Maman's Girl

by Veritas Found

Luka knows the current pregnancy has been harder on Marinette than the last two, so now that he's back from the road he offers to take Melody for the day to let Marinette rest. He's forgotten Melody isn't like Harmony, though. Melody is her Maman's girl, not her Papa's.

Title: "Maman's Girl"

Author: Veritas Found

Characters/Pairings: Luka Couffaine, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Melody Couffaine (OC); Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Luka Couffaine & Melody Couffaine

Rating: K Plus / PG / Most Ages

Summary: Luka knows the current pregnancy has been harder on Marinette than the last two, so now that he's back from the road he offers to take Melody for the day to let Marinette rest. He's forgotten Melody isn't like Harmony, though. Melody is her Maman's girl, not her Papa's.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Notes/Warnings: House Band Shenanigans. There was this post on Tumblr about a little girl running up to someone who looks like her mom in the grocery store, then the dad running up and going "Mom's at home why am I not enough for you?!" It started with that post in mind, then it just kinda turned into this…rambly buncha family fluff. xD I titled it when it was just that idea – of Mel constantly choosing Mari over Luka – and I'm not entirely sure it's still applicable, but by this point that's what I've been calling it and I feel weird changing the title now?

"Maman's Girl"

There was a giggling outside the door, from the hall. A thundering of little feet and the stuttered cry of "Maaa-maaaa-!" that cut off in a squeal.

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut tighter and turned her head, pressing her face into a pillow that smelled of sandalwood and home. Her alarm hadn't gone off yet, but the noise in the hall was alarm enough. It was time to get up. Harmony had to be dressed, fed, and dropped off at school. Melody, at the least, had to eat. They could fight about the dressing later. With Luka still on tour –

"Ma-" Melody's little voice cried as her bedroom door burst open.

"No, no, no, Mel!" a deep, hushed voice whisper-cried. Marinette barely heard it below Melody's squeals, but Luka's voice had her relaxing back into the pillow, suddenly remembering why the scent of his aftershave was so strong. That was right. Luka's flight came in early. She'd just put the girls to bed when he'd walked through the door the previous night, looking exhausted but as glad to see her as she was to see him. "We're letting Maman sleep, remember?"

"Nooooo!" Melody whined, and Marinette tried not to laugh as she heard her struggling. She could practically see her trying to wriggle out of her papa's hold, eager to jump on the bed (and her maman). "Papaaaaa!"

"Go back downstairs, ok?" Luka whispered. Melody whined for another moment before Marinette heard her bare feet slapping against the hardwood. She pressed her face deeper into the pillow, as much to muffle her laugh as to hide her smile, when she felt the mattress dip behind her. Luka's hand found her side, squeezing gently before sliding to her belly and lingering. She wished he wouldn't: she still had a few months to go yet, but she already felt huge. His lips brushed against her neck, just below her ear, and she smiled as she turned towards him.

"Sorry," he murmured after kissing her good morning. "I was trying to let you sleep."

"He'd be waking me up soon enough to pee anyway," Marinette said, and Luka chuckled before kissing her again. He leaned back and dropped a kiss on her stomach.

"No fair, buddy," he said, nuzzling his face against her nightgown. "You're supposed to go easy on your maman."

Marinette's lips twisted in a smirk.

"When has a Couffaine male ever gone easy on me?" she teased, and as if to prove her point Luka lunged, pressing her back into the bed with a hungry kiss. She sighed as his lips trailed to her neck, his hand sliding back to her side. How long had it been now, since that first afternoon she had stumbled into his cabin? Since she'd been captivated by a gentle melody and teasing eyes? Her hand drifted up his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. Since she'd finally admitted he was the forever she wanted? Since their first kiss? "I missed you."

"I'm home for a while now," he whispered against her lips. "I told Penny I'm not leaving you until he's born. Only local gigs and studio time for a few months."

"Luka, you don't –" she started, but he silenced her with another kiss. It was a dirty trick he'd picked up years ago, though to be fair it worked both ways. They were both rather fond of kissing each other (…and more, as evident by the two kids and counting).

"I do," he said. "I know this one's been rougher on you, darning. Let me be the overprotective papa and help out."

"Fine," she huffed, squirming when he squeezed her hip, "but only because you asked so nicely."

