#mlfics

“Stupid Chat,” Ladybug muttered to herself between swings. “Stupid, overprotective Chat, making everything more complicated than it needs to be because of this stupid identity bullshit again and why am I still keeping up this ridiculousness now that Master Fu’s gone I have no idea…” 

She ought to be grateful, she knew. Later, she would be touched by Chat’s affection and protectiveness towards her civilian self, but right now it was just a pain in her red-and-black spotted ass. Fortunately, the akuma knew her name but not much else about her, which meant Chat was able to fool it into following him on a wild goose chase to buy Ladybug time to get help that they didn’t actually need but whatever. 

But it was fine. This was fine. She had a plan. In the three years that she’d been Ladybug she’d gotten very good at thinking on her feet. She tried not to call on Viperion too often, because it seemed like a bad idea to muck around with time too much, but the fact was, his power was both incredibly useful and incredibly reassuring for her. 

And, either because Luka was older or perhaps because he was simply more mature than the rest of the team, he’d been the first to push his powers past his original time limit, and he still had the longest time limit on the team, though he wasn’t anywhere near the unlimited time that supposedly came with being “an adult.” Marinette had questioned Tikki about that, whether it was a question of physical maturity or mental maturity or both, but it turned out that questioning a being as old as Tikki about the minutiae of human growth was...frustrating. Tikki’s concept of time was colored by her nearly-eternal perspective, and the markers of adulthood changed and shifted over the centuries.

In any case, second chances were all too scarce in her life and it was only the knowledge that all magic had a price and the fear that there had to be a catch somewhere kept her from calling on it more frequently. 

Seeing the Captain and Juleka both on deck, Ladybug crouched on the bank and squinted. It looked like Juleka and Luka’s room was empty, so she should be able to just slip through the porthole if she timed it right.  

Well, regardless of whatever method the Miraculous used to measure adultness, Marinette thought as she made her way through the porthole with some Miraculous-aided acrobatics, Luka had matured in the three years they’d known each other both mentally, and...and physically...oh dear. Ladybug gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth, which did absolutely nothing to salvage the situation, since her eyes were still wide and staring.

Luka was standing in the doorway in his boxers, hair dripping into the towel around his shoulders, a faint blush growing on his face. “Ladybug. I wasn’t expecting you. Obviously.” 

Ladybug yelped and turned her back, this time slapping her hands over her eyes, though too late to do either of them any good. “I’m sorry!” Ladybug cried. “I just—your family was on  deck and I didn’t want anyone to see me coming in and the room was empty so I thought I could just—but I didn’t expect you to—“‘

“It’s fine,” Luka chuckled weakly, and she could hear him moving around behind her. “Nothing you wouldn’t see at the beach. Living in a house full of girls I don’t actually make it a practice to run around naked. You can look now.” 

“Good. Sound policy,” Ladybug managed, like she wasn’t dying of embarrassment. She dropped her hands and turned around and then bit the inside of her cheek to keep in another scream. He had his jeans on now but he was still digging through a pile of shirts on the end of his bed and she was staring at his bare back. Which wasn’t anything she hadn’t seen before, really, but only when she was prepared and had Alya to smack her if she started...staring. Not ogling. Definitely not. 

“I’m assuming you need me for something?” he prompted, glancing over his shoulder. 

“Yes! Uh…” Ladybug shook herself back to reality and outlined the situation. How there had been a big design contest this week and one of the losers was taking it badly and had it out for the winner, a girl named—

“Marinette?” Luka turned to look at her sharply, now fully clothed (which, it turned out, helped less than it should have since knowing what he looked like under the shirt made her more than able to trace the lines his body made in it NOT THAT SHE WAS OH GOD) “Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”

“Ah, yes,” Ladybug said, surprised enough to be shocked out of her absolutely-not-ogling. “You, um...know her?” 

“Yes, of course I do. If Marinette’s in trouble, I’ll do anything you need,” Luka declared, a fire in his eyes that almost made her step back. Ladybug paused and studied him for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly.

“Can you do this, Luka?” Ladybug asked, folding her arms. “The last thing I need is to suddenly be facing an akumatized Viperion with time reset powers. I know you guys are friends but if you’re more than that I need to know now.” What was she doing? It was a good thing she was still blushing from earlier. Why was she asking this, she knew he was over her, she was like a little sister to him and—wait, was he blushing? 

Luka looked away, but she was sure she saw red in his face. “We’re just friends,” he said softly. “Even if I sometimes wish we were more.” He glanced at her, and his blush deepened as he dropped his eyes again. “Maybe more than sometimes. I can do this, Ladybug. I won’t let my feelings for Marinette interfere. I promise.” He gave a lopsided smile. “I’ve gotten pretty good at keeping a lid on it.” 

“Oh,” Ladybug blinked. “I see.” She...wasn’t as surprised as she should be. Luka had never really made a secret of his feelings, but even if she hadn’t quite believed herself every time she told herself he was over her, she hadn’t expected him to be so...passionate about it. Especially after all this time. Especially after everything that had happened. “Well—well okay, if you think you can do this then I trust you.” She held out the box. 

Luka took the bracelet, greeted Sass briefly and transformed as Ladybug continued her instructions.

“I wanted to just hide Marinette but Chat thinks she needs more protection. He’s distracting the akuma now. You pick Marinette up at her home and keep her with you. Obviously, you’ll use Second Chance to keep her safe, but it might also take a few tries for Rena to get the illusion right, so you’ll also need to be in position to observe and report.” She couldn’t help a smile, feeling a rush of affection as the familiar green eyes blinked back at her. “I trust your judgement, so I’m not going to micromanage you; figure out what works and do it. Here’s the catch, though.” She folded her arms. “I won’t be there. I can’t explain to you why. Once the akuma’s focus is off Marinette, take her home, and proceed to Phase Two.” She continued giving him instructions and he listened attentively, asking only a few questions. 

Luka nodded as she finished. “I won’t let you down,” he said firmly. 

“You never have,” Ladybug smiled, and Luka looked...flattered? Almost shy. And that was kind of weird. Luka was reserved, sure, but never shy.

People did seem to find Ladybug intimidating, though. And it was kind of...cute. “You know,” she found herself saying as she strolled closer to him. “I think this Marinette girl’s awfully lucky to have caught your eye. I’m sure she’ll appreciate your help. I know I do.” Ladybug gave him a slow smile. She reached up and touched his mask with two fingers. Viperion’s eyes widened slightly. “I think I prefer blue eyes to green though.” 

“Me too,” he said almost absently, searching her face, and she thought she saw a hint of color just below the line of his mask. That made her smile wider. 

“It’s a bit of a complicated plan today, but I think you can handle it. Good luck.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek, and before Luka could react, she dove out of the porthole, yo-yo catching just in time to send her skimming away above the water. 

Luka—Viperion, now—swallowed hard, swaying slightly in place. Because it was a plain fact that Ladybug was hot, as well as strong, smart as a whip, and tough as nails. All things that very much appealed to him, even if his heart was still given elsewhere, and he...didn’t quite know what to do with the last few minutes.

Viperion shook himself. He had more important things to worry about. 

...Starting with how to leave the boat without being seen by his family. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Ladybug had caught him off guard this morning, and between having just woken up and running into Ladybug in his underwear—not to mention whatever that was just now—he was feeling a little off balance. It should have occurred to him to wait until he was off the boat to transform. 

Well, he’d figure something out. It sounded like his job was simple enough. He wasn’t super happy about having Marinette actually at the battle site, but he could see Chat’s point; it was the only way they knew she was absolutely protected and the akuma couldn’t pull a double-fake on them to come back for her. It had happened before. Hanging back with him, Marinette would be as protected as possible, out of sight of the villain to keep her from accidentally interfering with Rena’s illusion, with Second Chance as a backup if something went wrong.

Somehow, he just had to try and not be too Luka around Marinette. Best to keep things chill and aloof if he could, he supposed. 

Viperion could see her on her balcony as he approached, that would help. His last leap took him soaring in a flip to land on her balcony railing with a bit more show than was probably necessary. 

“Marinette?” he smiled. “Nice to meet you. Ladybug told you to expect me, I hope?”

“Wow,” Marinette breathed, blinking up at him. “She said she was sending someone but not who. You’re...you’re Viperion, right?” Her big blue eyes were round in her face. “You’re like—the most mysterious of all the heroes. You’re hardly ever on the Ladyblog.” 

“Not mysterious, just...quiet,” Viperion smiled with a shrug, feeling a little warm suddenly beneath his mask as he hopped off the rail. “I’m not really a front line fighter like Chat. I do my best work behind the scenes.”  

“Really? But you’re so strong—” Marinette’s eyes traveled down his body, rather blatantly checking him out. “Wow,” she breathed. “I thought the suit was just armored, but that’s actually you.” 

Viperion shifted a little uncomfortably under her gaze. Not that he minded, just...it was Marinette and she’d never looked at him like that before and...he kinda liked it.

Okay, he really liked it. 

But Ladybug was counting on him to be professional. 

Viperion cleared his throat. “Did Ladybug brief you on the plan?” 

Marinette nodded, still studying him though her expression turned serious. “Yes. I’m supposed to stick to you like glue and follow any orders you give.”

Viperion nodded. “We’ll be out of the main battle so you shouldn’t be in any danger, but that last part is really important. You’re a smart girl though so I’m not worried.” Much. He offered her a hand. “We should go so we’re in place before Chat gets there.” 

Marinette met his eyes and—shit, there went his traitor heart, suddenly galloping a mile a minute. Help me out here, Sass, he thought desperately, but his pulse continued to pound as Marinette put her hand in his and smiled up at him. Shyly, but also...mischievously? Her lips twitched just slightly, like they wanted to twist in a smirk, and crap why was he even looking at her lips, look away, Luka. 

If she smirked at him now he’d never be able to keep his cool. 

Taking a deep breath and hoping against hope that he wasn’t blushing too obviously, he tugged her closer to him and dropped her hand to put his on her back. “May I?” he asked, and when she nodded he lifted Marinette in his arms and settled her close against him, making sure he had a firm grip. She put one arm around his neck but ran her other hand across his chest, firm enough for him to feel the pressure even through the suit. His breath caught as she exclaimed “Cool! The material’s so different from Chat’s. Neat texture.” Her tone turned flirtatious. “Fits you really well too.” 

“Ah—” He couldn’t think.  

“Sorry,” she said, glancing up at him and looking not sorry at all. “I’m a fashion designer. You’re—inspiring.” She used the arm around his neck to pull herself up to look in his face, and he had to adjust his grip quickly. “I have to tell you I love your mask.” And there was the smirk, even more devastating at close range as she ran her fingertips along the bottom of his mask. 

Viperion felt dizzy as she settled back again with a cheerful, “Ready when you are!” 

***

She wouldn’t stop touching him. Tracing the lines of his suit where the different materials met, outlining the yellow diamond on his chest with one finger, not-so-subtly feeling up his arm…

Chill and aloof was obviously not going to be an option, he admitted to himself. He needed a new plan.

When her fingers traced his collar, actually brushed his skin at the hollow of his throat, he stumbled and nearly dropped her, landing hard on his knees.

“Are you okay?” she gasped, snatching her hand back guiltily. 

“I’m fine.” Viperion sighed and set her down, getting to his feet and brushing off his knees before turning to face her, trying to figure out how to say what he needed to say without hurting her feelings. 

He thought he understood what was going on. Marinette was always under a huge amount of stress. Pretty as she was, she didn’t get out much, and probably didn’t get to do a lot of flirting. She wouldn’t flirt with him—Luka him—because she knew he had feelings for her and she worried about leading him on. She couldn’t flirt with Adrien, partly because he was dating her friend and largely because she could still barely speak a coherent word to him.

As Viperion, he was a safe option. Marinette spent too much time lonely and sad. As far as she was concerned, she’d only just met Viperion, and when the mission was over he would disappear. She didn’t have to follow through on anything she said to him. Nothing she did raised any expectations. She didn’t have to worry about leading him on or breaking his heart. The situation must be frustrating for her. She was a doer. Being a spectator at best and a victim at worst in this situation, it made total sense that she would need something else to think about and focus on, a chance to blow off a little steam without consequences. 

And honestly, Luka was fine with indulging her. It fed his ego that she found him attractive enough to flirt with, even tease, but more importantly, if he could make Marinette happy, he wanted to. If he could make her feel pretty and valued and wanted, like the attractive young woman she was but never seemed to have time to be, then he wanted to, even if he had to wear a mask.

There was just one little problem. 

“Marinette,” he said, as gently as he could, “I get that you’re interested in the suit and I’m more happy to let you look at it, but first I’d like to get us where we’re going without faceplanting us both into the pavement, okay?”

“Right,” Marinette said, looking horrified and completely embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I should have known better, if course you’re a professional and I’m being horrible, aren’t I, making you uncomfortable when you’re just trying to do your job—“

Well, that wouldn’t do. He placed two fingers over her lips.

“Don’t be sorry,” he told her when she stopped talking, and chucked her under the chin gently. “I don’t mind you touching me at all. In fact—“ he leaned into her space, just a little. “I like it. Certainly worse things than having a hot girl put her hands on me, even if it’s just for the suit.” He gave her an appreciative look and a wink and had the satisfaction of seeing her blush. “I just don’t want you to be hurt. Ladybug’s counting on me to keep you safe after all.”

He could see instantly that it was the wrong thing to say, though he couldn’t fathom why. The color creeping up her face drained away and her smile turned plastic.

