Chapter Six

Luka perused the dessert menu for the umpteenth time before peering at the empty seat opposite him. Marinette had been gone for a long while. His blue eyes darted to the adjacent corner where the corridor to the toilets was hidden, but still his girlfriend didn't appear. Concern had him lowering his menu. Had she eaten something that hadn't agreed? Should he meander over and check she was okay? Not that he could go into the ladies bathroom, which was the only reason why he didn't get up from his seat.

Instead he pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time. Marinette had been gone for over 20 minutes. Anxiety coiled in his belly. Was she having second thoughts about their relationship? He hadn't made any fast moves. If anything, his mind had often been preoccupied with his troubled sister.

Juleka and Rose's relationship status was still on tender hooks, and the few times he'd talked with his sister he'd gotten the impression that she was ready to cut ties. But it would be a difficult decision. The girls had been best friends first and foremost. To end their relationship would not only mean goodbye to their lover but also their closest confidant.

With that depressing thought, Luka opened his messages and reread his last thread with Juleka. But his contemplation of the situation was averted by a loud growl from a few tables over. A young woman of Asian descent with a bob haircut was glaring at a man standing at her table. Luka couldn't see the guy's face because his back was turned in his direction.

After a moment, Luka recognised the woman. It was Kagami. Her lips were pulled back in what appeared to be a snarl. With her voice low, he couldn't hear her words but could tell that whatever she was saying was of a fierce nature. Yet by the man's body language, he wasn't fazed by her aggression.

Kagami gestured to the seat opposite and then to her phone. Her voice now loud enough for Luka to hear what she was saying, "My boyfriend, Adrien, is on his way. How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not interested!"

A throaty chuckle sounded from the man. "Your mouth says one thing, Kagami. But your eyes say another."

"My eyes agree with the rest of me, now get lost!"

The man merely shook his head, his brown shaggy hair jiggling with the move. "I infuriate you but that's pure chemistry. You need someone to challenge you, Kagami, and I do so enjoy a challenge."

Kagami shot to her feet, pointing to the door. "I said leave!"

Raising his hands in surrender, the man took a step back. "Okay, I'm going. But before I do, I'd like to point out a guy who's really into a girl wouldn't leave her hanging. Your boyfriend can't be too serious if he's almost half an hour late."

"Adrien is a busy man with a parent who demands a lot of him. On that we are kindred spirits, meaning I understand him and he understands me. Now go!"

Placing his hands in his pockets, the man retreated towards the exit yet his gaze remained on Kagami as he left. Still Luka was unable to see his face clearly. Instead he rose and went to see Kagami.

"Are you alright?"

The petite woman looked up in surprise, placing her hand on her chest as if relieved to see who it was. "Luka, I'm okay now. That guy is relentless."

"Who is he?"

Letting out a sigh, Kagami toyed with the edge of her napkin. "It's not important. He believes himself in love with me and won't take the hint that the feeling isn't mutual."

Narrowing his blue eyes, Luka looked to the empty seat opposite. "So Adrien was meant to be here with you?"

Kagami shook her head. "No, it was meant to be my mother. But she was feeling ill, so declined at the last moment. I was hoping Adrien would meet me here instead, as I saw my unwanted admirer earlier. The stupid moron tried to get a table here but thankfully they weren't able to offer him one until much later tonight."

"Do you want to join with me and Marinette?"

Brown eyes darted to the empty table he'd moved from, taking in the opened bottle of wine on the table and the single red rose lying beside Marinette's discarded napkin. "No, I'm fine. I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Okay but if you change your mind…"

"I won't. Eating alone doesn't bother me. Besides, Adrien might show up."

Luka gave her a gentle smile. "Alright, we'll be over here if you need us."

Kagami gave an absent nod as she lifted her menu, indicating the discussion was over.

No sooner had Luka returned to his chair, when Marinette raced back to her seat. "I'm so sorry I was gone for so long."

There was a slight sheen of sweat on her brow, partially obscured by her dark fringe. Plus Marinette's cheeks were flushed as if she'd exerted a lot of energy, but in doing what? Puzzlement had Luka's eyebrows arrowing up. Then it dawned on him. Leaning forward, he whispered, "Did you get food poisoning?"

Blue eyes widened, then darted back and forth as Marinette began to wring the cloth napkin in her hands. "Er, um…"

"It's okay. If you did we should tell the waiter."

"NO!" Marinette shouted then seemed to realise how loud she'd been when a number of heads turned their way. With an awkward smile meant to placate, she turned back to Luka. "It's not that. At least, not from here."

