Notes: Shout out to all the lovelies in the Lovebugs & Snakecharmers Discord for brainstorming this one with me – they saved y'all from a bumbling Marinette deadass asking Luka, "How's your penis?!" (Sorry about the missed update: I got out of class late Tuesday night, then hit night construction coming home – there was no mental function for a quick proof & post. And late again tonight because, "Oh, Ver, you have to make cupcakes for the coworker that's leaving Friday because you offered even though you said you might not have time so now you HAVE to!" Y'all I have SINNED. Ms. F's getting a box mix. A doctored box mix, but still box.) Look for a double update this weekend to make up for it.)
Marinette's 29 Valentine's Days
Day Four, Loop Three: Chocolate
Marinette woke up knowing something was off.
She could feel it in the pounding of her head. She could hear it in the happy Parisians shouting their morning greetings on the street below. She could smell it in the scent of fresh bread mixed with candy apples wafting up from the bakery below. She could see it in her damn phone blaring Friday, 14 February at her in its mocking alarm. She could remember it in the fluttering of purple-black butterfly wings.
Something was rotten in the city of Paris, and Marinette was starting to think it was – as always – Hawkmoth.
She snatched her phone off the ledge, smashed her thumb against the dismiss button, and quickly pulled up Alya's contact. Alya answered on the second ring, sounding entirely too chipper for how horrible Marinette felt. Everything hurt, like she'd been thrown around the rooftops of Paris all night.
"Hey, girl! Big day today!" she said. Marinette groaned in response. "…Marinette? Are you ok?"
"Alya," she asked, her voice about as scratchy as her head felt, "is today Valentine's Day?"
"What? Of course it is!" Alya laughed. There was a pause in which Marinette screamed into her pillow. "Girl. Are you ok?"
"No, I'm not," Marinette said. She sighed and sat up, rubbing her arm against her eyes. "…sorry. I'm fine. Just…really, really tired."
"Up late thinking about a certain rock star?" Alya teased, and Marinette's eyes snapped open as a memory – what she was ninety percent sure was a memory – hit her.
"Oh my God, Alya, I broke his penis!" she cried in absolute horror.
Alya howled.
"W-what?!" she shrieked. Marinette groaned and fell back in her bed, covering her face with her pillow. Had that actually happened? It couldn't have happened. It was just a really weird, vivid dream – Valentine's Day hadn't already happened! It couldn't have, if today was Valentine's Day! And she definitely hadn't dumped hot tea on Luka's pen…lap! "Marinette, what is up with you, girl?"
"Uuuuugh…I just had a really weird dream, I think," she grumbled. Alya was still laughing.
"About Luka's penis?" she teased, and Marinette groaned again.
"I'm hanging up now," she whined, wishing Alya would stop saying penis. "Thank you, Alya, for confirming that it is in fact Valentine's Day. Good bye. Good day."
"Wait, wait, wait, Mari, we have to talk about Luka's pen-" Alya cried. Marinette screamed and disconnected the call. She dropped her phone on the bed before she could chuck it across the room and slapped her hands over her face. She rubbed vigorously, trying to jumpstart her brain into actually working (dear God why had she said that why was she thinking about Luka's penis and why the hell couldn't she stop?!), and when she lowered her hands Tikki was hovering in front of her face. She was nibbling on a cookie and staring at her in concern.
"Marinette," she asked, "are you ok?"
"Tikki," she sighed, slouching forward, "if I told you I feel like it's been Valentine's Day before would you think I'm crazy?"
Tikki giggled and shook her head.
"But, Marinette, of course it's been Valentine's Day before!" she tittered. "You've had a lot of Valentine's Days before!"
"Not…no, not like that," Marinette sighed. She shook her head and rubbed at her eyes again. "Ugh. Never mind. I just…had a really weird dream, is all. I'll feel better once I get dressed."
