Here's another Lukanette story that has a bit of a sad start. Marinette is an adult fashion designer who makes custom clothes for her clients. Sadly, she is jaded when it comes to romance because she and her boyfriend Adrien were forced apart due to the latter being forced into an arranged marriage. But when her old friend Juleka comes to her with a request for a wedding dress, Marinette is taken by her big brother.

Though steadfast to not fall in love again due to her broken heart, Luka doesn't seem to know the meaning of "no," especially when he can tell she's hurting. So, will Marinette fall for the brother of the bride?

On with the show!


Wedding dresses. Pure white, unspoiled by dirt or grime, pain or heartache, or any other negative crap. Freshly made for a woman about to solidify her marriage vows with the person they love.

But for twenty-five-year-old Marinette Dupain-Cheng, it was just a sad reminder of what would never come to pass between her and her lost love.

With her hair of night, skin of cream, lips of rose-petal pink and eyes of bluebell, and talent for fashion design, quick thinking, and creativity, one would think she was quite the catch. Several men seemed to think so, since she had no shortage of admirers.

So why would her loving and devoted boyfriend Adrien Agreste, son of fashion mogul Gabriel Agreste, heir to the Gabriel brand, and overall sunshine child of Paris end his romance with her?

Simple: it was not his choice to do so. Hell, he would have popped the question if his father did not have other plans for his life as always. It seemed Adrien's luck was that of a black cat. There was always something going on in the background that made his life harder and more miserable.

~Flashback~

Marinette was walking with Adrien in the park, but no words were spoken between them. Adrien did not seem to be in a good mood. Rather than let the silence persist, he decided to break the ice and come out with the bad news he had received that morning.

"Marinette… We need to talk." Adrien said, looking at his girlfriend with sad eyes.

A man of twenty-five, older than Marinette by a few months, with hair like the sun, eyes like the forest, and skin of slight caramel, Adrien. He was known for good looks, wealth, being a model for his father, and overall sweetness… And his penchant for puns, which was apparently a case of "Like father, like son."

"What's going on, Adrien?" Marinette asked, detecting the sadness in her boyfriend's tone and eyes.

"My father's gone and done it again." Adrien said.

"What did he do this time?" Marinette asked, rolling her eyes. Why did Gabriel always have to make things difficult for them?

Gabriel had nothing against Marinette personally. In fact, she was one of his top interns at one point and he recognized her talent.

"About the worst thing he could do," Adrien spat. "No thanks to him, I… Can't even make my own choices about who I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Marinette realized where this was going. They were breaking up because of something Gabriel did? That could only mean one thing…

"He didn't…" Marinette said, her eyes about to well up with tears.

"He did," Adrien said. "He's arranged for me to marry Kagami."

"Kagami?!" Marinette squeaked, shocked.

She had nothing against the Japanese fencer girl. In fact, the two of them got along pretty well. Not only was she intrigued by Marinette's fashion abilities, but she was respectful of her romance with Adrien. Not only that, Kagami and Adrien were cordial enough during fencing matches that they were able to go toe-to-toe without being sore losers to one another. Sure, Marinette had her jealous moments when Kagami was around, but she knew to keep it under control.

"Yes," Adrien sighed. "Something about financial connections and social prestige for future generations. He knows you and I are in love, but as always, my feelings are inconsequential to him."

"Is he doing this to spite me?!" Marinette cried, on the verge of tears.

"That's what I asked him. He said it was nothing against you at all, but I'm calling crap on it," Adrien scoffed scornfully. "He always interferes with my life, even after eighteen. Can't he realize that I want to make my own life decisions?! It isn't rocket science."

Marinette could tell he was frustrated. Gabriel had always been a micromanager, but it got worse when Emilie, Adrien's mother, vanished.

And now no thanks to him, Marinette's dreams of a future with Adrien were shattered like a stone thrown at a stained-glass window. It was NOT fair!

"You couldn't turn it down?" Marinette asked.

"I tried to tell him "no," but you know how my father operates, Marinette," Adrien said, resigned. "His word is law as far as my life is concerned."

