Hey Luka, I know it's the weekend and you're busy with practice but is there any chance we could talk? If not don't worry, but if you could that would be super duper!!

Marinette grumbled and threw her phone next to her on her bed. Her hands went up to cover her eyes as she exasperated a low, deep groan.

"What was that?" A small voice sounded out.

"Do you think there's a dragon akuma about?" Another voice answered.

"No guys, it's just me!" Marinette moved her hands from her face to look at the kwami's. It was another Sunday, another day of isolation and another day of boredom. Life as the guardian was hard. Really she should be up creating power ups, she'd set her alarm specially for that reason. Sometimes she believed Chat would have made the better Guardian.

The sound of her phone bleeped next to her and she absent mindedly patted her hand around to pick it up. The patting wasn't working. With another scary dragon sound, according to Longg, Marinette sat up and grabbed her phone.

Her eyes scanned across her cork board as she placed her hand on the treasure she was searching for. There, staring at her, was Adrien. No matter which pictures were on her board, or how much she moved them around it was always Adrien that hit her eyeline. He was like a magnet to her, but she couldn't understand why? She needed to get over this, she needed to get over him. He had a girlfriend, he had a soulmate and she now had a boyfriend and a soulmate. Yes her soulmate didn't know this yet and he wasn't the one she was dating, however she was hoping one day soon (sixteen days to be precise) she could tell Chat Noir and they could sail off into the sunset together. Princess and dark knight. Bug and cat.

Her birthday was getting so close. She prayed it would give her the closure she needed to end this pining and move on with her life. She needed to let Adrien go, but why was it so hard? And Luka? Poor sweet Luka. She really was a horrible girl sometimes.

Finally trapping her phone in her hand, she saw the notification.

Luka

"Well that didn't take him long." Sass commented.

"You know Luka, always there when you need him. Mr pure of heart and too good to be true."

For some reason, as she spoke, the sarcasm dripped from her tongue. Was she resenting Luka? No she couldn't be! She wasn't like that. Well, she never used to be. Ok, so sometimes she resented Luka. He just seemed to have it sorted. So calm and collected, so pure of heart. Could the guy do no wrong?

Luka: Sure. Will be there in about an hour x

She'd decided she was going to tell Luka the truth. As much as she could, that is. He was a support system for her, and she loved him for what he did to help her, but the truth now was she'd found her soulmate. She'd found the one person who would never let her down. Chat. The black suited hero just wouldn't, in ways no one would understand. There was no chance her devoted partner wouldn't take her in his arms and prove just how much she meant to him.

"Are you sure you want to do this Marinette?" Tikki came to settle on her holder's shoulder, noticing Marinette was looking through her phone, googling and pulling up pictures of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Marinette let out a sigh and saved a couple of the pictures to her camera roll. The more she thought about it, the better she felt. Ladybug and Chat Noir. Everyone was going to lose their minds. Although, it would have to remain on the down low until Shadow Moth was defeated. She would never want to put her kitty in a situation where he could be hurt.

Closing her camera roll, she took another look at her picture wall. It was time for a change. For the next hour she removed any pictures that were Adrien or Luka, the wall would only be from group pictures now and pictures of her and her friends. No magazine pictures of Adrien, and no individual pictures of Luka. It was time for a change. It was time for her to grow up.

"Hey Marinette."

She'd been so engrossed in redesigning her wall she'd missed her trapdoor opening and Luka appearing. She thanked the Holy Gods that the kwami's were tucked away sleeping in the Miracle box. As a guardian, not being alert to her surroundings was never a good sign, this is why she needed to channel her focus and not allow distractions.

"Oh, Luka! Hi!" She jumped down from her bed and indicated for Luka to sit on her chaise before sliding down next to him.

"You ok? Your message seemed like something was on your mind."

Marinette took a deep breath in and exhaled out, reaching forward to take Luka's hand in her own.

"Can you remember the akuma last week? The soulmate one?"

"Romantica." Luka stated, Marinette nodded in response. "You got hit didn't you?" Marinette nodded again. "So, who was it?"