"I have to get Harm to school," he chuckled, "and I was gonna take Mel and get the shopping done. Sleep in. Rest. I've got the girls. You focus on growing our little guy, ok?"

Marinette bit her lip and nodded. He'd still been on the road during her last doctor's appointment, and she hadn't told him about the abnormality they'd picked up. The weird heartbeat that had the doctor making jokes but that he hadn't actually been able to confirm.

…she didn't want to scare Luka with words like twins until she was sure, after all. And the sonogram hadn't actually shown anything weird, even if the heartbeat had sounded stronger. Doubled.

"…fine," she huffed. She pushed him back a little, still smiling. "But he's seriously been sitting almost constantly on my bladder, so I really do have to pee."

Luka chuckled and stood, taking her hands to help pull her up. He hummed as his eyes swept over her, from her tousled hair to her rumpled nightgown. The grin he shot her might have been a bit wolfish.

"God, you're sexy," he sighed. She started laughing – they both knew she was ugly and bloated and anything but – but he just smiled and pulled her in for a kiss. "Sexy as hell. Absolutely gorgeous."

"Stop," she laughed, pushing him lightly when he went to kiss her again. She couldn't entirely blame him: he'd been on the road for almost a month this last time. They had a lot of kisses to catch up on. "I'm fat and gross and –"

"You're pregnant and gorgeous and sexy as hell," he insisted, kissing her again anyway. Before he could lavish her with any more gratuitous compliments, one of the girls started screaming, and then they both started screaming. She snickered and gave his lips a final peck, but he was still smiling. "I got them. Rest."

He was gone by the time she reached their ensuite. By the time she was crawling back into bed, it was quiet. She laid a hand on her stomach and smiled. She'd enjoy the quiet while she could. If the doctor had been right, it would be a long time before they had quiet again.

– V –

"Byyyyyyyye, Nee-Nee!" Melody cried from her place atop Luka's shoulders, waving so hard he had to hold her legs tighter before she fell off. Harmony waved back before running into the school with her friends, and Melody giggled as she slumped forward, her hands catching onto the sides of his beanie and tugging it down.

"Woah – easy there, songbird!" he laughed, dipping forward just enough to make her laugh without risking actually dropping her. She squealed and held on tighter, her tiny legs kicking hard enough that one of her pink rain boots flew off. (…it wasn't supposed to rain that day, but the boots had been closest to the door and Melody loved the blue and yellow birds on them. They'd been running late enough that he hadn't bothered fighting her on the issue.)

"Someone's in a good mood this morning," a voice to their side laughed. Luka turned and pushed his hat back up from where Melody had tugged it over his eyes, smiling at the blonde woman holding Melody's boot out. He thanked her as he took it, juggling to slip it back on his squirming daughter's foot. "Mellie's always hyper, but I haven't seen her this excited in a long while."

"My fault, I'm afraid," Luka chuckled. "I've been traveling for work, and I just got in last night. She's been a little excited all morning."

"It's Christmas!" Melody cheered, even though it was barely halfway through September. The woman's eyebrows rose as Melody wrapped her tiny arms around Luka's head. "I went to sleep, and Santa brought Papa home!"

"…I've been trying to tell her all morning that's not how it works, but y'know. She's three," Luka laughed with as much of a shrug as he could manage with a toddler on his shoulders. The woman laughed, and he held out a hand. "Luka Couffaine."

"The rock star. I figured," she said, shaking his hand. "Joy DeVille. My son's in Harmony's class."

"Paul likes snakes, and he smells like oranges," Melody giggled. Luka choked on a laugh. "He's funny. I like him."

"We're, uh…kinda big on snakes," Luka said, still trying not to laugh. He could practically hear Sass's snickering hisses, except Sass was still back home. It had been a long time since any of them had needed to constantly cart the kwamis around in their pockets. "All animals, really."

"Granarchy has a goat," Melody added, and Joy laughed.

"…I have a weakness for odd animals," Luka said, tugging on one of Melody's legs and making her giggle. "I'm told I get it from my dad."

"Papa J has a c…cr…croakodilly!" Melody said proudly.

"Crocodile, songbird," Luka corrected. She pulled a face.

