Ghosts Of Adrien's Past

Chapter 7: uncomfortable

The rehearsal dinner was beautiful, to say the least. Delicate lights strung across the ceiling and a small band playing in the corner.

Alya, nino, nora, Marinette, Adrien and luka all sat at one table together. It was awfully awkward. Marinette was trying to look anywhere but Adrien, who seemed content on staring at her.
She played with the strap on her bag. Luka cleared his throat and straightened his back.
"So, you guys must be excited right? This time next week you'll be married"
Alya and nino smiled, linking hands on the table. Marinettes chest warmed, and luka slung an arm around her shoulders. He chose to ignore the sudden intensity of the glare that Adrien shot him. Nino decided to get his best man involved in any sort of conversation. Anything to stop him from shooting daggers at luka.
"So, Adrien, I thought that maybe you could give a speech? At the wedding?"

Adrien sat back in his chair with a sigh, and kept his eyes on luka.
"I don't give speeches. I make deals"
Luka shifted his jaw.
"I just thought that-"
"Nino, I'm sorry. I know you'd probably expect me to deliver some amazing story about our relationship but unfortunately I have other things on my priority list"
Nino waved it off, saying something like 'you'll come around' alya squeezed his hand.
Marinette decided to get the conversation moving, she lifted her drink towards her mouth and started talking.
"My parents think I'm about to get married and have kids"
Adrien suddenly paled. A strand of his pushed back hair fell out of place. Alya chuckled and commented on the matter. He crossed his arms.
"With who?"
"What?"
Marinette said, almost not believing what he'd asked.
"You heard me. With who?"
"Well...actually, they thought luka and I were together"

A sharp exhale of air bounced his chest and he smiled. The kind of smile she only ever saw when he was wearing a mask.
"That's rich"
Marinette set her drink down gently on the table and smiled, luka puffed a breath of air and unslung his arm from her shoulders.
"Well, I have somewhere incredibly important to be. See ya little sis"
Nora said as she got up from the table. She had a feeling this was between the other people at the table. Marinettes eyes narrowed in a twitch.
"And why is that, Adrien?"
He leaned forward and rested his forearms on the table.
"Hate to break it to you, partner, but you live in New York. And obviously there isn't anything more important than your work, otherwise you would've come here with a date"
Her teeth clenched together so tightly her jaw began aching. Alya began making notions to breath or calm down.
Marinette ignored her.
"Adrien?"
"Yes?"
He said it as if he were answering a person he'd just beaten in an argument.
"Can I speak to you in private?"
"Well usually you have to take me to dinner first but, this time I'll make an exception. For old times sake"

She laughed. It was delicate and small, but of a woman with serious anger racing through her veins. She got up slowly, afraid that if she moved too fast she'd leap over the table and grab his throat.
Calm down. She reminded herself. This is your best friends wedding. Don't you dare ruin the rehearsal dinner.

Ten minutes later, they hadn't returned to the table. Dinner had been served, and the soft music playing didn't do anything to hide the screaming from the next room. Luka and Nino ate quietly, but alya giggled as she enjoyed her dinner.
Most of the yelling was coming from Marinette. But luka suspected that was because she most likely had Adrien cornered somewhere.
A deafening crack sounded, and everyone in the room looked up. Alya, Nino, and luka all got up to investigate who broke what.

Marinette kept Adrien shoved against the  wall, her forearm against his neck.
"Don't you ever insult me like that again! You have no right!"
He winced and tried to stretch his back.
"I think you put a crack in the wall with my back"
She pressed harder against his throat and he tensed. A black shine caught her eye, and she let him go. Before he could run she gripped his right wrist and brought it to her face. He voice shook so badly he could barely understand her.
"Y-You took the r-ring?!"
"Now Mari, I can explai-"
She went to rip off the ring, but it wouldn't budge. As if it were glued to his bone. She gave it another tug and a blindingly sharp pain shot through her right hand. Spiderwebbing from her fingers through her arm. She gave a sharp groan and cradled her arm to her chest.
"Mari I have something to tell you-"
"You think I care?! I don't! You can go and fu-"
"Mari?"

Alya's voice snapped Marinette out of her anger blur. She whipped her head to the group that had suddenly appeared. Almost out of nowhere.
"Oh my god, Mari, your hand"
Alya rushed over to Mari and took hold of her sore arm. It throbbed at the movement.
"What happened?"
She looked down at her arm, and realised for the first time that her arm looked sickly. Like some sort of venom had been injected into her. All of her veins had swelled and were a grotesque greenish black colour. Her ring finger looked the worst. Luka lifted his gaze from Mari to Adrien.
"What did you do to her?"
Adrien looked stunned.
"Me? I didn't touch her"
Luka pointed to marinettes arm.
"That is nothing if it's not cataclysm. I'll ask you once more like a gentleman before I take a less polite approach"
Adrien's face twisted into something like calm infuriation.
"You can try, but you won't win"
"Enough!"

It was Marinette, still cradling her arm.
"I'm not in the mood for...for..."
her eyes started to flutter and tikki was frantic in her bag.
Her earrings glowed a dull red before her arm gained some colour back to it.
Alya slung marinettes good arm around her neck before she started to lead her away from the group.
"Where are you going?!"
Nino called after them, and alya waved him off.
"I'll meet you back at the room!"
Nino clicked his tongue and turned to his friends. Adrien hadn't moved from the wall.
"I won't be surprised if alya leaves me at the alter for Marinette"
Adrien laughed and peeled himself off the  wall.
"Dude no way. Besides, I'll take her place if that happens"
Nino laughed, but frowned when luka didn't stop glaring holes into adrien's head. He narrowed his eyes and took his glasses off.
"Is there something I should know about?"

Luka turned his head away and shifted his jaw. Adrien sighed and stepped forward, straightening the cuff of his sleeve.
"There was this deal luka and I made"