"I can't say."

Luka looked at Marinette. Really looked at her. When they'd first met he'd never think she'd be capable of hiding so much, especially when he could tell it was affecting her. Perhaps if he came out with his own truth she'd be more inclined to trust in him too.

"I was hit too." He spoke quietly, placing his second hand over the top of their joined ones.

"Oh!" She looked up at him shocked, this had taken an interesting turn of events. "And?"

"I found her. She's older than me. She has a fiancé." Marinette's eyes didn't leave Luka's as he began to tell his story. "She has the matching tattoo, she's gorgeous Mari. She plays in a band, lead singer, and has the coolest hairstyle I've ever seen."

As Luka continued gushing about his soulmate, Marinette could feel her heartbreak again, but this time for him.

"Did you speak to her? Obviously she knows she's got to give you a chance? You always end up with your soulmate."

Luka shook his head.

"She told me I was too young, too inexperienced. I've got her number and she is texting me, but it looks as though I've been refused." A tear rolled down his cheek, his voice becoming a whisper, "I don't know what to do. She's perfect for me Mari."

Marinette looked at the blue haired boy next to her before wrapping her arms tightly around him. Soulmates always ended up together, now or in ten years time, she knew Luka would be ok. As for the now, her heart was ripped apart for her friend. He deserves more than this. He didn't deserve to feel refused.

"You know ... fate will always find its way."

Luka pulled back off Marinette's shoulder and nodded. Perhaps her earlier judgment of Luka having everything together was false. She'd put another boy on a pedestal.

"Just how much older is she? If you don't mind me asking?" She was curious, it's not very often there's a significant age gap.

"Five years."

Marinette nodded. That was quite a gap, not unheard of, but extremely rare.

"Well, you've got me until you don't want me anymore so chin up, I'm awesome."

Luka let out a laugh.

"Thank you Mari, but you've found your mate now."

"I may have found him through the akuma, but I still want to wait for my tattoo."

"He's a lucky guy."

Marinette sombered at his words. She wasn't so sure he was the lucky one, this time she swore Tikki's luck had rubbed off on her. Chat Noir really was the perfect guy for her, it just took her a while to see that, and although Adrien still held a proportion of her heart she couldn't deny that her feline partner held the rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The remainder of the weekend was majority uneventful. No akuma's. No drama. No heartache. Marinette really couldn't help but feel refreshed and relaxed as she headed into school the following Monday morning.

The same couldn't be said for Adrien. Saturday was taken with the world's longest and most boring photoshoot, followed by a Sunday lying to his "soulmate". After spending the majority of the day on a publicised date with Kagami, he could guarantee he was the world's worst boyfriend. He hated lying to her. He was just glad he didn't have to lie about escaping. For once Scarlett Moth had been silent. He'd left them alone the entire weekend.

When Adrien's car finally pulled up outside the school gates, he gingerly stepped out and made his way up the steps and into the school grounds. He didn't want to talk to anybody. He didn't want to see anybody. He just wanted to go home and think about this situation he was currently settled in. Settled? Yeah, that wasn't the right word. Stuck would be more like it.

"Hey dude, you ready for today?" Adrien turned to find Nino approaching from the boys restroom. Adrien couldn't help but give him a once over. Nino was dressed in sweatpants and his usual tee. The sweatpants looked as though they were about to fall down.

"Hey man," Adrien greeted his friend with the usual fist bump. "You do realise everyone can see your underwear right?"

Nino nodded and slapped his hand to Adrien's shoulder.

"It's the look, my dude. If we're going to be dancing all day I need to express myself. We can't all look like a modern Hercules."

Adrien looked down at his own attire and laughed. A black <em>Gabriel</em> tracksuit, edged with green stripes and a matching green butterfly placed delicately against one of his pecks. The tracksuit was well fitted and Adrien felt good. The extra working out as Chat Noir had helped him in the long run, and this tracksuit left little or nothing to the imagination. He couldn't help but wonder what Marinette would think when she saw him, then he couldn't help but wonder why he was thinking about Marinette.

