#endgame Lukanette

[spikartxx]

LBSC Secret Admirer Exchange 2024

Hello! Long time no see hehehe

Anywhoooooo~ I decided to take a tiny break from school duties and I participated in the LBSC Secret Admirer Exchange of this year! Organized by @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers (quite a lovely event, as always!)

I’ve never forgotten my Lukanette roots hehehe so here I am!

*drum rolls* 🥁✨

@trixxiephantomhive … I’m your secret admirer this year! ♪( ´θ｀)ノ✨

I did this piece based on the third prompt you proposed! It was a wonderful time reading the story, so it was a pleasure doing this piece too! I hope you enjoy it~

Also, sorry for the delay, I’ve had quite a busy day, but here it is, yaaaaaay!

Happy Valentine’s Day! 🩷

[yan-san-yan]

🫧MERMAY LUKANETTE 🫧

@lovebugs-and-snakecharmers I made it in time for the event ✨

[verfound]

FIC: "Of Kwamis, Soulmates, and Idiots"

(MLB; Lukanette; LBSC Lukanette Month 2024)

@lovebugs-and-snakecharmers is doing a Lukanette Month for September 2024, and we all just kinda tossed some prompts in the disco to compile a list?  We ended up with 71 prompts, so I decided I’d roll some dice to pick a prompt, do a twenty minute (ish, bc we all know sometimes they run away from me) sprint, and try to get some short fics out this month?

Sorry not sorry for the end...

Read on Ao3

Prompt 09: New Pet

“You should talk to him.”

Marinette felt her shoulders stiffen – felt her entire body tense – at the tiny voice.  Irrational as it was, because she knew no one else could hear it.  No one else was able to see or hear Tikki except for her – that’s just how kwamis worked.

…well.

Her, and her soulmate.

But she didn’t have a soulmate.  Or…she hadn’t found them.  Yet.  So it was impossible that anyone else currently aboard the Liberty would have heard Tikki’s horrible suggestion.

Talk to him.

Like she could ever do something as crazy as that.

“Shut up,” she hissed under her breath, her eyes still darting up to make sure the band – to make sure he wasn’t listening.  She hunched closer to her legs, bringing her face dangerously close to her sketchbook, and tapped her pencil against the page in irritation.  “You know I can’t.”

“But why?” the little bug asked, zipping out from behind her pigtails to stare unabashedly at the him in question.

…Luka.

Juleka’s older brother.

Lead guitar of Kitty Section.

Super cool, super nice, super hot, super out of her league…

Tikki was frowning as she looked back and forth from Luka to Marinette’s sketchbook.

“You like him, don’t you?” she asked, tilting her little head to the side.  Marinette flailed, sending her sketchbook flying, as she grabbed at the kwami.  Did she have to be so loud?!

“Tikki, shut up!” she cried, her face burning as she pulled her against her chest.  She looked up at the sudden silence on the deck, and she gave a nervous laugh as she waved off the concerned stares.  “S-sorry, guys!  You know how…annoying kwamis are!”

Tikki shouted something rude at her, she was sure, but her hand was covering the little brat’s mouth and it came out a muffled squeak.  Marinette groaned as she pulled her knees back up on the crate and pressed her forehead against them.  Tikki grew suddenly quiet, and Marinette looked up to find…oh.  Oh no.

Luka was standing right in front of her, her discarded sketchbook in hand.

“Your kwami’s a little shit, too, huh?” he chuckled, holding the book out for her.  She swallowed and glanced down at her clenched hands, but Luka wasn’t looking at Tikki.

…of course he wouldn’t be.

He couldn’t see her.

Because he wasn’t…

“More than usual lately,” she sighed, letting Tikki go as she took her book back.  She offered him a shaky smile as he took a seat on the crate beside her.  “Sorry.  She…likes to tease me.”

“Oh, mine lives for that,” he chuckled.  “I don’t think Sass considers a day complete until he’s made my life a living hell.”

She giggled as he grinned at her, and her feet slipped from the edge of the crate back to the deck as she leaned forward.  His smile softened, and that…oh, he had the best smile…

“I’m sure he’s not all that bad,” she said, reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear.  She looked up at him with a shy smile and prayed her face wasn’t as red as it felt.  “…he’s your kwami, after all.”

“Well, by that logic…someone as sweet as you?  Tikki has to be a saint,” he said.  She wanted to roll her eyes, but Luka had just called her sweet, and she ended up mumbling out some nonsense that might have been a thank you or maybe a shut up you’re cute, but either way she ended up looking back at the deck as her face burned hotter.  After a moment, he nudged he shoulder with his own and nodded towards the sketchbook.  “Sooo…what were you working on?  It must be good – you looked pretty intense.”

