Tuesday brought with it a promise for Marinette that there was nothing to do today other than go over to a handsome boy's house and learn some guitar. As far as to-do lists go, this one's pretty short and sweet… or tall and hot. She smiled and got out of bed.
"This is the most willing I've ever seen you to wake up!" Tikki chirped. "Who are you, and what have you done with Marinette?"
Marinette laughed. "Tikki, I have nothing to do today, except go over to a boy's house and watch him make beautiful music! If every day were like this, I don't think I would have any problems getting out of bed! Speaking of…" She picked up her phone. "I should text Luka and see what time he wants me over."
[Marinette] What time should I show up to play? :)
"Ooh, someone is in a good mood today!" Tikki commented.
Marinette laughed and twirled her hair, waiting for a response.
[Luka] 1?
[Marinette] Sounds perfect. See you then! :-*
She pocketed her phone and went downstairs to eat breakfast. Sabine was at the counter enjoying a cup of coffee. "Hi, honey! I didn't expect to see you up for another couple of hours! Are you feeling ok?"
Marinette grumbled good-naturedly. "I just have a feeling that today's going to be a great day! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping…"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say it sounds like you are in love, Marinette! Let me see… another guitar lesson with Luka today?"
"That's right! I'm going over to his house at one this afternoon." She poured herself a bowl of cereal. "Mom, how soon after you met Dad did you know that he was the one?"
"Already having those thoughts, are we?" Sabine teased with a twinkle in her eye. Marinette pinked and added milk to her cereal. "Let me see… Tom and I met about 20 years ago. I was just finishing up University, and he had taken an apprenticeship at the local bakery. Every morning before class, I started going to the bakery for breakfast. Even though I fell in love with the amazing coffee they had there and the wonderful chocolate croissants, I kept going back there because of Tom. There he was, a large, friendly boy who loved what he did, and it shone through so much! It was infectious," she laughed. "It got to the point where I looked forward to seeing him more than getting my breakfast. He was so full of energy that I cheered up with even the thought of him! I realized that I wanted that boost every day, regardless of whether or not I was at the bakery."
"So… just like that? Love at first sight?"
"Not exactly, honey. It took a bit of work to get to know each other, and that was hard! Since he had to be up early every morning for the bakery and I was up studying late at night, we rarely saw each other outside of the bakery. When we did manage to steal some time together, it took some time for him to come out of his shell. Turns out, when he wasn't behind the counter of a bakery or slinging bread dough, he was actually very shy. I thought he was intimidating because of his size, but he thought I was intimidating because I was a girl who was interested in him."
"I have a hard time imagining Dad being intimidated by anything!" Marinette grinned.
"Well now you do, sure. But it took him a long time to develop that confidence. It was almost like he was one person in certain situations and another person in other situations. I wanted to make sure that I knew which one was the real Tom Dupain before I really, fully gave my heart to him. It turned out that he was a bit of both people: loud and boisterous… but also sweet and shy at the same time. I'm sorry… I went off on a huge tangent there. Did that help, dear?" She reached out and put her hand on Marinette's.
"It did a bit, Mom. Thanks. You know, I think that's part of the reason why things never one hundred percent clicked with Adrien. I mean, I was totally ga-ga over him for the longest time - and part of me still is, to be honest - but I wonder if I was only infatuated with who he presented himself as. As I got to know him, he turned out to be a really sweet boy. We've become such good friends that it's hard for me to imagine dating him at this point," Marinette conceded. "With Luka, though… I have romance… we share creative stuff… I'm still getting to know him, of course, but he sees me and responds to me as more than a friend! And I think that's what I like about him the most!"
"It sounds like this ship is sailing, then!"
"I really think it is, Mom! Like I said, we're still getting used to each other, but I like Luka a lot! And it's more than just a silly crush, too… I think this is something a lot more meaningful," she blushed.
"Follow your heart, dear, and it won't steer you wrong." Sabine looked at the clock and sighed. "It's time for me to get back down to the bakery so your father can start the afternoon bread. It was good to talk with you, honey. Thanks for thinking of me." She got up from her chair, gave Marinette a kiss on the forehead, and left the apartment.
The rest of the morning passed in a whirlwind. Marinette finished putting the pants for the band together and started work on the shirts. She sang her favorite Jagged Stone song to herself as she marked, pinned, and cut the fabric. After a quick lunch, she showered and got dressed in a dark blue t-shirt and light blue denim capris and headed over to the houseboat.
