- one year later -

Juleka Couffaine scurried across the deck of her home boat with her arms full, busy as a bee as she got everything ready before the guests arrived. Everything important had already finished and done up beforehand, so there was not much left that needed to be sorted. Right now, she was setting up the snacks and punch table, along with some beer cans which – surprisingly enough – her mother had granted her permission for Juleka to serve her and her friends. But it was quite justified. After all, this wasn't just any old party.

Luka had already helped Juleka decorate the boat the day before, drowning the area in colorful confetti and streamers hanging over their heads and vibrant flashing lights stationed all around the boat. Glancing over her shoulder, she caught sight of him a few feet away, setting up a large set of speakers for the music to blast from, and a DJ stand for Nino.

Everything was falling into place.

Juleka glanced down at her watch – it was nearly seven. They'd be arriving soon. She looked up and stared at the enormous, obvious banner that hung over her head, and at the center of the party, which Rose had helped her paint, and it looked quite good, in Juleka's opinion.

"GRADUATION!" is what it read, and in large, chunky, red letters too.

Juleka grinned to herself. Yes, that day had finally come around. A full year had passed and gone, an entire semester of stress and studying and exams and finally – FINALLY – they were waving goodbye to the hell that was high school and saying hello to freedom, to independence, to the new world, a mature world.

Obviously, high school hadn't been that bad – she herself held some dear, treasured memories at Francoise Dupont – but overall, she was just glad it was over. A huge milestone in her life had been completed, and now it was time for the next step: college.

She and Rose had already decided which one they would go to, together.

"Juleka!" a familiar voice called out from behind. Juleka spun round on her heel and a pair of arms embraced her warmly, nearly causing her to drop all the snacks she held in her arms "girl!"

It was Alya.

Gently releasing the somewhat startled Juleka (who merely patted Alya awkwardly on the back – partly because she was not a fan of physical contact, partly because she couldn't do anything more due to her arms being full), Alya craned her neck and gazed around the deck in unconcealed awe, "Whoa... damn... this really is something. It looks lit! Juleka, you really outdid yourself – you should have asked me to come over and help you with all the deco. This must have been way too much work." immediately, she fished out her phone from her back pocket and started to snap a dozen pictures of the boat and the party decorations, no doubt planning to post it on her blog later.

Juleka shook her head and awkwardly pushed her bangs out of her eyes with one hand, "no, it's fine. It was fun, actually. And besides, I wasn't alone, Luka and Rose were there to help me."

Upon hearing this, Alya had finally noticed the blue-haired boy crouching on the other end of the boat, holding a bunch of thick cables in his left hand and connecting each of them into specific stereo jacks, "oh, hey, Luka." she beamed brightly and waved at him, "what's up?"

Luka smiled back, "nothing much. Just setting up the music and DJ stand for Nino," he winced, "or at least, I'm TRYING to."

Alya strolled over to him, glad to be able to do something, "I'll help you. I'm sort of an expert at these kinds of things," she winked playfully.

He laughed, "let's hope so. I just can't get this thing to work," he smacked the speaker with his palm.

Alya feigned horror and hugged the speaker, stroking the spot where Luka had hit it, "my poor baby! Are you alright?" she glared at Luka mockingly, "it's no wonder you can't get this thing to work! You're abusing the poor thing. I – for one – wouldn't work for you if you treated me like this." she huffed.

Luka rolled his eyes but couldn't stop himself from grinning, "alright then, Miss Expert, why don't you have a go?"

"I shall."

And so, she knelt beside him and helped him.

She began to pick up each colorful wire and examined the tips, scrunching her brow trying to figure out which plug each would fit in.

She was busy scrutinizing over a bright red one when Luka suddenly turned to face her and spoke in a soft voice, "Alya?"

She was almost done plugging in all the cables, "yeah?"

Shyly, he set down the things he was holding and twisted his neck to stare at her, hesitant, "have you–" he swallowed, and his Adam's Apple bobbed up and down faintly, "..have you talked with Marinette recently?"

Alya's hands froze for a few seconds – before continuing what she was doing, trying to look and sound as nonchalant as possible, "sure, but you're gonna have to be more specific."

"Right," he replied sheepishly.

For a while after that, he didn't speak, almost like he was contemplating how to word it properly.

Just as Alya concluded he wasn't going to reply at all, he finally spoke in a low voice, "well - I don't know if this is just me, or if I'm just being paranoid, but – has...has she changed, at all, to you?"

