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We are aware of an issue that is resulting in 500 errors when attempting to create an AO3 account. We're aware of the cause and are working to fix it as we speak. More updates soon! Refer to our status page for more information. Posted: 22:45 UTC 30 April, 2025

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Around the World and Back to You

This is my extremely late Secret Admirer fic for @belledaynight!

The prompt I went with was reunion as adults after crime fighting days are done, and I really had to think how I could make this different from when I've written these in the past, and I ended up following canon farther down the timeline than I normally would. For those avoiding later seasons, in season 5 Luka left Paris, and ended up training as a Guardian. So, I put some thought into how that would affect a reunion later on, and here's what I've got.

Ugh, what a day it had been, but then, was there any other kind for Marinette Dupain-Cheng?

She cheated and took the elevator, which she did at least half the time despite her resolve to use the stairs as much as possible. It was hard when she had had a long day, and her hands were full of stuff she had picked up on the way home because there was no such thing as “just popping in for one thing” in Marinette’s world. She decided, as she stepped through the doors,  that stairs-vs-elevator was just not something she needed to torture herself over. It wasn’t like she didn’t get plenty of exercise.

At least it would be a quiet night, for once. Marinette wrestled her way into the apartment and sighed, leaning against the door to close it. The lights were on, but that was normal, since she always left them on for—

“Don’t freak out.”

“WAAAAH!” Marinette screeched, her things tumbling from her arms as she whirled around, realized she was facing the door, and whirled again, flailing for a moment before finding a defensive stance. 

When she finally comprehended what she was looking at, she felt momentarily dizzy with confusion as past and present collided behind her eyes. It had been more than ten years since she had stepped over the raised lip of the Liberty’s cabin door before being startled in exactly the same way—and by the same boy. Man. Which was it?

Reality slowly resolved itself as she stared at Luka Couffaine, sitting cross-legged on her couch and regarding her calmly, hands on his knees. His shoulders were broader and his face was leaner, more adult than it had been and with an even darker tan, but it was unmistakably him. It didn’t help her confusion that he still wore blue streaks in his hair and a ratty tshirt, and his knees still peeked through the holes of his jeans. A hoodie lay over the arm of the couch beside him. 

His chuckle was the same, too, and his words proved he was thinking of that moment just as she was. “Sorry. Ma-Ma-Marinette.” He grinned, and unfolded himself to stand up and hold out his arms. “I’ve missed you.”

“L-Luka,” Marinette breathed, and then grinned herself, rushing into his arms for the hug he offered. He squeezed her tight, chuckling again as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. He was taller than he had been, and though still lanky, she could feel the firm muscle of his back beneath her hands. “What are you doing here?” she demanded, pulling back to look up at his face. “I haven’t seen you in ages! How long are you back in Paris for?” 

Luka let her slide out of his embrace and brought one hand to the back of his head, tugging lightly on his hair as he gathered himself to answer her question.

“Well, all of that’s kind of related, actually,” he told her. 

“How did you find me?” Marinette demanded, and Luka hooked a thumb back over his shoulder, and Marinette followed the motion to the staff leaning against the wall. The sight of it made her gut grow cold, and she swallowed, eyes flicking back to Luka. He tilted his head slightly, and she knew he had noticed her reaction, but his eyes slid away and he let it pass without comment. He coughed lightly, and looked at the floor. 

“Technically, I found the kwamis,” he said, giving her another lopsided grin. He tugged his hair again before lowering his hands deliberately. His self-consciousness made Marinette feel the same. “I’m sorry I didn’t call first. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to say.” 

“That’s okay.” Marinette shook her head, and found mustering a smile harder than it should have been, but she managed it. “I’m just glad to see you. Um, give me a minute to change, and…?” And what? She didn’t know, but Luka waved a hand, absolving her of the need to come up with something.

“Go ahead. Do whatever you need to do. I’m not going anywhere.” 

For how long? Marinette wanted to ask, but instead she just gathered up her things she had dropped, and moved past Luka to her bedroom.

“Um,” Luka said, and Marinette half-turned. “I could order dinner? I know I’m interrupting your plans, so…” 

“I didn’t really have a plan,” Marinette admitted. He raised an eyebrow, and she amended, “Not for dinner, anyway. There’s some menus in the kitchen drawer.”

“Color code still the same?” he asked, clearly fighting another smile, and Marinette blushed. 

“Yes,” she said, and went into her bedroom before he could say anything else. She locked the door, and the click made her feel a little better, even though the Luka she had known would never have followed her without knocking. 

That was a long time ago, though, and the Guardians as a whole had well-known issues with boundaries. She wondered if Luka knew that this was one of those obscure kwami holidays where they all gathered in the Miracle Box overnight - or longer. The kwamis often had a loose grasp of time. Had Luka come tonight on purpose, so they wouldn’t be interrupted?

She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. 

Marinette decided to go ahead and take a shower to give herself a little extra time before she had to face Luka again. She almost wished she hadn’t decided to change. Her work clothes lent her a professionalism she never would have thought she needed in front of Luka, but…

He was a Guardian now, and so was she, though she had never really felt like one. She was a Guardian and a holder, which was technically forbidden, and somehow visits from the Guardians had never gone well for her.

It had been a shock when Luka had returned to Paris as Su Han’s pupil, but Marinette understood why he had done it. She always had. He was trying to help in the only way he could think of, and he had helped, while she needed him. After that, though…he’d kind of disappeared. She got postcards from him for a while, but they were always short and not very Luka-like, and eventually they stopped all together. She had moved a few times, and had no way to send Luka her new address, so she wasn’t sure if the cards just didn’t get forwarded anymore or if Luka had stopped sending them. He could have sent them to the bakery, though, knowing they would get to her eventually, and…he hadn’t.

She reached for a clean pair of jeans without even thinking about it. Normally she would have worn something fuzzy and comfortable after she got home, and with the old Luka, she wouldn’t have hesitated. But this wasn’t the old Luka, this was Guardian Luka, even if he didn’t dress like it, and after all they were adults now, adults who hadn’t seen each other in years. Instinctively she knew they were not on pajama terms. She grabbed a soft shirt she had made that was comfortable but decorative, ruffled at the bottom and embroidered around the collar. Hangout clothes, but not too casual. 

Luka was just opening the door for the delivery when Marinette emerged, and for a moment there was natural occupation and conversation as they got dinner set up. It felt comfortable, in those moments, and they smiled at each other across Marinette’s small table as they sat down.

Silence fell between them once they started eating though. Luka was glancing at her from under his hair periodically. He had always understood her, and it had always been a relief before, but now she felt afraid of his insights.

“So,” she said, with an attempt at brightness. “How’s the Guardian life?” 

“It’s…interesting,” he answered, stirring the noodles on his plate. “The travel is nice. I’ve been a lot of really cool places, met some really cool people.” Another one of those darting glances, and then a tentative grin. “The rules kinda suck, though.” 

Marinette snorted, and covered her mouth full of food with her hand as she tried not to choke. Luka covered his own mouth to smother a laugh, and in a moment they were giggling together. 

“You don’t have to tell me that,” Marinette gasped, when she was able. 

“I know.” Luka’s grin was full force and sincere, now, and he was looking directly at her. “That’s why I can tell you. It feels good to be able to admit it.” 

Marinette felt a pang of sympathy. “It must be hard for you, having to keep so many secrets.” 

Luka nodded, gaze dropping to his plate. “Definitely not one of my favorite parts of the job. And as cool as the travel is, I miss home. I miss having a home. I mean, there’s the temple, but it’s…” He shook his head. 

“Not your style?” Marinette suggested, and Luka nodded.

“Exactly. I mean, Tibet is gorgeous, and there’s a lot about it I love, but it’s not home.” He reached out a hand tentatively across the table. “And I miss my friends.” 

Marinette couldn’t not meet him halfway after that, and she put her hand in his and squeezed. “I’m glad they haven’t changed you too much,” she blurted, without meaning to, and then winced. “I mean—” 

“No, that’s fair.” Luka gave her hand one more squeeze before releasing it. “They definitely tried.” He shook his head, like he was shaking off memories that she could only guess at. 

Before she could decide whether or not to ask, Luka smiled at her. “We can talk about all that later,” he said. “I want to hear about you. Tell me everything you’ve been up to.” 

Marinette hesitated. “What do you want to know?”

Luka leaned forward a little, still smiling. “What are you most excited to tell me?”

That was an easy question, and Marinette laughed. Once she committed to a topic, the rest was easy. Luka was such a good listener, and he always seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. He asked thoughtful questions, gave her time to right herself when she got tangled up in what she was trying to say, and his eyes stayed fixed on her. Not in an uncomfortable way like the bewildered stare she got from most people, but in a way that made her feel like she held all of his attention in that moment. 

It felt…really good to be listened to, and she felt herself relaxing into something more like their old comfortable camaraderie. Luka was still Luka, after all, she thought, as she made them both hot chocolate after dinner.

“So,” Marinette said, sitting down on the couch beside him. She handed him his mug and folded her legs up beside her, not caring anymore that it made her lean towards him a little bit. “Are you going to tell me why you’re here?” 

Luka sighed, and sipped the chocolate before setting the mug down on her coffee table. “I don’t think you’re going to like it.” Before Marinette could do more than freeze in fear, he added quickly, “I’m not here to take the Miracle Box.” He smiled as she relaxed. “You are Ladybug. I can’t imagine anybody else for the job. You’ve protected the Miracle Box and you’ve used the kwami’s powers for good.” He chuckled. “The Guardians are a little sour about it, actually, because you’re so…unconventional. To them, at least.” 

Marinette groaned, letting her head fall back, and Luka laughed, putting a hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head and smiled at him, touched by the old gesture.“So what are you here for, then?” 

Luka withdrew his hand. “I’m here for Nooroo,” he replied simply, watching her.

Marinette tensed up again. “What do you mean?” she asked - demanded, really, though she didn’t mean to be so sharp with Luka.

Luka raised his hands placatingly. “I know that he’s been through a lot. That’s why we’ve let him be for the last ten years.” It gave her a little chill to hear him say we. As unconventional as Luka might be, he was still a Guardian, and Marinette was sure he held whatever promises he had made to the order sacred. “The Order has…well, I guess you could say it’s a ‘get back on the horse’ philosophy. When a kwami’s been treated badly, they don’t like to leave them alone for too long. Healing is one thing, wallowing is another, as one of them put it.” He hesitated, and then admitted, “Honestly, they wanted to do it sooner, and I’ve actually talked them into holding off a couple of times. I wanted to make sure that we find him the right holder, after everything he’s been through. I know how much you must care about him, just like you care about everyone you protect, and I didn’t want to let you down by rushing into something that might not be right.”

Marinette felt heat flush her face, and couldn’t hold his gaze. Luka put a hand on her back. “I think I’ve found someone that will work for him. I want you to meet her first.”

“Her?” Marinette said automatically, looking up. Luka nodded, and then sighed dramatically, raising his hands helplessly.

“It’s my lot in life to be surrounded by powerful women,” he said mournfully, and then grinned. “Not that I’m complaining.” 

Marinette laughed, and they both relaxed a little. 

“She’s an adult,” Luka assured her, “and she has a very nurturing nature, but she’s suffered in the past when people have taken advantage of that. Even so, she still believes in people. I think she and Nooroo can help each other.”

Marinette’s lips thinned as she thought about it. “What about Nooroo’s choice? It doesn’t count to the Order, does it?”

“It counts to me,” Luka said firmly, and there was an authority in his voice that made Marinette blink in surprise. He folded his arms. “That’s one of the things I fight most with the Order about. I won’t force a kwami to take on a holder. Ever. They have few enough choices already, and I’m still not convinced the entire existence of the Miraculous isn’t unethical.” He sighed. “But I can’t change everything at once. The fact is the Order needs me and my connections and understanding of the modern world, so I have some leverage to do things my own way, but it only goes so far. Freeing the kwamis would be such a radical change in their thinking that I don’t think they can even conceive of it.” He gave a lopsided grin. “Yet.” 

Marinette felt a smile spreading across her face. “They really haven’t managed to change you, have they?”

“I hope not,” Luka shrugged. “Not so much that I’d be okay with the eternal subjugation of another thinking being.” He sighed. “I can’t deny the kwamis do a lot of good in the world in the right hands. I still don’t think it’s right.” 

Impulsively, Marinette leaned forward and hugged him. “I’m glad you’re still you,” she managed to get out, and after a frozen moment of surprise, Luka’s arm’s snaked around her waist and pulled her close. He was strong, she realized, and of course he would be, having taken up martial arts training as part of being a guardian. She just…hadn’t realized she would like it so much. 

Embarrassed, she pulled away, smoothing her hair back to have something to do with her hands and maybe to erase the feel of Luka’s muscles under her palms. Her gaze crossed his and they both quickly looked away. Time had clearly dulled her memory of how intense his eyes could be when he was passionate about something. It was almost enough to make her believe he could change the Order. 

“I do want to talk to Nooroo first,” Luka continued, settling back on the couch and picking up his mug again. “I know a new holder will probably be frightening for him, and I’d like to explain and let him meet her too before I spring all of this on her.”

“Is—she’s in Paris?” Marinette frowned. “How long have you been in town?” 

“A few weeks,” he admitted. “And to be totally honest, I’ve been in Paris, or near Paris, off and on for a while now. I wanted to find a holder in or close to Paris. You’re Nooroo’s guardian, after all, and I know you’d want to be able to keep an eye on his new holder, so I tried hard to find someone here.” He glanced at her, nervous again. “I didn’t know whether you’d be happy or upset that I was back, so I put off coming to see you until I knew for sure that I had found the person I wanted.” 

Marinette looked down into her own mug, not sure herself whether she was happy or upset to hear that. He’d been so close, and he hadn’t come to see her until now.

“This way you don’t have to work with me any longer than necessary,” he added quietly. 

Marinette looked down into her mug, breathing in the scented steam. “Why do you think I don’t want to see you?” she asked, keeping her tone as even as possible.

Luka let out a little half-chuckle, half-sigh through his nose, a familiar sound that brought the past vividly back to her again. “I thought you’d be upset that I stayed away for so long. That you might have convinced yourself that I didn’t care about you anymore, and it would make you uncomfortable.” 

Marinette bit her lip, trying to decide if she wanted to ask the next question. Not for the first time, Luka answered it without her having to ask.

“I wrote you at first because I missed you, but it never felt…natural. There were so many things it wasn’t safe to talk about in a postcard, and I had a hard time getting around that to put my real thoughts down. It was never the most natural thing for me, writing. I couldn’t really send you a song.” He sipped his tea. “I didn’t make music for a while after I left Paris, actually. The whole thing with Bob Roth…it just soured the melody for me, I guess.” 

“You don’t play anymore?” Marinette ventured, unable to imagine a Luka without music, and he smiled at her.

“I do, now. I learned a few new instruments while I was traveling, and eventually I started playing guitar again.”

Marinette let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, and smiled back. “I’m glad.” Remembering his own words years ago, she added, “It’s your nature.”

Luka gave a slight nod, and then continued. “Anyway, I felt like I was never able to get things right, and you couldn’t write me back, so…eventually I just stopped. I thought maybe it was better for both of us if I just let you go.” 

“I understand,” said Marinette, trying to be cheerful, though there was a lump in her throat. “Besides, you had so much to do, and you were going so many places and seeing so many people, plus your training was so important, it would have been hard to—”

“I didn’t say it worked,” Luka interrupted, a wry amusement in his tone. “I meant it when I said I missed you.”

