From a darker timeline where there is no “miraculous ladybug” clean up power, and the heroes of Paris are just as wanted by law enforcement as Hawkmoth
Silence. Silence as they both just stare at each other impassively, and then Luka laughs. It's the first real smiles she's gotten out of him in this entire silly time he's been here, and it makes her shoulders slump, body turning to liquid with relief. Fuck.
He shakes his head, leaning back in his chair, "Oh he is gonna adore you, Sweetheart,"
can’t commit to a thing (be it heart) - ASadWeeGhostie (Chapter 2)
So excited to finally share this artwork I made for @asadweeghostie ‘s fanfic for this year’s @mlbigbang ! Chapter 2 is now up so please go give it a read on AO3!!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
the fire in my veins (is brighter than your brain)
Silencer was an apt name for the boy-villain who was born to defend the girl he loved. He and Felix would do it again, over and over, if Marinette ever wanted to take a break from fighting tooth and claw for her voice.
Happy @felixmonth, y’all!
“I just-- what is even the point of boys?!” Marinette shoves papers and guitar picks off the covers and then flops onto Luka’s bed, burying her face in the pillows and whining.
Luka and Felix exchange a wary glance, then simultaneously nod sympathetically at Marinette.
“Boys are the worst, definitely!”
“Absolutely no point to ‘em, cancel them all.”
“Horrendous, all of them.”
“...so uh, what exactly happened?”
Marinette lets out a muffled scream and Luka startles, his placid idle chords going discordant for a moment. Felix stifles a laugh.
“I was in the library and that guy showed up again-- you know the one from class I always complain about?”
“Nope, don’t remember. You never talk about the guy you thought was sooo pretty with his green eyes until he opened his mouth and blurted out the quote, dumbed thing known to human kind, endquote,” Felix deadpanned, shooting Marinette a wry look. Luka reached over to smack Felix’s shoulder, but his eyes were too bright for Felix to feel at all ashamed. Marinette ended up giggling too, after a moment, so Felix knew he was off the hook.
“Okay, well, I had to do an in class project with him!!”
This time, both Luka and Felix winced in genuine sympathy. Complain she might, but Marinette wasn’t wrong about the guy, and having to work with him was leagues worse than just suffering through his facetious commentary during lectures. After all, the first was something every lecture had.
“I mentioned wanting to report on the impact of Chinese fabrics on the modern fashion industry, since, y’know,” and she gestures wildly at herself, “and then, this guy had the nerve to look at me and say, ‘That’s a pretty tough topic to choose! lucky for you, I actually speak Chinese quite well, so I’ll be able to do most of the heavy lifting, little lady.’ He called me little lady!!” Marinette flails wildly, nearly toppling off the bed.
“And then when I called him a stuck up, pretentious, bootlicking idiot, he corrected my pronunciation. He wasn’t even right!! He said ‘teapot cookie cat burn’!!! And then, obviously I went to the professor because this guy was leaning way too close to me and put his arm around me, and I told him there was no way I could work with this guy.” She rolls over and peers up at the boys, who are gaping at her now, with big blue eyes.
“When the professor said I could choose a different group, that guy called me a hysterical woman and I just-- I can’t-- why would he-- UGH!!” Marinette rolls over again, hair flipping into her face, staring starfished at the ceiling. “I wish I could be... heard. As a person, with real feelings, whose anger doesn’t just get written off at the sight of my body. When a guy gets angry, it matters, y’know? Like, something must’ve really gone wrong for him to be that angry, but when it’s me, it’s just... an overreaction. And if I don’t, then I’m complicit in my own silencing, and I get blamed for that too. I just...”
Felix pulls Marinette’s head into his lap and starts combing through her hair to the rhythm of Luka’s playing.
“That’s... hey, c’mon. If anyone’s hissterical, it’s that mangy stray of an alley cat, alright?”
“Felix!!!” Marinette bolts upright where she sits, nearly smacking him in the chin with her forehead.
“What!!!”
“...that was almost funny--”
“I didn’t know you could joke--” Marinette and Luka talk over each other, then glance at each other and burst out laughing.
I know that July is over, but it will live on...at least until I finish this.
Felix had found himself in an unusual situation.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng was a flame in the form of a lovely young woman. She was an aspiring fashion designer full of passion, inspiration, and ingenuity. For all of her anxiety, she could keep a level head even if not a cool one and somehow always managed to get things done.
It was not hard to fall in love with her.
Luka Couffaine was a river in the form of a strong young man. He was a musician of great talent full of ideas, empathy, and a special means of conveying them to others. He was a soothing presence akin to listening to the waves.
It was similarly not hard to fall in love with him as well.
So when the two announced they were together, it only seemed fitting. And relieving to know that Marinette had chosen to move on from someone as painfully blind as Agreste. If he couldn’t tell she was in love with him for over a year, it was past time for her to move on. And he couldn’t think of a better person for her to choose than Luka.