Alya knew what he meant at once.

Luka's cheek suddenly tinted a faint pink, instantly regretting what he said. "i'm sorry," he looked down at his hands in embarrassment, "could it be that I'm the only one?" he sounded unsure of himself.

Alya shook her head, letting out a heavy sigh through her nose, "no, you're right. I've noticed too."

Luka was alarmed, "really?" the fact that it wasn't just him who noticed boosted his confidence slightly, and he began to speak more freely of his thoughts, "I feel like maybe it's because of me. Maybe I said something, or did something–"

"Luka, goodness, no!" Alya cried out, alarmed, clutching Luka's shoulder tightly, "it's not because of you. Not at all! Trust me, I know."

"Then what?" he asked her nervously, "There can't be anything else. Before we started dating a year ago, she used to be so full of life, so happy - and I know everyone I ask would back me up on this - she would constantly be smiling and was friendly to everyone. But nowadays she barely ever smiles, she lacks sleep and it's obvious and – and she doesn't open up to anyone anymore. Not even me." Luka's disheartened expression broke Alya's heart into a million little fragments, "If it's not me, then what else could it be?"

"I know it started last year, but believe me when I say, Luka, that it's NOT you," Alya bit her lip anxiously, "but I can't exactly tell you what it is." because she didn't know herself.

Luka stared at her for a few seconds before sighing in defeat, "alright. I'll believe you."

"That's a relief." Alya tried to smile, "Luka, seriously, you're a great guy and an absolutely amazing boyfriend. I am NOT lying when I say that Marinette loves you to bits."

Luka felt his heart warm a little at that, "That's good to hear. I love her a lot too~" he grinned back.

Later, when the duo had finally managed to finish up the DJ stand and speakers, the sun was starting to set – the sky turning a blushing splash of orange and pink – and the guests were finally starting to arrive. Nino first, along with Max and Kim.

Nino ran to Alya, and hugged her from behind, lifting her up a few inches off the ground, "heeeeeeeyyyy, what's up, love? What'd I miss?"

Alya nudged him quite hard in the chest with her elbow, but he didn't let go, and instead hugged her tighter, smirking.

"Get off!" she whined, trying to struggle out of his grip, but he refused to relent.

Luka laughed, "Nino, your girlfriend and I have had a real tough time setting this thing up," he waved his hand to the DJ stand on his left, "it was impossible."

Nino finally let go of Alya, and strolled over to examine the stand, "whoa, this is awesome, man!" he clapped Luka on the back, grinning ear to ear, "thanks!" at once, he got out his phone from his hoodie pocket, and connected it to the speakers via bluetooth. Within seconds the entire boat was vibrating from the loud music blasting from it.

Others had started to arrive too – Ivan, Mylene, Marc, Nathaniel, Alix and Rose.

Rose squealed in unbridled joy as she took in the scene before her, "Jullie! The boat looks amazing! It's! It's! It's absolutely, undoubtedly, inevitably, wholly, unconditionally, just, ABSOLUTELY –" she stopped, blinking to herself as if she'd forgotten what her main point was. "... amazing!" she cried out after a few more seconds, and launched herself into Juleka's arms, erupting into a fit of giggles.

Juleka's cheeks burned ever so slightly, and she patted Rose's back gently. Clearly this girl was high on sugar – as per usual. Smiling to herself, Juleka wondered how on earth someone like Rose – a child inside and out – would ever be able to survive college.

That was why she was there with her, she supposed. To help her through it.

The thought made Juleka grin.

"Juleka, stay there! Keep that smile!" Alya laughed, snatching out her phone and snapping a photo of the two girls embracing, "that's just precious."

Juleka began to stutter, cheeks burning an even deeper shade of scarlet, but before she could ask Alya to not post it anywhere and delete it, Nino waved at someone behind her, crying out happily.

Looking over her shoulder, Juleka caught sight of a tuft of bright blonde hair and sea green eyes, and saw that Adrian Agreste had arrived, climbing up the steps and onto the deck of her boat. An Asian girl stood at his side, her arm linked with his. Short black hair hung just below her ears, and she wore a bright scarlet hoodie with some Japanese characters imprinted on it, along with dark denim jeans and trainers. This was the first time Juleka had actually seen the girl without her usual smart white blazer and red skirt, and she would have thought her to be quite pretty – if not gorgeous – were it not for the ice cold expression the girl always wore.

