don't see in my son?" Gabriel broke the silence and Marinette fell into a panic.
"Um… well." She rubbed her upper arm. "A few things…"
"Such as?" Gabriel clasped his hands together and looked at her.
"Well… Luka plays guitar… He always seems to care about me. He compliments me. Tells me how great I am, even when I'm not perfect. Um…" Marinette felt extremely uncomfortable telling him this.
"I see. Well." Gabriel walked over to the window in the room. "What about my son?"
Marinette touched her cheek and blushed. Gabriel smiled at her with a short laugh.
"He's… He's caring, loving, strong, funny, smart, and endearing. He makes me laugh even when I'm having a bad day. He supports everything I do… He smiles even when he's not on the inside. He puts me in my place when I'm getting lost in a fantasy world. He grounds me. He-" Marinette came back to reality and looked at his father. "He's amazing, Monsieur Agreste. But Luka can be just as endearing." She looked away.
Adrien's phone began to ring and Marinette stood up to go grab it from the plastic bag. She reached into the pocket of his jeans and took it out. Kagami's name flashed on the screen.
Marinette worried her lip and decided to answer it.
"Hey, did you work it out with Marinette?" Kagami spoke into the phone with an uplifting canter.
"Hi." Marinette looked over at Gabriel, who was busy on his phone.
"Who's this? Where's Adrien?" Kagami's voice sounded concerned.
"This is Marinette. He was in an akuma attack and is at the hospital." She heard her gasp on the other side of the phone and she quickly spoke up. "He's okay though. Don't worry."
"What did they say? What are his injuries? What?" Kagami went off on a long list of questions.
Marinette rolled her eyes and sighed. "He has two second degree burns and he is getting a ct scan right now, because he has a concussion. We think."
"What hospital? I need to see him." Kagami was frantic.
"Not now. Wait till he gets home and settled. There would be too many people here. We don't want to stress him out more. He's already stressed enough as it is." Marinette spoke the last part under her breath.
"Keep me posted." Kagami sighed and then perked up. "Hey, since I got you on the phone… did you and Adrien work things out?"
"No, we didn't. I'm not sure why I'm telling you this." Marinette rubbed her temple.
"If it helps… I really want you and Adrien to be happy together." Kagami smiled and picked at a thread on her couch.
"Then why would you have done what you did today?" Marinette felt her voice rising when she didn't mean for it to and Gabriel looked up at her.
"I was only trying to help." Kagami smiled and messed with her nails.
"By doing-" She looked over at Gabriel again and whispered. "That with him at the table?"
"How else was I going to grab your attention?" Kagami laughed.
"I don't know. By talking to me? You could have just kept touching his hand or something." Marinette argued, loudly.
The door opened and shut and Marinette turned around to find Adrien, being lead back to the bed.
He groaned, as he sat on the bed and looked at her with curious eyes.
"I had to do something more to shake you up… You're practically dead inside. It's not that hard of a choice, Mari! The man is hopelessly devoted to you!" Kagami argued. "I'd kill for someone to love me, as much as, that man loves you!"
Marinette winced and looked over at Adrien. He was busy being fussed with and making small conversation with the nurse about how much she admired his work.
She worried her bottom lip and looked from Adrien to Gabriel. She watched Gabriel gush about his brand and how it all began.
Adrien looked over at her with a genuine smile. Tired, but genuine.
"I have to go." Marinette sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Wait, just tell me this?" Kagami stopped her from hanging up. "Why Luka? Why isn't it an obvious choice?"
Marinette sighed. "How about I give you his number… and you can find out yourself."
"I'll take it." Kagami shrugged and Marinette told her his number.
"I'm gonna go now." Marinette hung up and handed the phone out to Adrien.
"Who was that?" Adrien looked up at her with curious eyes.
"Kagami. She wanted to know how WE were doing." Marinette sat back down in the chair. "Also, Nino texted you."
Adrien opened the text and read it.
Nino: I saw the akuma attack on the news. It looked crazy! Alya said Marinette went missing. Do you know where she is?
"Shit.." Adrien cursed under his breath before realizing what he could say.