"Ahoy there!" Anarka Couffaine called down from her perch in the crow's nest.
Marinette looked up at her and waved. "Hello, Mrs. Couffaine!"
"I've told ye a hundred times, lass, the name's Anarka. You here to see my son, Marinette? He be below decks in his room, go right ahead!"
"Thanks!" she called up as she boarded the boat. Marinette paused and looked at the compass in the cabin, smiled, and went down the stairs to Luka's room. "Hey, you!" she called out. She followed the sound of guitar music and found Luka sitting on his bed playing a soft melody.
Marinette leaned in and gave Luka a quick kiss on the lips. Standing up straight and laughing nervously, she said… "Ok... um… ready for a guitar lesson?" She sat down next to him on the bed.
"Sure! But first… tell me how you're doing! Everything OK with you and your… friend?" He looked at her with concern.
Which one? Time to fudge the truth a bit. "Things are getting better there. We spoke and I was able to support them as best I could. How are things with you?" That didn't go so bad...
"Gearing up for the Battle of the Bands. We've got another rehearsal tomorrow night… you should come by!"
"Oh no, not tomorrow night, that's awful… I've got more family stuff to do again." The lie came easily to Marinette since she decided that was her alibi for Master Fu's training. I hate liars and lying… but this is necessary. One day, I'll be able to tell the boy I love about everything.
"It's OK, rehearsals probably aren't that fun if you're just watching… it's probably not fun to play the same songs over and over again, either. That's a shame… I was hoping to have you there."
Me too. "I'll make it up to you! How about Thursday? We can go get some ice cream!"
Luka beamed. "I'd like that. It's a date!"
"Good. Now, let's get down to business…" she smiled and flashed the Jagged Stone pick he had given her. "Let me show you what I can do!" She picked up the guitar, got her fingers into position and strummed a G major chord. "Not bad, huh?"
"Wow, Marinette, that's great! You're a natural. Let me show you another chord then. This one is a C major." He reached out and adjusted Marinette's fingers on the fretboard. "OK… now try it."
Marinette watched Luka's fingers on her own and blushed. She strummed and something resembling a C major chord came from the guitar.
"Almost there! Press down a bit harder… move this finger back from the fret a bit… now try again."
The pick glided over the strings, producing a much brighter sound. "I C… majorly," Marinette chuckled. Good gracious, Chat Noir is really rubbing off on me. I pun more in my civilian identity than I do behind the mask these days!
Luka gave her a blank stare, then smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, um, that's sounding great! Now, let me show you how to get from one chord to the next. Play these two notes… this is called a walking bass line. You walk up to the C note from the G note, like this." He reached over and pressed her fingers to the strings while strumming them. "So you play the G major chord, these two notes, then the C major chord. May I?"
Marinette nodded and Luka reached around her to demonstrate. She relaxed into his arms as he played one chord, the walking line, and then the other chord. The rhythm of his playing calmed her a bit as she closed her eyes and nestled into him.
"..try?" Luka said.
Marinette jolted. 'Huh?" Whoops! I'm really not good at keeping my head around boys, it looks like… here with Luka, yesterday with Adrien… I wonder if he's doing any better today...
"I said, do you want to give this a try? Hey, are you OK? You seem distracted." He rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Oh! Sorry - I was getting a little too comfortable, I guess. I'd love to try!" She reached around the guitar and played the chords as Luka showed her.
"You've got it! Great job!"
She reached behind her and threaded her fingers through Luka's hair. "Thank you for walking up to C me, Luka…" I swear, that cat and his puns are going to be the death of me!
She turned her head to face his and slowly kissed him.
Serket was prowling the room, with Mr. Chou warily looking at her. "You seem like you are getting more and more comfortable in the suit, my friend. I would not recommend getting too comfortable. Spending too much time with the kwami of Vengeance may not have positive results."
"What's not to enjoy, Chou?" Serket smiled. "My senses are augmented much more than usual. I feel - alive - again, finally. After so many years in darkness, my life has purpose! And Namma… Namma helps me channel the rage I have bottled up for so long now. You worry about Vengeance? After we get the secrets of the Miracle Box and the Miraculous for ourselves, everybody who ever wronged my family will be trembling at the thought of us!"
"This rage you feel blinds you, old friend."