Her stomach clenched, remember exactly what – or who – she had been doodling, and she prayed he hadn’t actually seen the very detailed sketch of himself when he had picked the book up.

…any of the very detailed studies she’d done of him over the last few weeks, actually.  Tikki, kill her now…

“N-no, it was…it was nothing,” she said quickly, shaking her head.  “Just…you know.  Doodles.”

“I’d love to see them sometime, if you don’t mind sharing,” he said, leaning a little closer.  “Juleka says you’re crazy talented.”

“She…she said that?” she asked, looking up in surprise.  She hugged her sketchbook to her chest, and his smile…there was something in his eyes, something she couldn’t quite place – something she maybe wasn’t quite ready to place yet – that made her stomach flip pleasantly.  That made her want to show him the sketchbook, or anything he asked for, if only he’d keep looking at her like that.  He nodded, and she looked away as she bit down on her smile.  “That…that was really sweet of her.”

“She can be, sometimes,” he said.  She glanced back up at him, and her breath caught when he winked at her.  “If you’re not related to her.”

A giggle was startled out of her, and he chuckled as he reached over to squeeze her shoulder.  He glanced at something behind her, that strange look passing over his face again, before he stood and waved.

“Th-thanks!” she called as he turned away.  He looked back, and she waved her sketchbook at him.  “For…bringing it back.  Thank you.”

“Anytime, Ma-Ma-Marinette,” he said with a wink.  She rolled her eyes at the nickname, but her face didn’t feel as hot as it had the first time he’d teased her with it.  It felt…familiar, now.  More comfortable.

A tiny giggle by her shoulder had her tensing all over again, and she looked down to find Tikki grinning at her.

“Well,” she said, her eyes sparkling, “at least you talked to him!”

. : .

Later, after the others had headed home for the night and Luka was left ‘cleaning up’ the deck (…which was more of an excuse to sit on the stage, staring up at the stars as he worked on that song that had been stuck in his head since blue, blue eyes and Ma-Ma-Marinettes), Sass decided he apparently hadn’t had enough that day.

…as if seeing that crazy drawing of him in her sketchbook hadn’t been enough.  He had almost dropped the book all over again when he’d picked it up and realized she’d been drawing him the entire time she’d been watching their rehearsal.  When he’d realized she’d been watching him maybe as much as he’d been trying not to watch her.

“You ssstill have not told her,” the little snake hissed softly, settling on the head of his guitar when his playing tapered out.  Luka’s grip tightened on the neck as his eyes narrowed at his kwami.  His long tail was dangling, swishing almost like a cat – and the smirk on his face was definitely too feline for something that was supposed to be a snake.

“Sass…” he said in warning, but Sass just flicked his tongue out at him.  He’d say he was scenting the air, but Luka knew better.  Sass lived to torment him.

“Why haven’t you told her?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.  Luka rolled his eyes and jostled his guitar, just enough to dislodge the little shit.

“You know why,” he sighed, sinking back against the speaker he was using as a backrest.  “She’s not ready yet, buddy.”

“How do you know if you don’t tell her?” Sass pressed.  “Shhhe deserves to know, Luka.  Wouldn’t you both be happier if she did?”

“…she’s not ready yet,” he insisted, shaking his head.  “Her song’s still too…I don’t think she knows what she really wants yet, Sass.  And when I tell her…I want her to want it.  I want her to want me.  Is that too much to ask?”

The kwami’s brow furrowed, as if he didn’t understand – or didn’t believe – him, and Luka sighed as he started picking the familiar notes out again.  Marinette’s song.  The one that had utterly bewitched him from the moment he had first heard it – that had only intensified when she’d waved goodbye that first night and he’d seen the large, violet eyes peeking out from behind her collar.

Sass heaved a longsuffering sigh as he settled on his human’s head.  He flicked his tail against him as he settled in, a clear sign of his annoyance.

“I ssstill sssay you shhhould tell her,” he huffed, and Luka smiled sadly.

“I know, buddy,” he said.  “I will.  Soon.”

. : .

Except it wasn’t just that the kwamis’ humans were soulmates.

The kwamis needed each other, too.

They were linked, in an ancient, mysterious way no one really understood.

They could never really exist peacefully, in harmony, until they were reunited.

…and soon just wasn’t proving to be soon enough.

