Thanks to my betas for this chapter, lizziemagic from Miraculous Discordance (discord dot gg slash QwgKdUhJNJ) and chatbugg from The Miraculous Writers' Circle (discord dot gg slash kdqVyhXx).
Ladybug comforts her cat. Lunch with the in-laws. And a quiet dinner for two (almost).
Ladybug found Chat Noir on their usual rooftop, curled in on himself and shaking with silent tears. Judging by dried snot and salt tracks plastered under his mask, he had been sitting alone for some time with nothing to occupy his mind but his own misery. Ladybug sat beside him without a word and pulled him into a warm hug. As she held him, stroking his hair, all he could say was, "I've lost her. He kept me from her, and I've lost her," over and over again. As Chat sobbed in her lap, she pondered what could leave her Kitty so thoroughly devastated.
Between his incoherent sobbing and mumbled utterances, Ladybug pieced together what had happened. She already knew his upbringing was very sheltered due to his father's overbearing attitude. That meant it took a long time before Chat fully understood his feelings and how to act on them, which took its toll early in their partnership. Not that she was blameless on that score, either.
Ladybug was glad she held firm in keeping Chat as her partner during the overseas absences that his father imposed, now understanding their secondary purpose. She insisted that he borrow Kaalki to escape his civilian responsibilities and continue fighting by her side even when he was sent away. No matter where he was in the world, Chat always made it back for akuma battles and the odd patrol. Ladybug had only been forced to call upon the temporary heroes and face an akuma without him a handful of times. She could never replace Chat – he was her partner no matter what. Even in the most challenging battles, her burden felt a little lighter with him by her side. Marinette knew that her continued support and faith did the same for him.
Until tonight she had not realised the lengths Chat's father would go to maintain control of his son, denying him a chance at happiness with the girl he loved. Marinette thought she understood some of that pain, having watched Adrien be dragged further and further out of reach by his father's expectations. In many ways, the machinations of both the blond boys' fathers had led her to where she was now.
Fourteen-year-old Marinette had dreamed of a fairy tale romance with Adrien, not the on-again, off-again relationship she had shared with Luka over the years. They were coming up on two and a half years for the current iteration, but the extended touring schedule of the band before they called a hiatus meant it was closer to nine months.
She started dating Luka shortly after Miracle Queen. The combination of losing her team and mentor to Hawkmoth, then Adrien to Kagami, left Marinette feeling isolated and vulnerable. She and Luka had broken up a short while later when her duties as Ladybug interfered to an extent even he wouldn't ignore. Trying again after lycée, then once more during university, still ended in the same result. She sought comfort in Luka's quiet solicitude when she was hurt or lonely, looking for respite. Whether it was because Adrien left for an internship at one of Gabriel's international offices, Chat was sent God knows where, or Hawk Moth launched a major offensive, Luka became the calm oasis Marinette retreated to when she was physically and emotionally exhausted.
Worst of all was her estrangement from Chat. She had leaned on Luka heavily during that period, but her partnership with Chat grew stronger after their mutual breakdown cleared the air. If Marinette was honest with herself, that was the turning point where Chat began replacing Luka as the stabilising influence in her life. He was still her pun-loving, goofy Kitty, but their restored partnership brought a new level of sincerity and understanding that she came to love and respect. Luka may have been Marinette's tether during her teenage years, but as they grew into adulthood, Chat had become her rock and shelter – safe, solid and unshakeable.
Although Marinette still loved Adrien, Chat slowly took up residence in her heart piece by piece. She was slowly drawn in as he revealed the more serious and vulnerable sides to his personality that he had previously kept hidden, but Chat had moved on by the time she came to that realisation. As much as she cursed the reticence of her youth and what might have been, she would not trade the relationship they shared for anything. Marinette had learned from her experiences with Adrien and Chat not to waste time pining for the impossible. After graduating from university, she vowed to stop using Luka as an emotional crutch and give him a fair chance at a real relationship.
So here she was, engaged to one man while whispering soothing words of comfort and support as her heart broke for another. That was how it had to be. Tonight Chat needed his Lady to stand guard against the butterflies that threatened to invade his mind, watching over him while he mourned a relationship denied before it ever began.
Marinette spotted Luka approaching the bakery as she neared the corner, his most recent trim having finally removed the last vestiges of blue that had caught her eye as a blushing, stammering teen. Although she had messaged him to say she was running late, Marinette briefly wondered if it was a coincidence they arrived at the same time or if he was unwilling to go in alone and had waited for her. She felt the quick brush of his lips on hers as Luka leaned down to kiss her hello, and then his arm wrap securely around her waist as she opened the side entrance.