Seeing them together felt…fitting. Moreso than Marinette with Agreste. The two were perfect, playing off each other and both knowing the exact right things to say or do for any occasion. Their dates would be a mix of adventure or simple relaxation and just enjoying the company. Either of the two would be a soothing and pleasant presence, but having both together felt akin to the beach on a warm day.
They were both…rather wonderful people. He couldn’t help but hold deep affection for them. And knowing they were happy together left him feeling happy as well. Their dates were full of affection and everything he had been told that such events should be. The evenings out together were sweet and enjoyable, really.
…he just didn’t understand why they kept inviting HIM.
It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy spending time with them. It was just…strange to be a regular presence on their dates. He couldn’t even be upset at being a third wheel because they never failed to make him feel like a legitimate part of their dates. But he was under the impression that such dates were meant to be between the couple dating. Why go out of their way to involve him?
And yet they did. From picnics to cafes. From brunch at the Dupain-Cheng bakery to dinner with the Couffaines. From events like concerts to simple walks by the Seine. They kept inviting him and despite what he tried to tell himself, he could never bring himself to refuse.
Was he…taking advantage of their kindness in some attempt to glean from the affections they held for each other?
Except…
Kim nudging Marinette. “What must it be like to have a pretty boy to hold each arm?”
Alya frowning with eyebrow raised. “Kind of greedy there, don’t you think?”
Adrien smiling at him. “I think you three are good for each other.”
Lila glaring at Marinette. “Showing off, is that it? You can’t get Adrien, so you think numbers can make up for it?”
Anarka laughing loudly. “Aren’t you three just perfect for each other?”
Juleka giving him a glare. “Be good to them.” The ‘or else’ didn’t even need to be said.
Tom beaming proudly, much to Marinette’s embarrassment. “It’s nice to know that my little girl has two wonderful young men taking such good care of her!”
His own mother, smiling softly. “I want you to know, Felix, that I support you. And I think you’ve made a wonderful choice.”
It felt like he was missing something.
Even worse, it seemed that Felix was the only one to not know what it was.
Every date they had, they went out of their way to invite him. They made every effort to involve him, and they never let him feel like he wasn’t meant to be there. Then to add to the confusion, there was the matter of the strange reactions from everyone else.
It was during yet another date that Felix tried to piece all the clues together. They were at the park. Felix was reading without even really seeing the words. Luka was on one side, strumming a few notes on his guitar. Marinette was on the other, looking through a catalogue for fresh ideas.
With Felix right in the middle.
He wasn’t even pretending to read anymore, instead staring at the two in contemplation as his brain tried to make sense of the facts it had gathered.
They were spending every date with him.
Everyone else seemed to think they were a trio of some sort.
And the way they both looked at him…Marinette and Luka…
Was almost exactly the same way they looked at each other.
Suddenly, it hit him with all the force of a freight train.
Felix froze at the realization.
“Wait…are we dating?”
Both Marinette and Luka jumped at that before staring at him in surprise.
“Well, yeah. We thought you knew.” Luka said.
“We asked if you wanted to.” Marinette pointed out, a bit unsure.
He sputtered, looking—and feeling—completely undignified.
“WHEN?”
“Well…from the start.”
“WHAT?!”
It was perhaps the first time Felix ever yelled in such a way.
“We asked you if you wanted to go out with us.” Luka explained, gently.
Felix’s mind immediately took him back to that first time.
“Hey, Felix.” Luka said as he and Marinette approached. “Mari and I were wondering if you would like to go out with us?”
Felix groaned and covered his eyes.
Yes, he realized. Yes, they had. In those exact words.
“I thought…I hadn’t thought…”
Honestly, he didn’t even know anymore.
“We both like you, Felix.” Marinette told him. “Both Luka and I really do. We like each other and we like you and we thought…if you liked us…so we asked and you seemed okay with it.”
“So…this entire time. Every date you both took me along with…”
“We were on that date with you just as much as each other, yes.” Luka replied, smiling a bit wryly now.
“And we’d like to continue. If-if you want to.” Marinette said, blushing.
He nodded in response, too confused to do otherwise.
Luka just laughed. “I can’t believe this whole time, you’ve been dating us without even knowing it!”
Even Marinette giggled at that.
Felix facepalmed.
…apparently Agreste wasn’t the only one oblivious.
Marinette pushed up her glasses and peaked over the side of the building. Rose and Juleka. Juleka and Rose. It was time. “Why did you drag me into this?” Felix said drily. “And what’s with the disguise? They both know what you look like.”
“One, I wanted to hang out with you. And two, it’s fun.” Marinette looked over and chuckled softly at the soft blush that spread across Felix’s cheeks.
“They’re moving. Let’s follow them.” Luka said before quickly turning around the side of the building, Marinette and Felix matching him in stride.
“So we’re just going to watch the two of them on their date?”
