Notes: According to Quick, this chapter is called "Karma". xD Apologizing for the delay. Last week was a WEEK (I was busy Mon/Tues with birthday festivities, then Wed/Thurs was DEATH at work). I didn't really get to take a crack at this until Friday night, and then some LBSC Discourse turned my vague notes into this Chaos. There's a Special Guest Star that required entirely too much energy to write, along with some LBSC-inspired nods that kept the dorks dorking. Part of me still loves this ch. Part of me just wants it DONE. (The songs used are "Electric Love" by BØRNS (thanks (I think) semi-slaughtomatic xD) and "Caledonia" by Dougie MacLean (or Celtic Thunder/Women).)
Marinette's 29 Valentine's Days
Day Eleven, Loop Ten: Cupid's Arrow
Marinette groaned and rolled over in her bed as her alarm started going off, but at least she didn't fall out of it this time.
…wait.
She opened bleary eyes to glare at her phone.
She was…had she fallen out of bed? She would have sworn…and Luka had been there, in her room, and she'd been kissing him when…
No. No, they hadn't…because the reset had been early. The day before. When he'd left her a postcard and she was at school and he…
She groaned and pulled her pillow over her pounding head. She felt horrible. She was dimly aware of her alarm turning off seconds before Tikki crawled under her pillow.
"Marinette?" she asked softly.
"I don't feel good, Tikki," she whimpered. "Did I…Luka wasn't here yesterday."
Tikki frowned, searching her memory. It sounded familiar, and yet…
"I don't…think so?" the kwami hazarded. Marinette groaned again and curled in on herself. She felt like she'd been hit by a truck. "Marinette?"
"What happened to kwami magic protecting me from this?" Marinette moaned. "I've been transformed every time except yesterday. Shouldn't I have built up a resistance?"
"Maybe because the reset was early?" Tikki guessed, worrying her paws as she watched her Chosen. "Marinette, are you all right?"
"Are you all right? We heard the crash downstairs…"
She moaned again and pressed her pillow closer to her ear. No, she wasn't all right. Nothing about any of this was all right.
"…I'm fine," she lied after a moment. She felt Tikki press a paw to her cheek, and she knew if she looked at her kwami she'd look unconvinced. "Just…five more minutes, Tikki…"
She must have fallen back asleep, because the next thing she knew her mom was shaking her and calling her name. She groaned and tried to roll over, but doing so made everything hurt and she just curled in on herself. Sabine shook her again, a little gentler this time, and Marinette blinked bleary eyes at her.
"Honey, you're going to be late for school," Sabine said. She frowned and reached out, resting the back of her hand against Marinette's forehead. "You don't feel warm…are you ok, sweetheart?"
"Fine, Maman," she sighed. She opened her eyes and tried to smile at her. "Just tired. I'm getting up."
"Hurry – you don't want to be late," Sabine said, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "And you have a surprise downstairs."
…Luka. Luka was back. She was hoping the surprise was Luka, at least.
When her mom had left, she hoisted herself off the bed and climbed down the ladder. She immediately moved to her sink, filled the glass she kept by the side, and downed some ibuprofen. Tikki watched in concern as she slowly moved about her room. The kwami watched as she pulled on a pair of black jeans and her blue Kitty Section shirt. Her bag was packed, but Luka's valentine was still on her desk as she turned for the stairs. Tikki grabbed it and zipped into her purse before she could leave the room. When she got downstairs, the radio was playing some old 80s rock song and her dad was busy dipping apples. Marinette blinked and looked around, but she didn't see Luka.
Had he not come again?
She jumped when a pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling her back against a familiar chest. She sighed and relaxed into him as Luka laid his chin on her shoulder and gave her middle a squeeze.
"You look about as tired as I feel," he said. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, reaching towards the table to grab a steaming mug of coffee. He held it up for her, and she laughed as she took it. "Happy Valentine's Day."
"Happy Valentine's Day," she said before taking a sip of the coffee. She caught her dad stealing glances at them as he set some more candy apples out to dry. She looked back at the coffee and hid her smile with the mug, just so she could ignore the way he wiggled his eyebrows at them. "What are you doing here?"
"…not that I'm complaining, but…what are you doing here?"
He took the mug and stole a sip before kissing her cheek.
"Taking you to school," he said. "I told you yesterday."
…no, he hadn't. He hadn't said a word about taking her to school on the thirteenth. That had been a surprise the first fourteenth she had lived through. She squirmed, making him loosen his grip so she could turn around in his arms. Her arms were pressed between them, and he grinned at her as she started toying with the strings of his hoodie.
"I don't…did you?" she asked, looking up at him. Her eyebrows furrowed, her forehead pinching, and she wished her ibuprofen would kick in. She shook her head and sighed, resting her head against his chest. She didn't see the way that made him smile, but she definitely noticed how he held her a bit tighter afterwards. "I'm sorry. I'm so tired this morning. I don't think I slept well."
"Well, we should get going, then," he said, kissing the side of her head. "I needed to run something past Dingo before class anyway. The fresh air will help wake you up."
She stepped away from him and reached for the coffee. She didn't remember him putting it back on the table. As he went to get the macarons – and accept the candy apples her dad was putting on top of the box – she downed the rest of the coffee. When she put the mug back on the table, she saw Tikki smiling up at her from her purse. She smiled back, and then Luka was wrapping an arm around her shoulders and steering her towards the street and his bike.