"That's what I said!" she huffed, and Luka tugged on her foot again as he rolled his eyes.

"It's good to see her so happy," Joy said with a smile. Luka knew she meant well, but there was something about that that didn't sit right with him: the implication that recently she hadn't been happy. Luka didn't like to think about any of his girls as being unhappy. "She really loves you."

"Nope! I love Maman!" Melody chirped, completely nonplussed. Joy's eyes widened again, but Luka just threw an injured-looking pout Melody's way. "Maman's my favorite!"

"What happened to me being your Christmas present? Shouldn't that make me your favorite?" he asked. Melody thwapped his head.

"You go away too much," she said simply. "Maman stays, so Maman's my favorite."

…ok, ouch.

"That's…fair," he sighed, trying not to feel too hurt by her reasoning. He hadn't been touring as much lately, wanting to stay closer to his girls, but he wasn't famous enough to quit entirely. He wasn't Jagged. Too long away from the public and record sales would tank, and he still had a growing family to provide for. Royalties only did so much if no one was buying the music.

"They all say that at that age," Joy said kindly, offering him a sympathetic smile. She gestured vaguely to the school. "Paul's father ran off with his assistant, and now he's the favorite because he overcompensates by letting Paul do whatever he wants."

Luka winced. He didn't really know what to say to that.

"I'm sorry," he said, because what else could he say? She waved him off like it didn't really matter.

"His loss," she said. She reached up and patted Melody's knee, by Luka's hand. He noticed she was still wearing her wedding ring. "You go easy on your daddy, ok? He's doing his best."

"He's ok," Melody said, and Luka choked on another strangled laugh. Melody tugged on his hat again. "Can we get cocoa?"

"It was nice meeting you, Luka," Joy said, and he nodded as she waved and left to speak with another parent. He looked back up at Melody, tugging her leg one more time.

"Cocoa, huh? Don't you think you're sweet enough?" he asked. She snuggled into his hat, and he smiled as he squeezed her ankles. "We'll see. Do you think Maman would like some pastries from Mamie and Papa Tom?"

"Yes!" she cheered. "Can we go?"

"We'll see," he chuckled, already walking down the street. He tugged on her ankles, making her giggle. "Let's get the shopping done first, ok?"

It would give her grandparents time to clear the morning rush, at least. He was pretty sure Sabine would have words for him if he brought Melody by when she didn't have time to properly smother her in kisses.

"Ok!" Melody said, and she started humming as he continued on their way.

– V –

The market they usually frequented wasn't too far from the school, but Luka took his time with the walk. He wanted to keep Melody out of the house as long as he could, to give Marinette time to recoup. They played little games as they went, or made up silly little songs – anything to keep Melody occupied. He had forgotten how wild, or at least energetic, Melody could be. She was Couffaine chaos incarnate, a constant stream of babbling conversation that had him smiling from ear to ear. He had missed her constant chatter, which only seemed to have gotten worse as her language skills strengthened.

By the time they reached the market, they were playing a little game to work on her letters. Luka would find a letter on a sign or something, tell her the letter, and after finding the sign she would point to it and give him…well. She was supposed to give him the next letter. It didn't always work out that way, as sometimes she still jumbled them up. Still, as long as she could give him a letter actually in the word (…or just on the sign, really), he considered it a success.

They continued their game as they walked through the market, Melody cheerfully swinging her legs (and occasionally kicking his stomach) from her seat in the trolley. She'd already helped him find an S-A-L for Marinette's saltines and B-E-L for a box of chocolate Belvitas, and he was tapping his chin when he spotted a box of microwave popcorn on the shelf just ahead. He grinned, thinking it would be perfect for a movie night later, and tickled his fingers against her belly.

"Ok, songbird," he said. "I've got a good one for you. Something yummy for tonight. Starts with P…O…"

Melody's head swiveled, her dark curls flying as she searched for the item he was looking for. Her eyes grew large when she spotted the box of popcorn, and she cried out: "R-N!"

…he actually steered the trolley into the shelf, knocking a few boxes of cheese crackers onto the tiled floor as he blinked stupidly at his three-year-old daughter. He was dimly aware of a choking noise near them, and he wasn't sure if he was actually hearing it or imagining his best friend cackling when…if…when he told him this story later. Melody just grinned at him and grabbed at the shelf, cheerfully producing the box of microwave popcorn and chirping, "Popcorn! P-O-R-N!"