After another week went by – and then another two – Sass and Tikki had had just about enough.

“She’s just so shy,” Tikki huffed from their hiding place in the basketball hoop.  “She’s so amazing, Sass, but she has no self-confidence!  She’ll never make the first move!”

“I fear Luka won’t, either, if shhhe never does,” Sass sighed.  “He feels shhhe is…not ready.”

He said it with a roll of his eyes, and Tikki pouted as she stared at the two hopeless soulmates dancing around each other below them.

“She’s more ready than he thinks,” she tutted.  “You don’t have to wake up to her kissing her stupid cat pillow and sighing his name.”

Sass snickered, and Tikki tried to pout at him, but it was too easy to return his grin when he looked at her like that.  He was more familiar with things like that than she knew, he was afraid.

“Perhapsss it’sss time we ssstopped leaving it up to them, then?” he suggested, tilting his head as he watched Luka bend to help Marinette pick something up – and then crash his head against hers when their hands brushed and she jerked back.  “Perhapsss they need a little…pushhh?”

“…what do you have in mind?” Tikki asked, turning to him.  He grinned and floated up, winking at her as he made his way below.

“I think it’sss about time I sssee thisss pillow for myssself,” he hummed.  It took barely a moment – the briefest of distractions, provided by Ivan calling for Luka to get back to the stage and neither of them watching too closely – and then Sass was phasing through Marinette’s bag, settling into a pocket he was sure would go unchecked until it was too late.

From her place on the hoop, Tikki just…stared.

She…hadn’t known they could do that?

They could do that???

She had thought they were bound to their humans, that they couldn’t travel too far from them, and yet…well.

If Luka was Marinette’s soulmate, perhaps he was a little bit Tikki’s human, too?

Tikki was still hiding up on the hoop a short while later when Marinette received a call asking her to come home, and she watched anxiously as her human waved goodbye to her friends and ran off the boat.

…as Luka watched her go, a look she would call nothing short of longing on his face.

She sank back against the board and wished for a freshly-baked cookie to chew on.  Oh, she had a bad feeling about this…

[quickspinner]

Hi! I was wondering if you have any Lukanette 0 to married fics to rec. I'm finding I really like that trope, but I haven't found too many

I do, for varying values of 0 😂

There's so many love at first sight/immediately smitten fics that I wanted to include here and then pulled back on because I was like no, no, that isn't really 0 to married, and if I list all these I will be here all night. 🤣 I did include a few that I felt had the 0 to married energy even if it didn't quite make it to the marriage part before the story ended.

Even so, I always forget things when I answer a question like this so all my lukanette peeps feel free to reblog with additional recs!

0 to Married where 0 equals first meeting (and married occasionally means "kidnapped" by fae)

@verfound: (to be fair this is a bit more 0 to makeout but it's not hard to imagine marriage is next) Mlle. Peppi Roni

@mintaka14: Locked Out (series)

@mintaka14: Don't Go Down By Carter Hall

@mintaka14: Get In and Drive

@rierse: Heart and Soul

@writer-rider-flirty-thirties: Our Time Together (series, NSFW) (I don't remember if I actually remembered to put this in the authors notes at the time, although I definitely meant to, but how much I enjoyed this story was part what sparked the idea for This is Crazy)

0 to Married where 0 equals years of mutual pining that finally explodes

@verfound We Should Honeymoon in Paris

@verfound, @mintaka, @abyssal-ali Hard Right to Greece

@verfound On Amicable Breakups

@verfound I Wasn't Gonna Call (But Maybe I Should)

@livrever Drunken Plans (NSFW)

@livrever Guilty Pleasures (NSFW)

@nerdypanda3126: We're a Kiss at 2 am (NSFW)

0 to Married where 0 equals "haven't seen each other in years and suddenly reunited"

From me, Haste to the Wedding and Kismet (Kiss Me)

@nerdypanda3126: You Look Good in My Shirt

[lovebugs-and-snakecharmers]

LBSC Secret Admirer Exchange 2024 Works

A huge congratulations and thank you to all of our exchange participants this year! We hope you enjoyed the event and we hope everyone enjoys all of these amazing works! Any late entries will be added to this post once they've been published. Thanks for making this another memorable year! You can find our AO3 collection here.

