After another hour of the merchants making unhelpful arguments, well, mostly Mrs Mandelieve being unhelpful, and Luka clearly sizing him up, Adrien gave up and sent everyone home for the night. He had told everyone that Marinette had a headache and needed to go and rest. Everyone accepted the excuse, and they secretly blamed Mrs Mandeleive, except of course for Luka who's clear blue eyes never drifted far off Adrien. The blond was sure Luka must have recognised him from his modeling days and no doubt was curious about his current connection to Marinette.
For reasons Adrien couldn't clearly explain, he felt a sudden urge to go over to Luka and tell him he was Marinette's boyfriend and where he could go jump, but he held back. He didn't know what had caused their break-up, and in the end it was really none of his business. Still, his gut was telling him something was very off with the way Marinette had run away. Then he felt bad. He really should have been kinder to her about it.
Ms Bustier boxed some leftover snickerdoodles for Adrien to take to Marinette with wishes for her to feel better. "Can I ask you a question?" Adrien said, accepting the box. "What do you know about Luka?"
"Luka Couffaine? He seems like a nice enough person. Fairly quiet and keeps to himself. Nathaniel said he used to be part of a band that had some moderate success years ago but fell apart for some reason or other." She got out a washcloth and started cleaning down the tables. "He was living in America for a few years before he moved here a few months ago. I gather there is some history with Marinette there, judging from the way they had looked at each other."
Adrien took out one of the snickerdoodles from the box and bit into it, somewhat agressively. "You picked that up already."
Ms Bustier smiled. "I'm quite good at reading people." She said, packing away her cleaning cloths. "And I think Marinette could do with a friend tonight."
"I'm sure she's gone to bed by this. Anyway, I'd probably be the last person she wants to confide in and that's fine. I mean, it's not my business is it?" He rocked back in his seat and folded his arms. Ms Bustier regarded him for a moment as she continued her cleaning. It was clear to her that the whole incident bothered him a lot more than he was admitting to.
"I don't think so." Ms Bustier said wistfully. "I know she is your rival, Wang told me all about it, but sometimes when old wounds have been opened all you really need is a kind ear to listen to you. I can see you are a good person Adrien, and you care more than you like to let on."
"Mamma." A small voice interrupted. Harmony came down the stairs carrying her teddy bear and rubbing her eyes.
"Baby, what are you doing up? It's past your bedtime."
"I heard you talking to someone." The little girl said sleepily. Ms Bustier picked her daughter up, letting her rest her head on her shoulder. She then looked at Adrien with a kind smile.
"Don't leave her waiting too long for you." She added with a poignant. Adrien sensed there was a double meaning in that phrase.
"Goodnight Ms Bustier, and goodnight to you too Harmony." Adrien smiled with a wave. Harmony gave him a sleepy wave back.
Leaving Ms Bustier, Adrien took the box of snickerdoodles under his arm and began to walk back to Fu's place. The snow was beginning to fall a little heavier, but Adrien didn't notice as his mind berated him.
Ms Bustier's words had struck a chord with him. He had tried not to care. The pain of losing his mother was only amplified by the distance created between the rest of his family. Maybe not physically, but emotionally. Emilie had been the glue that held the Agrestes together. Without her they drifted apart. Gabriel to his work and some believed into the arms of his personal assistant Nathalie, although nothing was said officially. Then Félix met Kagami and moved out leaving Adrien effectively on his own until he too left to pursue a life for himself. It had been lonely, and Adrien had worked himself to almost exhaustion at times but the effort had been worth it… right?
He paused at Fu's front door, taking a deep breath before walking inside. Taking off his snow covered coat, he hung it up before finding Marinette curled up in an armchair next to the fire. She had changed into her pajamas and wrapped herself up in a blanket with what looked like a plate of his Yule Log from the other night and Christmas Carols playing quietly on the stereo. The scene almost looked like a Thomas Kinkade painting with the twinkling lights on the tree, except for her tear stained cheeks and red eyes.
Marinette had noticed Adrien's arrival, her sad eyes piercing right into his soul before she looked away from him and back to the fire. He debated for a moment whether she would have preferred to be alone before deciding to just go in and sit on the opposite chair. "Ms Bustier boxed up some of the leftover snickerdoodles for you." He said, holding up the box before sitting it on the table.
