Marinette waved goodbye to her friends and family as she left the party they had hosted for her. Alya still was terrible at planning surprise parties and she had figured it out. Though this year it may have been more of Alya's daughter's fault than hers. She'd had an amazing evening. She'd seen so many of her old friends, who knew turning thirty would bring so many of her friends out. Then again she was one of the few unmarried people left from her old friend group, so maybe they felt sorry for her. 

She shook her head of that thought, no they just wanted to celebrate with her, and used it as an excuse to get together. She walked back to her childhood home, her parents had "sold" her the home and business location so she could open her own beauty boutique. Her parents had bought a smaller home and put in a commercial kitchen so they could cater and take special orders. As she approached her home she smiled at her beautiful sigh, Strawberry Dreams. She loved her little store and her designs she sold there. She went to the back door and headed up to the apartment, that was now her home. 

She had turned her childhood bedroom into her private design space. She'd redecorated her parent's old room and made it the perfect bedroom for herself and she loved her walk-in closet. Everything else had stayed the same other than some redecorating and new coats of paint. She set the small bag of gifts she'd been given on her kitchen counter. She pulled out the small box Adrien had given her, it was a pair of ladybug earrings, they often swapped black cat and ladybug gifts for birthdays and Christmas as a reminder of their teen years.  She put them back in the box and left the bag on the counter the other gifts could wait. She had her own birthday tradition to enjoy. 

She pulled out a small bottle of Strawberry Wine and a dark chocolate cupcake from her favourite coffee shop (Not that her parents knew she had a favourite pastry that wasn't from them). She sat them on the table and went to her book shelve and grabbed a worn photo album. She sat at the table, opened the wine and her old photo album. She smiled at her seventeen-year-old face. She stood with a boy, "Luka." She touched his face in the photo. 

She took a sip of her wine, so sweet. And she remembered... 

***

She sat up in her room, working on a new summer dress design for her Instagram. When she heard a motorbike pull up to the bakery. She looked out the window, she saw a tall boy remove his helmet and show off blue-tipped hair. He rocked a cool leather coat, she saw him walk into her parent's bakery. She quickly made her way downstairs, she wanted to meet this boy. 

"Ah! You must be Luka!" Her father's voice told as she walked through the entryway of the bakery. 

"Yes sir I am, I'm your new summer delivery guy." He smiled. 

"Ah, Marinette just in time to meet the new worker." 

"Hi! I'm his daughter as well as the one who works the closing shift in the summer." She smiled and offered him her hand. 

"I look forward to working with you." His smile made her feel week in the knees.

Later that night as she was getting ready to close the store when she heard the bike pull up. Luka walked in the door. "You know after your last delivery you don't have to come back." She smiled. 

"Oh I know but I wanted to. You interest me Marinette, I want to get to know you better. Come for a ride with me? I know a cool spot by the river." Maybe it was she was still dealing with the hurt from finding out the boy she'd been rejecting for years was the boy she'd been crushing on for years, and he was now head over in heels in love with a girl who was truly made for him. but that realization still hurt. Or maybe she was truly interested in the boy, but she said yes. 

Every night that summer they went out to the river bank. Luka gave her a lot of first, first real kiss, her first taste of wine, a different kind of freedom than she felt as Ladybug, her first real love and a very special first night. 

***

Marinette looked through her photos, she felt that longing again, like she did every year. Did she miss this boy she only saw one summer or was it the loss of her innocence she missed? She looked at these photos of a time when she thought thirty was old and her biggest fear was September when Luka would leave and go on tour with Jagged Stone. Sure they had tried to stay in touch, with phone calls and letters. But he was busy, she was creating a name for herself. They didn't really break up, but they just stopped talking and let the relationship go. She took another sip of her wine and enjoyed her yummy cake. 

She heard a bike park outside her building. She stood and saw the boy with blue-tipped hair leaning against his bike, looking like he was questioning his choice. "Luka," she whispered. She quickly slipped on a pair of shoes, and run out her back door. "Luka! You came back!" She gave him a hug that he clearly wasn't ready for. 

"Mariette! You're still here! I was worried since the bakery was gone so where you." He pulled her in close. 

"My parents helped me build my dream." She pointed to her sign, "My boutique that sells my designs." 

"Oh Melody, I'm so proud of you." He looked up in awe at the sign. "I've moved back to the Pairs. I'm done on the road, I'll be staying here for good. I'm gonna help other musicians get their own start." 

"Need a place to stay?" Marinette smirked at him.  

"With you? Always." he smiled and kissed her, and it was just as sweet as Marinette remembered.