Throw Me Around Like One of Your French Girls, Chapter 7

Marinette padded down the stairs quietly, and approached her father in the living room. He barely noticed her arrival, engrossed as he was in destroying an incoming armada of pixelated killer space turnips on his TV screen.

"Ahem," she coughed, quietly.

"Oh! Hello, Marinette," Tom called, allowing himself a quick peek over his shoulder before focusing on dodging radish torpedoes again. "Couldn't stay away, huh?"

"More like, Mama sent me down because you couldn't stay away," smiled Marinette. "And it's a school night. And you get up when to head down to the bakery?"

"Around four. Why, what is it now? Ten? Eleven?" asked Tom.

"A little after twelve, actually."

"Agggh!"

Startled into momentary inaction, Tom watched as his flagship took a direct hit from the dreaded vegetable fleet.

"Oh, dear," he murmured, gesturing at the screen for Marinette's benefit. "I do need to get some sleep... but look what level I'm on!"

"I'm about to say two words that are going to change your life, Dad. Save State. Hit the Start button," she directed him.

He obeyed, pausing the game.

"Now scroll down in the menu... not there, over there... yeah, that one. Click that."

When he did, a set of numbered slots appeared on the menu on the screen.

"Pick one of those, and it'll 'freeze' your game in place. You can come back to it another time from exactly where you left it," smiled Marinette. "That way, the shop can actually open tomorrow."

"Huh!" marveled Tom. "It'll pick up from the same level?"

"From the very second that you paused it. Trust me," Marinette assured him. "I'll help you load it back up tomorrow, when you're ready."

"If your mother lets me, you mean," Tom grinned, sheepishly. "You're a lifesaver, Marinette."

She padded back up the stairs with a smile, calling back to him, "I have my moments."

Around two-thirty, Plagg floated over by Adrien's bed to confirm his suspicions about his young friend.

"Hi," a wide-awake Adrien said, very quietly.

"The ol' brain won't shut down, huh?" mused Plagg.

"That's one way to put it," agreed Adrien. "I'm just... fried inside right now."

"Talk it out, then," Plagg offered. "What's got you so worked up? I mean, I know who does."

"I missed it."

Adrien's voice was flat, with a bit of pain behind it.

"Marinette was right there next to me, all this time. She was into me, and she and I could've been... so many things... and I flat-out missed it," he repeated. "How could I have been so stupid?"

"You really want an honest answer to that?" asked Plagg.

Adrien stared at him, cautiously... then nodded.

"Okay. Part one; you're a teenage boy. It comes with the territory," Plagg shrugged. "When you fall in love, you lock on like a heat-seeking missile, and nothing and nobody can distract you from that. I've seen it so many times; it's kind of natural. And you had a pretty target in your sights all that time, with spots all over her costume."

"That's fair," said Adrien. "But with Ladybug, at least it was more... straightforward? I asked her out; she said 'no.' I told her how I felt; she said that there was someone else. I kept asking; she kept saying 'no.' And that hurt... but it was understandable. Hearing what I've heard from Marinette these last two days, though..."

He looked up at Plagg with helpless eyes. "Marinette didn't say 'no.' She said, 'It would've been yes. Yes, yes, a million times yes! But now, it's not.' And that... God, Plagg, that hurts a hundred times worse. Knowing that something wonderful had been that close if I'd just opened my eyes."

"Yeah... that would crash your system," mused Plagg. "Especially since it's never happened to you before."

The Kwami appeared deep in thought... or as close to that state as he ever seemed to get. "Part two is that you're both new to this, and neither one of you knows what to do about it. Marinette's been into you for a long time..."

"You knew?" Adrien interrupted, somewhere in between accusation and astonishment.

"Of course I did. I watched her, and it was obvious to me," Plagg replied.

"You didn't tell me."

"Not my secret to tell; it was hers," countered Plagg. "But she couldn't just tell you."

"Why not?" mumbled Adrien. "That's what I don't get. I mean, I told Ladybug... I've told her several times... even when I knew I was going to get shot down, that it was going to hurt. I thought that I sensed something from Marinette twice, and I asked her, face to face... and she told me just the opposite. She tried to explain herself this morning, but... I don't know, I just don't understand it completely."

