Adrien's feet felt like lead during his practice, his head was hazy and he certainly wasn't at his best when Kagami utterly school him all of the practice. He hung his head as Kagami sat down next to him.
"What's going on, Adrien? I usually enjoy defeating you, but it's no fun when you make it that easy." She remarked, already changed into her school uniform as Adrien removed his fencing helmet.
"Do you ever get the feeling that you're stuck, Kagami? That no matter what you do, it's the same old story over and over again and you'll never be able to close the distance?" He asked as Kagami placed her hand on his cheek, turning his head towards her. Kagami's eyes reflected a calm certainty, something that Adrien felt at ease look at as she spoke.
"Adrien, the biggest mistake a fencer can make isn't choosing the wrong technique; It's choosing the wrong target. Change targets." She said simply, then kissed his cheek as she turned to leave the room. Stunning Adrien for a moment as he touched the spot where it lingered.
"Well, well, Casanova. Got yourself a new contender?" Plagg asked as he poked his head out of Adrien's gym bag.
Adrien expression dropped for a moment, folding his hands together as he blushed slightly.
Plagg took notice of his silence. "You know since Ladybug isn't returning your feelings, maybe it's about time you changed your tune." He suggested as Adrien's eyes widened slightly, glancing down at his Kwami.
"Why would it be different with Kagami? I must not have the right technique, that's all." He asked sullenly as Plagg sighed.
"At least it's clear that she likes giving you some attention at least." The Kwami said as-a-matter-of-fact-like. "I don't know much about human girls, but whenever I meet a beautiful Camembert, I introduce myself. Hello, Camembert. I'm Plagg. So very nice to eat you." He narrated, holding up a slice as cheese and then consumed it just as rapidly.
Adrien chuckled at his Kwami. "Thanks, but I'll get love advice from someone else." Adrien said, but then realized that he had no idea who to ask for love advice.
Marin sighed in relief as he finished sewing sleeves on the jacket he was making, blushing pridefully as it was all coming together. But then immediately panicked as he saw people walking to school outside his window.
"Oh crap!" He suddenly yelled out as he grabbed his messenger bag sitting on his chair, looking around rapidly. "Tikki?!"
"Here!" He sighed in relief as his Kwami popped out of his jacket pocket cutely. Then he jumped down both flights of stairs of his family's apartment, dashing to school while abiding by safety regulations when crossing the street. As he ran onto campus he looked around for Alya, not seeing the person before him as he knocked them over. His heart almost exploded out of his chest as he saw how close his face was to Adrien whose eyes lit up the moment they rested on his friend.
" I'm so sorry!" Marin said, quickly backing away as his face ran red with embarrassment, pulling Adrien to his feet. "I wasn't looking where-"
"Marin! Perfect timing!" Adrien said with a smile as Marin was confused.
"Huh?"
Adrien then chuckled as he took his friend's hand, "I need some advice right now. Can we talk?" He asked, walking over to a nearby bench after Marin nodded.
"Okay, well... I'm sorry, this is a bit awkward for me because it's about a girl."
Marin froze for a moment as he nodded his head again.
"We see each other all the time because we study together. We've just been friends, you know. Until recently. I kinda feel like we could be more..." He said. "Now I'm starting to see her differently. She's special. Very pretty. She's got dark silky hair, deep and mysterious eyes..."
Marin's brow furrowed as he gripped the wrist that tie was tied to, digging his nails into the fabric. "She sounds...perfect." He said with a smile, his expression softened as he could see the smile drawn on Adrien's face, how heartfelt it was.
It made him feel sick to his stomach.
"Has the same thing ever happened to you?" Adrien asked curiously as Marin turned his head away.
He hesitated for a moment as he shook his head. "No, never."
"What do you think I should do about her? About Kagami I mean?" Adrien clarified as he noticed Marin biting his bottom lip, shutting his eyes tightly for a moment before turning back towards him, composed.
"What does she like?"