"Have a great day, kids!" she heard her dad call as they passed through the door. His voice trailed after them, and she groaned as she overheard him speaking with her mom. "Sabine, Sabine! Did you see? Did they already get together? Did –"
Luka chuckled as he secured the macarons on the back of his bike, and she groaned as she rubbed her hands along her face.
"My parents love you," she sighed. "I think they're more excited about us dating than I am."
"…ok, there's a lot to unpack there," he said, no longer laughing. She looked over her fingers to find he was frowning at her. "So…we're dating?"
Her eyes widened. She replayed what she had said in her mind. Her stomach dropped to her feet at the guarded look on his face.
"I…um…that is…uh…" she stammered, completely at a loss for words. Her brain was too sluggish to think of a plausible excuse. Yes, technically they were – he just didn't know it! And she…but that was the catch. They'd gotten together so many times by now, but she was the only one who knew it. And he…as far as he knew… "I'm so sorry. I'm so tired. I don't know what I'm saying."
"I think you do, Mari," he said, stepping closer to her. He reached up and wrapped his fingers around her wrists, gently pulling to lower her hands from her face. At least he was smiling now. That was better, she thought. He bent down, resting his forehead against her own. "We're dating? And you're not excited about it?"
"I'm so excited about it," she said in a rushed breath. He chuckled, and her lips quirked in a smile. "I'm sorry. We're not. But…I had this plan? I have a Valentine for you. And I was going to ask you out. Because I was hoping maybe we would be. And Maman and Papa knew about it, and…they love you. Not as much as I do, but…"
"Your filter is incredibly low when you're tired, and I love it," he chuckled, leaning in to press a soft kiss against her lips. He didn't pull away when she broke his hold on her wrists, wrapped her arms around his neck, and tugged him closer. His arms found their way around her and held her tight, squeezing before he pulled back. "I love you."
"I love you," she sighed, and he pecked her lips again.
"That's why I wanted to take you to school, Mari," he said. "I had…a vague plan, too. I knew I wanted to ask you out, at least. You just beat me to it."
"I made you wait long enough," she said glibly. He raised an eyebrow at that, and she shook her head. "Sorry. That's not fair of me."
"I was fine waiting, darning," he said. He kissed her again. "I've only ever wanted you happy. Was kind of hoping you could be happy with me, but I didn't care if it was someone else as long as you were happy. It never really felt like waiting, anyway,"
"Luka…" she sighed. He smiled and stepped back, nodding towards the bike.
"C'mon," he said, tossing her her helmet. "I told you I had a vague plan, and I still need to talk to Dingo. Let's go."
– V –
Luka was hopping off the bike as soon as they reached the school. He paused just long enough to kiss her cheek, apologize, and ask her to lock the bike up before he was grabbing his bag and running towards the steps, waving at Dingo and calling his name to get his attention. Marinette was left standing by the bike, feeling like she had just been tossed by a whirlwind – something she wasn't accustomed to from Luka on the best days, and definitely not something she could handle when she was as tired as she was.
She wondered, as she bent to secure the lock on the bike, if she had fallen asleep during the ride. It wouldn't have surprised her, especially with how short it had seemed that morning – but Luka had been pedaling a bit faster, and he hadn't stopped at any of the lights to talk to her, and…and she was over-thinking it. She was being silly. With a huff, she grabbed her macarons and headed into the building. They were early enough she even had time to stop by her locker before class.
…which maybe wasn't the best idea, as she heard Dingo and Luka talking as soon as she stepped foot inside the locker room.
"…do what?" Dingo asked, sounding somewhere between baffled and amused. She heard Luka sigh. She peeked around a row of lockers to find them sitting on a bench in the next row. Luka had his phone out and an earbud in one ear, and he was glaring at his screen as he aggressively swiped his thumb across it. "Mate. Run this by me again."
"You heard me the first time," Luka grumbled. Was it her imagination, or was his face red?
"The fact that you won't repeat it says you know it's a horrible idea," Dingo snickered. Luka jabbed his elbow into his side.
"It's romantic," Luka said, glancing up at him. "It's Valentine's Day. Grand romantic gestures are kind of a big deal today."
"Yeah, in eighties romcoms!" Dingo snickered. "Not…oh, hell. It's you. Of course you're gonna go through with this. And it's me, so of course I'm gonna help you."
"I just need the right song," Luka sighed. He tapped his screen again and pursed his lips as he listened to whatever was playing. His eyes seemed to light up for a minute before he shook his head, frowned, and swiped again. "I've always had trouble pinning down her song, though. She's just…and I…but she's…y'know?"
Marinette felt her face warm at the dopey smile on Luka's face. She didn't even mind that Dingo had fallen against Luka's side cackling. It was sweet, and she loved Luka even more for it.
"…yeah, I know," Dingo finally said once he'd calmed down. Marinette saw he was sporting his own dopey smile now, and she couldn't help but grin. There was no doubt in her mind who their eccentric friend was thinking about to make him smile like that. "All right. So lunchtime serenade that will most likely land you in detention. Can't wait. Now the only question is: what song?"
"Something special," Luka said absently, tapping his screen again. He paused, listening. He started humming, then mumbling lyrics. "Hold on to the nights, hold on to the memories…"
"Hell no – what the hell are you, mate, some fifty-year-old washout?" Dingo snickered. Luka rolled his eyes and swiped again.
"Richard Marx isn't a washout, you uncultured idiot," he mumbled. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The gesture moved his bangs away from his forehead just enough that Marinette could see a cut above his eye, and her eyes narrowed at him. "I need something special, Ding. Something as special as she is. I don't know…it's Valentine's, too, so maybe something with Cupid in it? Being shot by his arrow? No, that's too cliché…ugh, this is why I need help, Ding. I can't be smooth around her. Everything comes out Moron."
