I couldn't sleep a wink. I tossed and turned on the uncomfortable hotel bed, thinking about what would happen in my free program the next day. What if I failed my jumps? I may have gotten a high score in the short program, but I still could get better, and not even make it to the next round. What if I-

"Mari...." I heard Adrien mumble.

I turned over so I could see Adrien's bed. He was leaning on his elbow and running his free hand through his hair.

"Y-Yeah Adrien?" I asked.

"You need to get to sleep. You're going to do fine tomorrow, I promise."

"But what if-"

"No what ifs." Adrien said, "I know you can do it. You've done it perfectly in practice, and you'll be just fine. Now get some rest." He laid back down and held his hand out on the bedside table.

I laid back down facing him and watched as he closed his eyes. My gaze shifted towards his hand.

I laid my hand out and took his for a moment, then felt my eyes grow heavy. I fell asleep with my hand in his.

-----

Next morning was the free program.

I bounced on my heals nervously. I watched on the TV in the hallway as the other skaters went, and I got more and more anxious. As the scores were announced I shut my eyes and turned off the TV, much to the disdain of the other skaters. I sat down on the floor and curled my body into a ball.

Adrien quickly came over and helped me up, "How about we go warm up... somewhere else." He said, looking at the paparazzi that were taking pictures of me.

We went downstairs to the parking lot, but I could still hear the scores being announced from upstairs. I kept looking up, jumping during every round of applause.

Adrien handed me my phone and earbuds, "Don't worry Marinette." He said, "Just listen to your music."

I nodded and plugged my headphones in my ears.

Turning up the music, I started to warm up, but despite how loud I turned it up I couldn't help but hear the shouts of the crowd. I knew that Aurore girl was performing her weather themed piece when I left, so that meant that Alix Kubdel was performing now. She was really firing up the crowd...

I had to listen.

When Adrien turned his back, I stood up from my warm up and unplugged the earbuds. The audience was clapping up a storm.

I heard the end of Adrien's sentence, he must have been talking to himself, "motivate her-" Then he turned around and saw that I was listening.

He ran to me and covered my ears, "DON'T LISTEN TO IT!" He shouted, looking down at me. I looked up at him with wide eyes.

We stood there like that. Frozen, for what seemed like eternity.

"A-Adrien..." I stuttered, "I-It's almost my turn... We need to go...."

I started to walk past him, but the grabbed my wrist and turned me towards him again.

"Listen Marinette," He said, running his free through his hair, "I have to say something. I have to motivate you somehow, like my father did with me, and this was all I could think of to be like him..." He took a deep breath.

"If you can't reach the podium... I... ill have to stop being your coach." He said.

I stood there, motionless.

Then I felt the tears start streaming down my face.

Adrien's jaw dropped, he gasped.

"Y-You..." I managed to say through the tears, "You want to q-quit?"

"Mari-"

"I knew you would want to leave me eventually... but I thought it would be after the Grand Prix Final... I-I thought then you would go back to skating no matter where I placed. I thought you were starting to... to like me? I thought we were friends! Why aren't you going to support me before you run off and leave?!?" I shouted, "Why would you put me down like that right before I skate?! Do you... Do you want me to fail?!? So you can go back to skating? Is that it?!?" I stared at the ground, watching my tears fall onto the concrete.

Adrien hesitantly stepped forward, and carefully wrapped his arms around me, as though I was made of glass.

"Marinette no," He said, "I wasn't trying to get an excuse to quit, I love being your coach! I-I was just trying to motivate you like my father did with me-"

"YOU DON'T NEED TO BE LIKE YOUR FATHER!" I shouted, pushing away from him, "JUST BE YOU! YOUR FAITH IN ME IS ALL THE MOTIVATION I NEED!"

There was a pause.

Adrien put his arms down and nodded, "I understand."

-----

We walked upstairs for the free program just in time for me to get onto the ice. I looked at Adrien once more before I skated out.

I felt a lot better after crying. Like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.

I thought of the look on Adrien's face when I started crying, and that made me smile as I went into the first jumps, landing them with ease.

As I skated I started to laugh at the thought of what Adrien might be thinking right now.

I thought about all of the things Adrien and I had been through together at this point. It was funny how he just showed up magically... more like miraculously.

Another jump landed better than expected.

Next I went into the slow piece of the music. I stretched my arms out and relaxed, tilting my head back slowly. I felt at ease.

I went into the next jump, my mind must have been elsewhere because I almost fell out of it. I managed to keep going.

'Hmm...' I thought, 'What if I changed the last quad to a flip instead of a toe loop?'

I went into the proper preparation...

I may have over rotated it, but I kept skating.

As I went through the final steps, I could only think one thing.

'I can be strong.'

Going through the final combination, I went into the ending pose. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Adrien with his face in his hands. I couldn't tell what he was feeling!

Then, suddenly, he started running towards the side of the rink with the gate. I span around to keep my eyes on him, then skated as fast as I could towards the gate.

"Adrien!" I shouted over the screaming of the crowd, "Did I do okay?"

Next thing I knew I was engulfed in his arms, falling backwards onto the ice.

He closed his eyes and his lips touched mine. At first my eyes were wide open in shock, but as I fell... they closed.

Soon we were on the ice.

Adrien propped himself up on his hands, "That's the only thing I could think of that would surprise you as much as you have surprised me...." He said, his face turning red.

I smiled, then cupped his face with my hands and pulled him down to kiss me again.

-----

I had won silver in that competition, meaning I would move onto the next round in Russia, where I would compete against Chloé once more.

This time, I was ready.

-----

WOAH SHORT CHAPTER

HELLO MY FRIENDS THATS RIGHT I COMBINED TWO KISS SCENES FROM TWO FANDOMS I HAVE ZERO (0) SHAME.

After this is published, I'm going to start working on my "Open Mic: A Miraculous Ladybug Battle of the Bands AU". I'm currently writing the first chapter and I like it a lot. Those who like the break dance AU, this will be similar but not exactly the same. Remember that Princess Fragrance chapter where they sang? Yeah it's like that BUT EVERY CHAPTER IM SO PUMPEDDDDDDD

ANYWAY, thanks for reading.

<3

~The Author