“Right,” Marinette said cheerfully, but the sound was hollow. “Wouldn’t want to let Ladybug down.” 

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” Vierion repeated, putting his hand on her shoulder, all playfulness gone as he hunched slightly to look into her face. “Ever, but definitely not on my watch. Marinette, it would kill me if anything happened to you because I was distracted. And you can be…” He gave her a lopsided grin and a quick up and down look. “Very distracting.” 

She hunched her shoulders slightly, blushing, in a way that took him back to another time when he’d felt the urgent need to tell her how important she was. “I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice.

“Don’t be sorry,” he said warmly, squeezing her shoulder before letting go. “You can check out the suit as much as you want when we get where we’re going.”  

“Right,” she breathed as he picked her up again. She put her arms around his neck and tucked her head down, pressing her eyes against his neck. “Because it was totally all about the suit.” 

Viperion chuckled. “You can check me out too if you want, I don’t mind.” 

He cradled her a little tighter as he ran, aware his heart was pounding from more than the run.

***

“There you go, Marinette. We made it.” Viperion let her feet drop, keeping his arm around her back. Marinette slid down his body until her feet touched the ground, her arms still around his neck. “I’m sure you’ve heard of Rena Rouge,” he added, gesturing at the hero in question. “Rena, Marinette.” 

“Hi,” Marinette said, sliding around to his side as she hunched her shoulders and waved with an awkward smile. “Um, sorry about all the trouble here.”

“It’s not your fault, Marinette,” Viperion said warmly, squeezing her against his side before Rena could even speak. 

Rena was looking at them with raised eyebrows. “You two are certainly...friendly,” she commented. 

“Are we?” Viperion said, lips twitching with the effort not to laugh as he looked down at Marinette still pressed against his side. “Sorry if I’m being too familiar,” he told her insincerely. She covered a giggle herself as he continued, “It’s just, well.” He gave Marinette a sly grin and a wink. “Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng is a bit of a mouthful.”

She looked up at him with a wicked twinkle in her pretty eyes. “I think you could handle it.”

He had to look away for just a moment before he could keep a straight face as he told her in a low voice, “I’d certainly try if you wanted me to.” Marinette giggled again behind her hand. 

Rena’s eyebrows looked likely to shoot off her head entirely. “Well, it certainly seems like there’s something going on here that I missed.” 

“You didn’t miss anything,” Viperion shrugged as Marinette unplastered herself from his side and wrapped her hands around his bicep instead. 

Probably fortunately, Chat showed up right then and ran through the plan again. Marinette continued clinging to Viperion’s arm throughout the briefing, which got looks from both Rena and Chat, but Viperion’s face remained impassive. 

“Don’t get distracted,” Chat warned him before leaping away. 

Marinette snorted softly. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Viperion coughed to cover an embarrassed laugh. 

“Looks like it’s just you and me now,” he remarked. 

Marinette perked up a little bit, squeezing his arm. “Do you work out? Or is it just part of being a hero? Do magic muscles come with the suit?”

Viperion laughed as he reached back for his lyre and shook his earpiece out of its compartment. “A little more strength, yeah, but no extra magic muscles. Let’s just say I lead an active lifestyle.”

“One that includes a lot of time in the sun,” Marinette giggled, reaching up to touch his cheek. “You’re pretty tanned. You definitely didn’t get that from being a hero.”

“Kind of hard to sunbathe in the suit,” Viperion agreed, running a finger along the edge of his mask. “Leaves awkward tan lines.” 

Marinette buried her face in his shoulder to muffle her laugh. “So the tan goes all the way down then?” she asked, when she could. 

Viperion smirked at her. “Yep. All the way.”  Marinette turned red and sputtered, and he looked away, grinning as he slipped his earpiece into place. Went a little further than you meant to, didn’t you? he thought with amusement. Too bad for you Couffaines have no shame. “Chat, Rena, do you read me?” 

“Loud and clear.”

“Gotcha, Scales.”

“Let me know when you’re in position,” he said, and then movement caught his eye. 

“Akuma,” he said urgently, growing serious at once. He put his arm out to move Marinette behind him, and felt her hands on his back as she moved close. “Here we go,” he said grimly. “Second Chance.” He slid the snake head back and touched his communicator. “Chat, Rena, she’s here. Checkpoint set. Round one.” 

Marinette’s hands moved over his back and down to his sides, and he sucked in a breath as they slid up the smoother texture of the darker panels on his side. “This part is kind of like Chat’s suit,” she murmured. “But this part must be armored,” she ran her hands forward over the ridged teal armor over his belly. 

Dear God, what had he gotten himself into?

She must have noticed his tension. “You said I could touch you,” she reminded him.

He had to swallow before he could answer. “I did.” 

“Did you change your mind?” 

Luka closed his eyes for a moment. He’d always known she was attracted to him but it wasn’t a thought he normally allowed himself to indulge in much. It just made knowing she didn’t actually want him worse. If he wanted to back out, now was the time. “No,” he said finally. “It’s okay.” 

Viperion drew back slightly as the akuma passed by below them. He felt Marinette peek over his shoulder.

“Oh, she’s scary,” Marinette whispered, and pressed her face into the back of his neck. “You’re sure you can’t see us?” 

He turned his head toward her for just a moment and leaned it on hers. “It’s fine, we’re out of sight. Don’t be scared, we’re all here to protect you.”

“I know,” she said softly. “I’m not scared if I’m with you.”

He had to shift his position to cover the shiver that sent through him. The akuma was past them now and Rena was casting her illusion. 

She ran her fingers through the tips of his hair at the nape of his neck. “Your hair’s so soft. Guess a Miraculous dye job will do that, huh?”

Oh, that felt amazing, but Viperion could see the akuma shriek and begin to flee. “Second Chance,” he breathed. A flash of white, and then he gave his debrief over the comm so that Rena could adjust her illusion. Then Marinette’s hands were sliding up his sides again.

It took nine resets before Rena got her illusion refined enough to fool the Akuma into thinking she’d gotten her revenge on Marinette and for Chat to successfully lure her away. Nine times he recounted the battle over the comms and suggested changes.

Nine times he’d steadfastly kept his attention on the akuma while he let Marinette run her hands over his sides, up his belly and chest. Nine times he felt her press her face to the back of his neck and rest her cheek on his back while she toyed with his hair. He knew every line of her teasing by heart. His own varied, partially depending on his own sense of whether he was going to have to reset again. The only reason he hadn’t just given in and kissed her (or tackled her to the floor, if he was honest) was the combined knowledge that his friends were still in harm's way and that Sass would give him a lecture about the responsibilities that came with time powers. 

He was maybe wound a little bit tight by the time he took her home. 

“Well,” he said, setting her down on her balcony. “Here we are, beautiful. Unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately?” she asked, not unhooking her arms from around his neck. 

“I’ve never enjoyed an akuma battle so much,” he told her, voice low, one hand sliding onto her hip while the other gripped the railing behind him in a desperate attempt to ground himself before he did something stupid. “Whoever catches your heart will be one lucky guy.”

“Thanks for being my hero today,” she smiled up at him through her lashes, a pretty pink tinting her cheeks the only warning he got that she was about to wreck him again. “I think a kiss is the traditional reward?”

“I don’t hold with those kinds of traditions,” he said a little roughly, hand tightening on the rail behind him. “But if you want to kiss me, I’m not about to say no.”

“If I do, are you going to kiss me back?” she asked, and though her tone was teasing her eyes were anxious. 

Viperion hummed thoughtfully, the hand on her hip sliding around to press into her lower back, pulling her closer. “I guess that’s just a chance you’ll have to take. If you decide you want to.”

“I want to,” she breathed, and he bent down until his forehead touched hers, eyes on hers the whole time. He felt her breath hitch and closed his eyes, waiting, as always, for her to choose, and trying to pretend his heart wasn’t racing just at the thought.

Her fingertips touched his cheek, hesitating, and then her palm fitted itself to the curve. It occurred to him to be glad he’d had time to shave before Ladybug showed up. He did kiss her back and she grew more confident, pressing into him, and the next thing he knew her hands were in his hair and her tongue was in his mouth and he made an extremely unheroic noise even as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her up into him. 

Viperion’s bracelet beeped and he felt Marinette sigh as she pulled back from him. “That means you have to go, right?” 

“I, um,” he blinked as she began to back away from him and his hands slid from her back to her arms, and then to her hands, which softly squeezed before letting go completely. 

“Please be safe, Viperion,” she said, her brow creasing as she undoubtedly remembered that he still had an akuma to defeat. Viperion swallowed and shook his head quickly, mustering a Chat-worthy grin that was entirely fake.

“Don’t worry,” he winked. “That Akuma’s not even close to being the most dangerous thing I’ve been around today. I’ll be fine. Go inside now and stay there until Ladybug does her thing, okay?” Viperion turned away quickly, pulling in a deep breath before he vaulted over the balcony railing.

***

His bracelet beeped a final warning about three rooftops later. He quickly found a place in the shadow of the building’s roof entry hutch and put his back against the wall. His transformation released and he met Sass’s highly amused eyes before he put his hands on his face and slid to the ground with a muffled whine. 

Sass’s hissing laughter was deeply unhelpful.

“Sass,” Luka said from behind his hands. “What the hell was that?”

“At a guess,” Sass replied, smirking—Luka didn’t have to look at him to know it—“Hormonesss.”

Luka slid his hands down to glare at Sass over his fingers. “That’s your input? Ladybug and Marinette both decide to try and make me combust today and the best you’ve got is hormones?”

Sass laughed at him again and Luka groaned. 

“What do you wissssh me to sssay?” the kwami chuckled. “I have myssself heard Ladybug refer to Viperion as a ‘ssssnack.’ I don’t sssee any reason Marinette should think differently. Unless I mistake the meaning of the word in this contexsst, that should be ssssufficient anssswer.” He flicked his tail. “Ssssspeaking of which.”

Luka groaned. “I could have lived without knowing that, thanks.” He pulled the little baggie full of chopped hardboiled egg out of his pocket and tossed it to the kwami without even looking. “Eat fast, we have to go meet Ladybug’s other contact.” 

Sass just chuckled and pulled the bag open. 

***

She didn’t have a lot of time, she was on a schedule, but Marinette couldn’t resist throwing herself on her bed and squealing into her pillow. Then she rolled over onto her back. “I can’t believe I did all that,” she gasped, fingers flying to her lips “What’s wrong with me?”

Tikki floated nearby, giggling. “You like Luka, Marinette, you know you do. I think you just felt a little bit bolder knowing he was wearing the mask.” She flew close and poked Marinette’s cheek. “Was it everything you thought it would be.” 

Tikki zipped back quickly as Marinette pulled her pillow back over her red face and squealed into it again. She never thought she would be bold enough to do such things, but...but it felt good. And Luka...he’d been thrown at first, clearly, but then he’d rolled with it, because Luka was super good at rolling with things, even, apparently, if those things included her touching him and teasing him and flirting and trading innuendo she never could have spoken to his unmasked face. 

Would it...be like that? If it wasn’t Marinette and Viperion, but Marinette and Luka, and they were in a relationship, is that...is that how it would feel? Not awkward and embarrassing, but...fun and teasing and exciting. Was that how it felt when you liked someone who liked you back? Would he look at her like that every day with those soft eyes, and talk to her in that warm, low voice, and stand with his arm around her, pulling her close into his side, and...and let her kiss him like that...or maybe kiss her like— 

She felt Tikki land on her head and pat her hair. “Come on Marinette! You’d better get ready for the next part. You don’t want to keep Viperion waiting,” she finished in a singsong. 

“Right,” Marinette sighed. She got off her bed and pulled the Miracle Box out from under it. As soon as it opened, she picked up the mouse Miraculous and weighed it thoughtfully in her hand. It had been a couple of years since Multimouse’s last appearance. Surely she was safe to try it again. Mylène had done a great job with it but she was out of the country on one of her eco projects for the moment, so it was up to Marinette.

Not that she minded the chance to work with Viperion a little longer. Not that she minded at all.

Marinette put on the necklace and smiled at Mullo, eyes sparkling. Moments later, she was leaping off her balcony in the familiar pink and grey suit, on her way to meet Viperion, her heart beating with anticipation. 

***

Viperion was leaning against a wall, idly strumming his lyre and daydreaming about Marinette, when his mission partner hit the roof and rolled to her feet. It took him a moment to totally focus on her but when he did it took all of his natural stoicism to keep his jaw from dropping.

That...was not the mouse he expected.

Holy shit.

Until today, Luka would have denied that he had a type, but God. Clearly he was weak for tiny blue-eyed dynamos with dark hair. He’d never seen eyes that could kill like that except on Marinette. Her suit was fitted like Ladybug’s rather than padded and armored like his or Chat’s or Carpace’s, or flared like Rena’s. While all the boys had gotten used to seeing, or avoiding seeing, Ladybug’s curves in the suit, Viperion suddenly realized that the red and black spotted pattern did a much better job of distracting from the more subtle lines of her body, and the new mouse’s light grey suit...did not.

She cleared her throat, and he realized that he was staring at her abs and straightened off the wall, tucking his lyre away.

“Sorry, I was expecting someone else,” he said as smoothly as he could, offering his hand. “Viperion.” 

“Nice to meet you,” she said brightly, shaking his hand and then planting one hand on her cocked hip and saluting with the other. “I’m afraid your regularly scheduled mouse couldn’t be here today, so I’m Multimouse, at your service.” She winked one big blue eye and Viperion’s knees went weak.