Adrien: She's with me. I was caught in the akuma attack and got burnt. I also have a mild concussion.
Nino: No way, man! Are you okay? Do you need anything? Should I come see you? Where are you?
Adrien: Thanks,man. I'm okay. I'm good for now. No, it's okay Nino. I'm at a hospital. I'll let you know when I'm home.
Nino: Alright,man. Get better fast. Keep me posted.
Adrien: Will do. Thanks.
He set his phone down on the small table beside him.
"Are you okay?" Marinette looked him over.
"Yeah." Adrien cringed at the pain.
"Did they say anything?" Marinette chewed on her bottom lip.
"Not yet. They did make a comment on how good the makeshift stitches were." Adrien smiled at her with adoration.
"What stitches?" Gabriel was suddenly interested.
"Marinette helped to stitch the cut on my head." Adrien looked at her with love filled eyes and then over at his father.
"I'm glad she was there to help you." Gabriel sighed.
The doctor came in with his tablet and sat down.
"Alright." He looked over the results.
Adrien took Marinette's hand in his and she looked at him in shock. He peered at her with worried eyes and she put a smile on her lips for him.
"You have a minor skull fracture. I can also tell that while you have a concussion… there isn't any real damage to your brain. With some pain medication and rest.. You should be okay. Are you feeling nauseous at all?" The doctor looked over at Adrien, holding the CT scan image out that was on his tablet.
"A little." He admitted. He always had a strong stomach. He could thank Plagg and his cheese for that.
"I'll give you some medication to lessen that as well. We'll probably keep you for a couple days. Just to be sure you're okay." The doctor tapped stuff into his tablet. "Any questions?"
"How long until he can go back to his normal routine?" Gabriel was worried about a fashion show that Adrien had coming up.
"Probably a few months… but the pain should subside in five to ten days. Anything else?" The doctor smiled at them.
"No. That will be all. Thank you doctor." Gabriel tried to sound appreciative, but he was too busy trying to figure out how to replace his son when all of the clothes were already tailored to his measurements.
"Alright, well. I'll get a nurse to bring you those pain meds and the anti-nausea medication. We have open visiting hours, but if you'd like to be left alone… just let one of the nurses know and they can make sure you're not disturbed." The doctor stood up, opened a cabinet to pull out a large pink container, set it near Marinette, and left with a smile.
"Well. I should be going. I'll be back tomorrow." Gabriel stood up and left out the door, while a panting Luka rushed into the room.
Gabriel rolled his eyes and walked down the hallway pinching the bridge of his nose in distaste.
"Are you okay? Anything broken? What happened?" Luka was frantic and touching Adrien's arms and looking him over.
"Luka?" Adrien was in shock at seeing him.
"I kind of told him he could come see you." Marinette bit her bottom lip with a blush.
Adrien sighed and then smiled at him. "Hey, Luka."
"Are you okay?" Luka took his hand in his and looked into his eyes.
"I'm fine." Adrien slumped against the back of the raised bed and groaned at the pain.
"What happened?" Luka looked from Adrien to Marinette.
"The akuma had a flamethrower and I got caught in the crossfire." Adrien answered easily. He had said it enough already, plus it was close enough to the truth.
"That sounds awful. Were you there? Are you okay?" Luka ran over to Marinette and looked her over, just as thoroughly.
"I'm fine." Marinette smiled and her heart warmed at how much he worried about them. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." Luka smiled at them and sat at the foot of Adrien's hospital bed.
"So, what did they say?" Luka looked at the two of them.
"You tell it. I can't anymore." Adrien waved the question away, laid the bed back, and turned on his side, away from them.
Marinette told him about the burns and the fracture. How he'd be okay. That he was getting painkillers and anti-nausea meds.
Adrien suddenly felt really dizzy and he groaned. Marinette cringed and quickly tossed Luka the pink square bucket and Luka quickly held it in front of Adrien and looked away, cringing.
"Sorry." Adrien wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and blushed. "I'm sure you think I'm the grossest thing right now."
"Not at all." They spoke in unison and looked over at him.