"Kinda seems like she trains alot, we have fun fencing together. But she doesn't really talk about anything else, not really. She's pretty hardcore."
Marin nodded, thinking to himself for a moment, "Well, maybe you show her a new experience, something you two could do together." He said as Adrien thought for a moment, suddenly his eyes widened with realization as he his eyes lit up with excitement.
"The ice rink?" He asked, but then looked away for a moment, uncertain, "But I think I'd be too shy to go there with her by myself. Could you come with us, with me? For moral support?" He asked, holding Marin's hands together in his.
Marin blinked for a moment, "Come on Adrien, no one would want their first date to be a threesome." He informed. "You're pretty cool-headed about these kinda things, what do you need me for?"
"This is my first real date, I don't want to mess it up." Adrien explained, dropping his grip as he turned his head away. "Kagami's special, I just want to do the best I can."
Marin groaned, holding his head in his hands. "Alright, I'll go with you." He sighed but was taken off guard as Adrien suddenly hugged him.
"I can't wait to go to the ice rink together. Thanks!"
Marin sighed, "That's what friends are for." He replied as Adrien then took off, waving as he ran off to class. Marin smiled until Adrien was out of sight, then rested his head in his hands. But then lifted his head as he realized, he had never skated once in his life.
"Why did I agree to this?" Marin asked himself as Alya placed her hand on his shoulder as they sat down on the stairs at the end of the day.
"Because you're a good friend cutie pie." Alya replied.
"But what's the point if you and Nino can't be there?" Marin whimpered as he rested his head on his best friend's shoulder as she pulled him into a half hug.
"Sorry, we have an actual date that day. But don't worry, you can come along if you want." She offered as Marin pulled himself from her grasp.
"Nah, as much as I'd like to watch you two being adorable together, I should really stick this out." He sighed heavily.
"Don't forget, you can interrupt us anything if something goes wrong." Alya reminded as Marin chuckled for a moment as she kissed his cheek.
"Don't worry about me cupcake, I'll figure out some way to handle this." He said reassuringly as he stood up to walk back into the school. He walked up to the art room, stopping for a moment as he heard music inside. Opening the door he saw that Juleka, Rose, and Luka were sitting together. The siblings were playing their guitar and bass respectively as Rose was listening with a content expression. Until she then spotted Marin, and immediately hugged him garnering the attention of the two caffeine siblings.
"Hey Mar." Luka said with a smile as Jukela mumbled a greeting as well.
"Sorry, am I interrupting?" He ashed as Rose released him from her hug, resting her back on him as he rested his arms on her shoulders.
"Of course not, we were just bouncing ideas off of each other for Kitty Section's new song!" Rose explained looking up at him cutely as Marin smiled down at his petite friend.
"Can you give some input?" Luka asked, "I've heard you-"
"LISTENING TO MUSIC YOU MEAN." Marin suddenly interrupted as everyone looked at him in confusion, but he didn't care, even when his face ran red with embarrassment, recalling the first time he and Luka actually met. "I listen to music, but I would not be helpful, because I don't know a thing about said, topic. Okay bye." He remarked suddenly releasing Rose as he back away, but as he turned he hit the door frame. Then rubbed his forehead as he escaped the room, he covered his ears as he could feel them burn, trying to not think about that specific memory.
That was until he yelped at someone poking his back, immediately turning to see Luka smiling in amusement at him. Marin tried to plan an escape route, but it was useless as Luka stepped towards him, with an impish glint in his eye.
"So, you wanna talk about that back there?" He asked, knowing exactly what he was doing.
"HA, no. What? No, you don't know what you're talking about." Marin said easily, as he could feel his anxiety rise all too quickly, gripping the slash of his messenger bag as he averted his gaze, hoping that Luka wouldn't ask.
"Because it seemed like you didn't want me to talk about when you played-" Luka was about to point out, but stopped suddenly as Marin covered his mouth with both of his hands.