Marinette closed her mouth abruptly, blinking. Luka reached out and put a hand on her forearm. “I’m really glad to see you again, Marinette. I know you don’t have a lot of reason to trust Guardians, but I promise you, I’m not here to do any harm or criticize you at all. I still think you’re an exceptional holder and absolutely worthy to protect the Miracle Box. I’m still your friend, if you want me.” 

“I do,” she blurted quickly, and blushed. “I mean—”

Luka smiled, and stood up, taking his mug over to her sink. “I should go. I know you must be tired and have a thousand things to do. I just wanted to see you and explain while the kwamis are busy. If you don’t mind, I’ll come by again tomorrow to talk to Nooroo?”

“Uh, sure.” Marinette scrambled to her feet, trailing after him towards the door. He paused to pick up his staff, and then turned to face her. 

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.” He put his hand on her shoulder, and his smile was both affectionate and a little sad. “Thanks for hearing me out.” 

He turned to scoop up his hoodie and went to grab his staff. As he moved towards the door, Marinette took a step forward on impulse. “Luka.” 

Luka paused, looking back. 

“I’m really glad you’re here,” she said softly. “I missed you too.” 

Luka's smile lightened, and his shoulders lowered a fraction. “Goodnight, Marinette,” he said, and she gave him a little wave as he let himself out.

“Sass, my friend.” Luka lit up, and Marinette had never seen Sass so openly happy. She couldn’t help but smile as the kwami cuddled up to Luka’s cheek, and Luka cupped a hand around him in the best hug he could give.

She turned away to give them a moment of privacy, and caught Nooroo hovering behind her. He started slightly, but Marinette smiled at him. 

“It’s okay. He’s my friend.” She held out her hand. “And I won’t let anything happen to you, anyway.”

Nooroo drifted forward, and landed in her palm, and Marinette shielded him with her other hand before turning so that Nooroo could see Luka. Luka acted like he hadn’t noticed them at all, but Marinette was pretty sure it was an act. He was giving Nooroo space to get used to him. Seeing Sass’ unbridled joy at being with Luka again might help the traumatized little butterfly god relax. 

Eventually Nooroo began peeking around Marinette’s fingers to get a better look, and only then did Luka look their way and smile. 

“Marinette,” he said warmly, and Marinette felt herself blush. She’d noticed last night that his voice was deeper than it used to be, but hearing it like that, warm and velvety around her name, made her feel suddenly all shivery. Nooroo glanced up at her and her hands jerked with the urge to toss the little empath away from her. Nooroo hurriedly looked away, but she thought he was smirking. 

Sass was definitely smirking as he flitted away back to his nest. 

Well, at least it seemed like Nooroo was feeling more comfortable.

She was glad when Luka suggested they all sit down. Nooroo perched on her knee as Luka explained the situation to him, and Marinette’s heart broke as Nooroo began to shrink into himself at the prospect of a new holder. 

“Nobody is going to force you to do anything,” Luka finished firmly. “You know that I mean that, don’t you?” After some hesitation, Nooroo nodded slowly. 

“Do you want to see her?” Luka suggested. Marinette and Nooroo both looked at him. “You could look for her,” Luka suggested, and Nooroo jolted slightly, hopping to Marinette’s other knee. 

“I would need…someone to transform with,” Nooroo said, looking at Luka with wide, frightened eyes.

“It doesn’t have to be me,” Luka told him reassuringly. “Do you trust Marinette, if she’s willing?” He looked up at Marinette for the first time since the conversation began. “If you transform with him, you’ll be able to sense the person I’m talking about. You can feel her out—literally.” 

He grinned, and Marinette couldn’t help rolling her eyes. Luka looked back at Nooroo. 

“If you don’t want to, I know Marinette won’t make you, and neither will I. I think you know, though, that she wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.” Luka gave Marinette a warm smile.

Not on purpose, Marinette thought. She’d actually had a lot of talks with Nooroo over the years, whenever she tripped over her feelings and created a mess that she didn’t intend. Unsurprisingly, he had a better grasp of human feelings than the other kwamis, and how those feelings could spur people on to do things they might not normally do. She wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t want to take this chance.

She was startled from her thoughts when Nooroo rose from her knee. Her gaze followed him as he crossed the room and disappeared in the closet. He returned with his Miraculous, and slowly, he brought it to Marinette.

Marinette took a deep breath as she accepted it, and looked at Luka. “What do I look for?”

Luka shook his head. “I can’t really tell you. It looks different to everyone. She’s…balanced, though. Steady.” He shrugged. “Just try. Look for someone…” He smiled. “Extraordinary.”

Marinette rolled her eyes with a self-conscious smile, and called for the transformation. 

It was…not what she had expected. 

“What do you see?” Luka asked softly.

“Colors,” Marinette whispered. “Patterns, I think—” She took a shuddering breath. “But it’s so dark…it’s fear, and anger, and—” She felt tears pricking her eyes. “So much pain.”

“No, it isn’t,” Luka urged. “That’s just a part of it. Nooroo’s attuned to it now after Hawkmoth’s abuse. You can look past it. You can see it as just a part of the whole. Emotions aren’t good or bad unless we perceive them that way.” He hesitated, and then said firmly, “Look at me.” 

It wasn’t so much a physical looking, as a focusing of her attention. She wrenched her mind from the dark, angry, confused colors that threatened to overcome her, and focused on the presence there beside her. 

He was…cool, and shining. His patterns didn’t clash, they flowed. Some of the dark colors were there, but they moved tranquilly along with the rest, neither consuming them nor being overcome, just…there. She saw his kindness, and his deep love for his family, the cold tide of his anger, the warm glow of his patience, and—

She gasped and looked away. It felt wrong to be able to see him this way. 

“I’m not afraid,” Luka murmured, and she knew he lied. She could see the fear tangled around the other feelings, but it was natural enough to be afraid of being so exposed, even with the people you trusted most. And he did trust her—she could see the steady pulse of it, threaded through that other thing she didn’t want to name. That was what he meant, when he said he wasn’t afraid. It was terrifying to be so exposed, but he trusted her not to use what she saw to hurt him.

Was this what it was like to be Luka? To hear what people said, but also sense what they meant that they couldn’t say? Except she needed magic for it, and Luka did it naturally. She’d never asked him whether he literally heard people’s “inner melody” or if music was just the only way he knew how to process what all his intuitive observations were telling him. Merged with Nooroo like this, she saw things in patterns and color and light - would it sound like a symphony to him?

Focus. She tore her awareness away from Luka, though her heart pounded at what she saw there. Later. She would think about that later. She reached out again eagerly, afraid to dwell on what she could see in Luka’s heart.

Without Luka as her focus, the negativity threatened to overwhelm her again, but she took slow breaths and did her best to focus on the things Luka had shown her — steadiness, peace, gentleness, love, empathy. Gradually, the pinpoints of light became clearer, the colors less muddy, and Marinette felt herself smile as the sparks of hope, loyalty, love of all kinds, generosity, and emotions she couldn’t even name began to show through…

There was one that drew her in and warmed her; it was diffuse, unfocused. Not meant for a single person but a general feeling of generosity and goodwill that reached out from a shadowed center. People were complex, after all, and it was unrealistic to expect them to be all light. There was pain, anger, regret - but they felt more neutral somehow. She remembered what Luka said about emotions not inherently being bad or good; love could be twisted, rage could be righteous. She realized she had felt this same neutrality in Luka’s aura, and understood that this person was like him in this way, able to accept her feelings without assigning judgement to them. Balanced. 

This had to be who he meant.

“I found her,” she whispered. 

She felt rather than saw Luka’s smile, a little swell of pride and affection that once again made her afraid to look at him too closely. She studied the new person instead.

“She hurts,” Marinette whispered, empathy coloring her own emotions. 

“Yes,” Luka agreed. “She hurts, but she doesn’t suffer.” 

It was true, Marinette thought, as she watched the feelings shift and swirl. The pain was a part of the person, but not the whole. Not all-consuming, as Hawkmoth’s was. It was focused - this person had given it purpose, but without Hawkmoth’s obsession. Without thinking, Marinette lifted her hand, and a white butterfly landed on it, wings placidly opening and closing as it waited. This person could do so much - could help so many. She was a worthy champion.

Marinette felt Luka’s touch on her wrist, and remembered herself. This woman was worthy to be a champion, of course, but that wasn’t why she was here, and there was no one right now that needed saving. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The butterfly flitted away, apparently unbothered by the unnecessary summons. 

Marinette gathered awareness back to herself, and, because she couldn’t quite help it, she looked at Luka again. He radiated approval and pride and—she couldn’t deny it—love. It hardly felt possible to her that he could still love her so much, and yet so quietly. 

She shouldn’t be seeing this. She closed her eyes and whispered the words, and when she opened them again there was only her living room, and Luka’s gentle smile. Nooroo hovered in front of her, frowning thoughtfully, and Marinette brought her hands under him so that he could perch on them. Luka picked up the bowl of grapes Marinette had set out, and offered it to Nooroo.

Nooroo took a grape slowly in both paws, and nibbled it, his large eyes narrowed slightly. Marinette didn’t think he was glaring at them, though, his look seemed turned inward.  

“What do you think, Nooroo?” Luka asked quietly, setting the bowl down and sinking to sit cross-legged on the floor.

Marinette knelt to sit with him, with Nooroo still in her hands. He seemed to come back to himself. 

“I don’t know,” the kwami said, slowly, and Marinette felt a little spark of hope. That wasn’t a rejection. He was thinking about it, at least.

“I understand. How would you feel about meeting her in person?” 

Marinette and Nooroo both looked at Luka. 

“She owns a cafe across town,” Luka continued. “Marinette and I can go have a date there, and you can watch her for a while.” He winked at Marinette, grinning, and Marinette spluttered. Nooroo looked at her curiously, and Luka gave one of his little huffing laughs as he stood up.

“I’ll meet you there on Sunday, then,” Luka smiled, and stood up. “I’ll text you the address. Goodnight, Nooroo. Marinette.” 

“Good night, Luka,” Marinette said, her heart still beating hard. She twisted to watch him as he stepped past her to let himself out. 

“He is a good Guardian,” Nooroo murmured softly, once the door had clicked shut.

Marinette smiled, still looking at the door. “Because he cares.” 

“He cares about you.” 

Marinette looked at the little kwami in surprise, and Nooroo merely gazed up at her. 

“You know he does,” Nooroo pointed out. “You saw it.”

Marinette’s shoulders curled in a little in embarrassment. “I feel like that wasn’t something I should have seen.”

“He knew you would see it,” Nooroo said thoughtfully. “He told you to look. He is very brave. Not many people can hold their feelings like that so openly. Humans like to hide from feelings.”

“Your new holder—” Nooroo winced. “Potential holder,” Marinette amended. “She is like that.”

“Mm. So it seems, but…” Nooroo’s expression was turned inward again, and Marintte’s smile faded as she recognized his brooding mood.. “Excuse me, Guardian.” He lifted from her hands and zipped away too quickly for Marinette to even see where he went. He didn’t want to be followed, she thought.

Marinette sighed, and fell back to flop on the floor, letting her mind turn to more mundane matters.

So technically, she had a date with Luka. He was joking, of course, it was just a cover so they could meet up plausibly, but…she remembered those feelings she had seen when she was transformed.

She put both hands over her face and screamed quietly into them.

Paris had no shortage of bistros and cafes, and as Marinette walked into this one, she couldn’t help feeling that it fit the stereotype. Round tables outside with decorative umbrellas, and small tables with wire chairs inside, plus a corner done up as a sitting area with comfortable chairs and a couch. Nothing to suggest that the next hero of Paris worked here.

Marinette picked up her menu automatically as she was seated, but she wasn’t really looking at it. Instead, she looked around, taking in the atmosphere and trying to notice details, but she found herself a bit distracted. She hadn’t seen Luka since he’d proposed this “date,” though they had talked over text a few times. A few days to sit with what she’d seen in him hadn’t resolved her confusion, and neither had his texts, which seemed so…normal. Updates on places he had stopped by, old friends he had seen, a picture of a music shop that looked like it must have been around for decades - if not centuries. Marinette wasn’t sure what to think. 

“Are you doing all right?” 

Marinette started a little, and then looked up into the face of the woman standing next to her. She held a round tray clutched to her chest, and her smile was shy but sincere. She had beautiful dark hair tied up in an elaborate braided bun, and dark, soft eyes. She wore a name tag that said Eve. Marinette found herself smiling back. 

“I’m fine. I’m just waiting for my f—for my, um,” she had a hard time getting the word date out of her mouth. You’d think after so much lying I’d be better at it.

“You’re meeting someone special?” the woman asked, and Marinette nodded. That was the truth, at least, so it was easier to admit it. 

“I guess he’s running a little late,” she said, flipping her phone over to check the time. “I can order something, if—” 

“Oh, no, no,” Eve waved a hand frantically. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to rush you. You just looked, so, er…” She smiled, hunching her shoulders a little. “Unsettled? I don’t mean to be rude. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“Oh,” Marinette blinked, and then smiled. “Thanks for checking on me, um, Eve.”

“It’s my job,” Eve said cheerfully, and gestured vaguely to the cafe. “My grandmother left me this place, and I always try to keep it as welcoming as it was when she was in charge.”  

“Oh, wow.” Marinette was genuinely impressed. “My parents own a bakery, and I know how much work it is to run your own business. I’m Marinette, by the way.” She held out her hand and Eve gave it a little shake, sliding into the seat across from Marinette. “Have you always wanted to run the cafe?” 

Eve winced. “Not really, to be honest. But this place has kept me going through some really hard things, so I’ve come to love it. I’m studying psychology after hours.” 

“It’s hard, working and studying at the same time,” Marinette sighed. She knew that all too well.

Eve hummed agreement. Marinette checked her phone again. It seemed unlike Luka to be late like this—but she’d certainly left him hanging often enough. She couldn’t blame him.

“Worried?” Eve asked gently.

“A little,” Marinette admitted. “I don’t think he’d stand me up, but I’m a little surprised he’s not here yet. I hope nothing happened.” 

“Is it your first date?” 

“Yes. I mean no. I mean—” Marinette slapped her hands onto her face. “The first date was a long time ago, and it…things didn’t go so well back then.”

“But you’re different people now,” Eve said, tapping the table in front of them lightly as if she were patting Marinette’s shoulder. “He must think there’s another chance for you if he’s willing to go out with you again.”

Marinettte made a noise that was meant to be positive, but it came out more as a whimper. 

“Don’t quit before you try,” Eve said firmly. “That’s my motto. Or mantra. Something like that.” She grinned, a little sheepishly. “It’s how I give myself the courage to do things that scare me. Don’t assume failure before you take the chance.”

Marinette smiled. “That’s a good philosophy.” 

Eve smiled back, then tapped the table lightly again before standing up. “Good luck, Marinette.”

“Thanks, Eve,” Marinette waved, and sat back a little. She glanced down at the purse in her lap, and saw Nooroo’s wide eyes peeking up at her. “She seems really nice,” Marinette whispered. Nooroo fidgeted and then disappeared into her purse again. Tikki gave her a flipper-flick that was the kwami’s best imitation of a thumbs up, and then slid down into the purse as well.

“Sorry I kept you waiting.”

The familiarity of the voice nor the gentle touch on her shoulder didn’t stop Marinette from jumping, and a little scream escaped her mouth. 

Luka sighed, and then smiled. “Sorry. I always seem to do that to you.” 

“Stop sneaking up on me!” Marinette snapped, more harshly than she meant to. Luka only cocked an eyebrow at her. 

“You’re facing the door and I walked up in plain sight.” Teasingly, he added, “Stop thinking so hard.” He tapped her forehead gently, then pulled out the chair Eve had vacated and sat down. He lowered his voice. “Did you meet her?” 

