~~~Lukadrienette~~~ [Conflicted]

Villain[2]

"Do you find me attractive?"

Luka paused and looked at him with wide eyes, scanning his face searchingly.

Luka had a serious internal battle. He did think that Adrien was attractive, very attractive, but he was holding out for Marinette. Adrien was his competition, not someone he would just hook-up with. He frowned at his own thoughts, that didn't seem right.

"You're a model, everyone thinks you're attractive. I'd be blind not to."

Adrien nodded to himself, frowning, that obviously what he had been hoping for.

"Would you be interested in-" Luka cut him off by raising his hand.

"You're attractive, yes, but I'm interested in somebody else and you're not my type. Sorry, Adrien." Luka pulled his helmet back on and headed over to his bike, climbing on and cycling away quickly.

Adrien just stood there, with his mouth hanging open, shocked. He had thought that Luka liked him, but apparently he was wrong. He felt the strange urge to cry and just stood there for a few minutes, with a heart wrenching expression on his face. The people around him watched his still form with concern.

The photographer had been watching covertly and was frowning at what had happened. He'd known Adrien since he was 5 and the boy had never tried to put himself out there before. To see him being outrightly rejected and left standing alone... it made him angry for Adrien.

He went over and patted the young model's shoulder, causing him to glance up through his bangs.

"They won't all go like that, Adrien."

The boy nodded but his teary eyes remained down turned, not wanting see the pity on the photographer's face.

A single tear escaped his eye and he held out his hand to catch it, when it dripping from his chin.

Adrien glared at the tear and clenched his hand.

"He didn't even let me ask the question. I don't know why I feel so upset. I'm being childish."

The photographer shook his head and frowned at him, though his expression was softer, more consoling.

"He doesn't know what a great boy he's missing out on."

Adrien nodded and attempted a small smile, but it didn't seem to reach his eyes.

He thought about Marinette and how disappointed she would be, making his mood drop even further.

The photographer watched dismayingly as the model curled in on himself, hunching his shoulders which shook slightly with the effort to not cry. He felt like that would make him weak, that maybe he actually really was unworthy of Marinette, and that maybe he should just let them be together, without him to confuse things.

He hunched in on himself further, making his body smaller in a natural defensive instinct.

The photographer cupped his face and forced eye contact, "you can be sad, it's natural, but don't let it consume you."

As he said that, a small purple butterfly flew down and disappeared into the gap between their skin, engulfing them both.

I am Hawkmoth. Rejection is a fickle thing. It leaves people vulnerable and small. I am giving you the power to protect those that are under appreciated. All I ask in return is that you bring me ladybug and catnoir's miraculouses.

"Yes, Hawkmoth." The photographer, now Hearthaven, responded while pulling Adrien into his chest.

Plagg freaked out and and slipped away from his holder, staying behind the park bench while the man transformed and engulfed Adrien.

He looked around helplessly and saw the bakery in the distance, knowing immediately what needed to be done.

~~~~~~~~~~<Lukadrienette>~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette closed the door to her room, flopping tiredly into her desk chair and spinning to rest her head in her arms, on the table.

"Tikki, I'm so tired! I never knew carrying baking trays could be so exhausting!"

She hummed funnily and patted Marinette's head.

"Doing so much exercise keeps you healthy!"

Marinette grumbled and closed her eyes to attempt at sleep.

"Marinette! Tikki! Marinette!!!!!" A small black blur zoomed into the room, flying super speed towards them.

"Plagg? Where's Adrien?"

The kwami stretched his arms widely as he spoke, gesticulating erratically.

"Engulfed! He was engulfed by an akuma!!" Marinette sat up fully and frowned in worry.

"What do you mean by engulfed?"

Plagg shook his head, "he talked to that boy, Luka, and got rejected. So he was sad and the photographer was angry about what happened to him and got akumatized! He was touching Adrien when it happened so Adrien is merged with the villain. He's half way in his chest. It sort of looks like he's being cradled."

Marinette gasped in worry and shared a look with her own kwami.

"We need to get him out of there."

Tikki frowned and didn't move.

"Hang on! Did the akuma go into an object or a body?" Plagg's eyes widened and he floated backwards.

"It went in right where the photographers hand was touching Adrien's cheek."

Tikki mumbled under her breath incoherently.

"What's going on?!" Marinette asked, not understanding.

"It's emotion based. The only way to stop..." she looked at Plagg, "Hearthaven", "is to fix Adrien's sadness."

Marinette's eyes widened while her mouth went 'O', "Luka needs to accept him and Adrien needs to accept his apology."