It was lunchtime and Marinette had been working none stop for the two days she'd been at 'Agreste'. Due to meeting upon meeting Adrien hadn't seen her much throughout her first day. When he'd finally made it home that night he'd rang her to apologise promising that today he would do whatever she needed him too.

He was her own personal assistant for the day, which is why now he was standing at the nearest Starbucks grabbing a Toasted White Chocolate Mocha for her with a smile plastered on his face. Anything she wanted he would get. She was the love of his life after all.

"One Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, one Peppermint Mocha, a Cranberry Bliss Bar and a Sugar Plum Cheese Danish, please?" Adrien stepped up to the barista and ordered drinks for himself and his lady, and then a couple of treats for Plagg and Tikki.

He'd managed to have a brief conversation this morning with Tikki as she came to find Plagg. They were all so close to being out in the open Adrien couldn't deny it was exciting. Really exciting. If his plan worked, he'd wow Marinette in both forms and hopefully commit his love to her on Christmas Eve.

The way he felt about Christmas was slowly changing and this one event could make his worst holiday into his favourite.

"What's the name, please?" The young barista was a pretty girl. Adrien wasn't stupid, he knew what looked good and what didn't, but there was something so similar about her he couldn't place. Finally she looked up and met his eye.

"Wow! Adrien Agreste. Do you remember me? I've done a couple of shoots for you. I'm currently seeing your old friend Luka Couffine." That's where he knew her from. She was a model for the 'Agreste' jewellery range.

"Awwww yes. Laura is it?"

"Close, Sir. It's Lauren."

He felt so old when someone called him Sir. Sir was Gabriel not him, but what made it worse was she was seeing Luka and Luka was two years older than him. Adrien was only nineteen for crying out loud. Maybe he needed a new face cream routine.

"Are you doing any campaigns at all in the future? I would always be willing to model again for you."

"We are starting up a women's clothing line so make sure you send us updated cv's. My head designer will be choosing her models herself, I have complete faith in her to choose the right looks."

"Complete faith, huh? I take it you've persuaded Marinette to come and work for you." As Adrien turned towards the new voice he came eye to eye with Luka himself. Great Adrien thought. Love rival number one.

Adrien crossed his arms over his chest making sure this biceps pulled against the thick cotton of his winter coat. Luka still had an inch or so on him, but he didn't have half the muscle capacity, after all he was never a fully fledged superhero. He was only ever a stand in, unlike 'The' Chat Noir.

"Luka!" Adrien's greeting was cold and not in the slightest friendly. He'd always got on with Luka, until he realised he loved Marinette that was and now this absolute mess.

"Wow! Thanks for the ice cold greeting." Luka turned to the barista and ordered his drink before giving her a quick kiss. Adrien rolled his eyes and looked around. If paparazzi were around at the moment they would be having a field day. Adrien Agreste, ex-supermodel in a face off with Kitty Sections lead guitarist. Not great for the companies imagine.

"Look Adrien, I know things aren't good at the moment but please let me come and talk to you and Mari. I want to explain my side of the story. I need you to know what happened and why! Nino is ignoring me and Alya is too fragile to talk to and explain, but please I want to do what's best by everyone. I don't want to lose the best friendships I've ever had."

Adrien could relate to that. He didn't have many friends and if he lost any of them he'd want to figure out a way to win them back, or at least he'd want them to give him chance to explain.

"Adrien. Drinks for Adrien." Adrien turned away from Luka and grabbed the cup holder and food bag. He had a choice here, there was so much they still didn't know and to be honest Luka was their friend, especially Marinette's. He deserved his chance as much as Alya did.

"Marinette thinks a lot of you Luka and I don't want to see your friendship disappear just because of a mistake, so come back to the office with me and we'll discuss it. I can't guarantee she'll be happy to see you, but I'll calm her down as much as I can."

Luka's eyes glistened. He actually looked tearful at Adrien's words.

"Thank you Adrien. You're too kind."

"I know." He replied picking up her drinks, "but it's a positive, not a negative."

"Drink for Luka." Luka stepped forward and gathered his cup whilst Adrien reclaimed his own. He seriously hoped that Marinette wasn't going to kill him.

They made small talk as they headed back to the 'Agreste' building. Adrien wasn't as uncomfortable around Luka as he thought he would be, though that didn't stop him from feeling like he was cheating on Nino.

"Are you and Mari finally together?" Luka quizzed Adrien as they stepped out the elevator on their offices floor.

"Not at the moment no."

"Hummmm...."

"What does that mean?" Adrien stopped and looked over at Luka, what the hell was he on about now.

"It's just ... you know ... the two of you are like the perfect couple even when you're not a couple." He laughed. "I just don't understand why you're not together. To be honest I don't know why you're not married yet, I would have put money on it."

Adrien couldn't help but laugh. He wondered the same too ... but he also guessed he was part the problem, after all he was so oblivious to the wonderful girl who he was lucky enough to call his best friend.