Over his head, Marinette saw Eve mime a little cheer for her. “I did,” she admitted, and couldn’t help smiling at Eve. 

“I figured you would, if I left you here for a bit,” Luka chuckled. “She’s got good intuition, that one.”

Marinette frowned at him. “You let me sit here on purpose?” 

“Yeah,” he admitted, with a little shrug. “She’ll mostly leave us alone while we’re together, but I thought she’d probably come talk to you if I hung back for a bit. Sorry if I made you nervous.” He put his hand out across the table, and Marinette slowly put hers in his, since they were supposed to be on a date. 

“I guess I can’t blame you for a little payback.”

“It’s not like that,” Luka said immediately. “Not at all.” He leaned forward a little. 

“I understand a lot better than I did before,” he said softly. “The secrets, and the burden that comes with them. And you were so young, and going through so much…I’m so sorry.”

This time Marinette’s frown was more from confusion than displeasure. “Sorry for what?” she asked.

Luka laughed softly. “I don’t even know, really. I’m just sorry. For everything you went through. For any time I made your life harder. I tried not to push, but I’m sorry my feelings were a burden to you back then.”

“You didn’t make my life harder, Luka. You had every right to be upset that your girlfriend kept running off. I appreciated so much that you believed in me - you knew I had to have a reason, even if you were a little off about what it was.” She squeezed his hand. “I know how conflicted you felt. I saw you struggle with Hawkmoth. If I hadn’t hurt you, he never would have been able to get to you like that.” Luka said nothing, and Marinette leaned forward a bit, tugging on his hand to make him look at her. “You were just a kid, too, Luka, and you did so much for me.. I don’t blame you for anything that happened back then.”

Luka brought his other hand up to cradle hers between both of his. “I don’t blame you, either. You were doing the best you could. I’m happy you gave me a chance. I don’t regret any of the time we spent together. I didn’t, even before I really understood.”

“Really?” Marinette whispered, and Luka nodded, eyes holding hers. Marinette sighed. “I wish I could be as zen about this kind of thing as you are.”

Luka squeezed. “I’ve always loved your passion. Your big feelings are part of who you are. I wouldn’t change that for the world.”

“I would,” Marinette groaned immediately. She held up her thumb and forefinger together. “Maybe just a little. Just enough that I wouldn’t be so insensitive to other people when I get caught up in my big feelings.”

Luka laughed. “That’s just part of growing up. We’re all self-centered little shits as teenagers. You’re not unique in that.” He held a hand up before she could argue. “No, me too. It just looked a little bit different for me. We’re all searching so hard for identity at that age, and mine was being the chill guy who never got upset and everybody could count on. It took me a while to realize that selflessness could also be selfishness when it’s for the wrong reasons. I hope I’m a little more balanced these days.” Quickly, he added, “What’s Nooroo think?” and Marinette knew he didn’t want to talk about that anymore.

“He’s still being pretty shy,” she said, peeking into her purse. “Hey,” she said softly, trying to look like she was still holding a conversation with Luka instead of talking to her bag. “Do you want to come out for a bit? You can spend some time with her as long as you stay hidden. I’ve got your miraculous so you’re still safe.”

Nooroo hesitated, looking at Tikki, but then he peeked out of the purse and, when he was sure no one was looking, floated out and under the table. The next time Eve passed them, Marinette saw a little blue flash disappear into her apron pocket.

“Well,” Luka said, sitting back in his chair. “I guess we have some time to kill while he gets to know her. Can I order you something?” 

“When are you leaving?” Marinette blurted, and Luka blinked at her. “Not that I want you to leave,” she clarified quickly. “It’s just, I know you probably have to leave, eventually, and I’m really liking seeing you again and I just—I just want to know when it’s going to end, so you know, I don’t get too caught up and forget that that’s going to happen, because—”

“What if I didn’t leave?” Luka interrupted, folding his arms on the table and leaning on them to look at her. 

“W-what?” was all Marinette could manage. 

“What if I plan to stay in Paris for a long time?” The way he was looking at her was doing things to Marinette’s stomach, and she wasn’t sure whether she liked it or not. She tried to pull herself together, to focus.

“What, um, what would that look like?” she asked, unconsciously leaning back a little. He was just so intense, all of a sudden. Her heartbeat was suddenly throbbing as if she were sprinting up stairs instead of sitting in a peaceful cafe.

“Well, if that thing we’ve been discussing happens,” he glanced around, that quick, instinctive glance that Marinette had also acquired, the one that came with secrets you couldn’t share and had to protect. “I’d need to be around to help train the new—person. At least, that was what I was thinking. And I’ve honestly been getting a little tired of the globetrotting. I’d like to have some stability, for a while, and Paris is still home. You could help me out if I needed to get anywhere in a hurry.”

She could, that was true. If the Guardians objected to Luka holding a miraculous himself, she could always accompany him as Pegabug. 

“I might have to run off for a month or two here and there, that way,” Luka admitted, and he’d dropped his gaze now to where he was tracing the tile of the tabletop with a finger. Marinette had a sudden flash of memory where Luka had taught her box breathing, breathing in time with tracing a square like that. Was he nervous?

“I don’t have to, though,” he continued. “You could easily train a new person - you trained all of us, after all.” He grinned. “So if it makes you uncomfortable to know I’m in town, or to have a Guardian involved directly in training the new holder—” 

“No,” Marinette gasped, and then put a hand over her mouth. “Sorry. I mean, of course I wouldn’t be upset about having you around. You’d be an amazing teacher for a new—person. You’re…really thinking about staying?” For me? She clamped her lips on the words. That was ridiculous. Why was she even thinking that? How much teenage ego she must still have, to think he would still be mooning after her when they hadn’t talked in years…shit he was talking.

“--or maybe working some place like this,” he was saying as he glanced around the cafe. 

Eve caught his look and came over, clearly thinking he wanted to order. She chatted easily to Luka while beaming at Marinette, clearly cheering her on. Marinette was glad for the break to process, although she did manage to order something, asking weakly for whatever Eve recommended. Eve’s smile dimmed a little bit as she caught on to Marinette’s unease. 

“Let me know if you need anything else,” Eve said, a little too earnestly, and Marinette understood Eve was offering her an out if she needed it.

“You’re freaking out,” Luka said, leaning back in his chair as Eve walked away. She both hated the distance and was grateful for space to breathe.

“I’m—no, I just—uh—” Marinette bit her lip, twisting her purse strap in her fingers. “I don’t know.”

Luka nodded. “Paris is a big city. You don’t have to see me any more than you want to. Or at all, if you want. I’m not here to push into your life.” 

“Pff, of course not,” Marinette laughed, hoping it didn’t come off as hysterical as she felt. “Why should it be all about me?”

Luka hesitated, and pressed his lips together for a moment before answering. “It’s at least partly about you,” he said quietly. “I miss you. I meant it when I said I don’t regret any of our time together, but I do have some regrets about how things went down, and the way I let us drift apart afterwards.”

“That wasn’t all you,” Marinette protested weakly, and he waved it away. 

“It really doesn’t matter now. I just want to try again. See what our friendship is like now that we don’t have to hide so much from each other.”

“You make it sound so mutual,” Marinette muttered, twisting her fingers together. “It was all me and you know it.”

“Back then,” he agreed. “I have secrets of my own now, though. Like I said, I understand better now. I know how valuable it is to have someone you can be real with.” 

Marinette peeked up from under her lashes. Her stomach felt all weird and squirmy. She wasn’t sure if she could be friends with Luka again. Not…not just friends. Even best friends. She was already so drawn to him after only a few days. 

She wondered what he would say if she told him. Was he really just wanting a friend to confide in and share secrets with? Or could he want something more? She felt that he did, but she didn’t know if the past was coloring her perception. 

Color. Her mind flicked back to the night in her apartment, when she had seen his heart in a swell of colored light. He loved her, didn’t he? But was that enough, after everything? 

He was looking at her so earnestly, a slight crease between his brows, and she felt suddenly self-conscious. She’d always been an open book to him…and he’d always treated what he read there so delicately. 

She licked her lips unconsciously as she considered just…telling him how she felt. How bad would it be if he said no—or not yet? 

A light touch on her knee made her look down, and Nooroo was perched there, looking up at her with such a conflicted expression that she immediately moved to curl a hand around him protectively. 

“He wants to go,” she whispered to Luka, shepherding the little kwami into her purse gently. Nooroo dove deep, and Marinette thought she heard Tikki’s soft reassurance. She sighed, heart aching. 

“Then let’s go,” Luka said immediately, flagging Eve down. Marinette had to work to smile at her as Luka handed her a credit card, and didn’t even have the presence of mind to protest Luka paying for everything. 

Eve brought his card back and handed Marinette a box with a wink, nodding at the piece of cake on her plate that she’d barely touched. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered, setting a hand on Marinette’s shoulder as she walked by. 

Luka raised his eyebrows at Marinette, and she hurriedly focused on scraping her cake into the box, trying not to knock anything over in the process. 

Luka put his hand on the small of her back as they hustled out of the cafe, trying not to look like they were hustling. Once outside, they nipped into an alley, and Marinette peered into her purse.

“Nooroo?” she whispered. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” came the reply, but faintly, and he didn’t peep out at her. “I just…I need to think.”

“Of course,” Luka said softly. “Take your time. Let’s get you home.” He looked at Marinette, and she nodded.

It was too crowded to talk much on the subway. Luka stood close to her, not touching, but hovering as if he wanted to. “Are you okay?” he asked, as they both shifted for passengers to disembark, and she nodded. 

“Just worried about him,” she confessed, and then hesitated. Luka touched her hand, and she grabbed onto his fingers, squeezing tightly. Luka wiggled his fingers until he could wrap them around hers, and she took a deep breath. Not a good time. 

When they finally emerged from the metro in Marinette’s neighborhood, she was practically vibrating with anxiety, and Luka clearly sensed it, as he tugged her gently over into a small strip of grass and trees between the buildings. The trees were small and meticulously pruned, but Marinette felt better as she put her hand against the trunk of one, and breathed, her other hand still clinging tightly to Luka.

“You look a little overwhelmed,” he said, shifting to cradle her hand in both of his. 

Marinette laughed shakily. “Story of my life, right? When have I not been overwhelmed?”

Luka nodded, looking at the ground before meeting her eyes again. “What can I do?”

“I don’t know,” Marinette sighed, turning to put her back against the tree trunk. “Tell me I’m not an irredeemable screwup?” 

An incredulous laugh burst out of Luka for a moment, but he choked it back, though the effort twisted his smile. “You are absolutely not an irredeemable screw up,” he said, not quite as earnest as he wanted to be because he was still trying not to laugh.

Marinette rolled her eyes, and Luka dropped her hand, turning away from her to smother his laughter.

“Sorry,” he said finally, still smiling as he turned back to her. “Let me try again.” 

He took both her hands in his, and leaned his head down a little to look at her. He opened his mouth, and then closed it and swallowed, any remaining humor fading abruptly away. Marinette’s own smile wavered as he focused on her again.

“Marinette, I’ve seen a lot of places, and I’ve met a lot of incredible people. Good people, with good hearts and incredible spiritual strength.” He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “None of them compared to you,” he said finally. “You’re still the most extraordinary girl I ever met. You were on my mind with every potential holder I ever met or trained. You are not a screw up, no matter how inadequate you feel.”

Marinette smiled up at him. “They were so lucky to have you to teach them. I wish I could—” she paused, and bit her lip, feeling a stab of guilt for the disloyalty to Master Fu. He had done his best, she supposed, but… “I wish I could have had someone like you to teach me.”

Luka nodded, tugging her hands lightly, and she let him pull her into an embrace. She sighed, settling against him, enjoying the way he engulfed her. It made her feel warm and safe. She really did envy those holders that had had Luka’s patience and gentle nature to guide them through their first mistakes as holders. She supposed she was lucky he had been there to help her through her first mistakes in love.

They definitely weren’t her last. 

Was it too late?

What if it wasn’t?

Luka’s hand smoothed down her back, and she leaned into him a little more. He smelled nice, and she realized he wore cologne.. She half-remembered him smelling of sunscreen and cheap detergent once upon a time, but now he smelled like green tea and spice. She wondered if it was something he found traveling. 

Abruptly she realized she’d been clinging to him for an awkwardly long time for a friendly hug, and she nearly jerked back. Luka didn’t try to stop her, but caught her hands again to steady her when the momentum threw her off balance. 

“Sorry,” she said quickly, flustered. “You’re all grown up and I’m still just as clumsy and ridiculous and—insecure as ever. Sorry.” 

Luka shook his head. “You’re perfect just the way you are, Marinette.” His thumbs slid over the backs of her hands, and her insides suddenly felt like jelly. “I—” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

Marinette tilted her head, watching him. She wasn’t sure what that expression meant. “What?” she asked softly.

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to make it complicated for us to work together. It’s just…I’ve never minded your clumsiness, and I love the way you burst out with the way you feel. Too many people stuff their feelings down because they feel too vulnerable to let them out, but yours are always brave and bold.” He smiled. “Even when you make a mistake and hurt someone, you always do whatever you have to do to make it right.  So don’t ever feel like you have to apologize for being yourself.”

You can be yourself with me. Just yourself.

 “After all these years, you don’t even know me anymore,” she teased, trying to lighten a mood that suddenly felt too intense, but Luka’s eyes stayed focused on her, and her heart was beating so hard she felt like she could barely breathe.

“I think there’s a lot I don’t know about you,” he corrected with a chuckle. “But I’m pretty sure I still know you. I don’t think you can change that much.”

“You think I haven’t changed,” Marinette pouted, and something crossed his face that made her blush. 

“I definitely didn’t say that,” he told her, tugging her hands down lightly so she took a step towards him. For a wild moment she thought he was going to kiss her, and she had just enough time to wish he would before he dropped her hands and took a step around her. “Can I walk you home?”

“Uh, sure,” Marinette said, taking a quick step to catch up with him. “Where are you staying, anyway?” 

Luka grinned. “The Grand Palais.” 

Marinette gave him a look. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. I have Jagged’s credit card. I usually try not to use it, but…” he shrugged. “I figure Jagged doesn’t mind me using it to wine and dine his favorite designer. Probably would be offended if I didn’t.” He offered Marinette his arm, and she laughed as she slid her hand through his elbow.

“I saw his comeback tour,” she admitted.  

“He can only stay out of the spotlight for so long,” Luka sighed, rolling his eyes. “It’s his way of helping, though. He’s not really cut out for the Guardian life, but his money has helped us out of some really tight places, and he has a lot of connections. Plus people are used to him asking for weird shit, so that’s a useful cover.” 

“You took it really well, when you found out about him.” 

Luka winced and put a hand over his face for a moment, before letting it slide down and wipe away whatever he was thinking. 

“I don’t like thinking about how I found out,” he admitted. “That whole…mess. Don’t apologize,” he warned, lifting a finger. “I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about me.” He sighed. “I thought I was past all of that. It wasn’t pleasant to find out how wrong I was. It was…humbling.” Luka shook his head. “It was hard to be mad at him, after that. I felt like I didn’t have any right to criticize after, y’know, tossing him halfway across Paris.” He groaned, putting his face in his hand again. “I can’t stand thinking about all that teenage angst.”

Marinette giggled. “I so know what you mean.”

Luka grinned. “I know you do. Marino.”

“Aaarrrgggghhh you jerk I can’t believe you brought that up,” Marinette moaned, trying to pull away, but Luka held onto her and she had to smile when he laughed so whole-heartedly. 

I want him to stay, she thought suddenly. I really, really want him to stay. 

Her hand fluttered to her chest, fingertips brushing her pounding heart, before she forced herself to put her hand back down again at her side. She couldn’t quite make it relax and her fingers curled together. 

