"Father, please I-"

"That's enough, Adrien." Gabriel Agreste cut in, raising his hand to motion silence, "You already disobeyed me yesterday, what makes you think I'll let a baker girl in my house for dinner anyway?! Tomorrow you will be forced to play Piano. Find it as a punishment to Sunday's unfortunate events."

Adrien's eyes widened as he picked at his food, looking at the far end of the table to his father. He had come home from Marinette's house earlier that day, just in time for dinner with him, "Please, Father? I can still play Piano as well! I just find it unfair that she's been offering me such great hospitality when I have done nothing in return! Plus, she won that derby hat contest you held, so she does have great knowledge in the fashion industry."

The man sighed, then looked across at the pleading look his son held on his face, "Alright. Consider this a one-time thing, though. You will play Piano as well, remember that, Adrien." He got up from the table, walking out of the dining room and into a doorway, leaving a happy Adrien behind.

He too, rose from the dining table, walking quickly back to his room. Once he made sure he closed the door, Plagg zoomed out of his blazer, giving his holder a thoughtful look, "Well, I guess you must be-"

The blond quickly grabbed his phone, fumbling across the virtual keyboard as he quickly typed in a message to Marinette.

Adrien - Hey, Marinette! I was wondering, would you like to come over tomorrow after school for dinner? My father actually allowed it! We were always at your place, I think it's my turn to host something. :)

—

A loud chime came from Marinette's phone as she just finished crafting a sketch on her sketch pad for a new outfit.

Tikki slid Marinette's phone in the bluenette's direction, the girl immediately unlocking it to see the message.

"OMG!" she squealed, immediately dialling her best friend's number.

"Hey, girl..." Alya's voice came in lazily from the other end of the line.

"ALYA!" Marinette squeaked, getting up from her chair and started pacing back and forth in the middle of the room, "Guess what?!"

The line went silent, until her best friend's hoarse voice rang through her ear, "What?"

"Adrien invited me to come over to his place tomorrow for dinner!"

"WHAT?!" Alya screamed, Marinette having to bring the phone away from her ear, "HE DID?!"

"Ow! Alya, please be nice to my ears!" the pigtailed girl groaned, patting her ear dramatically, "And can you believe it?!"

"Girl! It's a good thing you called! I need to get my BFF ready for dinner with her crush and idol!"

"Wait." Marinette suddenly said as the realization hit her like a train, a long period of silence falling over the room, "WHAT?!? Oh no!!! I am so going to embarrass myself! Alya! Help me! I'm going to die of shame if I screw this up!"

"Don't worry! Remember you have your BFF, mama Alya! I'm coming over asap tomorrow, girl, after school!"

"Thanks, Al," Marinette breathed a long sigh of relief, "You're the best."

"Of course I am."

And with that, Marinette hung up the phone, letting herself fall onto her desk chair as she typed in a reply to Adrien's message.

Marinette - I'll be there.

—

[The next day after school]

"Ok, girl." Alya stated, marching back and forth in front of Marinette, who was currently sitting dumbfounded on her desk chair, "We have about half an hour until Adrien's fencing lesson ends, so that leaves us about 45 minutes until he comes to get you. There isn't much time, but we have to get you ready."

She slammed her fist into the palm of her hand, Marinette nodding hesitantly, "Kay, but I shouldn't dress too fancy, I mean, it's just a casual-"

By this point, Alya was throwing open the doors of her BFF's closet, thoroughly scanning its contents of original hand-designed clothes.

She grabbed something off the rack, only to put it back, "Hmm, too bright. You're going to be way too noticeable wearing that neon green blouse... what about this chic red designer jacket? Too fancy. Um, ah! This!" Alya held up a grey denim jacket and matching denim pants that cut just below the knees, on the other hand, a white and pink polka-dotted button-up shirt.

Marinette squealed, "Oh my gosh! I so forgot about that outfit! You're absolutely right, Alya! It's perfect!"

The brunette grinned, handing the pigtailed-girl the clothes and pushed her behind a dressing fold, tapping her foot impatiently, "Hurry up and get dressed, Marinette! We still have your speech to prepare!"

"Speech?!" the bluenette wailed as she was taking off her clothes, putting on the chosen ones for that evening, "This is a dinner, Alya! Not a fancy banquet!"

"Knowing you, you're going to make a total fool of yourself if you don't practice!" Alya shouted, her best friend groaning at this.

"I guess you're right."

Marinette stepped out of the cover of the fold, Alya nodding her head approvingly, "OK, that's good... now,"
She turned her BFF around, adjusting the jacket over her shoulders as she yanked the two red elastic bands out of her hair, only to replace them with two pink ones. Alya then made her way into Marinette's closet again, coming out with two peach pink flats, throwing them on the floor space before the girl.

"Put those on," Alya ordered, pointing at the shoes.

Marinette nodded, yanking off her ballet-like flats and slid on the ones Alya chose, walking in front of her mirror to see how she looked.

"I think I'm ready." she grinned, a proud-looking Alya coming from behind, "After I practice the speech, of course."

—

Adrien rang the doorbell. He was so used to coming to Marinette's house that he wasn't even feeling the slightest feeling of nervousness. But what he didn't expect was to see a beautifully dressed girl open the door, peering up at him through her long eyelashes as she nervously wrapped her fingers around the spaghetti strap of her handbag, "H-Hey, Adrien."