"That was nice of her." Marinette said listlessly. "This tastes really good by the way." She added, pointing to the plate in her hand with the fork. "I should have told you that before."
Adrien couldn't help but smile at that. "Thank you. It means a lot to hear it now."
A silence fell over them. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it reminded Adrien that there was something else he had to say. "I'm sorry." Marinette sat her plate down on the table, her bluebell eyes on him as she did, waiting for him to continue. "I was being inconsiderate with what I said. You're right, I don't know you well enough to make assumptions like that. I guess I'm still fairly socially inept. I was homeschooled you see, with only Félix and a few people chosen to be my friends for me. Even my girlfriend at the time was chosen because we looked good on camera. It's not an excuse, I know, but I didn't mean to hurt you."
Marinette pulled her blanket more around herself. That wasn't anything like she had pictured Adrien's life to be. She thought it would have been all private schools and elite social clubs. Adrien seemed like the kind of person others would have naturally gravitated towards. Well, other than her of course since he was trying to take her building from her. But she could set that aside for now.
"It wasn't you, although I accept your apology and your explanation. It's just I wasn't prepared for… him."
Adrien leaned forward in his seat. "You mean Luka?" Marinette nodded. "You want to talk about it?" There was a pause and Adrien could see Marinette was debating whether to talk or not. "If you don't want to…"
"It's alright." She finally said, looking down at the fire. "I guess you deserve an explanation."
"I don't deserve anything."
"No… but I want to. I… I need to talk to someone."
"Then I'm here to listen."
Adrien waited patiently while Marinette gathered her thoughts. "I've known Luka since I was about 20. We met by accident one day on the university campus and he invited me over to watch his band Kitty Section rehearse. That's when I met his sister and the other members of the band. We started dating almost immediately. I had just moved to Paris from Lyon and really wanted to make friends. He was my first kiss, my first love… the only person I have ever danced with. I thought it would last forever, but I guess that was just being naive."
She lowered her head and sniffed. "Kitty Section was trying to get a record deal with the producer Bob Roth. He said he would agree if they added a trio of back up singers to boost the vocals because he thought Luka's sister Juleka was a weak singer. One of them was a beautiful Italian girl called Lila Rossi. I knew from the first day I met her that she had her eyes set on Luka. The fact we had been engaged for over a year at that point meant nothing to her."
"She sounds charming." Adrien said sarcastically.
"That's the thing though. People thought she was. On the surface she seemed sweet and kind and the sort of person you think you want to be friends with, but under that mask was someone that was devious and ambitious. At least to me anyway. She had it in for me big time. Every time I'd see her there was always a snide remark or a put down of some sort, but carefully hidden behind double meanings. It was infuriating. In the end even Luka stopped believing me."
"Sounds like she was jealous. I know a thing or two about that." Adrien said, nodding in understanding.
"Maybe. But I also could see the chemistry between them. The way their voices complemented each other when they sang, the looks in their eyes. The signs were there, and the distance between us. Missed dates for rehearsal, late nights because of rehearsal.
Anyway everything came to a head in my final semester at uni. I couldn't go on tour with the band because of my assessments when they went to North America to promote their new album. While they were gone word came to them that their album had just gone platinum so they went out to celebrate. Luka wasn't much of a drinker normally, but I guess he got carried away and, well, he obviously found Lila more attractive then he had pretended to me. Lila even sent me a photo of herself and… and…" She sniffed. "It was very clear what they had been doing in that bed the night before."
"What an arsehole." Adrien grunted.
"He never used to be." Marinette said sadly. "I couldn't get my head around it at all. He tried to apologise, said he was intoxicated and didn't know what had happened and that he loved me and he would do anything to fix it. I wanted to believe him but the trust had been broken. In the end we had a huge fight and said some awful things to each other. We broke up and he left to go back to America with her." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I sold my engagement ring and moved to Paris. That was the first Christmas I spent completely alone, wallowing in my own misery until Alya came to pull me out of it and remind me I still had her and Nino and I had my business and my family. After that I promised myself I would never be alone again on Christmas Day. Whether it was with Alya or my parents, or helping at the homeless shelter - I wouldn't be alone. You were right when you questioned whether I stayed for selfish reasons. I did. I stayed because I didn't want to be alone."