"Who knows what the future will bring? But right now she's under a lot of pressure, you know, coming home, getting a job, finding out her best friend was knocked up by a guy she once dated."

Luka winced at Adrien's words. There wasn't a lot he could say though. It was true. Luka made a big mistake. Wrecked a relationship, killed a friendship and might have an additional skill he'd need to embody; becoming a father. Like Adrien, his own father hadn't been the best role model, he honestly still wasn't quite sure who his father was. If he could turn back time he most certainly would.

Adrien knocked on Marinette's door and the bluenette shouted to call him in.

"Come on in Sunshine, I'm in need of that mocha."

Luka couldn't help smirk as Adrien blushed. She knew he hated that nickname.

"This one stitch is causing me a headache." She carried on talking as Adrien tried to get her attention.

"Um- Mari?"

"All the damn thing needs to do it hold this teeny tiny piece of chiffon but noooooo."

"Mari? Turn around and step away from the chiffon."

"Still as determined as always, I see." Luka speaking up made Marinette turn at a whiplash inducing speed.

Luka couldn't help the corners of his lips pull as she made the exact same stance as Adrien had. As much as he loved and admired this girl, she wasn't his chosen half.

"What do you want?" If it was physically possible, Marinette would literally be blowing steam out of her ears. She had gone into full Hawk Moth battle mode, with a look he'd seen on her face a number of times.

"We need to give him chance to talk, Princess. He's part of this as much as the others, and we've let them have their chance. Mari, he's a friend too."

Princess? Whoops he'd made a slip up there. Hopefully she hadn't heard, but by the look of Luka's face he hadn't missed it. Adrien could see his eyebrow lift and a question waiting firmly on his tongue.

You're not together but you call her Princess?

Shut up, Couffine.

Marinette was still staring as the men telepathically scalded each other.

"Fine, but I have a lot of work to do so you have ten minutes whilst I enjoy my beverage." She walked over to the sofa and sat down. Luka thought it would be safer to sit opposite her as Adrien took the seat next to her, offering her the strength he knew they were both going to need.

"Can I just say before I begin that I am so sorry, for everything. Honestly if I could go back in time I would definitely change my decisions."

"You have eight minutes left." Marinette stated looking at her watch.

"I was talking to Alya. She was upset because she'd argued with Nino and there was no one to comfort her so I took her to a bar so we could talk. We both drank too much, I couldn't help but talk about my infatuation with you and that I missed you ... and that I ... that I loved you."

"You loved me?" Marinette looked at Luka in shock as Adrien looked at him as though he was going to take him down.

"I still do Mari. I always have."

Adrien looked at Marinette, watching the change in her expression. Her hardened expression became soft, it became caring and Adrien hated it.

"I - I - I don't know what to say."

"I missed you so much, Alya was the only comfort I could find."

"I'm back now." Her voice was soft and sweet, Luka looked at her with a smug smile on his face and Adrien wanted nothing more to slap it off.

"What about your girlfriend, Luka?" Marinette turned her head sharply to Adrien. Obviously wanting to hear more.

"She's not quite my girlfriend, just the girl I'm seeing. She has nothing on you, Marinette, though. We're nothing serious. I love you." Adrien watched as her head turned back to Luka. He had no idea what was going on with the two of them but he knew he didn't like it.

Suddenly Marinette spoke again, eyes closed and looking at the table.

"Luka, you know I think highly of you and love you, but only as a friend. We just don't work together as a couple. Plus there's this other guy I'm kind of seeing." She opened her eyes looking again into the ice blues of a Luka. Her eyes showed nothing but love.

"I also can't condone what you did. Alya was vulnerable and you got her in a situation where she couldn't think properly. Don't blame me not being here on it, that's unfair. After all Adrien hasn't gone around sleeping with people who know me just because I'm gone. You know I am loyal and committed, and the guy I'm with means the world to me. I wouldn't do anything that could hurt him. He means too much to me."

Luka looked at Adrien who sat with a lopsided grin on his face along with an eyebrow. He truly looked like the cat who got the cream.

"I suppose that's my queue to leave then. Mind walking me out, Adrien." Adrien checked with Marinette before he stood up and made his way to the door, Luka on his tail. Adrien truly couldn't believe what had just transpired, but there was nothing that would bring him down from this high. She really did love Chat, he just needed to make sure she loved Adrien too.

"Luka ..." Marinette called out to her old friend. The two guys stopped in their path and turned around. "I would still like us to be friends. You've been such a major part of my life." Luka nodded before carrying on walking through the door Adrien was holding open. As they exited the room, the door shut silently behind them.

"Wherever happens you need to do the right thing by Alya. She can't handle this alone."

Luka nodded.

"Of course." He began to walk to the elevator which had delivered them to the executive floor, before he turned back to face Adrien.

"By the way. Nicely played Agreste. I always knew you'd win when it came to her heart. Please make her feel loved and happy." Luka said sadly, as the elevator signalled its arrival.

"With everything I possess." Adrien replied, meaning every little word.