Ugh, this chapter was annoying because I got half a good 1/3 of the way through and went to go do something which made a majority of that 1/3 erase. How fucking lame.

Adrien Agreste sat in the steps of his school early the next day waiting for a particular blonde girl. When he was Cat Noir, Adrien found it so easy to be close to Lucy. They had a connection that pulled at him but that connection had its limitations. To keep his identity hidden as Cat Noir, Adrien couldn't talk to Lucy about certain things. She didn't seem to mind. It was only on occasion that Lucy and he ended up talking to seriously. Most nights, the pair talked about nothing in particular, but it felt like they were talking about the most important things.

"Hey dude. What are you doing?" Nino asked walking up to his model friend.

Adrien smiled and looked at Nino, but made no move to get up from the steps.

"Hey Nino. I'm just waiting for Lucy to get here. I want to talk to her about something."

Nino raised an eyebrow and gave Adrien a smirk.

"Is that so?" He asked leaning toward the blonde boy. "Have eyes on ol'Lucy goosey huh?"

Adrien blushed as his friends suggestive tone and shook his head while grabbing the back of his neck.

"No no! Its not like that!" He said regaining her composure. Adrien gave Nino a look of sincerity. "I just want to make sure she is okay after being akumatized."

The smirk on Nino's face went away at Adrien's words. "Oh, right. That's rough." Adrien watched as Nino went into thought, probably thinking about his own time Akumatized. Like most, Nino didn't ask too many questions about his time as the Bubbler. That didn't mean he never heard about what he had done, nor did it mean he had let it go. Knowing you were a villain, even if while under control of someone else, didn't make the victims of an akuma any less guilty. Having someone manipulate your emotions that way can't be an easy pill to swallow. Adrien wondered if Nino had similar feelings about being akumatized as Lucy. If he felt The Bubbler was some dark part of him that would always be in the back of his mind. The sound of laughter caught Adrien's attention as he looked past Nino to see Alya, Marinette and Lucy approaching. Alya and Marinette laughed together as Lucy simply smiled at the two. Now or never.

"Hello girls." Adrien greeted with a smile.

"Oh! Uh-hey Adrien! Funny seeing you here!" Marinette said with an awkward laugh.

"At school?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.

Marinette froze a moment before continuing to laugh. Alya sighed and placed her hand to her forehead while Lucy snorted.

"Mari, I can't with you sometimes." Adrien laughed a little too. Marinette could be strange sometimes.

"Aaaanyway," he went on, looking to Lucy. "Can I talk to you."

"Sure." Lucy said casually.

"Oh, um, privately." Adrien re-spoke, earning a frown from Lucy.

"Uh, no."

"No?" Adrien asked confused.

"Any time someone wants to talk in private its to give bad news, no thanks."

He shook his head at her. "It's not bad news."

"Oh!" She perked up. "Then its good news, in which I am sure can be shared with others!"

"Yeah we wanna know the good news too Adrien." Alya said with her arms crossed. Marinette remained silent looking between the two.

"Spill the beans man." Lucy added with a smile.

"Um, well, I mean-" Adrien fumbled. "It's not good news either, its not news at all. I just-" He scratched the back of his neck. This wasn't how he saw this going. "I'm trying to have a moment here!" He said with a small laugh.

"A moment?!" Marinette squeaked out.

"With Lucy?" Alya asked while Nino nudged Adrien's arm with his elbow while wiggling his eyebrows.

Lucy remained unfazed by their friends words however.

"Then go ahead. Have your moment. Right here, right now. What's up?"

Lucy was never one to beat around the bush. In her perspective, if you have something to say, just say it, and if its something you need to say in private then wait to find that person alone. Dragging them away from people just makes room for assumptions and allegations that will later have to be explained. Who has time for that?

"Here and now?" Adrien repeated.

"Here and now."

"Yeah, alright fine!" He said and Lucy smiled awaiting his words.

And then he hugged her.

Lucy froze for a moment but slowly brought her arms up his back and rested her chin on his shoulder. She could feel his grip tighten as she brought her face down a little and closed her eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly. Of course she would think he was hugging her for his own benefit. A moment later he pulled away keeping his hands on her upper arms.

"You got akumatized."

A sad look washed over Lucy's face. "Yeah, I know."

"Are you okay?"