The choking turned into full-on wheezing, and he realized there was a woman doubled over, a basket on her arm and both hands clamped over her mouth, trying (and failing) not to cause a scene next to them. His mouth worked soundlessly, trying to come up with anything to excuse what his daughter had just said, but the woman just smiled and nodded in understanding before walking off, still snickering. A tug on his shirt brought his attention back to Melody, who was pouting at him.

"Can we get popcorn, Papa?" she asked, and he chuckled helplessly as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She giggled, squirming as he took the box and dropped it into the trolley.

"Sure thing, songbird," he said. He poked her belly again and made his way into the next aisle. "We have to work on your spelling, though. Popcorn is P-O-P-C-O-R-N, not…not what you said."

"P-O-R-N?" Melody asked innocently, and he bit back a groan when he heard a scandalized gasp near them.

"P-O-P," he said slowly, giving her time to echo the letters back to him, "C-O-R-N. Popcorn. Pop. Corn."

The elderly wife next to them still looked scandalized, but her husband was snickering as he ushered her along. Luka grinned ruefully and dropped another kiss on Melody's head. The sooner they got the shopping done and got home, he thought, the better.

He figured it would be safer to move on from their little game, so as they continued through the store Luka started telling her some stories from the road – specifically, the ones that involved Fang and usually ended up with Papa J in some precarious situation (those were her favorites). She chattered on about anything and everything, telling him how she was excited for her new baby brother but missed snuggling in Maman's lap ("I can't fit with her belly, Papa!"). He just chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"How do you think Harm felt about you, songbird?" he teased, and Melody pouted.

"Nee-Nee's the bestest sister ever and she loves me!" Melody whined. "She's my favorite!"

"I thought Maman was your favorite?" he asked, turning his back on her for one second to grab something from the top shelf. It only figured, he supposed. Next she'd be telling him her Mamie was her favorite, or Granarchy. Everyone but her poor Papa, who…

…she was gone.

He blinked, but nothing had changed in the second it took his eyes to close. The child seat in the basket of the trolley was empty, the little seatbelt still dangling into the bottom of the cart because he hadn't fastened it because Melody couldn't get out she never had before and dear God where was his child?

The panic was just starting to properly set in when he heard her squealing, and his head snapped up to find her running towards a petite woman with short, dark hair – a woman who, with her back turned like it was, could have easily passed for Marinette. Except it couldn't be, because Marinette was at home resting, and Marinette would never wear a coat like that, and her hair was just a bit lighter than Marinette's, and…

"MAMAN!" Melody shrieked gleefully, barreling full pelt towards the unsuspecting woman. Luka cursed under his breath, dropping the bottle of juice he'd been holding to race after her. Just when he had been starting to think they were safe from further incidents…

"Mel, no!" he cried, dropping to his knees and sliding across the tiles to scoop his squealing daughter up. The woman – whose eyes were hazel, not blue – gawked at them as a hand flew up to hover over her heart. Melody squealed louder as he hugged her close, blowing a raspberry against her neck and making her laugh harder. "Maman's at home! Why am I not enough for you?!"

"Papa!" Melody cackled, and he looked up to smile apologetically at the woman. She looked dazed, as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

"Sorry – you look like her Maman from the back," he said. He winced when she brought her phone up to snap a photo. At least Melody had stopped squirming, instead contenting herself to pick at the leather cuff on his wrist.

"Oh my God, you're Luka Couffaine," the woman gasped. Luka reached up to rub at his head and winced when he realized his hat had fallen off.

"Er, yeah," he said, nodding. Her eyes darted to Melody, and her lips stretched in a bemused smile. "Sorry again, miss. She's been really hyper this morning."

"I'm Extra!" Melody chirped, and both adults snorted at that. Luka kissed the top of her head and laughed.

"You have no idea, songbird," he chuckled. He shifted his grip on Melody and stood in one fluid motion, nodding at the woman as Melody cuddled into his side. "Have a great day."