"Everybody deals with stress and emotions their own way. Everybody has something that they're terrified of," argued Plagg. "The first time that you asked Ladybug, the night with the dinner and the rose and the ice-cream monster and all that... you remember what you felt like inside, when you didn't know how she'd react?"

"Yeah. It was like having a car battery attached to my brain," Adrien recalled.

"Big upside if she said 'yes.' Huge nosedive if she said 'no.' An all-or-nothing gamble," Plagg continued. "Well... some people are so afraid of the 'no,' so sure that it'll happen that it psyches 'em out and they can't think straight. Can't talk like a human being. Like, telling somebody that they'll take a coleslaw home from the park, or panicking and calling themselves 'just really into fashion.' Or turning into mud when you mention 'the girl that you love' to her in a car."

Adrien absorbed that, thinking about the encounters Plagg had mentioned in something of a new light.

"And if I had to put money on it... she's lying in her bed right now, staring at her ceiling," said Plagg. And talking to HER Kwami, but I ain't mentioning that part, he grinned to himself.

"So... in the meantime..." ventured Adrien, looking for instructions.

"So, what you need to do for now is to think about where you are, not where you could have been," Plagg insisted. "You've got a gorgeous girl who's crazy about you, and now she feels like she's the best friend that you've always wanted her to be. You've got another gorgeous girl who's been smooching you and making your hair stand on end. Kid... you're in a good spot right now. You know how many high school boys would kill for any girl to look at them like those two look at you?"

"Um..." Adrien blinked. "All my friends are kind of paired off already, if they want to be..."

"Trust me, that's not usually how it works," replied Plagg. "And your two admirers are friends! They're not trying to scratch each other's eyes out."

"Which is good," agreed Adrien. "I don't know how I would handle that."

"So don't let it happen. Don't get either one of them too worked up yet," advised Plagg. "Marinette is fine just being close like this, she said, so be close. Don't try to solve this whole thing all at once."

"And when I look into those deep blue eyes again, and I hear that conversation from this morning in my head?" Adrien sighed. "How if I kissed her, she would kiss me back, with everything she had behind it?"

Plagg chuckled as he floated back to the computer desk. "That," he smiled, "is entirely up to you. Now get some sleep, already."

Adrien stared into his bathroom mirror the next morning... doing his best to give himself his day's marching orders.

"You are going to play it cool," he told his reflection.

His reflection stared back at him, returning his nervous smile.

"Yes, Marinette is amazing. Yes, you kissed her on the cheek yesterday. And yes, she told you that she liked it," he insisted, with which Mirror Adrien seemed to agree.

"But she doesn't want to be my girlfriend right now. Not as long as Kagami is... almost that. And she doesn't want Kagami to be hurt... and neither do I," Adrien told himself. "Marinette wants to be my best friend as long as that's real. And she's so good at it. And I want so much more of that."

"...I want so much more, period," he admitted.

"But I am going to be fair to Kagami. She is the one I'm dating, I'm kissing, I'm romancing... and she has done nothing wrong, and so much right! And it's not just about fairness... I really do like what I have with Kagami so far," insisted Adrien. "If it wasn't Marinette on the other side of this... it wouldn't even be a contest."

"...But it is."

Adrien shook his willpower back into existence. "But it isn't. Because Marinette doesn't want it to be... so, neither do I," he ordered Mirror Adrien. "So you are going to play it cool. You are going to be charming, flirty and funny with her... but you are not going to make her uncomfortable. You are not going to push her to be more to you than she wants to be for now. And you are not going to kiss her again."

"...Not the way that you want to."

He could swear that Mirror Adrien said, "And not the way that she really wants you to," but the reflection's lips didn't appear to move.

A small, dark-haired blur darted around the Dupain-Cheng home that morning. Sabine did her best not to get caught up in the slipstream.

"Is everything all right, dear?" she asked her fast-moving daughter. "I think you have plenty of time yet."