Dingo had pulled his own phone out and was snickering again. Marinette had to disagree with Luka, though. She'd always found him incredibly smooth, and if anything she was the one usually spoke in Moron around him.
"Bon Jovi's always solid," Dingo said, propping his shades up so he could better see his screen. He grinned and tossed his head back, pumping a fist in the air as he started belting: "Shot through the heart, and she's to blame – Mari, you give love a bad name!"
Luka shoved him hard enough that he tumbled from the bench, but he was cackling the entire time. He curled in on himself on the ground, gasping for air as he continued to laugh. Luka kicked him.
"Shut up, dumbass," he hissed. "I'm trying to be romantic, not call her a cold-blooded harpy!"
Mari leaned back against the lockers and hugged the macarons to her chest. She bit her lip to tamp down on her smile, but she wasn't sure how successful that was. Luka was planning a lunchtime serenade? Because he wanted to do a big, romantic gesture? For her? She was having trouble believing that. It's not that Luka wasn't romantic – he was, he definitely was! But it was in the subdued, subtle way he did everything in. It was like…like…like Kitty Section! Rose was the one to grab the mic and scream. Luka was content to stay in the background with his guitar. No one ever questioned his passion or intensity when he performed, but he was fine letting Rose take center stage while he worked his magic in the back. His love was shown in little ways, in steady, constant gestures (like being there, every morning, to take her to school), not flashy, grandiose declarations and convoluted plots.
…but the fact that he wanted to try, and he wanted to try for her, set a swarm of happy, white butterflies loose in her stomach.
"Hey, wait – go back," she heard Luka say. She peeked around the lockers again to find him leaning over Dingo and staring at Dingo's phone instead of his own. He set his phone down and grabbed Dingo's, swapping out their earbuds. His entire face it up at whatever he heard. "This…this is perfect! When did he release this?"
"I dunno?" Dingo asked, finally sitting up and leaning against Luka's legs. "Jules sent it to me last week, I think? She said it's a special Valentine's cover he did for his manager – the one he started dating after the Mayor was akumatized with his wife?"
"Her name's Penny and she's so much cooler than he is," Luka said absently. He was frowning, but he still looked pleased. "Honestly, Ding, I haven't listened to a lot of his stuff since the dad bomb dropped. It's been…weird."
"Yeah, I was wondering," Dingo said, nodding. He took Luka's phone and started searching for something. After a moment he handed it back to Luka. "Figured you'd talk about it when you were ready. Anyway, here's the original. Great song."
Luka's smile grew the longer he listened. After another moment, he tapped the phone, yanked out the earbud, and raised it to his ear. He stood and started walking towards her, and Marinette took that as her cue to flee. She heard the beginning of his conversation as she ducked back into the hall.
"Hey, Penny! Yeah, is he in town? I've got a huge favor to ask…"
– V –
Marinette made it to her first class with moments to spare. Rose was practically bouncing in her seat, and she immediately turned towards her once she'd sat down.
"So?" she asked. Marinette glanced up from pulling her books out of her bag. "We didn't see you guys this morning, and Juleka said he left early to pick you up. Did you ask him? Did you give him his valentine?"
Marinette's eyes widened at the mention of the chocolates. She had seen them on her desk before she left, but she didn't remember grabbing them.
"Oh, no…" she mumbled, quickly opening her purse and checking inside. Tikki winked up at her as she raised the box, and Marinette sighed in relief.
"Mari?" Rose asked and Marinette looked up with a smile.
"Sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I'm a little tired today. For a second I thought I'd forgotten the valentine."
"So you haven't given it to him yet?" Rose asked, frowning. Marinette shook her head again.
"No," she said. Their teacher stood, and she leaned forward and lowered her voice. "…but we kind of asked each other out at the same time? We didn't really discuss details, but…I think we both kind of agreed that we want to date."
Rose squealed, and their teacher called her name sharply. She giggled and apologized, sinking into her chair, but she threw an excited smile at Marinette as the teacher began class.
Marinette had trouble focusing once class actually started. She was finding the repetitiveness of the lectures and her exhaustion from getting caught in a reset untransformed was sapping her mental reserves, and most of her morning was spent staring blankly at the board while she zoned out. She was fortunate most of her morning classes were either with Rose, Juleka, or both, as between the two of them they managed to navigate her towards the rest of her classes. She was so out of it that she didn't react when Juleka looped their arms together and joked, "Rose says we're going to be sisters. Can't wait."
She didn't even react when they passed Luka and Dingo in the hall and Dingo saw her and startled giggling, though Juleka certainly did. Marinette tuned back just in time to see Dingo face-plant in the middle of the hallway, but Juleka continued tugging her along as if she hadn't noticed. She heard Dingo shout about his glasses and saw Juleka smirk as they entered their next class.
They didn't see Dingo again until he was slumping into the seat next to Brielle at lunch. He chucked his broken sunglasses at Juleka and glared at her through a red, heart-shaped pair. Marinette didn't even want to know why he had them or where he'd found them, though Rose was quick to squeal and tell him how much she adored them.
"You, Young Couffaine," he bit out, pointing at Juleka, "are a bitch."
Juleka just smiled and ate her salad.
Marinette paused as she pulled out the box of macarons, looking around the canteen for a familiar head of blue hair. She frowned when she didn't see Luka anywhere.
