It was a moment of clarity like no other Marinette had had before.

"Actually," she said. "Could we have an ice cream for all three of us, please?"

She held her breath as André looked at her for a second and blinked.

"Of course!" He said cheerfully, looking from her to Kagami and Adrien. "Why, I don't know why I didn't think of it, those flavors will go perfect together!"

It was a party at Marinette's Brain, and every brain cell was invited. One of them popped a champagne bottle, and the cork ricocheted against the girl's skull multiple times, the sound echoing every time in the cavernous space that dared call itself brain. The other one was dancing, years of frustration manifesting in wild, uncoordinated dance moves that reflected its relief at the fact that the girl had finally, finally done things right.

"You know, that makes a lot of sense." Adrien said.

"Yes," Kagami said. "there's three of us, and three is a prime number so this or individual ice creams would have been the only solutions fair to all three of us, and this one seems more...entertaining."

Marinette finally let out the breath she had been holding, glad the other two had been so receptive to her idea. Now if only there was a way to test the waters regarding the implications of the whole love-ice cream thing the other two seemed to be oblivious to…

"You know, Marinette," Kagami said as they walked away, Adrien holding their ice cream. "This reminds me of that time I asked you that hypothetical I found on the internet about chocolate ice cream. I think you had the right idea."

"I...did?" What was that again? Something about special chocolate ice cream?

"Yes. Just trying another flavor. Brilliant. And of course, who's to say you can't have chocolate and another flavor as well?" Kagami said with a wink. The brain cells stopped the party. Winks were all-hands-on-deck situations.

"...right." Marinette said. Was Kagami… did she just... Marinette wasn't just imagining things right? She eyed Adrien, trying to guess if the boy had picked up on any of the subtext.

"I'm really glad all three of us are such good friends!" Adrien said with that happy, innocent smile of his that made one of Marinette's brain cells want to make the girl kiss him, and the other brain cell want to make her punch him. Marinette met Kagami's eyes. They shared a perfectly synchronized eye twitch.

But then Kagami smilled. It was a warm, reassuring smile. We've got this, it said. Poor boy won't know what hit him, it said. It was a smile that made Marinette's heart stop, her face blush, and her feet forget how to walk for a moment. She stumbled. And fell. Flat on her face. Kagami giggled, and Marinette was close to accusing her of smiling at her on purpose.

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked, concerned, offering his hand to her. Next to him, after a moment, Kagami offered her hand as well. It reminded Marinette of another moment not long ago, at the ice rink. This time, with confidence she was sure she had to be borrowing from Kagami's smile, she did not hesitate. She took both of their hands. And pulled.

Adriend and Kagami both let out small yelps as she brought them down with her. Miraculously, Adrien managed to salvage the ice cream, which Marinette had managed to forget.

"This looks like a good place to sit anyway." She said as she looked at the river next to them. "Why don't we just stay for a while?"

Adrien was in trouble. Adrien was in so much trouble. If Adrien had been in more trouble that he currently was in, he would be dead. In fact, he had not yet ruled out being dead and this being his own personal...something. He was having a hard time deciding whether it was heaven or hell.

On the one hand, he was currently enjoying ice cream with two amazing girls, one at each side of him. Two girls who were definitely not just his friends, he had come to realize (and the echo of the "finally!" his one brain cell let out when he made the realization could still be heard inside his skull. It was giving him a headache).

On the other hand, he had no idea what was going on. Who was third-wheeling who? Was it him? Was he the third wheel? The girls were getting on remarkably well…

And then, of course, there was Ladybug. It was not that he didn't care for the two girls, it wasn't that he hadn't thought -wasn't currently thinking- about anything happening with either of them ("or…" the brain cell tried to encourage, but the thought didn't come), but the whole thing felt like a betrayal to his love for Ladybug. He had to move on. He knew this, she was in love with someone else. But he didn't know if he was ready. And he sure as hell was not ready for Marinette resting her head on his lap while Kagami played with Marinette's hair (hell, it was definitely hell, a very special hell, probably earned by his puns).

