Marinette tucked away her notes, reassuring herself that there was no need to worry. They were just going to be studying together, she was only going to be helping him catch up on his work. He only wanted to be friends, good friends, like her and Alya were. She inhaled deeply to calm her nerves, reminding herself it wasn't Adrien so she was less likely to make a fool of herself. Right?

Luka looked her over, his brows furrowed together in concern. "Are you alright Marinette? You've been staring at your bag for a while there," he pointed out. For the short time he had known and hung out with the girl, he had come to know that whenever she stared at something for a prolonged period of time, something was on her mind.

Marinette blinked a few times, concentrating her thoughts back to the person in front of her. "Oh, yes. I'm totally fine, nothing wrong here," she promised, waving it off like it was nothing. "W-we should be going if we want to start studying right away," she said swiftly.

Adrien watched from the corner of his eye as the two left the classroom. He told himself he had to finish some notes, that's why he was staying behind. Not because he was jealous of the two of them hanging out together. Definitely not that.

"What are you thinking?" Plagg looked up at his miraculous holder, seeing that knowing look on his face. Eyebrows scrunched together, eyes deep in thought, lips drawn tight. It was a look that said he had a plan, one that was most likely not going to end well.

"What? Nothing, just wanted to make sure I got all my notes together," he said, glancing into the hallway. There they were. The two of them walking down the hall, Marinette giggling about something Luka had said. Before his kwami could say anything else, he grabbed his bag and followed them, keeping close enough to see, but not be seen.

He quickly ducked behind the stairs, watching them from between the slots in the steps. It was hard to keep an eye on them with all the people constantly walking in front of his view, but he managed.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Nino eyed him curiously. He could tell something was off with his best friend, ever since the day started he had been acting strange. But, whenever he brought it up Adrien would just deflect his questions and bury himself in his work.

"He's jealous Marinette's been spending all day with Luka," Alya teased, a large grin plastered on her face. She had seen the look of jealousy all over Adrien's face from the back of the classroom, even if he couldn't.

Adrien turned to his two friends, clenching and unclenching his fists nervously. "I-I'm not jealous. I'm just...concerned for Marinette. We don't know much about Luka, so I'm making sure that she's safe," he stated firmly, trying to convince them and himself that he wasn't jealous of them. He was just being a good friend looking out for her well being.

"Right…" Alya drew out her words, knowing very well that was not the case. They both saw the way he looked at Marinette all day, the way he clenched his pencil every time he heard her laughing or the curses he muttered under his breath about Luka.

"Dude, you have to let this go, it's just not healthy," Nino said, settling a hand on his shoulder. His face was full of concern. Just how far was he willing to take this? If they didn't try and stop him now, he might get hurt or worse, hurt Marinette and they would hate to see her upset.

Adrien sighed in defeat. Nino was right, they both were. They were just friends, what could Luka do anyway? It wasn't like they were going to hang out at Marinette's house and do anything other than study, right? He looked up at both his friends, his lips curling into a smile. "Alright, I promise to stop."

Adrien threw his bag on his bed, falling back into the desk chair. He spun around a few times, staring up at the ceiling. Were Alya and Nino right? Was he really jealous of Marinette and Luka? No, he was just looking out for her as a good friend should and he was in love with Ladybug, not Marinette.

"I wonder what the two love birds are up to," Plagg cooed, looking through his selection of cheeses. "You know Adrien, they're like me and cheese. When I find a brand of cheese I really like, I'd do anything to be able to have it," the cat kwami stated, picking out a triangle of swiss.

Adrien leaned on his desk, staring at his computer monitors. Plagg couldn't be right, could he? All he thought about was cheese, he knew nothing about love. But then again...maybe he was right. "Maybe I'll just drop in, you know, to say hi."

Plagg shoved his cheese into his mouth, wiping away the crumbs. "Aren't you forgetting that you promised Alya and Nino you would stop," he reminded his miraculous holder. Even if he was deep in his consumption of cheese, he remembered that at the very least.

"I promised, but I never said anything about Chat Noir," his lips curled into a smirk.

