9. Souls

☾*✲⋆.

"My Soul chose yours

And a soul doesn't just forget that."

☾*✲⋆.

Marinette's POV

A week later.

"Chloe get off my bed and help me find the fabric for your dress!," I yelled as I tried to pull her off.

"I left it downstairs, I didn't sleep last night let me be!," Chloe groaned.

"Alya would you be a good friend and get me the fabric?," I turned to Alya who was knocked out on my small couch.

"I guess I'll get it myself," I rolled my eyes and laughed lightly.

Chloe is heading to a famous event with her father in New York this weekend, and she has asked me to design her a dress. The problem however is that I only have 2 days to complete her 'vision' which would take about 2 months to prepare. She called me last night panicking that she couldn't find a gown that day and I was the first person she thought that could help her and create her dream dress.

Chloe was so stressed that she called for a sleepover at my house with Alya, and didn't stop crying till 5 am which leads to all of us dying from exhaustion.

I head downstairs to the bakery to grab the fabrics Chloe made her dad workers get a few hours ago, I look around not being able to find it. I yawn loudly and scratch my head.

"Marinette?," I turn around to the voice rubbing my eyes seeing Adrian in his fencing clothes and Kagami on his arm looking around the shop.

"Morning," I sighed.

"You look pretty tired," Adrian frowned.

"I have to make a gown today," I mumbled not feeling in the mood to talk to anyone.

"Oh really? I didn't know people actually asked you to design for them," Kagami giggled.

I hum not really caring what she has to say to me.

"Don't be rude," Adrian whispered to her.

"I'm not being rude," she argued.

I roll my eyes not wanting to apart of this.

"Marinette come get your phone!," Chloe yelled from upstairs.

"Shut up! Stop yelling!," I heard Alya yell at her.

"You're the one yelling!," Chloe yelled back.

"Chloe shut that big mouth of yours or I'll shut it for you."

"I dare you!"

"You are so annoying!," Alya yelled as I hear her stomp on the ceiling towards Chloe.

"Marinette save me from this crazy person!"

"Shut up!," I yelled.

"Well come get your phone it's been ringing for about 3 minutes now!," Alya yelled.

I slap my head annoyed.

"I'll be up there in a minute."

Adrian smiles softly towards me and chuckled.

I turn my attention to look for the fabrics.

"Do you need help with what your looking for?," I shake my hand no towards Adrian.

"Marinetteeeeeee! It's some guy named Anthony," I hear footsteps coming down, I turn to see Chloe annoyed holding my phone.

"She's looking for my fabric can you wait?," I scramble to grab my phone from her and put it to my ear, Chloe ignores Adrian and Kagami.

"Hey Chloe-."

"Leave me alone," she mumbled to Kagami, I sigh before turning my attention to my phone.

"Hello?," I sighed.

I look under a table and smile "yes!," I grab the fabric and look at Adrian and Kagami, "sorry gotta go, try the muffins before you head out," I smiled and walked upstairs.

"Marinette I called a few times, why didn't you answer?," Anthony spoke through the other line.

"I was looking for something's to start on a gown," I sighed.

"You're always busy," he laughed.

"So how are you?"

"I've been good, kinda miss Paris, I'm trying to convince my mom to let me go over for a few days to go site seeing."

"Didn't you go site seeing when you came here for the comp- nevermind," I sighed knowing how busy he was.

"Yup, maybe if she does let me go you can show me around your city."

"Okay," I laughed.

"Why did you call today anyways?," I asked and went into my room before sitting down on my chair and taking out my notebook to start sketching.

"I was wondering if later today you wanted to FaceTime and work on some moves together, I know your next competition is right around the corner and I wanted to help you learn some news moves."

"Okay that sounds fine, I'll see at what time since I'm on a tight schedule to finish a dress for my friend Chloe," I laughed.

"Understandable- Anyways miss you gotta go I'm at the doctors."

"Bye-," he hung up.

I sigh and look down at my sketch book and turn to Chloe, I smile lightly at her. We may have hated one another freshman and sophomore year, but that one day Chloe catches me crying over Adrian was the day that changed our entire relationship.

Flashback-

Sophomore year

I look down at the floor as I see Adrian and Kagami happily enjoying life, I don't know why I had to see them today out of all days. I woke up with a nightmare that HawkMoth took over the city and took Chat Noir away as well as Tikki, then I got in an argument with my mom because she has been trying to convince me to stay in Paris. Alya hasn't spoken to me because she's heart broken that I'm leaving, I feel awful of course because I wanted her to keep it a secret until I left and I know how hard it must be for her to have no one to talk to.

