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“I do not believe in such things,” Kagami says seriously. Then her face brightens into a smile, much more natural than the one she used on Friendship Day, now that she has had more practice. “But I do believe in ice cream.” She bolts off after Adrien.
Marinette smiles and then follows them. She knows she should feel guilty for leaving her parents at the hotel, but Adrien and Kagami never get to do something like this. Adrien couldn’t even come the last time they’d tried, and now she’ll be able to have sweethearts’ ice cream with him, and they’ll share this story with their children, just like her parents share with her, and…
She stops short. There’s three of them. Andr é gives three combinations.
Adrien and Kagami, they trust her to decide.
She looks back and forth. She could choose mint and blackberry. She wants to. She’s been friends with Adrien for longer than Kagami, she’s been in love with him since the second day of class when he gave her that umbrella and apologized about the gum and she realized she’d been wrong about him. He’s so kind and sweet and selfless, an d he has so much faith in all of his friends, even Chlo é and Lila when they’re both so mean and lie so much, but...
She knows that Kagami likes Adrien. And Adrien likes Kagami. They went on that date to the skating rink, and they held hands almost the entire time they skated. They held hands again at that movie premiere when Marinette and Chloé ruined Kagami’s shoe – goodness, how embarrassing – because Adrien is a gentleman. They’d be a good couple, their parents would approve and let them go on more dates, and they’d finally be able to go outside even without lessons and appointments. Marinette could say mint and orange, and Kagami would give her another one of her real smiles and maybe curl up with her later and giggle into her ear like they’re sharing a secret.
Tikki would tell her to let Adrien and Kagami share the ice cream. They like each other, and if Marinette is a true friend to them, she will stand back and let them be happy. Because that is what true friends do. I t hurts to think about, and i t will hurt even worse to see. She doesn’t think she can watch that and not feel torn apart, and she can’t risk being akumatized. Andr é’s already been akumatized once because of her refusing his ice cream. And Kagami’s been akumatized for loving Adrien, too, or at least for being jealous when someone else was loving him.
Oh, this is horrible, this is horrible, there’s no way she can…
The solution clicks in her brain like she has a Lucky Charm.
Marinette reaches over and grabs Kagami’s hand. Her hand is warm and strong. “Could we have an orange and blackberry, André?” She smiles over at Kagami. “I’m really happy we’re friends.”
Kagami smiles back and squeezes her hand. “Yes, orange and blackberry, please.”