"I know," Marinette called, "but I was late yesterday and I don't want to do that again so soon."

"Or at all," countered Sabine. Marinette shot her a look, after which Sabine conceded, "I know, I know. You'll do your best."

"Yesterday was a... very big conversation. Ms. Bustier was understanding... but I'm not expecting another one quite like that today." Marinette looked thoughtful. "I kind of hope not. If he says the kinds of things to me that he did yesterday, I only have so much willpower."

"And you will do your best there as well, I'm sure."

"See you later, Mom," grinned Marinette as she headed for the stairs.

Down in the bakery, a head-tilt from her father was all she needed to know that she had company once again. She kissed her father on the cheek, then made for the front door.

"Well, hello," Marinette told the waiting Adrien. "Losing your sense of direction? School's the other way."

"Oh, I know that," Adrien smirked. "But I had an idea that someone might appreciate some morning company, so..."

"I wasn't demanding it... but I'll never complain," beamed Marinette, as the two walked side-by-side towards the school steps. "Sleep well?"

"Ummm... is it that obvious?" worried Adrien, wondering just how sunken his eyes looked.

"No, it isn't... but was something wrong?" Marinette worried back.

"I don't know. Just things on my mind, I guess. Did you get my game system away from your father last night so that he could sleep?" deflected Adrien.

"Uh-huh. It's up in my room now, by my mother's orders. He's allowed to visit it during certain hours," Marinette giggled. "Plus, that'll work better for when Kagami comes over."

"I am very glad that the two of you are staying close," Adrien smiled. "She really likes you, you know."

"And I really like her," agreed Marinette.

"What... are you going to tell her about yesterday?" asked Adrien, after a moment's hesitation.

"The truth?" Marinette shrugged. "I don't think either of us has anything to hide, do we? We've gotten closer... but not that way. Nothing that should threaten you two."

"That's true. This is all kind of delicate... but I think that we're doing it right," Adrien said. "Anything that you're going to ask her about me?"

Marinette shot him a grin.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

The morning's classes began on time, and without incident. Conversation was light between the usual circles of friends until lessons began, and all seemed well... but Alya caught her thoughts wandering, watching the transformation in her close friend.

I'm amazed, thought Alya. Even just a week or two ago, Adrien still gave her the jitters. And now look at them! He's walking her to school and back, he turns around to talk with her every time there's a break, and she gives as good as she gets in their banter. She's perfectly at ease around him now.

He's into her, so much! It's obvious. It's all she's ever wanted.

And she just won't TAKE it.

Alya did her best to focus on the literature lesson, but it just wasn't meant to be.

It's not that I don't like Kagami. I do. Or at least I'm trying to, Alya mused. I don't know her very well. Marinette likes her, and obviously Adrien really likes her; I saw her and Adrien all snuggled up together, and Marinette says that they've gotten even closer than that since.

When I've talked with her, she's seemed nice on the surface. I haven't had much of a chance to get to know her; she doesn't go to this school, and she's kind of wrapped up in a schedule the way that Adrien is, from what Marinette's said. She's not part of our group yet. I don't know if she ever will be.

And, yeah, I'm kind of prejudiced here. Marinette wanted that boy SO badly, she tried so hard, and Kagami just swooped in and got him. It doesn't seem entirely fair. Even if their parents did kind of push them together...

She stole a glance at Marinette, who smiled before focusing again on their teacher.

Marinette speaks well of Kagami, and if she is going to be snuggly with Adrien, we will be seeing more of her. And if Marinette is happy just being close friends with Adrien...

...and I STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND how she's DEALING with that...

Alya let out a very quiet sigh.

Marinette had better be right about Kagami. She'd better be worth it, she thought.

At the end of the day, the students gathered out front as usual. When the Agreste sedan pulled up, Adrien said his goodbyes quickly to all around. He glanced at Marinette, who smiled back; she headed down the steps beside him, mouthing I'll be back! up at Alya and Nino.

Down at the car, the Gorilla gave Marinette a smile. Nathalie had stepped out of the passenger side, and looked less welcoming. "Adrien..." she directed, "we are in more of a rush today. So if you could make with less of..."

