half heart
When there's no comfort in comfortable
The stolen chances and colored cars
You can invest with your full heart
You feel it crumble before you start
The weeks that followed the album launch party were a whirlwind of activity. Luka found himself attending multiple interviews for music magazines to talk about the process of writing for the album and the single that had slowly inched its way to being a top-three hit. Normally he'd be pretty upset with the lack of recognition for the rest of the band, but he knew they preferred to stay out of the limelight whenever possible. Each outing, Marinette dressed him. Simple outfits that weren't quite as over the top as some of the things he had peeked in her books for their upcoming tour, including a whole slew of outfits for their first music video.
Everyone was excited to be filming a video, even if it just meant more grueling hours like when they had been recording. The studio said it would only take roughly a week to get it all done, but that the week would be full of eighteen hour days. The band would have two weeks off while the company set up all the contracts required for touring before they set out on their first solo tour.
Luka had been able to convince the executives to let Marinette stay on the main tour bus with them rather than being forced to make her own way. They had the room available with him fulfilling both vocalist and guitarist roles. Convincing her to even come along had been a challenge. Apparently seamstresses normally stayed behind.
Luka, Marc, and Marinette were all currently crowded together on one of the couches in the mixing room, following along as their main handler laid out all the stops they would be making on the upcoming tour. Luka had stopped paying attention about halfway through, in no small part because Marinette was pressed up against him, head lulling onto his shoulder in boredom. Marc was still paying attention, and taking copious amounts of notes. Luka would just get the information from the other guitarist whenever he had time later.
The handler started packing up all his sheets, "We'll have another meeting when we have more information to give out." He nodded to them all in goodbye before leaving them all lounging on the couch.
Marc was still scribbling away as Luka turned his full attention to the half-asleep Marinette. He shifted to the side, the petite woman moving with him and seemingly unwilling to give up the pillow she had made of his shoulder.
"Hey, Marinette," he whispered, not wanting to wake her up just yet if she didn't want to be. "Did you want to go get some lunch?"
Marinette blinked owlishly up at him, taking a moment longer than normal to process what he'd said. She yawned, too tired to cover her mouth, before twisting at the hip and turning to look at Marc.
"Did you want to get lunch with us, Marc?"
The other guitarist looked up from his notes to answer before jerking back in surprise. Luka was glaring daggers at him and slowly shaking his head behind Marinette. "Er, no thanks. I'm going to go see Nathaniel for. . . Something." Marc hastily packed away his notes before scurrying out of the room with a hurried goodbye.
Marinette watched him go before shrugging. She turned her attention back to Luka, staring up at him through her lashes. "Looks like it's just us."
Luka smiled, pleased that Marc had understood him and he'd gotten his way. He reached with his free hand-the one that wasn't laying across the back of the couch and aching-to physically wrap around Marinette, to boop her nose with his pointer. He laughed when her eyes went cross-eyed trying to follow the path of his finger. Luka wanted to kiss her pout off her face.
"As if I have a problem with that."
They left the studio, walking quietly for a few blocks, each lost in their own thoughts about the upcoming tour and all they still had to do. Eventually, Luka turned his attention to his companion. "Where would you like to go for lunch? My treat."
Marinette glanced over at him, scrunching up her nose as she contemplated his question. Seemingly unable to immediately think of anything, she took to looking around the area they were in for some sort of inspiration. She spied a small cafe further down the block, nestled between two other small stores.
"How about there?" she asked, pointing it out to him. They both stopped in front of the small fencing surrounding an outdoor eating section. "Do you want to sit outside? It's a nice day."
Luka nodded his agreement and they selected a small table in the corner of the section where they could safely talk without being bothered by passersby every few minutes. They pursued the menus laying out on the table silently for a few minutes before placing orders when the waitress finally came around. Marinette ordered what she referred to as, 'a big, fat, juicy burger'. It was a pleasant surprise from his last girlfriend, who had always ordered nothing but water and salad.
Taking a sip of his drink, Luka lounged back against the white metalwork chair, idly tapping out a new beat on the wooden tabletop. "So what kind of creations are you dreaming up for our music video?" He still didn't know what they were doing for said music video. Marinette and the director had been collaborating over the look he knew, but so far no one had seen fit to inform the band members themselves about the direction of it.
