Woohoo, it’s finally February! I’m planning this to be a continuous fic covering the whole month’s @lukanette-month prompts. Length will vary piece to piece, but I hope you enjoy.
Part 2
Luka rolled his eyes as he took the arrangement carefully out of his van. It was huge and brightly colored and had a large heart-shaped balloon stuck in it that had a picture of a lace doily (or something) with the words Be Mine in obnoxiously bright pink letters. Gag. He hoped the message on the card was nice because this thing was such a cliché it pained him to look at it.
Luka glanced at the apartment number and hoofed his way up the stairs, pausing at a blandly generic door with a cute ladybug print welcome mat outside of it. He knocked and waited, checking the name as he waited for an answer. Huh, well that was a funny coincidence—the door opened and his head came up automatically, the words tumbling out of his mouth on autopilot.
“Hi, I have a delivery for—Marinette?” Luka blinked at the woman in front of him. She had changed, sure—grown, but he’d know those eyes anywhere.
“Luka?” Marinette gaped, just as stunned as he was, and he had the barest instant to be pleased she recognized him before she threw herself at him. “Oh my gosh!”
He caught her with one arm, instinctively raising the flowers out of harm’s way with the other.
“Oh my gosh, Luka!” she cried again, “It’s so good to see you, it’s been years!”
“It has,” Luka chuckled, giving her a quick squeeze with the one arm he had around her. Wow, okay, that felt different in ways he was not going to think about right now.
“Wow, you’re strong,” she said, pushing back with her hands on his shoulders, squeezing appreciatively. Luka grinned and shrugged, trying not to look too pleased.
“Believe it or not you can actually get injured playing the guitar; building muscle in the shoulders and arms helps prevent it.”
“Doesn’t hurt at shows either, I’ll bet,” she teased with far more brazenness than the Marinette he remembered would ever have had.
Then again, she clearly wasn’t the Marinette he remembered. At fourteen she was cute, at twenty-two she was—His eyes flicked over her, up and down, and he bit his lip. She’d kept her slim figure, but her sharp edges had all rounded off, and she’d added confidence to that cheerful glow she’d already had. No more hunched shoulders, feet too close together, or slightly ducked head. Marinette stood with her shoulders thrown back, one hand on her hip, her stance was strong, a brilliant smile on her face, and she was just...
“Wow,” was all he could say, shaking his head. “You look—you look amazing, Marinette.” She lit up pink, and he had to laugh. Maybe she hadn’t changed that much.
“I grew up a little since you saw me last,” she giggled, winking.
“Mm, not so much,” he teased, leveling a hand with her head. The top of her head used to be level with his eyes; now she was closer to his chin.
“Oh, a short joke already, Luka?” Marinette pouted. “Oh my gosh, where are my manners, please come in! How did you even know I was here? I just moved in last week.’
“Oh,” Luka suddenly remembered what he was doing there. “I—I can’t stay, I’m working, I just wanted to bring you this. I mean, I was sent to bring you this—” he eyed the arrangement again. “It, uh, definitely wasn’t my idea.”
To his mild surprise, Marinette wrinkled her nose as she looked at the flowers. “Great,” she sighed, and then shook her head quickly. “I mean, thanks, Luka, I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just, I'm pretty sure I know who these are from and, well...I’d rather he didn’t.” She perked up a little. “Although it did mean I got to see you, so I guess I should be grateful after all.” The grin on his face was growing moment by moment. “So, delivering flowers instead of pizza now?”
That brought him back to earth real fast. “Oh, yeah, I—well actually I work at a music store, you know,” he said in a rush, “Instrument sales and rental and all that, and I still write and perform and I do some production work when I can get it. It’s not always the steadiest work though, and it’s been a bit slow lately. There’s always a rush for delivery people leading up to Valentine’s, so Rose got me this gig at the place she works. It’s cool, people are happy to see me, and happy people tip generously, so…” he shrugged. “Just picking up some extra cash on the side.”
“I think that’s great that you find ways to support yourself so that you can keep doing what you love,” Marinette smiled warmly. “It’d break my heart to hear you were working at some soulless nine to five and letting your passion for music wither away.”
“Well, I never could disappoint you,” Luka chuckled, and then he sighed. “But I do kinda have to go, so—” He held up the flowers. “You want these, or should I just drop them in the dumpster on my way out?”
“No, that would be a waste,” Marinette grumbled. “I’ll take them. I guess I just have to call him and tell him it’s not going to happen, I’m not his and I don’t want to be. Again.”
Luka frowned. “Again? Marinette, are you safe?” He grimaced. “Sorry, I know I’m probably overreacting—”
“No, you’re just being you. Sweet and concerned for everybody,” Marinette smiled, putting a hand on his arm and letting it slide off. “I’m fine. He’s harmless, I promise, just...overly enthusiastic. It’s, um...complicated.” She blushed and looked uncomfortable.