"I know, I know," moaned Adrien, then turning to Marinette. "I need to run. Let me know how it goes, okay?"

"I'll take good care of her. I promise," Marinette beamed. She reached out and squeezed his hand gently. "Go... and have fun with whatever they're running you through today, and at your dinner tonight. We will, too."

She headed back up the stairs, watching the car and its precious occupant rather than where she was going; Adrien winced as she nearly collided with someone walking down.

"I see that your young friend still finds you quite distracting," noted Nathalie as she returned to the passenger seat.

"The feeling remains mutual," Adrien replied as the car pulled away from the curb.

"The new understanding between you two that you spoke of yesterday... that remains in place?" Nathalie ventured.

"It does," confirmed Adrien. "She is very insistent that I give Kagami every chance. You might be interested that Kagami's visiting her house today."

"Yes... you had mentioned that," smiled Nathalie. "They have reached a state of equilibrium, as well?"

"It sounds like it. Marinette talked with her about the two of us before she, well... talked with me about the two of us," allowed Adrien, sheepishly. "And from what Kagami has said to me, she thinks quite a bit of both Marinette and that particular gesture."

"Good. Less chance of fireworks means she'll remain a welcome guest." At Adrien's questioning face, Nathalie continued, "Well, I am assuming that your martial arts lessons are continuing, yes? And if your friendship is deepening, she'll surely want to come and visit on more social occasions."

"Yes, and yes... if that's okay," said Adrien, not sure quite where that train of thought was leading.

"Adrien... as I told you the other day, I am not opposed to Marinette being around you. Quite the opposite, actually; I think that she could be quite a healthy presence in your life. If, of course... her being there does not throw your relationship with Kagami or your other responsibilities out of balance." Nathalie gave him a serious look. "And, so far, the two of you seem to be balancing that well."

"We're certainly trying. You'll see her again on Thursday," Adrien replied.

"Good."

Marinette hustled back up the stairs to say a proper goodbye to Alya.

"So today's the day you've got company?" Alya asked, once Marinette had caught her breath.

"Yeah, Kagami's coming over to hang out. If you want to do something tomorrow, I'm free then. Then more aikido with Adrien on Thursday," confirmed Marinette.

Alya shook her head slowly, but with a smile. Holding up her thumb and forefinger a short distance apart, she insisted, "You and Adrien are this close."

"And that's where I'm trying to stay. That close to him," Marinette smiled back. "You are not going to win this debate, I assure you. I'm not going to jump on him... except in my gi."

"Whatever turns him on," quipped Alya.

"You know what I mean!" Marinette grimaced, with a grudging laugh. "I want Kagami to remain my friend if I end up dating Adrien. That means being their good friend while they're dating."

"I get it, I get it," Alya conceded. "Go and hang with Kagami, then. I'll see you tomorrow."

As Marinette left with a wave, Nino nudged Alya gently. "Told you," he said.

"Yeah. She's too good a person to just go for what she wants," admired Alya. "One of the many reasons I like her... despite my best efforts to corrupt her."

"You could always see if Ladybug can help," Nino suggested, seemingly innocently. "Have her lock them together in a zoo cage. See what that leads to."

"Do you want more of what that leads to?" Alya challenged him.

"You know it."

"Then go easy on the 'I told you so's," she grinned.

About an hour later, an unfamiliar car pulled up to the curb near the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie, and a well-dressed young woman stepped out.

"Hello, Kagami," Sabine greeted her as she entered the bakery. "Marinette was just here a minute ago..."

Loud thumps were heard, as Marinette took the stairs down two at a time. "Here I am," she smiled, catching her breath. "I went up to my room at just the wrong moment. Hi, Kagami!"

After a quick hug of greeting, they headed upwards together. "I can't stay very long, but I wanted to at least see you," Kagami noted. "It's been a little while."

"That's right, you have company tonight, so you'll want to get back for that!" Marinette grinned. "Rather handsome company. I hope that you all have a good time."

Halfway up the next flight of stairs, Kagami paused. "...That's it?" she asked, with a smile.