The seamstress dug around in the bag she had brought along, producing one of the many sketchbooks she had taken to carrying around. This one had 'video looks' drawn on the cover in big loopy letters. Luka's lips quirked in amusement at the sight as she flipped it open, thumbing through the pages before stopping on one about a quarter of the way in. She twisted the book so he could see it right side up and pointed at the outfit sketched within.
"This is what I'm thinking about for you."
It looked like Marinette had been going for a military inspired look. Luka wondered if everyone else's outfits would follow that trend or if he would stand out. The pants and shirt itself were plain, black and white respectively. But the jacket he would be wearing had a streak of navy blue through it to denote it's over all color. Half-colored golden buttons marched up the edges of the front opening, with stark white lines denoting where the lapels and extra decoration would be.
Luka whistled in appreciation. "It's a killer outfit."
He loved it, though he had loved most things she had made for him so far, so that wasn't saying much. He couldn't wait to wear it. Luka was fairly certain that after wearing it for untold hours when they started filming he would begin to hate it, but he still wanted to keep it. Locked away in a closet as a pleasant memory.
"May I?" he asked, indicating the further pages. At her nod, he began flipping through more, tilting his head to get the right look at the other outfits.
It seemed he'd be the only one sporting the military styled look. Assuming the outfits on some of the following pages were for the music video that was. He continued to flip through the pages, stopping on what looked like another evening dress for Marinette. He knew neither Juleka or Alix would be caught dead in something like it.
Luka traced one of the lines of the flared skirt, glancing up at her with a crooked grin. "This is very pretty. Are you going to wear it to the next party?"
Marinette snatched the sketchbook from him, her face turning slowly red, stowing it back into her bag while the waitress came back to place their food in front of them. "I don't know. Maybe, assuming I don't get hit with any other inspiration."
They talked quietly as they ate about the upcoming music video, and the promotional photoshoots in the same outfits that would accompany its release. La Mar en Été had to start hyping up the tour as soon as it was done, there was only a few weeks between them finishing and them having to leave.
"Who's going to take care of Sass?" Marinette finally asked after the food had been cleared away and they were left sipping at the last of their drinks. "I feel bad, I never asked who watched him last time."
Luka stood, offering his hand to help her up. "He's going to stay with my friend, Henri. He watched him last time, too." Marinette's hand slipped out of his once she'd stood. He missed the warmth within seconds, but didn't say anything as they made their way back to the studio after fighting over who was going to pay for the check. A fight he was happy to win. Luka held the door open for her when they reached the recording studio, following her through the halls back to their private room.
When they opened the door, M Damocles was inside, talking quietly to a blond man that was turned away from them. By the looks of it, it appeared to be Adrien Agreste, though Luka wasn't sure why he would even be here. They hadn't grown close enough over the tour to warrant a check up. Adrien's time had been more than a little monopolized by the other people in his life, like his assistant Lila. He had been cordial at least.
The blond turned and Luka felt himself stiffen in anger. It was Félix. After spending a length of time with Adrien, it became easy to tell them apart despite the uncanny resemblance they shared. Adrien never looked so. . . Smarmy was a good word, Luka thought. He glanced over at Marinette and saw her own body tense with her own outrage as she glared with undisguised hatred at Félix.
Luka turned back to the pair, wanting this interaction to be over with. "M Damocles, to what do we owe this pleasure?"
"Luka, my boy!" The man wrapped an arm around Félix, seeming not to notice when the blond's face took on an even nastier quality at the contact. M Damocles dragged the blond closer to both Luka and Marinette.
"The studio decided that we'd like to have live wind instruments for the tour rather than a backing track!" M Damocles slapped Félix on the back, causing him to jerk forward at the excessive force. "And Félix here just so happens to play a number of instruments and be under contract with the studio!"
Luka was at a loss for words. Unsure what exactly to do, he turned back to look at Marinette to find her even angrier-if that was even possible. Surprisingly, however, she didn't say a word. Marinette pivoted on her heel and stomped into her little workroom, slamming the door behind her. Luka watched her go, torn between going to her or staying where he was. The rattling of the glass on her door was the only sound in the room for a long awkward moment.