"Is Luka joining us today?" she asked. Dingo grinned and winked at Brielle, who gave nothing away as she pulled out her sandwich and shrugged.
"He has a group meeting," she said, "so probably not."
Marinette frowned and opened the box. She began pulling out the toasted marshmallow macarons, wrapped them up in a napkin, and put them with her lunch. Well, that was just perfect…she had wanted to talk to him about their date. She had realized at some point during the morning that, while they had agreed they wanted to go on a date, they hadn't actually said where or when. She knew they had to go to the café after school, but if she was honest that was starting to feel less like a date and more like work. She was hoping maybe – if she could find the stupid akuma – they could set up a date for the next day. One they could actually enjoy and complete.
"Where are you going?" Dingo asked when she stood. She frowned at him and gestured to her lunch.
"I needed to talk to Luka, and you know he won't eat if he's with his group," she huffed. "I'll be back."
"No, no, no – you can't go!" Dingo said, leaning across the table to grab her wrist. Her eyebrows rose as he pouted at her. "Just…yeah, he's not meeting with his group! He'll be here in a minute – trust me! He's…"
Dingo trailed off as an echoing, rolling tune started playing over the PA system. His face split with a grin, and he released her wrist to lean back in his chair. He was smirking at something behind her.
"…never mind," he said, folding his arms behind his head as he leaned back. "He's here."
"What…?" Marinette asked, turning as a drum beat joined the music. Her eyes widened as the lights in the canteen went out. When they came back on, Jagged freakin' Stone was standing on top of one of the serving lines, guitar in hand and fog rolling in around him. His signature Eiffel Tower sunglasses were on his face, and she was so stunned she barely registered Dingo comment about how he'd always loved those shades. Jagged threw a fist in the air and crowed.
"What's up Sant-Saëns?!" Jagged cried as the drums grew louder. The lights flickered again, and when they came back on Luka was standing in front of the serving line. He played a riff and tossed her a wink, continuing to play as Jagged cheered. "Are you ready to rock?!"
The canteen exploded with sound, excited students – all fans of the rock legend – screaming and cheering in confused, excited delight. Jagged found her in the crowd and pointed, propping up his sunglasses and grinning like the psychopath Marinette was secretly sure he was.
"Mari, baby girl! This one's for you – happy Valentine's Day, from yours truly!" he cried. Luka stopped playing and reached up to slap Jagged's leg. Jagged cackled and winced. "Right, right – sorry! From your second favorite rocker!"
Luka slapped him again.
"…fine, from your favorite rocker," Jagged said. Luka nodded, and Jagged winked at Marinette again. "We still know I'm your favorite, though, right?"
Marinette felt her legs go out and dropped back into her seat, stunned. Rose, who'd been bouncing in her chair since the lights first went out, grabbed onto her arm and squealed. Marinette felt a smile curling her lips as Jagged started playing, as well. He started vocalizing, and Luka repeated the riff he'd first played before he started singing.
"Candy," Luka crooned. Marinette was suddenly glad she was sitting: she was pretty sure her knees would have given out on her if she'd still been standing. It occurred to her that, in the year that she'd known him, she hadn't actually heard Luka sing before. "She's sweet like candy in my veins. Baby, I'm dying for another taste…"
There was a subtle growl to his voice that was making her absolutely weak. She knew he had stage presence – she'd seen him perform plenty of times – but this was on an entirely different level. Even if it was just an impromptu performance in the school canteen – even if he was just wearing his usual jeans and hoodie combo instead of his carefully-crafted Kitty Section costume – even if he was walking towards her while singing in that low voice like…
…kwamis help her, she was swooning.
"And every night my mind is running around her," he sang as he stopped in front of her. Her head tipped back to look up at his face, and she swallowed as he smiled – no, sorry, smoldered – at her. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that he was definitely Jagged Stone's son. "Then it's getting louder and louder."
He reached for her hand, and she could feel herself blushing as he helped her to her feet. He began playing again, dipping his head to lean his forehead against her own.
"Baby, you're like lightning in a bottle – I can't let you go now that I got it," he sang softly. Her mouth was suddenly very dry. She was blushing so hard even her ears felt warm. He looked at her through half-lidded eyes, and the next thing she knew he was pressing his mouth to hers in a quick kiss. He stepped back, and her knees definitely went weak on her as she fell back into her chair. He winked at her as he sauntered back a few steps. "All I need is to be struck…by…your –"
Her eyes blew wide as he dropped to his knees, playing a quick power riff as fireworks – what the hell, how did they get fireworks inside the school what the hell - exploded behind Jagged and they both screamed, "ELECTRIC LOOOOOOOOVE!"
"Baby, you're electric love!" Jagged sang out, pumping his fist into the air. Marinette was so shocked she didn't even notice Fang nosing her leg. Her hand automatically dropped to the crocodile's head as it landed on her lap and demanded scritches.
"Luka called us this morning," Penny whispered beside her, and Marinette jumped as she realized she had taken the chair on her opposite side. Rose was cooing over Fang, scratching behind Marinette's hand on the back of her head. When had Penny gotten there? How had they gotten Fang inside the school? "As soon as he said this was for you, Jagged was all in."
But Luka was singing again, and Marinette couldn't focus on what Penny was saying – or had stopped saying the moment she saw the way Marinette was staring at Luka – when he was doing…that.
"Drowning…you make my heart beat like the rain," he sang. He was still on his knees, and she hadn't seen him move but somehow he was right in front of her again. He grinned up at her, and she was dimly aware of Fang's tail thumping the ground beside him as it wagged. "Surround me…hold me deep beneath your weight…"
"Gross!" Juleka called behind her, making Dingo cackle. Marinette's attention was jerked back towards Jagged as he leapt from the serving line to the nearest table, sending a group of students scurrying as their lunches went flying.