Lucy hadn't expected this this morning. She had planned to keep her sorrow to herself. From where she stood, telling people your pain, showing them your scars didn't help anything, it only seemed to make everyone's life worse. But there was something about the way he was looking at her. There was something so familiar about it but when she tried to think on it too hard it put her mind in a fog. All she knew was that her friend was standing in front of her asking if she was okay, and she couldn't find it in her to lie to him.

"My dad died." She admitted, earning looks of shock from her other friends.

"Wait what?" Marinette asked moving to Lucy's side. The jealousy in her veins vanishing at the girls confession. Alya moved to Lucy's other side and took a hold of her hand.

"Oh girl...I'm so sorry."

"That's why I got so crazy about the watch. He left it to me and it was all so fresh and then it got crushed and I just..." Lucy trailed off.

"Don't sweat it Lucy, no one is holding it against you." Nino added with a small smile.

"So to answer your question, I've been better, but you know."

"I do." Adrien said with a serious tone and their friends looked at him with equal sympathy. It was then that Lucy had realized that Adrien never really mentioned his mother before. She bit her bottom lip before pushing herself forward to give him another hug. One for him this time. Unlike Lucy, Adrien did not hesitate to hug her back. It was just a hug, but gods, it meant so much. It meant everything. Suddenly without words three other pairs of arms wrapped around the two of them.

"What are you all doing?" Chloe's voice rang out as she looked at them as if she was witnessing something horrific. Lucy laughed as she wiped away a stray tear from her eye.

"What Chloe? You don't ever just get in the mood for a group hug?" She asked smiling. "Come on the more the merrier." Lucy opened her arms and walked toward Chloe who backed away with her hand out.

"Do not touch me! Especially like that. Your..sadness is going to get all over me." She shuddered an strutted away with Sabrina following close behind.

"Were you seriously about to hug Chloe." Marinette asked, scrunching her face in distaste.

"Chloe might need a hug. Maybe more than anyone. That or an ass whoopin'. Or you know what? Maybe both."

"Yeah, one more than the other." Alya sneered while crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. Nino and Marinette chuckled while Adrien smiled at Lucy.

"We should really get inside guys. I'm actually on time today, and if I end up late from being right outside the school I'm gonna lose it." Marinette told her friends who agreed.

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"Are you going to enter the competition Lucy?" Adrien asked as they entered the court yard. The school was having a competition to see who could design the best derby hat for his father. Adrien of course being the one who would model the hat of the winner. Lucy laughed and shook her head no.

"I could never design literally anything. I can recreate. Ask me to paint ya a bird or something and I got you, but design and lets not forget make a hat? No chance. Baby blankets is about as far as my sewing skills go."

"We'll I'll make sure to recommend you if my father ever needs a series of baby blankets." Adrien said smiling.

"Please do not do that." Lucy responded chuckling.

"Listen, Lucy," Adrien said as he stopped walking. Lucy stopped to and turned back to face him. The serious look on his face taking away her smile a moment. She was quick to replace it though.

"Trying to have another moment Adrikins? Need another hug?"

Adrien rolled his eye and gave her a half smile.

"I just wanted to tell you that, I lost my mom not that long ago so...I get it. And if you ever need someone to talk to...I'm here."

Lucy sighed and closed the space between her and the blonde boy, eloping him into another tight hug. She stayed in his arms, their chests still touching as she looked up at him.

"I appreciate that Adrien. I really do. And know that the offer goes both ways. If you ever need a listening ear, I'm here."

As Adrien looked down at the girl in his arms he felt his heart beat speed up. She was so close to him. It wasn't the first time, but it was the first time as Adrien. It was almost strange. Her eyes were the color of the sea and for a moment Adrien thought he might drown in them. He nodded at her,as he felt his throat muscles suddenly stop working. Lucy looked to her left to see Marinette and Alya off to the side. Marinette seemed to be having a meltdown and Lucy could only assume it had something to do with the competition. Clearly the pig tailed girl would want to win in order to impress not only a very big name in the fashion world but his son as well. It was that thought that made Lucy bring her attention back to Adrien who was still looking at her. Taking a step back Lucy cleared her throat.

"I should...go see what that's about." She said gesturing towards the two girls with her thumb. Adrien blinked and nodded again. Lucy began walking in the direction of her two female friends only to find Adrien walking close behind. She glanced at him for a moment be for shrugging it off. As they got close, Alya was hunched over a sketch pad with a number of designs in it.