“Sure,” Luka said sympathetically. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You didn’t,” Marinette said, taking the flowers and leaning on the doorframe. She looked at him with a softness in her blue eyes that made him weak, even after all this time. “Thanks, Luka. For the concern, as well as the flowers. Oh!” She straightened and turned back into her apartment. “I know you have to go, but hang on just one minute...where are they...argh…”
Luka put his hands on his hips and looked at the ground, shoulders shaking slightly with laughter as he listened to her dig around. He lifted his head again as she reappeared, looking at her through his shaggy bangs. She held out a card decorated with her signature flowers and a monogrammed M. “Here’s my new number,” she told him, smiling hopefully. “I’d love to see you again sometime soon. Maybe we can get together and catch up?”
“I’d love that,” Luka grinned, taking the card. “It was really great to see you again, Marinette, even if only for a few minutes. I’m glad you’re doing so well.”
“I’m glad to see you too, Luka,” she said, with more warmth than was good for him. “But I won’t keep you, you’ve got places to be. Text me, okay?” She popped out of the door for a moment and he leaned down automatically to receive and return her bise. “Have a good day!”
Luka went down the steps with a stupid, dazed grin on his face. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, after all this time. Once he got back to the van he programmed her number into his phone, and shook his head incredulously as he put her business card carefully in his wallet.
FIC: Marinette’s 29 Valentine’s Days: Day 23, Loop 22: Gasping for Air (MLB/Lukanette)
Notes: Aaaaand I had a note in this doc about giving y’all a ‘makeout chapter’. Eh let’s see if we can’t have both. xD
Marinette’s 29 Valentine’s Days
Day Twenty-Three, Loop Twenty-Two: Gasping for Air
Marinette screamed when her alarm went off. She snatched her phone, silenced the alarm, and sent Luka a quick text to meet her on the roof.
She wasn’t really surprised when, instead of a reply, she heard the gentle thud of someone landing on the balcony above her. A tapping on the hatch followed, and she threw the door open. Before Viperion could greet her, she grabbed his hand and tugged him down onto her bed with a startled whoa! She tugged his mouth to her own before he could get his bearings, sliding her hands into his hair and holding him close. He was a little breathless when she finally let him go, though she was pretty sure that had less to do with the kissing and more to do with the manhandling. Well. Maybe it was a little bit of both.
Title: Second Chance
Timeframe: Immediately following Desperada
Pairing: Lukanette
Rating: K
Warnings: SPOILERS for Desperada
Author’s Note: Day 7 of Lukanette September Challenge by @lukanette-month
Marinette finds herself pacing in front of The Liberty, rehearsing speech after speech in her head. She knows she hurt Luka, and it’s killing her. She didn’t mean to, she really didn’t. It’s just that all sense of reason leaves her when it comes to Adrien, even while trying to get over him. She wishes she could banish all of her feelings for the blonde, and focus only on the musician. Such strong feelings didn’t just disappear over night, though. She lets out a frustrated grumble and buries her face in her hands.
“Are you going to burn a hole in our dock with all that pacing or are you coming aboard?” a voice calls down, startling her out of her thoughts with a small shriek and large jump.
“Oh…um…” Marinette bits her lip. She stares up at Anarka, uncertainly. “Is Luka home? Do you think he’d talk to me?”
“Only one way to find out,” Anarka tells her with a nod to the loading dock. She may be playing coy with the young teen, but she knows her boy would always make time for girl. He was smitten with her. “Come aboard, lassie. He’s below deck.”
Marinette takes one more pace in front of the ship, before nodding decisively, and boarding the boat. She mutters a quiet ‘thanks’ to Anarka before taking the now familiar path down to Luka’s room. She knocks on his door, pushing it open after she hears him call, “It’s open.” He doesn’t look up from his book, so takes a few steps inside, which gets his attention.
“Oh, Marinette,” he sets his book to the side, and sits up straighter, giving her a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Hey, Luka.” She nods to edge of the bed, which has become her normal seat, silently asking permission. He nods back, and gently pats the spot. She loves the ease of communication that the two of them have developed over the last several weeks. Which makes the whole incident from earlier so much worse. “I’m sorry, Luka,” she nearly shouts out in her nervousness. She takes a deep breath, and turns to him. “You should have been the one that I suggested to Jagged earlier. You’re an amazing musician. You’re probably even a better guitarist than Jagged himself. I just- Adri- he- ugh!” she huffs, plopping backwards and banging her head on his knee in the process, “Ow. Sorry.”