M Damocles didn't give him much of a choice. He glared first at the still-rattling door before turning the look on Luka. "I don't know what her problem is, but you better sort it out. Or I'll sort her out myself."
The threat was clear. Luka could only nod as M Damocles escorted a smirking Félix out of the room. Luka wanted to punch the smug look off his face even more than he had wanted to when they'd met at the dinner forever ago. How was he going to explain this to Marinette?
". . . Shit."
Almost an hour after Marinette had stormed into her workroom, she was still nearly vibrating with barely suppressed anger. She had been muttering to herself on and off the entire time, having choice words for both Félix and Record Star Studios . In that time, she'd managed to stab herself with her needles an untold number of times. Staring at the article of clothing in her hands, it dawned on her that this meant she was going to have to make clothes for that blond asshole. Marinette let loose a scream of rage, tossing what she'd been working on over her shoulder in a fit of pique.
She sat still for a few minutes, breathing in and out through her nose, trying to calm herself. She started to feel slightly ashamed of her reaction, even if there was no possibility of anyone hearing her, the entire room was soundproof so she didn't have to hear the recording. Marinette swiveled in her chair, startled to see Luka still sitting out in the main room. He was hunched forward, leg bouncing a mile a minute, and staring down at his interlocked hands. He seemed to be talking to himself.
Marinette watched him until he finally turned and looked into her work domain. He didn't seem particularly surprised to see her watching him, he just looked resigned, but about what she didn't know.
Luka got up and pulled open her door enough to poke his head inside, "Hey, uh, can we talk?" He didn't sound confident at all, despite the smile he was now trying to give her.
She nodded, scooting her chair closer to the couch where he had perched himself right on the edge. Instantly his leg started going again. Nerves , she thought. Only she didn't know what he had to be nervous about. Unless he had to make a decision about Félix or her, and Luka didn't know how to tell her that he had gone with the violinist. Feeling her own heart begin to race in nerves, Marinette crumpled in on herself, mind whirling on what she could do. Would the bridal boutique even take her back after she'd stormed out in spectacular fashion?
After a full minute of them both locked inside their heads, where Luka had gone back to glaring at the ground as if it had personally offended him, Marinette finally worked up the courage to lean forward and rest her hand on his knee. His leg instantly stopped its movement, but she could still feel the muscle twitching under her palm.
"Luka, what's going on?" She wasn't liking the almost desperate look he was giving her.
He took a deep breath, holding it for a long time before releasing it out. He scooped up her hand that was still resting on his knee and began stroking a soothing pattern over her palm with his thumbs.
"Say the word and he's gone," he finally said with much more conviction than his posture was showing.
Marinette's first instinct was to say yes . But she bit her tongue against the impulse and swallowed the words. La Mar en Été was still new, and if the studio head was offering Félix-and it had been less of an offer and more like a foregone conclusion-she didn't think they were really in a position to be saying no.
"What do you think would happen if you said no?" she finally asked.
Luka shrugged, looking away from her and turning his sad gaze to the wall, leg starting to bounce with his restless energy again. "I'm willing to risk it," he finally mumbled in response.
He might have been willing to risk it, but was the rest of the band, who didn't even know? Was she ? There was no guarantee they'd keep their contract even if they said no, and then they'd all be out the opportunity. This was Luka's dream, and she could let him give that up just because she couldn't stand to be in the same room as Félix. Marinette slipped her hands out of his, moving to sit on the couch next to him and wrapping her arms around him in what she hoped was a comforting hug, and a smile that conveyed as much gratitude as she was feeling.
"I really appreciate it, Luka. But I'll be alright," she tried to assure him. Luka didn't quite look like he believed her, but he didn't say anything in return, silently taking the lifeline she had offered.
Filming on the music video had commenced, and the countdown to the tour had begun. Marinette was spending the majority of her time in the studio, putting all the finishing touches on the various stage outfits the band would be wearing. Including a special set that would only be used for the final show. She hadn't seen any of her friends, be they in the band or otherwise, for the past week and a half. While Luka and the rest of La Mar en Été had been spending eighteen hour days on set, she had been spending just as much time hunched over a sewing desk, trying to churn out everything they needed on an increasingly short deadline.