It had to be a dream. Or a nightmare, at least. It was definitely more like a nightmare. She had had the worst Valentine's Day, culminating with seeing an akuma flapping its way across the city. She had been so sure…
She sighed as she tugged her shirt over her head. She smoothed the pink and white polka-dotted fabric over her stomach and frowned. She had been so excited for Valentine's Day, and now she couldn't shake the feeling that she just wanted it to be over. Sure, she had been a little nervous the night before, but that was nothing compared to the dread that filled her now. She just knew she was going to see Luka and ruin everything. Like…
She closed her eyes at the flash of his face in her mind, looking at her like she had just broken his heart. That couldn't have been real…
She picked his chocolates up and traced a finger along his name on the card. It was stupid. She shouldn't…she should wait. It was stupid to put so much on a holiday. If he really liked her, he would still like her tomorrow. Or the day after. Or the day after that. She didn't have to confess on Valentine's Day. With her track record, she was just going to mess it up anyway.
"I can't imagine confessing to someone on Valentine's Day…"
She groaned and threw the box of chocolates back on the desk, deciding she'd give them to him another time.
And she definitely wasn't wearing a special Valentine's shirt if she wasn't going to confess anyway!
She yanked her shirt off and rifled through her wardrobe, looking for another shirt – any shirt. With her back to her desk, she didn't notice Tikki slip the valentine into her purse. A moment later, she was walking down the steps with a lilac kitticorn shirt on, her eyes trained on her feet and a death grip on the straps of her backpack. She barely noticed the voices coming from the bakery as she hopped over the final step.
"Marinette! Sweetheart, look who's here to see you!" her dad called, pulling her out of her mental funk. She lifted her gaze and froze, her eyes going wide as she saw Luka leaning against the table across from Tom. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked about as awful as she felt, even if he was smiling at her. He raised a mug to her in greeting before going for a sip, but her startled squeak made him pause.
"L-Luka!" she cried, her hands slapping against her open mouth. All she could think of was throwing burning tea at him, at his…and suddenly it didn't matter if it was a dream or not, because it had happened, or she had thought it happened, and all her exhausted mind could process was that the last time she saw Luka Couffaine she had thrown scalding hot tea at his crotch. "Oh my God. Are you…how's your…I mean is your…"
She gestured widely at the general direction of his lap, making his eyebrows soar and the hand holding the mug drop just enough to make her shriek and dive towards him. He bumped back against the table, his eyes getting impossibly wider, as she fell against him, both hands clutching his own around the mug. She stared up at him, her eyes wide and her face burning.
"Marinette, what on earth…?" her dad started, and a manic giggle escaped her. Luka was fighting a smirk – she could see it in the way the corner of his mouth twitched – and his free hand came up to catch her waist. She was painfully aware of the thumb brushing against her hip, and she laughed again – another crazed giggle – and tried to smile at him.
"S-sorry," she said. "I uh…that is…"
"I'm fine, Marinette," he said. She paused at the look he was giving her, a shiver running down her spine. He wiggled the hand holding the mug a little, not enough to splash but enough to draw her attention to the coffee inside. "Just a little tired. Tom was kind enough to make sure I caffeinated before we left."
"Left…?" she asked. His smile softened.
"You said yesterday you were bringing macarons today?" he said, and her eyes widened as she remembered the macarons. "I thought I'd give you a ride. My bike's out front."
"Poor boy was sleeping against the lamppost when we opened," Tom laughed, setting some candy apples out to dry. "I told him the only way he was taking you anywhere on that bike was if he had some coffee first."
"But M. Belcourt…" Marinette said, her eyebrows furrowing as another not-a-memory niggled at her mind. Something about Luka's first class and too much coffee in the mornings…but Luka was chuckling, and as soon as the thought was there it was gone again.
"Can suck it," he said quietly, but from his snorting laugh they were both sure Tom had heard him. "I need all the coffee today, Mari."
"How's your…lap?" she asked, the coffee reminding her. His eyebrows soared again, and she tried to ignore the pointed look her dad was giving her.
"My lap…?" he asked. She couldn't decide if he sounded nervous or amused, and she realized – belatedly – that it had to be a dream (no Valentine's Day could be that bad, even for her!), and he had no idea what she was talking about, and she had just asked him about his crotch in front of her dad. Another nervous laugh escaped her, and she ducked her head to stare at her feet – but that only reminded her that she was still leaning against him, his lap…legs…oh God there in perfect view when she looked down. Her next laugh was slightly strangled.
"Y-yeah!" she cried, jumping away and rubbing the back of her head. She looked up towards the ceiling and shrugged. "I was, erm, talking to Juleka last night and she said you were drinking tea and spilled it on your lap and I was just concerned because that had to hurt and…what?"