"That's what?" asked Marinette.

"I, um... I expected you to have more questions about that, given our... situation," Kagami ventured, carefully.

"Kagami... I am full of questions. They're trying to burst out of me, but I am not going to bug you today," replied Marinette. "I didn't invite you over today to pick your brain. I don't want everything between us to be measured in Adriens, right?"

Kagami processed that... then flashed a genuine smile.

"You're absolutely right. I believe you have a tour of the gaming kingdom awaiting me?" she beamed.

"Uh-huh!" grinned Marinette, as they reached the top floor.

Over the next hour, Marinette and Kagami waded through a variety of videogame genres, both on Adrien's borrowed console and on Marinette's own systems. Kagami found herself intrigued by the RPGs; "I could see myself getting lost in one of these, with the right kind of story behind it," she noted, "if I would only have that kind of time to play it!" She was somewhat humbled by space shoot-em-ups, curious about many of the older arcade games, and quickly competitive at some of the head-to-head puzzle games once she divined the strategy involved in each.

Their conversation glided between a variety of light topics, both gaming-related and more personal... but, true to her word, Marinette guided it away from matters of the heart.

"All right," a determined Kagami declared, scrolling through the menu. "What's this one here?"

Marinette saw BAKA FIGHTER VII highlighted by the menu cursor. "Oh, that? That's a fighting game. A rather silly one... but I've played it before, and it's fun."

"Fighting games? Hand-to-hand combat, you say?" asked Kagami, her curiosity rising.

"Oh, yes. There are hundreds of them, from the realistic to the ridiculous. Like, this one that you picked out is definitely cartoony..."

Marinette watched Kagami's bemused expression as she scrolled through some of the selectable characters in Baka Fighter. "Ivan, the Radioactive Toaster! Flossie, the Death Sheep! Timmy, the Human Outboard Motor!" Marinette called off, in turn. "You pick one, and then you move around like this, with punches and kicks... and there are hidden special moves..."

Kagami walked through the motions of some rudimentary combos, with Marinette's assistance. Before long, her death sheep was gnawing on the innards of Rudy, the Guidance Counselor and Dante, The Guy Who's Not Even Supposed To Be Here Today.

"Interesting... but..." Kagami noted, with mixed emotions.

"That's one extreme; it's more about the wackiness than anything else. There are other games that are very technical in nature, designed with far greater realism in mind."

Marinette scrolled down to BUSHIDO ARENA: TURBO EDITION as an example. "Like, this is one that I'm not very good at, because I haven't put in the time yet to master it," she mentioned. "But you can select characters who are experts at various martial arts and adept with weapons. Sais, polearms, kendo sticks, all kinds of swords..."

She smiled, watching Kagami's eyes light up with intense interest. "That's why I saved this one for last," she grinned. "Because once you saw it, I didn't think that we'd get to anything else today."

The next fifteen minutes were tense, and Kagami's brow was furrowed in concentration.

Finally, at the end of a spirited round of combat, she pushed the controller away from her. "Take this thing away from me," she declared.

"You don't like it?" wondered Marinette, not really believing that.

"If I do not put this game down now, they will find my skeleton here in a few years," marveled Kagami. "This is wonderful! I mean... obviously, the skills from real life do not transfer over one-to-one... but the amount of work and research that went into this is obvious. There are many subtleties to it that I am amazed are there!"

She looked over at Marinette with a huge grin. "You know," she continued, "now I will be going to my mother and saying 'I would like an XStation 540 and Bushido Arena for my birthday.' And she will look at me as if I have lost my mind! And I will have you to blame for this."

"Corrupting the innocent. That's me," laughed Marinette. "Maybe two copies. I don't know if Adrien has this on his XStation or not... but it has an online mode. If you each have it, you could play against each other, or me, without any of us leaving the house."

"That would be... amazing!" Kagami exclaimed. "With our schedules, it's so hard to sneak in visits like this... but if we all have one, we could sneak in a couple of rounds just about any time."

"That's the idea!" Marinette beamed.

"And speaking of fighting and Adrien..." segued Kagami, "how is your aikido training going?"