He decided he was taking a very long, very cold shower when he got home. Assuming he survived. The universe really had it in for him today. 

Well it’s a hell of a way to go, he thought to himself, taking a steadying breath.

“Happy to work with you,” Viperion smiled. “I’m sure Ladybug briefed you on the plan, any questions?” 

“Plenty,” she grinned with another devastating wink. “But we’re supposed to be working.” 

Viperion folded his arms and smirked despite the heat he felt in his face. “I’m almost afraid to ask if there’s anything I should know.” 

“Just follow my lead, handsome,” she grinned, turning away as she unlooped her jump rope belt with an entirely unnecessary swing of her hips. “Think you can do that?” 

Oh, Mousey was a flirt. He grinned. “I’ll certainly enjoy trying,” he murmured, quiet enough that she could ignore it if she chose.

Instead Multimouse looked back at him over her shoulder with a mischievous smile. “I know you’ve had a long day already, so just let me know if you get tired.”

Viperion chuckled. “I think I’m getting my second wind,” he winked. “By all means, after you.” 

“Catch me if you can, handsome!” Multimouse swung from the building and Viperion took a running leap after her.

Multimouse led him to a warehouse, and after he smashed the lock, they slipped inside. It was deserted and Chat was supposed to be keeping the akuma occupied and after his ring, but there was no harm in being cautious. “You’re a handy partner to have,” Multimouse said, looping one arm through his. “This plan shouldn’t be difficult at all.”

“Ladybug did the hard work,” Viperion commented. “I’m just the muscle today. Have to hand it to her, she’s got a mind like a steel trap.”

“Ooh, watch your phrasing,” Multimouse winced, swinging her hip into him. “Remember your company, handsome.” 

“Sorry,” Viperion chuckled. “You’re right, poor choice of words.” 

“If you’re nice for the rest of the mission maybe I’ll let you make it up to me,” Multimouse teased, fingers curling around his bicep. “Hmm, Ladybug knew what she was doing.”

Viperion plucked her hand off him. “Don’t do that, please.” 

“Oh,” her eyes widened slightly, the first sign of hesitancy he’d seen from her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” 

“You didn’t,” Viiperion told her, squeezing the hand he was still holding before letting go. “I’d just rather we keep this hands off, if you don’t mind. No hard feelings.”

 “Sure,” Multimouse perked up again, though he thought he saw a hint of pink under her mask. 

“Can’t say I mind being on pretty girl detail for the day,” he said lightly, hoping to put her back at ease. “Where to, ma’am? I’m supposed to follow your lead.”

“This way,” Multimouse tugged him towards a corridor. “The akuma victim rents a space back here to use for her studio. Ladybug wants us to get there, take a look around, and see if we can get the akumatized item. She thinks it’s probably boobytrapped, so that’s where I come in. You’ll set second chance before I go just in case anything goes wrong.” 

Viperion followed her and they started slowly down the long, echoey hallway. So much for stealth, he thought, wincing slightly. Multimouse must have thought so too because while she kept her alert posture, she smiled back at him and said, “So, did you know that you came up second on the Ladyblog’s Hottest Hero: Male Edition survey?” 

Viperion chuckled awkwardly, trying not to blush. “Chat’s hard to compete with,” he replied with a crooked smile. 

“You were robbed, if you ask me,” Multimouse said in a conversational tone, winking at him when he glanced over at her. She really needs to stop doing that. He swallowed and took a slow breath before he answered her. He had a feeling he was going to be doing a lot of belly breathing today. 

“Everybody has their own taste,” Viperion shrugged. “Guess not everybody goes for ‘mysterious, aloof, and quiet.’” 

“You read your own profile?” Multimouse giggled. 

“I was curious,” he grinned. “Haven’t you read yours?”

“Don’t have one,” Multimouse held up her hands and pretended to pout. “I’m so overlooked.”

“I can’t imagine anyone overlooking you.” 

“Ooh, flatterer,” she giggled, and then sobered. “This is actually only my second time out. The first time was years ago and it didn’t end so great.” 

“Really? That surprises me. You seem so natural,” Viperion said, following her down the corridor. 

“Why thank you,” Multimouse grinned over her shoulder at him, and his heart skipped a beat. 

Marinette, he reminded himself firmly, although she technically had no claim on him and he certainly had none on her. He blew out another breath, and then inhaled deeply—and abruptly wrinkled his nose. “Fabric dye,” he muttered. He’d been over to Marinette’s once while she was dying fabric and even with her windows open the smell had driven him up to her balcony. 

“Yes, this is the place,” Multimouse confirmed. She opened the door a crack and peeked inside, and Viperion readied himself to jerk her back in case of any unexpected surprises. “You don’t have to go any further,” she said, her flirtatious air gone and replaced with an intense focus that impressed him. “I know you hate the smell. Multitude!”

Viperion looked at her sharply but was blinded by the light of her power activating. He took a step back as she glowed brightly, and when he could see again, his partner was gone. He looked down to see the Multimice grinning up at him. One of them waved him down. Viperion knelt and put his hand down. One of the Multimice climbed onto his palm and he lifted her to his face. “I’ll stay with you,” she said cheerfully, hands on her hips. “Wouldn’t want you to get lonely.” 

Viperion chuckled. “Welcome aboard.” He brought his hand up to his shoulder and the Multimouse hopped up. 

“The rest of me will go scout and report back,” she said, and then pointed to his bracelet. “If you could?”

“Second Chance.” Viperion slid the bracelet back.

The Multimice still on the floor blew him a kiss in unison, and then ran off in different directions. Viperion couldn’t help a smile, though he directed it at the ground. She—they? were really too cute. 

“So,” Multimouse said, reclining on her side along his shoulder and propping her face on one hand, “Just you and me now. Does my handsome partner have a girlfriend?” 

“No girlfriend,” he sighed, a wistful smile taking over his face. “Just a girl. One amazing girl. You’re cute, Mousey, and I’m sure you’ve got a style of amazing all your own, but my girl...she’s not my girl, she doesn’t like me that way, but...anyway, there’s no one like her. Not even Ladybug.” He looked at her and she jumped, shutting her mouth quickly and looking down as she ran her finger across the texture of his suit. “You? Anyone special in your life?”

“Hmm,” Multimouse twirled her jump rope absently. “Sort of. It’s...complicated.” She sighed dreamily. “And I really wish it wasn’t, because I really do like him. He’s sweet and talented and thoughtful...insightful, really.” She sat up, crossing her legs, and reached up to pinch his cheek, which felt really funny considering how small she was. “Almost as handsome as you. Nice muscles, too, though he doesn’t show them off nearly enough.” She bounced her foot and seemed to consider what she was about to say. “I thought I’d missed my chance though. I kept him waiting for a long time, and—” She looked at him, and then looked away quickly. “I was pretty sure he didn’t feel that way about me anymore, but...I’m starting to wonder if…” He turned his head slightly so that he could see her face better. She was smiling softly down at the jump rope in her hand, biting her full lower lip and blushing. Viperion smiled. 

“Well, maybe it’s time you took a little chance then,” he said, shrugging his shoulder just enough to jostle her slightly. “If he’s been waiting all that time, then he’s probably not going to make a move unless you do. He’s kinda put himself out there enough, don’t you think?”

Multimouse frowned, blinking at him. “But if he was still into me, wouldn’t he keep trying? Other...other guys have…” 

Luka snorted softly. “Would you like him if he was like ‘other guys?’” 

“I’d like him if he was like you,” Multimouse purred, leaning against his neck. 

“Right, okay,” Viperion chuckled. “We don’t have to talk about it anymore if you don’t want to. I’m just saying, if you are interested, then you’re going to have to make a move, because if he does still have feelings for you, he’s trying to respect you by keeping them to himself.” He turned his face toward her and winked. “Food for thought. Though I’m sure a girl like you has plenty of options.”

“Aw, I’ll bet you say that to all the girls you turn down.”

Luka chuckled. “Believe me, if it weren’t for M—my girl, I’d be first in line.”

Multimouse squeaked and nearly fell backwards off of his shoulder, and Luka bit his lip in a vain effort to contain his grin. 

“Need a hand?” he asked, careful not to move.

“No, I’m good!” she gasped, clawing her way back up the seams of his suit. Then she turned her head and brightened. “Oh, here I come!”

The Minimice—nope, Viperion immediately crossed that name out in his mind—the Manymice—no, that was practically the same as Multimice. Copymice? Okay that just sounded dumb. This is why I let Rose write the lyrics, ugh. The Multimice returned, each of them with their arms full of...yarn? Viperion knelt and his Multimouse jumped down from his shoulder. They chattered amongst themselves, talking so fast that Viperion couldn’t quite keep up, and then they lined up and began knotting their pieces of yarn together.

One of them (he wasn’t sure if it was the same one that had been with him all this time; he wished they came in different colors or something so he could tell them apart) turned to him and said, “The akumatized object is defended by a weird sort of...maze made of yarn. Like one of those laser grids you see in spy movies? We’re pretty sure that if we can get above it, we can drop down through the maze. I’m not sure what the strands do but we’d just as soon not find out! I think we’ve got enough pieces here to reach from those girders up there.” She pointed up and Viperion looked up to the girders crossing the warehouse-style ceiling.

“Are you sure it’ll hold?” Viperion frowned. “I don’t want you to fall.” 

“Check it,” Multimouse winked at him, holding it up. Viperion took yarn and held it up, inspecting the knots. His eyebrows went up.

“You know your knots,” he said, tugging the yarn carefully. The knots tightened and held. “Where’d you learn that?” 

“Oh,” the mini Multimouse’s eyes went wide, and she blushed under her mask. “Umm...a friend taught me.” 

“Your special friend?” Viperion teased, “Maybe more special than you said if he taught you knots like these.”

“It is not like that,” Multimouse insisted, growing pinker. She folded her arms and looking away from him. “He spends a lot of time around boats, that’s all. Maybe I should ask how you know them.” 

“I’ve spent a little bit of time on boats as well,” Viperion chuckled. “Well, it looks pretty good. I think it should work. Everybody grab on, let’s give it a quick test and make sure it’ll hold your weights.” 

The Multimice all grabbed onto the yarn rope in a line, and Luka carefully lifted it by one end, his other hand ready to catch anybody that fell. Finally all of the mice were off the ground, the end of the rope hovering an inch or so above the floor. “Okay,” Viperion nodded. “Okay, looks good. Nice work. I’ll take you up.” He looked up to the steel girders criss-crossing above him and then around, planning his route up. 

It took some fumbling but after a few minutes, Viperion got to his feet with his arms full of clinging Multimice. “Everybody good?” he asked. “If you don’t feel secure, now’s the time to say.” 

“We’re good!” chorused the girls, and Viperion chuckled, then looked up again and took a deep breath.

“Okay, here we go. One...two…” He felt them grip tighter. “Three!” Viperion leapt, resisting the instinct to use his arms for balance and momentum, and made it up to the steel crossbeam. He blew out a slow breath, relieved as he let the Multimice carefully down on the girder. 

“Well done,” one said, patting his hand with a sympathetic look, and Viperion smiled tightly, a little more adrenaline in his system than he wanted to admit to from the effort of getting up here without dropping or crushing anyone. 

“Be careful,” he said as the Multimice walked along the girder until they were all gathered above the glowing yarn maze, looking down into the center. Luka followed, careful not to knock anyone off as he looked down. 

“Not scared of heights, are you?” Multimouse teased. 

“Not at all,” Luka chuckled, sitting down on the girder and hanging his legs off as he looked down. “What is that? It looks like a stapler.”

“It’s a bedazzler,” said Multimouse, and all of them wrinkled their noses at once. “How cheap. Did she really think she was going to pass that off in front of those judges? Audrey Bourgeois might be the queen of glitter but I guarantee you the stuff she uses costs at least a hundred bucks a bottle and cheap rhinestones are not going to cut it. I can just hear her now.” She put her nose in the air, one hand on her hip and the other one out in an affected pose as she flapped her hand. “Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!” Viperion’s breath caught, his eyes widening slightly.

“That’s...a pretty good impression,” he said slowly, looking intently at her. “Almost the best one I’ve seen.” 

Multimouse just shook her head. “Poor thing was probably humiliated, no wonder Hawkmoth got to her.” She held up the end of their yarn rope. “Would you mind tying it?” 

Viperion did so, hands working the tiny yarn rope almost automatically as his mind raced on other matters. He gave the Multimice a thoughtful look, but none of them noticed, all on their hands and knees staring down at the purple bedazzler. “This is really worrying,” one of them commented. “This is the first time an akuma’s actually hidden away from the akumatized person. This one’s simple enough, but they always get smarter.” 

When the rope was secure, he lowered it carefully between the strands of the yarn maze. Four Multimice hopped onto it one by one and slid down.

Working together, they knotted the end of the yarn rope securely around the bedazzler, silently thanking Luka for his lessons on knots and ropes, and then one by one the Multimice shimmied back up the rope. Once there, they reformed into one large multimouse, who grinned up at Viperion triumphantly as she reached down and grabbed the yarn rope, hauling the bedazzler up hand over hand. “And there we go,” she grinned triumphantly, sitting down on the beam and crossing her legs, holding out the bedazzler triumphantly.

Viperion was looking at her strangely, one arm folded across his chest and the other propped up on it, fingers pressed to his lips. Multimouse cocked her head, and looked back at him. “Do I have something on my face?” she quipped. “Besides the mask.” 