"Better to be blinded by rage then blinded by trust! I have bided my time for too long! My father gave his life searching for the Miraculous. He was ridiculed, ostracized… forgotten! How quickly a country will turn its back on its champion once that champion shows weakness! We were cast out, forced to live off what little prestige he had and the charity of others! I managed to rebuild myself, and now... I have access to unlimited resources! An entire empire, at my disposal!"
"Soon, my friend. We will both avenge your father and his memory. I will take my rightful place as the Guardian of the Miraculous from that old fool, and nobody will be able to stop us! My quest for the Miraculous has been fruitful. I have been able to detect traces of the Miraculous magic in very… unlikely places. Between that and your efforts to draw out the heroes, we should be led to the Guardian in no time at all, now."
"Let us plan our next attack, then. My ancestors will have reason to celebrate! The Miraculous will be ours!"
Adrien was sitting at his desk, doodling. Kagami said that we were going to do something today, but for the life of me I have no idea what… or when. He had spent the day removing the self-imposed barricade at his bedroom door and had allowed Nathalie to bring him some food. His bedroom was now rearranged, with the video arcade machines and foosball table pushed up against the rock wall. In the open space created, Adrien had set a small table and a chair so he could sit and look out on the Paris daytime and reflect.
His phone buzzed.
[Kagami] I'm here! Come on downstairs.
Adrien shrugged. "I guess we're going somewhere, Plagg."
"You don't sound too excited about that, kid. What's the hangup?"
"I guess I'm excited… I don't know, though."
"You can't sit around your room for the rest of your life. Let a friend take care of you and help you get out a bit. You could use the fresh air."
"I guess," Adrien repeated.
Poor kid has been going back-and-forth between these moods for a couple of days now… which is understandable. Hopefully he snaps out of it soon, but it will probably take something big for him to do that. I'm not sure if even Ladybug can keep him permanently cheered up. He's gotta vent to someone and learn to stop putting on the 'perfect son' act, otherwise he's going to blow up. Pretending a problem doesn't exist never makes it go away. "Hey… Adrien. Look, just try to have fun tonight, OK? You owe it to yourself."
"I'll try, Plagg." He affixed a smile on his face and headed downstairs. Kagami was waiting for him, wearing torn jeans and a white London Underground t-shirt. "Kagami! It's good to see you." They greeted each other with la bise. "What are our plans for the evening?" Seeing her like this is so… different. She's usually very formal and put-together.
"Well, first, Adrien, we are going to go shopping. Second, we are going to see what happens next! Come on!" She took him by the hand and led him out the door.
Over an hour later, Adrien was standing in front of the mirror at the thrift shop, wide-eyed. Instead of his usual ensemble, he was wearing an red snapback hat, a yellow Vans t-shirt, baggy blue jeans, and white sneakers.
"You look great, Adrien, don't worry," Kagami reassured him.
"That's not what I'm worried about," he said. "Father would kill me if he saw me in this."
"Mission accomplished, then, don't you think? One, it's a good look for you. Two, nobody is expecting to see the Adrien Agreste dressed in anything other than Gabriel. You've got a signature look; it's time to explore and find something that's really you, Adrien." She put her hand on his arm. "Do you trust me?"
Adrien shrugged and said nothing.
"I understand how you feel. Growing up in a strong family tradition can be difficult. Taking the time to find your own voice is important. I can help you with that," she offered, eyes looking off to her left. "I just want you to be happy, Adrien. I want you to find the real Adrien Agreste. Can we do that… together?" She looked him in the eyes and smiled. "I know I don't come across as the warmest person, and a lot of that has to do with who I was expected to be. That said, I know what I want. You are kind and brave and smart and talented and… well, gorgeous. I like all of those things. But you're not happy." Her tone was soft, but fierce. "You're not real. You showed me a bit of the real Adrien at the cafe. I want to see all of the real Adrien. Understand?"
Adrien nodded skeptically, eyes not leaving the mirror.
Kagami cupped his face in her hands and turned his head toward her. "Trust me," she said. "Now, let's pay for this and get you out of here. You look like you could use a fun time, and I know just the place." She grinned. "Next stop: the Jarden des Tuileries for the summer carnival! Maybe you can win me a stuffed animal." She took his elbow and led him to the cashier, where they paid and departed into the night, the discarded Gabriel clothes still on the floor of the dressing room at the shop.