Tears that she had been trying to hold back began to fall freely. Adrien felt his heart break for her as her small frame shook with sobs. Getting up, he knelt beside her chair and wrapped his arms around her, cradling her head on his shoulder.
"I understand not wanting to be alone for the holidays." He said softly, stroking her hair. "I felt like that after my mother died. Félix had Kagami, and my father found solace in the arms of his assistant. I was angry he had moved on so easily after my mother's death. It was like everyone else had moved on except for me. Christmas was especially hard because it was her favourite time of the year but with Monsieur D'Argencourt I found the joy in making something special, something I made with my own hands and seeing the happiness in other people's faces. It helped heal some of the pain."
Marinette pulled back a little from his embrace and looked into his emerald eyes. She could see the same kind of pain she felt reflected there, but also a sincerity and an honesty that maybe, just maybe she could believe in. "I guess we both have some bad memories that have clouded our judgment."
"I guess so." Adrien agreed, taking out his handkerchief and wiping her eyes. "But you know what they say about a bad memory? To heal it by making a new one. Come on." He took her hand in his and gave it a tug.
"What are we doing?"
"You said Luka was the only person you had ever danced with, and honestly, that sounds like a crime to me. So let's change that."
Marinette felt this was kind of silly, standing in the middle of Fu's lounge room in her pajamas, but she was mesmerised by Adrien's warm smile. Standing up she watched Adrien turn the stereo up a little before pulling her closer to him. "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" came on and it was clear Adrien had some knowledge of rock and roll dancing.
"I don't know the steps." Marinette said, trying to look at her feet. Adrien gently grabbed her chin and raised it so she was looking at him.
"Forget about steps. Just look at me and follow my lead."
"But I…"
"Don't think… just feel."
She must have stood on his toes a dozen times, but he didn't seem to care. The two of them laughing as he twirled her around and moved her effortlessly from side to side. He was strong, but his touch was so gentle, like she was a fragile flower in his hands.
"Where did you learn to dance like this?" Marinette asked in between twirls.
"My father said if I learned dance it would help my modeling." Adrien chuckled at the absurdity. "I think though my mother had something to do with it really. She knew just how to suggest something in the right way so that my father would think it was his own idea."
Master Fu had heard the commotion on his way to the kitchen and peaked his head around, smiling to himself to see the two of them having fun as he passed by.
Once the song had finished the next was a slower track, the melodic sounds of Bing Crosby emitting from the speakers. Marinette thought Adrien might let go of her and call it a night, but instead he brought her closer. Her fingers tingled as Adrien laced his with hers and she could feel his warmth radiating from him as they began to move.
"Silver bells,
Silver bells,
It's Christmas time in the city…" Adrien sang softly, the hand on her waist moving more towards her back.
"Ding a ling,
Here them ring,
Soon it will be Christmas Day."
He spun her in a slow turn this time and Marinette couldn't help but giggle and her laughter was becoming music that only his heart could hear. Maybe this was foolish since they were still rivals for Fu's building, but they were also partners in this endeavor to help the people of Silver Lake. He might have accused Marinette for having selfish motives, but he did too. He wanted to prove to his father that he could be more than just a model, more than just a pretty face. But somewhere along the line he really did want to help Fu and the town's people.
There was another reason though. One Adrien could scarcely admit even to himself, because he wasn't sure what his heart was trying to tell him, but he had also stayed for her. He might have told himself it was because she was his competition, but really it was something about her that made him want to stay by her side. Maybe it was because of the teenager he wished he'd talked to at that bakery in Lyon, or maybe it was because of the woman she had become. The one now in his arms.
Adrien hadn't noticed how much closer Marinette had snuggled into him as they swayed to the music. He looked down to see her eyes closed with what looked like a small smile on her face and it made his heart skip a beat in ways it never had before.
~~~~~
The next day Adrien and Marinette began to do some research on the computer. They had decided that if they were going to find a way to beat Diamond Cove then they needed to know more about their competition.