He didn’t answer. 

“Care to do the honors?” Multimouse asked, setting the bedazzler down between them. 

Viperion wordlessly took his lyre from the small of his back and smashed it down in a quick, violent movement that made Multimouse jump. It did the trick, though, and the akuma floated free. 

“Wow,” Multimouse said absently, tracking the little butterfly. “Never thought I’d see you do that with an instrument. I’ll signal Ladybug and meet you on the next roof over.” She got to her feet and leapt nimbly across the beams, following the akuma. When she was sure she was out of Viperion’s sight, she whispered, “Come on out, Tikki.” Tikki popped out of one of her buns and came to float in front of her, beaming. “Ready?” Multimouse asked, and Tikki nodded. “Okay. Mullo, Tikki, unify.” A few minutes later, she’d captured the akuma and tossed her yoyo to cast the cure.

She stood weighing her yoyo in her hand. Technically speaking, Multibug supposed there was no need for her to meet up with Viperion again. She could have just sent him home, which was her original plan. But she hadn’t and he was expecting her and she felt unwilling to disappoint him. Marinette was used to the extra freedom that came with the mask and didn’t usually let it go to her head, but...well. She’d said a lot of things to Viperion today that Marinette had been longing to say to Luka for a while now and it felt good. He deserved to hear that he was brave and strong and kind and wonderful, and nobody said it to him the way they should.

Including her. 

“Mullo, Tikki, divide,” she ordered, and Tikki flew free. She took one look at Multimouse’s face and giggled, hiding back in her bun again.

When Multimouse arrived on the roof, Viperion was sitting on the ledge of the roof, one knee bent and one hanging down, his eyes on the lyre in his hands as he idly plucked a tune. He looked like he’d been plucked from the gardens at Versaille and left there by accident. There was something about his posture that made her uneasy and she approached him with a little less swagger than she had planned. She opened her mouth to greet him but he spoke before she could.

“I was just thinking,” he said, eyes still down, “About that girl. The one I’m so crazy about. She’s a lot like you.” 

Multimouse rocked back on her heels slightly, trying not to give away how thrown she was. She folded her arms and cocked her shoulders teasingly, closing one eye. “I thought you said there was nobody like her.” 

Viperion chuckled, still strumming. Strumming...strumming Marinette’s song, she realized with a sudden jolt. “This girl, she’s amazing. I’ve been in love with her for years. She wasn’t interested though so I’ve been kinda hanging back for a while now.” He shook his head, and Multimouse was having trouble looking away from the fingers plucking the lyre. “I’m starting to think though...maybe she’s changing her mind. Maybe she’s starting to feel a little bit of what I feel for her.” 

Marinette felt a thrill that sped up and down her body and took up residence in her stomach, electrifying the butterflies already fluttering there. “You still love her?”

Viperion smiled, and stopped playing, returning his lyre to the small of his back as he cocked his head to look at her, and the look in his eyes took her breath. “More and more as time passes. She just keeps getting more amazing, not less. I’ve dated other people, but never for long. Nobody measures up. I think maybe I can get over her then I see her again and it’s like no time has passed at all.”

Multimouse had no reason to blush at that, she reminded herself. She strolled over to him and turned, flattening her hands on the ledge where he was sitting and leaning back against it. “You should tell her, then. Maybe you’re right and her feelings are changing, but she thinks you’ve moved on so she’s too scared to say anything.”

“Well, you know. I might be wrong, but…” Viperion leaned toward her and put his mouth right by her ear. “I think I just did.” 

She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her. 

Viperion hopped off the ledge and turned to face her, placing one hand next to her on the ledge as he leaned in close. Just like Luka, she thought distantly, her heart racing, to not trap her in, to leave her an escape.  “You know a little too much about me for coincidence, little mouse. And maybe I know you just a little bit too well. I’ve heard you do that Audrey Bourgeois impression a few thousand times.” Multmouse bit her lip. “You’ve been running me a merry chase all day but I’ve caught you now, haven’t I?” Viperion continued, his nose brushed lightly against her cheek, just under her mask. “Can I kiss you?” 

“I don’t mind, handsome,” Multimouse said, as bravely as she could manage, even though having him so close was making her heart pound. “But what if you’re wrong?” 

“Haven’t you heard?” She could see Viperion’s grin widen out of the corner of her eye. “I’m all about taking chances.” 

Multimouse turned her face to give him a Look, lips parted for a retort, but as soon as she turned to him, he dipped down and kissed her—not the soft, careful way she’d always imagined Luka would kiss, but hard and hungry and fierce, like—

Like they were both wearing masks and they could pretend it never happened if they chose. Like it might be the only time she’d ever let him and he intended to make the most of it. Like she’d been torturing him all day and he just couldn’t take it anymore.

Like he’d been in love with her for years and was finally feeling a tiny sliver of hope that she might have feelings for him too.

She felt him hesitate and begin to pull back, and suddenly she realized she hadn’t exactly stopped him, but she wasn’t really responding either, too caught off guard to do more than let her lips form to his. And if that wasn’t just like Luka, to kiss her like that and still wait for her. 

Marinette might have hesitated. Ladybug would have delivered a lecture on professionalism in the suit.

Multimouse put her arms around his neck to stop his retreat and pressed into him, catching his lower lip between her teeth before pressing her mouth to his. His breath hitched and his hesitation disappeared and then they were really kissing, and it was like kissing him on her balcony only better, because this time he wasn’t shocked and hesitating and acting on instinct.  

This time he wanted her and she wanted him and neither of them had to own up to it if they didn’t want to and it made them reckless.

By the time they stopped only his arm around her waist and the hand feeling up her back were keeping her from just toppling over the roof, he’d bent her so far back. They hung there for a moment, panting, and then he slowly straightened, bringing her back upright. He grinned at her, looking extremely pleased with himself as he eyed her. She felt a little cheated that his Miraculous lipstick wasn’t smudged, but his hair was a wreck, which made her smirk. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he told her, voice deeper than she’d ever heard it outside of a performance.

Multimouse slipped out of his arms and turned half-away from him, hands on her hips. “You think you know who I am,” she said, pouting bruised lips. “But that doesn’t mean I know who you are.” 

“Hmm,” he smiled indulgently, leaning back against the roof ledge. “If you didn’t know before, I think you know now. I’m planning to be at Cafe Belle about two o’clock tomorrow. If the girl I like just happens to wander by, I’ll ask her to join me for coffee and cheesecake.” 

Multimouse wrinkled her nose. “Is that a mouse joke?” 

Viperion’s low chuckle made her shiver. “If she doesn’t care for cheesecake I’m sure I can find something to her taste.” 

“Hmm,” Multimouse said airily, twirling the end of her jump rope tail as she sauntered away from him. “Well, good luck with that…” 

Viperion sighed, head cocking slightly. “I am going to miss that suit.” 

Multimouse whirled, her hands on her hips. “And I thought you were such a gentleman.” 

Viperion grinned, looking at her through his bangs, his green eyes looking somehow more intense and...predatory than Luka’s usual blue. “I guess we both learned something about each other today. I didn’t know you could be such a tease. You made it an awfully long day today, you know.” 

Multimouse cocked a hip and folded her arms. “You still might be wrong.”

Viperion shrugged, but his grin didn’t budge. “Maybe.” He winked. “See you tomorrow.” He kicked up his legs and flipped over the roof ledge behind him. 

Multimouse sighed. “I’m going to miss that suit too.” 

***

Luka was sweating and exhausted by the time he got back to the boat. He’d run as Viperion as fast and as far as he could, teeth clenched to keep from whooping at the top of his lungs. 

Even after his transformation dropped, he sprinted a couple of blocks just on his own. He had, after all, kind of a lot of energy to burn off. Every time he thought he was calming down, he remembered, and a grin split his face and he put on another burst of speed. 

He could hear Sass laughing at him in his hood and he couldn’t care at all. 

Luka arrived home panting and sweating and dishevelled. That wasn’t unusual for him; if anyone saw him they’d probably assume he’d been at work—which was sort of true, anyway, even if no one knew he occasionally moonlighted as a superhero and made out with pretty girls on rooftops how the hell did this become his life.

Sass eyed Luka as the kwami ate his snack. Luka grinned at him and then at the ground.

“May I asssk what that was?”

Luka shrugged his shoulders without looking up. “Hormones?” 

Sass laughed. “Indeed.” 

Luka risked a glance at him. “Are you going to yell at me?” 

Sass snorted. “I am not. If you wissssh a lecture, I’m sure Ladybug can arrange a disssscusion with Tikki. Persssonally, I think if you are judged worthy to wield me, which you have done resssponssibly for yearsss, it isss reasssonable to asssume you are not a fool. You knew what you were doing, you knew the risssk you were taking. Ladybug trusssts you with the fate of the city; I trussst you to ssstand up to your choicesss, whatever the outcome.”

“I—” Luka sighed. “Thanks, Sass.” 

Sass finished his food and came to land on Luka’s shoulder, wrapping his tail lightly around Luka’s neck. He patted Luka’s cheek gently.

Luka put the plate away and went back on deck to wait for Ladybug. Unsurprisingly, given how long it had taken him to get home, he didn’t have to wait long. He was leaning on his elbows staring at the water when her feet hit the deck and the zip of her retracting yoyo. 

“You’re not playing your guitar,” she observed.

Luka turned and shrugged. “It’s been kind of a weird day,” he said, handing over the bracelet. “I think I’m still processing it.” 

Ladybug’s eyebrow quirked and his heart jumped for no apparent reason. Habit, he supposed, at this point. Gorgeous blue-eyed girls had been wrecking him all day so why should now be any different?

Different. 

It...wasn’t different. It wasn’t different at all. Luka swallowed, suddenly staring at Ladybug’s mouth.

“Good weird or bad weird?” Ladybug asked, tilting her head and studying him. He probably looked deranged, he realized, windblown and sweaty and suddenly having a lot of difficulty putting words together.

“Good,” he replied, barely managing not to stutter. “The good kind, the best, actually, um…” He pressed his lips together before he could babble anything else. Ladybug looked like she was fighting a smile.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I am fantastic,” he said, collapsing more than leaning back against the rail. “Couldn’t be better.” 

Ladybug giggled. “Well, that’s good to hear.” She gave him a smirk and flung her yoyo. “See you around, Luka.”  

“Right,” he said numbly to the empty air, and then he bolted for the door to the cabin. He clattered down the stairs and burst into his thankfully-empty room where he could lose his shit in peace. 

It was a little thing, really. Her lips were just a little redder than usual, but it was enough. The eyes, the lips, the hair—holy shit the smirk—he felt like an idiot. Luka’s legs went weak and he sat down on his bed.

He bent his head and ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. “I need a shower,” he muttered absently.

“Didn’t you shower this morning?” Juleka grumbled from the doorway.

Luka stripped off his sweaty shirt and threw it in her face. “I’m a guy, I need another one.” 

“Eeew!” she squealed, clawing it away. By the time she threw it to the floor, Luka had pushed past her and into the Liberty’s small bathroom, just about the only place where he could actually be alone on the whole boat. 

He preferred to be alone while his brain was melting out of his ears.

Multimouse was Marinette. Marinette is Ladybug. It was clear as day now, it just plain wasn’t possible that there were two people like that in the world, let alone three. He felt like such a moron. 

Marinette kissed him and he kissed Multmouse who was Marinette who was Ladybug and that he means he kissed Ladybug. Twice! Which, okay, he was in love with Marinette and always had been, and over the moon to have been kissing her, but he’d had some time to process that part and come on. Ladybug. If there was anyone in their age group who was attracted to girls who hadn’t fantasized about kissing Ladybug...well it was no one he’d ever met. Just nobody thought they’d ever actually get to, and he had, and that was kind of blowing his mind.

Juleka would be so jealous if she knew. 

Of course she hadn’t been wearing the masks at the time, or at least not that mask, but Luka didn’t care. He’d kiss Marinette in any mask or no mask and he’d wear any damn thing she wanted him to because he was madly, stupidly in love with her, and she was three times as amazing as he ever thought and he had a date with her tomorrow.

After years of silent pining and half-hearted attempts to move on...he had a date with Marinette. 

His hands were shaking.

Luka leaned his elbows on the tiny sink and grinned at himself in the mirror, shaking his head.

“You are one lucky bastard,” he muttered to his reflection, and laughed, giddy and breathless.

***

“What am I doing, Tikki?” Marinette breathed as she walked, briskly despite her nerves. “This is crazy. Right? Tell me this is crazy, Tikki.” 

“Love is always a little crazy, Marinette,” Tikki giggled, peeking up from Marinette’s purse. “Just give it a chance! For once it’s not the world at stake. And it’s just Luka.”

“Right,” Marinette muttered. “Just Luka, that I climbed all over yesterday and now he knows it was me and—”

“And thinking that he wanted you to meet him today just to reject you would be crazy,” Tikki teased, poking Marinette’s side. “I know it’s scary, Marinette, but this is the good scary! The normal scary! The exciting scary!”

Marinette smiled and put her hand in her purse to stroke Tikki’s head lightly. “Thanks, Tikki.” She promptly faltered a step and tripped. “Oh no, there he is. Just like he said he would be.”

“That’s a good thing, Marinette!” Tikki giggled.

Luka was leaning against the wall between the cafe door and the alley separating it from the next building, hands shoved in his pockets. His jean pockets, because he wasn’t wearing the hoodie that she had seen on him at nearly every encounter for three years, just a Kitty Section t-shirt that Marinette had made him.