“Exactly.” She replied. “To make sure things go smoothly.” She paused. “That and I’m avoiding Alya. She’s still trying to get me to break up Adrien and Kagami so I have a chance.” Marinette rolled her eyes. “It’s exhausting.”
“Sounds like it.” Luka paused. “How’s the Lila thing going?”
“A nightmare. She’s also trying to break up Adrien and Kagami, but since she told people she isn’t interested in Adrien she’s playing it off that she wants to help me even though I don’t like Adrien,” she took a deep breath. “And if her lying keeps up, it’ll damage some other relationships. I’ve already heard Nino mention how tiring it is hearing Alya parrot Lila.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Alya and Lila ended up being matched. Sounds like they’re already pretty close.” Felix mentioned. Marinette bumped her shoulder against his.
“They’d be perfect.” The Cupids looked back up at Rose and Juleka, who were currently entering the newest art exhibition in Paris, a glass garden. “Let’s go youngsters,” Luka said, earning a glare from Felix and a pout from Marinette, “we’ve got a date to spy on.”
“And to enjoy the exhibit.” Felix said pointedly.
“Yes. That too. Especially with your love of art.” Marinette causally handed over their tickets, giving a thanks before linking an arm between the two boys.
______________
“Should we tell Marinette we see her?” Rose asked quietly.
“No. It looks like she’s just here to look around. Not to watch us.”
“That makes sense. She did say Felix liked art.” Rose paused. “Is that your brother?” Juleka decided to leave out the fact it was Marinette who gave Juleka the tickets to the glass garden, suggesting she take Rose.
“Yeah. It is. I guess he had a ticket to.” Juleka’s cheeks burned as Rose grabbed her hand. “We’ll have to ask about it tomorrow.” The petite blonde nodded before heading to the next exhibit.
______________
The three Cupids returned to watching the couple from behind a building. “Are we going to watch them kiss?” Luka asked, his brow raising.
“No. I’m just making sure it’ll happen.” Marinette replied. She quickly jerked her head back. “Did you two enjoy the exhibit?”
“Yes. I did.” Luka leaned against the wall of the building.
“It was certainly interesting.” Felix said.
“Is their anything else either of you want to do?” Marinette inquired. “Now that I’ve officially matched them up.”
“We could get something to eat. You’re probably starving.” Marinette grinned.
“I like the way you think. I know a good cafe nearby.”
For Rose and Juleka, the day couldn’t have gone any better, with matching giddy smiles and their hands never separating. For Marinette, Felix and Luka, they went on an unofficial date, unintentionally sending Marinette’s heart into overdrive when she realized that was the case.
______________
“It looks like the whole city lost power from the storm.” Luka squinted his eyes to try to make out anything in the dark outside the window. “We might be stuck here for a while if Fe can’t override the security system somehow.”
“Stuck in an empty library for an indefinite time. It’s a shame we weren’t visiting a restaurant,” Marinette sighed. “What are we going to do? We should probably save our phone batteries in case we need them.”
“I think we all have ideas of what we could do alone in the dark,” Felix replied, “but I also know there is a stash of candles in the gift shop that we could use for a little light.”
“I forgot about the gift shop.” She visibly perked up. “If they have snacks, I might be up for other thoughts on what we can do to pass the time in the dark.”
Luka laughed as she grabbed his hand and let Felix take her other one. They carefully made their way to the small supply store near the entrance of the library. Felix had worked in the building for years and they’d only gotten stuck when he insisted stopping by to grab a couple of things before the storm got too bad.
“We need to make a note of everything we take so we can pay for it later,” Marinette said, grabbing three chocolate bars from the basket on the counter. “But this is about survival right now.”
“I don’t think we’re quite in survival mode yet, but a note is a good idea.” Felix used his phone to keep track of what they were putting in one of the library tote bags and then they filed back out of the shop.
“Should we go back to your office?”
“No, follow me.” Felix used the flashlight on his phone to lead their way as they wove between bookshelves and tables. He swung the light over an area covered in bright colors and padded seats and pillows.
“The kids’ section?” Marinette asked.
“If you don’t think too hard on how unclean the pillows probably are, this will be the most comfortable place to wait things out at least.”
They went to work setting candles up around them, being sure to keep them far enough away from any of the books. Felix’s phone battery finally died as they got the last candles lit and the food unpacked.
“This is actually kinda neat.” Marinette leaned back against Felix’s chest and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. She ran her fingers through Luka’s hair where he rested his head in her lap. “The candles are so pretty.”
“Mmhmm.”
“We should hang out in the library more often.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Felix replied, tone mildly amused. “I must admit though, it’s never been quite this nice before.”
“Must be the company,” Luka murmured sleepily.
“I was thinking it was just the blackout.”
Marinette poked his side before cuddling in closer and the trio relaxed in the oddly perfect place they’d found themselves in.