"How could he do this to you?! To US?! Why can't he…" Marinette began, as she started crying.

Adrien hugged Marinette close, and let her cry into his chest.

"I'm sorry…" Adrien mumbled. "If my father didn't go and mess around like this, then I would've proposed to you tonight."

"And I would've said yes! I already had my wedding dress sketched out!" Marinette sobbed into her hands.

"And it would've been great, bugaboo." Adrien said solemnly.

"Bugaboo" was one of his many terms of endearment for her. Ladybugs were a common theme in Marinette's fashion choices, and since he considered himself to be bad luck, he felt that her good luck was the perfect balance for him.

Adrien cupped her face into his hands, and quietly requested, "Before we part ways… Just promise me one thing?"

"Yes…?" Marinette asked, looking up at Adrien with teary eyes.

"Don't ever forget that I love you, and I always will, Princess. Even after Kagami and I are wed, I will always think of you," Adrien said, still trying his best to save face around his love. "But don't let this be the end of your happiness."

"What do you mean?" Marinette cried. How could she be happy in the future now that the man of her dreams was being forced out of her life?!

"Don't be afraid to love again. And don't be afraid to talk to me like normal in the future." Adrien said... Albeit he knew that it was cold comfort.

Marinette kept crying, and Adrien stroked her head. Knowing it would most likely be his last chance before his unwilling marriage to Kagami, Adrien kissed Marinette on her sweet, pink lips. Using his tongue to poke her bottom lip, she opened her mouth to grant his tongue access. Not wanting any barriers between them, Adrien took out her hairbands and let her pigtails fall to her shoulders, so he could thread his fingers through Marinette's silky hair for the last time.

They kept going, deciding to take advantage of their remaining time together. After what seemed like hours, Adrien merely kissed Marinette's tears away before gently making his lips leave her sweet face.

"Goodbye, my lady…" Adrien sadly said, as he let go of Marinette.

His head down and shedding tears, Adrien stuffed his hands into his pockets and slowly walked away. It was killing him inside to do this, but he had no choice.

Now completely alone, Marinette fell to her knees, sobbing heavily. The full moon's light shone down on her, acting like a spotlight.

~End of Flashback~

That was the last time she had seen or heard from Adrien, and that was about three months ago. It did not take an expert to see that she was still hurting from the breakup.

So, she did the only thing she could: focus on her job and try to force the negative emotions out of her heart.

Looking at the wedding dress she had just finished designing for her former bully Chloé – who had shaped up and matured quite a bit since their junior high days – only represented her broken dreams of love.

Yes, she was now a rising star in the fashion industry that had been backed by Gabriel Agreste. Yes, she had designed many a dress, shirt, jewelry piece, or pair of pants for many kinds of people in her career: brides, grooms, normal customers, drag queens, you name it. Yes, she had a great team in her business. And yes, she had a steady financial plan, so she was able to live within her means. But at the end of the day, she could only think to herself...

'Always a designer, never a bride.' Marinette mulled in her mind.

Just then, there as a beep coming from her intercom on her desk. She pressed the button that allowed two-way communication, and asked, "Hello?"

"Marinette? Your next bride, our old friend Juleka Couffaine, is ready for you." Her secretary, Sabrina Raincomprix stated through the phone.

Sabrina was another one of Marinette's bullies in junior high, but that was only when she was working in conjunction with Chloé. When Sabrina was all alone, she was actually a pretty sweet person and was nice enough to Marinette. Chloé was just a bad influence on her in the past.

Once she and Chloé stopped hanging out after high school, Sabrina struck out on her own and made it through college without any problems. When looking for a job, Marinette did not hesitate to give the redhead the benefit of the doubt or the position.

Sabrina proved to be a very good secretary and was a friend and confidant to Marinette whenever her best friend, journalist Alya Césaire, was unavailable.

"Send her in, Sabrina," Marinette said. "Thank you."

A few minutes later, a woman with fair skin, copper eyes, wearing mostly black, and had black hair with purple tips walked in.

