When Walls Crumble

Chapter 40: Full Circle

Adrian parked in front of the elementary school.  He got out, opened the door for Luka, grabbed his bag and walked him into his class.  The teacher smiled as they entered.

"Ah, you are...Mr. Couffaine?"

Adrian laughed.  "Nah, I'm just bringing him as a favor to a friend of mine."

Luka nodded and said, completely dead-pan: "My daddy's dead.  But I think Mommy l-"

"Ok," Adrian laughed across Luka's lack of filter.  "I'll see you after school, okay, bud?"

Luka nodded.  "Bye, Adrian!"

He drove down the street to the high school.  Being back after so many years felt so weird.  

After graduating from an online college, as per Marinette's advice, he had gotten a job as a literature teacher.

At the school where he met her.

The first day couldn't be that bad, he thought.  I'm only teaching two classes.  Piece of cake.

Marinette sat at the table, labeling an order to send to her client.  She added it to the stack of boxes she had been meaning to finish for a while now.

"Tikki, that's the last order!" she sighed, relieved.

"Great job, Marinette!  Now you just need to send them!"

She picked up the stack and carried it down.  She could barely see over it and ran into something right as she exited the bakery.

"Oh, sorry!" she called.  

"No, that's my fault."

Adrian helped her pick up her boxes and load them into the car.  "Want me to drive them to the post office?"

"If you want, but I'll come with you.  How was your first day as a teacher?"

He laughed.  "Fun.  I have Alya's sisters in my class."

Marinette cringed.  "Have they grown up at all since the Sapotis incident?"

He smiled.  "Maybe.  They still have the same amount of energy, they just direct it differently."

"Well," Marinette laughed.  "I'll pray for your sanity."

"Thanks," he said, opening the car door for her.  "Get a lot of work done?"

"Yeah.  I can do so much more without Luka there, but I miss him.  He really looks like his father.  Like, a lot."

Adrian chuckled.  "Well, aside from the blue hair."

"Well, I don't have the time or money for that kind of thing though.  Guess I'll just have to imagine it."

Adrian smiled to himself and changed the subject to Luka's school.  "I really think Alya and Nino took a gamble with the names of their daughters."

Marinette laughed.  "You think?  Trixie should be fine as most people don't know anything about kwamis past Pollen.  But Cara Rene?  They're cutting it a bit close there.  Alya, bless her heart..."

They reminisced about all the times Alya had almost gotten herself killed.  Marinette laughed to the point of tears several times.  

After they finished at the post office, they stopped in the park for ice cream and then he dropped her back at home.  

"I'll get Luka for you," he said as she closed the door.

"No need, Adrian..." she started, but he had already driven off.  Marinette sighed.  "That stupid little kitten."