He was waiting for her, like he always did. She knew it now with miraculous clarity. He wanted to stay, and he wanted her to want him to stay, and he was waiting for her to say he could. 

It didn’t have to be a big thing, right? She could say it, somehow, and he would know what she meant even if she didn’t say it say it, and then they would have time, and they could figure out things as they went. 

She felt a light touch on her hip, and looked down to see Nooroo peeping up out of her bag, his little flipper nudging her. She stroked his forehead with one finger, a gesture he seemed to like. He gave her a tiny little nod, and slipped back into her purse.

What was that, she wondered. Was he saying—-was he okay with this arrangement? He wanted to try the new holder? Or…was he sensing her hesitation, and encouraging her. 

Freaking empaths, they were so confusing. Just because they could practically read minds—

“I think it went well,” Luka murmured, and Marinette jumped slightly. “He didn’t reject the whole idea.” 

“Mm,” Marinette agreed, not knowing what to say. 

“He can take his time,” Luka went on. “There’s a vintage record shop I’ve been looking at. The owner’s looking to sell, and it would make a pretty good cover while I’m here.” 

Here was her opening, and Marinette couldn’t make a sound. She didn’t say anything, and she felt Luka’s silent sigh, and wanted to bang her head against a wall.

Suddenly they were standing in front of Marinette’s apartment building, and Luka began to pull away.

Say something. DO something.

She tightened her hand on his arm and tugged a little, and Luka reversed his momentum, walking through the door with her. She still clung to him in the elevator, still trying to make her brain or her voice or something work, before he decided she didn’t want him. 

She did want him. She did . Why couldn’t she just say it.

Luka stopped them in front of her apartment door, and his arm slid out of her grasp as he faced her.

He was going to say goodbye, and he was going to leave , and—

Say something say something DO SOMETHING

Marinette hardly knew what she was doing as she stepped forward and took his face in her hands, raising up on her toes as high as she could, and kissed him—or tried to. She still wasn’t quite tall enough, so her kiss hit his chin more than his lips, but only for a moment, as he eagerly bent down to meet her, a desperate little noise coming from his throat as he wrapped his arms around her and their lips met more fully. 

It was everything she had ever imagined, soft and intense and electric all at once. Luka’s hands splayed on her back, pulling her closer, and she gasped a little. She felt him freeze and slid her hands behind his neck to pull him back in. 

When her eyes opened again she felt rather proud of the dazed way he looked at her, the glow in his tanned cheeks, and the slightly slack-jawed expression. She couldn’t help a giggle. His eyes focused back on her, and she shivered. She thought he was going to say something, but he leaned in and kissed her again. Marinette freed one hand, flailing for the handle of her door. He followed her willingly, mouth still hot on hers, as she got it open and pulled him inside. Luka kicked the door shut behind them and leaned back against it, pulling Marinette into him. She pressed against him shamelessly, letting her purse slide to the floor. If there was a little squeak as it hit the floor and faint giggles around the apartment, Luka and Marinette were far too busy to notice. 

“Wow,” he murmured, and cleared his throat, letting his head tip back as Marinette felt his chest up shamelessly. “I admit I was maybe hoping for that to happen, but I thought it would take a lot longer.” 

Marinette giggled. “We’re not kids anymore,” she reminded him.

“Oh I know.” Luka’s hands drifted a little lower on her back. “I’m definitely not complaining.”

“You don’t think it’s maybe a little fast?” she asked, mostly teasing but genuinely curious. The doubt she had stomped on wanted to creep up again, but Luka’s words crushed it to dust. 

“Not with you,” he said, so earnestly that her breath caught and her eyes stung. “I’m all in for wherever you want to go from here. If we end up having a passionate affair for a few months before we decide we’re better as friends—” Marinette felt a rush of heat all down her body at the words. “—I’m going to enjoy every second of it. If it goes the way I’d like it to and we end up with something longer term, something…permanent, then I don’t want to miss a second when I could have been with you.” He leaned down and kissed her again, soft and slow. 

It took her a moment to open her eyes when he pulled away. “Don’t the Guardians have rules about this kind of thing?” Marinette asked, already half-knowing the answer.

Luka didn’t disappoint her. He rolled his eyes. “Fuck the Guardians.”

Marinette laughed. “Maybe just the one,” she purred, tapping Luka on the nose, and taking great pleasure in watching him flush. The deep rose tint to his tan was very attractive, she decided, and rose up on her toes to kiss him again.

Fiction Master Post 

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Lukanette Link Roundup

What is the Roundup? | Previous Roundups

Do me a favor today and like this post if you still want to see these roundups! I'm happy to keep doing them, but I'd like to know people still see these/want to see these.

From @smileytrinity: Absolutely Smitten

From @mystic-bookshelf: The Soulmate Train Ch. 7

From @haphira: Why are you so Thirsty? | Eldritch Godsend

From @verfound: All These Things, They Lead Me to You Ch 1 | Ch 2

If I missed something that should be included, reblog, reply, DM, or drop the link in my asks and I’ll make sure it goes on next week’s roundup! If you prefer not to be included in these roundups for any reason please drop me a message, or if you post something that you would like to be sure I include, please drop a link in my asks and I’ll make sure it gets listed (Lukanette endgame only please - see what is the weekly roundupfor more details). If you want to be sure I’ve flagged your work for inclusion you can check the quickroundup tag on my blog to see what I’ve got in the queue for this week.

If you find something you like please like/reblog the original post to let the author know you enjoyed their work!

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FIC: All These Signs, They Lead Me to You: 2/38 (MLB; Lukanette)

Notes: I like Sunday as an update day.  It’s usually a bit calmer for me than Tuesdays, so hey — slightly early update to get us back on track?  😁

Tumblr Tag | Ao3 Contents

Two: Of Growing Up

She never saw her grandfather again. After Nonna’s funeral.

That never really bothered Marinette, though. After all, she hadn’t really known the man to begin with, so why should she miss a presence that had never actually been in her life? She missed her nonna more than she missed her supposed grandfather.

No one had ever called him Nonno, after all. Just Rolland, like the stranger he was.

Still.

Her words had always been there, and continued to be there, even after her nonna was gone and she was old enough to understand what the pretty blue lines scrawling on her arm actually meant.

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Y'all know what to do 😁

anyone got any lukanette fanfics they recommend on ao3🙏🏻

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FIC: All These Signs, They Lead Me to You: 1/37 (MLB; Lukanette)

Rating: Mature

Summary: Everyone in the world has a soulmate. Even Marinette. Especially Marinette. The problem is…Marinette met her soulmate when she was barely a year old, and their identity was a secret her nonna took to her grave.

Luka’s pretty sure he has a soulmate — at least, the words on his arm are pretty solid evidence that he does — but his words are so damn vague, and he met a zillion people that day before he even found the words in the first place.

Life can be hard, growing up in the City of Love with soul words but no soulmate to share them with. Everyone tells them they’ll find their perfect match someday, but it’s a long road getting there, and sometimes it’s too easy to wish…well.  It will work out.  It has to.  Someday.

…right?

Author’s Notes/Warnings: First Notes are Long and on Ao3. The gist of it: SWEET JESUS IN THE CRACK HOUSE THIS FIC IS FINALLY DONE. I've been working on it for over a year now & am so excited to finally share. 😁🖤

All These Signs, They Lead Me to You

One: Of Meetings and Partings

“Luka!  Get back here, b’y!”

Gina looked up at the shout just in time to see a dark-haired boy running straight for her little fairy’s stroller, unaware of the potential danger as he looked back and laughed at the woman giving chase.  She let out a shout of her own as she snatched Marinette from the stroller just as he crashed into it, knocking both himself and the stroller to the ground.  He groaned as he lifted a hand to his head, his expression twisted in pain.  One arm was hooked over the seat, and both his legs were hooked over the back, and his head would be sporting a nasty bump come evening, but he seemed otherwise unharmed.

Her Tom had survived worse at this scamp’s age, and he looked sturdy enough besides.

The woman that had been chasing him – his mother, no doubt – looked furious once she caught up with them.  There was a baby strapped to her chest, who had somehow seemed to sleep through all of the chaos.  Her own little fairy wasn’t so lucky: Marinette was screaming against her breast.

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Biker Mari 💕

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WIP It was Wednesday yesterday 24 April 2025

Have another little bit of the Hellfest/There Was Only One Mattress ML Lukanette fic:

Marinette had a faraway look, her eyes down as they walked, and her footsteps were getting slower and slower. Luka was well-versed in Marinette’s mercurial mood shifts, but this wasn’t her usual rollercoaster of enthusiasm and overthinking. Her glowing excitement had dimmed since last night and he was getting worried.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked her, and was a little startled when Marinette said inconsequentially, “You wear the same boots as Vanya.”

Luka glanced down at his boots, trying to see the resemblance. They were a basic black combat style boot, but that was all. Most of the metalheads at the festival were wearing something similar, and some of them had skulls or daggers or roses, like Vanya’s, but Luka’s were covered in things he idly drawn on them whenever he was bored. Marinette had even added her own wandering design of flowers in between the band insignias and scraps of music he scrawled on the scuffed and faded black.

“Yeah, I don’t think I’d have a hard time picking mine in a line-up, though,” he told her. He caught her tiny, almost imperceptible sigh, and his attention sharpened.

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A selection of dragons, wyrms and other mythological creatures from various 17th and 18th century calligraphy copybooks which were drawn with single lines to practice (and show off) penmanship strokes.

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Eldritch Godsend By: Haphira

Marinette never thought that she would be standing here, in front of a god, let alone an eldritch god. The universe certainly hated her, maybe more than her parents. At 14 years old, Marinette was sold off to a god for the prosperity of her parent’s shop. Tom and Sabine were stressed and looking for any opportunity to get ahead with their bakery, this wasn’t the first time they tried to contact a higher power but it was the first that said yes. Marinette thought it was just her bad luck finally catching up to her.

The first time they tried to summon a demon, it had failed, they tried several rituals with no success until they talked to a folk lore teacher, it was the fifth attempt at summoning a demon and the results scared Marinette to her core. The demon was unworldly, and only held a vague shape of a human: torso, legs and multiple arms. Tom and Sabine promised the demon food from their bakery for the rest of their lives but the demon refused. Sabine then offered up Marinette in exchange. The demon took one look at her and Marinette was scared stiff. It had said that Marinette was a poor offering not even fit to be a bride then promptly disappeared.

Marinette thought that was where the bride idea got started, Sabine seemed determined to get Marinette pretty enough that whichever deity, god, or demon they contacted next would like her. Sabine spent hours getting Marinette dressed up before more rituals, each failing as much as the first. Other deities turned their nose away when mentioned a human bride offering and it got to the point that by the time the 12th ritual was done, Tom and Sabine were known to all the gods and deities, some even said no before Sabine could say anything, already knowing what was being offered.

Sabine was not deterred, after three more tries, the 15th time, a god answers. That god being the eldritch being in a human-ish form standing in front of Marinette. His tall, towering frame took up a large amount of space and the skull mask on his face was cracked in places and oozing blood, he wore a cloak with tatters at the end covering his body, but Marinette had a feeling it would be more of the horror she saw on his face.

The god listened to Tom and Sabine telling their story of how impoverish they were, and that the bakery wasn’t doing well, the unplanned pregnancy and falling into debt to make ends meet. They talked about how the bakery was their life and passion and they wanted it to flourish and grow. By any means possible. The god was silent for a moment then to Marinette’s dismay, he agreed, and accepted the offering of their daughter for the bakery to flourish again.

Marinette swallowed her fear and dismay before looking up at the Eldritch god, at a closer look, the mask was human skull pieces. Part of the head of the skull and the jaw was detached from the head and sitting on the lower half of his face. While there was blood oozing out in places, the cracks she saw were actually tiny red tentacles. The god’s eyes glowed a bright red that seemed to pull her in.

“If you don’t want to succumb to madness, I suggest you not stare at my eyes.” A rough voice said. It took Marinette a minute to understand that it was the god that spoke, and she quickly looked away, she couldn’t help but shiver as the fear gnawed at her belly.

“S-sorry,” Marinette swallowed hard and clasped her hands together tightly. The Eldritch being took a step closer and wrapped his cloak around her. His “body” was a fluxing mass of shadows and limbs, sometimes human, sometimes animal-like, both and yet none and others in ways she couldn’t describe.

The god faced the couple again, “She will live with me from now on, where are her human things that she will need?” His voice was rough and grating, it made everyone wince.

“U-upstairs is Marinette’s room, e-every, everything she needs will be there.” Tom answered, both of her parents were looking ghostly white. The god just looked up the stairs with intense eyes and raised one human arm then dropped it. The air dropped in temperature to the point of freezing. Marinette was suddenly glad for the warm cloak around her. Wait a minute, Marinette looked down at the cloak again and realized it was giving off a slight warmth, like a blanket fresh out of the dryer. She looked up to see the Eldritch god move his hand out of visible sight but not before she saw the faint trembling of his human fingers.

“Let us go,” he commanded, and Marinette could feel her body complying before she even thought to move. She glanced back at her parents, but they were holding each other, shaking but smiling, not even giving her a second thought. She was trying her damnedest not to cry, there was no love lost between them, but Marinette couldn’t help but long for something she would never get from them. Turning to face the front she noticed that the Eldritch god was waiting at the bakery door. He opened it for her, and Marinette clutched the cloak tighter and ran through the door. 

“Wait!” A human arm reached out and grabbed her shoulder before she ran straight into a ...crate? There were no crates outside last she checked. Then Marinette took in her surroundings, they weren’t outside the bakery as she thought, but somehow on a boat far from the coast, she was still in Paris, as the Eiffel Tower was visible on the shoreline but that didn’t make sense, the river wasn’t this large.

“Wha-?”

“We are in my pocket dimension; I opened the door directly to my place so we could talk.” The god told her, his grating voice sent shivers down her spine, she couldn’t look up at him. Marinette sat down on the crate she almost ran into and stared at her hands.

“Would you prefer a more human or animal body?” The Eldritch god asked Marinette, the edges of him seemed to blur as if the air was shifting in a way.

“Um, h-human?” Marinette stuttered, she was overwhelmed and confused, was he asking if she preferred to stay human or turn into an animal? Or was he referring to himself? Her question was answered in the next moment when the air temperature dropped and instead of an Eldritch god of horror, a teenaged boy with blue tipped hair and soft blue eyes stared back at her. Needless to say, this ended up being the last straw for her, after meeting the gaze of the handsome guy, Marinette fainted.

Marinette wasn’t sure how long she was out but when she opened her eyes, kind blue ones were staring back. Startled at the closeness, Marinette yelped and flung herself backwards, out of his arms and harshly landed on the crate behind her.

“Are you okay?” His voice was soft and smooth, nothing like the terrifying god he was before.

“Y-yes,” She squeaked. Her mind racing a million miles a minute.

“Why don’t I explain some things and you can process this... change.” The god said kindly, Marinette nodded and let go of the death grip she had on the cloak. She made a movement to take it off but the Eldritch being just shook his head, “Keep it for now.”

He cleared his throat then spoke in a soft calming tone, “This is my pocket dimension, my space where I live and you will too. There is a cabin all made up for you and its next door to mine. They are sound proof because I like to play music.”

He sighed, scratching his head, “Okay, the big stuff. You can call me Luka; your parents sold you to be my bride. I accepted, knowing that if I don’t, they will just try another deity, but I will not force this on you. I understand this is scary and upsetting, take as long as you need to, there's a bathroom on the way to the cabins,” He-Luka, gestured to a hall Marinette took a quick look at before focusing on him again, “Your cabin is on the right. All of your stuff is in there, I took the liberty of teleporting everything there before we left.” Marinette was surprised, she didn’t know what kind of powers an Eldritch god would have but, teleportation wasn’t one that she thought of.