At the sight before him, Adrien's breath escaped his throat, having to thickly swallow in his now going-dry mouth, his eyes widening after.

What is wrong with me?! Just answer something, idiot!

"H-Hi, Marinette." he stammered unusually, doing his usual slight wave, "Ready to go?"

Marinette nodded, Adrien gulping once again as she walked past him, her handbag making the slightest contact with his hip.

He closed the door, accompanying Marinette down the stairs to her bakery and out the door, the smell of fresh pastries lingering not far behind.

This is a casual dinner. Adrien repeated to himself as the two got into the car, There's no need to get flustered easily because of this. It's just a casual dinner, just a casual-

"Um," Marinette's now high-pitched voice interrupted the blond's thoughts, Adrien cocking his head over to peer down at her gaze, "I'm excited to see your place and meet your father."

All living joy vanished without a trace at this, Adrien's heart dropping down into a pit, shattering into a million pieces like a diamond.
I am not going to let this ruin my mood, I will not. Do you hear yourself, Agreste?!  It will NOT!

"Y-Yeah." he gulped, putting on a wonky smile.

Without even realizing, the car pulled up in front of the mansion, Adrien breathlessly thanking his bodyguard as they exited the car, walking up the stairs and in front of the large doors of the large mansion. Nathalie was already there to greet the duo, "Good afternoon, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Mr. Agreste has advised that you spend the time left before dinner is served with Adrien, in his bedroom. Adrien, your father wishes to remind you that you still have the punishment of playing Piano."

"Yes." he sighed, nodding as the two walked through the door, "Thank you, Nathalie."

"Y-Yeah." Marinette chirped, the assistant nodding as she closed the doors, her heels clicking in the distance as she made her way to Mr. Agreste's office.

Adrien silently walked up the steps to his bedroom, Marinette following from behind. Once the teenage boy opened the large doors to his room, Marinette couldn't help but gasp in astonishment, twirling around as she took in the view of Adrien's room, Adrien's scent, Adrien's everything.

"Oh my goodness, Adrien." she breathed, setting her gaze on the saddened blond who sat at his Piano bench, "Your house, your room, it's amazing!"

"I may have an amazing house, an amazing room," his voice trailed off as he twiddled his fingers together, his voice cracking at the end, "But I don't have that cozy bakery warmth, cordial parents, a friendly atmosphere. I might have everything I ever wanted, but do you know what I don't have? Happiness. I have no one to talk to."

Marinette's face dropped into a pout, feeling as if her heart had split in two as she walked up to her crush who was sadly staring at the Piano keys in front of him, feeling his thigh brush against another. He looked at his side to see Marinette who was sitting beside him on his Piano bench, resting a hand on his shoulder, "You've got friends that care about you, Adrien. You have your father, even if he doesn't show it, I'm sure that he loves you. And you've got me. I'm always available to listen if you need a breather from everyday troubles."

A small smile tugged on Adrien's lips as Marinette let go of her grip on the green-eyed boy's shoulder, earning a smile, "Thanks, Marinette."

The two, by instinct, looked down at the keys before them, the blond raising up his hands and rested them onto the Piano keys, "Say, do you know how to play?"

"Me?" Marinette pointed to herself, then wildly shook her head, "No, no!"

"Great." he smirked, lightly grabbing her hands and placed them on the keys, "I'll give you a lesson."

"A piano lesson?" she raised a brow, her crush replying with a Chat-like grin.

"Piano lesson it is then."

She gasped as soon as he started playing the Piano before him, the pigtailed girl closing her eyes as she felt the melody and beat of the song sink into her soul, as if nothing was there but her, Adrien and the song.

"Play the key under your left thumb." Adrien's voice rang through her eardrums, disturbing her listening. She complied with the order, feeling the harmony of the two notes sink together, creating a soft, peaceful sound.

Without even gaining a warning from the model beside her, she played a G, the music taking a crescendo, making it louder, livelier.

It was nothing like she ever experienced, had her hands on to actually witness. It was more than just a simple duet.

They were a duo.

One that couldn't be beaten. They would always result in perfect harmony, no matter what mistakes they made. It would be the measure of a strand of music, one part of their song. It had many parts, some minor, some major, but once you put everything together...

You composed a song.

A song that takes every little part of it to craft the big picture. Because you couldn't have the right hand play without the left hand. You couldn't have the left hand play without the right.

It was an equal balance. A balance that took both efforts to complete. Both parts of the duo to master it.

Or else it wouldn't be called a duet. What was yin without yang? What was yang without yin?

What was Adrien without Marinette? What was Marinette without Adrien?

Now tell me this;

Does Ladybug sound just as cool without Chat Noir?

No, it doesn't.

Because you need two people, two people to form an unstoppable duo.

And there you had them, Adrien and Marinette, Ladybug and Chat Noir, both playing the song of their lives, their story, their confusion, their undefinable indirect love for each other.

Right there and then, as always, they were a duo, sinking their fingers into the keys, letting the melody fill their souls and hearts as they thoroughly thought about what had happened, what was happening now, and what was to come.

Because you always need two halves...

Two halves to make a whole.