One shot.
Two shots.
Three shots.
Too many to count shots.
Tristan looks sadly towards Luka, who seems to be drinking himself silly yet again.
After every drink, he stares at the faded ink adorning his arms. The small, pink butterflies. Her name. The date they met. The dog they had. The name of said dog. The rose she recommended he have tatted on him. Her favorite quote. All this girl's.
But, they were just reminders.
Reminders of how much he gave to her.
Reminders of how much her love faded over time.
Tears prick his eyes, but he drowns it out with more alcohol.
Drowning, sinking, engulfing himself in the comfort of booze.
What a lonely night tonight will be, just like yesterday and the days after she left him.
Luka thinks so as he chugs yet another shot of whatever Tristan was serving him.
But, the universe decides to mess with Luka tonight.
A lady stumbles to the seat next to him.
"Barman!" She shouts. "Give me the strongest!" She demands, and Luka can feel himself tense up. He remembers this kind of pitch of voice as hers, but the demeanor is so different. He gets a good look at the tattoos on his arms yet again. He feels curious as to who this girl was.
Luka decides to peek at what the lady was doing. She seems to be pole dancing on the stool.
"Ugh," she groans. "Why can't I sit down? Where's my phone? I need to call Adrien," she mumbles to herself, although she is quite loud. She gets her phone after a while, but she was still struggling with going up into the chair. Somehow, whatever is unfolding in front of him is so entertaining.
A song whispers its notes to Luka.
Unbeknownst to him.
He hears that the lady's attempt to call has gone to the voicemail for about the fourth time now.
"Adrien Agreste here! I'm busy right now, but you may leave a message at the end of the beep!" Luka swears he's heard the name, but only one name is what he cares about right now, and it wasn't this random woman's call recipient.
She curses under her breath, but she still leaves a message.
"Hey, kitty. Please. Please come back. I'll do better, I promise. Just come back, please. I'm so bad without you," she whispers into the phone pleadingly. It reminds him of his first few weeks in the heartbroken department. All the pleading. All the asking. Until he learned that she's changed her number. He sighs, trying to alleviate the tears.
Bang!
He snaps his head to the woman. She completely failed sitting at the stool. She lays there, on the floor, crying very hard now.
"Adrien!" She sobs more and more, her tears falling more and more. "Am I that bad? Am I that ugly? For you to leave me?" She thrashes around a bit, then, she tries to stand up, but to no avail.
Luka stumbles out of his chair to help the woman. He is amazed by how light the lady is. Her hair was a soft, midnight blue, but he can't really make out her face. He takes her up, and sits her down into the stool, just like you would a baby on a high chair.
"Mari!" Luka is now stunned at the shouting. What a familiar voice, he thinks.
Comes in is another lady, with a man in tow. She goes straight to the lady who is now sitting next to him. He can't help but look at the situation.
"Girl, we've been looking for you. Let's go home now," the new lady, who is brunette, says, but Luka can't really see her clearly.
"Al, what did I do for him to leave me?" She brokenly asks, reminding Luka of the same helplessness he's been in for months now. Will this lady be the same as him?
The other lady shakes her head, hugging the crying woman. That's when that brunette sees him. She immediately pulls back from hugging the sobbing lady, staring at him.
"Luka?!" She exclaims, putting Luka into shock. Someone recognizes him?
"Who--" he tries to ask the lady who she is, but the crying lady decides to interrupt. She sobs loudly, and cries more.
Tristan, the bartender, serves Luka another shot.
"Bring a round for these people, too, on me," Luka orders, and Tristan snickers. Luka glares at him, but he just serves beer to the people.
"Sorry, Luka. She's in a rough patch, since she just had a break up," the other woman explains for the crying woman, drinking some beer. Luka just nods. He has no idea who these people are, and he's getting more confused, as his ears drown in the girl's sobs. He just wants to play his guitar.
His guitar that stayed with him through the rough patch he had and still has. The only loyal thing in his life. Unlike her, he thinks.