"Say, Adrien." Kagami said. "Imagine there's two special flavours of ice cream. Say, magical chocolate and magical strawberry." She paused to check on Marinette, who had coughed. "And you only get to have one cone with these flavours. Do you a) have the magical chocolate or b) have the magical strawberry?"

"Uh, I don't know? I mean, I guess I'd just have some of each? That way I don't miss out on anything."

Kagami nodded.

"I agree. Don't you agree, Marinette?"

"Uh...yes...agreement. Marinette agrees. I mean I. I agree. Because I am Marinette who agrees. I would like my two flavours now please."

Kagami chuckled.

"Patience." She said. "I think the chocolate is frozen solid, it needs some warmth before we can get some of it."

"Wait, is the magical ice cream real then?" Adrien asked, confused.

"It's real in my heart." Marinette said with a sigh. Kagami scooted closer to Adrien (their legs were now touching) and booped Marinette on the nose.

"I said patience!"

"mFine!" Marinette said with a pout that was far cuter than it had any right being. "I'll be patient."

"Thank you." Kagami said with exaggerated emotion in her voice as she caressed Marinette's cheek. "I'll be sure to reward your patience soon."

Oh god, he was the third wheel, he was so the third wheel. First Ladybug and now this. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to handle this? Should he ignore it? Should he just...leave? Was he...okay with that?

He was not. His heart fell. He was not okay with it. It made him feel...greedy. Ladybug, Kagami, Marinette...he couldn't just like every girl he was friends with! Except he didn't. It was just...they were all so...amazing. He could honestly say his feelings for them were all equally strong. Ladybug had come first, and there definitely was some idolizing attached to his feelings for her going on, but...still, the feelings for the two girls who were currently apparently courting each other in his presence were just as real. The pain he was now feeling was just as real.

"Adrien?" Marinette said.

"Huh? Sorry, I spaced out."

"I said, aren't you going to reward my patience too?"

And that's the story of how Adrien's last brain cell died.

It had all been going so well. Marinette wasn't just on board, she'd basically been the architect of the plan, even if Kagami had been the one to put it in motion. And what a plan it was. So simple, yet so elegant. Kagami hadn't even considered it. There she'd been, playing dumb, waiting to see which pair of ice cream flavors Marinette would choose, not knowing if she wanted the girl to pick her (the mere thought had made the butterflies in her stomatch go wild) or not, as the whole situation was already convoluted enough without throwing that third possible couple into the mix. And then she'd asked that simple question, and Kagami's 299 999 997 brain cells had gone into disarray, scrambling to process, to find a flaw, to figure out how she hadn't thought of that.

Adrien was...Adrien. The progress was there, but it was slow. Painfully slow. She could have sworn Marinette had been about to explode.

And then the people had come, running away from some new akuma victim.

And they'd gone to hide.

And Marinette had proposed they split up "for safety", whatever the hell that meant. And Adrien, Adrien had actually agreed! She swore, sometimes it was like they had three brain cells between the two of them.

So they'd split up. And now she was alone, hiding from some ugly two-faced balloon that ate people in love.

"Kagami Tsurugi" a voice said behind her. Kagami turned around and found Ladybug offering her a familiar box. "I need your help. Will you take the Dragon miraculous once again?"

"I...thought you said...because of my identity…"

"I had not time...I'd...seen you were in the area, and I could use your help."

Kagami nodded.

"You can count on me, Ladybug."

If things had been confusing before, with Marinette and Adrien, then now, with Ladybug and Chat Noir, they were far, far beyond confusing. Something was off with the heroes, Kagami could tell. Chat Noir had actually tried to start a conversation with her, asking if she was interested in anyone, and Ladybug had seemed...jealous, quickly shutting down the conversation before it began. Though the weirdest part was that Kagami couldn't tell who she was jealous about.

It had to be her. Ladybug barely knew Kagami, why would she be jealous of Chat Noir? And yet...the way Ladybug smiled at her...that was new. Different. Yet also familiar. And it made Kagami wonder if maybe Marinette and Adrien would be okay with adding the occasional super flavor to their ice cream.