Kagami Tsurugi had always been like this – silent and antisocial, keeping to herself only and speaking to no one; and when she did, it was often in a slightly patronizing tone that put the person whom she was addressing off immediately. Most of the time she merely stood beside Adrian, not talking but scrutinizing everyone and everything around her.

Truthfully, Juleka was scared of her. As was everyone else. Then again, who wasn't? She was pretty sure even that snob Chloe avoided Kagami as best as she could.

Kagami didn't like talking, so no one talked to her. Kagami didn't like being asked questions, so no one asked. Kagami didn't like jokes, so no one joked around with her.

To put it simply, they just left her alone. Or as alone as they possibly could.

"there's my guy!" Nino exclaimed, bounding across the boat to embrace his best friend.

Adrian wobbled from the sheer force of the hug, almost toppling off the edge and into the water. Silently, Kagami rested a palm on his back, steadying him. Then – when he was stable – withdrew her hand and walked a few feet away, letting the two boys chat together.

Juleka could not help but think that Kagami acted more like Adrian's bodyguard than girlfriend.

Arm around his Adrian's shoulders, Nino grinned widely, "I can't believe you made it, dude! Your dad actually let you come?"

Adrian laughed, "well, not at first. But Natalie managed to convince him – she knows it wouldn't be fair if he didn't let me go my own graduation party."

"Well thank god for Nathalie, that's all I can say." Nino snorted.

Adrian laughed again.

Juleka looked at Kagami from the corner of her eye. The Japanese girl stood in the corner. Her glazed eyes appeared to be staring at nothing, lost in her own thoughts. Juleka contemplated whether or not she should go over and greet her since no one had spoken to her yet – but was reluctant to do so. Again, it was out of fear, not hostility.

Frankly, the only people who actually spoke and conversed with Kagami comfortably were Adrian and–

"Marinette!" Alya muttered to herself, tapping at her phone furiously.

Rose tilted her head and went on her tiptoes, craning her neck to try and see the screen of Alya's phone, "what about her?"

Alya sighed and slid her phone back into her back pocket, "she's not answering my calls. I don't know where the hell she is."

"She IS coming, right?!" Rose cried out in fright, "oh, please tell me she is! It's not the same without Marinette."

"Well she'd better come," Alya scowled, "this is her fucking graduation – there's no way in hell I'm letting her miss this. I'll drag her over here by the hair if I have to."

Luka, who happened to hear all of this, stopped, "she doesn't want to come?"

"Ahahahaha!" Alya laughed nervously, a bit too loud to be convincing, "of course not! I mean – of course?" she blinked, "uhhhhh, what I mean is, of COURSE she's coming. She's just not answering my calls."

"Why not?"

"I don't know." Alya shrugged, "it must mean she's on her way, right?"

Luka didn't look convinced"are you sure she's coming?"

"obviously," Alya lied, "she'll be here soon."

But Alya wasn't sure. Although they were best friends, Alya was painfully aware that she didn't know Marinette as well as she thought she did. If this were this a year ago, Alya would be able to say with certainty that, yes, Marinette WOULD come, and she would most likely bring some homemade macaroons or croissants for them all to share and she would wear a little red dress with polka dots and a cute red ribbon in her hair. And soon later, Marinette would arrive and Alya would be proven right.

To put it simply, last year, she knew Marinette inside out, able to predict her best friend's decisions and thoughts so well they were practically one mind.

But lately Marinette had been distant and began acting weirdly. She wouldn't laugh and smile and be the bubbly little gem they all loved from before – but instead she'd be quiet and lost in thought, always looking like she lacked sleep and was overdosed with stress. It felt like she hated being around people now – and barely left her room, much less her house.

At first, Alya began to joke that she was acting a bit like Kagami. She begged her friend to stop being boring and return back to the way she was before. But Marinette never listened, and often made excuses like "i'm tired", "i'm studying", "i'm on my period" but Alya, slowly but surely, began to realize that this wasn't a passing phase – Marinette had changed.

And that broke her heart more than anything else.

Alya used to stay up at night trying to think of all the possible reasons why Marinette was acting like this.

Was it because she was trying to win Adrian over by acting like Kagami? Alya ruled that one out pretty quickly. That just didn't seem like something Marinette would do.

Was she going through something at home? But, again, that option was ruled out as well. It looked like she was still on good terms with her parents, and vice versa.