Marinette flipped on the light switch to her work room, mentally going through the pieces for the tour wrap party and trying to determine which outfits she could bring along to work on while on the bus. She wouldn't have access to a sewing station, so they had to be something she could do by hand. Juleka's dress, maybe my own? she mused to herself. She dumped her bag on the little loveseat in the room, turning to her workstation to begin another long day of sewing before stopping short.
On her mostly-bare table was a vibrant red rose, only partially bloomed, a bright blue piece of paper folded under it. Hesitantly she picked up the rose, surprised to see that all the thorns had been carefully clipped off. Marinette pressed her nose against the petals, inhaling, and enjoying the heady scent. She turned her attention to the note, she picked it up and flipped it open, smiling at the contents.
I hope you're having a better week than we are, who knew filming would be so exhausting? Everyone is loving your outfits, per usual.
Miss you, Luka
It was. . .Cute. They'd barely even had time to text lately. Both Luka and Marinette wanted nothing more than to collapse into their beds whenever they got around to leaving their respective tasks. He rarely got any free time to play with his phone during the shooting, so they usually had to make due with a quick 'good morning' and 'good night' text whenever they could keep their eyes open long enough.
Marinette dug around in her bag for a water bottle. After dumping half the contents out in the bathroom, she slipped the rose in, unnecessarily fussing with it until it looked just right. She placed it on the corner of her desk, the one shoved into the corner of the room so it wasn't in any danger of falling. She sat smiling at it for a few moments before digging out her phone to snap a picture to send to Luka.
Thank you so much for the flower, you cheered my day right up !
She hit 'send' before she could do something stupid, like tell him she missed him, too. Marinette pulled up their album on her phone, setting it to blasting through her enclosed space, she liked to listen to it for inspiration for the looks she was creating. Puffing out her cheeks, she tapped at her face in an effort to wake up a little more. Why was she coming in at the crack of dawn when she could just stay really late again?
"Right! Let's get to it."
The roar from the crowd was deafening. A dozen people were rushing around him, screaming back and forth as they finished some last minute checks and tasks before La Mar en Été could take the stage. Luka kept his eyes closed through it all, breathing deeply and trying to calm his nerves. It was their first show of the tour, right in their hometown of Paris, and it didn't compare at all to playing as an opening band. Their own starting act, who they sadly hadn't gotten to pick out themselves, had just exited on the other side of the stage, he hadn't even gotten to watch them. Now the crowd was slowly working themselves into a mob as they awaited the band's arrival. Luka never thought they'd be here, taking the stage, let alone with three top five-hits across Europe.
He took another deep breath before peeking open a single eye to stare down at Marinette, who was still busy fussing with the lower half of his clothing. It only took a few seconds of watching her before he snapped the eye shut again, mainly because he was reminded of why he had closed his eyes in the first place. Having Marinette on her knees in front of him while she played with his pants was. . . It was definitely something he was going to be thinking about after the show that was for sure.
Marinette stood up, giving one last tug to the leather jacket he was wearing, nearly causing him to tip forward at the suddenness of it. "Right, you're all set. Break a leg, Luka!"
She was smiling up at him, and Luka would have enjoyed nothing more right now than a simple kiss of encouragement. But their relationship was already rocky as it was. She flirted, he flirted, he tried to say I like you without having the courage to actually come out and say it, and she stared at Adrien Agreste whenever he was in the vicinity. Luka didn't think he would be capable of not throwing in little flirts here and there, unless she asked him to stop of course, but he was determined to give her space if she wasn't interested. Even if it broke his heart.
When Luka didn't move, Marinette forcibly spun him around and gave him a shove to the edge of the curtain. He turned to give her a mock glare, but she only grinned impishly back at him. He gave his own small tug on the jacket, trying to get more comfortable in it and already feeling like he was overheating.
"Right, let's get this over with," he mumbled to himself.
He already felt exhausted, and nervous beyond words. Luka could only hope that when he actually got up on stage, the crowd's chaotic energy would somehow transfer over to him and make this whole thing easier. Juleka slinked up next to him, fidgeting in her own outfit. A plain black shirt with flared sleeves, and a high-waisted asymmetrical plaid skirt with a faux corset. His eyes slide from observing her to the other side of the stage where he could see Alix and Marc pacing back and forth with their own restless energy, and behind them Félix looking as disgruntled as ever. They were all eager to get out there and get things started, and over with, it seemed.