And because she’d made it, it fit him perfectly. And without his hoodie, it left his arms mostly bare. Marinette whimpered quietly, cursing yesterday-Marinette for making her admiration of his arms so...obvious.

“You can do it, Marinette,” Tikki whispered, sinking lower into the purse. Marinette gulped in a deep breath and started walking again.

“Hi Luka,” she called as she got closer, “Hey, what a surprise, running into you like this! I was just, um, just out and about.” 

Luka looked up, giving her that same warm stare she’d last seen from masked green eyes, and a slow smile that made her skin tingle. “Hey Marinette. Fancy meeting you here. I was just thinking about getting a table to grab some lunch. His smile took on a cocky tilt that she had only rarely seen on him and for a moment she couldn’t decide if she was annoyed by it or something else entirely. “Care to join me? I hear they have great cheesecake here.”

Marinette stood, vibrating in indecision for just a moment. Luka’s eyes didn’t waver. 

Well, maybe it’s time you took a little chance then. He’s kinda put himself out there enough, don’t you think?

He was right. 

But first things first.

Marinette took a deep breath, steadied her nerves, and in a smoother motion than she would have thought she was capable of outside of the suit, she stepped up to him, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and swung him around into the alley entrance. “Woah,” he yelped, and then his eyes widened further as she planted a hand in the middle of his chest and pushed, backing him further down the (thankfully relatively clean) alley. Something in her face must have given him an inkling of her mood because he was slowly turning very red. 

She changed her angle to back him into the wall and kept advancing until she was chest to chest with him, looking up into his face. “Just so we’re clear,” she said, with only a little tremble in her voice though she could feel her hands starting to shake, “Nothing on this earth will save you if you breathe a word of what you think you know to anyone.” 

Luka’s eyes couldn’t get any wider. “Of course,” he gasped, breathlessly. “I wouldn’t, I would nev—mmph!” Marinette grabbed the back of his neck and jerked him down into a kiss that was harder than she meant it to be, just out of nerves. He must have liked it well enough, though, because he made the same noise he’d made yesterday when she kissed Viperion on her balcony. That sparked the memory of the look on his face afterwards, which made her giggle, and then she squeaked as he took advantage of her distraction and—wow, pulling him into the alley was a good decision because she did not want any witnesses to this.  

This was so much better without the suits, she realized giddily as he pulled her up flush against him. He made that noise again when her hands slid up over his shoulders and slipped into his hair. It felt amazing and she could have kissed him forever but there were things she still needed to say. 

Finally she put her hand on his shoulder, pushing lightly, and he stopped and drew back to look at her, lips red and hair even more tousled than usual, and Marinette was grateful he was still holding her because she wasn’t sure she could stand on her own at that point. 

“A little mouse told me you still had feelings for me,” Marinette whispered. “Is it true? Because I—” she continued in a rush before he could answer. “Because I definitely have feelings for you and if it’s not true that’s okay, but if it—if it is then maybe we could go have that cheesecake and if you’re free maybe we could go see a movie and—”

He cut her off with another kiss, and it was softer and slower, more tender, more like how she had always imagined Luka would kiss, but it was no less thrilling. 

“She also said you were a really good kisser,” Marinette added breathlessly when he drew back.  

“Yeah?” The corner of his mouth came up in a subtle smirk that she could definitely get used to seeing on him. 

“Yeah,” Marinette shrugged one shoulder, aware that her intense blush belied her unusually calm attitude. “So I guess I’m kinda hoping that since she was right about that,” Marinette dropped her eyes and rubbed two fingers against the fabric of his t-shirt, “Maybe she was right about the other thing too?” 

“If you mean the fact that I’m even more in love with you than I was the day you tripped into my room,” he lowered his forehead to rest on hers and took a shaky breath. “Then yeah, she was totally right. And that’s one secret I’m more than happy to be rid of.” 

“I’m sorry,” Marinette sighed, “For keeping you waiting so long, and then hesitating even when I knew what I wanted.”

Luka lifted one hand and brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. “If you think I’m even the slightest bit dissatisfied right now then by all means, let me convince you I’m not.” His hand turned and cupped her cheek as he leaned in. Marinette put a finger on his chin and he paused. 

“So...about that cheesecake?” she smiled.

“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” he told her, and his eyes—she couldn’t look away. “Today and any day. Every day, if you want. Whatever I have to do to make this real, just tell me, I’m there.” 

Marinette smiled slowly. “Silly boy,” she said, letting her finger slide away from his chin. “It’s already real.” 

He looked at her with soft eyes, and his voice was warm and low as he said, “Then let’s go have some cheesecake and go watch a movie that, I’m going to warn you now, I have no intention of remembering.” His arm slid around her, pulling her close into his side, and she smiled. 

Luka smiled too as they strolled towards the cafe entrance together, not entirely convinced that his feet were touching the ground, and only the persistent pounding assured him his heart was still in his chest. 

Luka held open the cafe door for her and she smiled up at him. As she passed him, he took a cookie out of his pocket and slipped it into her purse. He wanted to make a good impression, after all, even if he wasn’t quite ready to tell Marinette he’d figured out more of her secrets than she realized.

“Urf!” Plagg pretended to barf, and burst out laughing. “I thought you were just going to do the suit!” “Is the wig too much?” Adrien asked, glancing in the mirror. “No!” Plagg snorted. “It’s just enough! It really makes you look like Ladybug!” “Really?” Adrien smiled, and patted his wig. “I just want to be recognizable.” “Trust me,” said Plagg, “No one could think you were supposed to be anyone except Ladybug.”

Adrien stepped closer to the mirror, and tried to shape the pigtails. “Do you think Ladybug will be there? At the carnival, I mean.” “Probably.” Plagg reassured him. “I mean, it’s just the biggest festival event of the year.” Adrien rolled his eyes. “She might even be dressed up.” Plagg added, looking at Adrien out of the corners of his eyes. “What if she’s dressed up as you?” Adrien glanced up from his reflection. “Really? Would she? What if she did!” His eyes widened as he imagined them both showing up to the parade dressed as each other. “Do you think I’d be able to tell it’s her?” Plagg groaned, and started flying back out of the bathroom. “Probably.” He said. “Anyone would know you’re Chat Noir, with those ears sticking out of your head.”

Adrien looked back at the mirror, and frowned at the strands of hair that wouldn’t stay in place. Chat Noir and Ladybug were supposed to ride on the main float in the parade, in costume, and what better character to dress up as than his partner? The only thing that could make the night better would be for Ladybug to show up dressed as Chat Noir.

The decision to dress up as Ladybug had been easy, but it had been a difficult plan to execute. There wasn’t any way he could ask Nathalie for help getting the costume, and the ones they sold in stores were either too big, or too small. Commissioning one from Marinette had been almost too easy. She had laughed when he told her he needed one for the class party, but she had quickly agreed to make it.

Getting his measurements from his fitting team had almost blown his cover, but when he told Nathalie it was because he needed them for a nutrition assignment, she had gotten them for him with no trouble. He’d probably have to make up some fake homework to show her later so she wouldn’t get suspicious, but it was worth it.

The suit fit perfectly, with the seams blending in to the lines of the costume and not one spot out of place. The material was stretchy enough that it fit him closely, but it was loose enough to allow for lots of mobility. The mask was the best part, though. He’d had to make a plaster mold of his face for Marinette to work with, but the mask sat comfortably over the planes of his face, and he’d specially ordered theater mask glue to help it stay on during the festival.

The only thing he couldn’t ask Marinette to do was make a hole in the suit for his tail. He’d have to do that himself. He hated the thought of cutting a hole in the costume, but it was the only solution he figured would work. Now he just needed to figure out how to make the wig work with his ears, and the costume would be perfect.

Marinette leaned back from her sewing machine, and stretched. Making a Chat Noir costume had been harder than she thought. Making the Ladybug costume for Adrien had been much easier. She knew what the suit felt like the wear herself, and she was able to make it almost as comfortable as her own suit. When he had asked her to make it, she had been shocked, but then remembered how much he loved Ladybug. She’d had a sudden image flash through her mind, of Adrien showing up to the class costume party dressed as Ladybug, and immediately knew what costume she was going to make for herself.

Showing up to the party as Chat Noir would certainly cause a stir, but she might be able to be around Adrien more, because it would make sense for Ladybug and Chat Noir to be together. All of Paris thought they were a pair anyway. Besides, if she felt gutsy enough, she could try out some of Chat Noir’s puns on Adrien. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize her. And she could re-use the suit during the festival parade Ladybug and Chat Noir were supposed to be in. That called for complete range of motion in the suit, and for it to be breathable.

She didn’t know for sure who Chat Noir would be dressing up as, but he’d been dropping hints that it would be Ladybug. Things like asking her if she’d ever had a twin, or what it would be like to fight alongside a second Ladybug. If she knew Chat Noir, his costume would probably be a parody of her costume. She could see it now: a bright blue wig perched rakishly over his ears, and a red tracksuit with sharpie-drawn spots covering it. Not that he couldn’t do a good job on it, of course.

Marinette had enjoyed making her costume, and now she had a respect for how Chat Noir fought in a leather suit so effectively. The hardest part of making the suit had been the gloves. Chat Noir had real claws at the end of his gloves, but Marinette still needed to be able to pick things up. What if there was an akuma attack during the festival? That would confuse the akuma, to have Ladybug dressed up as Chat Noir, and Chat Noir as Ladybug. It could even be an advantage.

Marinette had finally decided to just have the sleeves end in black gloves, with no claws, and now she was almost done sewing the tail on. The finishing touch would be the bell at the collar. She could just see the look on Chat’s face when she showed up to the float dressed as him. She grinned and pulled out the last pin from the material, and stuck it back in her pincushion. She reached over to where Tikki was sleeping, and gently nudged her.

“Tikki! Look!” She said excitedly, holding up the finished costume. Tikki opened her eyes, and looked at Marinette. “Wow, Marinette!” The kwami exclaimed. “It looks like the real thing!” Marinette smiled at the compliment. “I bet you even Chat Noir wouldn’t know the difference.” She added proudly. The kwami nodded and smiled at Marinette’s enthusiasm.

Marinette was just laying down the suit back on her table when she heard sirens start going off. “Oh no!” She gasped. “Do you think it’s an akuma?” Tikki gave her a worried look. Marinette ran over to her computer, and pulled up a live news feed. “Now being called ‘Le Peintre’, the newest villain is flying across Paris, painting everyone that gets in his way.” Marinette gaped at the screen, which was showing a frightening-looking person covered in painted faces, like the ones kids ask for at carnivals. “So far, everyone that he paints starts acting like the animal whose face he paints on them.” A clip plays where a grown woman is chasing children, growling like a lion and ferociously fighting off the people trying to capture her.

Marinette turned to Tikki, face set in determination. “Let’s go, Tikki!” She beckoned to the kwami. “Spots on!” Tikki zoomed towards Marinette, and disappeared in a bright flash as Marinette transformed into Ladybug. Ladybug climbed up her stairs, and ran out onto the balcony. She jumped off the rail and started swinging across the city towards the sounds of the sirens.

Adrien stood up, panting. The suit was stretchy, but it still felt like trying to put on a wet rubber glove. He finally pulled up the zipper, stretched his arms out and swung them around. The suit fit perfectly, but he knew trying to take it off again would be almost impossible, so he had decided to try out the entire costume, wig and all, just to make sure it would work.

After all, he had to make sure he could fight in it, right? He stood staring up at his climbing wall. Scaling it in the suit would be different, but if Ladybug could do it, he could, too. Probably. Adrien wiped his sweaty palms on his pant legs, only to realize that the suit material was slippery, and not particularly absorbent. Marinette wouldn’t have known he’d have to fight in it, so she hadn’t made the suit really breathable. “Why didn’t I think of that?” Adrien wailed, staring up at the wall.

He shook his head, and walked forward. He had just wrapped his hands around two of the lower holds, when suddenly jumped, as the wail of sirens pierced the air. Adrien looked at Plagg with wide eyes, and ran back out of the bathroom, to the TV. He grabbed the remote and turned it on the news station.

“-terrorizing the city, and-Oh! It’s Ladybug!” The camera pointed up to the sky, and zoomed in to show Ladybug leaping across the gap right overhead, and running towards the akuma. “And there you are!” The reporter announced. “Ladybug to the rescue! But where is Chat Noir?” Adrien groaned, and looked down at himself. The form-fitting bright red suit seemed to taunt him, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to take It off in time. “Plagg!”  He called “Transform me!” Plagg flew straight at Adrien, and a few seconds later, Chat Noir leapt out of the window of the Agreste mansion, and started running to help Ladybug.

Ladybug shuffled the group of children towards the library, as Le Peintre stomped towards them, raising his hand mirror high in the air. Ladybug turned around to face him, and planted her feet solidly, yo-yo spinning in a blur. Le Peintre fixed his eyes on her. “You have no idea how much I want to paint your face!” He snarled. “You’re the only one here already wearing a mask! Let’s see what your face looks like without the mask!” Ladybug held her ground, and lowered herself into a jumping position, ready to leap over the villain.

“My Lady!” Both Ladybug and Le Peintre looked up to the side of the library, where Chat Noir was sitting on an overhanging ledge. “Chaton!” Ladybug called. “Hurry up! Where have you been?” Chat Noir leapt down, and sauntered up to Ladybug. “Let’s just say I was in a slippery situation. Fortunately, though, I heard the sirens and slid over as soon as I could.” He leaned on his staff. “Pretty slick, right?” Ladybug smiled, and shook her head.

