Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Author's Note: I am sorry for the late upload, it's been a really busy week. I will be posting two or more chapters today, to catch up. Please don't forget to leave a review! Thank you!

Desideratum

Chapter 8

True to her word, his mother was nowhere to be seen that afternoon, when he exited the school building.

But there was someone waiting for him—someone he could recognize in a heartbeat despite having never seen even once in real life.

If there was something in this world that Cadence hated more than he hated seeing his mother upset, that was being left in the dark for the sake of his safety. Because how could one be safe when they didn't know what the danger was and where it could come from? Too bad his mother didn't understand that, and was under the false impression that she could protect him from everything. Cadence knew she tried, and he appreciated that. She had, after all, done a perfect job until now. But there were aspects he could help her with, matters he could understand. He was still a child, but that didn't mean he didn't own a brain.

Heaving a sigh, he approached the stranger with slow, yet precise steps. When he reached him, the man crouched down in front of him, the same cerulean eyes that were so much like his own studying him carefully, with a mixture of fondness, pride, incredulousness and wariness swirling inside of them.

He knew this man, and he didn't know him from the picture. No, he knew him because his heart told him so. Unfortunately, that was the only thing he could rely on at the moment.

But Cadence didn't like relying on his heart in such situations, because that made him vulnerable, so he turned to his mind, and blurted out the only words he knew he could be sure of.

"Hey, Dad."

The resemblance was staggering.

Luka had only seen his son once before, and that had been from afar. But sitting here now, across from him, he couldn't help but wonder if it had ever been possible for him to walk past him on the street one day and not notice him, not realize, despite the fact that he hadn't known of his existence until merely three days ago.

He had Marinette's midnight dark hair and his blue orbs, but the strands fell to his face like his own, and his eyes studied everything with an analytical power he himself had mastered through the years. That cheeky grin was hers, without a doubt; perhaps the laugh, as well. His calculations, his calm demeanor, his affinity for ice-cream and all things sweet. But everything else, from what he could tell, was Marinette's. Her way of thinking, her way of drawing conclusions, her way of speaking—even her mannerisms. The stubbornness was something he had inherited from the both of them, but the way he used it in his favor? Like his mother.

And perhaps that was partially the result of her influence over him, since she had been the only parent he had ever known, but the fact remained: he saw her in him as much as she had probably seen him. And his question was… how had she dealt with this for so long?

"Look," he started, heaving a sigh, "I know what your mother must have told you about me—"

"Nah," he interrupted him, shaking his head. "Actually, she didn't tell me anything about you."

Luka frowned.

"I mean, I did come across that picture of you two a few weeks ago, and she said she could find you for me if I wanted—I know she already told you this, she kind of screamed it at you back at the apartment—but I said no."

"Why?" he asked.

Cadence shrugged, licking his spoon clean. "'Cause she seemed really… I don't know—guarded, I guess. And I didn't know you, and I kind of felt like I didn't need you, either, so I thought I shouldn't put her in a situation where she could get hurt when there's always the possibility of me not even liking you at all, you know?"

It took him a moment to follow the course of his thoughts. "That's nice," he eventually noted.

Cadence looked up at him suspiciously. "Sarcasm?" he tried.

Luka smiled. "No. I meant—that you think of your mother first."

"I have to," he said, swinging his legs back and forth on his seat. "No one else does. And she does the same for me."

That, in itself, was what he had been unconsciously most afraid of ever since he found out the truth. That the relationship between mother and son would be too perfect, too well-balanced to let him in. That he would never gain a place in their life without ruining something. Because Luka had seen the way Marinette talked about their son, the spark in her eyes, the lightness in her posture. He had seen the protective way she spoke of him. He had seen them interact. And truly, there was nothing missing from their life.

But looking at his child now, he knew he would try. He would try to become close to him, no matter the outcome. And if Cadence ended up accepting him as his father, then he would behave as such. If not, then he would leave. He had already watched everything that had ever mattered to him leave his life once, so he would be alright; he knew what needed to be done in order for them to be happy.

But he would try. Because this—him—was worth it.

Cadence made a dash for his mother as soon as they exited the building.

Marinette pushed off the car to receive his embrace, and she smiled down at him as he wrapped his little arms around her waist, brushing his hair away from his forehead in a gentle gesture.

She was beautiful. That was the first thought that crossed his mind when he caught sight of her. She was dressed casually, far from the businesswoman he had seen the day before and she was looking down at Cadence with such tenderness in her eyes, that it made his heart beat faster.

She spared a single glance at him. Their eyes locked, for a mere second, and it was as though every shield in the world rose to protect her once more.

Cadence tugged on her shirt to gain her attention, and the moment she gazed down again, her lips stretched into a smile. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Luka hung his head and left without ever looking back.

Marinette watched with mild amusement and fondness as Cadence ran towards her, almost knocking her off-balance when he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Running her hands through his thick, blond hair, she smiled down at him.

"How was it?" she asked softly.

"He's cool," he answered simply, his eyes serious and sincere.

"Yeah?" she prodded.

"Mhmm."

She took a moment to gather her courage before she looked up, and there he was, watching them, an odd mixture of longing, tenderness, and pain mixing in his eyes.

She had to look away immediately, not because her son demanded her attention, but because her heart felt as though it was about to burst.

"He said he wants to see me… on Saturday, I think," he announced. "And he said to call him to tell him if I can."

Marinette nodded, steering him gently towards the car. "If you want to," she answered as she opened the door for him and ushered him inside.

"I want to."

She almost froze in the action of slipping inside the vehicle, but she managed to catch herself in time. This was making him happy, she reminded herself. And she would do anything for Cadence to be happy.

"Good," she whispered, and turned the key into ignition.

A/N: Kind of awkward don't you think? I will be posting the next chapter in a few minutes. Please review, thanks!