“You can organize things how you wish and you can have whatever color walls you want, just let me know and I can change it for you.” Luka finished, as he sat back onto a folding chair and waited for Marinette to process.

Marinette was, not, processing well. Even after her faint, she didn’t feel steady. She had to live with an Eldritch god, in a pocket dimension, next door to him, and have her normal life completely uprooted. What the color of her walls were going to be was the least of her worries.

“W-what about school? My... classmates?” Marinette wasn’t sure what state her class would be in if she just up and left, but it’s not like they would notice either. When Lila came, she took what few friends Marinette had, so she was pretty much alone all the time. Which was not much different from her life at Tom and Sabine’s. Forced into a new place, (a pocket dimension of all things), with nothing familiar or comforting for her to hold onto (not that there was much left for her to keep ahold of), but the familiarity of the bakery, lonely as it was, was just that: familiar. It was something she knew she could navigate in, even if she was unhappy.

“Well, if you want to go to school you can, I won't force you to go, but if you would like to change schools, we can do that too.” Luka looked concerned for her, which was new to Marinette.

“I-I um, that is, well-” A deep blush covered Marinette’s face, as she tried to articulate words, she cut off before making more of a fool of herself. Concern for her well-being wasn’t something she was used to; it touched her heart that this god was being kind to her.

“Take your time, you don’t have to decide today. How about you set up your room and when you’re done, then we can get something to eat? Or you can just relax the rest of the day, that’s fine too.” Luka said, it was a comfort to know that he was trying his best on her behalf. 

“That... yeah, and food would be good too.” Marinette said softly. They both got up, and Luka motioned for her to follow him. The walk to the cabin was quiet but not in a bad way. When they reached the cabin doors, Luka pointed at his and said, “I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”

Marinette said her thanks, took a deep breath, and opened the door to her new home. What she saw was organized stacks of boxes in the middle of the room. It was time to get to work.

Marinette didn’t want her new place to look like her old bedroom at the bakery, so she set to move things into new places rather than try to replicate what her room looked like at the bakery. Her bed was pushed against the back right corner with her desk and sewing supplies in the front left corner to give herself the most room to work. Overall, it was spacious and a little bit more grown up, Marinette felt it was time to reflect that she was no longer the same little helpless girl stuck being alone and friendless. She was 14, (soon to be 15 in a month), her life was drastically different, so she would change things about herself too. It was time to move past and move forward.

After hanging her clothes in her wardrobe, Marinette sat at the end of her bed and sighed. It had taken two hours to organize everything but the end result she was extremely pleased with. Hearing a knock at the door, Marinette called out for Luka to enter. Luka’s eyes swept the room and landed on her, she thought she saw him swallow hard but it could have been a trick of the light.

“It looks good, very well done, Marinette.” Luka praised; Marinette blushed again. It was very quickly becoming an endearing feature to Luka. He cleared his throat, “So, how are you feeling? Are you tired?”

“Yeah, I’m tired but I could definitely eat.” She replied. Luka nodded and held out his hand, “Come on then, I’ll take you somewhere you’ll like, I think.” Marinette hesitantly took his hand and Luka’s smile warmed.

“Just hold onto me and don’t let go, okay?” Luka instructed and gripped her hand a little tighter.

“Are we portaling again?” Luka laughed at her choice of words, “Yes, we are ‘dimension hopping’, again. Although I think I like your term better. Portaling.” He smiled warmly at her again, Marinette could feel how hot her face was getting. Then mentally shook her head, this was still the same terrifying Eldritch god who... well in a way, bought her. The thought made Marinette frown. What was she to him now? So lost in thought Marinette tripped but caught herself and the next thing she knew, she was stepping onto a street, on the west side of Paris.

“We are still in Paris?” Marinette asked, but Luka just smiled and led the way. The walked up to a restaurant with outdoor seating and a small stage, currently there was a guy playing on a small piano, singing his heart out.

The night out was very fun, the music was great and the food was good, finally, Marinette was relaxing. Relaxing was something she didn’t think would be possible so quickly given everything that happened.

Luka teleported them back to the boat for the night to get some rest, he said for her not to worry about school yet and take a day or two to figure things out. Marinette still had lots of questions but as unsteady as she was, she opted for heading to sleep. Luka stopped outside his bedroom and watch Marinette unsteadily reach her door, after shifting form, Luka reaches out to her with a tentacle. Marinette on the other hand, didn’t notice Luka’s tendril gently guiding her to bed. She was out before her head hit the pillow.

The next morning had Marinette lazily stretching before getting ready for the day. Throwing on clean clothes, Marinette rushed out of her room and into a solid mass. Rubbing her nose, she looked up to Luka’s surprised face.

“OH! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to run into you.” Marinette apologized. Taking another step back Marinette looked over Luka, he was in his “human form”, and appeared to be wearing a pirate outfit. Marinette bit her knuckle to stop herself from laughing.

“What... Are you wearing?”

Luka looked down at his clothes confused.

“My clothes?” He asked. Marinette couldn’t stop the grin that spread on her face. She hadn’t notice what he was wearing yesterday, but today Marinette was more aware.

“But, dressing as a pirate?” Marinette watched the confusion change to understanding on Luka’s face. His human features were rather handsome, Marinette idly noted. Strong roman nose, clear sea blue eyes, white teeth and thin lips, which were moving. Luka was talking and Marinette was standing there ogling him!

“-fashion, I’m a bit behind, I take it this type of clothing is not up to date anymore?” Luka questioned.

Marinette nodded and smiled again, “Yeah it’s more like a costume than regular wear, but it looks good,” Marinette circled him once taking in details that she didn’t notice before. The clothes were well made and care for even better, seeing only one loose thread she grabbed it and broke it off, nodding to herself. Once she was done and looked up at Luka’s face she snatched her hand back quickly, realizing that she was touching an Eldritch god so carelessly.

“Sorry! Sorry, I- Sorry.” Marinette turned red as a tomato and ran into the galley.

A faint pinkness could be seen on Luka’s cheeks as he stared after her. Marinette wasn’t comfortable with him yet and he just had to wait. Although, he was surprised that Marinette was able to casually touch him, most people weren't comfortable with him even in his human form. Marinette really was a special girl. Chuckling, Luka rubbed his cheek before following after her to the kitchen.

Marinette was busy making what looked like crepes, slowly coming down into the galley, Luka announced his presence by walking loudly down the stairs. She didn’t turn around, but he saw the stiffing of her shoulders. Sighing softly Luka reached for the pan flute that was on the counter and started to play. Marinette heard the music and instantly relaxed, there was something so familiar about the music. Luka watched Marinette relax and smiled to himself, all he wanted for her was to grow and learn in a stress-free environment. He wouldn’t force this marriage on her, it would be in name only and he would be satisfied with having a companion that didn’t fear him too much.

Marinette finished making breakfast with Luka’s music filling the background. After setting the table, they both sat down to eat and Marinette felt warmth in her chest, she wondered if this was what it was like to have a place to call home and feel safe. It was something she could get used to. After another day of figuring out where her supplies were going to go, she got a call from Jagged.

He was asking for a commission and Marinette was hesitant to accept, she would need to have Jagged come to her to see cloth samples and take measurements. Marinette wasn’t sure her new husband/housemate/deity would like having someone over to the pocket dimension.

“I’m sorry Jagged, where I’m living now is a bit... complicated.” Marinette told him, but Jagged was not deterred.

“Mari, I’m also worried about you, I’m glad you finally got out of that house but I’m wondering about the cost? I see that they are doing well with the bakery and you aren’t living there anymore, it’s too much of a coincidence.”

Marinette bit her lip, she forgot how Jagged was sometimes very perspective of things, underneath his rock n roll exterior, he was a smart and kind man. Marinette didn’t notice Luka entering her room until he tapped her on the shoulder with a smile.

“Let me speak with him?” Luka asked. Marinette slowly handed over her phone, unexpected nervousness hit her like a rock in the stomach.

“Hello, I am Luka, Marinette’s housemate, she recently moved in with me and is still adjusting to the fact that this is her home too, if you would like to come over and see her yourself, you are more than welcome, I can give you directions whenever you want.” Marinette studied Luka’s face, but he showed nothing but a calm smile while he looked her over. Marinette could vaguely hear that Jagged was responding but couldn’t distinguished what was said.

“Yes of course she can do commissions, I would never stifle her creativity. The only thing I ask is to be notified before you come over.” Luka hummed a few more times in a confirming way before handing back the phone to Marinette.

“Uncle Jagged?”

“Hey, Mari, I’m glad you got someone living with you, I was afraid that you would be alone, and people like you and me need others in our lives. I’ll be over tomorrow at 2pm, Luka said he would give me directions tomorrow morning, so expect me at 2 o’clock you hear?” Marinette laughed.

“Yes, I will see you then, thanks Jagged.”

“Anytime rockstar, anytime.”

Marinette hung up and faced Luka once more. Luka was smiling kindly down at her waiting for her to speak when she was comfortable.

“So, uh, that was Jagged Stone...”

“I’m familiar with him.” Luka replied.

“He asks me for commissions a lot, and I wasn’t sure how you would feel about having someone over to the houseboat/pocket dimension place...”

“A reasonable assumption.”

“Well, Jagged is a LOT most days and I know he has been really worried about me...”

“What are you concerned about, Marinette?” Luka finally asked, he was worried about why she was so hesitant to ask him for something.

“Um, Jagged is going to ask a lot of questions and I'm not sure how we should answer him.” Luka snorted and smiled at her.

“We can come up with a cover story if you wish, I think it would be best if we keep the truth under wraps, most people aren’t aware of my true existence and I’d like to keep it that way.”

Marinette sighed in relief, “Yeah, I don’t think I could tell anyone the truth and have them believe me either.”

“I guess that means I should introduce you to my family.” Luka commented.

“You have a family?!” Marinette blurted, turning pink in the cheeks from embarrassment.

Luka just smiled, “Yes, a mother and sister.”

“How come you all don’t live together?” Luka looked a little sheepish at the question.

“Well, we kind of do. My pocket dimension is my room on the boat, all three of us have our own space, but we – Eldritch beings - have to have an ‘anchor’ to the physical world first. So, the houseboat you see, is real, just it's in my space, my door can open to anywhere and most times I just connect it to where ever I need to go.” Then they both heard a loud knock and call for Luka on deck.

Luka sighed, this was going to be interesting, “Looks like you’ll be meeting my sister first, this will be fun.” Following Luka up to the top deck, Marinette rubbed her hands in comfort, she was nervous to meet Luka’s family, will they all be in their Eldritch god form or human form?

Luka walked up to the gangplank and open an invisible door, on the other side stood a tall woman with dark hair.

“About time, what took you so long, dipshit?” A familiar female voice said. Marinette froze on the top of the stairs when she heard the voice, it wasn’t possible. When both of the siblings moved, Marinette saw a familiar face.

“Jules, I have something to tell you, it’s rather important.”

“What did you do now? Is this another-” ‘Jules’ cut off the moment she saw Marinette, and Marinette could only stare at Juleka, one of her classmates from school.

The next moment was a flurry of movement where Juleka pinned Luka to the edge of the boat holding him by the shirt.

“What the FUCK did you do? Why is she here?” Luka put his hands up in surrender, and Marinette shrank into herself at Juleka’s words.

“Calm down, it’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Did you take a contract?!”

“Yes, but-”

“The fuck you thinking? You don’t know what-”

“Juleka! Enough!” Luka barked at her, and Juleka fell silent. Luka turned his head to Marinette who was still standing at the entrance to the deck.

“Marinette, it’s alright, Juleka is just protective over things dealing with my true nature.” Marinette gave a slight nod but didn’t look up at them, she was ringing her hands in anxiety. She didn’t realize how much this place meant to her until Juleka came and all but said that she didn’t belong.

“You don’t have to leave, and no one will make you.” Luka threw a glare at his sister before addressing Marinette again.

“I promise, you can stay as long as you want.” And just like that all her fear was gone, Marinette looked up to Luka who was not being held by Juleka anymore and took a step toward her.

“You still haven’t explained, dumbass.” Juleka interrupted.

Luka sighed and beckoned Marinette over. Marinette reluctantly came over to stand at Luka’s side.

“Juleka, this is Marinette, she will be staying with me from now on, her parents made a contract with me that in exchange for their bakery to be prosperous, they would give Marinette as a bride/offering.” Juleka’s eyes bugged out when she heard what Luka said. Her hand flew to her mouth with a gasp.

“Jules, she has been through a lot, I accepted their offer because I know if I didn’t, they would have kept trying and something worse could have happened to her.” Luka continued. He put an arm around Marinette in comfort and was silently relieved when she didn’t push him away.

“Are you really going to-” Juleka started, dropping her hand from her mouth.

“No,” Luka cut off, slightly squeezing Marinette’s shoulder. “I’m taking her as a bride in name only. I only wish for her to live freely, to grow and learn in a place that isn’t hostile to her.”

“I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you are doing this for me, I don’t know if I would have been alive for much longer.” Marinette said in a hushed tone. Both siblings looked at her, raging emotions covered their faces.

“Everything that was said about you in school is a lie, isn’t it?” Juleka broke the silence that hung after Marinette’s declaration. Marinette only nodded, she looked to be much older and much more tired than before.

“I knew my parents never loved me, I knew nothing would help with Lila’s lies, I was stuck there until I turned 18 or died in some ritual my parents did.” Marinette said flatly, no emotion was expressed in her words. Luka and Juleka looked at each other, concern being the dominate emotion in both of them.

“Marinette, are you coming back to school?” Juleka asked hesitatingly.

“Has anyone noticed I’ve been missing for 2 days?” Juleka started shaking her head negatively before stopping.

“Well, I think Adrien has noticed, he seems a bit more...”

“Agitated?” Marinette supplied.

“Yeah, and moody. Lila has been really sticking close to him every chance she gets.”

Marinette snorted, “Yeah I bet she has, bet Adrien has been a limp noodle about it too, looking at other people to notice and say something, right?”

“What? I thought you had a crush on Adrien?” Juleka questioned, confusion swirling on her mind. Luka felt something clench at his sister’s words.

“No, I have never had a crush on Adrien, that was all Alya's doing. Adrien is a spineless-limp noodle-passive-coward, that I would never like.” At hearing that, Luka felt himself unclench and relaxed. He was a little confused as to why he was so concerned about this. Maybe because Marinette has already had a tough go at things, and he doesn’t want to have things get worse for her? Shaking his thoughts away, Luka opens his mouth to voice his thoughts about school.

“I don’t think you should go back to that school, if you want to go back to school at all that is?” Luka looked down at Marinette, waiting for her answer.

“Yeah, I think you are right, I don’t think I want to go back to that school.” Marinette made up her mind about it, she would finish the year out online then go to a different college when the time came. Something focused in her career path, something with design and fashion.

“I’ll finish out the year online, I’ll need to set up my computer for that, but next year I'll go to a school for the arts.” Marinette said, nodding to herself. This was the plan for her, that way she could keep doing commissions too. She knew Jagged would want to continue working with her and maybe Clara Nightengale too.

“Sounds like a good plan, Lila will probably spin it somehow but you’ll be out of that class.” Juleka said, arms crossed tightly. “I’m sorry that I never did anything.”

Marinette shook her head, “I can understand why you didn’t, but it does hurt that you believed Lila over me, it will take a little time for me to be comfortable with you again.” Juleka gave her a small sad smile.

“Now all you got to do is meet the Captain.” Luka said, letting go of Marinette, he instantly missed her warmth.

“The Captain?” Marinette questioned.

