Marinette stared at the invite. Adrien looked at her dumbfounded, what. They were getting married? So soon? And what did Luka want from Mari, he had to know the girl wasn't over him, and he wanted her to design his suit and his future wife's dress?

"Say the word and I'll tell you not to do it." Adrien said firmly and flatly."Then you can blame me and keep your friendship intact."

"You... you would do that? But you are mad that I'm still stuck on him...." Marinette looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Of course I would Mari, I lov- I wouldn't want you to lose such an important person to you." He cursed himself for his almost slip up, Adrien didn't get to push his love on her. He was the friend trying to get her to fall in love with him. Chat was the forceful one.

"Adrien..." her voice was soft.

"Mari I want.." he started.

"Wait!" She grasped his necklace in her hand, and look at for a moment, "I'll do it."

"Why?" Adrien stood stunned.

"Cuz, it's the easiest way to let him go. I've felt guilty for weeks now Adrien! Yous stand there head over heels for me! Waiting for me to love you! And here I sit stuck on some stupid boy who found his soulmate after I left him and is now marrying her! And I can't let him go!" She started crying, shouting and stood up, "Oh! and to top it off I've got some idiot model cat boy who calls himself chat who is trying to win me too! As if he knows everything going on with us and seems to know when I screw up and let my feelings for Luka show. Then he makes sure I leave that stupid room of his more guilty than when I came in!" She turns and runs to the stairs.

As she reaches the base of the stairs. "Marinette stop."

She stops with her hand on the rail. "Adrien please, let me go."

"No. Marinette, I need you to understand that I will wait as long as you need me too. You do not have to force yourself to do this. Not for me." He walked behind her, "Please will you turn around."

"No." She took a shaky breath.

"Fine, have it your way," Adrien said with a silly smirk on his face, that she couldn't see. He picked her up bridal style. She shrieked and held on to him tightly. He carried her upstairs and set her on her bed. "Wait here. Don't move," he said with a wink.

He walked over to her dresser and grabbed one of her nightgowns and a pair of legging and her slippers, then he walked across the hall, and he drew a bubble bath for her and set her clothes on the counter next to the sink. He grabbed her comb and slipped it in his back pocket, then put to hair elastics on his wrist, and lastly got a face cloth wet with cold water.

He walked back in, "What are you doing Adrien?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Taking care of my girl. Knowing someday she'll return the favour." He knelt down and washed her face. Then he pocked her noise, she giggled and smiled weekly, "There's that smile. Now, there's a bath in the next room for you. I am going to go downstairs and eat while you enjoy a soak, then come downstairs and I'll braid your hair so it's easy to deal with it tomorrow. Okay?"

"Okay," she spoke softly. He got up and turned to leave, he got to the doorway, "Adrien?" he looked over his shoulder, "I want to fall in love you."

"I'll fall in love with you too Marinette," he said with a smile.

He went downstairs, reheated the food Mari had made him. He sat on the couch, was his plan working? Was Mari falling for him? What if she found out he was Chat? Maybe he should stop... Just be Adrien, after all, everyone knew that Mari was My Lady Fashion, so Chat and My Lady hardly flirted online anyone, they mostly did promo work for each other now. No one knowing that Chat and My Lady Fashion had already met. And people were wondering what happened to the night owl that was Chat, he was no longer seem taking young models out on the town. Maybe he...

Then he reminded himself he needed to wait until Mari was in love with him. He needed Chat to be his manipulation tool, Chat made Adrien look good. Chat made Adrien the hero, Chat took advantage of her obedient nature, Adrien was getting better, softening for her, even though he was a trained manipulator.

"Adrien?" He looked up, Mari sat next to him, her hair towel dry, "I'm ready."

He sat there and braided her hair, "I'll call Luka and Kate tomorrow, maybe they can come over next Saturday for a consultation?"

"Sure, let them know we will be at there wedding?" He nodded.

--------------------------------------------------------------Saturday------------------------------------------------------

Adrien sat on one couch facing Luka and Kate on the other, Mari walked in with cups of tea and coffee for everyone. "So what can you tell me about your wedding?"

Kate smiled brightly, "Well it's at the end of the summer, we figured with most of Kitty Section being in college the next few years we would go on a solo tour, selling Kitty Section, CDs while we are at it. So the wedding is the kick-off to our Honey Moon Tour!"

Luka placed his arm around her smiling, "Ya, so we are getting married in a smaller ceremony on mom's boat, then in the evening having a big show to kick of the tour that all of Paris is invited to."