After the argument with my mom I ran out crying, it was already night time and I forgot Tikki at home, I ran far away without realizing and I have nothing to take me home. I was walking home crying when I saw Kagami and Adrian having the time of their lives as they walked out the theater looking like they are happiest a person can be.

I guess I finally couldn't hold it in but I felt more tears run out my eyes and I rub chest trying to calm myself down.

"Pull yourself together Marinette," I stuttered.

"Yes Dupain-Cheng pull yourself together," I flinch at the sudden voice and look up seeing Chloe.

But for some reason instead of trying to cover up my tears I let myself finally be shown to someone that despised me. Chloe expression faltered a bit till she grabbed my hand softly "he is not the only one, you proved me this with Kim, even though he is a bit annoying and I hate you, you were correct for once."

"I'm telling you the complete truth right now," Chloe sighs and frowns "Adrian will always see you as a friend, he's to caught up in his brain with friendship since that's all he wanted, you started as a friend and he won't see you in any other way like he did with me. I'm not trying to manipulate you and switch up, I'm just trying to explain the truth. Adrian will always be your friend and even if he likes you he'll mistaken it with a deep love towards you as a friend."

She was right.

Even when we had moments where I thought he liked me his mind will always go back to our friendship, he won't cross the line. I try to stop my tears but I knew I wouldn't be able to, I couldn't cover up that I felt truly heart broken, so I sat down and cried my heart out to someone that finally told it to me straight.

Chloe bend down and complained softly on how dirty the ground is.

"Look here, Adrian is a complete idiot for letting that girl trick him, like at least told him straight up that he was mine I didn't use no tricks like she did-," I give Chloe a look and she sighs "okayyyy I did use a bit of tricks, but still I'm better than her," she looks at me sadly "I wouldn't be that upset if he gotten with you."

My eyes widened shocked at her sudden honesty.

"Don't look at me like that I'm just saying the truth, I'd rather him be with someone that is a goody to shoes like you than that snake Kagami," she looks at me "your a good person Marinette."

"I'm sorry that it turned out this way," she looked at them.

End of Flashback

"What are you thinking about?," I turn to see Chloe looking at me confused "You were staring at the wall for a couple minutes."

"I was just thinking about the design for you," I smiled at her.

"Ew," she rolled her eyes before falling back to sleep.

Adrian's POV

"Anthony?," I mumbled to myself.

"What did you say dear?," Marinette's mother asked me.

"Nothing," I mumbled as I feel Kagami's stare on me.

"He said some guys named Anthony, your daughters boyfriend," Kagami said rather rudely.

"That's- that's not her boyfriend, he's a good friend from Shanghai," her mother laughed.

"Doesn't seem like a good friend," Kagami mumbled.

"Stop," I whispered to her as I notice Marinette's mom smile falter.

"I'm just saying the truth."

"Please get a hold of your girlfriend Adrian, I don't know why she speaks of my daughter in such a tone, but as her mother I really don't appreciate it," Marinette's mom smiled at me.

"I am so sorry Mrs. Dupain-Cheng," I sighed and looked at Kagami before paying for our breakfast and grabbed her hand roughly before walking out.

"Are you serious that was her mother Kagami!," I yelled lightly before releasing her hand.

"Her own mother doesn't even know that her daughter is flirting with many 'good friends'," Kagami rolled her eyes.

"What is your problem?! Marinette is my friend a very 'good' one in fact, and it's not just her you make remarks about, but also Nino and Chloe!," I yelled lightly.

"Chloe is way worse than Marinette!"

"At least Chloe was truthful and always said she didn't like somebody instead of act as a liar to everyone's face."

"Why are you always backing up your friends and not me huh?," Kagami started to whimper.

"No don't start that Kagami you messed up this time, and like I've said before I know my friends more than you and they aren't like the way you see them," I grumbled, I looked down at the bag of sweets and look up at Gorilla who was looking at me worried.

I sigh and give him a nod "look I need sometime to think and say sorry for how rude you were, Gorilla will take you home safely-," I look down at her as she looks at me angrily "cool yourself."

I walked away and inside the bakery.

"Welcome!- oh Adrian," Marinette's mom looked at confused.

"I am truly sorry, I will explain to her that Marinette is not like that whatsoever and she doesn't need to know her after that comment," I said.

"I understand sweety, I know you don't think of my daughter like that," her mom smiled down at me.