"It's been a while, Juleka," Marinette said, smiling at her former classmate. "How have you been?"

"It's been too long," Juleka quietly said. "I've been doing well enough."

"So, you're finally tying the knot with Rose? Congratulations." Marinette said, tryng to hide her own heartache.

"Thanks," Juleka said. "I... I heard about what happened with Adrien… I'm sorry."

Marinette merely gave a nod, trying to make sure not to cry during a consult, even if it was with one of her friends. Personal problems needed to be left at the door when you are at work. Just a fact of professional life.

"Thanks… Now let's get down to business," Marinette said, as she and Juleka sat down. "I assume you want your dress to be black?"

Juleka giggled and said, "How'd you guess?"

Marinette laughed back and said, "We've been friends for years, Juleka. I think I know you very well. So, other than the color, what else do you want for your dress?"

"Well…" Juleka began, but her watch began beeping. She looked at it and then back at Marinette.

"What's wrong?" Marinette asked, tilting her head.

"I forgot to mention that my older brother is coming to this consultation, and he just texted me that he's going to be here in a few minutes." Juleka said.

"Hold on, you have a brother?" Marinette asked. "I had no idea. Why didn't you...?"

"There was never a situation that called for it," Juleka said with a shrug. "Anyway, since I'm asking him and his friends to be the music at the wedding, he at least wants to give his input about the dress."

Marinette face-palmed. It was sort of an unspoken rule that if there were going to be other people involved in the consult, the least the client could do was inform her in advance. On the other hand, she was unaware that Juleka even had a brother until that moment. She was a little subdued in manner compared to her best friend Rose Lavillant, so she did not talk very much. Thus, in hindsight, Marinette being unaware of this mystery brother of Juleka's was really unsurprising.

As the two women spoke about the dress, there was a knock at the door.

"Probably Sabrina... Come in," Marinette said, before turning back to Juleka. "Now, where were we...?"

When the door opened, in walked a young man, about two years older than Marinette and Juleka.

Marinette's eyes widened. He had slightly tanned skin, not unlike that of Adrien. However, he had short black hair with blue tips dyed at the ends, similar to Juleka's purple-tipped hair. He had matching teal eyes, was wearing a white shirt underneath a black double-rider jacket that had blue trim that matched his eyes and hair. He was wearing black stud earrings, his fingertips were painted black, and he had a black guitar case on his back.

Marinette could tell Luka was looking at her more intensely than she would like. Their eyes met, he blinked a bit, and then he gave the designer a smile. Marinette blushed a bit, taking in the newcomer's eyes and the way they were examining her, like she were a fine piece of jewelry or a rare gemstone that he had just found.

She had to admit that he was definitely good to look at, too.

'He's kind of handsome… Wait, what am I thinking?!' Marinette thought, but immediately shook those thoughts out of her mind. 'You're in the middle of a consultation, Marinette! There's a time and a place for everything, so remain focused on the task at hand!'

"Luka, there are you, bro," Juleka said, as her brother walked towards one of the chairs. "This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, one of my old friends from school."

Marinette stood from her desk to approach Luka. She noticed he was giving her a certain look she could not describe, and he was giving her a smile, keeping his eyes on her.

"Cu – erm, eh…" Marinette began, before clearing her throat and regaining control of herself. She held her hand out.

"Marinette... Enchanté." Luka said, as he took Marinette's hand and shook it… But not without turning her hand over and kissing it.

Marinette's heart skipped a beat in pain. She had a flashback... Adrien used to kiss her hand the exact same way when they were on dates in the past. Just being reminded of her failed love with the blonde made her emotional wounds - which were just starting to heal - open up for the briefest of moments.

Realizing this, she quickly took her hand away. Marinette's eyes fell in hurt for a few seconds. She looked back up at Luka, and with an even tone, she said, "Mr. Couffaine…"

"Please, call me Luka," He chuckled back. "Besides, I can't be so formal with one of my sister's friends. Especially one who's as cute as you."

Marinette went red in the face before taking a deep breath to calm down.

