15 August 2019

Prompt: First Time (Trope)

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

Character/Pairing: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Lila Rossi/Luka Couffaine (…?)

Rating: T / PG-13 / Teen

Notes: Luka serenades…Lila? What? So fun fact: this was going to be a short little shitpost about Luka helping Mari babysit Ella and Etta, and the twins won't stop spazzing, so he sings to calm them down and the first time Mari hears Luka sing it's BABY SHARK. Then I had a day of running errands with ATL and FOB blaring and this happened. (I dunno. I'd say I feel Luka's a bit OOC here, but the entire fucking class gets OOC when Lila's involved, so eh. I just had fun.)

The Playlist: "Hum Hallelujah" – Fall Out Boy; "That Girl" – All Time Low; "Favorite Record" – Fall Out Boy

Marinette couldn't breathe. Her chest felt tight. Her eyes burned with tears she refused to shed. Her face was warm with a furious blush. Her stomach had settled somewhere around her ankles.

She had never heard Luka sing before. Sure, he'd played for her countless times, but this was the first time she was actually hearing him sing.

And he was singing for her.

– V –

"We have a special treat for everyone tonight!" Rose cried into the microphone. Their gathered friends and classmates cheered and clapped. "I'm sure you've all heard by now about the special girl that was so instrumental in securing our record deal!"

Rose winked at the crowd gathered on deck, and it was…odd. Marinette felt her stomach flipping, because while Alya nudged her shoulder and grinned most heads turned towards Lila, who was demurely staring at her feet like the attention was too much for her. On the other side of the ship, Adrien frowned as he spoke with Nino. And Marinette was just…confused. She didn't even know how she had found herself here tonight.

Because Jagged Stone had heard about the nightmare that was the mess with Bob Roth. He had cut all ties with the exec, and in the weeks following Kitty Section's performance had started his own label ("What, like it's hard?") – and he'd wanted Kitty Section to be his flagship ("They're totally rock-n-roll!"). He hadn't stopped gushing about them the entire time he had met with Marinette to discuss the jacket he wanted for the press release ("Something snazzy and new, really rock-n-roll – you get me, right, Marinette?"), and when he'd spotted the familiar unicorn cat tee shirt on her mannequin he had flipped. Introductions had been made shortly after, and after parents had reviewed contracts…they were signed.

But Kitty Section had been keeping a low profile since the TV performance. True, they had invited the class to the ship for the music festival all those months ago, but not everyone had shown up. Once they'd started wearing the masks, they all felt it would be better for their private lives to keep the anonymity. So yeah, most of the class knew Juleka, Rose, and Ivan were in a band, but not everyone realized that band was Kitty Section. And, due to legalities, they were still trying to keep a low profile before Jagged's official announcement next month – but they had wanted to celebrate. So they had invited their friends over to the ship again, saying the band had gotten some good news and wanted to have a party. Maybe play a few songs. It was all supposed to be very laid-back, low-key, no masks or costumes…just a band celebrating their big break with their friends.

But somehow between Monday and Friday it had gotten out that Lila Rossi was close, personal friends with all the members of Kitty Section. She had been the one at the studio who had called Bob Roth on stealing their work. She had made the phone call to Jagged, being such close friends with him, knowing he'd love the quirky new band. The lead guitarist was even in love with her!

And Marinette had sat back in horror as Lila spun her lies. Because none of it was true, and everyone in their class – especially Rose, Juleka, and Ivan! – should know better. Because everyone was still eating out of the palm of her hand, and Marinette had promised Adrien she wouldn't rat Lila out. She had actively avoided Lila – which hadn't really been a problem, given her busy schedule – just so she wouldn't snap at her lies. But this…this…

"Well, he didn't want me to say anything – you know, to protect the band's privacy and keep me safe from paparazzi, but I know I can trust all of you," Lila had said before class Friday morning. "But he's asked me to be his girlfriend and everything! We're so in love!"

And that's what hurt the most, because Marinette knew it was a lie, but the idea that Luka would love someone like Lila…

She had tried to escape the classroom, needing a moment just to collect herself, when Juleka had grabbed her wrist.

"Hey," she'd mumbled, tugging to get her attention. If Marinette had bothered looking she might have seen how furious the band looked. "You're still coming over tonight, right? Help us set up?"