"Uhm do you know what the girls would like for breakfast? I just want to make up for what happened and Mari looked a bit tired when she came down," I asked.

"Chloe is a very picky eater and so is my mari, Alya is fine with anything."

After asking her mom for some baked goods for them I head to the gym to let off some steam.

Marinettes POV

"And done!," after 2 days of no sleep and Chloe nagging me I finished the dress.

"Eeeee yay!," Chloe squealed and jumped up and down as she looks at the mannequin wearing her dress.

"Finally we can go home," Alya sighed dramatically.

"Good job Marinette," Tikki said in my brain.

"Thanks guys, now if you don't mind I'm heading off to sleep, we have school tomorrow," I mumbled and slowly rolled into my bed.

"Thanks a lot bub we will be out of your hair now," Chloe called before getting out my room and Alya grumbling a goodbye.

Feeling so tired from the past few days my eyes shut as soon as I hit my pillow.

The next morning-

"Marinette it's time for school," I heard Tikki call.

"I know, I know," I grumbled and slowly sat myself up on my bed.

"I already have my snacks and phone set up in your purse, I also got your moms to take out your clothes for class, and breakfast," she smiled brightly.

"Thank you," I smiled and rubbed my eyes before getting ready.

I walk downstairs to see Adrian buying some breakfast, he looked up and laughed lightly before calling out to me.

"Want to walk to school together?," he asked.

"Oh sure," I mumbled before making my way to him.

We walk out the bakery before he stopped suddenly and cut half of his muffin and nudged it to me.

"Here have some"

"Oh no I already had breakfast early, please eat"

Adrian frowns at me.

"Okay okay, but I already ate, thanks though," I smiled softly.

"So I'm sorry about what Kagami said to you," Adrian sighed.

"No worries I get doubts from people no biggie"

"But you shouldn't have to deal with it, I know we aren't as close as we were before but I have no one else to talk to about the problems I've been having with Kagami," Adrian looks at me sadly "I haven't really been getting along with her recently, she's been acting stand-offish for a while now, and in complete honesty I'm rethinking my relationship with her."

I stop dead in my tracks at his sudden confession.

"Adrian-"

"I just can't deal with her always pushing my friends down, especially you Marinette," Adrian turns to me with a sad expression "I hate hearing her crap on your names like she knows you, it pains me to know that she thinks of you all in that way, and I don't know what to do because you are all my friends and she's my girlfriend-"

Has Adrian been thinking this all this time?

"And I don't want to bring her around you guys as often as I wanted because I know you guys are uncomfortable around her-"

He's been putting everyone in front of him...I frown at him and without thinking I hug him softly, shocked at my sudden affection he slowly hugs me back.

"I'm so sorry you've been feeling like this Adrian, we had no idea that you've been struggling," I sighed and rubbed his back softly.

"I wish Kagami doesn't make me feel like I have to choose a side but I think I'm going to have to," his voice started to break.

"I'll choose you guys," he pulled away and looked at me "I'll choose you," he paused "but I love her and I can't just leave her Marinette."

I felt my eyes water "I can't keep choosing her but I love her, I can't help but be on her side in points she makes about you guys."

My eyes widen lightly and pull away from Adrian.

"I feel like ever since you came back problems between have began to come back," Adrian tried to step forward, I step one back quickly.

"Adrian what are you saying?," I mumbled.

"Is everything she says true Marinette?-," I felt everything crash down once I see an Akuma flying towards Adrian.

"Adrian calm down," I mumbled scared.

"You left and now you don't want anything do with me? Is that all true? Did you ever even consider me as a friend?," he rubbed his head as he tried to think.

"Adrian of course I consider you my friend, I'm sorry I haven't been able to pay attention to you since I've been busy so calm down," I lied, I knew I've been avoiding him for my personal feelings, I caused this, I'm causing his pain as much as Kagami.

"Please calm down," I got closer.

"This," he pulled out the lucky charm I made him for his birthday.

"This, does this mean anything to you?," his eyes watered.

"Of course-"

"You left me and everyone behind when you left to China," he started to cry "I didn't want to bother you with my emotions but I can't keep lying to your face and pretend that what you did do me is okay."

"You had Kagami Adrian, you don't need me unless it's for her," I decided to argue back.

"Stop thinking about yourself and look at it in my point of view for once," I mumbled.

"That's what friends do Marinette! They help one another when one of them needs advice," Adrian yelled lightly.

"Maybe I didn't think of you as a frie-," I cut myself off as I see the Akuma fly into our Lucky charm.

"Adrian!," I yelled.