"I mean it Luka, I'm won't ever forgive you!" Marin said, growing desperate to shelve away his shame as he could see Luka's eyes lighting up in amusement. Luka instead, took a step back, resting his back against the railing of the second floor as Marin walked over, resting his arms against the railing.
"You seem pretty talented at almost anything you do." Luka remarked as Marin scoffed.
"Hardly," He remarked, then an idea popped into his head as he glanced at his friend, hesitating for a moment, "Hey, do you know how to skate?"
"A little." Luka said with a smile on his face, resting his head on his hand as he gazed at his friend.
Adrien peaked out of his room, careful not to make a sound as he walked down the stairs and towards the front door. Almost to touching the bandle when he voice from behind him.
"Adrien." His father called out as Adrien froze, looking back at his father standing atop the staircase. "Aren't you supposed to be working on your fencing moves? Mr. D'Argencourt said he was very disappointed at your last session."
"Yes, Father. I'm heading out for a one-on-one lesson with my strongest partner: Kagami." Adrien said, but was anxious as his father narrowed his eyes at him. The tension only lifting as his father nodded to his bodyguard.
Adrien sighed, only smiling under his breath as he was out of the house. Just as he was about to enter the car he looked up at his bodyguard with a nervous smile. "If you don't mind, could you drive me to the ice rink? I told him I was going for a one-on-one lesson but I didn't say it was a fencing lesson."
His bodyguard glared at him for a moment before nodding, closing the door as Adrien glanced at the rose in his bag, looking forward to the day that was planned ahead.
Marin was waiting at the ice rink first, waiting outside as he rested his back to the wall. He lifted his head as he spotting Kagami walking towards him after stepping out of a bright red car.
"Um, hi-" He was about to greet before she bowed his head to him.
He was surprised for a moment before mirroring her actions.
"Marin I presume." She said, to which he nodded hesitantly. "Adrien informed me, that you would be coming along, however, I must inform you that your presence will not be necessary." She remarked bluntly.
"Oh, uh, I'm just here for...myself, don't worry, I'm not going to be bugging you guys or anything," Marin said nervously as he felt like a cornered animal under Kagami's gaze. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously as she then turned away from him, facing toward the road at attention.
"So...Adrien said that you train alot-" Marin said trying to spark a conversation.
"It is expected of me to succeed in anything I do, practicing often is a given." Kagami stated bluntly.
"Oh." Marin whimpered out as he felt intimidated simply being within Kagami's presence. "Well, what do you like to do for fun?" He asked hesitantly but noticed that she didn't answer immediately.
"I have found some enjoyment training with Adrien if that is what you are implying."
Marin gripped the sash of his bag tighter, wondering if Adrien would mind if he just ran away right now-
"Hey guys!"
Marin noticed Kagami's eyes light up as Adrien stepped out of his car, waving to them with a smile on his face.
"Were you two waiting long?" He asked looking between them.
"I arrived just recently, Marin was here longer than I." She said formally as Marin averted his gaze.
"Sorry for being late I guess." Adrien chuckled, "Should we head inside now?"
"Actually," Marin said, speaking up, "I invited Luka as well, so I think I'll wait out here for him. You two can go on ahead." He said rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"We can wait out here for a little longer." Adrien offered.
"No no, you and Kagami need to rent out your skates right? Don't worry about me." Marin smiled as Adrien nodded.
"Alright, see you inside I guess," Adrien said, but waited a few moments as Kagami walked ahead of him, bringing his voice down to a whisper. "I don't know what to do about Kagami. Should I offer to hold her hand?" He asked nervously.
Marin glanced towards her behind the door, renting out her skates, " She seems to be pretty put together. Just relax and be yourself, she already likes you." Marin said reassuringly as Adrien took a deep breath.
"Alright, see you inside." He said, as he walked into the building, not noticing Marin's expression fall as soon as he closed the door.
Adrien glanced at Kagami who was putting on her skates and gloves. Having already placed his on, he stood before her, taking a deep breath.
