Cat's Eye (Lukadrien)

Volume 1, Chapter 1

Adrien's gaze traced across the ice rink as he skated. He'd come here with Kagami, and as lovely as she was, he couldn't feel the same connection that she so seemed to feel for him. Even that was awkward and faltering, like a new born doe barely able to stand on its own two feet.

Adrien had arrived with a goal: to convince himself that maybe trying things with her might help him alleviate his feelings for Ladybug. She'd made it ever so clear how she felt, after all. Alas, his heart didn't seem to operate like that. Would be far more convenient if it did, but Adrien never really claimed to be the most emotionally intelligent person anyways. There was a panging in his stomach, too. It was cruel to ask her here, only to find that he couldn't really reciprocate her feelings. It was just a date, though. The whole point of a date is to try things out, see whether you click, right? Adrien was pretty sure that's what the chapters on romantic relationships said in his book he'd been reading on interpersonal relationships. See, try as he might, Adrien has always struggled with socialising with his peers. Formal occasions are easy - he has lived and breathed the etiquette of high society for as long as he can remember. Professional interviews are practically reflexive at this point as well. But interacting with people his own age, quietly terrified him.

After all, all the rules he'd learnt and applied in polite society weren't at play - in fact, most of the time they were detrimental. After the first day Adrien had attended Francoise Dupont High School, he'd gone and asked Nathalie to buy him books on slang and socialising. Adrien was sure everyone must have thought him so weird - they'd all been staring at him and whenever he spoke to them, they made strange faces that he couldn't quite read. He'd been quite out of place, talking the way he did, so surely that was it.

That was actually one of the reasons why Adrien found Kagami easier to socialise with. She came from a similar background to him, and most of the time they could function in that semi formal interaction, that they were both so comfortable in. At least, as friends they could. Trying to express romantic interest in each other clearly had them both fumbling for what to say, and not in an endearing way either.

He'd have to let her know that they should just be friends. Communication of feelings is essential, according to one of the Guides Nathalie bought him. Now was certainly not the time to tell her though; he'd have to break it to her another time, although preferably not at fencing.

A whoosh of sound flew past him as Marinette, with Luka in hand, shot across the rink. The blue haired boy held himself with such poise, as he helped Marinette get more comfortable on the ice. Adrien had to tear his eyes away, back to Kagami. Her lips pursed, betraying her displeasure but saying nothing, which somehow made him feel even more guilty.

~

Adrien eyes fixed upon the ceiling, as he lay strewn all over his bed. Just over a week had passed since he'd had gone skating with the others, but his gut still hung onto a sinking feeling. Marinette was so lucky to have a guy like Luka; it seemed like everything for their date had gone smoothly. He didn't know the details, but from what he'd seen at the ice rink, it looked like they had no issues with intimacy whatsoever. Adrien's nose twitched. He couldn't help but envy the ease the two of them seemed to have, talking with each other and everyone else.

"You seem down, kiddo" Plagg chimed from the bottom of the bed. The kwami had buried himself in a small box of camembert cheese, voice muffled by the wrapping "You're not still hung up over Ladybug?".

Adrien shook his head, "I know, Plagg, I know. She's not interested in me. I'm just having trouble moving on, I guess. I thought, you know... maybe I liked Kagami." He gestured vaguely, an attempt to throw the topic off point.

Plagg didn't buy it.

Adrien leaned on his elbow, "But when it actually comes to it, I just seem incapable of being attracted to her like... that. I spent half of the date watching Luka and Marinette, and the other half barely able to make eye contact with her. I don't want things to become... untoward between the two of us."