"Did you say you knew Audrey Bourgeois?" Marinette asked when Adrien came and sat down, bringing with him two mugs of coffee.
"You could say that. She's the owner of Style Queen magazine and one of my father's friends. She convinced my father to let her daughter Chloè model with me for a campaign. I'd been friends with Chloé since forever but they deliberately leaked to the media that we were dating to stir up interest in the new spring line and we were encouraged to just go with it. That was such a mistake on so many levels.
"Why was that?" Marinette queried.
"Because Chloè was growing feelings for me that I didn't have for her. I wanted to break things off, but my father had other ideas and told me to make the relationship work. I kept it going much longer than it should have. I was too young and naive at the time to fight back against my father, thinking he was only doing what was best for me and I guess on some level I was craving the love and attention, even if it was something shallow from Chloè."
"That's awful." Marinette frowned, a ball of anger on his behalf churning in her stomach. "How can a father be that inconsiderate of his own son's feelings?"
Adrien shrugged. "I gave up trying to understand my father a long time ago. Anyway Audrey's then husband, the Mayor, was charged with corruption and there was this whole scandal that happened and he was carted off to jail. Audrey promptly divorced him and Chloé left Paris to go study abroad. I had no idea Audrey was living at Diamond Cove though."
"Style Queen huh." Marinette mused as she scrolled on the computer. "Well that makes sense. Looks like a lot of wealthy people live in the area. Here, take a look at this."
She turned the computer screen towards Adrien and showed him photo after photo of perfectly manicured streets with exquisite coordinated decorations.
"Each year is colour schemed." Adrien pointed out. "That year was green and red, and another year was gold and silver…"
"All the stores are coordinated into a theme too. Clearly they have everyone on the same page."
"And they probably don't have a Mrs Mandeleive." Adrien added with a chuckle.
"I think that's a given." Marinette agreed. "Somehow we need to find a way to bring everyone, including Mrs Mandeleive together equally. Something that they can all get excited about."
They both thought for a moment before Marinette jumped in. "Why don't we take a trip over to Diamond Cove and see the place for ourselves first hand?"
Adrien could understand the idea, but couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive. "You mean go spy on them?"
"Maybe not spy. More like appreciate the situation." Marinette grinned. "Or are you worried about running into Audrey?"
"It's not Audrey I'm worried about, although I can't see why Chloè would be there. It's not really her kind of scene." Adrien looked back at Marinette who looked as eager as a puppy and his face melted into a smile. "Alright, let's go then." He agreed. "But we're taking my car, okay? I don't trust your driving."
Marinette's mouth dropped open and she picked up a napkin from off the table, scrunching it up and throwing it at him. He dodged it easily and poked his tongue out at her.
Diamond Cove was every bit as idyllic as the pictures suggested. As the sun began to set the lights came on and the whole street transformed into a stunning show of lights and sounds. Adrien watched Marinette as she ran excited from door to door and window to window.
"Oh look." She called out to him. "These white trees are loaded with light up candy canes, and this window has showers of falling snow."
"It looks like they pinched the Winter Wonderland idea and amplified it ten fold." Adrien wondered out loud. "It wouldn't surprise me if they've had spies checking us out just like we are doing now."
"I told you, it's not spying it's…"
"Appreciating the situation." Adrien chuckled. "I know."
"Oh my goodness. Look at this wreath. It's gorgeous! Look at the lights!"
Marinette's whole face lit up, her eyes twinkling in the fairly lights. Running to the next shop window, Marinette skidded on the slippery path and Adrien quickly grabbed her arm to stop her from falling. "Slow down." He said, letting his gloved hand slide down her arm to her hand. "We have all night you know."
He wasn't sure if it was the cold air, but Marinette's cheeks became visibly pinker. "I know, I'm sorry. I just get so excited when I see beautiful things."
"You don't have to apologise for that." He said as they continued to walk hand in hand. "I love the fact that you get so excited about Christmas. It's almost contagious."
"Almost?" She asked, looking up at him. His eyes were down on the ground in front of them.
"Well, people can get so jaded at this time of year. I admit that at times I can be one of them. But this year it kind of feels different."