"Oooh, oooh, we could have a sleepover!" Rose cheered. "Please, Marinette? It won't be the same without our fifth member!"

She had smiled weakly at them, promised she'd be there, and made her escape.

They had discussed Lila at length the night before the party. Luka had laughed so hard he'd cried when Juleka told him about his new girlfriend, but the laughter had immediately stopped when he saw the look on Marinette's face. She'd excused herself to help Rose grab something below deck, and suddenly Luka hadn't found the story very funny anymore. The subject of Lila had dropped – at least while Marinette was around – and Marinette had almost forgotten about it.

Until Lila had shown up with Alya, Nino, and Adrien.

And now this.

"We wanted to give a big thanks to Lila Rossi – this wouldn't be possible without you!" Rose continued, smiling brightly at the blushing girl. Marinette's stomach flipped again. "So we've arranged a special treat, just for you! Luka, I think there was something you wanted to say to your girlfriend?"

It had to be a joke. It had to be.

Because Luka was smiling warmly at Lila as he stepped up to the mic. As he strummed a few chords and said how he just couldn't hold back his feelings anymore. How he wanted everyone to know how captivated he'd been by her from the moment they met at the TVi studio, where she had helped his band – Kitty Section – so much. So he had a song, just for her, and he was rubbish with words, but he hoped she understood what he wanted to say.

And Marinette wanted to cry. She had never heard Luka sing before. And now he was singing for Lila.

"Hum hallelujah," Luka sang, low and uncertain. He strummed a few more chords, as if he was trying to find the right key. "Just off the key of reason – I thought I loved you. It was just how you looked in the light…"

His voice was beautiful. It was low, almost a bass but still a baritone, and it broke Marinette's heart. She knew he wasn't good with words, but hearing him sing was wonderful, and she found herself wishing he would sing more. But she couldn't shake the thought that this was all for Lila, and that killed her.

"…I'm sorry," Luka suddenly said, cutting off the song. He shook his head and chuckled ruefully. "You know what? This just isn't working. Hey, Ivan, can I get a beat?"

Ivan looked downright evil when he grinned that way, but he tapped Luka out, and then the stage exploded.

"What am I supposed to do? Uh-oh! When she's so damn cold, like twenty below?" Luka belted into the mic, stunning the crowd into silence. "That girl, that girl, she's such a bitch!"

Lila shrieked.

"But I tell myself I can handle it!" Ivan and Luka sang together, and Marinette choked when Luka tossed her a wink. He looked back to Lila – who, Marinette finally noticed, had turned a sickly shade of green – and grinned. He continued singing about a guy who had moved to California and fallen in love with a girl who clearly didn't love him back, and the insults peppered throughout the verse were sung a bit more sharply: she's like good cocaine, numb as Novocain, beautiful but cold as ice. Juleka joined in on the second chorus, and Rose jumped in with harmonies until the entire band was on stage just…blasting Lila.

"That girl, that girl, she's such a bitch!" Luka sang, pointing directly at Lila with a withering glare. "Don't think I should have to handle it!"

Marinette bit her lip to hide her smile when he winked at her again. Alya snorted and nudged her shoulder again, and they shared a grin.

"Sit around waiting for the spark to fade – you can add another face to your pity parade! I can't believe it – I've never felt so cheated!" Ivan sang, and Luka dropped to his knees, bending back dramatically.

"Knock me down – it was all pretend! You set me back up just to do it again," he sang, a hand pressed to his forehead like he was about to faint. He sat up and shrugged. "You say love's overrated – I say it's complicated! So what am I supposed to do, uh-oh, when she's so damn cold, like twenty below? That girl, that girl –"

"SHE'S SUCH A BITCH!" the entire band screamed into their mics. Their classmates – minus an Italian ambassador's daughter, of course – screamed with them. Lila shrank back against the railing, but Kim had placed himself behind her to block her exit. He shot her a dark look, and she found herself spiraling. How had everything gotten so out of hand so quickly?

"Hey, Lila!" Luka called as the song ended. She gulped and looked back to the stage. He had his middle finger raised tall and proud in her direction. "Consider yourself dumped. Get off my boat."

She ran off crying. Marinette tried not to laugh.