Was she going through something mentally? THAT was plausible – but the more Alya thought about it, the more it drove her crazy. The possibilities for that were endless – anxiety, stress, depression, insomnia–

Or... was she just stressed about exams, tired from studying, and on her period, like she said?

Eventually, Alya gave up.

She just gave up on trying to figure Marinette out and focused on other things. Like spending time with her, and making her laugh (which was now a rarity, and Alya always felt satisfied with herself whenever she achieved that feat) and studying together and doing all the stuff that best friends did.

Because they were best friends.

Because that's what they were, that's what they always were and that's what they always will be.

...right?

Panic built its way into Alya's chest until it became a tight ball squeezing until she couldn't breathe. But before Alya could ponder over her recent epiphany, her recent doubts over her friendship, Kagami said a single name from her quiet little corner of the boat.

"Marinette."

And – sure enough, climbing up the wooden steps and onto the boat – was Marinette.

- one year earlier -

Ladybug sat alone, perched on the roof of one of the many terraced houses that lined within and around Paris, her back leaning against a rough brick chimney while she gazed out at the rest of the city. The sky was tinted in multiple shades of scarlet and violet and rose pink and gray, as though a palette of watercolor paints was thrown and splattered all over the sky and clouds. Vivid shapes and colors cast around Paris, on the pavement, reflected in the glassy windows, in the pupils of Ladybug's eyes.

It was a beauty, one that, under normal circumstances, would cause Ladybug's heart to ache just by simply looking at it, a beauty that would cause her to contemplate over the gorgeous world she lived in and how lucky she was to witness simple things like a sunset exploding behind the glowing figure of the Eiffel Tower.

At this present moment in time, it would have made her think all those things, were it not for the stress and anxiety she could feel chipping at her mind from the inside.

From the corner of her eye, Ladybug caught sight of a slim black shape soaring towards her, the figure leaping up and down whilst perched on a narrow silver stick.

"M'lady," Chat Noir laughed as he landed on the roof near where she was perched, and plonked himself down beside her with a grin, "you finished patrol early today?"

"Mhm." was all Ladybug replied absentmindedly as she fiddled with her yoyo.

Sensing something was off immediately, Chat tilted his head to the side, "what is it?"

Ladybug's head snapped towards him, "huh?" Chat blinked. "Uhm, nothing." she then shook her head quickly, "actually, no."

Chat blinked again, "what's wrong, m'lady? Something happened?"

Ladybug inhaled slowly though her nose, "yes. Yes. Something did happen, Chat. Something serious."

"Well?" Chat grinned widely, "Get the cat out the bag, bugaboo. I'm all ears."

Ladybug rolled her eyes hard, "please stop with the cat puns."

Chat shut up at once.

Realizing what she just did, Ladybug looked down in shame and mumbled, "sorry... I forgot."

Chat shrugged but was his grin was still there. Someone must in a divine mood today, Ladybug thought drily.

"Ladybug, Ladybug, Miss Guardian~," he sang softly, sliding an arm around her shoulder. Ladybug's left eye twitched. She still wasn't used to that title.

Ladybug stayed silent, and Chat finally noticed the tense air Ladybug was radiating, and stopped his song, starting to take the situation seriously.

"Ladybug," he said with a heavy sigh, for once not calling her by one of his sickeningly sweet pet-names, "you know I'm here, right?"

She didn't reply.

Chat reached out and took her hands, squeezing them gently. And this time he didn't do this as a means of flirting with her, and this time Ladybug didn't pull away.

"Listen." he said sharply, "Listen, Ladybug, I'm here. I'm always here. You look stressed, and worried, and don't think I haven't noticed that you've began to hide things from me." he looked unimpressed, "Bugaboo, who are we? Ladybug and Chat Noir. We're not the 'Ladybug Squad', 'Ladybug and Co', 'Ladybug and Sidekick'. Miss Guardian or not, you're still m'lady, my partner, and I deserve to share some of the stress that you keep all to yourself."

Ladybug felt rotten, "i'm sorry," she whispered, voice breaking as she was on the brink of tears, "i'm so sorry, Chat. That was selfish of me-"

Chat put a finger to her lips to shut her up, "shh~" he smiled again, "now, stop talking before you end up crying and ruining my beautiful image of the brave, heroic, fearless Ladybug."

Ladybug scoffed and hit his shoulder, "Oh, please."

He laughed, "So, then? What's this news you've been just dying to tell me?"

She bit her lip. Chat waited.