But no, that couldn't be right. Ladybug and Chat Noir knew each other, fought alongside each other every day. Kagami was basically a stranger. If anything, Ladybug had to be jealous of her partner showing interest in someone else.

"Ladybug." Kagami said as the two of them hid together in an alley to catch their breath and regroup. The balloonish villain had been proving hard to attack, even with three of them. "A question."

"Shoot."

"There's a special chocolate flavour. You could have tried it any day, but you weren't interested. Then someone comes along and buys all the stock. This makes you realize you actually really want to try that special chocolate ice cream. Do you, a) try to steal it from the buyer, or b) resign yourself to never knowing what it's like?"

Ladybug was silent for a second. Kagami thought she might shout at her for asking such a stupid question in the heat of battle. Then Ladybug giggled, and the giggle soon turned into full-blown laughter.

After some seconds and a few tears of mirth wiped away, Ladybug looked at her and Kagami could have sworn there was something evil in those beautiful blue eyes.

"I think…" Ladybug said, leaning closer and biting her lip. "I would persuade the buyer to share."

Kagami gulped. France really was a very modern country.

"But, I'm afraid I'm currently pursuing a very strict two-flavor diet, no matter how tempting the special chocolate may be."

"Oh. Oh, I see." So Ladybug was in a relationship with two people? Neither of them Chat Noir?

"But feel free to get some of that ice cream, if you want." Ladybug said, though her tone was nowhere near as casual as her words. Kagami suddenly felt like she was being tested.

"I'm actually...on a strict diet as well."

Ladybug hummed.

"It's a shame." She said. "I bet the two of us could would really have enjoyed some ice cream together."

"What's with everyone and ice cream today?" Chat Noir said exasperated as he landed next to them. "And what happened to staying focused on the mission?"

"Won't happen again, kitten." Ladybug said, poking his bell. "We were just making sure we were on the same page."

"About ice cream. Now?"

"The ice cream is a metaphor." Kagami said with a chuckle.

Chat Noir looked like she had just revealed the secret of the universe to him.

"The ice cream...is a metaphor." He repeated.

"That's what I said?" Kagami confirmed.

"The ice cream...is. A metaphor."

"Chat? You okay?"

"Ladybug. The ice cream is a metaphor. We all agreed to have both flavors. And the ice cream...is a metaphor."

"Wait what." Ladybug said, confused. "We never-"

"No." Chat interrupted, holding a hand up. "Wait. Thinking." His eyes went to Kagami, and stayed there, examining her. Then his eyes went wide. "Oh my god. Oh my god. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod-"

The two girls looked at each other, panicked. Whatever was going on inside Chat Noir's mind, it was big. He started to pace.

"But Ladybug...but they want to…they both said...and I said...oh my god…"

"This...is getting old." Ladybug said. "Villain now, identity crisis later. I've got my own ice cream to get back to."

"OH MY GOD."

In the end, the battle had come to a very anticlimactic end when, just when Ladybug had been about to execute her plan, the akuma had simply...left, leaving its victims behind to be saved from a very messy end by the three heroes. Adrien had to admit, his mind had not been quite up to the task, still reeling from his recent discovery. He watched Ladybug and Kagami save the day. Kagami.

Kagami who wanted to share.

Share him with Marinette. Share Marinette with him.

Marinette who had seemed very okay with the idea, assuming she had not been as oblivious as Adrien about the whole ice cream thing.

"What do you think, Chat?" Ladybug asked. The three of them were catching their breath on a rooftop, waiting for the inevitable moment when they'd have to split up to detransform.

"Huh?" He said. "Sorry, I spaced out."

"I said, I think Kagami did a great job. Even if her identity is known, she might be a valuable ally in the future."

"I...of course."

"The three of us make a great team." Ladybug said.

"The three of us." Chat echoed. Now there was a thought. But then there was Marinette.

"Is he always like this?" Kagami asked.