He glanced across at her and she gave him a shy smile. "I guess I can't help it. I was an only child and my parents were always super busy with their bakery, especially at Christmas. On Christmas Eve though they would close the shop early and we would all come together with my Grandfather and Nonna and share food and gifts and it was the most special time of the year for me. I hold those memories really close to my heart."
"I know what you mean." Adrien said, wishing it wasn't so cold so he could have held her hand without the gloves. "My parents were the same, but Christmas my mother always made sure my father would stop work and that we would have family time together. Félix and I used to put on little concerts on Christmas Eve. I would play the piano and he would sing and dance. It was silly, I know, but it was so much fun and mother said it was something she looked forward to all year. I guess I just miss her more during the holidays."
There was so much sadness in his voice that had gone unsaid. Marinette gave his hand a light squeeze to let him know she understood. Suddenly Marinette stopped and pressed her hand against the glass of one of the shops. "A Christmas Ladybug." She said, her eyes lighting up like a five year old on Christmas morning.
Adrien looked over her shoulder to see a red ladybug plush toy with a large black spot and bright blue eyes. On its head was a Santa hat trimmed with white and a small decoration of holly on the side.
"I had one of those when I was a little girl." Marinette explained. "I called her Tikki and took her with me everywhere. She was my good luck charm. I was devastated when I lost her. We were traveling to visit my great uncle in Shanghai and I left it on the seat in the airport terminal. My father tried to track it down, but she was gone. I just hoped that maybe another little girl found her and that Tikki gave them the same joy she had given to me."
She turned around to find Adrien staring at her, almost in awe. "What?" She asked with a nervous giggle.
"It's just… I've never met anyone quite like you Marinette. I just…"
"Adrikins!"
Adrien visibly cringed and braced himself for impact when a well dressed blonde woman crushed him into a hug. "Adrikins I can't believe it, is that really you?"
The blonde girl kissed him on both cheeks before Adrien could get her somewhat off him. "Um… hey Chlo. Long time no see."
Chloé folded her arms with a pout. "That's your fault Adrien. You completely disappeared after I left Paris. I couldn't find out where you went from anyone, although I'm sure Félix was lying when he said he didn't know where you were."
"He didn't know for a while." Adrien admitted. "But then later I asked him not to tell anyone. I just needed space to do my own thing for a while, plus I didn't want my father finding out where I was."
At this point Chloè noticed Marinette standing a little off to the side. Marinette didn't mind admitting that Chloé was an intimidating sight. Tall and super slim and exuding money, she was in a bright yellow designer coat and knee high designer yellow leather boots. It was like looking at a model in a magazine. She even came completely with a little dog in her handbag that started barking at Marinette.
"I don't think Pollen likes your girlfriend." Chloé said offhandedly. "Anyway, what are you even doing here, Adrien?"
Marinette was about to clarify that she wasn't Adrien's girlfriend when he promptly put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. "We are helping out a friend over at Silver Lakes with this whole battle of the Main Streets thing. Do you know about it?"
Chloè waved her hand about. "Please, ever since my mother was forced to leave Style Queen she has become obsessed with it. All those silly awards are going to her head. Mind you there hasn't been much effort on your end."
"So… it doesn't bother you if your mother loses?" Marinette ventured to ask. Chloé flipped her long ponytail over her shoulder.
"She seriously needs to be taken down a few notches. She is becoming ridiculous, utterly ridiculous."
Marinette looked at Adrien curiously and he gave her a sly wink. "Well that's what we are hoping to do. Any insider advice would be much appreciated."
Chloé raised an eyebrow at him with a mischievous grin. "Well, sadly I won't be here on Christmas Eve as I plan to be in Paris, however, I do happen to know one of the judges appreciates traditions and old world type things. And you know how progressive my mother is. She can't stand nostalgia. I mean, just look how fake these trees are. There isn't a real plant in this whole street."
Adrien and Chloè chatted for a few more minutes about Adrien's family and her own adventures in Amsterdam and Brussels. It was clear to Marinette that Chloè still very much had eyes for Adrien, but he had firmly kept his arm around her, moving from her shoulders to around her waist, a fact that was not lost on the socialite.