"We can do this, Juleka." Luka wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure. Himself, who was about ready to die with nerves, or Juleka who was starting to look a little green in the face.
The lights, which had been nice and bright for the opening act, suddenly dimmed, the signal that the band was to make their way onto the stage. There was no more time to think about it as Juleka followed him on stage and to where their instruments were ready and waiting. Luka slipped the strap over his body, took one last deep breath, and turned to the crowd. He wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or relieved that he couldn't see any of them.
When they had been opening for Adrien, the whole arena had been nice and bright. The only lights on the stage had been the ones from overhead. Now the entire venue was dark, and the stage was lit up from the lights that lined the front of the stage and the spotlights all the way in the back. Luka tried his best not to let it distract him as the band worked their way through the first couple of songs. The energy from the crowd was finally starting to seep into his bones, and soon enough he was looping around the stage, screaming and showing off right along with the fans.
Halfway through their set, they stopped playing long enough to welcome Félix to the stage. "Everyone, let's give a warm welcome to Félix Graham de Vanily, he'll be providing backing instruments for the next few songs!" Luka did his best to ignore the other man's presence, thanking whatever deity responsible that Félix was stuck up enough to insist on traveling alone, rather than with the rest of the band and Marinette. If he hadn't, Luka was sure someone would have turned up dead by now.
While the blond was setting up, Luka peeled off the leather jacket, ignoring the clamoring of the fans to throw it out among them. He tossed it to the side of the stage he'd come from, watching only long enough to see Marinette scoop it up and hold it close. He gave her a lopsided grin in thanks before turning his attention back to the task at hand. He already felt much cooler without the restricting leather. Luka was grateful that Marinette had kept the outfits relatively low key, all he was wearing under it was a tight white shirt. A very, very, tight white shirt. If Marinette hadn't been making him a slew of clothing, he'd be worried she had forgotten his measurements.
The crowd cheered as soon as Félix was done setting up, which Luka didn't think the little shit deserved at all. They also didn't seem to notice his resemblance to Adrien Agreste, in large part because Marinette had gone out of her way to dress them wildly differently, going so far as to scheme with the makeup crew to make the differences even more severe. When Luka had asked earlier after spying Félix, she had told him something about not wanting any other girls to get duped.
They steadily worked their way through more of the album as the night wore on. Despite the exhaustion slowly building up, Luka felt elation surging through him each time the crowd sang along with him. He hoped he never got used to this, never learned to take the experience for granted like Jagged had eventually done. When they reached the last song of the night, Luka tried to infuse as much energy as he could into his playing, jumping around the stage. He even went so far as to climb onto one of the amps, leaping off during a particularly energetic solo.
Panting from the thrill of it all at the end, Luka tossed his guitar pick into the crowd, pleased when the rest of the band followed his example, tossing their own picks and drum sticks out. All of them looked pleased with what they accomplished, but they also looked like they weren't going to be on their feet for much longer either.
"Thank you all so much for coming out!" Luka screamed out into the crowd. He felt Juleka slip her hand into his, with Marc grabbing his other one. He turned and saw Alix grab Marc's before they all took a bow to the still-riled crowd. Detaching, the band all slowly made their way off the stage. Once Luka passed the boundary of the stage curtain, exhaustion hit him like a truck, and all he wanted to do was take a shower and pass out on his not-so-comfortable tour bus bunk.
Each band member disappeared into their own dressing room, but there was no sign of Marinette. With a shrug, he decided he'd see her later no doubt, Luka went into his own dressing room, already peeling off pieces of clothing. Fully stripping down, he dumped the clothes into a pile on one of the many chairs dotting the room. He stopped long enough to grab a pair of sweatpants and a towel before making a beeline for the bathroom.
Luka enjoyed twenty blessed minutes under the hot spray, barely having the energy to even wash up, letting it ease out the tension in his muscles before he was forced to switch the water off. They only got an hour or so after playing their last song before they had to be on the bus so they could drive through the night. The production crew would be here until the early hours of the morning, however. He still needed to pack all his stuff up, and see if catering had anything left to eat. Otherwise he would be running somewhere close by to try and find a place that was open after midnight.