"Wow Alya, those are some awesome designs. I didn't know you had such mad skills." Adrien complimented. Lucy watched as Marinette fell off the bench behind Alya, something Adrien himself did not seem to notice.

"Thanks Adrien but I can't take the credit, these sick designs belong to Marinette. Off the chain right?" Marinette poked her head up and gave a shy wave to Adrien who smiled at her.

"Your seriously talented Marinette! You have a good chance of winning!" Adrien flattered.

"Well! Uh thanks..I uh, like designs that go...uh...upward? I mean while..stopping? I mean thanks?"

Lucy clasped her hands together and placed them under her chin while looking downward at the floor. For fucks sake Mari.

"Sure and good luck, maybe I'll be wearing your derby at fathers next photo shoot."

With that he waved to both girls and placed a gentle hand on Lucy's shoulder before walking away. When he was out of ear shot Lucy looked at Marinette to see her smiling dumbly.

"Wow." Lucy said causing Alya to nudge her arm lightly with a smirk. Alya then got up and grabbed Marinette by the shoulders.

"Girl, you gotta get a grip next time. But did you hear? Adrien thinks your good enough to win!" The shrieked together and Lucy laughed. "Only nine hours till show time." Alya went on, looking at her phone. Marinette gasped and took her sketch pad claiming she was off to her secret garden of inspiration. Lucy and Alya watched at their friend then proceeded to walk into a wall and almost run right past the door.

"I'm gonna get that girl a helmet for her birthday." Lucy said. Alya snorted and swatted her arm.

"Your terrible." She laughed.

"More like practical, I'm trying to save her a concussion. That girl might as well be a kitten with its head stuck in a tissue box. Flailing all over the place, falling off of things. I'm genuinely concerned for her safety."

"Well aren't you just a great friend?" Alya remarked with a smirk while crossing her arms.

"Well I do try."

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"A derby hat making competition." Talia repeated as she sat across from Lucy at a small bistro near the Eiffel tower. The two girls decided to meet up after Lucy got out of school and grab a bite to eat. Lucy nodded as she chewed her pasta. "I'm gonna be honest with you, that's really fucking weird."

Lucy laughed into her food. "Isn't it?! I think it only our class too which is even weirder. Maybe it's because Adrien is in our class? I'm not sure."

"Yeah, I graduated last year but I can tell you we never did anything like that at my school." Talia confirmed stabbing her fork into a meatball and popping it into her mouth. Just then her phone made a chime noise. Lucy glanced at the screen to see it lit up with the name 'Danny Boy' with little heart emojis. Talia quickly swiped the screen and smiled, her mouth still full of meatball.

"Hey boo." A male voice greeted. "Oh, your eating? Without me? How dare you."

Talia smiled as she swallowed her bite. "Yeah I'm on a hot date." She claimed, causing Lucy to snort.

"Really? Should I be jealous?"

"Extremely." She said turning the phone toward Lucy, who gave a wave to the dark haired boy on the other end.

"Oh boy, now you've done it. I'm gonna come find you, walk right up and puff my chest out like some kind of wild bird. Assert my dominance." The three laughed and Talia finally introduced the boy on the other end of the phone as her boyfriend Danny.

"So what are you lovely ladies up to? Besides the obvious of course." Danny asked casually. Lucy couldn't see what he was doing now that the phone was facing Talia, but it sounded like he was laying around at home.

"Just chit chatting. Lucy was telling me about a derby hat competition her class is having. Making hats for Gabriel Agreste. Winner gets their hat modeled." Talia explained continuing to eat.

"That's fucking weird."

Talia's eyes widened and she covered her mouth to stop herself from spitting onto her screen. Swallowing she nodded her head.

"That what I said! I said that's really fucking weird."

"Our school never did stuff like that."

"I know! I told her."

"Is she making a hat?"

Lucy smiled, amused at the interaction between the two and shook her head no at Talia who looked at her for confirmation. She watched as Talia answered and went on to tell him she would be home a little later. They said their goodbyes and I love yous before Talia ended the call and placed her phone back down on the table.

"How long have you two been together?" Lucy asked.

"A little over five years. Met him when I was a freshman and we've been stuck like glue ever since."

Lucy tilted her head and awed.

"What about you? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Love interest of any sort?"

Pushing her food around Lucy thought about it. At the sight of her hand stop moving Talia raised an eyebrow.

"Someone came to mind."

