Passing Papers - Chapter 3.

A Lukadrien fanfic by InfamousAmooogle.

((I've finally decided on a layout, you'll be glad to hear.))


While Luka Couffaine stood dumbfounded, staring at the space his crush had just been, Adrien Agreste was running, thoughts loud and overwhelming. If Adrien were being honest, he wouldn't be able to recognise that he was thinking of anything at all. All the young model knew was that his brain was telling him he had to get in the car before his father was informed he hadn't shown up yet, and that his legs were carrying him there at an unusually fast pace.

He didn't hear when his friends called after him, nor did he pay any attention to Nathalie reprimanding him for not arriving immediately after his class had ended.

Sat in the back of the car, he felt simultaneously numb yet filled with more energy and emotion than he knew what to do with.

The car ride home passed by as a blur of trivial sights and sounds, only snapping out of his everything-and-nothing state of being when Nathalie opened the door for him, "Adrien, your late arrival has left you with only fifteen minutes before we leave for your photoshoot by the canalside."

"Sure, thanks Nathalie." Adrien answered absently.

Though she noticed his odd behaviour, Nathalie was afraid to pry in case it was something she ought to tell Gabriel behind Adrien's back; being the assistant for Mr Agreste was sometimes a difficult task when she also cared for his son.

- ~ - ~ -

Adrien's body sent him on autopilot to his bedroom where he sat on his bed in silence. When Plagg emerged from his jacket for a brief taste of freedom, they didn't delve face-first into their cheese cupboard as usual, instead floating in front of Adrien's pale face, unsure of what to do to get their holder to snap out of it. Much like the typical household cat, Plagg began to circle Adrien, nudging him occasionally in an attempt to get his attention.

"Plagg…" Adrien began.

"Oh good, you've snapped out of it, and in good time too!"

"Did you hear that too… Luka likes me?"

"That's what he said. Are you deaf now too, kid?"

"Deaf? What are you talking about?"

"Oh never mind…" Plagg responded with a sigh.

"What do you think about-", Adrien started to ask, before being interrupted as Nathalie walked into his room. She didn't need to speak for Adrien to know what she was there for. He sighed, standing and following her out of the mansion to the car waiting outside, Plagg flying into his jacket as he went.

- ~ - ~ -

After the deemed mess at school, Luka felt he needed some time alone, so he went to sit under the bridge along the canal.

Though he strummed on his guitar, no real melodies formed and he played with a distinct lack of confidence, instead the air filled with clashing notes, the sound painful to hear much like the ache in his heart was painful to feel. Luka mused that perhaps, in that sense, he was succeeding in playing the hidden songs of the heart.

He continued on his musical lamenting, not caring if he made his fingers hurt under the strings, playing his saddened heart out until his hands began to stiffen rendering playing near impossible.

He sat the guitar down beside him with a deep sigh. Not feeling quite ready to return home to face inevitable questions from his sister about the hell went on today, he stared out into the shimmering water below. It almost teased him with its calmness; Luka craved simplicity and calmness.

Commotion across the canal stole the boy from his daydream, and he glanced up curiously only to freeze in his seat as a certain blond-haired boy stepped out of the familiarly uninspiring grey car. Another thing Luka admired about the young Agreste was his ability to remain positive and motivated amidst a bland and suffocating environment - however the admiration Luka held was lost on him as he couldn't tear his eyes from the one he loved most: the boy who had hurt his fragile heart barely more than an hour before.

Luckily for Luka, Adrien was swept away so fast by make-up artists and photographers that he remained unnoticed, he figured it was better that way anyways. Not that he wanted to be noticed but he wouldn't have objected if a certain boy happened to steal away from his work to talk… No, that's just unrealistic.

What Luka didn't know however, was that Adrien was surprisingly observant despite his soft, naive appearance, and spent the following two hours stealing the occasional glance that didn't go unnoticed by his photographer, whose patience had run dry after the third glance in the past half hour.

"Ah, Adrien no no what are you doing, boy? You're not focusing one bit! Now, eyes on me so we can get the shoot done, okay?" His voice grew ever-impatient as he went on, Adrien shrinking back and nodding meekly. All Adrien wanted was a chance to talk to Luka, but the chances seemed slim, he figured he'd have to leave it for later. In the meantime, he had to focus on his work. Luka would have to wait.

- ~ - ~ -

It was late evening by the time the photoshoot finally finished, the staff growing weary at Adrien's lack of focus, and most of the fans had tired and left as well. Stumbling over his words for some lame excuse to take a step away from the set as things were being tidied away, Adrien wandered closer to the canalside in hopes of crossing paths with a blue-haired boy.

Despite his best efforts to appear casual, his pace quickened the closer he got to the body of water.

"...Luka?" he spoke breathily, scanning the area in search of him to the best of his efforts only to end up fruitless.

Luka had left earlier on when he'd grown cold and hungry but Adrien hadn't noticed, assuming his fans were blocking his view. Though Adrien told himself as he walked mechanically to the car at the beck of Nathalie that he didn't mind at all, and that he was glad Luka had better things to do than wait on him, the gentle ache in his chest and the motions of a snickering kwami in his shirt said otherwise. Something in the depths of Adrien's mind told him he simply had to talk to Luka that day, otherwise he'd not be able to rest easy, so that's just what he did.

- ~ - ~ -

Luka was sitting out on the deck of the Couffaine family houseboat, leafing through a book for school when he looked up having felt the boat rock behind him. Turning quickly, he stared into the velvet darkness.

"Hello? Is anybody there?"

On hearing no response he settled down, assuming it was perhaps a bird, but kept his guard up.

Up above sat Chat, hiding precariously behind a box of musical equipment and while you'd expect a cat to be agile and delicate, this cat certainly wasn't. With a loud clatter, Chat Noir tumbled to the floor, boxes and other ornaments falling on top of him. Heaving some off revealed the sight of a panicked Luka leaning over him.

"Chat Noir? Are you alright?"

He offered the hero a hand up, a hand which was gratefully taken.

"Is there something wrong? An akuma perhaps?"

"Oh no no no", Chat responded hurriedly, messing with his bell nervously, "actually I was just passing by so maybe I should… hey why are you looking at me like that?"

Luka hummed a gentle laugh, "you were doing superhero business via my house were you?"

"Oh uh, yeah well I'm a fan of the band so consider it sightseeing? Yes, sightseeing."

Chat's excuse was so painfully obvious in his eyes, but whether Luka bought it or was just playing along, he wasn't sure.

"Would you like to stay a while?"

"Sure Luka that'd be- oh wait no I really shouldn't hang about on random civilians' house….boats and I don't want a telling off from my partner. Later!"

Chat leapt into the darkness, looking back fondly only once he was sure he wouldn't be seen. Why have a feline's night vision and not use it, right?

And despite the hectic events of the day, Luka Couffaine went to bed with a smile on his face that night.