"Well, we all can't be blessed in the physical department." Adrien flexed his muscle causing Nino to shake his head, why was his friend such a doofus?

"Speak for yourself." The guys turned round at Alya's voice. She was standing next to a shy and unconfident, Marinette.

Adrien couldn't help his face (and bodies) reaction to what he was seeing. The worst of it all, he would be spending the day dancing with her. Up close and in her space. Now he knew his mind would be wandering back to the Goddess in front of him. He mentally slapped himself, she was just a good friend. He has a soulmate ... actually, his brain interfered, you don't have a soulmate yet and she is gorgeous.

Standing in front of the boys was making Marinette feel nervous. After the weekend she had, she thought she would be feeling brave and confident, she'd had sleep after all. However, right at this moment she felt neither. Adrien, and Nino, were ogling at her. Her choice of clothing may not have been the strong independent style she was going for. Her leggings were black with green flecks over them, the material grasping to all her curves and features thanks to the strenuous activities of being a superhero, whilst her top was a cropped, off the shoulder sweater, complete with paw print. Under her crop was a matching black sports bra. Not only did her outfit scream Chat Noir, it also screamed ...

"Oh wow!" Alix had entered the locker room, stopping short when she saw her two oblivious superhero friends. "Your matching!" She burst out laughing as she continued to her own locker. Shaking her head as though she was part of an inside joke.

Marinette and Adrien looked at each other before looking down at their clothing again. Both parties felt the blush take over their features as they comprehended exactly how right Alix was with her statement. They did, indeed, look as though they had planned it all.

"I never noticed!" Screeched Alya, obviously this was the most exciting thing that had happened for her to document over the past few days. "Stand together, please, let me get a picture. This would be awesome in the yearbook."

Alix burst out laughing again, as Nino grabbed Marinette's arm to pull her next to Adrien. They looked at each other and smiled. The smile showing exactly how uncomfortable they both were at that moment in time.

"Put your arm around her dude." Nino shouted out as Alya positioned herself in front of them, causing another wave of laughter from Alix. Marinette was seriously going to be having words with her later. What the heck was this all about?

Adrien looked to Marinette, slightly worried by the irritated look on her face.

"If you're not comfortable I won't touch you."

This pulled Marientte from her current hypnotic/terrified state, back to looking at the blonde haired model situated next to her.

"No it's fine. Touch away. I mean - you can touch me wherever you want," Marinette's face again increased in colour. Grasping her hands tightly in fists she tried one more time. "Yes, you can put your hand on my waist." There she'd done it, only three attempts this time.

Adrien chuckled, Marinette could always make him laugh. Probably because sixty percent of the time he didn't even have a clue what she was on about. He reached across placing on his model smile, ready to take a picture for Alya. As his hand hit the bare flesh of Marinette's waist something happened, something he recalled happening when he'd touched her once before. A long time ago.

A spark sent a shockwave of adrenaline through his hand, coursing up his body and around to his heart. His body felt electric and uncontrollable. He'd never felt this before. Perhaps it was the quality of material she was wearing? But he knew Marinette would never use anything cheap enough to give a shock. His nerves were tingling, and his heart was palpitating at an unnerving speed. Was he about to have a heart attack?

He looked down towards Marinette, wondering if she'd experienced the same shockwave, only to be sucked into her bright blue eyes. Time seemed to stand still as his mind raced through memories, although, he was sure they hadn't happened, maybe they were premonitions?

Her face laughing as it spun around him, eyes firmly locked on his, her eyes closed and lips puckered ready for what seemed to be a kiss, Marinette with white netting over her face and a diamond hair piece on her perfectly made up hair.

"Dude?"

She was radiant, carefree, dreamy. She was exceptionally beautiful, hair cascading down her back standing on a beach pulling him by the hand into the sea. Cosplaying as Ladybug, running away from him holding his hand on what seemed to be the rooftops of Paris.

"Dude? Yo, Adrien!"