@alwaysawkwardd for @omnoramayday: Just a Dream (nsfw)

@celestiall0tus for @misted-glass: Art

@haphira for @rierse: That’s Just Like... Soulmates? (with bonus art)

@inkmousey for Misty Shadow: Art

@misted-glass for @spikartxx: Harmonia's rise

Misty Shadow for @alwaysawkwardd: Finally Together

@omnoramayday for @quickspinner: By Another Name

@quickspinner for @haphira: This is Crazy

@rierse for @nerdypanda3126: Breathless (with bonus art Selfie)

@rierse for @writer-rider-dirty-thirties: The Art of Seduction Communication

@spikartxx for @trixxiephantomhive: Art

@trixxiephantomhive for @celestiall0tus: Fantasy Lovers (art)

[goldenlaurelleaveswrites]

Juleka vs. The Forces of the Universe Ch. 19

[chocolatedragonempathfire]

Trying something different, I don’t usually post my art ( or at all really!) but i’m trying to improve. Featuring my version of Ladybug and Viperion.

[ml-lukanette-bigbang]

Congratulations to all the participants of this year’s Lukanette Big Bang!

We’ll be going through and reblogging the works that have been posted to tumblr during this event, so if we happen to miss your beautiful creations, please feel to submit a link or DM us the direct post!

Now who’s ready to see some fantastic works made by this wonderful fandom?

[mystic-bookshelf]

WIP Wednesday

I haven't done any writing in a hot minute, but I think I have officially beaten writers block. We'll soon be back baby!!

“I… I don’t really know what to say, but… uhm… th-thank you. [...]” [Marinette] lowered her eyes. “I appreciate you.”

That alone made his heart skip a beat, and the way she looked up at him through her lashes, nervously nibbling her lower lip made him believe that maybe it had stopped entirely. Oh… was that why he suddenly felt so overwhelmed and light headed? Why he couldn’t really form any coherent thoughts other than ‘please scoot closer and cradle my cheek again’?

God, what was with him??

He swallowed hard and before he could do or say anything stupid, he practically jumped up from the bed and announced “I should get going!” a little too loud. Marinette blinked at him perplexed. “Did… did I say something wrong?”

He immediately bit his lips. Why was he acting this way, this was utterly unprofessional!

“No, absolutely not,” Luka insisted, waving his hands before him and cursing himself for being so weird. “It’s just, ah… it’s late and you’re probably tired and… uh… I”—come on, Luka, be normal. Say something normal— “I just… I should be the one thanking you. For listening to me. And I appreciate you, too.” He averted his gaze again. “A lot, actually.”

[airi-p4]

Sweep Sweep

Hi! New short lukanette fic!

Summary: Marinette is surprised to see that Luka doesn't know how to clean so she offers him her help (and something more).

AO3

(Thank you @celestiall0tus for checking it for me!)

Enjoy?

_________________________

The first time Marinette saw Luka cleaning, she hadn't been paying much attention: she had been distracted and embarrassed by the turnout of Adrien's boys party and her stupid crush on the blond boy to notice anything else. 

The second time she saw it, it was at the Liberty. Her past crush on Adrien forgotten, Marinette greatly enjoyed hanging out with her favorite band’s friends. And sure, she couldn't deny the growing affection and the fastening heartbeats she had started to notice around Kitty Section’s guitarist -the butterflies on the stomach made her feelings quite obvious to her, too. 

New. Refreshing. Happy.

That time, their first official concert had ended, and fireworks were displayed afterwards for the celebration party. By the evening, confetti was all scattered on the deck, along with used paper cups, pizza boxes, empty snacks bags and candy wrappers- which meant cleaning time. It was very convenient that the captain was distracted (being scolded and fined) by agent Roger- because yes, you can't fire ship cannons (or cannons in general) in Paris, even if it's only fireworks.

So meanwhile, everyone diligently got to work, their cleaning tools and trash bags ready as they paired up and took their positions. There was a broom on Luka's hands and- Oh, clumsy her!- Marinette accidentally stepped on it, her body spinning and falling on the blue-haired boy, who hit the floor on his back. Her heartbeats were loud, the proximity of his face to hers made her fluster with red, and she had no doubts that reaction was most likely noticed by the observant boy lying down under her. Despite the warmth on her cheeks, she couldn't help it but to glance at his lips and stare in his eyes and, lost in them, she leaned closer towards him. Seeing him move too just before closing her eyes, she had expected to meet him halfway, but before that could happen… 

*beep beep* 

She had to run because of an akuma. Just her luck. She cursed, and with one of her unbelievable excuses, she left in a rush. She hated the thought of her friends thinking that she just left because she didn't want to help with the cleaning- but on the next day, she found out Luka covered for her lie and had protected her from getting a negative impression. In result, she was charged with more tasks than usual (such as baking cookies for the band) as a “penalty”. She didn't think it was possible, but she fell a little more for Luka that day.