"And every night my mind is running around her!" Jagged sang, much louder than Luka had the first time around. "Then it's getting louder and LOUDER AND LOUDER!"
"Baby, you're like lightning in a bottle!" Luka sang louder, tossing a look over his shoulder at Jagged, who grinned unapologetically. Luka glanced at Rose, who giggled and scrambled onto Juleka's lap, and Marinette's eyes widened again as he hopped up and over Fang to sit in Rose's vacated seat. He leaned closer and nudged her shoulder with his own. "I can't let you go now that I got it. All I need is to be struck by your electric love…"
"Baby, you're electric love!" Jagged continued, shimmying around the tabletop. Luka continued to play, but he rolled his eyes fondly at her and let Jagged take the lead for the second chorus. Marinette heard Penny giggle beside her, but she kept her eyes on Luka. "Electric lo-oooove!"
Luka leaned his forehead against her own again and closed his eyes, and her breath hitched when he sang softly: "Rushing through me…I feel your energy rushing through me…"
She reached up to cradle his face in her hands, and she cut off his next line with a fierce kiss. She was vaguely aware of Jagged's laughter and their friends' cheers as she kissed him, but she was honestly too distracted by Luka's tongue sliding into her mouth to pay them much mind.
Kissing Luka was even better than being serenaded by Luka, anyway. …just a little.
"Baby, you're like lighting in a bottle – I can't let you go now that I got it! Yeah!" Jagged crowed, singing louder and dancing more energetically now that Luka was…otherwise occupied. He jumped and did a split-kick, landing in a power stance before he began wailing on his guitar. Marinette giggled, no longer paying attention to her self-proclaimed adopted uncle as Luka's arms wrapped around her, and she learned quickly that kissing around a guitar (she sent a silent apology to Claire for the abuse) was not the easiest thing. His guitar had no sooner hit her chest than he was leaning back to negotiate it around to his back, but in his rush and distraction he might have knocked Fang in the head. Fang hissed out a low growl, but Marinette dropping a hand back to her head and scratching by her ears mollified her enough to crawl towards Penny instead. That didn't keep her from flicking her tail towards Claire, though both Luka and Marinette were too distracted by each other to hear the twanging snap that followed the crocodile's attack. "And all! I! Need!"
"Wrap it up, Jagged!" Penny called as Jagged broke into another guitar solo. He blew her a kiss, and she rolled her eyes but smiled.
"All I need is to be struck, oh struck!" Jagged sang. Shouts and applause were coming from every corner of the canteen, feeding his inner showboater. He wiggled his butt in Penny's direction, causing a chorus of screams to rise from the back and Penny to bury her red face in her hands. He tossed a kiss over his shoulder. "By your electric loooooooooooove, yeah! Your love's electric!"
He took a running leap from the table and, once he was close enough, dropped to his knees to slide across the floor. He came to a stop right before Fang and Penny, his fingers never once halting in their mad dance across his strings. He winked at Marinette, who immediately blushed and pressed her face against Luka's chest. Luka grinned at Jagged, who turned back to Penny and slammed his hand down.
"E! LEC! TRIC!" Jagged screamed, playing a chord with every syllable. He tossed his head back and screamed, his voice rising an octave and his vibrato cranked up to ten. "LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO –"
The doors to the canteen opened with a bang. In the doorway stood Mlle. Damocles, principal of Lycée Sant-Saëns and the scariest woman Marinette had ever met. Her amber eyes were flashing, practically glowing as she glared over the frames of her black horn-rimmed glasses, her meticulously-sculpted eyebrows narrowed to dangerous points. Her black hair was tied back into a strict bun, the lighter streaks pulling back like horns. Her dark, thin lips were pursed in an enraged frown, and the hands pushed against the doors were practically vibrating in their attempt not to shake. In one of those hands were sparking cables, and Marinette realized with a sinking feeling that the additional music that had been playing over the PA system hadn't just ended before Jagged's second (…or third) guitar solo.
"What the blazes is going on here?" Mlle. Damocles hissed in her low, imposing voice. Marinette swallowed thickly and glanced back at Luka, but he didn't seem overly concerned by how furious their principal looked. Marinette had always found her a little…intimidating, if she was honest. Much more terrifying than her twin brother, at least, who had been her principal at Françoise DuPont. M. Damocles seemed like an overgrown puppy in comparison (…or a fluffy owl). When Jagged failed to answer, merely blinking at her instead, Mlle. Damocles stood and tugged the jacket of her black skirt suit straight over her pencil-thin frame. Her heels echoed through the suddenly silent canteen as she approached, each click-click-click sounding like the ticking of a bomb.
…the effect of which was completely ruined by the sound of Dingo snickering behind them, followed by a wheezed: "Oh, shit, it's not me this time, mate! G'luck!"
"M. Couffaine," Mlle. Damocles said, her voice sharp and cold as ice. Marinette's eyes widened at the easy smile Luka was giving her. She realized at some point she had crawled into his lap, and he seemed perfectly content to keep her there, his arms still wrapped loosely around her waist. Marinette shrank under their principal's glare, but Luka stood his ground. "Would you care to explain why I'm hearing reports of illegal pyrotechnics in my school canteen?"
"Oh, that was me, lo –" Jagged started, but Mlle. Damocles cut him off with a withering stare.