"Ka-"
"Don't be scared. I won't tell anyone." She remarked as she looked up at him.
"Huh? About what?" He asked as she fell on her knees as he realized that the laces that he tied weren't tight enough.
"That you don't know how to tie your laces," Kagami smirked in amusement. "C'mon." She said, taking his hand as she guided him towards the rink. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Marin had walked in, and was sitting nearby, as Luka walked up to him holding two pairs of skates. Adrien waved to him with a smile as he placed his focus back on Kagami.
Kagami followed his gaze, narrowing her eyes lightly. "Did you invite him because you were scared of being alone with me?" She asked as Adrien shook his head immediately.
"Of course not. It's just that I asked Marin to come to return a favor."
"What favor?" Kagami inquired.
"Uh... he helped me out with fencing, so I thought it would be cool if I showed him how to skate." Adrien said blindly, internally screaming as he yelled at himself for saying that. "He's can actually hold his own with a saber."
Kagami narrowed her eyes at him, then glanced at Marin who was stepping onto the ice, shivering like a newborn deer as he looked at Luka with a panicked expression. "Him?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yeah," Adrien nodded, noticing her glare, "He actually almost became part of our team." Adrien remarked as Kagami looked up at him.
"Really?" She said now interested, "Why didn't he join?"
Adrien hummed for a moment, " Actually, I'm not sure-" She said as the owner of the rink skated nearby.
"You have what it takes to be a champion. The style. The talent. Let me be your private coach." He offered, holding up membership papers.
"I only practice noble arts like archery or fencing. (skates away) Ice skating's just for fun." She replied bluntly as she skated off with Adrien.
Marin sighed heavily as he gripped his lucky charm in his hand. Wondering why he ever agreed to this when someone poked his shoulder.
"AH!" He yelped, then grew annoyed almost immediately. "Lu-ka!" Marin remarked clawing his heart as his friend smiled innocently at him.
"Hi Mar." He greeted. "Were you waiting long?" He asked, his smile turning more apologetic.
He did, he had been standing outside for about half an hour after Kagami and Adrien arrived, and even longer in waiting for Luka. "No." He said as they walked inside. Marin immediately felt a chill as he walked in, silently wishing that he had brought a thicker jacket as he hugged his arms.
"I'll get the skates." Luka offered, but Marin shook his head, holding up his hands defensively.
"That's okay, I'll just...watch from afar, safe on steady ground." He said as Luka smiled at him, walking over to the skate rentals. As Marin looked out onto the rink, observing Kagami and Adrien skating together in sync, he sighed again as he took off his bracelet and placing it in his bag right next to Tikki's cookie bag. He sat down, putting on his gloves and knee pads just as Luka walked up tow him holding two sets of skates.
"You okay?"
"Yup." Marin said, as he tried not to let to show how uncomfortable he was around large sharp blades as he placed the skates on."Just sitting here safely and not on the dangerous slippery ice with dangerous shoes with sharpened knives on the bottom." He said breathing into his gloves to try and at least stop his fingers from growing numb.
"First time here? No problem, I'll give you a week's worth of lessons for free!" The owner of the rink suddenly said as he popped up between them, holding up membership papers. "Just a few hours a day and you'll be a star!"
Marin stared at him for a moment started but then shook his head, "Thanks, but I'm already very busy as it is." He said apologetically as the man walked away looking dejected.
"Come on, it's easier than you think." Luka said as he knelt before Marin, tying his laces together.
"Easy for you to say." Marin remarked.
"I may not be a great teacher, but I can promise you that I'll try." He offered, holding out his hand to his friend as Marin gave in, hesitating for a moment before a grasped his hand. But almost fell over as he stood up, falling into Luka's arms as Marin look up at his face.
"See what you're working with?" He said suddenly as he gripped Luka's shoulders trying to regain his balance.
"Yes." Luka said with a soft smile on his face as he guided Marin over to the rink with his hand on his back. He stepped out onto the rink first as Marin followed more slowly, more carefully as his entire body trembled. Luka skated backward as he acting like an anchor as they glided on the ice.