“Our Ma, don’t worry, she is just very loud.” Luka replied.

“Is she going to be in her Eldritch form?” Marinette questioned. Luka stopped his train of thought and Juleka burst out laughing.

“Marinette, I’m the only Eldritch god here,” Luka explained suddenly understanding why Marinette was so surprised earlier.

“They aren’t related to me, but they took me in when I was wandering between planes.” Luka said. Marinette looked embarrassed, when he said ‘family’ she had assumed him to have a normal family, but Eldritch gods aren’t the same as humans.

“Sorry, I just assumed...” Marinette mumbled, her face turning bright red, Juleka was still laughing off to the side, gasping for air between chuckles. 

“It’s alright, I should have explained earlier.” Luka gave a small smile.

“Luka, lad! You home, B’y?” a loud voice called from the open door.

“Yeah, Ma, come in I’ve got someone for you to meet!” Luka yelled back. He gave Marinette another quick smile and soft pat on her shoulder.

 Thumps could be heard before the woman in question stepping into Luka’s dimension.

“Who is this?” she asked, looking Marinette up and down. 

“This is Marinette, I took a contract from her parents. In exchange for their bakery, they would give their daughter to me as a bride.” Luka told her, as she looked over Marinette, Marinette hunched her shoulders.

“Been through a lot, have ya lass?” the Captain asked in a softer tone. Marinette nodded, then looked up to see the Captain's kind face looking at her.

“Well, welcome aboard! I’m Captain or Anarka, if you like.” Anarka said, she smiled brightly at Marinette.

“Ah, thank you, Anarka.” Marinette replied, happy that she didn’t stumble her words. It was a little weird to be welcomed so warmly by an adult.

“Oh. By the way Captain, Jagged Stone will be dropping by tomorrow for Marinette.” Luka stated. Anarka’s face narrowed in suspicion then she gave out a hearty laugh.

“That old boot is comin’ ‘round here?” Anarka laughed again.

“Well, it sure to be an interestin’ visit!” Anarka’s eyes twinkled with mischief.

“Do you know him, Ma?” Juleka asked, a bit of wonder in her eyes.

“Aye, I do.” She mysteriously replied. “Well, I’m off to do some things, keep outta trouble ya hear?!” Anarka called out and cackled on her way off the boat.

“Wait, you can’t just drop that and leave?!” Juleka called after her mother and started to follow Anarka off the boat.

Luka shook his head and smiled at Marinette, “Is there anything you would like to do today?”

Marinette thought for a moment but nothing was really coming to mind, she was still kind of tired from everything with her parents and unpacking. So maybe she would take today to rest and then look for online schools tomorrow.

“No, not really, I think I just want to relax today, get use to things here.” Marinette responded.

Luka nodded, “Would you like to see my room?” he offered his arm out to her, Marinette blushed but took his arm as he led her back to his room.

Luka’s room was not what she was expecting and yet exactly what she thought at the same time.

The walls were covered in band and music posters, the bed was half made, there were clothes from different centuries thrown about in the corner and musical instruments everywhere. Luka looked a little embarrassed when Marinette eyes the mass of clothes on the hamper but Marinette just thought it was rather human of him.

The color scheme seemed to stick with greys, blues, and whites. Grey walls, white trim, a blue shaggy rug. It looked comfortable and lived-in.

Marinette walked over to a pick collection on the wall. She eyed one pick in particular.

“You like Jagged’s music?” Marinette asked him.

Luka smiled and slid a finger over the pick she was looking at, Jagged’s pick, picking it up.

“He is my favorite modern singer.” Luka offered the pick to her and Marinette blushed. “You can have it if you want, I’ve got plenty.”

“Oh! Um, thank you.”

Luka just smiled at her and gave a tour of his room, pointing out what bands he had picks of, when he got his posters, and what instruments he had.

The more Luka talked the more Marinette felt more comfortable around him. It was comforting to get to know Luka, it gave Marinette some perspective on her life with her parents.

Tom and Sabine were neglectful but not necessarily mean, just more hands off, and had other priorities. Marinette didn’t hate them but she didn’t like them either. She was starting to come to terms with that.

“Marinette?” Luka called, as if this wasn’t the first time he called her name.

“Oh! Uh-yes?” Marinette snapped out of her daze and faced him.

“Are you alright? You seem a bit tired.” Luka looked concerned.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Marinette tried to smile at him but look didn’t look convinced.

“Why don’t you take a nap then we can plan our day after?” Luka suggested. Marinette nodded grateful, to be honest she was tired, and a nap sounded wonderful. Marinette trudged to her room, grabbed her favorite stuffie and curled up on her bed.

Sleep came pretty easy to Marinette for once, and she slept soundly during her nap. A little over an hour later she woke up to the sound of muffled music playing.

-----

this is it for now, i might come back to finish this but idk when that will be.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64183669

[quickspinner]

Why are you so Thirsty? By: Haphira

Marinette stole another glance at Luka, his pirate outfit fit incredibly well. A low-cut ruffle shirt, showing off his chest and a hint of a tattoo of a snake wrapping around his chest. Tight black pants fitting into tall black boots, gold hoop earrings, and a blue bandana that matched his dyed hair.

The costume party at the Liberty was going on without a hitch, music was blasting, drinks were flowing freely, snacks decorated every surface that wasn’t being used as a sitting spot.

Marinette took a big gulp out of her drink and almost choked, forgetting how heavily spiked her drink was. Coughing into her napkin, Rose notices her coughing and patted Marinette gently on her back.

“You, okay?”

“Yeah,” Marinette wheezed, clearing her throat Marinette took a swig out of her water bottle and continued to scan the crowd. Rose smiled and went back to chatting with a new person whose name Marinette didn’t catch. She tried, and failed again to not look at Luka.

A small sigh escaped her and took a moment to shove a cookie in her mouth. She was being a chicken shit. It was times like these that Marinette missed Tikki, but after the fall of Hawkmoth a month ago, Tikki deserved to rest with the other Miraculous.

But a friendly smile and a comforting nudge was dearly missed. Marinette took a cautious sip of her drink before her eyes wondered again. Although they never strayed too far from Luka. He had his back to her so Marinette got to ogle his nicely toned ass.

“Why are you so thirsty?” A voice whispered in her ear, sputtering for a moment, Marinette turned to see Juleka giving her a smirk.

“I’m  not-… that’s not-… why did you do that?” Marinette frowned at her friend, Juleka just smiled.

“You want me to yell that?” she asked, her smile turning dangerous. Marinette whitened and shook her head quickly.

“N-no! I just mean, I’m not thirsy?” Juleka sighed but her smile softened.

“I can see you know, you were practically eye-fucking my brother.”  

“Juleka!” Marinette screeched; a couple of heads turned their way but shortly went back to whatever they were doing.

“I wasn’t eye-fucking Luka,” Marinette angerly whispered, taking notice of how loud her was before.

“Whatever you say, brother-fucker.” Juleka said dismissively.

“I’m not fucking your brother!”

“Not yet,” Juleka replied. Another smirk on her face. Marinette sighed, the girl group from college knew that Marinette had a massive crush on Luka, but Marinette didn’t know how Luka felt anymore, it has been several years since his confession. Marinette didn’t have a lot of hope but with a little liquid courage she might do something tonight. Especially with how hot he looked dressed up like a pirate.

“Hey, Melody.” A warm deep voice said behind her, Marinette spun around to see Luka up close.

“Luka!” His eyes seemed to shine when she said his name, his usual soft smile on his lips.

“You look hot,” Marinette said, eye him up and down. Luka was silent, then Marinette realized what she just said.

“I-I mean, you look good! Pirate suits you.” A blush covered her face. She hadn’t meant to say that. Luka was still quiet; it was starting to make her nervous.

“Thank you, you look hot too.” Luka smiled widely, a light blush on his cheeks. Marinette looked up at him with wide eyes. Luka looked at her steadily.

“Clear as a music note and sincere as a melody…” Luka recited; his eyes focused solely on her.

“You still feel the same?” Marinette asked, drawing closer to Luka. He nodded, a smile still on his face.

“Kiss me?” she asked, pulling herself up on her tiptoes, Luka bend down to reach her, grabbing her hips to pull her closer.

The kiss was soft, and sweet with alcohol, but real.

Marinette smiled widely and sunk back down on her feet. Luka refused to let her go, and rested his forehead against hers.

“Want to join me somewhere quieter?” Luka asked, Marinette nodded not trusting her voice yet. Luka smiled and grabbed her hand and pulled her under the deck.

Juleka saw the two slip away and smiled. It was about time.  

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36861604/chapters/164569525

[quickspinner]

Silencer Day

Hello!

April 16th is World Voice Day, which means it’s Silencer Day in LCAB!

Join us to show some love and appreciation to our beloved Luka’s akumatized form, Silencer, as seen in Season 3 Episode 7: Silencer.

Feel free to share with us your favorite screenshot, quote, or moment of the episode, as well as any sort of Silencer creation you can think of. We appreciate all forms of love for our favorite boy!

GUIDELINES:

Keep it Luka/Silencer centered. Any ship is valid as long as it includes Luka/Silencer as a main character.

Please mention our blog @lukacouffaineappreciation and have your post tagged #LCABSilencerDay and/or #SilencerDay.

You can submit art, writing, edits, cosplay, etc.

For this event, you can also share screenshots and your favorite moments of the episode, and/or why you love them (There has to be at least one Luka/Silencer mention). Feel free to ramble and express your appreciation as much as you want.

We do NOT allow tracing, editing of artwork, or reposting of someone else’s artwork. AI created content is prohibited.

Please keep it SFW.

NO HATE!

Have fun!

We're looking forward to seeing your posts of love for Silencer! Happy Silencer Day!

-mod airi

*Reminder: there is a Screenshot Redraw Permanent Event ongoing too. Feel free to participate anytime!

[quickspinner]

The Soulmate Train

Chapter 7: Stars

AO3

Luka had always been more of an early bird. No matter how late he went to bed, he would usually rise before the sun. A habit that made his job as train conductor significantly easier for him.

Still, out of the two conductors, it was usually Pierre who‘d wake up first, and today was no different.

When Luka opened his eyes, the older conductor was already throwing on his jacket. In one hand, Pierre held a small booklet, which Luka recognized as the train schedule.

“Ah, you’re awake.” Pierre turned to him. “Are you excited?”

Luka slowly pushed his blanket away to get up and stretch, a loud yawn escaping him. “Excited for what?” he asked drowsily as he grabbed his shirt. He didn‘t get an immediate response, and when he looked over to Pierre, he was met with a blank stare from the older man.

“Don’t tell me you forgot?” he asked, perplexed.

Luka blinked at him, equally confused. Was he forgetting something? Well, he must have, but what? Did they pass another station? That wasn‘t that big of a deal. Also, Pierre couldn’t expect him to know the train schedule by heart. Was it someone’s birthday? Oh god, was it Pierre’s birthday? Wait, he didn‘t even know when Pierre’s birthday was…

After a short while of blank stares, Pierre opened the small booklet and turned it to Luka. “The jump is tonight!”

Luka‘s eyes grew wide.

The Jump! The jump was happening tonight! Dammit, how did he forget?

He slapped his hand lightly against his forehead. “That’s today? I didn’t realize.” He let out a nervous laugh.

Pierre lifted an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you didn’t know.”

“Well, I don’t know the train schedule by heart.”

“You were in an exceptionally great mood lately.” Pierre picked up his hat. “I assumed it was the anticipation for today.”

Luka had indeed been in a good mood. How could he not be? He was spending the majority of his freetime with Marinette, talking for hours on end about everything and nothing, seeing her pretty smile, hearing her pretty laugh… even now, he had to suppress a dopey smile just thinking about it.

“Uh… yeah, right. It’s just…”—he rubbed his warm face with his hands—“I’m not fully awake yet, I guess.”

“Did you not sleep well?”

“I did, don‘t worry.” Luka continued to get dressed.

“Just making sure,” Pierre said nonchalantly. “After all, you know the jump requires concentration. I need you to be in good shape for that.”

“I promise, I am! I can do the jump tonight.” Luka fisted his hands in front of his chest. “I’m prepared!”

Pierre nodded. “Okay, that’s good to hear. Just to be sure, you know what to do, right? You’ve seen me do it often enough? Is anything still unclear? If it is, please ask—”

“It’ll be fine,” Luka reassured him. “Trust me, I can handle this.”

“It’s not that I don‘t trust you,” Pierre replied, his voice sounding tense. “But you know how important it is that you don‘t make any mistakes. I can't help but feel anxious.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you anxious, sir,” Luka remarked, to which the stoic conductor let out a soft laugh through his nose.

“I guess there’s a first time for everything, Luka.”

“I understand. How about we go to the front and we’ll go through each step one last time?” Luka offered.

Pierre considered the suggestion, then nodded. “After we prepared breakfast.”

The two conductors made their way through the train to attend to their duties. It didn’t take long to set up the breakfast buffet and by the time they were done, the first travelers were seated in the dining car.

Luka told Pierre he’d be right there and instinctively looked out for Marinette, but she was nowhere to be seen. Which wasn’t entirely unusual—Marinette wasn’t exactly an early bird—but his heart still sank a little.

Instead, he spotted Alya and Nathaniel. While Alya was busy reading a book, Nathaniel, as always, was hunched over his sketchbook and sketching something. But something about him seemed different. His expression was softer, more relaxed. His pencil moved quickly across the paper with more purpose and confidence, his tongue sticking out between his teeth in the process.

The frustration he had been known for was gone, in its place was pure determination. He was so focused on whatever he was working on that he didn‘t seem to register Luka approaching their table at all.

“He hasn’t said a word all morning,” Alya told Luka with a shrug. “Not that that’s anything new.”

Just then, Nathaniel lifted his head upon someone greeting the group. Luka turned around to see Marc approach them, their notebook pressed to their chest.

Nathaniel kept his eyes on the new traveler until they reached the table. Then he turned his sketchbook around, tapping a finger on the paper. “What do you think?”

The drawing depicted a young woman, her elegant yet simple dress majestically blowing in the wind as she gazed into the distance. Next to her, a knight kneeled down, pressing his fist to his heart.

Until now, Luka hadn’t actually seen any of Nathaniel’s drawings, but this one was… good. Heck, amazing even. Every single detail from little strands of hair to embroidery on the dress seemed so perfect and natural��� Luka could only dream of being half as good.

Marc carefully brushed their fingers over the paper. “Woah… incredible,” they breathed. “She looks exactly as I envisioned her.”

Nathaniel puffed his chest, seemingly proud of himself. “Of course she does. I know what I’m doing.”

“And to think you kept your art from us this entire time,” Alya commented. “Whining about how you‘re not good and all. The attention to detail in this alone is insane.”

Nathaniel shrugged. “Nothing I drew before on this train compares in the slightest. I’m honestly just glad that I still got it in me.”

“This is giving me so many ideas!” Marc exclaimed as they more or less threw themselves into the seat next to Nathaniel and immediately started to scribble something into their notebook, mumbling to themselves. Nathaniel carefully looked over their shoulder into the notebook and smiled.

Alya raised an eyebrow as she watched the scene, then looked over to Luka. “This was an unexpected development,” she whispered to him.

Luka wouldn’t necessarily have expected anyone on the train to be capable of bringing out this new side of Nathaniel, but who was she to tease Nathaniel about actually wanting to make a friend? About him giving them his sketches? About him being… not irritated for once? Especially when it made him look at his torn out sketches with something other than disgust.

Seeing the satisfaction in his eyes, the satisfaction of an artist creating something they feel truly proud of, was really nice. Whatever it was about Marc that made the usually sarcastic artist seem so inspired and in his element, Luka was happy that he got to experience this side of him.