"You, too," the woman laughed. She watched him, still a bit dazed, as he carried Melody back to their trolley, and he saw her making a call as he buckled Melody into the seat. He bent to pick up the juice, sending up a silent thanks that the plastic hadn't burst when it had hit the ground. The woman was hissing into her phone as they passed. "Chel! Oh my God, you will not believe who I just ran into at the store!"

"Hey, Papa?" Melody asked as he pushed the trolley towards the checkout. They had most of what they needed, and anything else could wait until next time. He needed to get Melody home – or to a park to run off all her extra energy.

"Yeah, sweetie?" he answered, coming to a stop as they entered the line. She reached up for him, and he bent closer to her. She grabbed the sides of his beanie, tugging him even closer so she could smack a wet kiss against his cheek.

"I love you, Papa," she said, snuggling against his neck. He pulled her into a hug, and she giggled. "You're my favorite, too. You 'nough."

He smiled and gave her an extra squeeze. He supposed he would take that.

"Love you, too, songbird," he said, but she was already humming one of the songs from her kid videos and stretching to reach her boots as she swung her legs. He rolled his eyes and started putting their groceries on the belt.

– V –

By the time they reached the bakery, it was just past ten. Luka couldn't help but send the clock tower at his old collège a little glare, thinking it was lying to him: his day had already felt so long. He hoped Tom had a pot of the strong coffee ready as he pushed open the bakery door, Melody squealing as she ran ahead of him to dart behind the counter.

"MAMIE!" she cried, throwing her full weight into Sabine's legs. Sabine laughed as she stumbled back, but thankfully the customer she'd been handing a box of treats to already had a good hold on their purchase.

"Melodika!" Luka called, groaning as he walked up to the counter. He nodded at the couple and shifted the grocery bags in his arms. "Sorry. She's…"

"It's fine, dear," Sabine chuckled, scooping Melody up and setting her on her hip. "Welcome home."

He gave her a grateful smile, but apologized again to the couple. They waved him off, told Sabine to have a good day, and made their way out of the bakery. With the last of her customers gone, Sabine moved around the counter and pulled Luka down into a tight hug.

"It's good to see you again, dear," she said. He returned her hug, and Melody giggled as she squirmed between them.

"You're squishing me!" she cried, and Luka chuckled as he pulled back. She snuggled into Sabine, her tiny hands fisting in her apron. "Hi, Mamie."

"Hello, sweetheart," she said. "You know better than to run in the bakery, dear. It's dangerous."

"But, Mamie, I wanted to see you!" she pouted. "Papa promised we could, and then we went to the store, and I want cocoa!"

"…I was hoping she'd forget about that," Luka laughed. Melody stuck her tongue out at him, so he stuck his out right back. Sabine chuckled at their antics and kissed Melody's temple. "Please tell me you have coffee. The blacker the better."

"Rough morning?" Sabine asked with a smile, nodding for him to follow her into the back. He scooped the groceries back up and headed after her.

"Marinette is a goddess," he said, making Sabine laugh again. "I love my girls, but this one is a handful. She's been so rammy today."

"She's missed you," Sabine said. Melody squealed and squirmed when she saw Tom walking out of the walk-in, dusting his hands off on his apron.

"Mellie!" Tom cried, and Sabine set Melody down to let her rush her grandpa. Luka tried not to roll his eyes as Melody clearly had already forgotten her Mamie's warning about running in the bakery.

"Papa T!" Melody laughed as he scooped her up and began smothering her in kisses. Luka thanked Sabine as she handed him a mug of coffee.

"I know," he said, once he'd taken a long drink. "I've missed all of them, too. I just…"

"I know," Sabine said, laying a comforting hand on his arm. "You worry. It's normal – expected, even. Marinette's fine, though. She's a bit of a superhero, you know."

Luka snorted into his mug, but Sabine just smiled. She motioned for him to follow her to the back counter. Tom waved as they walked past, nodding with a smile, but he kept most of his attention on Melody. There were two boxes on the counter and a loaf of bread wrapped up on top of them. She laid a hand on the top box.

"Marinette warned us you might be stopping by," she said. "She called a little bit ago to let us know you were home. I was planning on picking Harmony up from school, but –"

"Oh, dear, why not?" Tom asked. He'd set Melody on the center table with a mug of cocoa, and he pulled Luka into a hug when he walked over to them. "I'm sure you're still jetlagged, son. Why don't we keep Mellie here for a bit, give them some time together, and then drop her off after we pick Harmony up?"