He picks up his guitar and played the song in his heart. A song filled with his sadness, melancholy, and brokenness.
He realizes the lady has stopped crying, and is looking straight at him.
"Mister Guitar Man," the lady innocently calls, as Tristan snorts in the background. "How do you do that?" She clutches her heart, and his mind goes off to a time where there were no complications in his heart.
When he didn't fall in love with Azalea.
When he heard this pretty melody.
The pretty melody blaring in his head.
"Mamamarinette!" Luka stammers at his realization, concluding that the brunette was Alya and the man was Nino.
He remembers his friendzoned self back then, who was completely out of Marinette's eyes.
It didn't hurt like this back then, right?
Marinette's eyes grow wide.
"Luka?!" She unbelievably exclaims, her expression turning sour, when she realized something.
"Hey! That was 6 years ago, you dingus. You don't have to keep rubbing my clumsiness!" She reprimands him, with her standing up from the stool, trying to hit him, but she slips off the foot rest of the stool, falling over Luka.
That doesn't stop her from hitting his back, as he held onto him for dear life.
And Luka laughs heartily, just like the first time they met.
For the first time in months, Luka laughed.
Tristan the bartender is shocked by the turn of events that night.
But Alya had only one thought in mind.
To play matchmaker.
So, she tells her husband to act drunk for her.
And she approaches Luka and Marinette, with her husband on her shoulder.
"Hey, Luka. Can you take care of Marinette for the night? My husband is drunk, and I can't take care of two drunks," she pauses, as if waiting for an answer, but she talks before he can reply.
"That's so much help, Luka! She can't go back to her flat without breaking down, so take her to your home, 'kay?" Alya rushedly continues, leaving with her husband.
Leaving a very puzzled Luka.
He looks at the predicament before him.
He sighs.
Tonight has been a long night.
He stands up, and takes the lady in his arms, with her still flailing.
"Luka, Adrien doesn't love me anymore," Marinette states, and Luka stays quiet.
"Luka, am I ugly?"
"Luka, am I bad?"
"Luka, do I lack in any way?"
Luka silently takes the girl to his apartment as she continues to feel helpless and insecure.
Luka knew those thoughts.
He's had them with Azalea after all.
Good thing Marinette covers all the faded tattoos on his arms.
He would've lost power to hold her up if he saw them.
"Where are you taking me? Are you gonna take advantage of me?" Marinette realizes the dangers of the situation as Luka goes in his flat.
He steadily stays quiet, as Marinette flails in his arms.
He takes her to the bathroom, and sits her down on the bathtub, her feet hanging outside the tub. He sits next to her, and turns on the shower.
They bask in the cold of the shower, the only sound being the water.
"Hey, I heard your beau broke up with you," Luka starts. Marinette snaps her head to him, losing the distraction the cold and the silence gave her. Tears prick her eyes yet again. She could only nod.
"My girl left me, too," he states, fiddling with his thumbs, and staring at it. He is wearing a pained smile.
She stares at the boy's actions.
She realizes that he's probably hurting way more than him.
Then, Luka gets confused, when she flails off the tub, and sitting neatly on her knees towards the boy.
Then, Luka gets surprised, when she hugs his head, stroking his hair, and rubbing comforting circles on his back.
"We don't deserve this, Luka," she affirms to him.
It would've struck him to the bones, except she vomits unto his head. She moves away right after, giggling. He stands up right away.
"Sorry, Luka, I didn't mean--" she shouts to him, but gets interrupted with more vomitting. He goes away, while Marinette was still vomitting, and brought in a bath robe for her. He didn't have women's clothes, and he can't really wake up Juleka at this hour.
He cleans off his own head, before cleaning Marinette off. She was pretty all over.
He was just too hung up on his ex.
He cleans her all over, remembering the wild nights when Az would drink herself silly, and he would take care of her, and the baths were always there. He would clean her, even though she would vomit here and there, and he would be extremely patient, and she would be giggly, and her body was so beautiful, it was so hard to control himself, but he knew his boundaries, and yet, he would marvel at her, and he would think, "God, you gave me such a gift."