"So you want the dress and suit to be wearable for all the shows or just the wedding day?" Mari tapped her paper.

"The wedding day and show is enough, we are going to wear our normal duo look for the other shows." Kate said smiling, "I can't believe I have My Lady Fashion designing my dress! This is almost as cool as having an Agrest original!"

"She's a big fan," Luka said rubbing circles on her back.

Adrien out of impulse placed his hand on Mari's knee reminding her he was there. "Do you have a photo of you regular duo look, Mare might be able to create a wedding look that mirrors your band look." Mari looked at him, he winked, trying to act like he hadn't just used Luka's pet name for her.

"Uh ya we do, we thought you might wanna try something like that," Luka awkwardly handed Adrien the photos. Mari and Adrien looked at the photos, Kate wore a loose-fitting red tank top with a dark purple bralette under it, she had a choppy dark purple tule skirt, with checkered red and purple leggings. Luka wore a white muscle shirt, with faded loin face on it, he wore ripped jeans.

"Wow, that look is very rocker and unique." Mari wasn't sure what she thought of it.

"Ya, we know it's not really a representative of the music we play but we just like having fun with our outfits, that and we really hot performing." Kate giggled and she kissed Lukas cheek.

"Well, I think Kate and I need to go upstairs to work on her dress design, alone. So you boys stay here and I'll send her down when I'm ready for you Luka." She stood then leaned down and kissed Adrien's forehead.

He caught her hand and squeezed it, she smiled down at him.

The boys watch the girls walk upstairs. "Luka, why are you doing? You could have any designer and you just happen to pick your ex-girlfriends?"

"Yes. Kate wanna My Lady Fashion to design it, and yes she knew Marinette was my ex when she asked. I didn't see any harm in it, according to the magazines you two are head over heels in love. So why should it matter?" He challenged.

"We are," He looked away from Luka's gaze.

"Right, and that why you had to make her break up with me to have her." Luka stair harden.

"Hey, I let her think you where the good guy, she has no idea that you ditched her on her birthday for your soulmate. I lied to her for you. I still do. No matter how many nights she spends crying over you, no matter how many times she apologizes for being stuck on you, I never tell her you gave on her before you lost her. You could have fought me for her, but you let her go. And she still thinks your the good guy."

"And for that I am grateful, I'm glad Marinette can still be the designer for me and Kitty Section. So you aren't in love then?" Luka's tone softened. He knew in his heart he had let Mari go.

"I've loved Marinette since I was ten, I made her promise that when she made it big I'd be her star model, cuz I knew I wasn't going to be lucky enough to have her as a soulmate and I wanted her in my life forever. Her family took me in when my dad was to busy. Her smile lights up my life. Which is why I set her up with you in the first place. Then I saw I was wrong, and I couldn't do anything. You should have seen her face fall when she told me you weren't her soulmate." Adrien rubbed his eyes.

Luka looked Adrien, he'd never seen the boy so open... Maybe Mari was good for him.

Meanwhile upstairs with the girls.

"So what if we did this?" Mari leaned her book towards Kate.

"OMG, I love it!" Kate smiled. "It's so perfect!"

"Good! I'm glad. I need to take your measurements."

"Before we stand up, I have a request for Lukas suit. He's gonna be so hot in a dress shirt and suit jacket, so I was thinking we could do just the suit jacket, then he could wear his regular muscle shirt or nothing under it..."

"Uh... Sure, I'll see what he thinks about that. Wanna step up on the block." Mari pointed.

"Of course!" She stepped up, "You know girl, you are a pretty cool girl. Designing for your ex and his fiancee and all."

"Oh, so you know about us," Mari said taking the measurements.

"Duh, and by the way, it was real sweet of you to let him miss your party for him to come to comfort me. I was so heartbroken after my boyfriend left me, that having my soulmate there was so sweet. Then to hear that you found your soulmate on your birthday and that you let him go to be with his was so sweet!" Kate took Mari's hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

Mari worked on autopilot, what, Luka knew about Kate while they were dating and he never told her? He had skipped her eighteenth birthday to be with her? What! She loved him, was willing to give up her soulmate for him, and he never told her... "Uh em what did he say when he came to you after we broke up?"

"It was so beautiful, though I suppose it came for you. He said she told me 'to go to my soulmate and give her the best life, love her as you loved me. Give her your heart, make music for her, make her smile.' And I just thought that made you so sweet! But seeing they way Adrien looks at you, I can see why you picked him, he really does love you."