"Actually... very well, I think," replied Marinette. "I mean, I hesitate to call it 'training,' and so would he... I'm just learning the very basics. But Adrien is being very patient with me, and I'm learning quite a bit."

"Would you like to show me? If you're comfortable with that, that is," asked Kagami. "My primary arts are fencing and kendo, of course... but I am a blue belt in karate. Mother insisted that I know what to do if I was ever caught without a weapon."

"Y-yeah, I could show you some of what he's taught me. Maybe not here," considered Marinette. "Come on up to my balcony with me! There's more room there and less chance of knocking anything over."

The girls climbed the ladder to Marinette's bed, then up and out through the hatch.

Once they'd moved the lounge chairs to the side, Marinette and Kagami faced each other, casually.

"Now, let me make myself clear. We are not about to fight in any way, and I don't want to lay a hand on you," stressed Kagami. "I just want to demonstrate some of the kihon and kata - fundamentals and forms - of my school, and I would love to see what you're learning."

"Good," laughed Marinette. "Because you would cream me if I tried it for real."

"Well, yes," smiled Kagami. "I've been studying karate for a year, and you've had, what, two lessons? So we'll go slow and easy. Neither of us is dressed for the occasion, anyway."

"That's just what Adrien says - slow speeds first, to protect each other. Show me your moves first?" said Marinette.

She watched as Kagami went into motion, starting with simple stances and strike and block motions, then stringing them together into more elegant connected sequences.

"The kihon are the basic building blocks, the motions that everything else are made of," Kagami explained. "The kata are forms; they link those motions together in set patterns. They help you flow one movement into another naturally, without having to stop and think about what comes next. In a real fight, you can't hit the Pause button."

"Oh, I know all about you and not hesitating," teased Marinette.

Mentally, Marinette took notes. Interesting... karate is much more strike-oriented than the aikido I'm learning. More straight-ahead, delivery of force rather than deflection of force, though there are defensive elements as well. Yet there is balance to it; each move has a purpose and a strategy. It's not just aggression.

"Very nice," Marinette applauded when Kagami stopped to take a breath.

"Your turn?" prompted Kagami.

"Actually... I could use your help with mine," asked Marinette. "When you're ready. Adrien hasn't actually taught me any strikes yet; it's more about what to do when someone comes at me, so... come at me. Slowly! I'll direct you as to how."

Dutifully, Kagami stood in front of Marinette. She reached out and grabbed Marinette's arm, as requested, and allowed Marinette to direct her through the motions of ikkyo and lower her gently to the balcony floor.

"First technique," said Marinette. "We actually learned falling and tumbling first, but on this hardwood floor, I don't really want to show that off here."

"Agreed," smiled Kagami. "That could leave some bruises."

In slow motion, Marinette walked Kagami through a couple of other techniques that she and Adrien had practiced, stopping short of actually throwing her friend around but demonstrating how she could have if she'd followed through.

"You are very well suited for this art, Marinette," Kagami admired. "You have a fire within you, but you also have more compassion than anyone else I've known. Disabling people without hurting them fits you perfectly."

"Thank you," smiled Marinette. "That is precisely what I'd asked to learn."

"Has Adrien said when you're going to be starting sparring?" asked Kagami.

"You mean... actually fighting?" Marinette wondered. "Not any time soon, I think. From what I've read about it, freestyle practice comes much later, and it's often as a group."

"Want to try a little, just for fun? Kumite is one of my favorite parts of karate," Kagami suggested. "I will stop short of actually hitting you, I promise; no force behind anything! But when you know what's coming at you is one thing. What do you do when you don't?"

"Soft and gentle, okay?" asked Marinette, nervously. "I am very new at this."

"I promise."

"All right, then," Marinette smiled, assuming a defensive stance. "Do your worst."

Watching Kagami circle around her, Marinette had a strange thrill run through her. She knew that she was in no danger... but Kagami's sly smile, the knowledge that she was readying herself to strike - even harmlessly - and the deliberate pace of Kagami's movement kicked her analytical brain into overdrive. It was like figuring out the use for a Lucky Charm... without the Charm in hand. She was the Charm. How could she use... herself and what training she'd had to defend herself?