In the middle of cleaning Marinette off, he stops, and sits on his bathroom floor. Small sobs can be heard from him, but it's drowned out by the sound of the waters.
Marinette noticed, though.
She picks up the shower head, and points it to Luka's head, petting him, as if she was cleaning him, too.
"Right," Luka remembers. "This isn't Azalea. This is Marinette," he tells himself. And so, he finishes cleaning her off, and puts her in a bath robe, then dries her hair with a hairdryer, before tucking her in so she could sleep.
He dries himself off, and sleeps on the couch.
For the first time in months, he didn't dream of Azalea.
----
A man shuffles through a closet as Marinette wakes up from his bed.
She screams, after drinking the glass of water by the bedside, even letting the glass slip from her hands.
"Why am I here? Why am I naked?!" She squeals, completely protective of herself as she covers herself with the blanket.
"Your friend left you with me. Seems like her man was too drunk, and she can't handle you two at the same time. Also, you're not naked, Marinette. You're wearing a bathrobe. That came off," he says, standing up, Marinette noticing he was only wearing a towel. She instantly puts her hands over her eyes.
"Why are you naked, then?!" Marinette interrogates more.
"Are you serious? I just took a bath. Here's some clothes. They're mine, 'cus I can't wake up my sister, yet, so they might be too big. I put your clothes from last night in the washer just now," he throws the clothes on the bed, while he leaves the room with his own set of clothes. She only stares at him.
"Wait, who is he?" Marinette thinks, standing up, and taking the robe off, approaching the clothes. Marinette tries to search her memories of last night.
She came to Juleka's bar with Alya and Nino.
She drank, and drank, until she couldn't anymore.
She knew she couldn't, but she still tried to get more, so she went to the bartender.
And then, nothing.
What the hell happened last night?!
But, he definitely knows her. He called her by name, right? A one night stand wouldn't know her name.
"Marinette," he calls yet again, peeking into the room.
Jet black hair.
Dark blue eyes.
Sharp jawline.
Slightly toned arms.
Long fingers.
Black nails.
Long legs.
She takes a while checking him out, but more to remember who he is than to fantasize. After all, her heart still belongs to Adrien. Even though it shouldn't.
It was all too sudden. One day, everything was fine. The next day, he needed to be away. One time, it was for a week. Then, for a month. Then, for a year. Then, more years. She was very patient. Until a certain phone call.
"Hey, boo," he greets, less enthusiastic than usual. "How's Milan, kitty?" She feigned ignorance. "It's fine. It's all in my head," she told herself. The next few sentences he uttered proved her wrong.
"It's been alright. I miss you a lot. But, it seems like the business here has some problems. I'll have to stay here indefinitely. With that, I don't want to keep you chained up, when I may not come back home for a long while, so I hope you understand, Marinette. Let's break up," he says, not letting her speak through his speech. She was left speechless, anyway. There was a couple of minutes of a pause. When it became unbearable, he decided to break the silence.
"Sorry, Marinette. I'll be waiting for your reply about it. I have to go and attend to some businesses. Sorry again, Mari," he hung up. They later texted about it. She tried to seem cool about it.
She was not.
She spent the next few days eating take out, lots of ice cream, and chocolate.
Only when a week has passed, when she had a day off, until she called Alya.
Alya witnessed the whole scene. A trashed place, with the takeout boxes and styrofoam all everywhere, tubs of ice cream, some spilled, and then lots of wrappers of candies and chocolates. It was a complete disaster.
And in the middle of it all, Marinette, with puffy eyes, and a red nose.
She shakes her head from the memory.
"So you don't want eggs?" He asks.
"What?"
"I was asking if you want your eggs scrambled or sunny side," he repeats himself.
"Ah! Well, I like it over easy," she says, still in the middle of clothing herself.
"Okay. I guess you like a challenge," he leaves, yet again. As he did, her cheeks grow warm, when she realized she was still dressing herself.