Chat hopped from roof to roof, making his way to the Dupain-Chang bakery. The whole way there he kept telling himself that he was only going to check in on the two. He was just making sure they were studying like they had said they would. Just a quick look, then he would get back home.

He stopped on the roof of a building right beside the bakery, his gaze fixated on the building. It was cute, quaint and had really good pastries. But he wasn't there to get a snack, not today. He slid his baton so it was a magnifier, positioning it so it was directly in Marinette's window.

Marinette was sitting in her desk chair, text open on her lap. "Okay, so if you try and do the problem like this, then you'll end up with a negative," she scribbled on a piece of paper, showing him the problem.

Luka was barely paying attention, he was writing down lyrics and notes, not math equations. He was startled when the sheet was snatched from his hands and when he looked up, he was only greeted by Marinette's stern gaze. His face flushed as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Sorry Marinette, I guess I'm having a hard time focusing."

"If you're going to catch up you have to focus. What are you writing anyway?" she asked, hanging the paper back to him. She would be lying if she said she wasn't the least bit curious, but she felt it was wrong to pry and not ask.

"I'll tell you when it's ready," he promised, smiling lightly. Luka set the page down, placing his hand over hers gently. "You're really great at tutoring, but I just don't think I'm getting the material very well. It's different than homeschooling, you know?" he gave her a half smile.

Marinette nodded as if she understood what he meant. "I'm sure you'll get it, it just takes some adjusting," she assured him, hating to see him put himself down for being schooled a bit differently. "We'll keep working at it till you get it," she promised, wanting to help him in any way she could.

"You're an amazing girl, you know that Marinette," Luka smiled, leaning toward her a little more. "And if it's alright with you, I'd like to get to know you more," he said gently, not wanting to scare her away. He didn't want to pressure her into anything she was uncomfortable with, but he also didn't want to keep his feelings hidden from her forever.

Marinette's cheeks flushed red and she turned her head away to try and hide the growing blush. She always convinced herself that her heart belonged to Adrien, that he was the only one for her. But, he never seemed to notice or reciprocate her feelings. How long was she going to play this game of cat and mouse, how much longer was she willing to wait for him.

But here was Luka, someone she liked, maybe more than friends, someone who was putting his feelings on a silver platter for her. Maybe it was time to consider other guys, to push Adrien out of her heart and let someone else in. After all, if she waited on Adrien too long she might lose her chance at happiness.

"You don't have to answer now," Luka said softly. "Just, think about it, alright?" he leaned toward her, lightly kissing her cheek. The feeling of his lips against her skin made her heart flutter.

Marinette turned her head back to him, her gaze locked on his. "I-I'll think about it," she promised, smiling with sincerity. She could still feel his lips against her cheek and it made her face redden considerably.

Marinette's face wasn't the only one that was bright red. Chat Noir was angry, no, it wasn't anger, it was rage. He turned his back on the bakery, claws twitching as if ready to pounce upon prey. He had to get to Marinette first before Luka could, convince her that he was better than that guitar playing hippie.

"Get ready Luka because this, this means war."

I know I'm a day late, I apologize! I wrote this yesterday, but after getting half way through I didn't like how it was turning out. I put it aside and decided a good night's sleep would help me finish it and it did!

If I am ever late with a chapter, it's because I would rather spend some more time giving you guys a quality chapter than rushing it just to meet deadlines.

This was suggested by Lady blog when I originally posted this series. And don't worry, there will be a part three in the future!

Also wanted to comment on some of your reviews!

Angelwings 2002 - I loved writing the river conversation. I always try to add a bit of humor to every chapter. So glad you enjoyed Chapters 10 and 11 as well!

Funkyfandom - I am planning a part 2 of "The Alya Connection", but details are still being worked out, so be on the lookout for it next year!

Lillibug190513 - Exactly why I added it at the end! It's everyone's biggest annoyance whenever Adrien says it, so I just had to include it!

Kiwi - Chapter 8 was another one I enjoyed writing, especially having sneaky Alya and Nino. Exactly my thought after Chapter 9, lol. I wanted to make it entirely comedic as making bets usually never turns out well.