All Marin kept his eyes trained on the ground, only lifting his head as Luka started skating beside him, still holding his hand for comfort.
"You pretty good at this. Marin complimented, to which friend responded by showing off a few higher-level tricks, surprising Marin. Just as the Luka was about to take his hand again they were interrupted by the rink owner once more.
"Hey, young man! Have you ever thought about signing up for ice skating lessons? The judges wouldn't be able to resist that sparkling smile of yours." He praised.
"That's nice of you, sir, but my life is already filled with music. And I might have a brand new song to write, so..." Luka answered as he turned his face towards Marin, quickly taking his hand as they gained speed.
"Music's an important part of skating, you know. Think about it!" He called out as Marin looked towards his friend, confused for a moment until he remembered-
"Oh yeah, you were working on that new Kitty Section song earlier," Marin remarked as Luka gave him a smile. "How's it turning out?"
"I believe it will turn out well, but I do think it'll need outside input. Would you mind coming by sometime to listen to it?" He asked as Marin nodded, growing excited at the prospect.
"Course, all you guys are my friends, so it'll probably be fun." Marin said as out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Adrien and Kagami growing closer. Instinctively, he drew his hand back from Luka, lowering his head as he placed his hands on the sash of his bag.
Adrien smiled at Kagami as he noticed a small smile was drawn on her face the more they skated together, their hands clasped together until Adrien's attention was stolen by the rink owner.
"Adrien Agreste, I can see it now. Grace and style model, and professional ice skating champion. If you take lessons with me, I'll have you shining like the candles on a birthday cake!" He promised as Adrien looked up at him uncertainly.
"Uh... maybe." He nervously said until Kagami cut in.
"He already does fencing with me." She said defensively, taking his hand as they skated away together.
Adrien couldn't help but smile at her in relief until they both hear a loud bang. Turning towards the source his heart sank as he saw Marin fallen over, holding his face. Luka was already kneeling at his side on the ice as Marin had his eyes shut tightly, clearly in pain.
"Are you okay?" Adrien asked, uncertain of what to do in this situation as Marin groaned in pain.
He was hesitant for a moment, opening one of his eyes lightly as he grimaced at the red stain on his white glove. "Crap." Marin groaned as Luka helped him up, trying his best to reassure his friends. "I'm fine, I just bumped my face." He said, taking out a handkerchief from his back pocket as Kagami took his wrist.
"He'll be fine. I'm certified in first aid." She said guiding him off the rink as Luka and Adrien lingered behind.
"I'm sorry, Philippe, but the ice rink will be closed down tonight." Adrien overheard the mayor saying as he and Luka skated past them, noticing the sad expression on the man's face.
"Sorry," Marin apologized, "I wasn't looking where I was going," Marin said as Kagami guided him towards the bathroom, seeing that there was a bench between the two halls.
She didn't say anything as she placed him down at the bench, holding his head in her hands as she checked the severity of his wound. "It doesn't look too bad, just keep that handkerchief on your nose for a little while." She informed as he lowered his head.
"Thank you, you can go back with Adrien, I'll be okay." He said, noticing her hesitation for a moment.
"I think it's best we call it a day." She said as Marin's heart fell.
"No, no, it's really okay, I'll just head home after this." He said, worried that he ruined everything, like usual, but noticed froze as Kagami, leaned down, whispering in his ear.
"The only reason you can't stay on your feet is your hesitation. I never hesitate." She said, pulling back.
Marin was speechless looking up Kagami who radiated pure confidence, easily intimidating anyone in her presence. However, his eyes widened in shock as he saw Plagg flying towards them. "I uh- I'm going to get some more tissues!" He suddenly said, wobbling as he walked into the bathroom and locked the door behind him just as Plagg phased through the door.