And then, the time she actually saw it for real arrived.

It was the third time Marinette saw Luka cleaning, the first time she actually looked -no accidents, no unwanted boys or akumas- and she couldn't believe her eyes. 

They had been at the bakery, baking cookies together, and playfully painting each other’s faces with flour and chocolate. Marinette had to admit the chocolate at the tip of Luka's nose looked adorable, almost as the heart shaped chocolate mark on her right cheek. Fun. Cookies were a success but the kitchen a messy flour disaster… 

Which meant time to clean up.

She had been wondering: why did Luka have a  “penalty” too if he was there to clean? Was it solidarity? Pity? Or maybe he wanted to spend time with her…? She had blushed at the thought. But then, looking at him in her house’s kitchen she understood it: Luka couldn't sweep. Well- sure, he did sweep, but the way he held the broom, the way he grabbed and moved it… everything was JUST WRONG. Wrong and inefficient. Embarrassing, even. No wonder she had tripped on it that past day! And no wonder he had a penalty too! What a disaster! After a minute, she couldn't bare to watch anymore.

“Luka! That's not how you do it!” Marinette finally squeaked, almost scandalized. “You have to-'' she took the broom from Luka's hands, pretending their fingers didn't brush while doing so so she could focus on her task and show him how to do it properly. His attentive eyes on her as she moved were making her a bit nervous.

“Okay” Luka nodded. He took back the broom and tried to imitate what Marinette had done as she observed. He needed practice. Okay-a lot of practice. How can anybody be so bad at sweeping the floor!? She wondered.

“Luka. You don't know how to sweep at all…?” Marinette finally asked. And the boy blushed bright red (an extremely rare sight!) and nodded as he sank between his shoulders. “What!? How!? Why!?”

“Sorry. I- You know my mom, Marinette. She has never taught me or Juleka how to properly do it. She even scolded us when she saw us clean. And with no one else to ask… Of course Jules and I do some cleaning, don't get us wrong! We both take turns to clean whenever mom isn't home. Juleka has learned a bit from Rose but I've always been embarrassed to ask for help so I just know the basics…”

‘You can't call that “the basics”!’ Marinette thought. But well, that made sense. She knew how Anarka did clean the kitchen, do the dishes, the laundry and the bathroom. But she loved chaos and freedom, so she was against cleaning when it came to dust and reorganizing, sweeping the floor included.

“Do you want me to teach you, Luka?” Marinette offered.

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Of course!”

“Oh but- there's more than sweeping, Marinette… Certain cooking tools or persistent dirt- or worse, the clothes’ colors or sizes changed after doing the laundry!”

Marinette started laughing loudly. “As far as I know how, I can teach you anything you want. And if I don't know, then we can learn together” her excited smile made him smile too.

“That sounds great, Marinette. I'll repay with guitar classes. Or pizza. Or anything you want”. 

“You don't need to repay me for this, Luka! But I'd really like that” she beamed. More time together? She didn't mind it. At all.

“It's settled then” he smiled back at her.

Then, she took another broom and started to sweep too. Each one started from one corner of the kitchen, slowly getting closer as she silently taught him while exchanging shy gazes. A moment later, they finally met and the top of their brooms bumped together. Face to face, blushing, with the sole sound of their fastening heartbeats, she looked down at the floor, feeling his eyes on her. Their bodies were close as their brooms tangled together- not working anymore at that point. 

“Marinette… there's chocolate on your face. Can I clean it?” Her heart skipped at the feel of his warm breath on her forehead. All she could do was shyly nod and suddenly, his hand was on her cheek, warm, caressing there tenderly- the rub of his thumb too soft to clean anything at all, she knew. Was he actually trying to clean it or maybe he- Could it be that their feelings were really mutual? She wanted to see- to know- his facial expression. 

Curiosity became courage, and Marinette raised her face up until their eyes finally met with the most adoring, bittersweet and loving gaze she had ever seen on Luka. And that was all she needed to know. Her blush and bewilderment didn't stop her getting on her tiptoes and raising to give him a peck on his cheek- a peck too that lasted too long to be expected to have a friendly meaning, she knew and he suspected. How she blushed even more and avoided his eyes seconded his suspicions for him. 

“Marinette…” he said in a whisper. And without words, only with his fingers, he encouraged her chin to raise up again. His face was even closer now, a questioning expression on him which she had no trouble to understand. In response, she lifted her chin even more and closed her eyes, finally offering him his answer and what both of them had been waiting for a long while- too long. 

