My eyes peeled opened, revealing the blinking numbers on my alarm clock. I rolled over and moaned, slamming the snooze button. Only then could I hear that my phone was vibrating. I picked it up off of the bedside table and looked to see my messages. My phone read,

'Alarm: Missed at 9:00 AM

Text from Adrien Agreste at 9:47 am: Marinette, are you coming?

Text from Adrien Agreste at 9:48 am: I'm at the rink, where are you?'

It was 10:30! I was supposed to be at the rink at 9:30! God, how could I have set my clock wrong?!

I jumped out of bed and got changed as fast as I could, then ran out of the house without having any breakfast.

-----

I ran through the double doors, "ADRIEN I'M SO SORRY I SET MY CLOCK WRONG AND OVERSLEPT I-"

Adrien held out a hand for me to stop. He laughed slightly as he said, "Marinette, it's fine, really! Just get your skates on!"

I held my tounge and nodded, then sat down on a bench and started tying my skates.

Once I was ready we started skating, but I was distracted by my thoughts.

Adrien Agreste, my life long idol, was now staying here, at my home, and was my personal coach. Why did he choose me? I could have lost the chanve to be with him at the competition with Chloé, so I had to make my time while he was here count.

"Marinette... Marinette? Marinette!" I heard Adrien shout.

I turned my head, getting awakened from my daydream, but the next thing I knew I had skated into the edge of the rink, knocking the breath out of me.

"You seem... distracted..." Adrien said, "Maybe we should take a break and talk about your free skate music.

"I- yes. Sorry." Was all I could reply.

We took off our skates and walked to the green room, where skaters relaxed and watched on the TV as others used the rink. As we walked down the hallway, Adrien talked casually, "I think we should take some of the quads out of your short program."

I looked at him in shock, "I-I don't mean to... To deny your advice... But I need those quads to earn technical points."

"That is true, but, if you get all the performance points you'll be fine. And I know from watching you that you can put on quite a performance." He said, flashing a smirk my way.

I blushed, "I-I... Um... Thank you?"

"Anyway, what music were you thinking of using for your free program?" Adrien asked as he grabbed his water bottle out of his bag.

"Y-you want me to choose my music?"

"Of course, don't you usually do that? It's easier to choreograph too when you pick the music yourself."

"No... I usually have my coach pick for me. He usually choreographs as well...."

"Who was your previous coach?"

"His name is Master Fu."

"Can we talk to him?"

"He's in China visiting family I believe...."

"Do you have his number?"

"Of course."

"Call him then." He said. He stepped over the bench I was sitting on and sat down next to me, watching as I put in the number.

The phone rang a few times, then my old coach picked up. I pressed the speaker button so we could both hear it.

"Marinette! How are you?"

"I'm good, thank you Master Fu. I called because my coach Adrien wanted to talk to you."

"Your new coach, huh?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Adrien Agreste!" Master Fu said happily over the speaker, "Pleasure to meet you! I wish I could have been your coach! You're an amazing skater!"

Adrien smiled, "Thank you, Master Fu."

"Taking care of Marinette right? You two were made for each other!"

Adrien and I looked at each other for a moment, then stuttered denile to Master Fu. He only laughed, "What did you call for kids?"

Adrien leaned closer to the phone, "Sir, I was wondering, why have you never let Marinette pick her own music or choreograph her own piece?"

Master Fu laughed over the phone, "I knew you would be asking that one day. I have always given my students the opportunity to choose their own music, but when Marinette came along, she was always too nervous to actually use it. Now that I think of it, she did come to me with a piece once... But when I questioned her she backed away and let me pick a new piece."

"Thank you sir," Adrien said, "That's all I needed to know."

"Master Fu!" I said, "I-I just wanted to say that I'll make you proud in the next Grand Prix Final."

Master Fu laughed once more, "I know you will. I'll talk to you too later." And he hung up.

Adrien took my hand and pushed the phone down, "Mari, how come you never showed me this music?"

"Um...." Was all I replied.

"Let me listen. Who was it made by?"

"A boy from my school. He's a musician and an artist as well."

"Do you like him?" Adrien asked with an eyebrow raised as I plugged headphones into my phone, and pulling up the music.

I jumped, "What?! No no. Nathanaël is just a friend. I- um- LISTEN!" I said, handing him the earbuds.

-----

Chloé's phone buzzed and she picked it up. It was a message from that girl, Sabrina. They had exchanged phone numbers so she could keep up with what Adrien and Marinette were doing. She didn't want to fall behind.

'Chloé! How is it training under Gabriel Agreste? I'm sure it's amazing-'

"Get to the point you crazy fangirl...." Chloé muttered while scrolling through most of the message.

'-amazing skater you are. Anyway, I snuck into the skating rink Adrien is training Marinette at and heard them talking about her free program. Marinette is going to pick her own music! And help choreograph!"

"That pig is picking her own music?" Chloé repeated in shock.

She began to text Sabrina back, but was interupted when Mr. Agreste called her.

She placed her phone back in her bag and skated onto the ice, towards her instructor.

"Chloé Bourgeois," Mr. Agreste said sternly, "Now that my son has... Taken a break for the season... You are now the pride of Hawkmoth Ice Rink."

"Yes, Mr. Agreste." Chloé replied like a solider.

"And you were beaten in competition with a amateur, who hasn't even won a medal." He said with a frown and a raised eyebrow, "Are you proud of that, Ms. Bourgeois?"