"Plagg! You're not supposed to-"
"We have bigger problems than that!" He informed as Marin's eyes widened for a moment as his heart raced, sensing an Akuma nearby. Quickly he threw off his skates, peering out for a moment as he saw a new Villain take form, spreading ice quickly throughout the building. He ran out without thinking, taking Kagami's hand as he shoved her into the bathroom.
"Hide here!" He ordered, not waiting for an answer as he ran back into the men's restroom, taking out a small box as the pit of his stomach grew.
"There's only one serving of magic macaroon." He said, backing up against the wall as he saw the ice start to seep in. Marin took a deep breath, trying to process the situation.
No hesitation.
"Take this to Chat Noir." He said handing over the cookie as Plagg looked at him in worry.
"Are you crazy? What about you?!" He asked as Marin smiled at him reassuringly.
"I'll be alright, you just look after your partner." He said as Plagg nodded, putting the cookie in his mouth as he then flew out of the bathroom. Marin stood on top of the toilet seat, trying to buy some time as Tikki hovered nearby.
"Without the transformation, you won't be protected again the cold!" She warned, growing worried as the ice closed in on them. Even though Marin was nervous about what he was doing, he spotted the ice skates he had dropped earlier, noticing that they weren't freezing with the rest of the building.
"Don't worry sugar cube, I know what I'm doing." He said, jumping off. "Tikki, spots on!"
Adrien untied his skated next to Luka as he glanced at where Marin and Kagami walked off to. He felt a little bad, after all, he knew Marin wasn't the best at coordination, heck he'd even invited Luka to help him out. But even so, Adrien appreciated his friend for trying to be courteous, even though it could be severely annoying sometimes.
He'd have to scold and apologize later.
Suddenly, his eyes widened as Luka grabbed his arm, running as he noticed as new Akumatized villain. Immediately, Adrien broke away, yelling out, "We have to split up!" As Luka nodded, the two going in separate directions as Adrien hid for cover in a closet, opening up his jacket.
"Plagg. Plagg!?" He called out, but his Kwami was nowhere in sight.
As he backed against the wall, seeing everything freeze in blue ice, Plagg suddenly phased through the door towards his partner, chewing something in his mouth.
"Plagg, were you snacking?!" Adrien had to ask as his Kwami scowled at him.
"Of course not, I just got a power-up!" He remarked as Adrien's eyes widened in surprise. The only person he could've gotten it from was...
"Well hurry up and say it!" Plagg demanded as their time was growing short.
"Right. Plagg, power up!" Adrien said as Plagg began to glow, gaining a cute little ice crown.
"Plagg-Glacier." The black Kwami said as the ice started to approach them.
"Plagg-Glacier, claws out!"
Chat Noir landed on top of the rooves in his new form, looking around at the newly frozen city as Ladybug landed nearby in his normal form, save for the pair of white ice skates that he was wearing.
"Looks like I'm the only one who dressed up for the occasion." He remarked as Ladybug looked up towards the Eiffel Tower.
"We need to set up a trap for whoever turned the city into a giant ice rink." He said throwing his yo-yo towards the inner part of the city.
Chat Noir turned his head away, "My feline instincts prefer to track and observe before I attack. You go your way, I'll go mine." He said coldly as Ladybug turned towards him.
As much as Ladybug wanted to yell at his partner that there wasn't much time, he didn't, instead deciding to try and be reasonable. "Chat, we need to think logically about this, don't tell me you're still upset."
Chat Noir scoffed, "There may be a certain chill now between us." He said fully turning his back to his partner. "We don't always have to do everything together, after all. It's not like we're a couple." He remarked, skating away.
Ladybug sighed heavily, seeing a cloud of white breath dissipate before his eyes. For a moment he gave in, trembling terribly as his suite, starting to feel numb as his skates were turning to ice, and soon enough he would as well.
"Silly kitty." He sighed, taking a deep breath to stop himself from trembling against the cold.