Slowly but surely, he moved. His free hand impatiently moved to her back, raising to secure her in his arms and making both brooms fall to the floor with the movement, at the same time she raised on her tiptoes and their lips finally met at last. Their kiss was everything they wished for, and surprisingly better than they could have ever imagined. Only their smiles and happy faces topped such brightness as they hugged tenderly before kissing once again.

From then on, the cleaning teachings continued. And if Luka was doing it bad on purpose to spend more time with his girlfriend, he didn't say. And Marinette definitely didn't complain either when she realized what he was doing, especially when those lessons always ended with lots of kisses. 

Sweeping their love inwards home- both benefited from it.

Fin

[nerdypanda3126]

I'll Keep You Warm

Merry Christmas @omnoramayday! I'm your @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers Secret Santa 😁🎅

I used the prompt you provided of: "Playing in the snow when Luka tackles Marinette/Marinette trips into Luka and they fall to the ground. They have pink cheeks and snow in their hair and they're staring at each other." which was so incredibly cute and I knew I had to use that one. Hope you like it!

Read on Ao3

Marinette shivered and clutched her backpack tighter as she exited Collège Françoise Dupont. It had seemed beautiful and sunny out all day, but during her last class a chill had crept in and a biting wind had picked up. She was thankful she’d at least worn a sweater that day, but she was still planning on speed walking most of the way home. 

That is, until she saw a familiar mop of blue-tinted hair leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Juleka, and she couldn’t help her smile as she bounded down to greet him. Luka always made her feel warmer, for some reason. He’d been showing up more and more to meet Juleka after school and walk home with her, but Marinette was still excited to see him every time.

“Luka!” she exclaimed breathlessly when she’d made it to the bottom. He turned and smiled when he saw her, which made her cheeks flush with welcome heat. His smile twitched downwards, though, when he scanned over her outfit. 

“Why don’t you have a jacket?” he asked, with concern coloring his tone. “It’s freezing out here and it smells like snow.”

She stopped to look at him curiously. “It smells like snow?” 

He only nodded, and before she could protest, he’d pulled off his own jacket and draped it around her shoulders. For good measure, he fluffed the hood out and tucked it around her neck. She didn’t know what snow smelled like, but at the moment she didn’t really care because Luka’s jacket smelled just like him and her face felt like it was about to spontaneously combust. His hand drew across her cheek as he pulled away, and he had a soft little smile on his face as he admired his handiwork. 

“You can’t possibly smell snow,” she tried to recover, lamely, as she shoved her hands through the sleeves, accepting his gift. 

He hummed in thought and looked up at the clear sky, with just a few wisps of gray clouds starting to gather. “It’s like rain,” he mused aloud, “like that same smell, but crisper and colder.” 

“Don’t argue with him,” Juleka muttered as she appeared beside Marinette. It made Marinette jump a little, but she was starting to get used to Juleka’s quiet way of walking up. “Just bring gloves to practice today.” 

“And a hat, at least,” Luka added. As the two of them started to walk away, Marinette went to take his jacket off to return it to him, but he waved her off. “See you later,” he reminded her. 

It was only after they left that Marinette felt the cold creeping in again, but as she pulled Luka’s jacket tighter around herself, she remembered the feeling of the back of his fingers lightly trailing along her cheek, and her whole walk home was very, very warm. 

***

By the time Kitty Section practice came around, they were forced to meet down in the hold because the temperature had definitely dipped below freezing. Marinette rubbed her hands together for what felt like the thousandth time and thanked Juleka silently for her recommendation to wear gloves. The boat was cold in most circumstances, let alone with the temperature dropping so rapidly. She was missing Luka’s jacket, though, which she’d given back as soon as she stepped on deck. Luka tried to tell her to keep it for practice, but she insisted she’d forget to give it back if she didn’t get it back to him right away. 

Although since she’d worn his jacket there, she was now shivering in just her sweater again and the only “gloves” she’d had on hand at the time were a pair of mittens, which made it extraordinarily difficult to sketch. Every so often she’d get too frustrated and rip them off, only to deal with the consequences of freezing, trembling fingers until she was forced to put them back on. 

It was slow going. 

On one of those instances, Luka unslung his guitar, unofficially announcing a break, and he came over to sit by her. Without saying anything, he took her frozen hands between his and gently blew warm air on her fingertips. 

“How’s the sketch going?” he asked. 