Luka can’t help the chuckle that escapes. “You okay?” When she mutters a ‘yes’, he brushes her bangs out of her face, and helps her back to a seated position. “I’m not going to lie, and say I wasn’t hurt when you went straight to Adrien, because I was.” Marinette’s face falls, and he takes her hand in his. “We have a deal though. I’m not going to push you in your choices. You get to pick who you want to be with. For now, I’m happy just getting to know you and spending time with you.”
“Thanks, Luka. I’m not sure I really deserve that.” She looks down at their clasped hands, at his thumb tracing the tiniest of circles on hers. She fights back a shiver that threatens to make its way up her spine. “I really am sorry for hurting you.” Luka squeezes her hand softly. “You didn’t mean to.”
He pulls her back against his chest, and grabs his guitar from its stand by the head of his bed. “Want to get back to learning?” Marinette looks up at him with a smile, and nods eagerly. She blushes a deep red, and can’t deny the butterflies and heat in her stomach, as he wraps his arms around her to reposition her hands on the neck and leans his chin on her shoulder to quietly give her instructions. She really does have strong feelings for the older teen. She vows right there to really work on giving up on the model. If Luka is willing to give her a second chance, she’s not going to waste it.
First little drabble after taking nearly a two month break from writing. I’d love to hear what you think.
Luka climbed the stairs with less enthusiasm than he had the day before. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Marinette again, he did, but not for such a weird reason. He carried another arrangement of flowers, smaller, but with a small gold ladies’ watch nestled in the midst of them. He didn’t even want to think about how much getting this arrangement custom-made cost, let alone the cost of the watch itself. He’d never even seen Marinette wear a watch, but maybe that had changed.
There was a yelp and a crash from inside the apartment when he knocked, making Luka wince, and Marinette yelled “Hang on, I’m coming!” The door opened, and she looked as good as she had yesterday, though she’d clearly been working; her hair was tied up and she had a pincushion on her wrist—right where a watch would sit.
“Luka!” she said, blinking, looking almost more surprised than yesterday.
“Hey,” he grinned, a little sheepishly. “Fancy meeting you again so soon.”
Marinette’s surprised eyes dropped from his face to the arrangement in his hands, and her expression immediately shifted to one of exasperation. “Damnit,” she muttered, taking the arrangement and checking the card. “Of course he thinks he’s funny. This isn’t what I had in mind when I said I needed time.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Luka couldn’t help asking. In his experience, guys who wouldn’t take no for an answer were almost always bad news, and guys who pressed the issue with expensive gifts were even worse.
Marinette looked up at him and smiled. “I am, really, I promise. It’s—”
“Complicated,” Luka finished with a smile back. “If you say so, Marinette, but honestly I don’t really see what’s complicated about a lady saying ‘no.’ Seems pretty clear if you ask me. Which you didn’t, so. I’ll shut up, sorry.”
Marinette beamed at him and he swore his heart stopped beating. “You’re really the sweetest, Luka.”
Luka scoffed, ruffling the hair at the back of his head. “If you say so. Seems like common decency to me, but I’ll take it.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “I just want you to be safe.”
Marinette smiled, and reached up to his hand—and then he wasn’t quite sure what happened, except that suddenly he was plastered to the wall on his knees, one arm twisted behind his back.
“You really don’t need to worry about me,” she teased in his ear, and then kissed his cheek and let him go. “But thanks for your concern.”
She let him go and stepped back, and Luka found it in himself to turn around, landing on his butt as he stared up at her. “A girl living alone these days has to know how to take care of herself, after all.” Marinette offered him a hand and Luka took it numbly, and watched the muscle swell under her sleeve as her arm flexed to pull him up. .
“Damn, Marinette,” was all he could say once he was back on his feet.
She grinned and winked. “If he comes after me, I’ll break him in half.”
“Careful, he might enjoy it,” Luka said, still stunned, and then turned red as Marinette’s grin widened.
“I’m starting to think you might enjoy it,” she said, laughter in her voice.
There was really no recovering from this so Luka just rolled with it, putting a hand over his heart. “Don’t joke, my heart can’t take it. When did you become such a tease, Marinette?”
Marinette put her hands on her hips and stepped close to him, looking up into his face with the smile of a girl who knew exactly what kind of effect she could have. “It’s been a long time, Couffaine. You don’t know what I am anymore.”
Oh hell, was he in trouble. “Smart, sweet, gorgeous, and completely badass?” He managed to hold his ground, but only barely. “You haven’t changed that much, Marinette.”
It was worth the effort because Marinette lit up in a blush that was not pink but deep, deep red, and nearly tripped over her feet backing off. They both stammered out a hurried goodbye and fled, Marinette into her apartment and Luka down the stairs two at a time.
Luka sat in the van with his head on the steering wheel, covered by his arms, for almost ten minutes of internal screaming before he was able to get back to his route.