"I will deal with you presently, M. Stone," she bit. She looked back at Luka, who shrugged.
"It's Valentine's Day," he said, as if it was obvious. He had never seemed more like his mother than in that moment, Marinette couldn't help but think. "A big, romantic gesture seemed in order."
"…my office," she hissed, jabbing a finger towards the exit. "Now."
Marinette scrambled out of Luka's lap, and he sighed as he stood. He grabbed his guitar strap, his hand flexing to relieve some tension, and nodded.
"Yes, ma'am," he said, following silently behind her. Jagged laid a hand on Marinette's knee and squeezed.
"It's all right, baby girl," he said. "I won't let our boy get in too much trouble."
The rocker was jogging after them then, and Penny sighed as she picked up Fang's leash and stood. She offered Marinette an encouraging smile before following.
As soon as the doors were closed, the entire canteen erupted in hooting cheers and thunderous applause.
It was almost enough to drown out the sound of Dingo's cackling as he fell out of his seat and onto the floor.
– V –
Given that she was stuck in a time loop, had already relived all of the day's classes multiple times, and could probably recite the information learned in her sleep, Marinette was perfectly fine skipping her next class.
…Luka had been in Mlle. Damocles's office that long.
Though, to be fair, Marinette wasn't sure how much of that was Luka's fault. There was a lot of yelling coming from behind the closed door, and none of it had sounded like Luka. Mlle. Damocles had done much of it, but Jagged Stone had never been known for being quiet, either. When Anarka had rushed past a pacing Marinette and burst through the door, the secretary seated at the desk just outside Mlle. Damocles's office reached into her top drawer and pulled out a pair of earplugs. As the volume inside the office increased, she stared impassively at her computer and continued to type like this sort of thing happened every day.
(…it usually did, though it was usually Dingo and M. or Mme. King in there with the principal.)
About ten minutes after the Captain had arrived, Luka emerged from the room, wincing as he came. Whether that was from the sudden jarring silence of the empty hallway or because she was standing there, nervously wringing her hands as she waited for answers, she wasn't sure. He reached up and rubbed at the back of his neck, offering her a sheepish grin.
"So…" he started, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he walked up to her. "…I'm suspended. At least for the rest of the day. Mlle. Damocles wants it to be through next week, but Ma and Jagged are trying to shout her down. Well…Ma and Penny. Jagged's not really that much help."
Marinette snorted, and then they were both laughing in the middle of the hall. He pulled her into a hug, and she snuggled into his chest.
"You are such a reckless idiot," she sighed when their laughter had finally died down. He hummed, pressing his cheek against the top of her head.
"Ma's boy through and through," he said, making her laugh again.
"You're my reckless idiot, though," she said. She felt his lips press against her head and hugged him tighter.
"As long as you'll have me, darning," he sighed. He pulled away and grinned down at her. "Hey…what do you say we get out of here? I'm not allowed back in class, anyway, and I doubt one afternoon of skipped classes will kill you."
She glanced back at the secretary, whose eyes were still focused on the screen. She gave no indication that she had heard them, but there was now a smile playing at the corner of her lips. Marinette stepped back and reached for Luka's hand, grinning as she nodded.
"Yeah," she said, squeezing his hand. "That sounds perfect."
– V –
They were waiting in the queue along a line of food trucks a few blocks from the school when Luka's phone started ringing. It was easy enough to ignore the first time, but after the third consecutive call he fished it out of his pocket and silenced it. When her phone started ringing instead, he held out his hand expectantly. She rolled her eyes and gave it to him without a word. He immediately rejected the call and put it on silent, too. They both laughed as they dropped their phones in their bags.
Luka squeezed her hand and stepped up to a Thai noodle truck, the sign declaring its name to be Tooq Tooq. He returned to her side with two boxes a moment later, and soon they had fallen into an easy conversation as they walked and ate their noodles.
"This is delicious," she said, tipping her head back with an appreciative groan.
"The street food scene has really exploded lately," he said, nodding in agreement. "I've found a lot of cool places on my delivery route."
She nudged him with her shoulder and winked at him, saying, "I'm so lucky to have an insider as my boyfriend."
"I'm the lucky one," he hummed without missing a beat. Her cheeks warmed as she looked back at her noodles, a smile turning her lips. He slurped a long noodle into his mouth, making her giggle, before winking at her. "And for the record…I really like how that sounds."
"That you're the lucky one?" she giggled. He stopped walking and hooked an arm around her waist. She looked up to find he was smiling down at her.
"Nah," he said, shaking his head. He leaned in and kissed her. He tasted like pad thai and home. "You calling me your boyfriend. Sounds right."
"Dork," she whispered against his lips, leaning in for another kiss.
That afternoon was the best one she'd had in a while. They walked around the city until they eventually found themselves by the river, where they sat and watched the city move around them. Luka pulled his guitar off his back, planning on playing for her as they talked, but he frowned when he realized the strings were broken.
"Claire…" he mumbled forlornly. His voice sounded like heartbreak, and it made Marinette's heart clench in her chest. She squeezed his hand and stood, running off with a promise she'd be back. It took her maybe ten minutes to find the music store she would have sworn they'd passed and maybe another five to find the right pack of strings. His eyes lit up when she returned with the purchase, and he immediately set to changing them out. "I can't believe you knew which ones to get."
"I have an eye for detail," she said with a casual shrug. She leaned back, kicking her legs out in front of her, smiling as she picked at her blue Kitty Section shirt. She glanced up at him to find he was intently staring at his guitar, but he was smiling wide enough that crinkles were forming at the corners of his eyes. She bumped her shoulder against his, and he bit his lip. "When it counts."