Luka frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I, uh… ate some leftover cheesecake at home this afternoon. It probably should have been tossed out but it was so yummy. I think that upset my stomach." Marinette placed her hand on her belly to emphasise her point. "But I'm feeling much better now."

"Are you sure? I can take you home if you prefer. Honestly, you probably shouldn't have dessert if you have an upset stomach."

Marinette gave the menu a forlorn look. "Um, okay. Maybe we can hang out at my place for a while."

"I'd like that."

Together they shared a warm smile, looking into each other's eyes in combined dreaminess.

Without breaking their gaze, Luka summoned their waiter with a wave and quickly dealt with paying for their meals. Marinette insisted she pay for hers but the musician shook his head. "I've got this."

Minutes later the waiter returned, his lips pressed together in a look of disquiet. "I'm terribly sorry sir, but your card was declined." He leaned close and whispered, "Insufficient funds."

"Damn, I thought we got paid for our last gig. I guess not." Luka fumbled through his wallet, grimacing at his lack of hard currency.

"It's okay," Marinette said with a sympathetic smile. "You can pay next time." With that she handed her card to the waiter while Luka's cheeks bloomed into a deep blush.

"I'm so embarrassed. I was certain the money had come through."

"Don't sweat it. We've all had moments where we're a little short on cash."

Luka nodded but his frown remained. "This was meant to be my treat."

"As I said, you get the next one."

"Alright, but I'll pay you back."

Marinette gave him a brilliant smile that made Luka's heart pound. "I know you will. You're a good guy, Luka."

"Thank you, Marinette, for being so understanding." He reached for her hand. "I swear I'm not a cheapskate."

At that she giggled. "I know. Although I could tease you and say you're living the true life of an everyday musician."

"Fitting the stereotype, hey?"

"Maybe," she grinned.

Standing up, he continued to hold Marinette's hand and led her outside. "Does that mean I'm a kept man?"

"No, we don't live together," she chuckled.

"That we don't. Have you found a roommate to replace Alya?"

The good humour disappeared from Marinette's blue gaze as she looked to the pavement, "Kind of."

"What does that mean?"

The pair continued to walk hand-in-hand, yet Luka felt Marinette's hold grow firmer. "Rose approached me, said she needs some space from Juleka."

That had Luka stopping midstride. "She's moving out?"

Marinette's teeth dug into her bottom lip. "Yeah, apparently."

"Juleka hasn't said anything to me. I wonder if she knows."

"I assumed she did."

Luka sighed and felt the squeeze of Marinette's hand as she laced their fingers tightly together. "Being apart might make them realise what they could potentially lose."

"I suppose so. What's sad is that I don't know if Juleka will be upset or relieved."

There was a flash of Marinette's teeth as she winced. "Yeah, that's got to be hard."

"Should I call her?"

"I don't know. Juleka should know but would the news be better coming from Rose so she can explain herself?"

Luka raked a hand through his hair. "I should talk to her regardless. At least it'll give me an idea if she knows or not."

"Good point." They stopped before Marinette's building, the pair standing idle at the foot of the stairs. "Do you want to hang out for a while first or talk to Juleka?"

"While I'd love to stay, I think I better check on my sister."

Marinette moved in to hug him. "Whatever happens, she'll be okay eventually."

"It just sucks, as her big brother I want to do something to protect her but I can't. It's not like I can go beat up a girl for breaking my sister's heart."

"You would if she were dating a guy?"

"My oath," he sneered.

Marinette shook her head, amusement pulling her grin into a lopsided slope. "Just be there for her."

"Do you think it'll make things awkward if Rose moves in with you?"

His girlfriend shrugged, "Possibly but they're both my friends."

Luka dropped his head, resting his brow against Marinette's. "I wish I could stay with you."

"How about you give me a kiss and we'll put a raincheck on quality time?"

"I can do that," he smirked while cupping her cheek with his free hand. Their lips brushed and a slow gentle kiss quickly worked into something far hotter. Marinette hooked an arm around his neck, her body plastering against his as they drank each other in. Eventually they parted and Luka let out a wistful sigh. "I'll call you."

"Please do," Marinette replied while giving him a final peck on the lips. "Take care."

Will trouble between Juleka and Rose cause problems between Marinette and Luka? Who knows, I haven't written the next chapter yet XD

Who is Kagami's secret admirer, now that we know he's real, and did Adrien ever turn up for dinner? So many questions. I suppose I'll answer them eventually.

Thanks for reading, and please give the review box some love. Cheers :)

(FYI... I've been suffering lack of motivation with writing, so I'm considering providing services to proof/play editor to other writers work in the interim - provided I've got the time. If you're interested, let me know via private message.)