"No. Chat, what's wrong? Is this about the...ice cream thing?"

Adrien could feel the leather ears twitch at that.

"Something like that." He said. "I can't really talk about it. Identity stuff."

"Ah." Ladybug said with a nod. "Maybe we can help? As long as you don't go into too much detail…"

Adrien looked at Kagami. It was too risky. But then again, this could be a good opportunity to make sure he wasn't losing his mind.

"I think…" He said slowly. "There's these two girls…"

"Two?" Ladybug asked, and Chat could have sworn the word was dripping with jealousy. But maybe that was just wishful thinking.

"I think they might be interested in me...and in each other."

"I see." Ladybug said, her voice unreadable this time.

"And I...well, I like both of them, but then there's also, you know...you." He shrunk and looked away as he said it, knowing exactly what look she must be giving him. She didn't say anything. "But also I just don't know if that kind of...relationship?" His voice became just slightly higher as he said the word. "Can work? Is that something either of you would...go for?"

"Yes." The two girls said in unison, with no hint of hesitation, making him look up in surprise.

"With the right people." Ladybug added quickly, looking away, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Obviously." Kagami agreed with a confident nod.

"Huh." Adrien said, before turning to Ladybug. "And would you...be okay...with me...you know...pursuing that relationship?" Once again, his voice quivered in fear at the sound of that word.

To his surprise, Ladybug's response was not an eyeroll, not a laugh, not a witty comeback.

"I admit," She began carefully, and Adrien felt himself hold his breath. "I admit a part of me would be sad to know you're...taken. But, I am pursuing a...relationship..." It was good to know he was not the only one having trouble with that word. "Of my own, so it would be unfair of me to be anything but supportive of you with yours."

"Maybe someday" Kagami suggested. "All three of us can go for ice cream with our significant others?"

"Uh…" Ladybug said.

"I don't…" Chat said.

"Literal ice cream." Kagami clarified. The other two sighed in relief.

Group Chat: Orange, Peppermint, and Blackberry.

Marinette: The attack is over! Where are you guys?

Kagami: you'd know if we hadn't split up like Americans in a horror movie.

Adrien: It was for safety! Meet back where we split?

Kagami: sure.

Marinette: yes!

Marinette felt her heart race as she saw them approach together. A sight that not long ago would have filled her with confusing, painful feelings now made her feel dizzy and...warm. She could practically see the shoujo flower frame around them. The two brain cells, reminded of the early days of her Adrien crush, sighed in frustration as they resigned themselves to not being able to do anything in front of those two for at least a month.

"So. Shall we get back to out ice cream?" Kagami said.

"Uh...I'm pretty sure it's long gone by now." Marinette said, the symbolism forgotten in her current state. Kagami rolled her eyes, and opened her mouth to say something.

"THE ICE CREAM IS A METAPHOR!" Adrien said, loudly and bluntly. The other two blinked at him in complete silence before bursting in loud, joyful laughter.

"Well look...look who finally caught up." Kagami said, gasping for air.

With Ladybug-like courage and taking advantage of the fact that her current inability to think meant she was also unable to overthink, Marinette hugged the boy's arm and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Such a clever boy." She said with a giggle.

"Oh, like you'd been any less hopeless without me." Kagami said, booping her nose again. Marinette swore she could feel the heat of her blush spread from the contact point through her whole face. "Just be thankful I've got enough brain cells for the three of us."

The other two opened their mouths to protest, then closed them and thought for a second.

"That's fair." They said in tandem.

"Of course it is." Kagami said casually, this time booping both of their noses simultaneously. Then she examined them for a moment before splitting them apart.

"Hey!" Marinette complained as Adrien's arm was freed from her hands. Ignoring her, Kagami placed herself between the other two and wrapped her arms around their hips.

"I think I've earned my right to be the first one in the middle." She said with exaggerated haughtiness as she began to lead them forward.

"Fine." Marinette grumbled, resting her head on Kagami's shoulder. "But I get dibs on middle spoon for our first cuddle."