Stepping out of the shower, Luka patted himself dry enough to pull on his sweatpants before dropping the towel over his still damp hair. Closing his eyes against the harsh lights of the dressing room, he plopped himself down the sofa right outside the bathroom. Resting his head back against the edge of the sofa, he let the cool air of the overhead fan slowly drop his body temperature back to an acceptable level. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, towel slipping over his eyes to block out even more of the light, the gentle whooshing of the fan the only noise, before something crashing on the other side of the room had him jerking back to wakefulness.
Luka ripped the damp towel off his head, staring at Marinette, who was sitting at the light-up vanity and staring at him, her face a lovely shade of red. He definitely hadn't heard her come in, and she hadn't been there when he had first come in that was for sure. His clothes were still in a pile right next to her, so she'd come in while he was showering, and been there the entire time he'd been sitting here. He flopped back bonelessly into the cushions, heaving a great sigh.
"You scared the shit out of me, Marinette."
When the woman didn't say anything, Luka peeked an eye open to see what she was doing. She was still just sitting at the vanity, face growing redder by the second, and staring at him as if she'd never seen him before in her life.
"Uh, are you alright, Marinette?"
His question seemed to knock her out of whatever reverie she was in as she twisted around and started shoving things into her bag. "You have a lot of freight- I mean great- I meant, you're FINE! It's fine!" she stuttered out. Marinette was now refusing to even look in his direction as she crammed everything within reach into the carry bags, including all his stuff. Not that he would complain when it saved him the trouble of doing it himself.
Luka watched her get up and scurry around the room to pick up everything else, including the box of sewing supplies she had upended and startled him awake with, mulling over what she had said. He was fine was he? A wicked smile slowly slid over his face at her admission.
"Hey, Marinette. Do you want to go grab something to eat before the bus takes off?" Screw catering, there would be too many people there, if they even had anything left that was.
Marinette stilled, her hand hovering over some empty water bottles that still needed to be thrown out. "S-sure! Where were you thinking?" She finally finished picking up the last few things.
They were still in Paris, so finding something they were both familiar with would be easy enough. Luka stood up, making his way over to her slowly. Marinette was frozen in place as he leaned over her, pressing his bare chest against the smooth material of her shirt to grab his own shirt out of one of the many bags she had stuffed full to bursting. He backed up a step to pull it on, giving his hair one last ruffle with the towel before dropping it on one of the bigger bags with the pile of dirty clothes. Marinette, who's face had started to cool during her mad dash around the room, was blushing again.
"Well, I think there's a corner store down the street from here, it's probably the only thing still open right now," he mused, scooping up as many bags as he could carry and leaving her just a few to carry on her own.
Marinette slowly shook herself out of her frozen state, picking up the remaining bags. Luka didn't comment on her red cheeks, though it brought a self-satisfied smirk to his face. He held the door open for her, giving the room one last once over before switching the light off and following her out of the building.
They deposited the bags back on the tour bus, being as quiet as they could when they saw Juleka's purple hair already peeking out from under one of the blankets. Once back outside, they took off in the direction of where Luka thought the store was. The occasional glance at the time told them they'd have to be in and out, they were already cutting it dangerously close.
They chose to enter the first place they came across that looked like it served food. It was a dingy little hole in the wall that boasted having some of the best fried food this side of the Seine. Luka wasn't sure which contest they were participating in, but he seriously doubted that claim was true. After pursuing the menu, what little there was of it, he and Marinette both put in orders for something simple. At least it smelled good, even if the place looked more run down than some of the dive bars he'd been to.
Both of them were quiet as they waited, he wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep for as long as possible, which wouldn't be long between the humming of the bus and the general uncomfortableness of the bunks. Marinette didn't look much better. Luka didn't realize he had started to doze off with his head in his hand until the cook calling their order jerked him back awake. They paid for their food and found the first bench on the way back towards the venue to eat on.
"So how do you think the show went?" Marinette asked after a few bites, the food seeming to liven her back up.