When the couple entered her parents' apartment, they were greeted by whoops and shouts from the living room as Tom and Adrien battled for supremacy in the latest UMS game. The familiar 'game over' jingle was drowned out by a cry of victory shouting, "BOO-YA! Adrien style!" His blond hair, longer and messier than in his youth, swished from side to side as he swayed his head in victory.
Tom clapped Adrien on the back, "That was a close one. I'll get you next time, son".
His gaming partner grinned, "Only if I buy you some ninten flour."
Tom frowned in suspicion. "I haven't heard of ninten flour, and I've baked with every type of flour there is, son."
"It's a very rare type of flour from Japan. You use it to make ninten dough." Adrien could barely maintain his deadpan expression, breaking into a mad cackle when Tom doubled over with a raucous belly laugh.
Despite her surprise at seeing Adrien, Marinette couldn't help the smile tugging the corners of her mouth. "Would you two prefer to be left alone?" she asked by way of greeting, scowling in mock disapproval. In truth, Marinette felt a warm glow whenever she saw Adrien and her father – allegedly both grown adults – having fun together like this.
"Ah, Cupcake!" Tom called, enveloping his daughter in a bear hug. "It's so good to see you, ma fifille."
Marinette was surprised when Adrien offered Luka, then herself, a formal handshake instead of their usual greeting. As she exchanged pleasantries with Adrien, her father gripped Luka in a friendly embrace around the shoulders.
Tom's welcome was warm and boisterous. "Come on in, Luka. How are you?"
Luka smiled slightly, discomfited by close contact with her father's natural exuberance even after several years of exposure. "I'm well, thanks, Tom. Glad to be settling down after too long on the road."
The larger man took a slight step back, picking up on Luka's unease, when Sabine appeared from the kitchen to fuss over the new arrivals before declaring all three twenty-somethings far too skinny and in need of a good meal. Marinette couldn't help smiling at her mother's generous affection, having watched Sabine ply her friends with food since primaire. Marinette knew she got a lot more exercise than the average Parisian due to her exploits as Ladybug, and Adrien had to watch his diet as a model. Luka, on the other hand, was naturally thin like his sister.
Adrien bent to collect his things, a worn messenger bag and a box of pastries from the bakery, and apologised for intruding on their family meal.
"You're welcome to stay, dear. There's plenty for everyone," Sabine offered.
"Thank you, but I should get going," he replied with a grateful smile. "I'm sure you all have a lot of planning to do."
Marinette could see the fragility in Adrien's eyes as he said good night to her parents and Luka, the latter somewhat stiffly. Concerned that he was still upset from the news he received at the party, Marinette followed Adrien to the door. "Are you alright, Adrien?" she asked just as he grasped the handle.
"It's nothing you need to worry about, Mari. Good night," Adrien responded. The set of his jaw belied the casual tone.
"G-good night, Adrien," but he was already out the door before Marinette had finished. As much as she wanted to help Adrien with whatever was troubling him, she wasn't in a position to chase him down to talk about it now.
Lunch was more subdued than Marinette expected, Adrien's departure seeming to have sapped some energy from the room. While Marinette and her parents carried on their usual banter as they caught up, Luka was unusually withdrawn and reticent to join the conversation. He answered a little stiffly when her parents asked about his music shop, despite Marinette prodding him with her toe under the table, but relaxed and opened up as they began discussing plans for the wedding. His conversation became more lively and animated towards the end of the evening. However, Marinette couldn't shake the feeling that something was off – his enthusiasm a little forced – even if she could not put her finger on the reason why.
Marinette hurried along the street towards her apartment, struggling to maintain balance on the wet cobblestones as she juggled the bags of groceries in her arms. She had been planning this dinner with Luka for a while. There had been growing tension in their relationship since the engagement and little opportunity to resolve it, given how busy they were between wedding planning and their respective jobs.
Luka's decision to open a music shop with Juleka surprised Marinette. He hadn't mentioned anything about it until shortly after his return when she caught him tinkering with a violin and holding it up to the breeze as if performing a sacred ritual. Marinette didn't even know he could play the violin, let alone make one. Apparently, he began constructing and repairing instruments to supplement his income once it became clear he wouldn't earn a living from the band. Luka had enough connections through the indie circuit to maintain a steady flow of customers. Marinette was happy he had found a calling so closely entwined with his passion for music, even if she was frustrated by his reticence to discuss it beforehand.