She glared at the patchy, faint, unrealized lines on the pages of her sketchbook. It wasn’t exactly the book’s fault that she was feeling so inspired and couldn’t get anything to work, but she still felt like blaming the paper would somehow help. 

“It’s not, really,” she admitted. She couldn’t help her frustrated little huff. “If it just snowed, I wouldn’t mind it being so cold.” 

He chuckled. “It will,” he said calmly, and blew on her fingers again. She wiggled them to see if any feeling was coming back. No such luck. They were still stiff and a little numb.

She couldn’t help her skepticism. “Because you can smell it?” 

He only hummed to confirm, but since her fingertips were so close to his lips, she could feel the vibration and it made her shiver. 

“Not helping?” he asked. 

Before she could protest, he pulled away, but in the next second his jacket was back around her shoulders and any kind of protest died on her lips. What came out of her instead was, “Won’t you be cold?” 

He shook his head, then smiled at her, the same way he had earlier, like he liked seeing his jacket tucked around her, and she felt what was becoming a familiar flush of heat creep its way up to her cheeks.

“I’m always warm around you, Marinette,” he admitted quietly. 

She opened and closed her mouth several times, but nothing came out in response. Luka looked over his shoulder and said something to Juleka, gave Marinette one more soft smile, then went back to playing like he hadn’t just made her heart start pounding in her ears and left butterflies fluttering in her stomach. 

She gave up on sketching anything useful for the rest of the time and instead let her hands wander over the page aimlessly as she tried to get her mind to focus on words. She wished she could disappear somewhere and talk through what just happened with Tikki, but the only place to go was above deck, which would take her further away from Luka and out into the bitter cold, and those were the last places she wanted to be. 

“You make me feel warm, too,” wasn’t right, but neither was an outright, “I love you.” She bit her lip as she thought. He made this seem so easy, every time he did it, and she couldn’t even tell him how much she loved that he’d given her his jacket, not once, but twice today just to make sure she stayed warm. Or that his words made her feel warmer than his jacket ever could. Or that she wished she could just always be around him because then she felt like she’d never be cold again. 

Practice was over all too soon, and she still didn’t know what to say to him. As a group, they trudged back up the stairs, arguing about chords and lyrics, complaining that they had to walk home in the cold, and already shivering as the wind started nipping at their noses.

But when they got on deck, they all stopped to gasp.

Little bits of white fluff were gently cascading down from the sky, coating the deck in what looked like white, sparkling icing. 

Marinette turned to Luka, shocked, and he was just smiling back at her, knowing he’d been proven right but not feeling the need to rub it in. She turned back to watch the snow fall, wrapped his jacket tighter around herself, and tugged the sleeves down over her mittens, flipping the hood up for good measure over the hat he’d warned her to bring. 

Rose was the first one to break the silence they’d fallen into when she squealed with delight and grabbed Juleka’s hands to spin her around the deck. Ivan stood stoically nearby, but Marinette had a feeling he was wishing Mylène was there so he could wrap an arm around her. 

To her surprise, a familiar warm hand closed around hers. She blushed up at Luka and he was still smiling at her in that same, soft way. He gestured with his head to the deck as if asking her to join in. With another glance upwards at the glittery falling snow, and then at Rose and Juleka laughing as they danced in it, she smiled back at Luka and nodded.

Although she’d unfortunately forgotten to factor in how incredibly clumsy she was. 

As soon as she took an enthusiastic step forwards to follow Luka, her foot slipped out from under her and she gripped Luka’s hand even harder as she flailed to try to keep her balance, which only ended up yanking him down with her in a completely ungraceful tangle of arms and legs and a little puff of white snow as they hit the deck together. 

Luka had somehow managed to twist underneath her, softening the blow for her, but that meant…

She was nose to nose with him, with his arm around her and her hand on his chest and there were snowflakes melting in his hair and dusting his eyelashes and his cheeks were pink from the cold and in that moment, she swore he looked like some kind of angel. 

She let the feeling carry her forwards to close the last little bit of distance between them, pressing her lips to his shyly in what could’ve been mistaken for a stray snowflake, it was so light and tentative. 

Luka didn’t miss it, though. His eyes widened and his arm around her tightened as he returned the gesture, the lightest of touches of his warm lips against hers. It made her feel braver than her Ladybug suit ever did, and she dared to try it again, more firm, more sure, trying to tell him everything she hadn’t been able to figure out how to say. 

His other arm wrapped around her waist as he held her there, kissing her back on the snow-encrusted deck of the Liberty as more snow kept falling on them. 

