~~~Lukadrienette~~~ [Conflicted]

Identity[1]

Marinette, de-transformed, ran over to the horse carousel.

She saw that it had been broken apart and Master Fu was gone, causing her to gasp in horror.

She pulled out her phone and dialled his number, hearing the voicemail message.

~I'm not here right now. Please leave a message.~

Tikki opened the purse and tried to reassure her, while Marinette bit her nails nervously.

"Don't worry Mari, Master Fu is very wise. If anything's happened, he'd know what to do."

Marinette looked down.

"But Tikki, if anything's happened to him, it's because of me."

Kagami stood by the edge of the river, looking down into the water.

"Kagami! Is everything okay? What happened with ladybug?" Adrien asked in an upbeat, but soft, voice as he ran over to her. He had been looking for her since he transformed back.

Kagami looked at him blankly, staring back at the water.

"She took me away to... protect us... because the monster she was battling against was attacking... people in love."

She looked right at him, watching his face.

"People in love?" Adrien asked in a put-upon surprise.

Kagami smiled at him, watching him with a half-closed side-eye.

"Mhm." She dipped her head.

She turned to him and laid her hands on his chest, stroking them up his front to loop around his neck. She used the grip to pull him towards her, standing higher on her toes.

Andrè saw them from on the bridge. He smiled and turned away, not wanting to intrude on their moment.

Adrien realised what Kagami was about to do and turned his face, her lips just brushing the far edge of his jaw.

"Adrien?" Kagami asked as she pulled back, looking at him in confusion.

"I can't Kagami." He kept his face looking the other way.

She smiled at him, "of course you can. Our parents won't mind if it's us."

She leant in again but Adrien reached up to remove her arms from around him, stepping back and letting go of her wrists.

"I can't." He looked at her, now, seeing confusion on her face.

Kagami stepped back slightly, appearing disappointed.

"Is it me? Do you prefer Marinette?" She looked away from him, frowning into the water.

He shook his head and stepped slightly closer.

"No, no it's-..." She looked at him sharply.

"It's what?" She demanded, glaring at him.

"I'm.. I'm-", he rubbed a hand down his face.

"You're what." She got right up in front of him.

He panicked slightly at how the situation was going and looked around helplessly for someone, something, that could save him.

He saw a couple down the street and a lightbulb went off in his head.

He looked at Kagami and shook his head apologetically.

"I'm gay. I think. Yeah, guys are hot." Her eyes widened and she took a large step back.

"I'm so sorry! I read the situation completely wrong!" She bowed, her face slightly pink in embarrassment.