"it happened yesterday," Ladybug eventually managed.

Chat raised an eyebrow, "what did?"

"The kwamis, and... and there was vision... and – and – and –," and just like a dam breaking, she spilled everything out. What happened yesterday, her passing out, her vision of Master Fu, the reveal about Duusu being healed. All of it.

She told Chat all of it, and he didn't even interrupt. He just listened.

Once she was done, there were a few seconds of tense silence.

Impatient, Ladybug asked, "so?"

"So what?" was his reply.

She was getting irritated now, "what do you think?"

"I don't know." he sighed, looking the most defeated as she'd ever seen him. "I really don't know, Ladybug."

"Chat–"

"if it's true, then what can we do, m'lady? What can any of us do except accept what's happening and just try and think of a way out of it?" he took a deep breath, "the way I see it, he's always had the peacock miraculous, the only difference this time now is that it's fixed."

"We don't know how dangerous he can be now that it's been fixed–"

He grabbed her shoulders, "we don't know how dangerous YOU are now that you're our Guardian, do we?"

Ladybug was speechless.

"Ladybug. Ladybug, Ladybug, Ladybug. You worry too much, have I ever told you that?"

Ladybug just stared at him.

"Bugaboo, have you calmed down, now? Are you feeling better?" Chat giggled after a few moments.

She was. She honestly was. Already, she could feel all earlier emotions of anxiety, stress, dread all dissipating until they were no more than a mere aftertaste.

Ladybug let her shoulders sag, she closed her eyes and leaned forward until she was leaning on Chat's chest. "Thank you." she whispered softly, "Thank you, Chat."

He laughed, and she could feel it vibrating from within his chest, "You don't know what you'd do without me~," he patted her back.

"I really wouldn't."

They stayed like that for a few seconds, quite content, and Ladybug would have been willing to stay like that until the sun disappeared and the stars came out, but her yoyo suddenly began vibrating, breaking the atmosphere at once.

Ladybug pulled away from Chat, tried not to smile when she saw the evident dismay on his face that their moment was now broken, and opened up her yoyo to see what was going on. A video link popped onto the screen, along with a dozen articles and news reports.

Ladybug blinked and tapped on the video link and at once Nadia Chamak's face flashed onto the little circular screen embedded within her yoyo. Holding her usual mic, Nadia appeared to be standing in front of a screen, which was showing a large snowy region with shattered objects and clothes and debris scattered everywhere, and fire consuming all of it in a mighty flair that gushed out ink black smoke above.

"–emple raided and burned down." Nadia was saying, "The offenders have not yet been identified, but surprisingly enough, it looks like nothing valuable has been stolen from the temple. All the jewels and paintings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars have all been left alone. Which rises to the question: what did they take? Or were they simply just some young arsonists playing what they thought was a harmless game?"

It was as though a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped on Ladybug. Goosebumps vibrated and pricked her skin, her heart swelled in her chest, and she swallowed against her dry throat. A constant, high pitched ringing bloomed in her ear, so loud she could only barely pick up on Nadia's next words.

"As some of you might recall, this temple was the very one that I spoke about not even a month ago – the "Miracle temple" it's started to be known as – that appeared once again in the mountains, 172 years after it was destroyed, along with all the monks, who lived in that temple before, returning as well. Already, this temple and its residents has been the thriving topic for conspiracies and theories, and sparked the interest of many historians and thanatologists who's been wanting to see this temple and meet the monks for themselves."

Ladybug's knees buckled, and Chat caught her by her waist quickly. She thought she could hear him calling out her name, but it sounded distant, almost as though the sound was travelling through water. She felt light headed, and that ringing still had not stopped, but still she stared intently at Nadia, waiting for her to continue speaking.

"Fortunately, most of the monks seem to have managed to escape safely, but not so much their books. Hundred years of history and knowledge – all burned down to ashes." Nadia sighed, "What a shame."

She continued, "Let's switch to Clara Contard on location, interviewing one of the monks right now."

Nadia's face disappeared, and the screen switched to a camera in Tibet, at the scene, Nadia replaced with a slim blonde reporter, clad in a thick coat and mittens, holding a mic out to a short elderly man. "Mr Sakurai, right?" the reporter asked, "You were one of the first monks who escaped. What happened?"

The man – Mr Sakurai – ignored her question entirely and stared right at the camera.

An inexplicable feeling washed over Ladybug as she heard the man speak, "he came."