And Luka was also happy for Alya, who no longer had to endure any snarky comments Nathaniel usually threw at her. Or at least, a significantly smaller amount.

“But it’s nice to see, either way,” Luka commented, but before Alya could say anything back, Pierre was already walking up to them.

“I hate to interrupt your smalltalk, but we should get started. It‘s not like we don’t also have other things to take care of.”

“Right, sorry.” Luka nodded, but just before he followed Pierre to the locomotive, he quickly turned around to Alya one last time to say, “Tell Marinette I said hi.”

****

Marinette emerged from her cabin and made her way to the dining car at noon. As she stepped in, she was welcomed by the delicious smell of chicken noodle soup.

Oh, that brought back memories from home. Her mother often used to make that soup when she was younger.

On her way to the buffet, she spotted Alya scooping some soup into a bowl.

“Hey, sleepy head,” the journalist greeted her.

Marinette smiled. She hadn’t meant to sleep for that long, but she had to compensate for the late night hangouts in the dining car somehow.

“I overslept, I know,” she replied, suppressing the urge to yawn. “I… couldn’t fall asleep for some reason.”

“Well, at least you‘re here now.” Alya put her bowl down to take a second bowl to hand over to Marinette. “Luka said hi.”

Marinette immediately perked up. “He did? How nice of him! I missed him, didn‘t I?”

“Well, unlike you he doesn‘t sleep in,” Alya joked, but then her smile faded. “He seems to think of you a lot.”

“What?” Marinette hid her suddenly very warm cheeks behind her hands. “C-come on, just because he asked about me? He thinks about me… a regular amount of time.”

Alya shrugged. “He just seems very fond of you.”

“Because I’m friends with him.” Marinette rolled her eyes. “Of course we’re fond of each other. What are you trying to imply, anyway?”

Alya blinked at her, then shook her head. “Nothing. Everything’s fine. I’m probably just imagining things. Anyway, should we go and eat?”

After scooping some soup into her own bowl, Marinette followed her friend to the table where Nathaniel and Marc were already seated, engrossed in a discussion. Neither appeared to notice the two women taking a seat.

“… and then she steals the armor and disguises herself as a knight. I’m just afraid this might make things too easy, you know? Is the idea too basic?”

“What if she had an unexpected enemy encounter, though?” Nathaniel suggested. “And because she’s inexperienced in sword fighting, she has to use tricks to win the fight?”

Marc tapped their chin. “Yeah… that might work,” they mumbled as they scribbled the idea into their notebook.

Marinette leaned over curiously. “So how is your book coming along?”

“Oh, it’s coming along great!” Marc beamed at her. “I’ve majorly revamped my original script: rewritten some characters, worked out some key moments, and now everything works so much better.”

“What‘s the plot, anyway?” Alya chimed in.

“It‘s a love story,” they explained. “Basically, the princess and prince of enemy kingdoms fall in love with each other, and they have to end the war and restore peace so they can love each other freely.”

Alya’s brows perked up. “Oh my, forbidden love? That sounds juicy.”

Marc grinned. “Yeah, those are always fun.”

“I’m helping with character design”, Nathaniel chimed in, showing off some sketches of various characters with medieval style clothing. “And sometimes I make suggestions for the plot, though Marc is definitely the expert in that department.”

Marc giggled and hid their face. “Come on, you can’t give me all the credit. You were the one who introduced the loyal knight after all.” They turned to Alya and Marinette, their eyes sparkling. “He’s the servant and friend of the princess.”

Nathaniel smiled and playfully rolled his eyes. “Wow, I gave you the idea for one additional character. That’s not that big of an achievement compared to everything you’ve done.”

“He was a necessary character! Don’t downplay it!” Marc exclaimed. The two continued to go back and forth complimenting each other.

“They’ve been like this all morning,” Alya whispered as she leaned her head on Marinette’s shoulder. “Nath is like… a completely different person. I don’t understand how Marc did that by just… showing up?”

Marinette smiled. How could she not with the way Nathaniel laughed at Marc’s jokes—which might’ve been the first time Marinette had heard him laugh ever since she met him—and his attempts to hide how flustered all the kind words seemed to actually make him feel.

“That’s what getting over one’s art block does to a person,” Marinette whispered back, though she had a weird feeling there might be more to it than just overcoming the art block.

****

After a long, rather uneventful day, and a delicious pasta for dinner, Marinette sat in the dining car, doodling in her sketchbook. It was late already, her friends had already retreated to their cabins for the night, and no matter how much Alya had pleaded Marinette to just go to bed already, Marinette insisted she wasn’t tired.

After all, Alya didn’t have to know she was waiting for Luka.

Marinette knew he wouldn’t be upset if she didn’t, but outside of their hangouts being practically routine at this point, she hadn’t actually seen the conductor all day. He’d usually pass through the dining car a few times throughout the day, but she hadn’t spotted him once—not to mention he would’ve chatted with her for at least a few minutes had he been there—and that had honestly bummed her out a little.

Lucky for her though, he didn’t leave her waiting for much longer.

She immediately perked up when the door opened and as soon as she spotted the familiar blue eyes, a smile spread across her face, so wide it might’ve split her face in two.

“Luka!” She jumped from her seat and excitedly jogged towards him.

“Good evening, Mar—” he cut himself off when she suddenly pulled him into a hug. She heard him let out a surprised chuckle, resting his hands on her upper arm. “You okay, Marinette?”

“I haven’t seen you all day.” She pressed her smile into his shoulder. “I missed you.”

“Yeah, today was a busy day,” he said in an apologetic tone.

“Don’t apologize for doing your job,” Marinette patted him on the back before she released him from the hug, letting her hands brush over his arms before pulling away. “You can make it up to me by hanging out with me now!”

He checked his pocket watch and his face fell a little. “Uhm… I’m afraid I… don’t exactly have time tonight.”

Marinette’s heart sank a little. “Oh… why? You want to go to bed early?”

He shook his head. “As nice as sleeping might be…” he leaned a little closer, as if to tell her a secret, “Pierre gave me a very special assignment for tonight. One I’ve been anticipating for a while.”

“What is it?”

Luka smiled. “Tonight, we’re going off track.”

That made her stop altogether. “What do you mean off tracks? I thought trains were supposed to stay on tracks?”

Luka chuckled. “The rules don’t really count for magical trains, though. How do you think we’re traveling through literal dimensions?”

“That’s… fair, I guess…”

“We have visited every railway station in this world,” he explained, “so now, we’re going to the next one. We refer to it as ‘the jump’.”

Marinette’s eyes grew wide. “We’re… actually going into a different dimension?”

Luka laughed. “Well, you know how the legend goes. Train that travels far and wide, even through different dimensions…”

“There’s a huge difference between the retelling of a legend you heard once and actually being about to experience the thing itself.”

“That’s fair, I guess.” Luka laughed. “But yeah… I’m taking the train to a different dimension tonight. Until now Pierre had always done the jump, but tonight, I’m doing it for the first time.”

Marinette’s eyes sparkled. “That’s amazing, Luka. I’m so happy for you.” She sounded genuine, but there was a slight hint of disappointment in her voice. “Don’t worry about our hangout, we can meet up tomorrow. The whole jumping dimensions thing sounds way more fun, anyway.”

“Don’t say that! I love being around you!”

That caught both of them off-guard, and this time Marinette actually blushed. Luka did the same. He pressed his fist to his mouth. “Sorry, I didn’t… well, I did, but….”

He rarely ever stuttered like that, but when he did, Marinette couldn’t help but think how awfully adorable he was.

“I get what you mean. I feel the same way,“ she said, fondling the ribbon in her hair nervously. “So… I guess I’ll actually go to bed on time tonight.”

Luka scratched his chin, then his lips turned into a smile again. “You could. Or you could…”

Marinette tilted her head curiously.

“If you wanted, you could come with me.”

“Huh?”

“Pierre isn’t awake, and I would actually feel a little bad for leaving you on your own like that. So if you want…”

Marinette blinked a few times. “But is that actually okay? I don’t want to unnecessarily break the rules and get you into trouble and—”

“You don’t have to, but… it’s a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity. For you, at least. He rubbed the back of his head. “And if you don’t want to spend your evening on your own… I’ll gladly keep you company.”

She wasn’t sure whether it was the admittedly tempting offer or the way he looked so nervous and shy all of a sudden, but she couldn’t say no to him. Not that she wanted to decline, his offer sounded way more fun than hanging out in her cabin on her own.

“I happen to like your company,” she said. His smile grew and he held out his hand to her. She carefully placed her hand in Luka’s, letting him guide her through the dining car further to the locomotive.

When he opened the door, Marinette stared in awe for several seconds.

Like the other rooms, the walls were decorated with star constellations. In the front, there was a cockpit with lots of colorful buttons. In the middle of the cockpit, there was a small steering wheel.

“This is where the magic happens,” Luka whispered and stepped towards the steering wheel, resting his hands on it. Marinette carefully followed him. Outside, the headlamp dimly illuminated the tracks ahead. She couldn’t really see anything else in the pitch black night.

Next to her, Luka checked his watch one last time before it disappeared back into his pocket. He pushed a few of the shiny buttons before his hand moved to one of the levers.

“So… what exactly is going to happen now?” she asked.

Luka smiled. “It might get a little shaky, so you might want to hold onto something.”

Marinette looked around, not entirely sure what she was allowed to touch in the first place. She settled for the handrail, carefully gripping it.

“It’s time,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “I’m taking you to the stars.”

As he pushed the lever gently forward, the train accelerated, just like Marinette’s heartbeat. She tried to keep her eyes on the tracks rattling underneath the train, but it quickly made her feel dizzy, so she closed her eyes shut.

“Luka, what—”

She gasped when she felt an arm wrap around her. “It’s okay. This is always the scary part,” Luka whispered. She could practically hear the excitement in his voice. “After that… you’ll see.”

One of her hands flew to his sleeve. The train became faster and faster. “Are you sure this is safe?”

His low chuckle sent shivers down her spine. “Don‘t worry, I‘m with you.”

Suddenly, she felt a lot heavier than before… as if…

… were they flying?

What kind of train can fly?

“What is happening?” She hid her head in what had to be Luka’s shoulder, one hand gripping his sleeve, the other still on the handrail. The train was heavily shaking as it ascended into the sky.

How in the world were the rest of the passengers not waking up from this?

“We’ve almost made it…” she heard Luka say more to himself than her. His grip around her tightened a little more, his thumb gently stroking her arm. Keeping her calm, keeping her safe. Just like he had promised.

Soon enough, the shaking calmed down and Marinette felt a little more steady on her feet. She could feel Luka slightly turning his head, his warm breath against her dark bangs as he whispered, “Look.”

And when she turned her head and slowly opened her eyes, she saw the stars.

An amount of stars and galaxies like she had never seen before, in all different sizes and colors sparkling, moving past them, illuminating the dark night.

“Woah…” she breathed and stared. “This is… beautiful. Where… exactly are we?”

“In between dimensions. I told you,” she could hear the smile in his voice, “after the scary part, it becomes quite nice.”

Marinette let out a chuckle. “Quite nice? I feel like that’s a massive understatement.”

Luka gently turned the steering wheel, the train gently flying through the stars. Marinette took the view in.

She sometimes looked over to Luka steering the train. The stars were sparkling in his eyes. He looked like he was completely in his element. He looked gorgeous.

The train smoothly slalomed through the stars.

“And this is the first time you’re doing this?”

Luka laughed. “Well, Pierre is a good teacher. I wasn’t exactly allowed to touch anything at first, but soon enough he let me try steering the train. Under strict supervision, of course. And he had his hands on it as well, just in case. Today, we went through every step again and he was so satisfied with me that he trusted me to do it without supervision.”

“You make this look very easy.”

“It’s not that hard. Do you wanna try?”

Marinette stared at him. “Me? But what if I accidentally crash into a star?”

“I’m right here.” He smiled encouragingly at her, and she let her curiosity get the better of her and moved closer until she stood in between him and the steering wheel.

“Just be careful, don’t make hectic movements. The train isn’t full right now, so it’s pretty light and can be steered pretty easily.”

She laid her hands on the steering wheel and carefully turned it to the left just a little. The train made a slight turn to the left. Then she steered it to the right again.

“Woah…”

“Fantastic, isn‘t it?”

“I… words can’t begin to describe how incredible this is,” she breathed. “So how long is the jump going to take?”

“Long enough for you to relax and enjoy the view.” Luka laughed behind her and she turned her head a little to look at him.

They stayed like this for a while, Marinette’s hands gently resting on the steering wheel, and Luka behind her, actually steering. His arms occasionally brushed against hers.

Sometimes Marinette would point to different groups of stars, trying to find patterns within them.

“Oh look, this constellation kind of looks like a cat?”

“But where is it’s tail?” Luka asked.

“He just has a very short tail,” Marinette replied, getting a laugh out of both of them.

“And this one reminds me of Nathaniel.” Marinette pointed to a different group of stars.

“Yeah, I see it.” Luka sighed. “I’m glad he’s finally coming out of his shell more.”

“Was he always like this?”

“For the most part, yeah.” He shifted behind her to make another turn to the right. “Most travelers are excited when boarding the train and are looking forward to traveling with us and meeting their soulmate, but some are just… constantly miserable and downright uncomfortable. Some eventually cheer up, but others…”

He let out another sigh.

“Others don’t?” Marinette finished his sentence.

Luka nodded. “Most of the time it’s because they feel guilty for leaving someone important behind, a sibling or a friend, and it slowly eats them up. As a conductor, I want to help them deal with those feelings and make them understand they aren’t evil for wanting to find their other half. And sometimes it works, other times… I fail.”

Marinette turned her head to see him. He seemed to stare into the distance, a sad glimmer in his eyes.

“Well, I think you’re doing a good job,” Marinette said. “And just because you can’t help everybody doesn’t mean you’re failing. You’re doing your best to be there for others all the time, and I think that’'s admirable enough already.”

Luka cracked a smile and looked at Marinette. “You always know how to make me feel better.”

“That‘s my line.” She laughed, and after a while, she became cozy, maybe a little daring, and gently leaned her back against him. It was odd how she felt relaxed, but agitated at the same time. Must be the fact that she was literally travelling through dimensions on a magical train while staring at millions of stars.

Luka hadn’t lied when he had called it a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity and even though she started to feel tired again, she didn’t want to go to sleep. She wished she could stay like this, with him, just a little longer.

Too bad that he picked up on her exhaustion entirely too easily.

“Someone’s tired,” Luka noted behind her. “I’m starting to believe I’m keeping you up too much at night.”

“Well, if you didn’t, I wouldn’t have seen…. this.” She laughed and gestured at the view. “This is better than anything I could ever dream of. I’m actually a little jealous of you.” She turned around. “You’ll get to see this again and again.”

“Rare privilege,” he joked. “It’s magical every time, but… I enjoyed it much more this time.”

“Because you got to steer?”

“Well, yes. But also because I got to share this with a friend.”

“Wasn’t Pierre with you the last few times?”

“That’s different.” He laughed. “He’s more of a mentor than a friend. But with you, it’‘s…” He shrugged, looking for a fitting word.

A smile crept up on Marinette. “You’re sweet.”

“I mean it.” He chuckled. “I feel like my friendship with you is special. And I’m glad I got to show you this.”

Marinette turned around. He had his usual relaxed smile and the starlight sparkled in his eyes. Maybe it was the light, but at this moment, Marinette was more mesmerized by the stars in his eyes.

“Luka?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know that feeling… when you wish you could just stay in one moment forever?”