Chat Noir narrowed his eyes as he noticed the villains blades on the ice, smiling to himself as he followed them carefully. The trail led him to the center of the city, the place where Ladybug was already headed, hiding behind a van he noticed that Ladybug had surrounded himself in a circle of rock salt, not enough to fill in the circle, but enough to line if as he stood in the center with his head down, holding his yo-yo in his hand.
Chat Noir's eyes widened as he saw Ladybug's legs began to turn freeze. He had removed his skates and had an empty black-spotted bag attached to his belt. Chat Noir realized that his partner hadn't used the magic potion on himself as the ice began to slowly consume him. Despite this, Ladybug retained his stance as the odds were quickly turning against him. Chat Noir cursed his partner's carelessness, but couldn't move as he instinctively picked up on the plan. Chat Noir's ears twitched as he heard something, time seemed to slow down for a moment as he spotted the freezing villain glide past at full speed, grinning evilly as he suddenly jumped to avoid the concrete, about to slam down if it weren't for Ladybug lifting his head.
In one swift motion, the ice shattered around him as he tied up the villain's legs, making him fall to the ground as Chat Noir jumped into action, holding his arm over his head.
"Cataclysm!" He cried out, destroying the villain's skates as he released the Akuma. Chat Noir stared at it for a moment as he noticed that Ladybug fell to his kneed, turning to ice as he was trembling from the sub-zero temperatures. As Chat Noir held out his hand towards him, Ladybug forced himself to stand up, his entire body beginning to turn pale as he let out a breath of white air.
"No more mischief from you little Akuma. Time to purify!" Ladybug said as he swung his yo-yo towards the possessed Akuma, capturing it in one motion. Then opening it once more, watching the newly purified Akuma fly away. "Bye-bye, little butterfly." He said but lost his balance for a moment as Chat Noir had to steady his partner, holding his hand. However, Ladybug took a step back, distancing himself from his partner. "Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug called out, throwing up the lucky charm as everything turned back to normal.
The rink owner looked around in confusion while it was Chat Noirs turn to be off-balance. Now it was Ladybug's turn to balance his partner who looked away angrily.
"You have to say; Plagg, power down." Ladybug informed. "Don't worry, you're not going to de-transform yourself." He said as Chat Noirs ears flattened, annoyed that his partner knew exactly what to do.
"Plagg...power down." He repeated as he turned back to his normal form, but lost his partner's touch as LAdybug jumped back onto the rooftops using his yo-yo.
Chat Noir followed him as there was still a sub-zero air between them. "I don't understand why you're being so difficult about this." He remarked in annoyance, "I'd drop it if you'd just give me something at least, but you can't even do that bare minimum?!" Chat Noir asked growing desperate, "You're the one who said I was important to you, so why are you trying to make me believe otherwise?" His ears twitched as Ladybug suddenly stopped walking noticing that he gripped the yo-yo in his hand, keeping his back to his partner.
"It's only natural for things to change when you come into new information Chat Noir." Ladybug said as he could feel his partner's anger on his back. He knew enough about Chat Noir to know that he was the person of action, nothing he could say would ever sway his thought process. Ladybug had realized long ago that he was being selfish about this entire thing. There was a growing knot in his heart, squeezing his chest every day when he thought about how much he was hurting his friend.
"I'll see you." He only said, leaving as he left his partner behind on the rooftop alone.
Adrien took a selfie on himself and the rink own, typing up a caption to post on his Instagram account. "This is Philippe at the ice rink. He makes skating so much fun." He said aloud as Philippe smiled gratefully.
"Thank you, Adrien." The man said gratefully as Adrien posted it.
"I hope this helps you get more students to sign up." Adrien remarked as he walked towards his car.
"You still keep doing what other people want you to do." She remarked, but Adrien shook his head.
"No, I just want him to be happy." He said as he stood before his car. For a moment, he hesitated as he took out the rose from his bag handing it to her. "I don't think I'm changing my target just yet. Just because I've failed a few times doesn't mean I have to give up. Even if it means failing over and over again for now, one day I know I will succeed." He said confidently as Kagami accepted the rose, her cheeks reddening for a moment.