As Chat Noir came closer, Ladybug noticed his hair wasn’t the usual bright yellow. “What hap-MON DIEU! Is that a WIG?” She pointed to the blue-black wig covering his head, with two little black ears sticking straight up. Chat Noir looked startled, and reached up to pat his head. “Wig! I forgot!” He clutched his head, and looked straight at Ladybug. “I-it’s-“ Ladybug interrupted. “Trying out your costume for the parade?” Chat Noir looked at her sheepishly, and nodded. “I guess,” he said, looking at her with a smirk, “The cat’s out of the bag now.”

Le Peintre groaned aloud, making both heroes remember what they were doing. “Seriously?” He said. “That joke was even worse than the first one!” “Sorry,” Chat Noir retorted, “but it wasn’t really for you, anyway.” He looked at Ladybug, who nodded at him. “I will take your miraculouses, and paint all of Paris so they won’t even remember what they looked like before!” “Good thing we’re already wearing masks then, right M’lady?” Chat Noir grinned at Ladybug, and crouched down, ready to pounce.

“I think the akuma is in his mirror.” She whispered. “He keeps holding it up to people’s faces after he paints them.” “Good!” Chat Noir laughed. “It’s a good thing you’re a lucky bug, M’lady-“ He started, “because-“ “Seven years’ bad luck, I know, Chat.” Ladybug nodded. “I think we just have to make sure he doesn’t get to the children.” Chat Noir glanced at the library windows, where children were pressing their noses against the glass. “I guess we have to lead him away, then get his mirror”

Le Peintre turned away from them, and started running towards the subway entrance. “We’ve got to stop him before he gets on the train!” Ladybug shouted. Chat Noir ran towards the entrance stairs. “If we can get an empty car, we can chase him into it, and break his mirror there.” Chat called. “Okay!” Ladybug replied, running alongside him “I’ll take car of getting the empty car, you corner him.” “Aye-aye, M’lady!” “And be careful!” Ladybug called after him as he disappeared down the corridor. “The main problem will be getting close enough to grab the mirror without letting his brush touch you.” Ladybug shouted Chat. “Once he paints your face, who knows what you’ll turn into.” Chat saluted her, and ran towards the screaming people.

Ladybug directed the panicked crowd up and out of the subway tunnel, and sent out a message to the subway cars to avoid this station. She had just finished clearing the last train at the platform, when she heard Chat Noir yelling. “He’s coming!” He called. “Get ready!” Le Peintre surged towards the train, looking for people, but not seeing any, changed course and headed straight for Ladybug. Ladybug threw her yo-yo towards his feet, but missed, and Le Peintre was right in front of her when-“Ladybug, no!” A child’s voice screamed out, as a small figure jumped in between them. Le Peintre reached towards the child’s face, but Chat Noir had come up from behind, and used his baton to hit away Le Peintre’s arm, making him drop the mirror. Chat Noir hugged the child tight, as Ladybug and Le Peintre both dived for the mirror. Ladybug slid on the concrete, and snatched the mirror away. She grasped her yo-yo and smashed the front of the mirror.

Le Peintre screamed and lunged for Ladybug, but fell to the ground as his powers started fading. Ladybug captured the akuma, and purified it, setting free the white butterfly. Le Peintre de-transformed, and collapsed to the ground. Chat Noir stood up, holding the crying child in his arms. One pigtail had come free of the ribbon in his wig, and he looked so funny, Ladybug laughed out loud. “You should cosplay as me more often!” She cried, wrapping her arms around her stomach. Chat Noir pouted, but still reached out his arm for a fist-bump. “Pound it!” They called out in unison.

Chat Noir and Ladybug led the carnival face-painter up out of the tunnel, with Chat Noir holding the hand of the little girl. Ladybug knelt down in front of her, and held out her hands. “I was almost a goner there!” She said. The little girl shyly held out her hand, and Ladybug held it, tiny in contrast to her gloved hands. I owe you one!” Chat Noir patted the little girl on the head. “I don’t know what I would have done if my lady had been turned into something, like an elephant!” The little girl laughed, and Ladybug rolled her eyes. “That would have been a problem of….elephantine proportions!” Ladybug groaned aloud, and lightly punched Chat’s arm.

Suddenly a man started running towards them “Ana!” He called out in relief. “Papa!” The little girl ran towards him, and he swung her into a hug, spinning around. “I’m so glad you’re safe!” He exclaimed, burying his face in her hair. “I helped Ladybug!” She said proudly.

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked after them fondly, then they heard a beeping. “Aren’t you almost out of time?” Ladybug said. “How many times has it beeped?” Chat Noir clutched at his ring, eyes widening in alarm. “I forgot!” As Ladybug stared at him, a flash of green light suddenly enveloped him, as he de-transformed. A black kwami zipped out of the ring, and looked dazed. “Adr-“ Plagg saw Ladybug, and stopped just short of saying Adrien’s name. “Don’t look!” Adrien called out, eyes shielding his face. “Kid!” Plagg said. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” Adrien lowered his arms from in front of his face, as Ladybug burst into laughter. “Where did you get such a good costume?” She asked, hand covering her mouth. “Costume-Oh!” Adrien sighed in relief, as he realized he was still wearing the suit Marinette had made for him.

“A friend made it for me” He said proudly, putting his hands on his hips. “Kid-“ Plagg interrupted. “As much as I love hearing you brag about Mar- I mean, your marvelous friends, you need to get going. I need cheese!” Adrien nodded, and saluted Ladybug. “I’m off, M’lady! Can you handle the reporters?” “Sure, kitty.” She said, saluting back. “Get going! And the suit looks great, by the way!” Adrien ran off, looking like a really scruffy version of Ladybug.

Ladybug turned towards the reporters with their cameras, and prepared to answer a few questions before she returned to her home. That was better than I thought it would be. She thought. But-something about that costume had looked familiar. She could almost tell what material has been used, what kind of stitching had been used for the side seams…But she wouldn’t know that, right? It’s not like she had made the costume...Had she?

Viperion did none of those things. He stood straight, powerful shoulders squared and strong arms crossed over his chest. His green-gold eyes looked directly at the object of his attention, and while he did sometimes strum his lyre as he thought, it didn’t seem to divide his attention the way the guitar did. 

It gave Marinette the shivers, but not in the way Luka seemed to fear it might. She liked that about him. 

She liked it a lot. And she’d spent a lot more time thinking about it lately than was probably wise.

Maybe that was why she said it. 

A bunch of them were having a picnic in the park, minus Adrien and Kagami but plus Luka, and Marinette wasn’t sure how it got started but she suspected Kim. It was one of those stupid, teenage conversations that almost always made Marinette uncomfortable because whenever it came to a discussion about which of Paris’ heroes one would prefer to make out with, Ladybug’s name came up much too often for her to be comfortable, and it was worse when her friends were involved. She just...didn’t need to know what they thought about her ass in the suit. Or worse.

“All right, Marinette, you can’t avoid us forever,” Alya declared, with that investigative reporter gleam in her eye. “Spill. Who would it be?” 

Normally she would have refused. She would have complained about the way they objectified the heroes and protested when Alya laughed at her for being a prude. She would have declared that people risking their lives for Paris deserved to do it without being fetishized or fantasized about. 

Today, she just replied, “Viperion,” without hesitation or inflection. She had to force herself not to look at Luka as soon as the name left her lips. She noticed the slight hitch in the tune he was playing, so she knew he’d heard her. 

“Ohh, finally a straight answer,” Alya teased. “And here I thought you had such a soft spot for Chat.”

Marinette focused on her sandwich, forcing herself to remain calm even as a miniature version of herself flailed around screaming in her mind. “I like Chat well enough,” Marinette shrugged one shoulder. “I think he does a lot of good for the city and he should be recognized. But if you’re asking me who I’d like to have sweep me away from an akuma attack, carry me to my balcony, and kiss me passionately in the moonlight—” She smirked as Luka’s song fumbled and Juleka began to laugh at him. “Viperion. No question.” 

Marinette had no doubt that conversation was on his mind when he found her a few weeks later after a battle that lasted a little too long, stranded on a roof, detransformed and out of cookies. 

She wasn’t even sure how Viperion had known she was there, honestly. She’d been hiding as Chat and Viperion said their farewells. They knew she’d been at the end of her charge and they thought she’d simply gone straight home. Chat had left, and Marinette had expected Viperion to leave as well, but instead he turned and looked directly at the door she was hiding behind like he knew she was there. 

Maybe he did. Nobody was ever sure just how much of what was happening Viperion had seen before. 

Marinette panicked, but not in a useful way. More in the paralyzed, too many options, can’t pick between them kind of way that left her frozen with her mouth open as he swung the door out of the way and gave her a look of fond amusement. “Hello, Marinette,” he said, and she squeaked.  

Viperion just smiled at her, and offered her a hand. “Can I give you a lift home?” he asked, in his usual gentle, respectful tones, but there was something like a smirk playing at the corners of his lips, and something infinitely more dangerous in his eyes, and Marinette was dead positive he was thinking about her words at the picnic table. He didn’t ask any questions about why she was up on the roof, but then Viperion was Luka, and Luka was Luka and he never asked her questions she might find awkward to answer.

She put her hand in his and squeaked something that must have been sufficiently affirmative, because he picked her up. 

“Are you sure?” Marinette found the breath to ask as he settled her in his arms. “Don’t you have to, um...go? You can drop me off in the street if you need to.”

“I’m okay for a little longer,” he told her. “Long enough to get you home. Hold on.” 

Marinette suppressed a shiver, putting her arms around his neck and turning slightly into his body. She felt him take a slow breath, and then he was running. She pressed her face into his neck to keep from being repeatedly knocked into him and held on, enjoying the feel of his warm skin. It wasn’t the smoothest ride, being carried like this, but she felt a thrill every time his grip tightened on her before a leap.

She admitted to herself that sometimes it was nice to be the one being carried.  

The bakery wasn’t far and it felt like it took hardly any time to get there, even though she was sure he wasn’t going as fast as he was capable of. He landed amongst the clutter on her balcony with impressive precision, and set her down gently on her feet, keeping his hands on her waist until she was steady. “There you go. Safe and sound.” 

“Thank you,” Marinette smiled up at him, stepping back a bit so she could face him fully. 

“Can’t you thank a guy better than that?” he smirked, and at her look of surprise his own eyes widened. “I mean—I’m sorry, that was inappropriate, I didn’t mean to, um—I should go.” He started to turn away but Marinette was too quick.   

“No,” she said, catching his face in her palm and turning it back to her. “I’d love to thank you properly, if that’s okay with you. I just...wasn’t sure you’d want, I mean...” She bit her lip and saw his familiar-yet-strange green-gold eyes focus on her mouth with all of that intensity she’d been craving. 

In the back of her mind Marinette wondered how long Luka had wanted to kiss her. She wasn’t entirely sure herself when she had started wanting to kiss him, but she did. She couldn’t kiss Luka though, not yet, not until her heart and her conscience were clear, and maybe she was just splitting hairs, rationalizing between identities, but nothing that happened between Marinette and Viperion here could change things between Marinette and Luka, and maybe just this once she could have her cake and eat it too. 

He moved so slowly that she wasn’t sure he was entirely aware his head was dipping down toward her, but she raised her face and rolled up on her toes a little to meet him, and he captured her lips without hesitation in a kiss that was soft and sweet but not nearly enough. She slid her arms around his neck and pulled him down into her, and his strong arms curled tight around her as they shifted to deepen the kiss into something slow and sensual, with a thrilling undercurrent of desire that she felt in the tension of his body and the way he pressed her to him. Marinette felt like the center of the world in his arms, protected and wanted and alive. She threaded her fingers into his hair and tried to put her own feelings into the kiss, to make him understand all the soft feelings she held for him, her affection and her trust and her gratitude, for once to make him feel as wanted and cared for as she always did with him.

One of his hands smoothed over her back, his grip on her slackening slightly even as the kiss softened and turned achingly tender for just a moment before coming to a natural end. She couldn’t quite bear to open her eyes and let it be over, and she felt Viperion’s forehead lean against her own. “Thank you,” he breathed, and when she finally opened her eyes, his were still closed as he inhaled deeply, hands sliding over her back. 

“That’s my line,” she whispered, and he chuckled. His bracelet beeped, and he sighed. 

“I have to go,” he murmured, eyes finally opening. 

“I know.” 

Viperion breathed in deeply, and then exhaled slowly as he straightened away from her. His hands slid reluctantly from her back, and she watched him tear himself away like it physically pained him. He cupped her cheek in one hand for just a moment before stepping back. He chuckled and looked at the sky for a moment, and if she hadn’t been so attuned to him in that moment she would have missed his quiet mutter, but she was pretty sure she heard him say, “No moonlight, huh?” He turned quickly, though, and leapt away with a brief salute.

Marinette watched him fade into the twilight dimness, feeling no need to hurry and transform to find him. There was no way he’d make it home on the charge he had left, so he’d have to walk the rest of the way back to the Liberty. She had time to catch him.

She sighed and raised her fingers to her lips, eyes falling closed as she shivered at the memory. 

“You don’t even know what I’m talking about,” Marinette grumbled, turning her head enough to peek at him with one eye. 

“I don’t need to,” Luka leaned down to give her a cheeky grin. “You can do anything you put your mind to, I’ve seen it. But go ahead and tell me what’s giving you trouble.”