Luka smiled. “Ever since I saw the stars for the first time. They’re truly…”

He didn’t finish what he was saying, because Marinette felt brave enough to press a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you… for everything. I felt scared and anxious when I boarded, and even though we had an awkward start, your kindness helped me so much to adjust and feel comfortable,” she whispered. “I meant what I said about you doing a great job and I‘m glad to have a friend like you.”

Her lips lingered over his hot skin and when she wanted to pull back, he turned his head to her, their noses brushing each other, she couldn’t. Instead she just stared into his eyes, like there was something magnetic about it.

Marinette’s heart was hammering in her chest so hard that it could probably wake up any of the other passengers and lead them in here.

But nobody came in.

It was just the two of them. Staring at each other. The moment felt so incredibly intimate, Marinette felt like her knees might give in, so the grip on Luka’s vest tightened. It seems like she could feel her heartbeat in her fingers. Or was that… his?

“Marinette…”

Her body practically moved on its own, lost in the moment, as her eyes darted from his gaze to his lips. Her nose brushed past his, her movements intoxicatingly slow.

It felt like a fleeting moment and eternity at the same time before she closed the distance, her heart dangerously close to exploding in her chest. Or maybe it had already stopped beating, she wasn’t sure. The only thing she was aware of in that moment was the pleasant feeling from her chest spreading through her entire body, becoming more intense with every slow, careful movement of their lips.

The kiss lasted just a few seconds and it was only when Marinette moved away and slowly opened her eyes that it slowly dawned on her what had just happened.

Her eyes flew wide open. “Oh my go— ow!”

Out of shock, she tried to jump back. the only problem was that the steering wheel had been blocking her way, which led to her promptly crashing into it with her lower back. The train slightly shook, shaking Luka out of his trance. His hands immediately flew to the steering wheel to stabilize the train.

“That was a close one,” he breathed, then straightened up again and cleared his throat. “Uhm… so… as I was saying… What was I saying before?”

“Uh… something about stars,“ Marinette replied, trying to sound as casual as Luka had tried to just now.

“Oh, right. Yeah, I…they’re cool,” he blurted out, looking outside.

At least Marinette wasn’t the only one failing at sounding casual. She slowly turned back around, her whole body still on fire.

Did… did that just actually happen?

It couldn’t have, right? Maybe that was just… some weird dream? Maybe some mind trick from the train?

No, how would that even work?

Well, the sea creatures had also played with her perception of reality. Maybe the stars had a similar effect on her? Except stronger, because she still could practically feel the softness of his lips, the gentleness of their movements, the way her knees had almost given in…

Marinette felt an intense heat crawling up her spine at the memory.

No, this hadn’t been a dream. She and Luka had just…

But… there was no reason for them to… they weren’t soulmates! Why would they…?

“So,” Marinette heard Luka break the silence behind her. Oh god, would he be angry with her? Would he scold her?

“Don’t worry about that!” she blurted out, turning around once again to face him. “I mean, I don’t know what just happened. Well, I do, I guess, because I was present and so were you, but that’s not… we’re close, you and me. Practically besties, so to say. Who doesn’t get swept up in the moment sometimes, you know? I mean, the stars just are so pretty, who wouldn’t…”

What was she even saying?

Luka just stared at her, probably trying to make sense of what Marinette was trying to say as she kept rambling complete and utter nonsense.

“Sure, it was unexpected but sometimes unexpected things happen. So, like, nothing to be ashamed—”

“I’m sorry.”

That managed to shut Marinette up. She blinked up at him as he took a step back, moving his right hand away from the steering wheel.

“If you wish to leave, you can,” he explained. “I’m not keeping you here if you don’t want to. I’m incredibly sorry, Marinette. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“I don’t feel uncomfortable!” Marinette blurted out, so loud that Luka flinched. “Sorry, I mean… I’m not uncomfortable around you, ever. And it’s weird, because I feel like I should want to leave, but… I weirdly don’t. Unless you’d like me to go.”

Luka swallowed. “You can do whatever you please, as long as you don’t feel weird or anything. I wouldn’t forgive myself if you didn’t feel good or safe on the train. Or… around me, specifically. You’re important to me, Marinette.”

Marinette lightly laughed at that. “Sometimes you say such dramatic things.”

Luka chuckled. “Is that weird?”

“No, I actually find it very endearing.”

They smiled at each other and Marinette could feel the tension lifting off her shoulders.

Suddenly, it looked like Luka’s cheeks slowly turned red as he scratched the back of his neck.

“Can I say something that’s actually weird?”

“I‘m sure it’s not that weird,” Marinette reassured him.

Luka bit his lip. “I kind of… uhm… I need you to turn around again.”

Marinette tilted her head. “Why?”

“Because if you don’t, I’m afraid I… might kiss you again.”

Marinette’s brain short-circuited all over again. She didn’t move. Instead, the scene from before repeated itself. With the staring and the longing.

“And… what if I don’t want to turn around?”

“Didn’t I just tell you?”

“Then… if you really want… you can go ahead.”

Luka swallowed. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Luka moved slowly towards her, to give her all the chances to move away if she wanted. But she stayed exactly where she was.

This kiss started out just as cautious as the first one, but this time, Luka‘s hands both left the steering wheel and instead carefully stroked Marinette's lower back, sending shivers down her spine.

With every passing second, every little touch, Marinette felt a deep yearning taking over her, becoming bolder in her movements. Her hands slid up his arms until one arm wrapped around his neck, the other gently stroking his cheek, his chin, his neck. She felt him lightly shudder beneath her touch and he pulled her closer, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. The motion caused his hat to drop to the floor, but neither minded as Marinette‘s fingers brushed through his hair.

It was distracting, overwhelming, dizzying, and honestly, kind of amazing. Marinette had never felt this way before in her whole life and in this moment, she wanted nothing more than to stay like this. Feeling his hands fisting into her cardigan to keep her close, hearing him quietly moan in between kisses, loving him like…

Like…

… loving him?

Her eyes flew wide open as she abruptly pushed Luka away. He blinked at her perplexed. “Wha—”

“Sorry, I—”

What in the world were they doing?

She didn’t… she didn’t love him! What was she thinking? He was the train conductor!

He was the one bringing her to her soulmate! The person she is actually supposed to love!

She didn’t love Luka! Even though they had just…

“Shit, look out!” Luka suddenly yelled, jumping towards the steering wheel and making a sharp turn to the right. Marinette’‘s hands flew to the handrail, trying to keep herself from falling over. The train shook violently as the conductor pressed several buttons.

“We almost collided with a comet,” he said, sounding agitated.

It took a few moments for him to stabilize the train. When the shaking became less and less, he let out a long sigh.

“Crap, that was a close one,” he said, then his eyes flickered over to Marinette. “Are you okay?”

Looking back, Marinette could’ve probably found a better reply. Praise him for dodging the comet, thanking him again for the nice view, wishing him a good night. But after the utterly confusing high of not one but two full-on kisses and a near-death experience, her brain was too fried for an actual conversation and the only words she could string together were “I have to go. ”

Right afterwards, she stormed out of the locomotive, through the empty dining car, through the aisles of the cabin cars. She didn’t look back once, her feet practically carrying her on their own until she reached her cabin. The door fell shut behind her and she leaned against it as reality slowly came crashing down on her.

She and Luka…

They… she had a soulmate!

A soulmate that wasn’t Luka! Whom she had just…

Silent sobs filled the small cabin. Marinette rested her forehead on her knees as she let the tears stream down her face.

Why did she do that?

Luka was the man whose job it was to unite her with the love of her life! He was supposed to be her friend, not someone…

Someone who made her heart flutter every time she so much as merely thought about him.

Someone whose smile brightened up her whole day.

Someone she…

Marinette lifted her head, her fingers brushing over her lips, as hot tears kept streaming down her cheeks.

God, how was she going to face him in the morning?

[quickspinner]

WIP It's Definitely Not Wednesday 12 April 2025

It has been a long, long while since I've posted a WIP snippet, or anything else. Living Arrangements is still percolating, but it's been a while since the words have been wording. Life has been happening. I do have a little bit more of a wip I affectionately think of as Hellfest/There Was Only One Mattress which is reluctantly cooperating with me at the moment. So here, have a little bit of Hellfest Lukanette:

The afternoon air was hot and thick, and it tasted of the dust stirred up by more cars and beat up vans arriving in the camping grounds, but Marinette stretched her arms up, doing a delighted spin despite the heat. Luka paused in the middle of straightening her tent pole to grin at her.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to get out of Paris,” she said, answering the question he hadn’t asked. “I’m enjoying the feeling.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you look so happy.”

“Less talk, more tent,” Juleka called from where she and Rose were wrestling their own tent into place.

There were a group of Belgians setting up camp in the patch of ground next to them. The two guys seemed to have abandoned setting up in favour of trying to see who could throw the other into the only tent they’d managed to put up so far. A young woman was watching them, her hands planted on her hips, and a look of exasperation under the dead black fringe that fell across her face. What had caught Marinette’s attention, though, were the blood red roses embroidered up the sides of her chunky black combat boots.

Juleka followed the line of her concentration. “Damn,” she muttered approvingly. “When you figure out how to do that, I want a pair, too.”

“Are you two chuckleheads going to finish up before sundown or am I sleeping in the car again?” the girl growled, as the tent collapsed under the weight of one of the boys and he struggled to his feet, laughing. She turned away with a huff of annoyance, her gaze shifting over Marinette and Juleka, to where Luka was hauling bags out of the van. Her eyes widened slightly, and Marinette felt a twinge of something that she didn’t really want to explore too closely when she recognised that expression of sudden interest.

“Hey, Blue!” the girl called. “Yes, you, in the Jagged t-shirt,” she added with a grin as Luka glanced around. “You look tall enough. Any chance you could help me get this strung up, since the idiots there are too busy proving how stupid they are to get any work done?”

Luka gave the girl a nod, and hefted the bags he was holding. “Give me a minute to sort these out.”

“I can finish unloading the van,” Marinette offered, “if you want to go give her a hand.”

“I’ll get your things first,” he insisted, his eyes on Marinette.

“Are you saying I’m too weak to carry my own bags?” she huffed in mock indignation, and he laughed at that, relinquishing the huge pink duffle bag he was holding into her outstretched hand. She took her bag of craft supplies and sketchbooks from him as well and slung it over her shoulder. “See? I’m stronger than I look.”

“I’m well aware,” Luka told her, still grinning, and headed to the campsite next door to help their neighbour.

[quickspinner]

(Some) Sentence Sunday: 04.13.2025

“I know it’s technically Dad’s furniture, but…” she whispered not too discretely as she passed by with Marinette’s standing mirror tucked under her arm, “…if you two did anything on that couch, you can take it with you, you know.”

She gave her a knowing little look, ignoring the way Tom started coughing. Marinette’s face flamed, but she had spent enough time in the Stone House to know how to handle Juleka’s barbs.

“No, thank you,” she said a little primly. “The thought of what you and Rose have done on that couch — or Jay and Penny, for that matter — was enough to prevent any questionable activities from happening on our part.”

…her papa actually yelped.  Her maman, on the other hand, started laughing.  Juleka just stared at her, her face impassive as she blinked.  After a moment, a slow smile curled her lips.

“…fucking gross, Marinette,” she said calmly.  “Touché.”

[quickspinner]

"You remembered that?"

[quickspinner]

Yeah Mr. Darcy’s proposal was a complete turd and a half but you gotta understand. You got your life together. A good career, stable income, retirement plan, all that shit together. And you meet this girl. And she’s everything. Clever, outspoken, funny, calls you on your bullshit. Grade A cutie, right? And she doesn’t go out of her way to spend time with you but she’s nice, and sometimes you catch her looking your way in a way that makes you think you might have a shot.

But her family. Holy shit.

First off, it’s p much ALL women, and mostly UNMARRIED women, which at this time means of something happens to her dad then you’re financially responsible for like. Four grown ass adults, potentially forever

Because mom in law is DEFINITELY gonna need someone to take care of her when dad in law kicks it, and they have like. NO money. So already you’re accepting that if all goes well, you’re gonna be one random old bag’s retirement home. That’s expensive and exhausting, yeah? Imagine asking someone on a first date knowing that if they say yes and things go good her high-strung chihuahua mother is gonna move in with you. IMAGINE.

And girly’s other sisters. Well, one is a sweetheart, yeah, and she’s getting engaged so she probably won’t be an issue, but that still leaves two more, and those ones are INSUFFERABLE. Never went to school, dumb as rocks, spend cash like it’s toilet paper

And while one of ‘em’s young still and might grow out of it the OTHER one is actively torpedo’ing her entire family’s reputation by wandering off with random dudes and chasing ass. She’s never gonna work, she can’t build connections, she’s a fucking sinkhole, and she’s being led on by the same goddamn con man ass leeching tit who’s been bleeding you dry while telling anyone who’ll listen that your family is full of ratty thieving bastards.

And if he dumps her after a week- WHICH YOU KNOW HIS BITCH ASS IS GONNA- you’ve got a SECOND UNMARRIABLE GROWN ASS ADULT TO PROVIDE FOR. And you KNOW she’s gonna be a tantrum-throwing little shit about it, and it’s not like you can lock her in the basement or something, you’re gonna have to bring her fucking. Everywhere. And give her an allowance and shit while she contributes zero, because again, she NEVER GOT EDUCATED AND HAS NO MARKETABLE SKILLS. She’s not even good to TALK to. FUCK

And you’re looking at this girl’s father like “please for the love of fuck get your spawn under control, marry them off, get them working on their résumé, learning to sew or be nursemaids or manage staff or SOMETHING, yall got no money and one foot in the grave” and that old man just laughs like “haha yeah, what can you do. lol”

So you’re looking to the mom and finally it’s making sense how she got that twitch in her eye and as MUCH as she is you’re starting to realize she’s the SMART one, desperately throwing her armloads of girls at random men like they’re a bunch of fucking lifeboats bobbing around a sinking ship, like yes Jesus Christ sweetly that life boat IS old and ugly and kind of boring but for FUCKS SAKE PICK ONE

And you look back at this girl who is ALSO REFUSING THE LIFE BOATS BY THE WAY and god damn it she’s still the most radiant thing you’ve ever seen so fine, fuck it, Christ alive, you’ll do it. You’ll shoot your shot. She’s everything you’ve ever wanted in anybody abut it’s not even just about that anymore, it’s about being her best fucking shot at a future, and even if she doesn’t like you all that much she’s still gonna say yes and that might break your heart a bit knowing it’s about the money but who knows, maybe it will at least be civil, or companionable, and even if she doesn’t LOVE you at least you’ll know she’s well and cared for

And so you’ll do it. You’ll take on the neurotic stress mess mother in law, the absent father, the broke ass wingnut no brain no money no future airhead sisters, the bad mannered relatives and the embarrassing behaviour and the impending future of sharing your entire shit with a clown parade of freeloaders, you’ll risk it all and accept the absolute certainty of financial ruin and emotional exhaustion for the rest of your whole ass life and you’ll make your own family deal with it too, you’ll do it, you’ll fucking DO IT, you stupid lovesick motherfucker

And so you go to this chick like “look. Your whole family’s a shitshow. You’ve got fucking nothing and you’re gonna die on the street. But for some reason- and I don’t get it either- I’ve fallen in love with you, and I wish I didn’t, but I did, so I’m telling you that whether you like me or not, I’ll give you everything. I’ll give you everything even if it’s the dumbest shit I ever done. Fuck my stupid Baka ass, I’ll marry you.”

And she looks at you- having heard or considered absolutely none of your months-long internal debate and monologue- and goes “The fuck did you just say about my family, you son of a bitch?”

And the shock of that is enough to jolt you back into a reality where you are able to actually hear and process what just came out of your damn mouth And yeah

Yeah, I think I kinda get it