"No, it's fine," Luka said, glancing back at Melody. She was humming as she sipped her cocoa, her eyes hopping from the large, half-finished cake in the corner to the rack of macarons still cooling to the baskets full of bread. He smiled as he looked back at Tom. "I actually slept last night. Best sleep I've had in weeks. I might take Mel over to the park to run out some more of this energy, but…I'm trying to give Mari a break."

"Let us take her, dear," Sabine said, handing him the boxes from the counter. He went to argue, but she shook her head. "Marinette's had a bad bought of morning sickness today. Almost every day for a while now, actually. The top box is some ginger cookies for her. The bottom box is for the rest of you. Go take care of my girl, and we'll take care of yours."

"It's only a few hours, son," Tom added. Luka sighed as he looked back at Melody.

"I feel like it's cheating, dropping her off on you," he said. "I can't even handle her one morning?"

"It's not that you can't handle her," Sabine chuckled, patting his arm. "It's that you have two with two more on the way, and you have loving in-laws who are willing to help out so you can dote on your pregnant wife. Take advantage of it while you can."

"Yeah, I guess…wait, what?" he asked, blinking stupidly at her. "Two…what? Did you say…?"

"…oops," Sabine mumbled, her mouth dropping open as she stared back at him. Tom snickered, clapping a heavy hand against his back. Luka felt like he could have knocked him to the floor if he'd hit him any harder. Two…?

"Talk to your wife, son," Tom chuckled. "Go on. We've got Melody for now. We'll bring her home safe tonight."

"I…I…yeah, ok…I…" Luka nodded dumbly. His hands felt like they were shaking – were his hands shaking? He couldn't have heard her right. Two?

…it couldn't be. Marinette would have told him. Right? Of course she would have. Two?

"Papa!" Melody called, and it was enough to snap him out of his stupor – mostly. He walked over to her and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Can we see Maman now?"

He saw her cocoa was almost gone.

"Do you want to spend the afternoon with Mamie and Papa Tom?" he asked. She pouted at him and shook her head.

"No," she said. "I wanna be with Papa and Maman."

"They'll bring you home when Nee-Nee's done with school," Luka said. "Maman and I will have a nice, warm dinner ready, and we'll read your favorite book, and –"

"NO!" Melody screamed, kicking her feet against the table. He jumped a little in surprise. "I want Papa! Papa, don't go! You always go!"

Luka winced at that, and he dropped the bakery boxes next to her before pulling her against him for a hug as she started to cry.

"Shhh, it's ok. It's ok," he soothed, rubbing a hand along her back. "Mel, it's ok I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

"I…want…Papa," she gasped in heaving breaths, and he grimaced as he looked back at her grandparents and mouthed a sorry. Sabine was at their side in a moment, sighing as she pried Melody from his arms. Melody screamed and reached for Luka, but Sabine took a step back.

"Melody, you're breaking my heart," Sabine said sadly. "You don't want to spend the day with your Mamie? I thought I was your favorite."

"Papa's my favorite! I want Papa!" Melody wailed, her arms reaching out for him. He went to take her back, but Sabine shook her head and gave him a warning look.

"Maman doesn't feel good, Mellie," Sabine said softly. "Papa has to go take care of her, and he can't do that if he has to take care of you, too, right?"

"R-right…" she agreed, sniffling. Sabine snuggled her close as her cries died down to hiccoughing whimpers. They still sliced through his heart like glass, though.

"So you're going to stay right here with me, and then when Harmony's done at school we'll go pick her up, and then we'll go see Maman and Papa, right?" Sabine asked, kissing her forehead. She sniffled and cuddled closer.

"Nooooo…" she whined. She peeked back at him before sharply turning her face back towards Sabine, pressing it against her shoulder. "Papa, don't go…"

"Sabine, it's fine, really," Luka sighed, but the look Sabine shot him left no room for debate. He sighed and stepped over to them, laying a hand on Melody's back and kissing the back of her head. "It's ok, songbird. You love staying with Mamie and Papa T, right?"

"R-right," Melody mumbled, still hiding her face from him.

"You're gonna have a great time, and you'll be back home before you even know it," he said. "So what do you say? Wanna keep Mamie company?"