He was laughing, that breathy little chuckle he had, his head ducking behind the mug. After a moment he stopped, but she was still looking away with an embarrassed pout on her face. He took a swig of his coffee, tipping his head back as he drained the mug, and set it down on the counter before stepping over to her and hugging her close.
"My lap's fine," he said quietly, by her ear. She groaned and pressed her face against his chest. "Thanks for asking. Jules doesn't know what she's talking about."
"I'm so sorry," she mumbled, though she wasn't entirely sure what she was apologizing for. For the rambling, for making up some story about spilled tea because she apparently couldn't distinguish dreams from reality anymore, for being so…so…Marinette? "I don't think I slept well last night. I'm so out of it."
"There's more coffee, sweetheart," her dad said, still trying to pretend like he was busy with the apples and not totally eavesdropping on them. She groaned again.
"It's really good," Luka said. "Perfect for jump-starting sleepy brains. We have some time, if you want to grab a cup before we go."
She scrunched her nose and shook her head. She was more of a tea drinker, anyway: the only coffee she liked was iced and heavily sweetened (or in her papa's chocolate cake).
"No, it's…" she paused and looked up at him, and she realized he was still holding her. He was still smiling at her, still looking down at her and waiting patiently for her to speak. She swallowed and stepped back, trying to ignore the way his face fell when she did so. She was just imagining things, anyway. "It's fine. I just…ugh. I just need to get through today, and then I can come home and take a nap."
"You're coming home right after school?" her dad asked. The question was innocent enough, but when she looked at him he was glancing at Luka with an unspoken question in his eyes. He waved a candy apple at her, then at Luka, and she gave a quick jerk of her head. No. Stop needling. Stop asking. Stop…
"I was actually hoping you'd want to do something," Luka said. Her eyes snapped back to him in time to see him lift a hand to rub at the back of his neck. He grinned at her and shrugged a little. "You said you didn't have plans yesterday, and I thought maybe…I don't know. Maybe swing by the café? Hang out for a bit? If you wanted to."
That feeling was settling in her stomach again. She didn't want to go anywhere near their café today.
She looked away, unable to meet his gaze.
"I…I don't know if that's a good idea, Luka," she said quietly. He took her hand in his own, brushing his thumb along its back in a soothing gesture. She bit her lip, hating the tugging feeling on her heart. She wanted to spend time with him. She wanted to go to their café, to tell him she liked him, to finally put a name to the dance they'd been doing around each other for the better part of a year. She wanted him. And yet…
"Hey," he said, pulling her out of her thoughts, "it's ok, Marinette. We don't have to. If you change your mind, I'm here. If not, that's cool, too."
She looked up at him, and she hated herself even more.
I'm here, he'd said. I'm always here, his eyes said. Whenever she wanted him. Whenever she was ready.
"…maybe," she said, smiling slightly. She had thought she was ready. She was ready. His smile widened a bit, and he squeezed her hand before letting go.
"Ok, where are these macarons? We should get going if we don't want to be late," he said. She rolled her eyes and went to grab the box on the other counter, ignoring the concerned look her dad was sending her the entire time.
– V –
A strange feeling of unease plagued Marinette the entire morning. They had arrived at the school with plenty of time for teasing from Dingo and not-so-secret knowing smiles from Rose, and Luka had even walked her to her first class. He'd held her hand the entire way, giving it an extra squeeze before letting go. He'd looked like he'd wanted to do more, though, and her cheek had warmed with the ghost of a memory as she watched him walk away. She drifted through her classes, barely listening to the teachers and yet feeling like she knew everything they were saying. In the classes they shared, Juleka and Rose kept sending her worried looks. She ignored them every time. When Rose had faked an over-dramatic cough and chucked a crumpled note her way asking if she'd asked Luka out yet, she gave a quick jerk of her head before shoving the note in her bag. She ignored Rose the rest of class and darted from the room at the end before she could ask anything else.
The entire day, all she could think of was spilled tea and ruined valentines and the fact that she had to stay away from that café that afternoon.
By the time lunch arrived, she slumped into a chair at the table Brielle and Dingo were already waiting at in the canteen, thumped her forehead onto the table, and groaned as she heard other chairs scraping against the floor. She assumed it was Rose and Juleka taking their seats, but she didn't look up to confirm.