Even Chat stopped trying to get Ladybug to look at him, and gaped at the screen as Mr Sakurai spoke.

"He came and now he's possessed the one thing that will push him to the peak of his power." the man was still staring intently at the camera, almost glaring. Clara Contard, lost and flabbergasted, could only stand there as he spoke, "be wary. That is all you can do, for now. Your biggest test awaits you, do not lower your guard."

"uh, sir?" Clara laughed nervously, "who took what? Would you mind elaborating?" she held the mic out towards him, but Mr Sakurai was already walking away.

Ladybug couldn't bear it anymore. She'd seen and heard enough. With a loud slam, she shut her yoyo screen and turned to Chat. His face was pale, his eyes alarmed, and staring at each other, they both shared a mutual understanding.

The man's message was for them. Hawk Moth had raided the temple.

And it appears he got whatever it is he was looking for.

"Marinette." Kagami's low voice tickled Alya's ear, and at once the girl spun on her heel at the mention of her best friend.

And there she was, her slim figure climbing up the wooden steps and onto the boat. She was dressed in her usual attire – gray cardigan, white flowered t-shirt inside, pink leggings – and carrying that same little purse she always had with her. Considering the occasion, it was a bit bland and tasteless, and Alya felt a strong urge to go over to her and scold Marinette for not making an effort to dress up a little nicer, considering the fact that even Kagami of all people made an effort to change clothes, but all that energy dissipated soon after as she felt the relief wash over her.

At least she came. She came.

Truth be told, Alya had her doubts about Marinette's arrival, seeing as Marinette had become so unpredictable lately, it wouldn't even be a that much of a shock if she didn't even turn up at all. But Alya made it certain to Luka that his girlfriend would arrive, hundred percent, and the weight of that empty promise held her down, painfully aware that if Marinette decided to screw it and not come, Alya would be the one who'd have to try and set everything straight in her place.

Seeing the Chinese girl standing there, in her usual tacky flowered shirt with her dorky pigtails and tired eyes, made Alya feel a little swell of warmth bloom within her chest – although she was not entirely sure why. Maybe it was pride because she knew it must have been exceedingly difficult for someone so anti-social like this Marinette to gather up her courage and attend this party; or maybe it was relief that she wouldn't have to face everyone else and make excuses for why her best friend would chose to miss one of the most important days of the year; or maybe it was just simply seeing her best friend that aroused that little splotch of warmth within her chest.

Whatever the reason, it still held the same central principal: Alya was beyond ecstatic that Marinette had managed to make it.

Racing across the deck, Alya flung her body at full speed towards Marinette, promptly enveloping the girl in a tight embrace. Marinette didn't even flinch, expecting this, and instead hugged Alya back gently.

"I'm late," Marinette mumbled under her breath, and tightened her arms around her best friend.

"At least you came," was Alya's muffled reply, "i'm proud of you."

Marinette's lips twitched, but before she could get another word out, there was a small squeal as someone else flung their arms around Marinette.

"You came!" Rose cried in joy, hugging Marinette's waist so tight she could hardly breathe, "we were actually beginning to think you weren't coming! How silly of us."

Seeing the amount of concern she caused by being late, Marinette felt a surge of guilt, and tried to apologize for her tardiness, but with two girls wrapping themselves around her, squeezing what felt like the very life out of her, she could only squeak and wriggle out of their grip in hope for air. Giggling, Alya and Rose let go of Marinette, leaving the poor girl gasping.

The others on the boat – sensing all the commotion – began to make their way over as well, crying out and calling Marinette's name when they saw that she had arrived.

"Talk about being 'fashionably late'," Alix laughed, nudging Marinette.

"I'm sorry," Marinette replied sheepishly, "I ran into some trouble on the way."

Upon those words, Alya visibly snorted – suspecting Marinette was lying, and that the girl had simply been late because she didn't want to attend in the first place. And she was right. Marinette discreetly pinched Alya's arm lightly, to shut her up. Alya grinned at that.

"Please tell me you brought some of your parents amazing macaroons with you, Marinette!" Kim laughed, pushing his tall, bulky form past Alix to the Chinese girl. When he saw that Marinette's arms were empty, he pouted – looking genuinely dismayed, "no?"

Marinette bit her lip, "sorry..."

Alix kicked Kim's leg hard and then linked arms with Marinette, "don't be, Marinette, ignore him." she glared at Kim, "there's plenty of food here, dumbass."