When she finishes, she peeks a head, to see the man cooking at the kitchen.
"Take a seat. These are ready in a few," he gestures, with a pan and a spatula in each hand. Marinette reluctantly takes a seat.
"I don't really have anything to do in the day, but if you do, it's already 9 AM," he states as he places the egg on her plate. On her plate, she had toast, jam, and eggs. She eats the weird combination reluctantly yet again.
"Wait, 9 AM?! I have to call Emilie!" Marinette scrambles for her phone, realizing it's nowhere.
"My phone!" Marinette exclaims to the man, with the man only chuckling.
"Tristan wanted to give this to Juleka last night, but she was already asleep. Good thing I wasn't asleep like my sister," he laughs yet again.
"Sister? Wait," Marinette skims through her memories.
"Luka?!" She exclaims, a little bit too loud.
"I thought you knew me already?" Luka tilts his head, remembering last night.
"I was just keeping my cool!" She retorts, taking her purse from Luka.
"Black suits you, though," she whispers, but she doesn't want to admit it.
"Yeah?" Luka didn't hear it. Marinette proceeds to make a call to Emelie about how she can't go to work that day. Emelie was understanding due to learning of the breakup from Adrien himself. He knows she would pull something like saying she's fine, even though she's not, so he told his mom about it, and Emelie totally let it slip. Marinette ends the call after the revelation.
Marinette stares out the window.
"He's too good for me," she states. Luka snaps his head to the girl.
"Sorry, what?" Luka sits next to her stool on the counter.
"He left me because there's someone far better than me for him. I didn't deserve him, but I squeezed myself with him," she states blankly, now staring blankly into Luka's dark eyes.
She shakes her head.
"Sorry, I just remembered a part of last night. You've been where I am, right?" Marinette asks.
"And I was totally wrong that it was my fault, and that I was undeserving of her," he stated, turning the TV on.
"But, I totally understand why you'd feel that way about Adrien. And I totally know that Adrien wouldn't do to you what my girl did to me," he explains, as the TV loaded.
"N*tfl*x?" Luka asks. Marinette nods.
And so, the whole day, Marinette and Luka cuddled on the couch, only standing up for drinking, peeing, and taking food from the fridge. Somehow, the burden in their hearts lightened along with the physical touching, eating, and not having their exes in their minds.
When Marinette had to go back to her apartment that was previously hers and Adrien's, Luka felt the sadness. The dread that comes with coming back to a place that reminds you of that person.
"Marinette," he calls her right as she was out the door, holding an arm. She turns to him.
"You can stay here if you don't want to go back there. After all, your work is in the morning, and mine is in the evening, so while you're gone, I'm home, and when I'm gone, you can house sit for me," Luka explains to her. Marinette looks to Luka softly, and nods.
Marinette leaves.
The next day, she calls again. Apparently, she wanted to figure out the lease on the apartment, and now, she is taking him up on his offer.
The move was fast. All of Adrien's belongings were sent to Emelie, and few of her belongings immediately went to Luka's flat. Everything else was thrown away, or sold as secondhand products. In less than a week, she started working for Emelie yet again. She was the same as when she and Adrien were still together. Emelie got suspicious, and asked Adrien about it, and it totally got Emelie scolded by Adrien, but there's nothing they can do but help as best they can.
Their daily routines really complement each other. One wakes up at around 6 AM, and cooks breakfast. It didn't matter who, it just is an unspoken rule. The other will inevitably wake up while one cooked. The other will take a bath, and they both will eat together, talking about anything and everything that didn't concern their exes. Then, the one who cooked will take a bath while the other cleans the dishes. And then, Marinette would leave for her work at 8 AM. Luka would be writing songs, practicing, doing house chores, or just lounging around. 6 PM rolls around, and Marinette would be coming home. Luka serves the dinner by then, and they both eat together. By 8 PM, Luka leaves for his gig, and Marinette is left in the flat to take care of it. Luka comes back at 12 MN, or sometimes at 1 AM of the next day, only to see Marinette knocked out on his bed. Then, he would sleep, too, with both cuddling with each other, lost in each other's touch. And then, the next day comes, and their routine would repeat.