"Marinette?" Brielle asked, her voice sounding concerned. "Are you all right?"
"I should have stayed home today," she moaned. "I'm so tired, and this whole day feels wrong."
"Marinette!" Rose gasped. "It's Valentine's Day! It's never wrong!"
She just groaned and shoved the box of macarons into the center of the table.
"Wrong or not," Dingo said, entirely too cheerfully, "at least you remembered the food!"
She heard him opening the box, and then she heard him yelp, accompanied by the sound of a slap and the dropping of a macaron. She tensed as a familiar someone dropped into the chair beside her (where he'd been sitting the entire school year, come to think of it), settling against her side and laying an arm across her back.
"Hands off," Luka said with all the authority of an older brother (or an annoyed best friend). "The toasted marshmallow ones are mine."
"Um," Juleka said pointedly. She was positive there was a look to go with it, but she didn't sit up to see. She could feel Rose bouncing beside her, and that was bad enough. Luka's hand was rubbing soothing circles against her back, and if she hadn't felt so out of it she might have been able to acknowledge how nice it felt. "…thought you had a project meeting."
She was ninety percent sure that wasn't what Juleka had meant to say.
"They were already fighting when I got there, so I told them they could just e-mail me what they need me to do later," Luka said. "Besides, I'd prefer to enjoy lunch with my friends. If that's all right, dear sister of mine."
"You just wanted to – ow!" Dingo yelped. Marinette glanced up from her arms to see him rubbing his arm and glaring at Brielle, who was suddenly very interested in her sandwich. He rolled his eyes and reached for another macaron, waving it at Luka for approval before taking an exaggerated bite. For his part, Luka just rolled his eyes and laid his head on the table beside her. He kept his arm around her back, but the other he positioned around their heads to give them some semblance of privacy from the others. He gave her an encouraging smile, and she tried not to shiver at how his thumb was brushing against her side.
"Hey," he said softly, and she smiled a little as she lifted her head.
"Hey," she said back.
"Feeling any better?" he asked, and she shook her head.
"Not really," she answered. She pulled a face, and he chuckled at her. "Just…tired. A little out of it all day. It is February – I might be coming down with something. How about you?"
"The caffeine got me through the morning, but I figured I shouldn't skip lunch if I want to make it through the afternoon," he said. He dipped his head closer, bumping his forehead against her own. "I'm still hoping somebody changes her mind about hanging out after school."
"Luka…" she sighed. He closed his eyes and smiled, a bit of a helpless look to his expression, and she sighed again.
"Marinette…!" Rose squealed, just as Juleka said in a low warning: "…Rose."
"Did I mention this morning that I like your shirt?" he asked, ignoring them both. She blinked and arched her back a little, leaning up without really moving from the table to see what shirt she was even wearing. Her eyes widened as she realized she had her lilac Kitty Section shirt on, and she laughed helplessly as she looked back at him. He winked at her, and she felt her face warm under his gaze. "Though I can't help but think you'd look better in my colors, not Juleka's. Almost makes me a little jealous."
Rose squealed, and she ducked her head again. She wasn't imagining the pressure of his lips against her burning cheek this time. She glanced over at him without moving her head. He was still smiling at her. She realized his thumb was still rubbing against her side.
"Are you sure you don't want to do something this afternoon?" he asked, keeping his voice low to keep the conversation between them (and not nosy future sister-in-laws). She bit her lip and burrowed deeper into her arms. With her head down she had a clear view of her lap, and Tikki peeked up at her from her purse. Her eyes widened as Tikki held up the sparkly red corner of his chocolates and winked at her. When had she…? "Marinette?"
"Grow the hell up, Dingo!" Brielle snapped, making her jump. She had almost forgotten the others were still at the table. She looked back at Luka, who was still lying with his head on the table beside her. He was still giving her that patient, sleepy smile, and she realized at some point his hand had moved to her own – but he hadn't reached for it. His thumb was absently brushing against her wrist, but nothing else. She felt her lips pull into a smile, and she closed her eyes and relaxed against the table. She was overthinking all of this, anyway. She had to be.
"…maybe," she said, an echo of her answer from earlier. He smiled and leaned up, pressing his lips against her forehead. Brielle and Juleka both yelled at Rose as she squealed and bounced again.