Chloé was hesitant before she said, "No sir."

"So to make sure you don't loose again, I've gotten you a special teacher."

"What?! Who?" Chloé said, outraged.

Down the hallway walked a woman with blonde hair in a low ponytail. She wore all shades of blues and greens, and had a peacock feather hair clip in her hair. She walked with a fan in her hand, covering her face. She walked into the room woth poise.

The woman came up to Chloé and looked at her up and down.

"We start with ballet." The woman said to Mr. Agreste. She then turned to Chloé, "You will refer to me as Peacock, and nothing else. Darling, we are going to have fun. Well, I am going to have fun seeing you break. Are you ready to sell your soul in order to become the hero you aspire to be?"

Chloé looked up at Peacock with disgust. Then she said, "I'll do anything to be as good as that Ladybug."

-----

"You still haven't picked your free program music yet?" Alya said in disbelief over video chat.

"Well I did give Adrien one piece," I responded, "But he said I could find a better option...."

"That piece Nathanaël made?"

"Yeah. That one."

'Adrien had always gotten music made for his pieces so he could tell the story through his skating,' I thought to myself, 'But when I asked for a piece that described my career as a skater, I hadn't really done anything... I couldn't blame Nathanaël though... It was an underwhelming piece for my underwhelming career. Made by an amateur for an amateur....'

"Marinette... Marinette?" I heard Alya say repeatedly.

I shook my head, "Yeah Alya?"

"Nathanaël's contact is still on my phone... I'm sure he's improved a lot since you last asked him. Do you want me to ask him to rewrite the piece?"

I thought for a moment. What did I have to lose?

"Yes, thank you Alya."

-----

The next few days I didn't feel motivated to do anything. I guess it was the dred of telling Adrien that I hadn't chosen a piece yet.

One day I was lying down on my bed in my room when I heard a knock on the hatch in the floor.

Just as I sat up in bed I saw Adrien's head pop throughthe hatch.

"Marinette! There you are! Where have you been?"

I jumped and pulled the covers over my head, shrieking, "I'm sorry Adrien I just can't bear to see you when I haven't chosen a piece of music yet!"

Adrien sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then smiled softly, "How about we go to the tower?"

-----

"You see that man feeding the pigeons?" Adrien said, pointing to a man sitting on a bench in a grey suit. We were sitting on a staircase, with a full view of the tower in front of us.

"I never got to take time and pay attention to people like him..." Adrien continued, "I was so focused on pleasing my father... But now that I'm with you, I'm... I'm happy." Adrien said with a smile.

I pulled my knees to my chest, "I'm sorry Adrien. I'm sorry I haven't been good enough for your standards. I'm... I'm just weak. Too weak. You should have gone back with Chloé. I'll never win."

Adrien looked up at the top of the tower, "Marinette, you're not weak. No one thinks that. I've seen the confidence in you. I just need to help you get it out. But how could I?" He looked at me, "Should I be a father figure?"

"No." I mumbled.

"Good. I could never do that... A brother maybe?"

"No."

"Good, I couldn't do that either. I don't have any siblings. Your boyfriend then?"

"N- Wait what?!?"

"That works. I'll help you show confidence by being your boyfriend."

"WHAT?! NO NO NO NO YOU CAN'T!" I shrieked

"You don't want me to be your boyfriend?"

"YE- I mean- N- I mean I would- I mean- what? Okay." I took a deep breath, "I want you to be you."

Adrien looked confused, "People don't usually ask me to be myself...."

"I know who you are. I just want you to be... You."

Adrien smiled, "Okay then. I'll be myself. I'll help you show your confidence that way."

-----

It was around midnight, but I was up on my computer. I clicked refresh for what seemed to be a thousand times, then it happened.

In my inbox, a new email popped up, from the username I recognized, it was from Nathanaël!

I nearly fell out of my chair. I plugged my phone into the computer and cheered it on until it downloaded the attachment, then yanked it out, grabbed my headphones and ran downstairs.

"Adrien!" I whisper-shouted, "Adrien wake up!"

Adrien ruffled his hair as he sat up on the couch. His eyes fluttered open and when he saw me they brightened.

"The new piece! Listen!" I said, handing him the headphones. I sat down on the couch next to him and accidently sat on Plagg the cat's tail. He hissed and I quickly apologised.

Adrien closed his eyes and smiled as he listened to the music. When he opened his eyes again he nodded.

I smiled back and wrapped him in a big hug.

-----

The next morning we got to the rink bright and early.

Adrien pressed play on the CD player and the begining notes echoed throughout the rink.

As the music swelled through my body, I could feel the story. I felt as if I could do anything as I flew through the air in my jumps, landing them perfectly.

Adrien called my name and I skated over to him.

"You haven't chosen a theme for your programs yet." He said, leaning on the side of the rink.

"I..." I replied, "I think I know what I want it to be."

"What?"

"The power of love." I stated simply.

Adrien smiled, "It's perfect." He grabbed the CD and took it out of the player and put it in the case, "Speaking of themes, what did you want to name your piece?"

He placed the CD on the edge of the rink and handed me a marker. I clicked it open and scribbled onto the CD three words, and when I looked up at Adrien we were both smiling.

'Miraculous on Ice' The CD read in black marker.

-----

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope this chapter was to your liking.

... I don't know what else to say...

Bye!

<3

~The Author