"Luka, no flirting," Juleka said, giggling deeply. "Can we get back to the dress?"

"Yes, we should," Marinette said, as she returned to her desk, subtly fanning herself to regain her composure. "Please, sit down, Luka."

Luka put his guitar down and sat in the chair next to Juleka.

"I hear you have some input about the dress you wanted to discuss?" Marinette asked, maintaining a professional tone.

"Yeah, I know Juleka wants the dress to be black, with a bit of purple mixed in. In all honesty, I can't imagine her wearing any other color combination for her wedding," Luka said, chuckling. "But black isn't a traditional wedding color."

"Plenty of modern brides go for all kinds of colors and patterns on the spectrum, Luka," Marinette said, as she looked through her portfolio of past dresses. She was not only trying to find something Juleka liked, but to also keep herself from looking her brother in the eye. "It's not unheard of to see a bride in a black wedding dress. I've seen it happen plenty of times, for Halloween or goth-themed weddings."

Luka smiled at Marinette's reasonable outlook on the idea of a black wedding dress, and gave her a smile. This seemed to go unnoticed.

"So what do you recommend?" Juleka asked.

"Let me show you my little treasure trove in the back." Marinette said, standing up and leading the twosome into another hallway.

As they walked down the hall, Juleka looked up at her brother and saw the look he had in his eyes when staring at the back of Marinette's head.

"Here's my reserve of wedding dresses," Marinette declared, as she led the siblings to a pair of double doors. "Take a look."

Marinette's collection of dresses had a wide range of variety, from colors, to styles, to accessories, and everything in between. Having such a huge selection was a bit of a hassle in terms of keeping and financing the inventory, but it was also an asset for multiple scenarios. Marinette had to work with brides who were either confused about what they wanted or who knew what they were after. Every time, she was able to deliver, and the client was satisfied and then some.

Luka was in awe of all the skirts, sleeves, and veils. Marinette made all of these? Talk about high-end style. Marinette was definitely a talented designer. Luka would have loved to watch Juleka modeling all of the dresses, but seeing her wearing black and purple just felt normal to him.

"Wow... All of these designs are yours, Marinette? This is incredible." Luka asked, as he looked at one of the white wedding dresses. It was a floor-length, tiered halter dress with sheer fabric ruffles on the skirt. The waistline had a few white silk roses, and a small white rose spray was on the right lapel of the dress.

"Well, the designs are mine, but with input from my team, they've changed and evolved over time, so I have to give them credit, too." Marinette said, as she looked over at another section of her work.

"You're amazing, Marinette," Luka said, as he fingered the fabric. "A true artist."

"Oh, why... Spank you - no, I mean thank you, Lo-La-Le... Thank you, Luka." Marinette said, fumbling over her words before reigning them in. She swore she heard Juleka laughing.

Just then, she noticed that Luka was staring at her. His teal eyes held mirth in them, as well as what could only be described as admiration.

In response, she blushed and turned back to Juleka.

"H-Here's my selection of black dresses, Juleka," Marinette said, as she began showing Juleka the black dresses. "Take a look around and see what you like."

The two women started to push around and sift through all the dresses. Luka helped out by picking out the pieces that he thought would suit his sister, too. But he knew that it was Juleka who had the final say.

"I think this one with the wrist-length black petal sleeves looks like a prospect," Marinette said, as she showed Juleka a dress that was in a clothes bag. "I can modify it to add any other features you might want or remove ones you don't like."

"It looks promising." Juleka agreed, a small smile gracing her lips.

"I can see her wearing that." Luka approved offhandedly... but it was easy to notice that he was looking at the designer rather than the dress.

Marinette's eyes briefly met Luka's before turning her attention back to the matter at hand. She could tell that Luka was looking at her in a way she could clearly identify.

She recognized the emotions in his eyes. Before they started going out, she remembered that Adrien would give her heated looks from a distance. The feelings of raw desire and a hope to learn more about her were obvious in his peridot orbs. Those gazes were identical to the ones Luka was giving her at that moment. But Marinette was on the job, all the more reason that she did not want to think about it, especially not now. Bad enough she had her heart shattered to pieces not even a quarter of a year ago, but to experience someone else act in a similar manner around her was getting on her nerves.