It wasn't long before he was tuning his guitar, and not long after that soft music filled the space around them. She sighed and leaned against his shoulder, her eyes closing as she enjoyed the sound. She had almost forgotten how tired she was in the excitement of the day, but sitting there in the calm with Luka it was starting to come back to her. Still, she couldn't help but think it had been one of their better Valentine's.
"I really liked your song, by the way," she said after a few moments of companionable silence. "…even if you got suspended over it. I'm sorry about that."
"Don't be," he said. His eyes were closed, a peaceful smile on his face as he played. "It was my choice, and it was worth it. Not like the suspension will matter by tomorrow, anyway."
It was like he had taken a glass of cold water and dumped it over her head. She sat up and looked at him, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. There was something tugging at her mind, a feeling that she had forgotten something important…something about time and kwamis and an early-morning makeout and the look on Luka's face when he looked out her window to see a wall of light rushing at them, but if Luka realized he had let anything slip he wasn't giving it away. He opened his eyes and looked at her, his lips quirking in a sardonic grin.
"Between Ma and Penny, I'll be back in school by Monday," he said with a fond roll of his eyes. The feeling vanished as quickly as it had come, and Marinette snorted before leaning back against his arm. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was right: the suspension really didn't matter. If she couldn't find that akuma, he'd be back in school by the next morning. It was a shame, too. His serenade was officially one of her favorite memories.
"You should sing more," she said, closing her eyes again. "I can't believe I've known you this long and haven't heard you sing before. You sound amazing, Luka."
"Thanks, but I think you're a little biased," he teased. She shook her head.
"Nope," she said. "I love your voice. I could listen to you all day."
"Liar," he joked. She shot him a look, and he grinned. "Sorry. Thanks. I'm really not that great, though. I stopped singing when my voice changed. It was…hard. You didn't know me then, but I sounded like a dog toy any time I spoke."
She collapsed in laughter at that, but he was still grinning at her.
"I refuse to believe that," she gasped, wiping at her eyes.
"No, it's true," he said. "I sang all the time as a kid, but as soon as puberty hit…bus full of dying cats. Haven't really sung since."
"I would never have been able to tell," she giggled. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, and he grinned at her. "I mean it, too. I'd love to hear you sing more."
He looked back at his guitar, his cheeks turning pink as he switched into a slower, calmer song. The melody wrapped around her like a hug, soothing as a lullaby, and she sighed as she cuddled against him. He glanced at her before looking back at his guitar, humming lightly – and then he was singing again, a gentle crooning in a foreign tongue she barely understood but loved all the same.
"Oh, let me tell you that I love you, that I think about you all the time," he sang quietly. She sighed, relaxing against him as the song washed over her like a wave, bringing to mind lazy afternoons on a houseboat rocked by the gentle pull of the Seine. "Caledonia you're calling me, now I'm going home. And if I should become a stranger…"
He bent down to kiss her head, smiling sadly at her. There was a look of second chances in his eyes that gave her pause and twisted her heart in her chest.
"…know that it would make me more than sad," he continued. He played for another moment before glancing back at her. He switched back to French for the next line, and her heart fluttered again at the sincerity in his voice and intensity in his eyes. "Marinette's been everything I've ever had."
It was too much. A little too overwhelming. Her face burned scarlet, and she shoved against him and laughed nervously, and he chuckled as he immediately stopped playing. She pressed her hands to her cheeks and shook her head.
"D-dork!" she laughed, her heart racing in her chest. She peeked over her hands when he started laughing, too. Her face hurt from smiling so much. He made her so…so…happy. "You are…and that…it was…I love you."
He wrapped his fingers around her wrists and gently pulled, lowering her hands from her face. He pressed his lips to hers in a kiss that she was becoming entirely too fond of, one that found her leaning into him and crawling into his lap once he'd moved his guitar to his back. His arms tightened around her, and she was only a little embarrassed at the whine she let out when his tongue ran along her lower lip. She was finding she really liked his tongue, and she pressed herself closer as she opened her mouth and let him deepen the kiss. She maybe got a little too eager, too excited, and maybe pressed a little too close, as not long after he was falling back against the grass. He grunted as he landed on his guitar, and it was jarring enough that she found herself scrambling to get off of him – even as he was reaching to pull her back. She took his hand and hoisted him into a sitting position, and he sighed as he checked Claire over.
"Poor girl…she's had a day today," he said. Marinette snorted, and he pouted. "Hey, be nice to Claire. She's been in my life a long time. Gotta treat her with respect."
"I love Claire," Marinette giggled, scooting closer to him. She cupped his face and leaned in to kiss his cheek, careful not to disrupt Claire again. "Not as much as I love you, but you love her, so I love her, too."
"I love how you get it," he sighed, trying to capture her lips again, but the moment had passed. She laughed and ducked her head, and he ended up kissing her forehead instead.
"Come on," she said, standing and dusting off her jeans. She reached out a hand he eagerly took, and pulling him to his feet was only a little awkward. He tugged her against his side in a hug. "I've had the best day, Luka. Thank you for this."
"Day doesn't have to be over yet," he said, checking his phone. He rolled his eyes at the missed notifications. "Want to grab a coffee? I could use some caffeine."
…she remembered the café then, and she sighed and nodded.
"…yeah," she said, moving to grab her backpack. She handed him his own and gestured towards the sidewalk. He took her hand and, with another shared smile, they were off.