"Mellie, want to see the cake Papa T's working on?" Tom asked, and she perked up a little at that. She nodded mutely, and Tom winked at them as he came over and took her from Sabine's arms. He made his way back to the walk-in cooler, looking back at Luka to wink and mouth Go! at him. Luka sighed and picked the bakery boxes back up.

"She'll be fine, Luka," Sabine said, smiling kindly at him. He grinned a little ruefully and nodded.

"I know," he said. He started to make his way to the door, where he had left the bags of groceries. Sabine took the boxes from him as he picked the bags up and handed them back once he was settled. They started to the front door before Tom and Melody could come back out. "I just…I feel guilty. I know I have to tour, but I hate being away so much."

"You're living your dream, dear," Sabine said, opening the door for him. "None of us hold that against you."

"I think I hold it against myself sometimes," he sighed. He glanced back towards the back of the bakery, but Tom and Melody still hadn't come back out. "They're my dream, too, though. Jagged keeps telling me it'll be easier when they're older. I just feel like I'm missing so much every time I go on the road. They're growing up so fast."

"Marinette said you're home for a while now?" Sabine asked, and he nodded.

"At least until the baby…" he trailed off, remembering Sabine's slip about two. He gave her a searching look, and she smiled and shook her head.

"I wasn't supposed to say anything – talk to your wife," she said firmly. "But you're here now, so enjoy it. You're allowed to have both, Luka. The dream and the family. It's about balance, dear."

"I know," he said. He jostled the bags in his arms, glancing back at the bakery. "It's just been a rough morning. Nothing some time home won't fix."

"She's three, Luka," Sabine said. She leaned forward and winked at him, whispering conspiratorially, "All three-year-olds are assholes. There was an entire month where Marinette refused to speak to me."

Luka blinked at her for a moment before he started laughing, and she grinned as she patted his arm.

"Hurry home, dear. Before she sees you're still here and starts crying again," she said. He shot her another grin, awkwardly accepted her hug around the groceries, and started towards home before Melody could see him and throw another fit.

– V –

Marinette was sitting on the couch when he got home, her bare feet propped on the coffee table and her head tipped back against the cushions. She hadn't even gotten dressed yet: she was still wearing her fuzzy pink bathrobe. The curtains were pulled, letting the late morning sunlight stream in to illuminate the room. The house was eerily silent: no TV, no radio, no screaming children's toys…and Marinette sat in the middle of it, a blissed-out smile on her face. She looked up when he opened the door, her grin widening as she saw him. She gestured to the home around her.

"Luka, do you hear that?" she asked. He frowned, pausing to listen, but he still heard nothing. The house was absolutely silent.

"Er…no?" he hazarded. He shook his head as he put the groceries on the table. He heard crinkling bags, but nothing apart from the noise he himself was making. "I don't hear anything, darning."

"Exactly," she sighed, dropping her head back against the cushion and resting her hands on her belly. "Dear God, I've missed this…"

He snorted, shaking his head as he pulled a few of the ginger cookies out of their box. There was a mug of tea steeping on the counter, and a quick press of his fingers to the side of the mug told him she had probably forgotten about it. Still, it was warm enough to drink, so he removed he teabag, picked the mug up, and joined her on the couch. He put the tea on the coffee table – far enough away from her feet that she wouldn't accidentally spill it – and set the extra cookies down next to it. She snuggled into his side when he leaned back on the couch, his arm immediately finding its way around her shoulders.

"You love the chaos," he teased, and she scoffed a little as she nudged her shoulder into his chest.

"Maybe a little," she said, grinning up at him. "It helps me appreciate these moments more, at least. Hey, you."

"I have cookies," he said, holding the treat up. Her smile grew, and she kissed his cheek as she took the cookie. She started to pull away, reconsidered, and leaned back in to press a kiss to his lips. His hand slid into her hair, holding her face to his and deepening the kiss. "I missed you."

"You've barely been gone three hours," she said. He dropped his face to her shoulder, nuzzling the bathrobe and making her laugh. "Ok, ok. I missed you, too. I always miss you."

"Ma S said you were having a rough morning," he said when she started nibbling on the cookie. His hand found her belly, and she tensed a little under his touch (and the mention of her mother). "Feeling better?"