'Keep it together, Marinette. You're working right now.' Marinette thought to herself, as she kept subtly stealing glances at Luka.

Luka himself was entranced by Marinette. There was just something about her that pulled him in. Yes, she was adorable, but there was more to it. He was able to read emotions pretty well, and he could tell talking to him made her heart flutter a bit, and she was making any an all reasonable efforts to squash it down. In all transparency, he found her very endearing.

Juleka noticed the looks her brother and Marinette were giving each other. She smiled, thinking that maybe Luka had developed a little bit of a crush on Marinette. However, her face fell when she remembered that her blue-eyed friend was in no hurry to find a boyfriend.

"Let's see what other options there are... What about this black keyhole evening gown? I can add some lace accents to it or we could include a black lace veil to the overall outfit. Maybe a few purple flowers here and there?" Marinette suggested.

"That sounds great." Luka said.

The trio kept sifting around the dresses until they narrowed it down to three. It was very hard for Juleka to choose, and even Luka had to admit his opinions were split amongst the designs... Marinette's work was so impeccable that he could not just pin it down to one.

Half an hour later, the consult was over, and they scheduled another meeting for a later date. For Marinette, it could not have been over fast enough. She wanted to make sure Luka was gone so she could continue her work. For some odd reason, knowing he was there gave her chills down her spine, but not in a negative way

As Juleka made her way to the door, she said, "See you later, Marinette. We need to get together some time."

"We sure do," Marinette said. "I'll tell the others you said "Hello," when I see them again."

"That would be great." Juleka said with a friendly nod.

Once she left, Luka stayed behind. He leaned against the wall with his guitar case on his back, with a level gaze on Marinette. There was clear interest in his body language, and he was trying to find the right timing to say something. Marinette had her back to him and was working on organizing some of the papers on her desk.

'He's still here... Why?' Marinette thought, trying to focus, but knowing that Luka was looking at her was making her nervous.

Deciding to take a chance and ask, Luka walked over to her desk, placed a hand on it and propped himself up, and then he smoothly said, "Hey, Marinette..."

"H-Hey, I, bri-" Marinette began, once again trying not to stutter. "Er, what cap I - er, what can I do for you?"

Luka started to chuckle at her stammering. Marinette, embarrassed, face-palmed. She just wanted to hide under her desk after that.

"You're pretty funny, Marinette. Your stuttering is cute." Luka said, giving Marinette a smile.

'He seriously thought my word vomit just now was funny?' Marinette thought, a bit surprised.

No one really called her stammering funny before, let alone cute... Minus Adrien. At that thought, her face contorted a bit, a little uncomfortable.

"Anyway, what you "cap" do for me, is maybe get coffee with me some time?" Luka chuckled.

Did he just...? He did. He asked her out on a date. Marinette's mind went blank for a second. After all this heartache and sorrow she had been through, someone asks her out?! And of all people, the older brother of one of her brides? Looks likes even though he was unwillingly out of her life, Adrien's black-cat luck seemed to rub off on her. The timing of getting asked out on a date by someone could not have been any worse.

Seeing that she was silent from the question, Luka got confused. Was it that out of the blue? Or had she never been asked out on a date before?

"So...?" Luka prodded, hoping for an answer.

"Oh, um..." Marinette began, her eyes darting around to look for an escape.

'Come on, say something!' Marinette thought, and she soon saw her calendar. Finding an opening, she opened her mouth up.

"I, er... I can't... I'm a pretty busy woman," Marinette said, trying to stay calm. She turned her face away to hide the redness in her cheeks. The last thing she needed was Luka getting any ideas. "I have another client coming in fifteen minutes."

"I didn't say now, Marinette," Luka smugly said, smothering a laugh. "I said some time, meaning whenever you're available."

Marinette had to admit that Luka had a point. He was careful about his word choice. She could not believe she fell for that.

