Adrien was in heaven. The stew Collins had made for their lunch was, indeed, amazing. Apparently, his idea of a doggy bag consisted of a thermos filled with beef and mushrooms in a creamy broth as well as a baggy of cookies the nanny had happened to pick up from Marinette's family's bakery- score! So, as the teens headed back to school, Adrien was too busy slurping his meal to pay attention to the conversation around him. It took Alya gently ribbing him before he even knew it was directed at him.
"What was that?" He asked, wiping his chin.
"I said are you psyched for tomorrow?" The reporter asked. "Ladybug and Chat are finally having that showdown with the Thief of Spades!"
Marinette rolled her eyes at her best friend. "I don't see what's so exciting about it."
"Oh, come on, Mari! All of Paris is gonna be there! This is the first time anyone other than that Hawkmoth creep has ever challenged our resident heroes!"
"So? It's not like this Spades chick has superpowers or something."
"We don't know that," Alya said. "No one's really seen the thief in action. Maybe she's like them and is just one the wrong side of the law."
The designer scoffed. "That seems a bit farfetched."
"I'm with Mari on this one, Alya," Luna chimed in. "That'd be one hell of a coincidence if the Thief of Spades has the same kind of powers."
Adrien raised a brow at her. Did that mean she did have her own Miraculous? Her reaction to Plagg seemed to have said otherwise, but she was an actress after all. Maybe she was playing him.
"Well, if she doesn't have powers, wouldn't that make it all the more awesome?" Alya asked. "Can you imagine if someone was able to hold their own against the Miraculous Duo with just pure skill?"
"Gotta admit, that does sound pretty cool," Nino said.
"Guys, we're talking about a petty thief, here," Marinette said in a huff. "I highly doubt Ladybug and Chat Noir are gonna have too much trouble."
Adrien chuckled. "I don't know about that, Mari. I mean, this is a legend we're talking about."
The baker's daughter folded her arms in a pout. "You don't think they can win?"
"I didn't say that. Ladybug and Chat are a killer team. There's no way they'd lose. I just think Spades has a reputation for a reason."
"She could be a copycat," Luna said. The others frowned at her, especially Adrien. The actress smirked. "Think about it. The chick in that make-out pic looked pretty young, and almost every story I've heard about the Thief of Spades said it was a guy. Those stories have been around for decades."
"Hey, there's evidence of Ladybug existing back in Ancient Egypt," Alya said. "If she's been around that long, then she's looking pretty damn good for her age."
"Yeah, but right now, we're assuming Spades doesn't have magic powers, remember? If all we're dealing with is a normal person, it's not likely the thief of legend is the same thief we've been seeing around lately. Hence, a copycat."
The reporter thought for a moment. "Alright, I see your point. I still say this is gonna be epic, though. I'm totally filming it for the Ladyblog. You guys are coming, right?"
"You know I'll be," Nino said.
The blond teen shook his head. "Sorry, I can't."
"Oh, come on, man! You always miss out on stuff like this."
"Wish I could, Nino, but I actually have plans," Adrien said. Which wasn't really a lie.
"Count me out, too," Marinette said. "I just got materials for a new dress idea, and I want to get some headway with it." Only half a lie.
Luna blinked at her. "Wait, you make your own dresses? Why am I only finding out about this now?"
The designer blushed. "It's not that big a deal. I mean, I'm still just a novice."
Adrien smiled at the blackette. "Don't be so modest, Marinette. I've seen some of your designs. And your derby hat was good enough to impress my dad, which believe me, isn't easy to do."
Like usual, Marinette turned into a red-faced blubbering mess of a girl under her crush's praise. Luna smirked at her friend. The girl was just so adorably innocent. Watching Adrien, though... was he really that oblivious? Poor girl could barely speak around him, and all he did was smile like a total dork. The thief touched her chin in thought. Maybe it was Ladybug. From what she could tell, Chat was quite smitten with his partner, but really didn't have those feelings returned. Then again, if that scene on the school roof was anything to go by, it did look like Adrien had an effect on the bug.
'Well, that's no good,' Luna thought. If Ladybug really did like the model, Marinette didn't stand a chance. This was going to take some meddling. Her kitten deserved someone who could potentially love all of him, and she sure as hell wasn't going to hand him over to somebody who was only interested in a pretty face.
"What about you, Luna?" Alya asked, pulling the girl out of her thoughts. "Don't tell me you're ditching us, tomorrow, too."
The thief grinned. "Of course I'm coming! I can't be the only girl in school to not see Paris' heroes in action."
Alya pumped her fists. "Awesome! We'll meet up at my place after school."
"Wouldn't miss it." Luna stole a glance at Adrien. As she thought, the boy was staring at her in confusion. The thief merely gave him a cheshire smile.
When school let out for the day, Luna wasted no time getting back home. Despite the roller-coaster of emotions she'd been on these passed few days, she couldn't be more excited for this heist. Bursting through her front door, she quickly threw her things into a corner and made her way to the statue by her stairs. Her fingers trailed the bodice of the veiled woman it resembled and came to rest on the jeweled brooch imbedded in the marble at her chest. She was just about to press down when Collins called for her.
"Lunabelle, is that you?"
The girl groaned. "Who else would it be, Collins?"
"I need your help with dinner. Can you start on the potatoes for me?"
"Why can't you do it?"
"I'm painting!"
Luna puffed out her cheeks in a pout. Some nanny he was. She let her hand fall from the statue and slumped her way to the kitchen. When Collins finally joined her, she had the potatoes peeled, sliced and in the water to boil. The man gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before moving to wash his hands.
"Thank you, moon of mine," he said, warmly. "How was the rest of your day?"