Lucy rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Not really." The blonde had not put a lot of thought into romantic feelings as of late. Her last relationship ending rather poorly, Lucy had decided when she came to Paris to focus more on herself. She however couldn't help the flash of a certain green eyed boy cross her mind at the question.

Talia scoffed. "Fine, don't tell me."

Lucy laughed and shook her head at the raven haired girl. "There really isn't anything to-" She didn't get to finish as a ridiculously large amount of Pigeons began landing around them.

"Whoa!" Lucy exclaimed as several flew up to their table and started going at their food.

"Seriously?" Talia spoke, annoyed at the birds.

"Talia." Lucy said gaining her friends attention. Talia looked to Lucy whose eyes were looking at the buildings surrounding them, Hundreds of pigeons sat on the ledges of windows and tops of cars.

"That can't be good." Lucy muttered and Talia nodded her head slowly.

"Can confirm."

"We should probably leave." Suggested Lucy, looking to Talia who who nodded this time more quickly.

"Sounds like a plan."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOooOoOoO

Alya frowned at her phone as she tried to call Marinette for the fourth time in a row. The other contestants were all present and awaiting the arrival of Adrien and Mr. Agreste.

"Where is that girl." Alya muttered to herself.

"Alya! Hey!" Alya turned to see Lucy and and girl she did not recognize walking toward her. She smiled and waved.

"Hey Lucy, what are you doing here? Who's this?"

"This is my friend Talia. Talia this is my friend Alya." Lucy introduced, the two girls shook hands as Lucy went on. "I was curious to see what Marinette came up with, as well as the others really." Sh said looking around the room. Only three other hats were on display. Rose and Julika had a steampunk theme looking hat, Chloe and Sabrina had a feathery looking hat, and Kim and Max had a rather simple hat with flowers on it. Lucy raised an eyebrow. She did't know who she expected to show up with hats to display but Kim was not on the list of possibility. She guessed it simply went to show how little she knew the athletic boy. Of course the hat could have been made by Max but even that would be just as surprising.

"Where is Marinette?" Lucy inquired.

Alya threw her hands up. "Good question. I have no idea."

"Well she better come quick because it looks like Mr. Agreste has arrived...sorta?" Talia said pointing toward Adrien and Nino who stood with the principle and a professional looking woman holding a tablet that displayed the man of the hour.

Marinette ran past the group and over to Alya and the two other girls, placing a pink box on the pillar meant to display her hat.

"There you are! Where have you been? Do you have your hat?" Alya asked. Marinette confirmed she did in fact have it but when she lifted the box the three girls looked at it in confusion. It was the exact same hat as Chloe had.

"That thieving little brat!" Marinette fumed.

"Want me to take care of it?" Alya asked, looking for the green light to throw hands with the blue eyed blonde.

"That girl looks like a tart, I'll help." Talia said with her arms crossed giving an unimpressed look Chloe's way.

"Thanks girls but I got this." Marinette said with a smirk.

When Mr. Agreste got to Marinettes had he obviously wanted an explanation. Chloe tried to claim the hat was her design which Marinette stole, but Marinette quickly shut down her story revealing that Chloe had copied her design to a T, even attaching Marinettes signature. Chloe ran off calling out for her daddy, though Lucy wasn't sure what she expected him to do about it. Meanwhile Mr. Agreste praised Marinettes work and named her the winner.

"He didn't even glance at that other guys." Talia whispered to Lucy, pointing a thumb at Kim and Max's direction. Lucy shrugged and patted Marinette on the shoulder.

"Great job girly."

Adrien took her hat and went to place it on his head only to end up sneezing repeatedly. The girls looked at him startled causing the boy to apologize, claiming he was allergic to feathers.

"Are you alright!?" Lucy asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Talia reached into her bag and dug around.

"I think I have some allergy meds in here somewhere."

Lucy flinched again as another hard sneeze left Adrien.

"Its no problem ladies, thanks. I'll be fine as soon as I get this put away." Adrien waved goodbye to them all and slugged his way out the door leaving Lucy looking after him with a concerned expression as Marinette and Alya celebrated behind her. Talia watched the boy leave as well, squinting as he got further away.

"Allergic to feathers." She confirmed before looking to Lucy. "That's really fucking weird."

There it is y'all. Some fluff and some humor. This chapter is 3500 words but it almost feels short and I think it is because I skipped most of the pigeon action. There was no real way to make Lucy a part of that anyway. Anyway, as always heart it, follow it, let me know what you think of it. I always enjoy your comments! Chow for now!