His own watch beeped and he read a text from Juleka, asking where he was.

"Oh, Juleka's looking for me," Luka said. "I hope to see you again soon, Marinette."

As Luka was about to leave, he turned back, winked and blew a kiss in Marinette's direction. Marinette's eyes went wide before turning her face away.

Luka then waltzed out the door. Once she was sure he had left and was not about to come back in, Marinette sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness... He's gone," Marinette quietly said, relieved that Luka had left. She pressed the intercom button. "Sabrina, let me know when my next customer is here."

"Understood, Marinette." Sabrina replied.

Marinette sighed once she cut the connection off. She sat at her desk, trying to compose herself.

"I hope Alya's available..." Marinette murmured, as she rubbed her hands against her face. The bespectacled writer was just the person she needed to talk to over a glass of wine at the moment.


Back with the guitarist, Luka could not push Marinette out of his thoughts... Nor did he want to. She was cute as a button, funny, beautiful, every single compliment he could think of. His mind kept wandering to the raven-haired designer. During the consultation, he could tell that she was passionate about her work. Her eyes were on fire with inspiration, and knew that she wanted to be able to make the most of her artistry within Juleka's parameters.

He was smitten, no lie. He wanted to get to know her better, but it seemed she grew shy every time they made eye contact. She tried to keep things professional in there, and he was glad for it. Marinette may have been Juleka's friend, but she was not about to let that affect her work. It was admirable.

Since she seemed uncomfortable with the idea of going out to coffee with him, he had to wonder: was being able to see her outside her workplace a crime? Because he would gladly get arrested and plead guilty on trial if could get a chance to talk to Marinette again.

"She's a riot, sis." Luka said, speaking up, a wistful tone to his voice.

"Marinette?" Juleka asked, looking at Luka with surprise.

"Yep," Luka said, popping the "p." "She's certainly something special."

"Mon dieu, don't tell me..." Juleka muttered, concerned about what her brother was about to say.

"Yeah, I asked her out for coffee." Luka said with a shrug.

"She said "no," didn't she?" Juleka stated.

"How did you know?" Luka asked, surprised that his sister knew Marinette's answer.

"She's... Well..." Juleka began, not sure how to continue without being disrespectful to her friend. "A little... averse to romance."

"Translation?" Luka asked, quirking a brow.

"I'd rather not talk about it. It's her business." Juleka said.

It was true. Marinette's unwilling severance with her relationship with Adrien was her business, and it was not Juleka's place to say anything. If Marinette wanted to advertise, it was her choice.

Sensing that it was a sore topic, Luka just shrugged and decided to let it go instead of pushing for answers. He was going to respect his sister's choice, and try his best to romance Marinette, albeit gently and slowly. After all, she was just a shy little bud that needed nothing but bit of coaxing to bloom into the beautiful flower he knew she was inside.

Besides... he had already picked up on her heart's music's first stanza and all he could tell was that there was a sad, wounded tone to it. He was going to win her over and finish the song and making sure it ended on a sweet note, one way or another.


6:15PM that evening, and Marinette had called an "emergency venting session" with her best friend, Alya. She was her main audience for whenever Marinette had troubles to offload. Talking to her parents was one thing, but at twenty-five, she deemed that to be childish. So, Alya was the best person to rant to at times like this.

"So, how did your consult with Juleka go?" Alya asked.

The pair were at their favorite restaurant, which was reasonably priced by their standards.

"It went fine, but trying to stay focused with her brother Luka making eyes at me was hard." Marinette admitted.

"Wait, Juleka has a brother?" Alya questioned. "How come I never heard about this? I'm the journalist here, why wasn't I told?"

"I only just found out about him today, too, Alya," Marinette said, sighing. "Juleka's always been the quiet type, you know that."

"Good point." Alya said, realizing Marinette was right.

Juleka was not the most outgoing girl, so a lot of times she felt that she just blended in with the background. When the girls thought about it, it did not come as a shock that she did not mention Luka in the past.