Without lifting her head, Marinette reached out, slapping blindly on her desk for a moment, before her hand finally landed on a loose piece of paper. She grabbed it and held it up.

Luka took it, straightening up to read it, though he kept one hand on Marinette’s back. “Junior Design Contest,” he read, “Sponsored by Teen Vogue Paris.” He snorted. “See? I was right. You absolutely can do it.”

“I can’t,” Marinette moaned, still face-down on the desk. “I’ve been trying for hours. Nothing is working. Everything I come up with is terrible and derivative! Unoriginal! It’ll be so bad that not only will the judging committee laugh themselves stupid at my proposal, they’ll probably pass it around in the industry for laughs and I’ll be blacklisted and then it’ll end up in classes for young design students as an example of what NOT to do and—”

“Whoa, whoa, breathe, Marinette,” Luka reached forward and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Come on, sit up and look at me.” 

Marinette let out a heavy sigh, and then did as he asked, leaning back until she was slumped in her chair and pouting up at him. “Luuuukaaaa,” she whined. 

“Hey.” Luka reached down and turned her chair around, and then pulled it back with him to the chaise so they were sitting knee to knee. “Okay, you’ve had your little pity party,” he teased. “But you and I both know that Marinette Dupain-Cheng does not back down from a challenge. Is this contest really something you want to do?”

“Well...yes,” she sighed. “I mean, the derby hat contest was cool but it was pretty small-scale. Teen Vogue Paris, there’ll be hundreds of designs submitted. If I could make the top ten in a competition like that, it would really mean something. But I’ve been so busy, I didn’t find out about it until yesterday, and I really have to crank something out if I want to make the submission deadline. And I’ve been trying but I’ve got nothing!” She ended in a wail, throwing her hands up.

Luka smiled to himself, and took her hands. “Marinette, I’ve never known anyone with a mind that works like yours,” he said seriously, cradling her hands in his. “You’re smart and creative and fantastic under pressure. I know sometimes when you’re on a short timeline, it can feel like you have to get it right the first time and you can’t always let your creative process work itself out. But you need to just take a breath, and let it happen. Forget about the deadline for a little bit. You can’t make a plan to meet it until you know what you want to do. You’re trying to jump to step seven and you need to start back at one. Just let the ideas flow for now.” 

Marinette gave him an uncertain look. 

Luka moved his hands up to cup her face and leaned forward to kiss her forehead tenderly. “Whatever’s going on in here,” he whispered against her skin, “It’s going to be brilliant and amazing.” He kissed her forehead again, and then her nose. “So just let it come out, give your imagination some room to breathe. Don’t edit yourself. You can sort it all out later.” He sat back. “Will you come take a walk with me, maybe talk it out a bit? I’m a good listener.” They both smiled at that.

“Well…” Marinette sighed. “I guess I’m not getting anything done here, so...sure, let’s go for a walk.” 

Luka grinned, and waited while she got her things together and tucked her sketchbook under her arm. He strapped his guitar back on, and together they went downstairs and out into the sunshine. Luka smiled to himself as Marinette took a deep breath by his side. She slipped her hand into his and he could feel some of the tension leave her. Luka laced their fingers together. “Anywhere in particular you want to walk?” 

“Anywhere’s fine,” Marinette shrugged. 

“Okay.” Luka gave her hand a little tug to get them started. “So, tell me about these ideas that you decided wouldn’t work.”

“Well, at first I thought—“ 

Luka listened as she listed ideas and dismissed them just as quickly. There was one, though, that she kept circling back to, and the smile on his face grew slowly as her words flowed faster and her step got bouncy and her eyes lit up. “There we go,” he murmured to himself, and allowed a satisfied smile to settle on his face as he concentrated on guiding Marinette through the streets, tugging her around obstacles and out of the way of hazards. 

Suddenly he realized they were near the Liberty and had to laugh at himself. He’d led her there automatically. “Think you’re ready to start sketching?” he asked the next time Marinette paused for breath. He nodded to where the boat could be seen in the distance.

“Oh. Oh!” Marinette blinked, just as surprised as he’d been. “Yeah, that would be great actually.” She giggled and Luka grinned. 

Rose and Juleka were hanging out on deck, so Luka and Marinette went below and curled up side by side on Luka’s bed. Luka got out his guitar and occupied himself with it as Marinette began to sketch.

“There,” she sighed finally, putting her pencil down and stretching her fingers. “I can work with this. It’s enough for the proposal, at least, and I can keep refining it after submission so that I’ll be ready if I make the first cut.”

“Will you hit me if I say I told you so?” 

“Absolutely.”

“Okay,” Luka chuckled. “Then I won’t. Even though I totally did.”

Marinette dug her elbow into his ribs. Luka winced away and grabbed her hand, and in the ensuing struggle, Marinette’s sketchbook slid from her lap, bounced off the edge of the bed, and landed on the floor.

“I got it,” Luka grunted, shoving her hands away. He leaned down and reached out one long arm to snag the book from the floor.

“Thank you, Luka,” Marinette said gratefully, but when she tried to take the book, Luka didn’t let go. She looked at him and found he was staring down at the sketchbook. 

“What’s this?” he asked, turning it towards her. The pages had flipped when it fell and it was now open to a design for a jacket with a very familiar blue and pink lightning bolt down one sleeve, a scattering of pink and blue stars on the other arm, and triangular details along the shoulders that echoed the shoulder piece of his stage costume.

Marinette groaned, trying to snatch the book back from him. “Oh, no, that was supposed to be a surprise.” Luka let her take it reluctantly, and then slipped his arm around her waist.

“I really like it,” he said quietly, nuzzling her cheek. “Can I see the rest of it?” 

“What makes you think there’s more?” Marinette said lightly, and Luka chuckled. He pulled her over his leg to sit her in front of him so he could wrap his arms around her waist.

“Please?” he said, resting his chin on her shoulder. “I’m sorry for ruining the surprise, but I’d really like to see what else you have. It looked awesome.”

Marinette sighed, and pouted a bit, but she opened the book and turned it to the next page so he could see the back of the jacket. It had Luka’s name on the back in pointy letters, and the kitty section mask logo, personalized with a blue horn and his lightning bolt over the eye.

“I was just playing with some ideas for merchandise that I wanted to show you guys,” sighed Marinette, “But I got so into it and started adding all these details, and I decided to keep it back and try to make it for your birthday.” She groaned. “Ugh, now my whole plan is ruined!”

Luka squeezed her tight, and she leaned back against him and let her head fall against his shoulder. “It’s not ruined,” he said in her ear. “I love it, Marinette, I really do. Now I get to be excited the whole time you’re making it. Have you started yet? Can I go shopping with you?”

“I haven’t started yet,” Marinette replied, amused. “And no, if I let you go shopping with me you’ll end up paying for something and I’m not going to let that happen.” 

“It’d be the least I could do when you’re going through all this work.”

“I knew you’d say that.” Marinette elbowed him, more gently this time. “It’s a gift. That’s not now gifts work.” 

Luka leaned around her and curled a finger under her chin, turning her face back up towards him. “It’s enough of a gift that you even thought enough of me to create something like this, let alone make it for me with your own two hands.” He kissed her forehead tenderly, almost reverently. “You’re going to do great things, Marinette. I’m honored to be even a small part of it.” 

Marinette turned red and spluttered, dropping the sketchbook in her lap as she covered her flaming cheeks. “Luka! How can you just say things like that?”

“Because they’re true,” Luka said, grinning, letting her face forward and hugging her close again. “Now come on, tell me more.” 

“Well,” Marinette sighed, picking up the sketchbook again and turning back to the front view. “I guess since the surprise is ruined I might as well ask what you’d prefer. Do you like Juleka’s star on the other sleeve? I know how close you are so I thought maybe—but if you don’t like it we could just leave that sleeve plain...I think two lightning bolts would be too much though—”

“I love the stars,” Luka smiled, resting his chin back on her shoulder. “I love that you thought to put Juleka’s symbol on it for me.”

“And for the color of the jacket itself, do you think white, grey, or black? I could do it in blue but I don’t think the details would stand out so much…”

“What were you thinking?” Luka asked.

“Well, I know you don’t wear a lot of white, but—” Marinette went on about the pros and cons of the different choices, more thinking out loud than asking his opinion, but her face began to redden as she slowly became aware that Luka was cuddling closer and closer, curling around her, his chin still on his shoulder, his arms tight around her waist, his chest pressed against her back. 

“You’re so amazing,” he said, and the genuine admiration in his voice was enough to render her speechless. Marinette meeped quietly and turned in his arms, burying her face into his shoulder. “Aw, come on,” he teased, moving one hand to rub it along her back. “It’s the truth, I should be allowed to say it.” 

“Well, what about you?” Marinette pushed back, looking at him with a determined pout. “Does that mean I get to compliment you until you can’t talk?”

Luka laughed lightly. “Go ahead,” he teased, rubbing his nose lightly against hers. “I don’t blush as easily as you.” 

“Oh yeah?” Marinette never backed down from a challenge. She turned to gave him fully and got up on her knees so that her face was level with his. Luka sat back slightly, leaning back on his hands, the amused smile still on his face. Marinette planted her hands on his shoulders.

“You’re a great listener,” Marinette began, “And you’re a great brother. I know you’re always supporting Juleka and watching out for her.” He continued to look at her placidly, though there might have been just the faintest bit of color in his face. She wasn’t sure. “You’re an amazing musician. Kitty Section would fall apart without you.” Okay, that got some definite color, and a slight change of expression, like he wanted to deny that last part. That gave her an idea. She licked her lips and adjusted her position slightly as she prepared her next attack.

“You’re always encouraging everyone around you. You welcomed Adrien when he showed up. You’re always complimenting the other band members and when you have criticisms, you’re so thoughtful about it that nobody minds hearing it from you.” Okay, she was closer to the mark. There was definite color in his cheeks now. “You’re a natural leader and you do it so gently no one resents you for taking charge.”

“Marinette,” he said, looking away. “That’s—“

“True,” she insisted. Time to go in for the kill. “And you inspire me,” she told him, a slow smile growing over her face. “You always encourage me and give me a safe place to create. No matter how stuck or frustrated I am, you make me feel better. You’re kind and selfless and you always know what I need. So I think your mind is just as brilliant as mine, even if it maybe works a little bit differently.” She leaned up and kissed his forehead as he’d done for her, and Luka made an inarticulate noise, pulling her to him so he could bury his now very red face in her shoulder.

“I win,” Marinette said cheekily, giggling as she moved her legs out from under her to settle more comfortably into his embrace.

“You forgot something,” he mumbled from her shoulder.

“Yes?”

“I have Jagged Stone’s personal designer making my birthday present.”

“Same. How was your vacation?” Juleka asked, slipping out of her clothes and letting Marinette help her into the gown that needed fitting. 

“It was good. I did some volunteer work and then I spent Christmas at my parents. How was yours?”

“Miserable,” Juleka grumbled, standing patiently as Marinette fastened up the dress. “We all got sick, it was horrible. If it weren’t for my brother and my mom I think we might have lost our will to live entirely.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Marinette said, with genuine sympathy rather than polite disinterest—one of the reasons she was one of Juleka’s favorite clients. She was a genuinely a nice person who was interested in everybody. “I’m glad you’re doing better.” Marinette shook her head as she helped Juleka up on the pedestal and knelt to start pinning the hem. “That must be going around. S-someone I met at my volunteer job said that his family was sick too.” Her shoulders hunched slightly and Juleka’s eyebrows rose.

“Ooh, would that be someone interesting?” she teased. “Come on, Marinette, give me the details, or I’ll just be bored to tears standing here like a doll.”

Juleka could see the back of Marinette’s neck turn red in the mirror. 

“I met a guy,” the designer admitted. “He was really cool and sweet and we kind of hit it off but...I don’t know, we had dinner and we talked a lot, and then—and then he kissed me and I k-kissed him back, and it was...it was really good but it was kind of a lot, and it just felt like things were moving really fast all of a sudden, and when he asked for my number, I kind of panicked. He was really nice about it, he didn’t push me and he even told me where he’d be the next day if I changed my mind.”

Juleka raised her eyebrows. “Did you?”

“Yeah,” Marinette sighed. “I mean, I did like him and I thought, you know, maybe we could talk about it and slow things down a little. But, something must have happened or he must have changed his mind, or maybe I just missed him…he wasn’t there when I went.” She sighed, and tried to smile up at Juleka. “So I guess it wasn’t meant to be.” 

“I’m sorry,” Juleka said sympathetically, and then she chuckled. “Guess that’s going around too, my brother said the same thing about a girl he met last week. He’s been pretty depressed about it actually. Maybe I should set you guys up,” she teased.

Marinette laughed. “I don’t know, what’s he like?”

Juleka smiled fondly. “You can’t tell him I said any of this, but he’s the sweetest, most honest and genuine person I know. He’s compassionate and caring, he’s always supported me even when mom was skeptical about some things, and he may look like a punk but he’s a softy underneath. You should see him with my daughter Angie, they’re adorable.”

Marinette froze and Juleka frowned. “Are you okay? Did you stick yourself?”

“I’m fine,” Marinette said, but she didn’t sound fine. She sounded kind of panicky, actually. “Um, what did you say your wife’s name was?”

Juleka blinked. “It’s Rose.”

Marinette looked up at her, white-faced. “You’re Jules,” she whispered.