"Hai!" Kagami barked, lunging forward. A step one way, which was a feint, then another, and Kagami's fingers tapped Marinette's stomach lightly before she could react.

"Heh! That tickled," Marinette smiled, flinching slightly. "Do that one again."

"I will... at some point," smiled Kagami, enigmatically.

Kagami came in with a different approach the second time. When she reached out, Marinette grabbed at her arm, going for a rotational wristlock; Kagami pulled away in time, but only barely.

"Oh, that was close!" Kagami admired. "I thought that you told me that you were clumsy?"

"Usually, I am," parried Marinette, surprised that it had nearly worked. "You've seen that about me."

I'm not... when I'm Ladybug. But that's when I have my costume and its magic enhancing me, she thought. But I'm not Ladybug now...

...and, yet, I don't feel nervous. I feel strangely confident... kind of like when I'm staring down an Akuma and figuring out how to take it down, she smiled to herself.

I wonder why that is?

Seeing Marinette's smile, Kagami considered her next movement. "See if you can stop this one," she warned Marinette, then struck...

...or at least she tried.

Kagami's eyes were wide open... with an excellent view of the floor, which appeared to be mere millimeters away. A firm hand gripped her collar, holding Kagami steady; her legs shot straight out behind her. A forearm or a knee - she couldn't tell which - applied gentle pressure to her back, having guided her into this position, and her brain was reeling.

"What did you just do?" she gasped.

"What did I just do?" echoed Marinette, at nearly the same time.

Extremely startled, she relieved the pressure on Kagami immediately and helped her to her feet.

Each girl tried to reconstruct the previous seconds. Kagami had lunged forward, trying to tap Marinette on the shoulder, but Marinette had dodged it smoothly, rotating out of the way. Kagami had followed through, trying with the other hand... and, impossibly, Marinette not only dodged but rotated perfectly to counter her. Reflexively, Kagami tried to continue her motion and somersault forward, but she felt strong hands grip her clothing - one, then both - and then her body was in motion. She'd cut short a yelp of fear, expecting to taste the floorboards momentarily... but she didn't.

Standing upright once more, Kagami sized her friend up. "You've trained before," she accused Marinette. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't... I've never...!" gasped Marinette.

"That wasn't anything that Adrien could've taught you so soon. The throw at the end... yes, that I can see, an adaptation of a rotary throw, and you'd showed me that at super-slow speed. But the way that you dodged... how you executed that throw so quickly! And stopped it at the perfect moment!"

Kagami's expression softened as she watched Marinette's. It was obvious to her that Marinette wasn't lying; she was staring at her own hands as if they'd become strangers to her.

"I don't know where that came from. I really don't," shuddered Marinette. "I just... reacted to what you did. I knew that you wouldn't hurt me, and I didn't want to hurt you."

"And you didn't," Kagami smiled. "You kept me safe with remarkable precision."

Part of that was that she caught me completely off-guard, reasoned Kagami. That we were both moving at half-speed at first and I wasn't taking her seriously.

But if I HAD been expecting that... I'm not sure if I could've countered it THEN.

"But... I..." murmured Marinette, still visibly unsettled.

The pair heard footsteps in the room below them. "Marinette! Kagami! Are you up there?" they heard Sabine call.

"Y-yes!" Marinette yelled back.

"Kagami, your ride has arrived. I thought you should know that," Sabine informed them.

"Hey," Kagami whispered, moving close to Marinette. "I am not mad. If anything, that was awesome," she grinned. "It just took... both of us by surprise."

"It sure did," Marinette whispered back.

"Listen to me. I need to go... but text me later tonight, okay? We can talk again, if you want to," suggested Kagami.

"I'd like that," smiled Marinette.

They shared another quick hug before descending.

Next time:

* "...I do remember you."

* "It's amazing what you can find on YouTube."

* Lesson Four beckons; original teacher this time.

* "Just promise me that you'll describe the look on his face."

* "Do you want to keep doing this?"

And more!