"The only reason Luka was there was because he's the lead guitarist in his band and he was asked to be the music entertainment at the wedding, but he wanted to give his two cents about the dress, too." Marinette admitted.

"That's fair. I guess the brother of the bride does have the right to voice his opinion..." Alya began, but then a mischievous grin spread on her face. "But you said you tried not to get distracted by him? Deets, girl."

Marinette moaned internally. She just HAD to pique the interest of the journalism mind in her best friend, didn't she? Just mentioning an implication of romance on her part was enough to trigger her Alya's passion for fact-finding.

"Like I said, he was making eyes at me, like he was sizing me up or examining me or something. There was this strange glint in his teal eyes that just made me a little uncomfortable. After the appointment was over, he asked me out for coffee." Marinette said, before sipping her rosé.

"So, what did you say?" Alya asked, eager to hear her best friend's answer.

"I turned him down, duh." Marinette said, rolling her eyes.

"Are you kidding me?" Alya asked. "A cute guy who's the brother of one of our old friends asks you out on a date, but you tell him "no?!" Marinette, you can't be serious!"

"I am, Alya. But I get this feeling he won't be gone for long. He did blow me a kiss before he left." Marinette said, sighing.

"OOH~! Sounds like this musician's got a love song in his heart for you." Alya said in a sing-song tone, before taking a swig of her merlot.

Marinette gave her best friend a deadpan expression before drinking her wine again. She thought, 'Luka, like ME? Gimme a break... I'm DONE with love.'

Alya saw the look on the designer's face and took the initiative to speak up.

"Come on, girl, you can't brush this guy's feelings off." Alya said, noting the gears in her best friend's head turning.

"How do I know he isn't just flirting for flirting's sake?" Marinette inquired, cocking a brow.

"Also valid, considering you two just met today," Alya said, shrugging. "But really, shouldn't you at least take a chance?"

"Alya," Marinette firmly began. "You know why I won't."

"Yeah, yeah, still spurned from Gabriel getting in between you and Adrien, I get it," Alya said, rolling her eyes. She had heard the whole story from Marinette the night of the breakup, but she was not going to put the blame on Adrien or Kagami. She knew full well it was Gabriel's fault. "But that's no reason to shut any and all chances of romance out."

"I don't care," Marinette scoffed. "I'm never going into a relationship again. Plain and simple."

"Marinette..." Alya sighed.

Marinette swore to herself that after her forced split with Adrien, she would never find love again. She would focus on her career and that alone, because after her heart had been shattered, her fashion design life was all she had. She had her friends and her business... that was all she needed.

"I'm satisfied, Alya," Marinette said with a pained smile. "I don't need a boyfriend..."

"Keep telling yourself that," Alya murmured. "Listen, I have a great job and friends, and Nino and I are going strong. If I can find happiness in all of that, then why can't you?"

The last thing Alya wanted was for Marinette to drown herself in her work or try to "tough it out" to forget about her broken heart... Although she was already doing so. One thing Marinette had been doing the past few months was forcing herself to seem okay in front of her workers. Sabrina picked up on her depression, but did not say anything because she needed to be professional. Alya felt that putting on a front like this was no different than having a rebound guy. It was not a healthy coping mechanism. The pressure and the stress would take its toll on Marinette sooner or later.

On the other side of that coin, the breakup was only three months ago, so it was still a bit raw. Alya could understand that Marinette probably did not want to move on right away, especially since what she and Adrien and was so precious.

Marinette merely looked down onto the surface of her beverage, and looked into her pink-colored reflection. She could tell she looked pathetic. If she jumped into anything now, it would only burn out and end even worse than last time.

"Why? Because I'll just get hurt again..." Marinette said, and their server soon came with the food.

"You don't know that." Alya said, before resigning herself to just eating and not trying to push her friend into trying something with Luka.

Marinette refused to answer as she started to eat her Coq Au Vin. Alya cut into her crepe, deciding not to stir the pot even further, lest they have a public fall-out with each other.


There we go. The next chapter will explore Luka's side of the story a little bit, and we'll see him make a move on Marinette in small, subtle ways.