chapter 3

buzz* *buzz*

i reach for my phone on the night stand when i suddenly feel a body lying next to me. i flinch back before i remember that luka fell asleep here last night which i then relax.

i kinda thought he'd be the 'sneak out once she's asleep' type

buzz* *buzz*

i carefully lean over him to reach for my phone that's an inch out of reach, i try to stretch out further when-

"good morning" luka says with a raspy hungover voice. "need some help?"

buzz* *buzz*

"sorry if i woke you up! you're probably so tired!" i moved back to my side as he handed me my phone.

14 missed called and 45 unread messages from alya.

"she's persistent." luka chuckles sleepily before rolling over to spoon me then going back to sleep behind me.

me: alya its 8 am! how can you possibly be awake right now?

alya: FINALLY!! i'm literally on my way with hangover cure, aka, movies, face masks, and snacks!!!

me: wait how far away are you? if you haven't left yet could we do it at yours instead? my place is a mess! vomit everywhere

i lied

alya: ewww! ok but i'm literally outside can i come in for a bit just to get my stuff from yesterday?

me: yeah i'll buzz you up when you get here.

i manoeuvre myself out of bed so i don't wake luka up.

oh my god. luka is here. alya will flip out if she sees him.

i chuck my robe on and leave my room and close the door quickly but quietly.

alya buzzes and in less than a minute she comes bursting through the door.

"wasn't last night so much fun!!" she sings.

"hey, one of us still gets hangovers remember." i wince at her loud outburst.

"oops," she covers her mouth with her finger tips. "sorry."

i hand over her stuff and she sits down on the couch, ready to gossip but i am way too tired to start.

"i'm gonna stop you right there, i still need at least an hour of sleep before we start talking, so i'm gonna take some tylenol, go back to bed and your gonna march your butt back to yours, do whatever alya does on a sunday until 12 and then we can talk," alya playfully sticks out her bottom lip. "all i'm asking is 4 hours for me to get some rest, have a shower, eat something other than crisps and icecream," i point to her bag of snacks. "and get myself ready to come to yours. i'll see you at 12 ok."

"fine but can i use your bathroom?" she stands up and points to my bedroom door that leads to my on-suit.

"um uh," i remember luka who is currently half naked in my bed. "not unless you like vomit! yeah i kinda hurled my guts up all over my bathroom, yeah um, walls and everything!"

"okay.." she turns to the door "i guess i can wait until i get home."

"yeah sorry" i awkwardly smile.

"well i'll see you at 12 then, no later!" she says as she's halfway out the door. "bye marinette!" she pauses and looks behind me then smirks. "bye luka."

i turn to see luka in my bedroom doorway, frozen.

alya giggles and waves then shuts the door leaving.

"she is going to rip me to shreds about this later." i laugh.

"sorry," luka smiles apologetically. "was just wondering where you went."

i hadn't slept in a bed with another man other than adrien. even when i was with him he barely was even there. always snuck off around midnight. leaving me cold and alone. luka was warm with his arm wrapped over my waist and his big hands holding my stomach. adrien always told me everything he did was to protect me, but for the first time ever, just now in this moment, i truly felt protected. luka's soft low breathing made me sleepier and soon i drifted off back to sleep in his arms.

you're giving your dreams!

you can't speak to me like that!

you'll never be as good as ladybug!

stay here and shut up

know your place marinette!

you are nothing

i woke up to a sudden jolt. great, another nightmare. my headache seemed to go away though. i could hear the shower going and assumed luka was in there as he was absent from bed.

tikki zoomed through the window.

"marinette you're home!" she gave me a cheek hug. "paris was safe last night! did you have a good time?"

"yeah tikki it was fun, just be careful, i have a friend over so don't get seen!" i gestured to the bathroom door.

"ok marinette, i'll be in my cupboard in the kitchen when they leave." tikki zoomed off to her little cupboard i converted into a little house for her.

hawkmoth hasn't attacked in months, maybe he's dead? or came to his senses and stopped being evil.

i roll back onto my side and scroll on my phone but sit straight up when i see the latest news article pop up.

!!Gabriel agreste has woken up from his coma: sources have spotted son, and model, adrien agreste, by his fathers side. !!

"oh. my. god."