"Hey Adrien." Adrien turned towards the other members of the band or crew, he wasn't sure about how these people talked but now he could easily learn.
"We were gonna grab some lunch and you're welcomed to join us."
"You mean it?" Adrien stood up and looked at them with wide eyes.
"Of course, we'd all love to get to know you more." Luka gestured to everyone behind him, who all nodded in agreement. "Oh and Nino you're welcome to join us."
"Sure thing." Nino turned toward Adrien. "Come on Adrien it will be fun."
"Well..." Adrien quickly glanced down to his bag and saw Plagg giving him the kwami version of a thumbs up. "Sure, why not."
"So Adrien, you new in town?" Ivan asked as the group started walking into town.
"Yes I just moved in to one of Nino's family's places with a friend of mine Kagami."
"Like a girlfriend?" Mylene asked sheepishly.
"Oh no. We're not together like that. We, um just needed a new start."
"That is understandable." Luka paused in walking and everyone paused to look at him. "Some folks aren't dealt the best lot in life. Sadly many of them remain stuck in a cycle. Never able to escape and find something better. Adrien I don't know what your old life brought you but I hope you find whatever you were missing here."
"Wow thanks Luka." Adrien smiled and rubbed the back of his head.
"It's no problem Adrien."
The group eventually settled on a small place that everyone else seemed to frequent. With everyone greeting some of the staff like old friends. Or maybe they were friends. He couldn't tell.
As the group waited for food Adrien couldn't help but notice how warm everyone was with each other. When eating with his parents, meals were more often than not silent. Or at the very least regarding him. He could remember his parents talking to each other. If they talked to him during meals it was about his plans for the day at breakfast or his father criticizing him. Sometimes they wouldn't even show up at all. Here everyone was talking, sharing laughs, just seeming to enjoy themselves. With everyone making sure Adrien was apart of it all.
"You know Luka," Juleka said after they were chatting for a while. "I heard from Rose that Marinette got an invitation to Chloe's ball. We were thinking of sneaking you in. So you can, you know. Um, have a moment."
"Juleka I understand but Marinette and I are better of as just friends. I know you want us to be happy together but we want different things."
"Yeah with all her traveling I doubt she find a relationship easily."
"Well." Juleka leaned in closer and gestured for everyone else to move in closer. "You didn't hear it from me, but I heard from a little pink bird that Marinette was spotted with a strange new guy. He might be her date for this ball."
"Glad to see she's able to even find a guy with all the traveling." Ivan laughed a little and Mylene even laughed along.
"Good for Marinette," Adrien thought to himself with a smile. "She deserves a happy relationship. But it's strange I want to feel happy for her but I also feel upset with it."
"It's coming along nicely Marinette!" Tikki flew around the dress Marinette was working on before floating next to her.
"Thanks Tikki." Marinette glanced at her before looking back at the dress. "I hope it isn't too simple. It is a ball after all."
"You know you have two fairies at your disposal." Nathaniel gestured to him and Marc.
"I know and I really appreciate it." Marinette smiled. "But I would really like to make..."
Before Marinette could finish her sentence, a strong gush of wind burst through Marinette's window. The four room occupants stood there frozen before they heard a small thud. Marinette turned to see Kagami standing by her now busted window.
"Kagami it's not that I don't appreciate surprise visits," Marinette said as she fixed her hair. "But could you at least use the door? And not bust my window."
"You have magic on your side," Kagami said as she walked away.
"That doesn't give you a right to bust in like that!"
"Yeah one of us could have gotten..."
"Do you two mind!" Kagami barked, somehow blasting the two fairies away.
"Kagami please just tell me why your here?"
"Cause I haven't seen Adrien since this morning, so I figured he was here."
"And the window busting?"
"To scare him..."
"Well you're out of luck I haven't seen him since you moved." Marinette sighed and frowned a little. She started to work more on her dress.
"Marinette!" As if on cue, Adrien burst through the lift to her room. "I heard the good news!"
"Good news?" Marinette turned around to face him as Adrien climbed into the room.
"About going to the ball." Adrien paused and looked down for a moment. "With a guy friends of yours."
"Um hello." Kagami turned towards Marinette. "Adrien is right there! You know the one you woke up with your kiss."
"Okay yes I am going to a ball but I am going alone. I don't know you told you that I had a date." Marinette looked between her two friends.
"Oh your friend Juleka!"
"Oh I'm glad you met her." Marinette's voice went back to chipper and she smiled. "How'd you do that?"
"Well it's cause I joined her band as a piano player!"
"You joined a band?" Kagami gasped and shook her head a little.
"Yeah I was out looking for a job when I ran into Nino."
"Nino?" Kagami raised an eyebrow.