At the same time, Marinettes own workload was also picking up. Marinette counted herself lucky to open a shop front so early in her career, even if Tikki denied involvement. It turns out that when a fourteen-year-old girl is publicly praised by the two most influential names in fashion, and the biggest rock star in the world also asks her to design the cover for what becomes his most popular album, three things happen. First, said rock star becomes her most loyal customer. Second, a lot of other people take an interest in her work. And third, thanks to the first two things, she accumulates a tidy nest egg to start her own business.
Marinette hoped a quiet night together would help her and Luka reconnect. She had already rescheduled three times, twice due to akumas and once to meet a commission deadline, which hadn't helped. Unfortunately, she was held up at the boutique again today. The morning began typically, checking off a delivery of fabrics and other supplies before opening to a steady stream of customers. Adrien had stopped by around midday, and although he hadn't stayed long, the encounter left her unsettled. They mostly made small talk, Adrien praising her newest designs and her shop's aesthetic before repeating his offer to model for her. She had declined again, despite her traitorous heart silently trilling at the prospect. However, their parting words stayed with Marinette for the rest of the afternoon.
Adrien had gone quiet as he looked around the shop, then turned to her with the most pained expression she had ever seen on his face. He was on the verge of speaking, his mouth opening and closing several times without sound, but then he seemed to catch himself. She watched as his entire demeanour changed. Her friend, the carefree optimist, vanished, and the rigidly controlled model stood in his place. "It really is terrific what you've built here, Marinette. You'll put my father out of business before long."
Every word Adrien spoke, every facial expression, even his polite laugh at the end, was pitch-perfect. So much so it struck Marinette as very, very wrong. "What's the matter, Adrien?" she asked, concern lacing her tone. "I know something has been bothering you for a while now. You can always talk to me."
The smile Adrien offered in reply was camera-ready, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I hope you're happy, Mari, truly," he said before heading out into the street. Marinette was so confused and worried afterwards that she couldn't focus, and it took much longer than usual to finish collating her order book and cash out the till. That meant she was now late for dinner with Luka. She caught sight of her fiancé waiting under the awning of her apartment building, out of the rain.
Marinette was grateful for Luka's help carrying the groceries upstairs to her apartment, worried she would have spilled them if left to her own devices. Once inside, she set about unpacking them and beginning preparations for their meal while Luka contented himself watching from behind the kitchen bench. He was a menace in the kitchen since his touring schedule meant he had barely learned the basics of navigating a microwave to reheat frozen dinners and leftovers. Marinette didn't mind, though. She found it therapeutic to immerse herself in preparing a well-cooked meal after a stressful day.
Marinette was looking for a saucepan under the stove as Luka told her that a few friends he made on tour had visited the music shop when she was reminded of something. Straightening at the sudden recollection, she stumbled backwards and landed on her backside with a groan.
Luka rounded the bench and bent down with his hand extended. "You okay there, funny girl?" he asked, amused.
"I'm alright. Clumsynette strikes again!" she laughed off to cover her embarrassment while Luka helped her up. "I just remembered Juleka got her first modelling gig. I should make her something to celebrate." Marinette couldn't help but feel happy for her friend.
"Jules would love that," he smiled with brotherly pride. "She interviewed with the agency last week and had a booking this morning. How did you know?"
"Adrien mentioned it when he stopped by the boutique today," she replied while poking her head back into the cupboard. "He was acting a little weird, actually. It's kind of why I was late," she continued absently. Marinette felt rather than saw Luka stiffen behind her as she spoke. Great.
Marinette knew her fiancé. He did not easily become angry, but when he did it flared suddenly and made him uncomfortably possessive. She had seen it a few times over the years, beginning with Silencer, and then every time her duty as Ladybug interfered too much with their relationship. Marinette had considered telling Luka the truth more than once, but it had never felt right to put that burden on him. She knew he would understand – she had given him the Snake Miraculous after all – but she always baulked at the last minute and chose to end things instead. That option wouldn't be open to her soon. There was no way she could continue to keep that part of herself from him after they were married.
Marinette finished making their dinner, a simple pasta recipe from her Nonna, while Luka fiddled silently with the rings on his fingers. Once Marinette plated their meal and poured two glasses of wine, she turned to face him.