The food didn't seem to be doing much for Luka however, only making him even sleepier. "It was totally different from being an opening act-" he paused to yawn loudly, picking at what was left of his food. "I was exhausted before I even got on stage. The crowd pumped me back up for a while." He stopped speaking again to rub tiredly at his face. "Now I just want to curl up somewhere and sleep for half a day."
Marinette giggled, taking his empty tray and tossing both of theirs into the garbage. She stood up and slipped her hands into his, tugging him to stand. She caught him when he lurched forward, wrapping her arms around his waist. She let him stay like that for a moment, enjoying his hot breath against her skin and his nonsensical murmurs, if her soft shivers were anything to go by. Eventually she twisted so they were both facing the same way. She mumbled something about how being even a little bit taller would make this infinitely easier.
"I like short Marinette, you fit under my arm perfectly." He gave her a tired smile.
Marinette just sighed at him. "Come on Luka, let's get you to bed." They began the trek back to the tour bus. Luka wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leaning more into her to keep himself upright. They were quiet the rest of the way back, but found one of the stage managers waiting outside of the bus for them.
"Oh, thank god! We were about to call you!" The manager positioned himself on the other side of Luka, helping Marinette practically lift him bodily up the bus steps. Once inside the manager left her to finish the job as he went to tell the driver they could finally depart.
Marinette led Luka back to the rear of the bus where the bunks were. She looked between him, still blinking blearily at her, and to the very top bunk he had claimed as his own. Instead she directed him to her own bunk, helping him take off his shoes and lay down, before tucking him into the pink and white comforter she'd brought from home.
"Sweet dreams, Luka."
Before she could move away, he snagged her hand and gave it a soft squeeze, smiling up at her sleepily. "My dreams are always sweet when you're in them." Luka watched her go, a small smile on her face, and climb into his bunk before he rolled over to face the wall. He buried his face in her pillow, enjoying the scents that were distinctly Marinette before drifting off.
Luka woke surrounded by the enticing scent of vanilla. He spent a few minutes letting the sweet smell lull him back towards the equally sweet embrace of sleep before jerking awake when he realized just what the smell was. Marinette . He leaned back, staring in horror at what he was currently cuddling to his chest. He was both relieved and a little disappointed to see that it was only her pillow and not actually Marinette herself.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Luka took stock of his surroundings. This was definitely Marinette's bunk. It was only a temporary housing unit, and it might not even last through their next tour if they got big enough, but she had obviously tried to make it home. There was an assortment of pictures taped to the small space of the wall afforded to them. Friends he had seen with Juleka before, and a print out of the picture with him and her smiling at the bar from forever ago. The fact that she liked him enough to print out their picture, even when they'd be seeing each other every day right now, brought a smile to his face. Jammed into the corner of the bunk was also a small stuffed animal that looked vaguely like a ladybug. For anyone else it would be childish, but for Marinette it just seemed to fit.
Luka flopped back in the bed, hugging the pillow to his face and just enjoying the scent for another moment. How had he actually wound up in Marinette's bed? She wasn't here, and he didn't think anything had happened. He hadn't been that tired last night that he wouldn't remember something like that. . . Was he? No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't remember anything past paying for his food last night, everything else was a tired blur.
Shoving the pillow to the side, Luka hastened to climb out of the bed and figure out just what happened last night. A quick glance out one of the few windows in the back end of the bus confirmed that they were no longer moving. They must be at the halfway point between shows, though he hadn't been paying enough attention during the presentation to even remember what the name of the town was. Marinette wasn't in her bed, so without stopping to change, Luka yanked the curtain separating the sections of the bus aside, intent on finding her, only to run right into her.
"Oh!" She startled, leaning back away from him. "I was just coming to wake you up, are you hungry?"
She was smiling at him, and Luka took a moment to take her in before answering. Marinette appeared totally relaxed, beaming up at him like she did every other day. Nothing looked to be amiss. He reasoned that if he had been inappropriate, and she hadn't liked it, she would have had no problem letting him know. Probably would have broken his nose, too. Damn, that was a fond memory, made even more so now that they actually had to spend any amount of time around Félix.
Not wanting to bring up his apparently irrational fear, Luka stepped aside so she could make her way back into the living area of the bus. "Uh sure, where were you thinking about getting breakfast?" Marinette's answer would greatly affect whether he changed or not, and he really wanted to just lounge around in sweatpants and a T-shirt for the rest of the day.