There she was again. Those eyes. Two pairs of bright blue eyes, one being a lot smaller than the other. The bigger out the two shedding tears of joy.

"Adrien!" Suddenly his hand left Marinette's hip. The connection, broken. He'd been yanked away from a feeling he'd never experienced before, one he couldn't explain but felt so calm and natural.

Blinking, he looked to the opposite side. His eyes collided with hazel. Kagami. What was she doing here? She didn't go to his school. He felt a chill come over him, missing the warmth of having an arm on Marinette.

"Kagami. Um- what are you doing here?"

"That's no way to greet your soulmate, Adrien." She stretched up on her toes and placed a kiss close to his lips. "Did you not get my text?"

"I- um- " as Adrien fumbled to get out of his Marinette induced daze, he looked towards his friends. They were leaving. He let out a cough before turning back to his girlfriend. "No, sorry, I haven't checked my phone this morning."

He tried to smile, but he was quite sure he just looked constipated. So much for the model's good looks.

"It's a good job I've shown up then." Kagami reached into her kit bag and pulled out what looked like a very fancy invitation. "You will be accompanying me tonight to Prince Ali's birthday ball. I've already spoken to my mother and she is fine with it."

Adrien didn't know what else to do but nod. He was actually becoming one of those boyfriends. Just smile and nod. He was a self proclaimed idiot.

"Sounds good." He smiled at her again before looking to the door where his friends had exit. She followed his glare and let out a huffed breath.

"Go." She commanded. He looked at her again, unsure as to whether he should actually go. Her face looked like thunder, which with Kagami's lack of facial expressions, was quite a skill. He nodded like a lost boy and scurried out the door.

"You have zero backbone kid!" Plagg declared out of Adrien's pocket, "and for some reason it's getting worse with age."

Adrien looked at the black fuzz ball sticking his head out of the tracksuit jacket, and sighed. For once, he believed Plagg was right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ok gentleman, grab your ladies and prepare to waltz."

The flamboyant dance instructor, hired for their Pride and Prejudice ball, was something of a character. He was an ex male ballroom champion, who had featured numerous times on 'Dancing with the Stars'. So what did that mean for the students of Françoise Dupont? It meant he had high expectations and very low patience.

"I'm dying here." Kim exclaimed, as they were made to take their sixth lap around the room.

The basic waltz was a lot harder than it looked, and after half an hour, legs were killing and sweat was dripping.

"I'm taking this jumper off." Marinette let go of Adrien to pull her cropped sweater over her head. It was far too hot to be worrying about covering up. Alix and Chloe had already stripped to their sports bras, now it was Marinette's turn. She had nothing against wearing such little clothing. After all, most of the day she spent running around in a skintight magical suit, and with the sweat currently pouring out of her, she needed the respite.

"Oh wow!" Nathanial's voice echoed around the auditorium, his eyes firmly placed on Marinette. Or, should he say, Marinette's body.

The whole class stopped what they were doing and looked over to where Marinette was now taking a swig of her water, complete with no clue to the chaos she'd caused.

Adrien, on the other hand, was well aware of the chaos and couldn't help the feeling of protection swell over him. How dare they look at her that way! In a flash, he'd stripped the tracksuit jacket from himself and slung it over her shoulders.

"Adrien! What are you doing? Your top is all sweaty." She looked at her dance partner with bewilderment.

"They're all looking at you." He stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Marinette looked around at the members of her class, only to find that they were, actually, looking at her.

"And?" She queried.

"I don't want you to feel violated." She looked at him for five, ten, fifteen seconds before bursting into laughter.

"That's ok. I've worked hard on this body, I'll have you know." She looked into his eyes with such care, he couldn't help melting as he looked back. Lowering her voice she spoke only to him. "It's ok Adrien, honestly. But thank you. Thank you so much for caring."

She shrugged the jacket off and handed it over to him. As he stretched out she noticed two things; one his eyes were staring at her in a way she felt completely naked, and two; there was no soulmark under his elbow, where Kagami had said it was.