On tough days when their negative thoughts would creep up on them, they would have each other, and hold onto each other, knowing they had each other, and somehow, it was better. Somehow, being together made it better.
The faded ink on his arms became meaningless.
The feelings in her heart faded as well.
And all is well.
They were really good housemates who got along together really well.
Until, they weren't.
Marinette was cleaning the place as she will be having visitors. She lightly shrieks when she hears the doorbell.
"Hey!" Nino and Alya greets, offering the Mac n Cheese to Marinette. Marinette smiles, and leads them into the house.
"Welcome, guys! Come in, come in," Marinette gestures, as they come in.
"Well, well, well... This place is actually nice," Alya points out.
"Yeah, Mari! This place is hella dope!" Nino looks around himself.
"Where do you sleep?" Alya asks.
"In the room," Marinette replies.
"Where does Luka sleep?" Alya interrogates more.
"In the room?" Marinette reluctantly replies.
"But he sleeps on the floor, right?" Alya expectantly asks.
"No?" Marinette is being weirded out by her best friend.
"Why does he let you sleep on the floor?!" Alya fumes, while Marinette only laughs.
"What are you saying?" Marinette heats up the Mac N Cheese. "We both sleep on the bed. There's nothing wrong with that, right? It's like a sleepover but an indefinite one," Marinette chuckles. Alya only looks to her suspiciously, which breaks her laugh.
Marinette sets the table as Nino and Alya sit on the couch.
"So, how's Luka?" Nino starts.
"Everything cool. Still passionate with music as you are. He doesn't drink as much anymore, as told by Tristan. Tristan is actually sad that a regular on the corner of his bar didn't come as much anymore," Marinette chuckles.
"Well, are you really okay?" Alya treads on thin ice. Marinette hums.
"Did Emelie ask you to check?" Marinette looks at the two narrowly. The two gulp, with Alya denying, but really, Emelie did. Not that Marinette should know.
"Well, to be honest, I'm not too okay, yet. But! I can function like a human being, so I guess it's all alright," Marinette sets the last utensil.
"Well, let's eat!" Marinette calls on the two, and they both come to the counter, where there sit a roasted chicken, and the heated Mac n Cheese. They eat together, happily chatting. After eating, Alya leans closer into the counter, looking different.
"So," she starts, resting her head on a hand. "What's the deal with Luka?" She really has that look on her face. Marinette rolls her eyes, reaching for a tub of ice cream in the freezer.
"What? What are you saying, Al?" Marinette sets down the dessert and some dessert spoons.
"Well, you suddenly move in with him, a very attractive older, but not too old, man, after a drunken night. Then, you suddenly are performing well in your job, despite your mental state. And then, you all sleep together, and share everything," Alya points out, almost wiggling her eyebrows.
"So?" Marinette talks through a mouth full of ice cream.
"There's only one conclusion! You've found a new boyfriend!" Alya almost squeals, and Nino seems to have caught on.
"That's good for you, Marinette!" Nino exclaims.
"Pfft," Marinete chuckles. "No way. I'm only a house sitter, kinda. And he's just really helpful," she denies. Alya has a look like she couldn't believe but decides to agree.
"If you say so," she eats a spoon of ice cream. "But," she points the spoon at Marinette. "Are you sure you haven't caught the feelings fever?" Alya whishes her spoon around.
"Hah! What do you mean? Do I like Luka?" Marinette laughs. "Of course not! This is just counselling and stuff. We help each other be okay again. Very platonic," The ice cream is now finished, so Marinette clears up the counter, and Alya and Nino stay on the counter, watching Marinette.
"Are you sure? I mean, look at it this way. You're living with a very hot musician who helped you mend your broken heart. He's super nice, can cook, and is basically every woman's dream. You've seen him fresh from the shower with only a towel on his waist. You've seen him shirtless. You've been cuddling in the same bed. Who wouldn't fall for that?" Alya enumerates a few things on what domestic life with an attractive guitarist entails.