Adrien's words flooded her mind, "you can blame me and keep your friendship intact." ... "I wouldn't want you to lose such an important person to you." ... "Taking care of my girl. Knowing someday she'll return the favour." ... "I'll fall in love with you too" "Ya he does, and I keep falling in love with him. I think we are good here, send Luka up would ya?"

She didn't confront Luka, there was no point now. She would ask Adrien her questions. when they left. She worked on Luka's suit design and kept things friendly and professional. After they left she walked downstairs.

"So Kate told me the truth. Why didn't you tell me? You clearly knew that's why you made me break up with him isn't it?" Mari stood at the base of the stairs. Adrien didn't know if she was mad of not so he didn't dare make her move. "You wanted me to think he was 100% commitmented to me, even though he knew for what a year that I wasn't his soulmate? And what always had a backup plan with her?"

"They met at some music thing, I don't know who long, but they both were dating and had just been making music together, I wanted to tell you but I didn't want to shatter your heart completely. I thought he might tell you the truth, that maybe he'd try to fight for you, but he didn't." Adrien looked over to her and opened his arms.

She looked at him sitting there asking for a hug, she walked over and stopped just out of reach, "So was the whole job offer just to get me away from Luka or did you really want me?"

"Marinette! How could you ask that I've always wanted to keep you in my life learning you were my soulmate was the happiest day of my life. I knew Luka wasn't your soulmate but didn't have the heart to tell you." Adrien dropped his hands.

"But you could have told me that Luka had lied to me..." tears welled up in her eyes, "Then we could have come up with a plan together..." they poured over her eyes now she looked down not wanting to cry in front of him again, "Instead of forcing me to live this life! You could have given me a choice instead of scaring me into thinking you where gonna force me to be your slave of a wife for the rest of my life!" She shouted, then she looked up and saw Adrien was crying too.

He stood up and walked and arm's length away from her, "Remember when we ten, and I made you promise that I would be your star model, well that was the same day my father started my training, He knew my gift and it's potential. He raised me to be a good manipulator, I never thought a girl like you would willingly fall for me. When he told me about my soulmate would do whatever I said, he was so happy because Agrest men alway marry their soulmates. So even though I knew I could tell you to do whatever I wanted, I thought I could manipulate you to fall me."

She stood there shocked, he continued, "Then I saw how amazing you were, and the things with that Chat boy started, and I realized I wanted you to really fall for me. So I gave up the plan and agreed to fake date you so that one day it could be real, cuz Marinette I love you."

"Adrien... Your father used your gift? He took advantage of it... I'm so sorry." She pulled him into a hug. "I meant what I said last week, I want to fall in love with you."

"Mari, I will wait as long as I have to for you." He hugged her close. "Say, the night still young, wanna order take out and watch a rom-com?"

"Aren't you on a diet Mr. Modle?" she giggled and pocked his stomach.

"Hey! I'll work out an extra half an hour tomorrow." He protested.

"Fine, you order, I'll pick the movie." She flopped on the couch.

Adrien ordered the food, and then he saw that Mari had spread herself out on the one couch. Mari started the movie. He sat on the other one and pulled out his phone, and sent an Instagram message he'd been dying to send. He opened up Chat's Instagram account.

Hey, My Lady, This will be waiting for the next visit.
He attached the photo of the white belled chocker sitting on the desk.
He smirked when the doorbell wrang he hit send. Then he went and got the door, he paid the man well asking him to keep the address a secret. When he turned around, with food bag in hand, he saw Mari staring at her phone, eyes wide.

"Something wrong love?" He said without really thinking about how casually he used love.

"Um no just a dumb troll, can I come sit with you?" She placed her phone on the coffee table.

"You never have to ask." he smiled and helped her over to the couch he had been sitting on.

After they ate their food, Adrien asked to lay down on the couch and Mari asked if she could lay on his chest. She fell asleep there. Adrien looked down at the girl he loved, she now putty in his hands. She was really falling for him. And she had no idea that he was still manipulating her, she and no clue he was Chat. It was perfect. All his father's tricks where working. He had been open and honest and now she felt sorry for him. Her finding out about Luka had just made it sweeter. However, as he stroked her hair, he wondered for a moment, if his father had been wrong... Was manipulation the only answer? Did he have another choice? Could Marinette fall in love with him if he didn't try to trick her into it?