Juleka frowned at the look on her face. “That’s what Luka calls me, yeah,” she said, crouching down very carefully to put her hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “Marinette, you’re not breathing.” 

“You’re Jules and your wife is Rose and you have a daughter named Angie and your brother is Luka that I kissed and ditched and—“

“Breathe, Marinette,” Juleka said sharply. “Breathe with me. In...out…”

It took a few minutes to get Marinette to calm down. Juleka stood back up slowly and watched Marinette go back to mechanically pinning. 

“So, let me get this straight,” Juleka said after a moment. “You’re the sexy elf my idiot brother hit on while she was working, invited to his gig, kissed out of the blue, and gave his favorite hoodie to?”

“It was his favorite?” Marinette gasped, looking up. “He said it was old!”

“It is old,” Juleka snorted. “He’s had it forever.” She looked down at Marinette and smirked. “Anything you want me to tell him?”

Marinette sighed, shoulders slumping. “I don’t know, Juleka, after I was so rude to him—“

“He didn’t think you were rude at all, in fact he’s been kicking himself for scaring you off. Rose and I gave him hell, too, because he knows better, jumping a girl like that.”

“But the park,” Marinette wailed, hands to her forehead. 

“They hadn’t even been there half an hour when Angie had a bad fall. Luka panicked and he spent the whole day with her in the emergency room.” 

“Oh, no, is she okay?” Marinette gasped. 

“She’s fine,” Juleka assured her. “It looked bad, but the actual damage was pretty minor. Just some bruises and a cut near her scalp that was bleeding like crazy, but no stitches and no concussion.”

“Poor Luka, he must have been scared,” Marinette sighed. “I could see how much he loved her.”

Juleka was silent a moment, deliberating what she should say, and knowing Luka would rather she said nothing at all. Sorry, bro, I gotta check. “He’s actually her biological father,” she said quietly, earning another startled look for Marinette. “I mean, Luka being Luka he’d probably love her just as much if she wasn’t his, but...When we decided we wanted children, Rose really wanted to have the baby herself but neither of us were comfortable with the idea of a stranger, so Luka agreed to be our donor.” And Juleka liked Marinette but she wasn’t about to try and patch things up between her and Luka if Marinette couldn’t handle their slightly unorthodox little family. 

There was a moment of silence as the two women looked at each other, one shocked and the other measuring.

“That’s...that’s so beautiful, Juleka,” Marinette whispered, eyes gone glassy. “You guys must love each other so much.”

Juleka relaxed. “Yeah. We do. All of us. We’re pretty tight.” She hesitated. “I’m not trying to pressure you or make excuses for him, but he really likes you, Marinette. Luka’s an insightful person and good at reading people, which makes him a great friend. At the same time, it means he can be kind of intense, especially when he‘s got a crush. I promise, he’s normally got excellent boundaries and he would have backed off the instant you asked him too.”

“I know, I knew that,” Marinette groaned, folding her arms on the pedestal Juleka was standing on and dropping her head onto them. “I’m so lame, why couldn’t I just talk to him. He was so nice and when he kissed me—I mean it was sudden but it’s not like I pushed him away, I kissed him back, and...it was all really good...it wasn’t until he went to get his things and I had time to think that I started to freak out, and then when he asked for my number I couldn’t get anything out. After we talked for almost two hours and we kissed and I...oh. Juleka, I’m so lame.” She covered her head with her arms and moaned. “He probably doesn’t want to talk to me anyway. He probably thinks I led him on, but I didn’t mean too—”

“Hey,” Juleka said, nudging Marinette gently with her foot. “Stop that. Nobody blames you, not even Luka. Like I said, he’s good at reading people, he knows he came on too strong and you were overwhelmed. If you’d rather never see him again, that’s fine. I don’t have to tell him I know you. But if you’re really regretting the way things went down, I know he’d love to see you again.”

“You really think so?” Marinette asked, raising her head. 

“Guaranteed.” Juleka smiled. “You might have to be the one to make all the moves for a while though. He’ll be scared of screwing up again.”

“I didn’t mind it,” Marinette sighed.

Juleka rolled her eyes. “Yes, you did. Even if you enjoyed the attention, he clearly made you uncomfortable. I promise, though, he’s not normally like that and he’s not the type of guy to be offended if you tell him no or ask him to slow down.” She caught herself. “But again, I’m not trying to pressure you either, and now I’m the one making you uncomfortable at work. Sorry. Why don’t we just finish this up before we both get in trouble, and you can think about it? You don’t even have to decide today if you don’t want, you know how to get in touch with me if you need to.”

Marinette smiled up weakly at her, picking up the hem again. “Thanks, Juleka.”

Juleka mulled the whole confrontation over on the metro home. She glanced at the time as she went up the stairs to her apartment. Rose was still at work and Angie should be napping, so hopefully she could catch Luka alone.

Sure enough, Luka was propped up against the arm of the couch, snoring lightly. Juleka rolled her eyes, walked up to him, pulled the throw pillow out from under his head, and whacked him in the face with it. 

“Ow,” Luka complained, rubbing his face. “The hell was that for?”

“You’re an idiot,” Juleka deadpanned. “And you owe me.”

“I just spent two weeks taking care of your kid, fixing you soup, and holding your hair,” he said grumpily as he sat up. “How can I possibly owe you?”

She chucked his hoodie at his chest. Luka caught it and held it up, staring at it for a moment, and then looked at Juleka, confused. 

“Where did you get this?” he asked. 

“You owe me,” Juleka repeated, smirking as she held up a pink envelope between two fingers. His name was scrawled across the front in very feminine handwriting. “You owe me so big.” 

Luka’s eyes grew round. She held the envelope out to him and let him take it. 

He opened it quickly and pulled out the note inside, pink and white with a monogram M on it. He looked up at Juleka. “Marinette?” he whispered. Juleka folded her arms and watched as he opened the note and read it.

“I owe you so big,” he agreed, awed. ”Wow...Jules, how the hell...I mean...” Juleka walked behind the couch toward the kitchen, and he winced away from her hand when she reached for him, but she just patted his head lightly.

“She’s a designer, I’m a model. Do the math, bro. She’s a cool person, but kinda jumpy. Slow the hell down and don’t screw it up this time.”

“Right,” he said absently, still staring at the note—and the phone number written at the bottom.

“Like I told you last night, I’ve got a lot to do,” Marinette shrugged, flopping back. “Life’s a little crazy right now and Adrien’s not making it any easier, calling and trying to convince me to go out with him for Valentine’s Day. I wouldn’t mind going as a friend and he swears he’s fine with that, but I don’t believe him. Even if I told him to keep it simple...I just don’t think I can put him through that when I know he’s not who I want.” She dropped her chin on the throw pillow she was hugging and looked up at him. “And I maybe stayed awake last night freaking out over kissing you and how you left so quickly after.”

“Let that go,” Luka sighed, putting his hand on her shoulder. “You’re right, it wasn’t a great thing to do and I’d rather it not happen again—not like that at least. I mean—” He withdrew his hand, running it through his hair as Marinette raised her head and gave him a wide-eyed look. 

“About Adrien,” Luka said quickly, “I almost hate to suggest this but—tell him you have a date with someone else,” Luka shrugged. 

“I can’t lie to him,” Marinette mumbled, face still buried in her arms.

“Well—” He took one long, thoughtful breath, and took the plunge. “It wouldn’t be a lie if you had a date with me.” 

Marinette raised her face to stare at him. Luka looked away, took one more breath, and then looked her right in the eye. “Will you go out with me on Valentine’s Day, Marinette?” 

Marinette blinked for a moment. “Like...like a fake date?” 

Luka felt the heat rising to his face. “No, like...a real date.” He cleared his throat nervously. “You know I’ve always cared for you, Marinette,” Luka said, offering her his hand. She put her hand into it almost absently, her eyes still on his face. “Seeing you again,” Luka went on, “It’s like hearing a remix of a favorite song you haven’t played in years. All the things I liked originally, but I’m appreciating you in a new way too.” He rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. “So, yeah, I’d love to take you out if you’d be willing. I wasn’t going to do it on Valentine’s, I always think Valentine’s Day is a horrible time to have a first date. Too much pressure, you know? But we can keep it low key, light and fun and…” he shrugged. “Whatever you want, Marinette. If it gets Adrien off your back, that’s just a bonus. But...I want it to be real. I can’t…” Luka paused and sighed, trying to gather his thoughts. Marinette squeezed his hand lightly, patiently waiting.

“I don’t want you to misunderstand me,” he said finally. “Marinette, I treasured what we had when we were kids, truly. I still do. I’ll always feel honored that you trusted me. I still care deeply for you. And I’m not saying any of this to make you feel badly about last night—“

“I should feel bad about last night,” Marinette interrupted softly, taking her hand back. “You opened up to me and shared something hard for you. You were vulnerable, and I was selfish, and I’m so, so sorry. Just because you’ve always let me be selfish in the past doesn’t make it okay.” 

Luka accepted that with a slight nod. “I just need us to be one or the other this time,” he said as evenly as he could. “I’d like to take you out, see how it goes, see if that spark we used to have is still there. I’d like to give us a real try now that—now that there aren’t so many other factors. If that’s not what you want, I can be your friend. I’d love to be your friend. But I can’t be the guy you call to cuddle and make out with when you’re lonely. I just can’t. I can’t go back to the way things were before, where we were more than friends but less than...anything else.”

“I understand.” Marinette said, looking down. “I wouldn’t ask you to. I feel the same way you do. I don’t want to do the in-between thing again either.” She sighed. “You can say it was okay but...I understand some things better now and I know it must have been difficult for you. Maybe if I hadn’t had feelings for you we would have settled into something we could both look back on fondly—but I did and I’m sure you could tell, and you don’t have to say anything at all, but I want you to know that I realize now what a sacrifice you made for me, letting me use you the way I did.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked away for a moment with a sigh, before forcing her gaze back to his. “And how awful it was of me not to even keep in touch afterward. Honestly, Luka, I don’t know if I could have gotten through that time without you, and I have no excuses for letting us drift apart after all you did for me.”

“It hurt,” Luka admitted. “I mean I know you were busy, but…” He shrugged and looked down, fingers tapping on his knee. “I honestly thought I meant more than that to you.” 

Marinette hunched in on herself, fingers digging into her own arms. “You did. You really did and it was wrong of me to treat you the way I did. I could give you a bunch of reasons why, but...honestly I was just being selfish again. I was trying to move on from that part of my life, to get a clean start, but that didn’t have to mean leaving you behind, it shouldn’t have meant leaving you behind even though my feelings about you were so tangled up and—and the reason really doesn’t matter anyway. There’s no excuse good enough.” She sighed again, putting her face in her hands. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry, Luka.” 

Luka put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “I promised you whatever you needed. If that meant space, you could have told me. But that’s all in the past, so let’s just leave it there, okay?” Really, he was proud of her, for looking back on the whole thing so sensibly.

Marinette's next few breaths were shaky but she smiled, letting her hands come down. “Thank you, for being honest with me, and not just letting me off the hook. I never wanted to hurt you but I know I did and you deserved a proper apology. I’m glad I finally got the chance to give you one after all this time. Even though I knew you would forgive me.” She wrinkled her nose at him and he grinned.

“I do.” Luka told her, squeezing her shoulder again before letting his hand fall. “Feelings are complicated and I get that. I never wanted to be something on your worry list, and I wish you had told me what was going on, but like I said, it’s in the past. I’m more concerned about where we go from here.”

“You were always special to me, even when I was blinded by Adrien, but now, I…” She blushed and cut herself off, though Luka was hanging on every word. “Anyway, yes.”

“Sorry?” Luka frowned, backtracking the conversation in his mind.

Marinettte giggled. “I’d love to go out with you on Valentine’s Day. Not just as friends. In an absolutely real, definitely into you sort of way.” Her blue eyes flicked to his and away, but then came back, sparkling with all her newfound confidence and a playfulness that made it hard for him to breathe. “A low-key, low-pressure Valentine’s date sounds fantastic to me. I’d really like to see how things go too. Is that, um...” she tilted her head and smiled at him. “Is that clear enough?”

“Oh,” Luka suddenly felt stupid, elated, and nervous as hell all at once. “Uh, yeah. So, okay then. Let’s do it. Umm, I’m working part of the day, but—I’ll text you and we can figure out exactly when and what?” 

Marinette nodded, smiling and blushing in a way that was very reminiscent of her younger self, and for a moment Luka didn’t move, reflecting on how she had somehow become a thousand times more attractive without losing that endearing sweetness.

He didn’t know what kind of face he was making, but she was growing steadily pinker by the moment, so he snapped out of it as best he could, standing up from the couch. “Okay, well, I better go, but...yeah, I got nothing cool here, sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” Marinette giggled, hugging her cushion. “I’m probably going to scream into my pillow for a while after you leave anyway.” He could see the colors of her tattoo where her sleeve pulled tight over it.

Definitely into you. 

Oh God, she was going to kill him. “Bye,” he managed, and fled out of the door. He closed it and leaned against it with a sigh, and then grinned like an idiot at the muffled scream he heard a moment later.

Luka put one hand over his pounding heart. He wasn’t sure if this was the best thing that ever happened to him or the worst decision he’d ever made but...he was really kind of excited to find out.

Because at least this tile he could try. The cards were all on the table and there would be no more tiptoeing around. He may not have much to offer but at least this time he could offer. 

“One step at a time, Couffaine,” he muttered to himself, and took one more deep breath before making his way a little shakily down the stairs.