"How can you not?" Adrien peered at them with tear rimmed eyes. "I have burns, my hair is singed, I just threw up. I'm disgusting."
Marinette got up to sit behind him on the bed. She ran her hand through his hair, careful not to get near where they had shaved around the wounds. "You're not gross. You're per-"
"Don't say it. I hear it enough. I don't want to hear it anymore." Adrien sniffed. "I hate the word perfect. It makes me feel like I have this high standard to live up to and I can't. I'm not."
"I know that, Minou." Marinette sighed and played with a strand of his hair.
"As do I." Luka touched his arm with his unoccupied hand. "I'd rather not be holding this though."
Adrien took the plastic container from him and set it on the floor in front of him.
"My father is mad at me. I can tell. Even more so because there is a fashion show coming up and I ruined it by getting in the middle of a damn akuma attack. I've disappointed him." Adrien sniffed and let more tears fall. "I've ruined his image."
"Adrien…" Marinette sighed and laid down behind him and she rubbed his arm with her hand.
Luka sighed and walked over to crouch beside his bed and he held Adrien's cheek in the palm of his hand. "I'm going to be honest with you… Just bear with me." Luka bit his bottom lip.
Adrien internally cringed, but he kept it hidden well. He sighed into Marinette's caresses.
"Here's your medication…" The nurse walked in and was shocked to find him between two people. "Should I come back?"
"No, no it's okay." Adrien waved them away and slowly sat up.
The nurse smiled and handed him his pills in a cup and a container of jello. "It's easier to take them with a little food." She took the bucket to clean it while, she waited for him to eat and take the pills. She set the bucket back next to the bed and left them alone.
"Merci." Adrien laid back down on his side and Luka went back to looking him in the eyes. Marinette played with his hair again and he sighed into her touches. Her fingers in his hair always calmed him.
"This whole ordeal started with me wanting Marinette. I still do want her, but… I've also realized something else. I was denying it for so long, but I- I don't think I can anymore." Luka sighed and looked up at him through his aqua tipped hair.
Marinette blushed and bit her lower lip.
"I think through this whole process I've also fallen in love with you." Luka confessed and a blush came to his cheeks.
Adrien's eyes went wide at Luka's confession and his cheeks turned red. He didn't know how to take the new information. "I-"
Luka pressed his finger to Adrien's lips. "Before you say anything. Let me explain."
Adrine nodded and cringed at how his head spun and his neck hurt.
"I like Marinette. I really do. But… I miss having you around. I miss all three of us. I miss being a 3 person group. I miss having fun with you. I miss the competition over Marinette." Luka admitted. "I miss us. Not just you, Adrien, but all of us. The three of us."
Adrien suddenly smirked at Luka. "I don't want to play with your emotions. I've done enough of that. I used to hate you. I used to find you alarming, but… I can see how Marinette could want you. I'm actually kind of… intimidated by you. You're really talented… not only with music but… in bed." He blushed at his admission. He touched his head. "I can't believe I just said that."
Marinette giggled at them both.
Adrien suddenly felt really tired. "I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to stay awake." He yawned.
"It's okay. You need rest." Luka stood up and sat in the chair.
"Are you staying?" Adrien raised an eyebrow at Luka.
"Why not?" Luka shrugged and Adrien made a complaining sound.
"He's worried about you." Marinette kissed Adrien's cheek. "Let him worry."
"Yeah, well he can worry at home too." Adrien spoke under his breath.
"Easy… kitty. Don't get your tail all in a twist." Marinette smirked at her own joke.
"Ha ha, very funny." Adrien complained, before he let sleep take him under with Marinette's fingers trailing along his spine.
"Is he really okay?" Luka bit his bottom lip and looked at Marinette.
She looked beautiful with how she was positioned. He took in how she was laying on her side with her head propped up on her elbow. How her eyelids were half closed and a soft smile played on her lips. How her fingers gracefully ran up and down Adrien's spine.
"He'll be okay." Marinette smiled down at Adrien, sleeping peacefully.
Luka sighed and his heart hurt, as he felt the familiar feeling of defeat, once again.