"I saw a cute little cafe down the street that I wanted to try out," she beamed up at him. Damn, real clothing it was then. "Everyone else is off doing their own thing, so it's just us."
Maybe real clothing wouldn't be so bad after all.
She waited for him while he changed in the cramped bathroom. When he came out he found her straightening out both of their beds. They left the bus to see Marinette had been right. He didn't see anyone around at all except the shoppers for the stores whose parking lot they were currently in. They locked up the bus before setting off the way Marinette had indicated, chit-chatting about the tour and what they were both looking forward to the most.
"I'm really hoping my body gets used to the type of energy needed for full shows," he said. They had played almost their entire CD, and the more music they produced, the longer the concerts would get. Opening had only been a couple songs, and Luka longed for the simplicity of it. But he knew he wouldn't be getting to spend nearly as much time with Marinette if that was the case, so it was worth it in the end.
Marinette nodded along with him, "Yes, sewing on the bus has been an. . . Experience." Obviously it sucked, even if she wasn't willing to come right out and say as much to him. "But I've made decent progress." He supposed that was what she did when they were practicing and setting up, though she had stuck around while they actually played.
"I'm excited to see how popular the T-shirts I designed are too," she continued. He hadn't even known she'd designed them. The studio had submitted some designs for approval from the band, but other than that they hadn't said where they'd come from. He'd have to make sure he got his hands on some. "I haven't had a chance to talk to Elijah yet-" Elijah was the person in charge of their merchandise sales, "-to find out how well everything sold last night."
"I have no doubt they were popular," Luka reassured her. He would have to get some fast before they sold out. The band wasn't popular enough yet where they'd be reprinting merchandise halfway through a tour. At least not big orders.
They reached the cafe and Luka held the door open so she could enter before him. It was a cute little atmosphere, with tiny tables scattered all over the front room and a long glass counter taking up much of the far wall. A single door behind the counter led deeper into the building. Ignoring the other patrons, Luka and Marinette stepped up to the display, pursuing the selection within before placing an order.
"You go sit, I'll bring everything back." Luka pointed out a table that was against one of the full wall windows. If the coffee didn't wake them up, then the bright sunlight certainly would. Marinette stared at him with pursed lips for a good minute, probably debating if she wanted to argue about paying or not. She seemed to give up and gave him a quiet thanks before going over to claim the chair facing the window. He appreciated it since he wouldn't have to stare at the early morning sun more than needed.
Luka joined her after collecting, and paying for, their food. He slid into the small booth attached to the wall, placing the serving tray between them. Marinette thanked him again before closing her eyes and enjoying the long sip she took from her coffee cup.
"Ah, that is one way to wake up." She placed the cup back on the table with a small clink , and Luka was amused to see it almost half empty already. He took a much smaller sip of his own coffee, preferring the slow approach to waking up. They enjoyed the first few bites of their breakfast in silence before Luka glanced up and saw that Marinette had a dollop of cream from her pastry on her cheek.
Without even thinking, Luka leant forward and swiped it up with his thumb. Giving Marinette an impish grin, he licked the cream off of his finger, enjoying it's sweetness as much as he enjoyed the reaction it elicited from Marinette. She was bright red, trying to stutter out words, but not managing to get anything out that sounded like a real word.
"You had a little something on your face." Luka's statement brought out a mock glare from Marinette, causing him to laugh as he watched her go back to eating her pastry, carefully , so she didn't get any more on her face. He contented himself like that for a minute or so, slowly sipping his coffee, before he noticed someone on the other side of the cafe watching them.
Looking over Marinette's shoulder, he saw Félix alone at another table, drink and untouched pastry in front of him. The blond violinist was glaring daggers at him, eyes glittering with an unmasked hatred. Luka wasn't sure what he had done to warrant such a reaction from him, though he could understand his hatred of Marinette, even if the little prick had deserved it in his opinion. But Félix wasn't staring at just Marinette. His gaze was alternating between Marinette, who didn't even know he was there, and Luka, who was watching him right back. Unwilling to waste any more energy on the insufferable man, Luka shot him a nasty look before focusing a smile back on Marinette, putting Félix and all of his venom out of his mind.