– V –
They arrived at the café a little earlier that day, and when they hurried inside they found an empty table by the door. Marinette dropped into one of the chairs, and Luka chuckled as he placed Claire and his backpack in the chair by the window. He bent down to kiss her and nodded towards the menu board.
"Any requests?" he asked. She hummed.
"Surprise me," she said. "Something warm, though. I'm a little chilly after walking around all afternoon."
When he went to join the queue, she opened her purse to get his valentine. Tikki giggled and waved at her, and Marinette blinked in surprise. She'd been having such a good time she'd almost forgotten Tikki was there – something she hadn't done in years. She smiled and ran a finger along Tikki's head before retrieving the valentine. She'd just placed it on the table in front of Luka's seat when the door chimed and another couple walked in. The world came crashing down around her when Marinette looked up and locked eyes with the auburn-haired girl.
"You!" Marinette cried, jumping from her seat. The couple paused, sharing a look as Marinette scrambled over to them. She grabbed at the girl's shoulders, trying not to shake her. Her brown eyes blew wide at Marinette's (frankly insane, to the casual observer) actions. "Finally! Thank God – we have to talk!"
"Excuse me?" the black-haired man asked. The girl frowned at her.
"I'm sorry, do I know you…?" she asked. Marinette frowned as she realized the potential flaw in her quickly unravelling plan: no, the girl didn't know her. So why would she possibly speak with her?
"N-no," she stammered. She glanced towards the queue to find Luka staring at her with wide eyes. She grimaced and turned back to the girl. "You…uh…you don't, but…I…know you?"
"Ok, miss, easy on the crazy – we're gonna just…go…now," the man said, removing Marinette's hands from the girl's shoulders. Marinette yanked her hands back and shook her head.
"No, please! I'm sorry, I just…I really need to talk to you!" she said, looking at the girl. The man frowned.
"Miss, please leave us alone - there's a police officer we passed on the way here, and I will enlist his help if you don't step away," he said firmly. He stepped in front of the girl, angling his body to shield her from whatever threat he perceived Marinette to be. Marinette winced and held up her hands.
"…I'm sorry," she finally said. She looked over the man's shoulder at the girl, who was still watching her with nervous eyes. "It's just…I saw you in here the other day, and I…needed to…talk about…a thing, and…please?"
"I don't know you," the girl said. Marinette closed her eyes in a grimace. The man wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders and led her towards the door.
"C'mon, Hannah," he said. "There are less crazy cafés in Paris."
…ok, she deserved that.
"What the hell was that about?"
She jumped as Luka appeared at her side, his eyes following the retreating couple. Two takeaway cups were in his hands. Her stomach dropped to her feet.
"I am so sorry," she said. His eyebrows rose as he looked back at her.
"Huh?" he asked. She grabbed his face and tugged him towards her, pressing a hard kiss against his lips. "I've had the best day, Luka. I'm never going to forget it. I hope I don't have to forget it."
"Marinette, what –" he started, but she shook her head as she stepped away. Her coat was still on the back of her chair at their table. His valentine was waiting, unopened.
"I have to go," she said, clenching a fist over her heart. "I…I just have to go. I'm so sorry, Luka!"
She turned and fled the café. He called for her to wait and ran after her, but she was faster. She darted in the direction she had seen the couple leave and started calling the girl's name. She couldn't find them anywhere – how had they gotten away so quickly?!
"Hannah!" she cried, cupping her hands over her mouth and shouting. She paused a block or so from the café and looked around desperately, but no one familiar stood out. She felt Tikki tugging on her shirt and looked down.
"Marinette, transform! You can cover more ground from the roofs!" her kwami hissed. Marinette nodded and was about to duck into an alley when she heard Luka shouting her name somewhere behind her. She scrambled down an alley, onto the next street, and into another alley a few buildings down before transforming and moving to the roof. A quick run and a well-placed yoyo found Ladybug peering down at the street just in time to see Luka pause by the alley Marinette had disappeared in. She crouched closer to the roof and scanned the street, trying to ignore the desperate way he was shouting her civilian name.
She had lost her. Again. Which meant that this stupid, beautiful day was going to become a stupid, beautiful memory only she would recall. She slammed her fist against the roof and screamed in frustration. She hated Valentine's Day. She hated Hawkmoth. She hated…she didn't hate Luka. She was starting to hate herself, though. She flopped back onto the roof and glared at the perfect blue sky above her.
Today had been really nice, too…
She heard a scream below her and bolted upright. She darted towards the edge of the roof that overlooked an alley, and her eyes widened as she stared down at the akuma.
The first thing Ladybug noticed was that her hair was on fire. Bright pink flames licked upwards from a rose gold crown. The akuma's skin was a pale, pink-white, and her off-white dress seemed more like a flowing toga, cinched by a rose gold chain under her bust. Her dress seemed to dissolve into mist by her feet and swirled around her in an invisible breeze. Delicate rose gold chains wrapped around her hips, and charms hung from them. Ladybug couldn't see them too clearly from the roof, but the charms looked like golden hearts and…clocks? Her head was tipped back, her eyes wide and mouth opened in a scream. It allowed Ladybug to see the rose gold, heart-shaped pendant hanging from her neck. A large crack had chipped into the gold, nearly splitting it in two. Ladybug looked back at her face and realized her eyes had begun glowing. The longer she watched, the brighter the light became, until finally it erupted from the akuma in a blinding flash.
Ladybug fell back from the edge as the light rushed towards her, shielding her eyes as she hit the roof and the light engulfed her.