Kim shrugged, "her parents make good macaroons though."

"I'll have to agree~" came a sweet, familiar voice from the side, and Marinette felt her heart freeze over at once. "Marinette's parents aren't dubbed the 'best bakers in Paris' for nothing."

Adrian flashed a toothy grin in Marinette's direction, which she returned with an awkward smile.

"Thank you," she mumbled, looking away and not meeting his eyes.

Adrian – sensing something was off – blinked, but didn't say anything.

"well, now that we're all here," Nino raised his eyebrows devilishly, "let's get this show on the road."

Bolting back to the DJ stand, he hit a button on his phone and soon enough the speakers began to blast tunes out – so powerful it caused the boat to shake and the water of the river to vibrate and ripple. Covering her ears, Alya screamed at him to keep it down, but of course he couldn't hear her.

Marinette giggled to herself as she saw Nino's dismayed expression when Alya stormed over to the stand and yanked the plug out of the socket, causing the music to halt to an abrupt end.

All of a sudden she felt someone take her arm gently, "Marinette?"

Looking over her shoulder, startled, Marinette locked eyes with Luka Couffaine – her boyfriend.

Smiling sweetly, he pulled her closer to his chest and hugged her, "hey~"

"Hi," Marinette replied weakly, hugging him back tightly, "i'm sorry for being late,"

"Don't worry about it~"

Marinette lifted her head up and looked at him, "did I miss anything?"

Luka laughed lightly, "Only everyone being crazy as usual. We were all just chatting."

"Ah." she nodded, and withdrew from the hug, holding his hand instead. Gazing around the deck, she could see that everyone was having fun and getting on with something, having lively chats with each other, mainly about the college they were planning to attend. From a near corner, she heard Adrian and Nino's voices as they chatted animatedly together.

"Felix?" Nino's surprised cry came out, "Your cousin? That Felix?"

"Which other Felix do you know?" Adrian laughed in reply, "Yes, my COUSIN Felix. He's staying with us for a while."

"How long?"

"I'm not sure, actually. Only father knows the details – but I'm guessing a while. A few months, at least."

Nino groaned, "that sucks, dude."

Adrian looked surprised, "why?"

"what do you mean 'why?'?" Nino snorted, "that guy's bad news – remember that time he pretended to be you? Not cool."

"I guess so. But that was before – his father had just passed away, Nino, don't forget. It must have been really hard for him. He's changed now. Really."

Nino sighed, "you're nice, bro – but sometimes I wonder if you're too nice, too forgiving."

"I'm being serious!" Adrian cried out in his cousin's defense, "he's gotten better – and he's become really great company at home. I actually like having him here." Adrian paused, "besides, he and father didn't look like they were on good terms last time he came, but now Father seems fine with him. That must be proof he's changed."

"I guess." Nino sounded doubtful, "but I still don't trust that guy."

Adrian sighed.

Marinette's - who's curiosity peaked at the mention of Felix – heard everything.

She remembered Felix – but those memories weren't exactly pleasant. She remembered his pushy personality, trying to kiss her as Adrian. The very thought of that sent shivers of disgust down her spine.

She hated him for that – for pretending to be Adrian and force himself onto her.

She also remembered his cruelty – the unmistakable glint of mischief and bitterness and hatred in his eyes that Adrian would never ever have. Identical in looks, maybe, but Marinette knew if she were ever faced with both of them again – she'd be able to tell them apart.

Her heart clenched at the thought. She stubbornly told herself she could only recognize them because she had met Felix before and knew what he was like. She'd seen the light in his eyes and the way he held himself.

That was all.

It had nothing to do with the years she spent staring at Adrian from afar in lovesickness, it had nothing to do with all the pictures of him she'd had plastered all over her room, or all the videos of him she'd saved to her gallery. It had nothing to do with the fact that she knew Adrian better than she knew herself – yet he barely acknowledged her existence.

It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that despite telling herself she was over him, telling herself she'd moved on and matured a great deal from her obsessive crushing phase, she knew deep down seeing him together with Kagami made her feel sick to her stomach.

No, it had nothing to do with that. None at all.

Thankfully, this painful reverie was cut short by the sound of Kim's sharp cackles from the other end of the boat. Twisting on her heel to face him, she saw that he was standing with Nathaniel and Marc, holding a fresh bottle of beer in his hand which Marinette had suspected wasn't his first.