"Our landlord's son, remember? He came to check in on us after we first moved in." Adrien paused for a moment. "Oh right you had left already when he showed up. He's a cool guy."
"Well it's great you found job!" Marinette smiled warmly at him. Adrien smiled back at her before noticing something behind her.
"Um what happened to the window?"
"Oh Kagami busted through it cause she looking for you."
"But there's a door..."
"Enough about the window." Kagami stepped in-between Marinette and Adrien. "Adrien why didn't you tell me you went out to find a job?"
"Because I didn't feel like I had too." Kagami continued to glare at Adrien, causing his voice to shake a little. "We need money and I can't lay the whole burden on you. I have to do something. Kagami I know you want to protect me but I still need to make my own choices."
"Alright, just promise me you'll be careful." Adrien nodded immediately and Kagami smiled at him.
"Oh now Marinette can you tell me about this ball?" Adrien looked at Marinette with eyes full of wonder.
"You said you're going alone right?" Kagami asked.
"Well, yes," Marinette responded nervously.
"And if this is still around, you were given a plus one?" Marinette slowly nodded. "Perfect you can bring Adrien."
"That's what we've been saying!" Everyone turned to see Marc and Nathaniel had returned and were floating in the broken window.
"Adrien," Marinette spoke softly and walked over to him. She could hear her friends squeal in the background. "I'm not going to force you to go. But if you do want to go you are welcomed to come."
"I'd love to go!" Adrien cheered, along with Marinette's friends.
"It's okay, I understand..." Marinette froze for a second. "Did you just agree?"
"I did!" Adrien bounced in place a little. "It's been so long since been to a ball. Even before the long slumber. It's gonna be so much fun! Oh I hope there's dancing. Dancing will be so much fun!"
"And don't worry about the outfit," Marc said flying over.
"Yeah we'll take care of it!" Nathaniel flew next to Marc before turning around. "After we fix the window of course."
"Guess everything is settle then," Marinette cheered awkwardly.
"Alright everything is all set," Kagami said as she closed the last curtain in their home.
"Perfect now we can work in peace," Nathaniel said as he and Marc crawled out of a bag. "Now do you have the things we asked for?"
"Here's the black clothes I was able to get." Adrien said placing it on the table.
"Oh this is very nice." Nathaniel gently brushed his hand across them.
"And got my hands on the best materials for accents I could find." Kagami placed a box on the table. Inside of it was an assortment of accessories, gemstones, and even a pair of shoes.
"How did you even get all these?" Adrien asked as he peaked into the box.
"I have my ways." Kagami smirked and brushed her hands together.
"As long as you didn't kill anyone." Adrien took a small step back.
"Thank you Kagami we can get some work out of this," Nathaniel said as he dug through the box. His smile and eagerness growing with every second.
"And with the thread Marinette gave us we're all set to make the perfect outfit for the ball!" Marc cheered as he held said thread up.
"What even the big deal with this any way?" Plagg asked. "All this fuss for a fancy outfit for a fancy party?"
"A fancy party that has a lot of good food." Adrien smirked as Plagg turned his head. "Which would include cheese."
"Oh man it's been so long since I had good cheese!" Plagg jittered in his spot.
"Well if you help, you come with me and get your hands on some."
"Okay I'm in!" Plagg flew up to the box and started digging through it.
"Guess we can get started." Nathaniel picked up the black clothes and handed them back to Adrien. "First step is Adrien put these on. We'll go through the box of stuff."
"Try these on too!" Marc added flying over with the shoes from the box. "Not sure if they'll fit but it wouldn't hurt to try."
Adrien nodded before leaving the room. Soon he heard the others digging through. He laughed a little before starting to change. He looked at the outfit with a smile. It was a simple jacket and pants. It wasn't much but he bought it himself and that's what mattered to him. He found himself posing in the mirror and laughed to himself. Looking at the shoes, he tried them on and to his surprise they were a perfect fit.
"Alright I have it on," announced Adrien he walked in. Stretching out his arms to show the full outfit. "And the shoes fit perfectly."
"Knew they would," Kagami beamed with her arms crossed.
"Perfect!" Nathaniel cheered as he flew over to Adrien. "Now the magic can begin."
"I hope I don't regret this," Marinette said as she leaned on her wall.
"But this dress is beautiful." Tikki turned towards Marinette. "Oh you mean about taking Adrien. Well if he didn't want to go he would have said something."
"He better not have yes because of me," Marinette mumbled as she started to pace around the room.
"Well, I don't know Adrien that well but I doubt he did." Tikki paused. "One thing to remember is the curse took effect on his birthday and Plagg said his parents had a large ball planned for him."
"Oh like he might be sad he missed out?" Marinette asked and Tikki nodded. "I guess balls would have fun for him. Then as his friend, it's up to me to make sure he has a great time!"