She’d hardly noticed she was shivering, but then, Luka was, too. It forced them apart and as they got to their feet, they both seemed to remember at the same time that they hadn’t been alone on the ship. Although, it didn't seem like time had stopped for anyone else like it had for them just now. Thankfully, Rose and Juleka were still dancing, oblivious, it seemed, to what had just happened, although Marinette thought there was an extra twinkle of romance in Rose’s eyes when she glanced their way. Ivan glanced their way, too, but only nodded once, smiling, and lumbered off. 

Luka had helped her up, and his hand was still somehow around hers. They were both still shivering, his cheeks were as pink as hers were flushed, his jacket was still around her shoulders, and the snow was still gently falling all around them, but as they stared at each other, smiling and breathless and warm, Marinette knew that she’d never be cold again.

[mystic-myrtille]

Merry Christmas!!

I was your secret santa, @writer-rider-dirty-thirties DirtyThirties !!

The prompt I chose was Luka and Marinette finding out they were parents, although it turned into Luka finding out. I hope you‘ll still enjoy!

[verfound]

Some Sentence Sunday: 11.03.2024

DST means I count worse than usual. 😝

“It’s going to be fine, Luka,” Tikki chirped from his hood as he pedaled back towards the pizzeria. “This is a good thing! It’s making you talk!”

“It’s forcing us to talk, and you two had no right,” he huffed as he braked for a light. “What were you thinking, Tikki? I know Sass is a pain in my ass, but I thought you were smarter than this.”

“Thanks, I think,” Tikki grumped. “Sass just…did it. And then Marinette was leaving, and then I was stuck, and…it’s all going to be fine, though! Marinette likes you — you like her! I know you do!”

“…I really do,” he sighed as he crossed the street.

“See? So it’s going to be fine! It has to be!” Tikki insisted. “You guys are soulmates!”

He tried not to smile at that. He really did. Because it might be true, but he should know better than anyone that just because you were soulmates with someone didn’t mean you ended up together.

All he had to do was look at his parents to know that.

[quickspinner]

Weekly Lukanette Link Roundup

Sorry guys I know I've been really inconsistent the past few months getting this out on time/on a weekly basis as advertised. Let's all hope that when school starts up again I can be a little more on the ball. 😂

What is the Weekly Roundup? | Previous Weekly Roundups

From @celestiall0tus: Long Road Ch 12

From @rierse: Luck Be A Lady Ch 1 | Wanna Bet, Marinette? Ch 1-4 (Complete? I think? Yay!)

From @mystic-myrtille: The soulmate train Ch 1

From @goldenlaurelleaveswrites: Juleka vs. The Forces of the Universe Ch 19 | Ch 20 (Complete!! Great job!!)

From @omnoramayday with art by @hamsteriffic: Hymn for the Missing

From @smileytrinity: Just Friends...?

From @verfound: Evening, Officer

If I missed something that should be included, reblog, reply, DM, or drop the link in my asks and I’ll make sure it goes on next week’s roundup! If you prefer not to be included in these roundups for any reason please drop me a message, or if you post something that you would like to be sure I include, please drop a link in my asks and I’ll make sure it gets listed (Lukanette endgame only please - see what is the weekly roundupfor more details). If you want to be sure I’ve flagged your work for inclusion you can check the quickroundup tag on my blog to see what I’ve got in the queue for this week.

If you find something you like please like/reblog the original post to let the author know you enjoyed their work!

[lovebugs-and-snakecharmers]

LBSC Lukanette Month September 2024 Works

From @rierse: The Dating Manual

From @verfound:

Who Weaves Fate's Fate?

That Time Xuppu Broke the Chair

It's a Good Day

A Good Surprise

Love is a Star

I Have Your...Cake

Luka's Secret

Mellie's Halloween Costume

A Port in the Storm

An End of Days

What Happens Now

Stop It

Cookie Teeth

Of Lost Luggage, Shirts, and Other Things

Of Found Things and Mme. Stones

Scales are for Adornment

A Story for the Kids

Luka's New Bike

When Did You Get THAT?

Shut Up. I Love You.

The Dorm

Of Suitable Proposals

So About That Piercing…

Mellie's New Friend

The Rain had Other Ideas

Of (Maybe, Finally) a Wedding

Of Kwamis, Soulmates, and Idiots

She Didn't Want That Day

Still You

One More Day

[goldenlaurelleaveswrites]

Juleka vs. the Forces of the Universe Ch 20