Nathaniel had a look on his face that frightened her, a mix of simmering fury and raw fear, as he glared at Kim with his fists clenched so tight they trembled. Marc stood behind him, head bowed low and eyes wide, fixated to the floor, looking as though he wished to be anywhere but here. Marinette knew the feeling all too well.

"Fuck off." Nathaniel hissed – loud enough for everyone to hear. The boat fell silent at once.

"so it's true." Kim's loud – clearly drunk – giggles rang out once more.

"I SAID FUCK OFF!" Nathaniel screeched, and Marinette flinched. Luka placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly, but she barely noticed.

"There's nothing wrong about admitting it, bro." Kim shrugged and took another large swig of his beer, dripping down his chin and staining his hoodie, "i'm just saying – he's gay, you know he's gay. He likes you, and you know that. And I'd bet some big money you have some feelings for him too."

Oh.

So that's what it is.

Marinette had suspected that Marc and Nathaniel had a thing going for quite some time (as had everyone else) but no one could be sure. Everyone knew Marc liked guys and that he had a crush on Nate. As for Nathaniel – he'd been in the closet the whole way through. He had been in love with Ladybug which made people think he was straight, but the past year his chemistry with Marc had confused pretty much everyone.

And it seems now that Nate was also just as confused about his preferences as everyone else.

"What does my sexuality," Nathaniel growled, face flushing red in rage, "have anything to do with you?"

Kim was about to reply when Alix grabbed Kim's arm and stood between them, "alright, stop it!" she turned to Nathaniel apologetically, "Nate, please ignore him. This drunk bastard doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut."

Nathaniel didn't calm down though, if anything it appeared to flame him even more, "answer me! What does the fact that I may or may not like guys have ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU?!"

Kim snickered from behind Alix, "Nothing, nothing. Dude, chill. I was just saying – it's not that hard, you're just making it difficult for yourself. Just admit you like each other and move on."

Marinette really felt the need to step in. She feared that if she didn't do something now, a fight would break out. Or worse, an akuma could be drawn to the negative energy. Hawk Moth's attacks and akumas had been sloppy lately, and it was obvious he was up to something - something bigger than simply standard akuma attacks – but that didn't change the fact that innocent people were still in danger.

Nathaniel's rage seemed to push to its peak, and just as she was about to butt in and say something before he ended up punching Kim, someone beat her to it. A voice, one no one expected, smooth and small – spoke.

"To admit things like that," Kagami spoke, staring at Kim intently – not with hatred, or harshness – but a lost empty look that made Marinette's heart ache for some wild reason, "is not easy."

Everyone in the boat held their breath, too shocked and a little scared to utter one word. Even Kim – in his half drunken state – was flabbergasted beyond words. No one – NO ONE – expected Kagami of all people to enter this conversation. And to say something like that.

Kim liked to boast that he wasn't easily intimidated – he flaunted his so-called bravado everywhere, saying that he would fight you head on if you challenged him.

And most of the time he did.

But even Kim was intimidated by Kagami. Her cold personality and hard exterior made her incredibly hard to approach – hard to even look at sometimes. Not that she wasn't what people would call eye candy – on the contrary, Marinette thought she was one of the most beautiful girls she'd ever laid eyes on. A million times more attractive than those snakes Lila and Chloe. And Marinette was sure she wasn't the only one who thought so. Most of the guys in her school – Marinette knew – fancied her. Even a few girls too, actually.

Kagami's frozen glare cut deep into Kim's eyes, and he looked visibly uncomfortable by it, shuffling on the spot – cheeks tinted a deep shade of pink. "Y-yeah, well-" he stuttered, "i'm just saying it'll be so much easier to just confess and get it done with." Kagami didn't say anything, so Kim carried on talking, "They both like each other – just confess and date. Done."

Kagami still didn't say anything, and Marinette turned to look at her.

Only to see she was staring straight at her.

She locked eyes with her, and Marinette felt her knees close to giving in. She felt her heart clench for some inexplicable reason, as well as a wave of nostalgia.

She hadn't looked Kagami in the eye ever since – well, ever since the day she had found out Kagami had become Adrian's girlfriend.

She'd missed those eyes.

Marinette opened her mouth to say something – anything – to break the silence. But her mouth was numb.

Luckily, she didn't have to. Because at that moment the sky flashed a deep shade of blood-red scarlet and the boat shook. Marinette snapped out of her dream-like state just in time to hear a sharp, shrill cackle ring out around Paris.