Just as a reminder, all three of the chapters posted in this group of stories are completely unrelated to one another (though I suppose chapters 1 and 2 could be read as if they are consecutive parts of the same story), just in case anyone read the previous two and then gets to this one and is reading along thinking "Has this author lost their mind?" No, these are all individual pieces and that is my intention. It's also not inspired by a Maroon 5 song, but I also couldn't get the idea out of my head, since this song ("Hanging By a Moment" by Lifehouse) would auto play while I was writing my other stories. It takes place in an alternate timeline, in which Marinette and Luka have been friends since early childhood.
Luka wonders through the noise of the Halloween party Marinette had invited him to earlier in the month, absently browsing through the collection of All Hallow's Eve themed pastries her parents had lined the counter with. Though he isn't all that hungry after sampling some of the food already, he needs something to distract himself from his mile-a-minute thoughts. Thoughts that seem to be consumed more and more these days by a certain blue-eyed aspiring designer. Quietly pouring himself some sparkling water from one of the bottles topping the counter on the other side of the bakery's lobby, he sinks into one of the three covered card tables and takes a quick sip as he tries to pull it all back together.
At first, he'd been completely terrified and had no idea what to do with his developing feelings for his best friend. How could he have feelings for the girl he'd grown up with? The one person he's been closest to his entire life, his first and closest friend and the most amazing and talented girl he knows. It has always been true that he cares deeply about her, thinks she's amazing, talented and pretty and wants the best for her. It still is. But romantic feelings? While he can't say his mind had never wondered into 'what-if' territory, he had never attached any deep meaning to it. Put anyone in his place a few months ago and he's sure that you would have seen it have a similar effect on them.
At the time, she had been so in love with her high-school crush, Adrien, and the two had been seeing each other. It was the first time he ever felt jealousy related to Marinette and he'd had no idea what to do with it. It was new, scary and honestly kind of weird. So, he'd made himself scare during those days, still around to offer encouragement in happy times and support in sad ones, Luka had simply needed space to figure out where all of this was coming from.
Then, during Sophomore year, Adrien's father made the decision to move out of the country. Still being a minor, Adrien had no choice but to go, and had broken off their relationship, much to the dismay of both teenagers. Both had acknowledged that a long-distance relationship was just not workable with his busy schedule. Marinette had cried the night his plane was scheduled to depart, and Luka had comforted her, hating himself for feeling a little relieved.
But as the days and weeks have passed, turning into months, he's stopped being afraid of these feelings. Instead of fearing a change in the fundamental dynamic of their relationship, the musician finds himself with a new predicament. He knows full well that as his best friend, she deserves the truth. The problem is he's having trouble coming up with the 'how.' How do you sit your best friend down and tell them that you think you might be falling in love with them? Is there a right time? A preferable method? Well, he has no freaking clue.
He twists the plastic cup around in his hand, humming along to 'Thriller,' which has come on over the speaker system set up for the event in the living room. 'Does how even matter?' His mind muses. 'I just want to be honest.'
"Boo!" Who should startle Luka out of his thoughts but the girl in question, who looks pleased with herself as she pulls up another chair from the table and takes a seat beside him. "Did I surprise you?"
"Yeah," He offers only a small grin before raising the cup back to his lips for another drink.
"Why are you sitting out here by yourself?" She asks, placing her hand over his. A common occurrence these days, he feels his heart rate pick up. His ears burn. "Everything okay?"
As two pairs of blue eyes line up in the dimly-lit room, Luka realizes that this is as good a moment as any. The darkened ambiance of the party is providing a near prefect backdrop. The emptiness of the Bakery's lobby makes him feel as if they are the only two people in the entire world. Getting lost in this expressive blue gaze of hers, all his doubts, all his troubles suddenly feel completely irrelevant. Lifting her hand from the table and threading his fingers through hers earns a small squeal of surprise from the girl sitting beside him. Glancing down at their fingers, he can't help but notice how perfectly they fit together. With the slight squeeze of his fingers around hers as his only support, he finally lets out the words that have been trying to escape his mind for all this time.
"I…" A second or two of slight hesitation under her confused gaze, "I think…I'm falling in love with you."
For her, these words take a moment to sink in. He can tell the words have truly reached her when he sees her face begin to redden and she averts her eyes. His eyes pick up the way her body language changes as she bites down on her lip. She taps on the table with her free hand, squirming uncomfortably in her seat as he watches her and waits for any kind of verbal response.
It takes her a moment to meet his eyes again, but she does, face still pink and a nervous smile playing on her lips. "O-okay…" He hasn't seen her stammer like this since she first met Adrien. "T-then ummm…do you want to…?"
Her question is cut short as he moves in, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. Her eyes are wide as he moves back and the boy smiles to himself at the way she raises her hand to her face and softly brushes her fingertips over the place his lips had just been. Biting his lip, a smile takes over his features, feelings splitting equally between bashful and playful. His thumb brushes the back of her hand. A split second of time elapses in which Luka can see something change behind those bright baby blues and suddenly she moves in, placing her lips over his. Her fingers run gingerly through his electric blue high lights. At first, he can't help but stare, too stunned to move. Is his heart about to stop or leap right out of his chest?
As he pulls the girl in, feeling her smile into the soft kiss, he wonders if there could be a more perfect moment than this one.