"That's not a no," he said. She groaned as he stood, saying he was going to grab some food, and she buried her head back in her arms.
"Marinette, what's going on?" Brielle asked once he was gone. "I thought you wanted to confess to him today?"
"She was gonna back out last night," Juleka said, picking at her salad. She glanced up at Marinette, frowning. "But you changed your mind. Did you change it again?"
"You can't back out, Marinette!" Rose whined. "It was going to be perfect! And he loves you, and you love him, and you two need to be together already!"
"Wait, did I miss something?" Dingo asked, glancing between the three of them. Brielle rolled her eyes and smacked the back of his head.
"You always miss something, Ding," she said. She reached over and grasped Marinette's hand, squeezing encouragingly. "Hey. You got this, Mari. He's crazy stupid about you – you'll make his life if you just tell him you like him."
"He's been wanting to date you since you first stuttered your name," Juleka said. Marinette's eyes widened, her head shooting up. "Y'know. When Ma sent you to join the groove."
"H-he told you about that?!" she gasped. Juleka shrugged, still staring at her salad, but she was definitely smirking.
"He thought it was adorable," she said. "Wouldn't shut up about you for weeks. Still won't."
She took a bite of her salad and chewed thoughtfully. After a moment, she swallowed and pointed her fork at Marinette.
"On second thought, back out," she said, nodding. "He's only gonna get worse once you're actually dating. God, you're gonna be disgusting. I can't wait."
"Juleka…" she groaned, even as Brielle started snickering and Rose bounced again.
"Look, if she's not ready, she's not ready," Dingo said, for once actually sounding serious. He snatched another macaron (not one of the toasted marshmallow ones) and took a bite before waving it in her general direction. "I mean, I think we can all agree it's stupid by this point. You two already scream couple – I mean what is that? What did we just see here?"
"Point, Dingo?" Brielle cut in, and he waved the macaron again.
"I get it's Valentine's Day, but if she's not feeling it, she's not feeling it," he said with a shrug. "Don't put so much pressure on her."
"Dingo, I could strangle you in your sleep," Rose said brightly, all smiles. Juleka grinned at her.
"That's my girl," she muttered, going back to her salad. Dingo rolled his eyes, about to say something else, when Luka dropped back into the seat beside Marinette. He leaned his elbows onto the table and held up a sandwich, looking around at the sudden silence. Marinette tried to ignore the way his knee bumped into hers, maintaining contact under the table while his hands were busy.
"Ok," he said, turning to Dingo, "what did I miss?"
– V –
The end of the day found Marinette waiting by Luka's bike, though she couldn't for the life of her say why.
Well.
That wasn't entirely true. She knew exactly why she was standing there. Just one thought of Luka – of his smile at lunch as he leaned on the table beside her, of the earnest look in his eyes as he asked her just once more if she'd reconsider joining him that afternoon – and she remembered why she was there. Because Rose was right: he loved her, and she loved him, and it was about time they did something about it.
She sighed and looked down at her feet, her hands twisting nervous fists around the strap of her purse, and bit down on her lip. She was feeling nervous – anxious – again, and she had no idea why. It was stupid. The whole day had been stupid!
…well.
Not all of the day. There had been some good parts, she thought with a smile as she remembered the feeling of Luka's lips against her forehead or cheek. Her cheeks warmed with a blush at the memory, and even if she was still tired and felt like the day was wrong she couldn't deny that she was looking forward to the afternoon. Maybe there was a way to salvage things, after all…
She was still staring at her feet when Luka arrived and pulled her into a tight hug. She jumped a little in surprise, but she didn't try to pull away. He pressed his cheek against the top of her head, a contented hum escaping him.
"I was afraid you wouldn't be here," he said after a moment. "I'm so glad you changed your mind."
"I can sleep tomorrow," she said, shrugging slightly. He chuckled, and she grinned as she wrapped her arms around him to return the hug. "I want to spend time with you now."
"Come on," he said, letting her go and nudging her towards his bike. "How about we go to the café? Get some coffee? They're probably crowded, so we don't have to stay there, but I'm sure we could both use the caffeine."
"That sounds…great," she said slowly. A part of her mind was still telling her to avoid the café, but she ignored it. Everything would be fine.