Notes: …y’know, I like this gimmick SO DAMN MUCH, we’re gonna do it ONE MORE TIME… 😂 (I’ve been permanently traumatized by the word ‘loop’. We were putting Fruit Loops in breakfast bags the other day and I CRINGED.)
Marinette’s 29 Valentine’s Days
Day Twenty-Eight, Loop Twenty-Seven: Free
When Marinette woke up the morning of Friday, 14 February, Valentine’s Day, it wasn’t to the blaring of her alarm. It also wasn’t to a gentle humming in her ear or an incessant tapping on her roof.
When Marinette woke up that morning, it was to a ticklish flicking against her nose.
It was easy enough to ignore at first. In her half-awake state, she swatted at her nose without any thought to the cause (probably just some hair that had fallen into her face through the night). And when the tickling persisted, she groaned and rolled to press her face into her pillow. With her nose now covered, the feeling moved to her ear – only it wasn’t a tickle anymore. It was a sharp, stinging flick. She slapped at her ear with a grumble, and for a moment the annoyance left her in peace.
Notes: Daaaaaaamn it’s been a while since I broke out my battle scenes. I am RUSTY. (Especially if I don’t have a Celtic bastard singing shanties and swinging claymores at heads…) These aren’t really relevant to the chapter, besides the fact that they were akuma fightin’ Mood Music and I’ve been linking EVERYONE to the first one. Like…I have no idea who the girl is, but HOLY SHIT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67G_iQuMgN0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3yIilm7CKE
Marinette’s 29 Valentine’s Days
Day Twenty-Four, Loop Twenty-Three: Rain
Marinette felt like she had just been thrown into her bed, her face smushed into her pillow and the wind knocked out of her. Which was kind of good, because at least the pillow muffled her scream and wouldn’t bring her mother upstairs earlier than she’d been coming. Once she stopped screaming, she pushed herself up and slammed her fist into her pillow, letting out another grunt of frustration. Tikki was immediately beside her, wringing her paws nervously.
Notes: I didn’t work on this at all last week bc I wasn’t writing makeouts at work and the heatwave is killing me. TWO TO GO…
Marinette’s 29 Valentine’s Days
Day Twenty-Seven, Loop Twenty-Six: Surprise
Marinette woke up that Friday, 14 February, Valentine’s Day a good half hour before her alarm went off, which was…weird, all things considered. She hadn’t woken up before her alarm on any of the other Friday, 14 February, Valentine’s Days before that – it had always been to the sound of her alarm beeping above her. This time, though, when she woke up, it wasn’t to the sound of a jarring alarm cutting through the silence of her room.
It was to a song, an achingly familiar song, being softly, gently hummed by her ear.
“I’m really sorry,” Luka said when Marinette opened the door. He was trying valiantly not to laugh, but Marinette’s mystery admirer had really kind of lost his mind this time in Luka’s opinion. “I swear,” he choked back a laugh, “I just work here.”
He handed her a large bag of candy hearts—personalized candy hearts, some with fairly standard messages like meant 2 b and others that said things like ur pawsome and bugaboo, which, what?
Marinette groaned and Luka put his fist over his mouth, feeling his face turn red with the effort of keeping his laughter in. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Marinette grumbled. “I hate these things. He might as well have sent me a pound of chalk with cheesy sayings written on them. What am I even going to do with these? What a waste of—as if I need more clutter.”
Luka lost his fight against laughter, leaning against her door frame for support. “I’m sorry,” he chuckled when he managed to get himself back under control. “I’m sorry, it’s just I was thinking exactly the same thing as I came up the stairs. Not—not that I’m judging—” he said hastily, “I mean, you know I was raised with the, uh, lived-in look, as Maman likes to call it.”
Marinette just looked amused.
“I’m sure you’ll think of a creative use for it,” Luka coughed, trying to muster some control, but the whole situation was so ridiculous he was having a hard time. It was kind of embarrassing for a twenty-four year old man to have caught the giggles this badly, but he just couldn’t help himself.
“Oh my gosh, Luka, shut up,” Marinette complained, mouth twitching. “It’s not funny!”
“It’s totally funny,” Luka managed to say before he lost it again. “I’m so sorry,” he choked out, one hand around his middle as he struggled for air.
Marinette couldn’t hold out in the face of his hilarity and began to giggle.
“I’m sorry,” Luka gasped again as she collapsed against him. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t laugh, it’s just so—who does that? Somebody with more money than sense, obviously. He must not know you very well, either.”
Marinette rolled her eyes. “You’d be surprised. Go on, get out of here, clearly I have a phone call to make to a certain idiot with…” She wrinkled her nose at the bag of candy. “No taste.”
Luks burst out laughing again. Marinette groaned and shut the door in his face.