There was one point though in what Chloè had said. Yes the Main Street of Diamond Cove was a feast for the eyes, but scratch the surface and it feels very fake. From the fake trees, to all the electric lighting. It was artificial, it was for show and it was aimed not for the heart, but to win.
"Well, I really must be off." Chloè announced. "I have to have dinner with mother tonight and then I'm out of here. It's so boring in this town, but don't worry Adrikins, I won't say I saw you here." She winked, tapping the side of her nose with her finger.
Chloé came over to Adrien and gently cupped his cheek before kissing him on the corner of the mouth. She then focused her sapphire eyes on Marinette. "There must be something I'm missing about you." She mused, looking Marinette up and down. "It takes a rare woman indeed to open the locked heart of an Agreste. We must do lunch sometime."
With that Chloé waved at them over her shoulder and made her way down the street to an awaiting limousine. Adrien shook his head. "Same old Chloè." He smiled. "She'll never change."
Marinette bit down on her lip. He still had his arm around her waist and didn't seem to even notice. "Um… Adrien? Why did you let her believe that I was your… your um…"
"Girlfriend? Sorry about throwing you in the deep end like that. Chloé means well but if she knew I was single she would be trying to "rescue me from my boring existence" and invite me to every party in Paris between now and New Year. That's really not my scene anymore, and I wouldn't want her to get her hopes up about rekindling anything. Thank you for playing along though."
Marinette waved him off. "It's no problem. I mean friends can help each other out, right?"
A curious smile curled at the edge of Adrien's lips. "Are we friends now then?"
Marinette suddenly felt very shy. "I think we can say we are."
Adrien's smile grew wider. "In that case, can I interest my new friend in a bite to eat before we head back? My treat."
Marinette agreed and the two of them made themselves comfortable in a near by cafe, chatting and planning ideas around their new found information.
It was quite late once they returned back to Master Fu's place. Marinette didn't know if it was the egg nog she'd had or whether it was too much sugar from the chocolate cheesecake she ate, but she felt like she was lighter than air. Adrien had given her a set of the lamest, most corny Christmas jokes never to have been put in a cracker. How or where he got all this stuff she couldn't imagine but she wasn't sure she had ever laughed so much. She also kept thinking about what Chloè had said. Maybe this was a side that few people saw of Adrien which meant that he felt safe enough to show it to her.
"Here, it's quite slippery so you better hang onto me." Adrien said, taking her hand and guiding it to her arm. "I don't particularly feel like looking for an after hours doctor at this time of night."
"So little faith." Marinette quipped.
"No, but I've seen the evidence in action."
"Oh yeah." She retorted, stopping to scoop up some snow into her gloved hand. "Well let's see how well you run then." Throwing the projectile, it caught the edge of Adrien's arm.
"Is that the best you can do?" He dug back, scooping up his own ball.
"Now now." Marinette said, backing back. "Be nice, your hands are bigger than mine."
"You should have thought of that before you started." Adrien retored, letting the projectile fly. Marinette jumped out of the way, but in her attempted to avoid knocking over a snowman she tripped and fell into a mound of snow.
"Marinette." Adrien called out, laughing as he ran over. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Marinette chuckled back, taking Adrien's offered hand and letting him pull her up.
"I seem to always be picking you up after you fall." He said, brushing the snow off her hair. His gloved hand came to rest on the side of her face, her bluebell eyes turned up towards him.
"Maybe you need to move faster." She teased him, although her heart was beating fast. "So you can catch me before I fall."
Just for a moment, the world went still, like they were the only two people standing in it. That was until they heard a small meow sound coming from under the front stairs. Marinette went to investigate and came back with a black blob in her hands.
"It's a kitten." She said, cradeling the cat to her chest. "Where did he come from?"
Adrien came closer and inspected the cat over. "He only looks to be a few months old. There's no collar either. Maybe he was abandoned?"
"Aww, the poor little baby. I'm sure Master Fu wouldn't mind if we kept him inside where it's warm."
"Not at all Miss Marinette."
Marinette almost jumped out of her skin when she heard Master Fu's voice on the porch. "But firstly, there is someone here that wishes to speak with you."
Her eyes widened to see Luka step from out of the shadows and stand next to Master Fu.