When they arrived at the café a short ride later, they found it was just as crowded as Luka had feared. She looked around for a free table, not immediately seeing one, as he chained up his bike. Even the outdoor tables were packed. A moment later he was beside her again, his hand easily slipping into her own.
"Did you just want to grab our coffee and go or did you want to try and find a table?" he asked. She puffed out her cheeks as she looked back at the crowd.
"I'll see if I can find something," she said. She laughed and shook her head. "I honestly don't know if I have the energy to find somewhere else."
He laughed as he opened the door, holding it for her as she went inside. Before she went to look for a table, she turned back to him.
"Iced coffee? Lots of cream and raspberry flavor?" she asked. He nodded and joined the queue, and she went back to scanning the café.
There was one table left, back in the corner by the restrooms. Marinette frowned as she stood over it, her stomach sinking as she remembered her…dream. Somehow, she just knew if she sat down at that table, the entire day would go to pot. She twisted her hands around her purse strap and bit down on her lip. When she glanced back at Luka, he gave her a quick thumb's up before turning to give the barista their order. She sighed and looked back at the table. She didn't want to leave the café, but she also didn't want to stay. And it was the only table…
"I know, bathroom stink, right?" she jumped at the voice, and one of the guys from the table beside the one she'd been considering was grinning at her. He jabbed his thumb at his table, where his friends were collecting their things. "We're heading out, if you want ours. I can even wipe it down for you, if you'd like."
"O-oh, that's…I mean, it's fine, I don't want to be a bother," she said, and he shook his head and smiled.
"No bother," he said. "I work here on the weekends, so it's no problem. Plus…"
He glanced over at Luka, then leaned in with a grin.
"You're gonna ask him out today, right?" he asked, winking. Her eyes widened, and he laughed. "I told you: I work here. You two come all the time. We've got a bet going to see when you finally start dating."
"W-what?!" she squeaked in horror. He held up his hands and laughed, wincing a little.
"Yeeeaah, sorry," he said, nodding. "That does sound kinda bad, doesn't it?"
"Everything ok?" Luka asked as he walked up, their drinks and a small bag in his hands. He was eyeing the other guy warily, but the guy just waved his hand again.
"Yeah, sorry," he said. "I was just offering your friend our table. We're heading out."
"Oh, cool," Luka said, nodding. "Thanks."
"No sweat," he said. He looked back at Marinette and smiled, waving. "Good luck."
She groaned and buried her face in her hands as the group left, and Luka raised an eyebrow at her before putting their drinks on the table. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her towards a chair, which she sank into without protest. He sat down across from her and pushed her drink closer, tapping it against the table to draw her attention. She peeked out from over her fingers. He was leaning on the table, his chin on his arms, and grinning at her.
"Hi," he said. She rolled her eyes and shrugged off her coat. His grin widened. "I really do love your shirt. Still think it should be blue, though."
"I didn't even pay attention when I grabbed it this morning," she said, draping her coat over the back of her chair. She picked at her shirt, smiling a little. "I'll keep that in mind for next time, though. Ugh. You're never going to believe what that guy just told me."
"What?" he asked. She winced and shook her head.
"Actually, it's probably better that I don't tell you…" she sighed. She picked up her coffee and took a sip, closing her eyes as she felt the caffeine hit her system. When she looked at Luka again, another couple was taking the table by the restrooms. A guy with short black hair sat down behind Luka, and a girl with long auburn hair sat down across from him. Marinette's eyes narrowed at the girl. There was something familiar about her…
"What, did he call me your boyfriend or something?" Luka chuckled as he opened the bag. Marinette choked her coffee, all thoughts of the other girl leaving her mind as she gawked at Luka. He frowned and reached over, slapping her back. "Woah, easy. I didn't think it was that shocking."
"W-what?" she gasped, wiping her mouth with her arm. She coughed again to clear her lungs before staring at him. "Why…why would you say that? I mean that's crazy. I mean not crazy, but you my boyfriend…pfffft…ha ha, that's so…crazy…"
She trailed off at the look on his face. He frowned and looked down at the heart-shaped macaron he had pulled out of the bag, twirling it uncertainly with his fingers.
