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Marinette was the kind-hearted daughter of the bakers, Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng. She radiated warmth, love, and comfort. Everyone absolutely adored her and no one, except for Chloe, would give her a hard time. She always brought baked goods from her parents’ bakery on the first day of school every year, so everyone always hoped to be in Marinette’s class every year. She was clumsy, but she was never embarrassed by it.
Kagami couldn’t be more different than Marinette.
She was always poised and on the defense. All her life, that’s what she had been taught to do and anything less was seen as imperfect and not enough. She didn’t know how to be anything less than frigid and distant. It’s the way her mother was with her, so she felt the need to be that way with others. Direct, cold and distant. Perfection was demanded at all times, and nothing less.
“That’s Marinette, right?” Kagami had asked on her first day of school, sitting next to Adrien, who noticed that Kagami had instantly locked her gaze on Marinette, who was laughing at something Alya had said. Kagami remembered her from the very first match she had in Paris, where she had been akumatized and Marinette had stopped by later, dropping off flowers and an apology note.
“Yeah, she’s amazing,” Adrien commented, and Kagami stared down at her desk, folding her hands neatly on the table.
“Is she...dating Alya?” Kagami mumbled but stared straight ahead when asking about Marinette.
“No. Nino and Alya are dating, and I’m dating Alya and Nino. Marinette talked about some girl she had met at some match, and we encouraged her to go for her, but Marinette is Marinette. She's shy when it comes to things concerning her crush.”
“What do you mean by that, Agreste?” Kagami turned to glare at him and she accidentally caught Marinette’s eyes.
“Hey!” Marinette waved and stood up, but accidentally tripped and Kagami quickly caught her, but couldn’t say the same for the macaroons that Marinette had brought for the first day of the new school year.
“You appear to be rather clumsy.” Kagami pointed out bluntly, and she saw the flash of hurt in Marinette’s eyes.
“Hey, you do not call my bestie-” Alya began, but Marinette cut her off and tried to stand up, but failed drastically.
“I know, but I don’t mind. I’ve learned to just accept it as is.” Marinette shrugged and Kagami raised her eyebrows, still holding Marinette in her arms. “I’d offer you a macaroon...but as you can see, I dropped them. You can come over to the bakery after school if you’d like?”
“I have a tournament after school. I do not have time for idle things.” Kagami placed Marinette on her feet firmly and Marinette thanked her. Kagami wanted to take back those last words, recognizing that they were a bit too harsh and hastily apologized.
“I guess not then?” Marinette squeaked out and felt her heart drop. She’d been waiting months to ask Kagami out somewhere, since the day she had first met her, and it looked like it didn't been of any use. “It’s alright. I’m-”
“Marinette. I know.” Kagami nodded, “You can come to watch me at my fencing tournament if you’d like tonight.”
“Great!” Marinette grinned widely, “I’ll see you there?”
Kagami couldn’t be mad when the lovely blue-bell eyed girl was gazing up at her with wonder, even though she had suffered a huge loss. Kagami was angry, but it all faded away once she took one look at Marinette, but due to old habits, Kagami was a little frosty towards her.
“I’m so, so sorry.” Marinette extended her hand, and Kagami looked at it, unsure of what to do and what that feeling rising in her chest was.
“Huh?” Kagami responded, trying to function after being stunned by Marinette’s simple beauty.
Kagami had met many beautiful, fearless ladies in her time fencing battles, but she had never come across someone like Marinette, who radiated beauty by simply being. Even if she was completely the antipode of everything Kagami was taught to expect and be.
“Are you alright?” Marinette’s eyes met hers and Kagami quickly avoided her gaze. She felt her cheeks burning with shame, at Marinette seeing her lose at something she had practiced years to perfect.
“I should get going now.” Kagami’s voice came off as cold and she caught Marinette recoiling a bit in fear that she had overstepped her boundaries.
“I’m really sorry, Kagami.” Marinette’s voice rang out, as Kagami had begun to walk away, clutching her saber in her hand.
“Don’t be…” Kagami hesitated, afraid to say Marinette’s name out loud.
“Marinette. My name is Marinette?” Marinette caught onto Kagami’s arm and Kagami paused slightly, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks again, but not out of shame this time.
“What a beautiful name.” Kagami murmured, raising her lips in a smile slightly, as she glanced at Marinette, whose cheeks flushed red.
“Here’s your saber, Kagami?” Marinette looked away as she handed Kagami her saber back, and Kagami’s fingers brushed against Marinette’s.
“You’re an odd one, Marinette.” Kagami blurted out and Marinette met her eyes, widening as she realized what Kagami was trying to say. Kagami was trying to melt her icy exterior for Marinette.
“I’d...well, if you’d like...bakery?” Marinette stammered out and Kagami realized what Marinette was trying to do.
“I’d love to,” Kagami answered softly, and Marinette returned her smile nervously, their fingers intertwining slowly. Kagami knew the warmth that Marinette radiated was the opposite of the ice that Kagami gave off, but standing next to her, Kagami melted as Marinette placed her head on her shoulder.