This story takes place prior to Season 4 of "Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir." I do not own the rights to any of the characters or songs used within this story, and I will credit songs and artists when they are used.
Chapter 2: Karaoke Chaos
"Hey, M! You made it! And you're not late!"
"Wow, thanks, Alya. What a great friend you are," Marinette said dryly, but there was a smile on her face. She knew the reputation she had was only getting worse with her extracurricular activities as a super hero. "Has Adrien arrived yet?" She looked around with nervous hope.
"Sorry, girl. I haven't heard anything yet. Nino said his dad was okay with him coming to karaoke with us, but he hasn't shown up yet. Let's go inside. I'm sure he'll get here as soon as he can." Alya put her arm behind Marinettes shoulders and gently directed her towards the doors of the karaoke lounge.
Inside, Nino stood with some of their other friends talking to M. Loysel who ran the lounge. Luka shot Marinette and Alya a smile as they walked in and gave them a wave. Marinette felt her cheeks heat up as she returned his smile with a small wave of her own.
"Room 3 should be large enough for your group. Through this door and the second door on the left."
"Merci, M. Loysel," the group echoed as they made their way back to their karaoke booth.
"Okay. Who's up first?" Alya looked around the room at her friends with a raised eyebrow.
"Ooo! I'll go! I found a great one," Rose called out, putting the binder of songs on the couch next to her as she ran over to the karaoke machine to plug in her request.
La c'est die (This place is dope)
La c'est die (This place is dope)
L-La c'est die (This place is dope)
La c'est die (This place is dope)
The rest of the friends gave out a whoop of appreciation as the beat kicked in behind Rose's words, and a few of them actually stood up to dance in the small open space between the couches. Juleka seemed particularly enamored with Rose's dancing as she sang each word with all the energy she put into any of Kitty Section's songs.
"I'll go next," Nino volunteered. "Gotta keep this party going!"
The beat of the song was definitely one that the DJ friend would pick. Again, a lot of the friends found it hard not to start to sway and dance in the small space. Especially when they got to the chorus where Nino showed them the basic choreography from the music video he'd practiced the night before.
Tu es fou (You're crazy)
Nous aussi on est fou (We're crazy too)
On va déconner on va s'enjayer (We're going to mess around, we're going to have fun)
The song faded, and there was a call for another upbeat song to keep up the energy. In response, a guitar began to strum and all eyes turned to Juleka as Spanish lyrics began to appear on the screen, and the quiet girl showed a side of her that most people hadn't seen before.
Me quemo (I burn)
Te quemo yo (I burn you)
Tu cuerpo es un incendio (Your body is a fire)
Con mi sondido te caliento (With my sound I warm you)
Y sube sube sube la calor (And the heat rises, rises, rises)
Another cheer from the room in response to Juleka's song choice.
By the time the song faded, the group was all laughing as they plopped back down on the couches. More than a few of them out of breath.
"Okay," Alya announced. "How about a breather?" A softer tune began to play from the speakers as Alya took the mic.
L'âme en peine (A lost soul)
Il vit mais parle à peine (He lives but hardly talks)
Il l'attend (He is waiting for her)
Devant cette photo d'antan (In front of this old photo)
Alya's voice was clear and strong as she sang out each word. Her glances at Nino showed the reporter's softer side that wasn't always as visible. And by the look on Nino's face, her choice of song wasn't lost on him. Marinette bumped her shoulder into his and gave him a knowing smile. Nino responded by blushing profusely.
Luka was sitting next to Marinette and casually stretched, draping his arm across the back of the couch behind her. He leaned in close to Marinette's ear. "She's got quite the singing voice."
A shiver passed through Marinette as his words tickled her ear.
"Uh, yeah. She's a really good singer, b-but she doesn't sing in front of people very often," she whispered back.
"How about you? Will you be singing today?"
Luka's blue eyes caught hers and Marinette felt her heart begin to beat faster. "I, uh, I will… I just… haven't picked a song yet." She gave a nervous laugh and wished she could pull herself together.
Luka slid the music binder off his lap and onto hers. "Here, have a look. I think I know mine already." He smiled down at her as he stood and made his way over to the karaoke machine to plug in his request.
Adrien got out of the car and made his way into the karaoke lounge, stopping briefly to ask M. Loysel where his friends were before heading back to Room 3.
He opened the door to see Luka up at the front with the mic singing to a blushing Marinette as he twirled her around the small space between the couches.
Tu biens le soir (You come at night)
Danser sur des airs de guitare (Dancing to guitar tunes)
Et puis tu bouges (And then you move)
Tes cheveux noirs, tes lèvres rouges (Your black hair, your red lips)
Tu te balances (You're swaying)
Le reste n'a pas d'importance (The rest doesn't matter)
Comme un soleil (Like the sun)
Tu me brûles et me reveilles (You set me on fire and you wake me up)
Tu as dans les yeux (You have in your eyes)
Le sud et le feu (The south and the fire)
Je t'ai dans la peau (I've got you under my skin)
Baila, Baila oh! (Dance, Dance oh!)
Adrien stood just inside the door, a little dumbstruck watching Marinette spin and dance with Luka up at the front of the room. Something in his chest tightened and he could feel his heart beating faster. What's gotten into me? She's just a friend, he thought as he took a deep breath and made his way to the couch next to Nino, gently moving Marinette's purse out of the way.
"Hey, dude! Glad you could make it!"
"Thanks! Sorry I'm late. Photo shoot went longer than expected." Adrien rolled his eyes. "I hope I haven't missed too much."
As the song ended, Luka twirled Marinette over to the karaoke machine so she could put in her request. With a small smile he handed her the mic and turned back to sit on the couch next to his sister and her girlfriend, leaving Marinette to take the center of the floor.
Oo Baby, do you know what that's worth?
Oo Heaven is a place on Earth
They say in Heaven, love comes first
We'll make Heaven a place on Earth
Oo Heaven is a place on Earth
Marinette had debated singing a more popular song like her friends had, but she was still stuck on some of the songs from yesterday with her parents, so she had picked one that was a little more well-known.
She didn't look at her friends, nor did she look at the screen to see the words. She simply closed her eyes and was back in the bakery dancing with her mom and dad. She sang as loud and proud as if the three of them were enjoying their rare moments of family time. She felt truly lost in the moment, until a loud scream and a crash sounded from the front of the karaoke lounge, taking everyone by surprise.
Chapter 2 songs (in order of appearance):
"Là c'est Die" – Ridsa
"Tu es fou" – Magic System
"Me Quemo" – Kendji Girac
"Love Story" – Indila - Alya
"Andalouse" – Kendji Girac – Luka
"Heaven is a Place on Earth" - Belinda Carlisle