"…is it?" he asked softly. She swallowed thickly, suddenly unable to look at him anymore. "Is it that crazy, Mari? I was kind of hoping…I mean, I did ask you out on Valentine's Day…"
"Well, yeah, but that was because neither of us had plans, you said…" she trailed off as his fingers stilled, and she swallowed again as he snapped the macaron in half. He handed her a broken piece of heart.
"I didn't want to spend time with you because we were both plan-less on Valentine's Day, Marinette," he said quietly. He looked up at her, and her breath caught in her throat. He looked back at the broken macaron in his hands, pursing his lips in a frown. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to think of anything to say, when the girl behind them let out a nervous shriek. Her head jerked up, and she was staring at the girl again as her face filled with horror and she started waving her arms.
"B-be mine!" she cried. She winced and shook her head, groaning as she shoved her hands through her hair. "I mean, not…like conversation hearts! The candy? Like…"
The guy behind Luka started laughing (nervously, not unkindly), and it made the girl groan again. Before Marinette could realize what was happening – or why those words felt so familiar – she was pushing herself out of her chair and running away from the table. The guy was immediately on his feet, apologizing as his chair bumped into Luka's, and running after her.
And somehow, in her gut, Marinette knew she had to run after her, too.
"Luka," she said, turning back to him. He looked up, eyebrows raised in question, and she sighed. "I'm so sorry. I am so, so, sorry, but I have to go."
"…what?" he asked, sitting up a bit straighter. She reached into her purse, ignoring Tikki's worried gaze as she grabbed his chocolates. His eyebrows quirked as she handed the box to him. "Marinette, what are you –"
"This wasn't how I wanted to do this," she said, shaking her head, "and I'm so sorry. I promise, I'll be back soon, and you can hate me then, ok?"
"I don't hate you, Marinette," he said, catching her wrist as she stood and went to leave. "That's what I've been trying to say here. I don't hate you. I love you."
"Lu…" she gasped, her eyes widening. She groaned and bent down, hugging him tight. "Oh, this whole day's sucked!"
"Ok, not the response I was expecting…" he laughed. She hated how uncertain he sounded. She pulled back and placed her hands on his cheeks, brushing a thumb beneath his eye.
"No, that's not…I love you, too," she said. She glanced at the chocolates. "That…read the card. It'll explain everything. But I have to go. I'm sorry."
"Mari –" he started.
"Oh, I hope you don't remember this tomorrow…" she groaned, cutting him off. Before he could question her further, she pressed her lips against his in a quick, hard kiss. It was over as quickly as it had started, and she was dashing away before he could call after her. She paused once she reached the door, turning back to see him banging his head against the table. She bit her lip, turning away before she could convince herself to go back to him. Once outside, she ran around the corner and into an alley. Tikki was glaring at her as she opened her purse.
"Marinette, what on earth –?!" her kwami started, zipping up and out of the bag.
"Tikki, there's an akuma!" she said, her voice and face set in determination. Tikki frowned.
"What? There's not –" she started, but Marinette shook her head.
"Tikki, there's no time! Just trust me!" she cried. Before Tikki could say anything else, she was already crying, "Spots on!"
A moment of blinding pink light later, Ladybug stood on the roof of the café.
She couldn't explain it. She didn't know how she knew, but somehow she just did. Valentine's Day felt wrong because it was wrong. She knew the girl in the café because she'd seen her before. She remembered spilling tea on Luka not because it was a dream but because she had actually spilled burning tea on Luka. And she had seen an akuma, fluttering in the sky moments after running out on Luka the day before…earlier that day…whenever, and she was ninety percent certain that akuma had gone after the girl from the café.
She just had to find them.
"Marinette!"
Ladybug looked over the edge of the roof to the sidewalk below. Luka had come out, her coat in his arms, and was looking around the street for any sign of her. She bit her lip as he shoved a hand through his hair, pushing out a breath as he knotted his fingers in his hair and tugged. She hated that she had just left him like that. It wasn't fair. She had to make it up to…
She heard a scream from the other side of the street, and her focus shifted from Luka to…had she missed it? She hadn't seen the akuma yet, but…
Her eyes widened as a blinding wall of light overtook the buildings across the street, quickly making its way towards her. She looked back at Luka and froze as he looked up, his eyes locking with her own just as the light swallowed them whole.