She glanced at Marin for a moment, sneezing as Luka looked at him with worry as his friend tried to brush it off.
"The day you realize you've got the wrong target, I'll be here." She said, kissing his cheek as Adrien then entered his car with a smile on his face. However, he noticed Marin walking up to Kagami just as he was leaving, incredibly curious for a moment before they were out of sight.
"Kagami?" Marin asked walking towards her just as she was about to enter her cair. She glanced towards him with no emotion written on her face, even when he bowed his head to her humbly. "I'm sorry for ruining your date." Marin said. "I shouldn't have come at all."
"Hm?" Kagami looked at him in confusion as he averted his gaze, raising his head.
"I'm...kind of bad luck. It follows me like a rain cloud." He informed but Kagami shook her head.
"You are completely wrong. The only reason you fell was because of your discoordination." She said with a deadpanned expression, opening the door for herself. "Nothing is out of your control Marin. I was raised never to believe in the intervention of outside forces, that the only thing that limits our strength is our own fear, perhaps you should consider it as well. " She said simply before bowing her head slightly. " And second, I had fun today. It was nice to meet a friend of Adrien's." She said before entering her car and driving away.
Marin stared after her for a few moments, his heart racing as a small smile drew on his face.
"Something up?" Luka asked as he walked up to his friend.
"Nothing, just..." Marin looked at him thoughtfully as he rubbed the back of his head. "Some new perspective I guess." He said, but then sneezed again.
"How easily fo you get sick?" Luka asked in concern.
"Let's just say, this is me being healthy," Marin remarked. "Sorry about, you know." He said shrugging his shoulders.
"You can make it up to me later," He said playfully as he walked into the direction of the underground. "wanna take the subway together, Marin?"
"I...can't, there's something I have to do. But, I'll see you later?" He asked hopefully as Luka nodded with a soft smile on his face. His gaze lingering as Marin disappeared from sight around a corner. Luka sighed as he then turned towards the subway, humming a tune to himself.
As night fell Marin stood on top of his balcony, wearing his cat hood over his head, over his pajamas as he closed his eyes. He focused carefully as he then smiled as he could sense a presence.
"Found you." He said with a smile as he turned to see Plagg hovering behind him with his arms crossed.
"How unfair," The Kwami pouted as Marin chuckled.
"Sorry little kitty, but you're very easy to sense when you smell like that."
"Hey! I'll have you know I smell like a prized delicacy." He remarked proudly but his pride fell as Marin scratched him behind his ears. Then he began purring as Marin nuzzled his belly. "Nya~" He meowed but then swatted Marin's hand back to retain some semblance of dignity. "Ah-hem! Do you have it?" He asked as Marin nodded, pulling out a small white box from his pocket, revealing multiple colored Camembert cheese.
"Remember, you can't eat these like you would other Camembert cheese little kitty, alright?" Marin informed as Plagg scoffed.
"Like I'd want to transform while savoring my beloved Camembert." He said as he balanced the box on his head.
"You also have to inform Chat Noir on everything regarding this Plagg since I can't properly do it myself."
"Yeah about that, why not just do it?" He asked. "You'd be saving everyone a lot of time."
"Plagg." Marin said sternly as he placed his hands on his hips as the Kwami sighed.
"Yeah yeah I know, but next time I expect something a little more substantial than magic cheese!" He said as Marin nodded in agreement, watching as the small Kwami flew away under the cover of night.
Notes:
- Writing this chapter I realized that I never wrote a scene where Ladybug realizes that Chat Noir is in love with him...gonna have ta' keep that in my pocket for now.
- I promise their argument will come to a "sort of" conclusion. They're having some relationship issues.
- I like Kagami x Marinette alot and like them together. But won't be pushing the within this just as I will not for Luka x Adrien (even though both are adorable). Though I will write them as very good friends.
- Luka is in the midst of falling in the love, Kagami has her eye on Adrien.