"Mom said you were having a rough morning," she said instead of answering. "She called to let me know they were keeping Mel for a bit."

"She loves you and hates me," he sighed, his hand rubbing absent little circles over her bump. "I go away too much."

"She's three," Marinette reminded him. "Harm didn't handle you touring so great the first few years, either."

"Neither will these guys," he said, tapping the knot of her robe. She froze, the cookie halfway to her mouth. He waited, trying not to grin too widely at the multiple emotions fighting for dominance on her face. When she finally settled on a neutral (…ish, as her lips were pursed and she was determinedly not meeting his gaze) expression, he tapped the knot again and kissed her shoulder. He raised his eyes back up to her, hiding his smile in her bathrobe. "Darning. Is there something you need to tell me?"

…he hadn't been able to stop thinking about Sabine's slip the entire way home. He still couldn't decide if he was terrified or excited. He didn't want to be either until Marinette confirmed his suspicions. Marinette popped the rest of her cookie into her mouth and snuggled deeper into the couch. Her hands came up to cover his own, wiggling her fingers between his.

"…no," she grumbled through a mouthful of cookie. He chuckled as she made an exaggerated show of chewing. She still looked impassive after she swallowed. He waited for her to continue, giving her the time to tell him on her own terms. She finally sighed and squeezed his hand. "I don't, Luka. I…come with me to the next checkup, and maybe then I will."

"What happened, Marinette?" he prodded gently. She sighed again and leaned heavier against him.

"Nothing. Something. There was…the doctor thought he heard something, but everything looked normal," she said, leaning her head against his. "You were still on the road, and the doctor wasn't sure. I hate that she told you. I didn't want to tell you until I knew for sure."

"But it might be…?" he pressed, and she nodded.

"But it might not be," she said. He shimmied his hand under the knot, pressing it against her stomach, and she smiled as she felt their little one – little ones? – move. "The doctor heard something that made him think twins, and he didn't even mean to tell me because he couldn't confirm it, but…he's going to keep an eye on things, and one way or another we'll find out soon."

"…we might be having twins," he said, and he was definitely grinning. He still wasn't sure if he was terrified or excited – or both. He was pretty sure the excitement was winning out, though.

"I don't even want to think about it until I have to," she groaned, knocking her head against his before settling again. After a moment, she hummed. "I wonder if that's why this time's been so hard, though…I've been worried, Luka. I didn't have this much trouble with Harmony. Mel was a little rougher, but everything with Mel has been rougher.

"…you needed so many drugs you actually agreed to name her Melodika," he snickered. She jabbed her elbow into his side, and he laughed as he kissed her. "I love you. I love her. I love Harmony. And I'm going to love this one, or these two. You're all my world."

"Stop being so sweet when I'm trying to be mad at you," she tutted. He just smiled and kissed her again.

"Seriously. How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better," she said. "Most of it's passed. I know I should get dressed, but I'm really comfy here."

"We have a few hours," he said. "I should put the groceries away."

"Noooo," she whined, and he laughed at how similar she sounded to their youngest terror. She squirmed against him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him close. "I haven't had enough Luka snuggles yet."

"I got you ice cream that's melting on the table, darning," he laughed, brushing a hand through her hair. She perked up at that.

"André's?" she asked, and he rolled his eyes.

"I even found you the Matcha pistachio," he said. He still thought it tasted like dirt, but she always went nuts for it during her pregnancies. He supposed it was a good thing André had started mass-producing his infamous Sweetheart Ice Cream. It made satisfying her cravings a lot easier when all he had to do was pop down to the market instead of tracking down André's elusive stand.

"You're the best," she laughed with a little squeal, squeezing him tight before letting him go. He stood, but he turned back to her, took her hands to pull her up into a sitting position, and bent to give her a deeper kiss. She squeezed his hands, smiling when he pulled away. "Hey, Luka?"

"Yeah, darning?" he murmured, kissing her again.

"I don't care what our temperamental toddler says," she said, smiling at him. "I can be her favorite. You're mine."

He laughed, squeezing her hands before pulling her up into a hug. She snuggled against him, smiling as he held her tight.

"I can live with that," he said, kissing her hair. "I think I can definitely live with that."