"Well?" she demanded expectantly.
"What do you mean?" he responded, expression neutral.
That was the frustrating thing about Luka, sometimes. He would pretend nothing was wrong until forced to confront the issue, either because Marinette coaxed him into talking about it or he snapped with a sudden irrational burst of temper. The former was rarely possible without his guitar, while the latter usually meant an exciting few hours for the Bug and Cat team.
"We've known each other for ten years, Luka. I can tell when something is bothering you." Marinette tried to keep the exasperation she felt from colouring her tone, but he obviously picked up on it.
"Adrien and your dad were awfully chummy the other night. He's never acted that way with me." If Marinette didn't know how much effort Tom put in to overcome Luka's natural reserve, she would have said her fiancé was envious.
"We've been through this before. Adrien doesn't have anyone else that treats him like family, so they try to give him something he's never had. They know you still have your mother and sister, even Rose. We can go over more often, give you a chance to build more of a relationship with my parents," she offered placatingly.
Marinette took a sip from her glass as Luka absorbed that, but he still seemed unhappy.
"So he's always around the bakery, and now he's visiting you at the boutique. Does he make visits here too that I don't know about?" Luka's stern expression broadcast the accusation more clearly than any words could convey.
How dare he? How. Dare. He? Marinette struggled to reign in her temper, internally reciting a meditation from the Grimoire while she ignored the hot prickling sensation that danced across her skin. She knew Luka could get touchy if Adrien came up in conversation unexpectedly, but this jealousy was getting ridiculous. She had hoped it would get better with their engagement, but if anything, it was worse.
When Marinette finally spoke, her tone was deceptively calm. "Adrien hasn't been here since I moved in, not that it would matter either way. We're friends. You know we have never been any more than friends. Now, I will pretend you didn't just ask that question, and you will get the hell out of my apartment."
"Come on Ma-Ma-Marinette. You still stutter around him!" His tone was obnoxious, so foreign to her it was unrecognisable as belonging to her fiancé.
"Leave! Now!" she ground out through clenched teeth, ignoring the bile in her throat.
Luka looked ready to keep arguing before he deflated, realising he had gone too far. Marinette caught the regret on his face as he left without another word, but he was clearly still agitated. Marinette leaned her back against the closed door and let out a long sigh, comforted by the light touch of her kwami against her cheek. She knew it wasn't fair to ask for his trust when she couldn't yet give him all of hers, but tonight he crossed a line she hadn't expected. Of all the things he could accuse her of…
Marinette was relieved once again to have insisted they keep living separately. She rented her own apartment after university, making sure to find a place with a decent balcony, unwilling to take on the risk of him accidentally discovering her identity if he moved in. And, on occasions like tonight, she needed the privacy to decompress with Tikki. Marinette claimed it was because her apartment was too small and that any spare space was necessary to work on designs and assemble clothing for her fledgling business. In the quiet silences of her soul, Marinette knew she hadn't been ready for a live-in boyfriend then either.
Luka accepted her reasoning and stayed on the boat because it was easier for rehearsals and gigs, and Kitty Section's frequent tours often had him on the road anyway. They had only seen each other sporadically in the months before he proposed. Even though Marinette loved their time together, she didn't miss Luka as much as she thought she would when he was away. Their regular video chats helped, but she was always so busy that she had learned to be content with her own company. If she did a few extra patrols to stave off a little loneliness and enjoy Chat's companionship, then that was neither here nor there.
As expected, Marinette's phone chimed with an all too familiar tone fifteen minutes later. She pulled the engagement ring off her finger and placed it in her purse for safekeeping before calling on Tikki for her transformation. When Marinette returned home in the wee small hours, two cold plates of pasta were waiting on her bench. She also found a message from Luka on her phone, begging for forgiveness and promising to apologise in person when she woke up in the morning. Exhausted, Marinette downed Luka's untouched glass of wine in a single gulp before covering the uneaten meals with cling wrap and placing them in the fridge.
As Marinette drifted off to sleep a short while later, she smiled, recalling how her Kitty's antics had cheered her up immensely during and after the battle. He had developed a sixth sense for her mood over the years, finding ways to make her feel better regardless of the circumstances. Not for the first time, Marinette offered her silent thanks to Master Fu for choosing Chat as her partner.
Good news – the next chapter is in far better shape than this was when I posted Chapter 2.
Bad news – the chapters after that aren't…yet.