"Pretty much uneventful," she said. "The Bourgeois bitch apologized to me, today."
Collins' brow rose in surprise. "That's something."
It was unexpected. As the teens were leaving the school grounds for the day, Chloe had stopped her at the lockers. She even shooed Sabrina away for some semblance of privacy. Luna didn't exactly accept the apology; she still didn't much care for the heiress. But she did ask what had brought it on. Chloe mumbled the answer. Something about being a better person?
"Still trying to figure out if she meant it," the thief said. "But I don't plan on dealing with her anytime soon, either way."
"Well, I'm just happy your adjusting. Your friends seem nice."
Luna smiled. "Yeah, I got pretty lucky."
Drying his hands, Collins checked the oven for the seasoned chicken he had baking inside. He gave it a curt nod and turned to his young charge. "Dinner's gonna be a couple minutes, yet. Wanna check out my handiwork?"
Luna shrugged. "Sure, why not?"
The two of them headed to the study which Collins had converted into his work room. Paints and tools littered the small area. Sheets were laid out to protect the floor and some of the larger furniture they had yet to move from splatters. Luna went over to the artist's latest work and studied it carefully.
"Well?" he asked, coming up to stand behind her. "What do you think?"
"It's utterly pretentious," the thief laughed.
"Ah, what high praise." He smiled as he adjusted his glasses. "Be honest now, Luna. How is it?"
"Absolutely perfect. This one's gonna sell, for sure."
"You're too kind to me, Lunabelle." Collins hugged her shoulders. Luna rested her head against him. Even though he was basically the hired help, she couldn't imagine her life without him. They had practically grown up together, and despite the hard time they gave one another, Collins was in every way like the brother she never had.
After a moment or two passed, the nanny checked his watch. "Alright, then. Dinner should be about done. I'm gonna check the potatoes. You wash up to eat, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it."
Collins patted her back and left the room. Luna took a few more seconds to study the painting. It really was perfect. Each stroke of green was done with such care that the picture seemed to glow. The thief smiled. She knew she kept that man around for something.
Marinette barely slept. Just thinking of having to deal with that headache of a thief had her blood boiling. She was so worked up that the heroine had taken to pacing her room, much to the dismay of her kwami.
"Marinette, you really need to calm down," Tikki gently chided. "Stressing yourself out won't help anything."
"I can't help it, Tikki!" the girl cried out. "She's just so... Gah!" She stomped her foot.
"Infuriating?" the kwami suggested.
"Exactly! She just gets under my skin, Tikki! Worse than Chloe ever could! Chat was right. She's nothing but trouble. And now she's got everyone all in a tizzy over her because of some stupid kiss!"
"Everyone including you, Marinette." The red creature floated up to stare into her chosen's eyes. "What if that was the whole point of it?"
The blackette frowned. "The point of what?"
"The kiss, silly! You're all frazzled because of it now. If I was her, I'd want you upset so you couldn't think clearly."
Marinette gave it some thought. After a moment, she huffed and folded her arms. "Well, it's working, alright."
"So don't let it! You're better than this, Marinette."
"How, though, Tikki?"
The kwami floated over to the recamier and patted for her chosen to sit down. Frowning, Marinette followed the instruction, looking at Tikki expectantly.
"In times of stress, it's best to keep a level head. You've had practice in this from your battles, but the best way to gather yourself is through meditation. Now, close your eyes."
Marinette did so, feeling a bit silly. Meditation always seemed like a dull practice to her. How was she supposed to sit in silence for hours on end and expect to get something out of it? Still, she rested her hands on her knees and straightened her back, trusting her kwami's guidance.
"Now, take three deep breaths," Tikki instructed. "In the nose, out the mouth."
The heroine's chest rose and fell in a slow succession. With each breath, Marinette felt her body relax a small fraction. On her third exhale, she opened her eyes. She blinked up at Tikki.
"Okay, now what?"
"How do you feel?" the red bug asked.
The teen thought for a moment. She didn't feel all that different. She was still mad at the thief and the mess she caused. And she still couldn't stop thinking about that stupid kiss. But the more she though about it, the more she saw how ridiculous she was being. Spades hadn't caused anyone any real harm. Sure, she was technically a criminal, but she had helped during the Blackspell attack so she couldn't be all bad. Marinette folded her arms.
"I don't really know how I feel," she admitted. "I guess I am kind of going a bit overboard."
Tikki seemed to nod in approval. "That's good. You did well."
Marinette frowned. "Really? Aren't I supposed to have some sort of epiphany or something?"
"You don't always have to come out of meditating with some life altering answer, Marinette. The point of the exercise is to help you think clearly. By simply taking three deep breaths to center yourself, you can calm your emotions and look at a situation in a brand new light."
"And here I thought meditation was just hours of sitting," the girl laughed.
"There are many different ways to meditate. I figured a short and easy way would benefit you the most."
With a smile, Marinette pulled the kwami into a hug. "Thanks, Tikki. What would I do without you?"
"Well, you wouldn't be Ladybug anymore, that's for sure," Tikki said with a giggle. "Now, you should get some sleep. Tomorrow's a big day for you."
As the teen climbed the stairs to her bed, she felt more determined than ever to beat the thief. This time, though, she wasn't bitter. Hell, she may have even started to look forward to it.
So some of you are asking what the pairing of this story is. I'm actually surprised that people are asking for Luna x Adrien. Which while, yes, that is the idea going forward, it's not a set in stone relationship. I haven't settled on an ending for this piece, yet. There are several ideas I'm considering, and with Luna's bisexuality, anything goes. For now, I'm just going to continue to have fun with this story, and I hope you all continue to enjoy the ride with me. I live for your reviews, guys!