Miraculous Short Stories

A Special Blend

Warning: Contains spoilers for Heart Hunter (season 3 finale part 1) This is an alternative ending to the Heart Hunter episode. This one is for the Adrienette shippers.

Marinette fell against Luka, unable to hold herself together anymore. She let the tears flow freely over his shirt as he held her closer. The musicians heart broke to see the girl he loved so much trembling and frail.

"It's alright Marinette. I'm here for you, I'll always be here for you." He soothed as he stroked her hair. Marinette pulled back slightly to look up at him. Luka still thought she was beautiful, even as her eyes glistened from the tears.

"Thanks Luka, I think I'm okay now." She tried to smile, but Luka wasn't buying it. He wished he knew what had upset her so much, but she wasn't saying and he didn't like to ask. He just wanted to be there for her. He held both her hands in his looking earnestly into her bluebell eyes.

"Marinette." His voice was soft and warm. "You know I told you once that you were the music inside my head. You're the most amazing girl I have ever met and..." He paused, trying to find the right words to express how he felt. "You know you mean so much to me and I want to tell you..." Marinette placed a finger on his lips to silence him.

"Don't Luka, please." In her mind she could hear Chat Noir's voice, declaring again and again his love for her. She had already broken his heart, she couldn't do the same to Luka. "You mean a lot to me Luka, I mean that but..." The tears started coming back. Luka pulled her back into his strong and comforting embrace.

"I understand." He whispered, but Marinette didn't understand. Why did she keep loving someone who only saw her as a friend. She had pushed away Chat, who has loved her since day one and now she is pushing away someone who was sweet and kind and who cared about her. Someone who saw her. Yet, deep down in her heart, she couldn't let Adrien go. She still loved him, even if he loved Kagami. She couldn't bring herself to hate Kagami for that. She was strong, brave and fearless. Why wouldn't Adrien be attracted to that - not stumbling, bumbling Marinette.

"I'm so sorry Luka." She said softly. "I don't want to hurt you." Luka hooked a finger under her chin lifting it to look at him. There was resignation in his eyes, as well as love.

"Sometimes you have to just follow the music your heart hears. I play your song with strings, but I think the song you hear is played on ivory keys." Marinette didn't know what to say. Her heart felt so heavy and yet comforted. "Come on, I'll take you home."

******

On the river bank, Adrien had found Kagami after the battle with Heart Hunter. He was surprised when she told him that Ladybug had taken her because the villain was after people in love. No sooner had his brain started to process that information then Kagami was snaking her hands up his chest and around his neck. On one level his heart skipped a beat. For months now Ladybug, the love of his life, had been rejecting him for another boy. It hurt more than he could say. He desperately wanted love, and to give love in return. Here now was a girl he cared about and respected offering to him exactly what he wanted and yet his first reaction was not to wrap her in a warm embrace, but push her back. "Wait."

Kagami looked at him with confusion. "Why Adrien, what's wrong?" Adrien turned from her wrapping his arms around himself.

"I can't Kagami. I care for you and part of me wants to see where this could go, but the other part, the larger part of me, longs for someone else." Kagami stood silently for a moment. She was so close, yet she couldn't find the key to his heart. She wiped a solitary tear from her eye. She didn't have the key, but she was pretty sure she knew who did. Drawing on all her courage, she raised a hand to his shoulder, encouraging him to turn around.