"Not really sorry about that, guys," Luka said when some of the cheers had died down, "but…I don't really like liars, and I think you all found out she's a pretty big one."

"But we did really have a surprise for the girl who actually did help us!" Rose squealed, running up to Luka and grabbing the mic from him. He smiled and fiddled with his guitar, tuning it as she took over. "Marinette, I'm so sorry we all kept believing Lila, even after you told us she wasn't being honest with us. I know I already told most of you yesterday, but Marinette is our actual fifth member! She made our masks and costumes, and has been such a help, and she's the one who introduced us to the label! You're totally a kitticorn in my book, Mari!"

"Go Marinette!"

"You're the best, girl!"

"Our Everyday Ladybug!"

Marinette covered her burning face with her hands, smiling as her friends – her friends – cheered for her. She wasn't even sure what had happened – she had thought they all still sided with Lila, and yet…

"Rose found us yesterday," Alya whispered to her, squeezing her shoulders. A gesture of solidarity. "We were all a little suspicious when Lila started going on about Kitty Section, but then Rose called her out, and well…girl, I'm sorry. You were right. Things didn't add up with Lila, and I should have trusted you."

Marinette's smile was shaky as she looked up at her best friend, but Luka's voice pulled her attention back to the stage before anything more could be said.

"And Mari? It's a little public, and I hope you don't mind, but it didn't seem fair that Lila got a song and you didn't. I mean, if I'm supposed to be serenading the girl I love," he said with a gentle roll of his eyes, and her breath caught in her throat as he started playing again. He didn't look away from her as he began to sing. "Do, you do, do you remember when we drove, we drove, drove through the night? And we danced, we danced to Rancid, and we danced, we danced?"

The other members of the band stood to the side as he strummed out a slow, upbeat tune. She was barely aware of Rose grinning at her and shooting her a thumbs up, of the smirk on Alya's face as she nudged her shoulder. Her eyes were locked on Luka as he sang just for her.

"You were the song stuck in my head – every song that I've ever loved. Played again and again and again – and you can get what you want, but it's never enough," he sang. "And I spin for you like your favorite records used to. Woah, oh, oh, oh…yeah, I spin for you like your favorite records used to…"

Later, as the party was winding down, she sat with Luka by the railing of the bow. He strummed absently on his guitar as she leaned against him, her eyes closed as she just enjoyed his presence and his music.

"I like your singing," she finally said, peeking up at him. He kept looking at his guitar, but he smiled at her compliment. It was getting dark, and she wasn't certain, but she thought he was blushing, too. "Really. You should sing more."

"Jagged said the same thing," he said absently. "We're kicking a few songs around for the EP where Rose and I share vocals. More harmonies with the others. Did you hear Ivan? He can really belt."

She giggled, and he grinned at her.

"I meant it, Mari," he said, making her pause. "I…I was going to sing for you anyway, but when Juleka told me about what that girl was saying…I couldn't stand by while she hurt you. You're too important for that."

"Luka…"

"I know you still have feelings for someone else," Luka continued, looking back at his guitar, "and that's fine. It is. I just…I couldn't stand to see you hurt."

They lapsed back into an easy silence. Marinette smiled as she snuggled closer to him, and if she thought about it…if she really thought about…she wasn't so sure she had feelings for someone else anymore. She had already been thinking it, but if tonight had done anything it had proven that. Someone else never stood up for her in front of Lila. Someone else was just going to let Lila continue to get her way.

Maybe, she thought, maybe she deserved better than that. Maybe she deserved someone who would actually fight for her. Someone who actually cared about her as more than just a friend.

"Hey…Luka?" she asked after another moment. He hummed in response, and she smiled as her eyes closed peacefully. "Can you sing for me again? Please?"

"…anything for you, Mari," he said. He strummed a few more chords before settling on a song, and he whistled cheerfully before singing: "…that girl, that girl, she's such a bitch!"

Marinette snorted so hard it hurt and collapsed against his side. His playing cut off discordantly as their peace dissolved into a fit of giggles, and when Marinette looked back up at his grin she started laughing all over again.

Yes, she thought as he switched into a slower song – a sweeter song, about love and happiness and every feeling she currently felt bubbling inside – those feelings for someone else weren't there at all.

She just felt love, happiness, peace for Luka.