Marinette blushes.
She can't deny that it's very kind of him to let her stay. She can't deny that his familiarity with her feelings sometimes made her heart jump. She can't deny it's very attractive when he cooked. She can't deny that it's very attractive when she caught him doing chores. She can't deny that she's checked him out once, twice, or maybe a bajillion times when he's out fresh from the shower. She can't deny that even his little snores when he slept were very attractive, too!
She can't deny that Luka is an attractive person, from inside out.
Alya triumphantly grins when she got the reaction she was hoping for.
"Alya! What do I do?! I'm catching feelings fever!" Marinette squeaks.
"Oh. Don't worry. Just be yourself and confess," Alya nonchalantly says.
"What?! This isn't high school anymore! I'm a grown adult now! Plus, what if he's not ready?! He's been hung up on his ex, while I was, too, you know?" Marinette complains, as she took the plates to the sink.
"Exactly! You're an adult now. You should tell him how you feel, and whatever the result is, you two will be adults and handle it maturely, yeah?" Alya advices, and gives Marinette a soft look. Marinette's eyes tinkle.
"Thanks, Als," Marinette hugs her.
Then, Luka bursts into the house.
"Did you leave me some roasted chicken?" Luka pants, seemingly like he ran.
"Yeah?" Marinette points to the oven. "Aren't you a little early?" Marinette asks.
"But your roast chicken is the best, Marinette," he replies. Usually, Marinette would chuckle. But this time, she's come into terms with her feelings. And so, Marinette cleans the plates, blushing.
"Oh, well, we've stayed for too long," Alya drags her husband.
"See you later, Mari, Luka," and they leave.
"What's that about?" Luka is confused, taking a spoon and a plate from the cupboards, and eats some chicken and some mac n cheese. Marinette continues on cleaning the plates, doing it as fast as she can.
"Is something wrong, Marinette?" Luka asks. Marinette responds with a shake of her head, still cleaning the plates.
"Is it 'cus of your ex?" Luka prods more. Marinette shakes her head wildly this time, trying to focus on cleaning the plates.
"Then, what is it? You know you can tell me anything you can't tell your friends," Luka is now genuinely concerned. Marinette swallows thickly. She keeps the plates on the drying racks now.
"Hey, Luka," she goes and stands in front of him. She looks determined. He looks up to her.
"Yes?" He puts down his utensils.
"It's been months since we started to kind of live together, yeah?" Marinette starts.
"Yeah? Why'd you ask?" Luka leans into the counter.
"Well," she pauses. "I don't know how I'm gonna say this," she admits, looking off onto the side.
"I don't really want this to change. The fun breakfasts, and dinners. Cuddling at nights. Fun days off for me, where I'm not alone to suffer with my thoughts, where you're there, telling me comforting things, and stuff," she turns around, leaning her back on the counter, and her arms hugging herself.
"Yeah, me too. You cheer me up, too, Mari," Luka replies, and Marinete sighs.
"Well, what I'm trying to say is," she pauses and looks towards him.
"I think I've fallen for you," she states, her cheeks and ears blushing. "And, I know it can destroy what we have, this wonderful thing that we have, so don't mind it if you don't like it, but I just wanted to let you know," she looks down. Luka laughs. That same laugh that he had years ago when they first met, the same laugh he had when they met again in that bar.
"I was thinking the same thing," Luka admits. Marinette turns to Luka fully, completely shocked.
"What?"
"Well, I've been thinking I've fallen for you. But, I didn't want to add to your burden from Adrien, so I decided to keep quiet about it," Luka confesses. Marinette tears up, and goes to Luka, and hugs him.
"I love you, Luka," she whispers.
"I love you, too, Marinette," he kisses the top of her head.
The faded ink on his arms have lost meaning in his heart. The faded feelings in her heart have changed into something more.
