#orpheus is like ‘yeah that works! okay! i was genuinely giving up there but let’s go!’

[inamindfarfaraway]

I’ve seen a lot of posts praising the intertwined love stories of Hadestown - their songs, their themes, their acting, their emotional impact - and all of it is absolutely deserved. But can we take a moment to appreciate the weight of "If It's True"?

“If it’s true what they say, what’s the purpose of a man? Just to turn his eyes away?”

“If he turns his back on everyone that he could’ve stood beside?”

“If it’s true what they say, I’ll be on my way.

But who are they to say what the truth is anyway?

‘Cause the ones who tell the lies are the solemnest to swear.

And the ones who load the dice always say the toss is fair.

And the ones who deal the cards are the ones who take the tricks

With their hands over their hearts while we play the game they fix.”

“I believe in us together more than anyone alone.

I believe that with each other, we are stronger than we know.

I believe that we are stronger than they know!

I believe that we are many. I believe that they are few.

And it isn’t for the few to tell the many what is true.”

I was expecting star-crossed lover feelings. I knew there would be an archetypal tragedy that seems both preventable and inevitable. Those elements, I could brace myself for somewhat. But nothing prepared me in the slightest for the CLASS CONFLICT arc, and it gave me chills like Eurydice had in that storm.

[mikauzoran]

Lukadrien: Your Hands Hold Home: Chapter Twenty-Eight

@lukadrien-june

Read it on AO3: Your Hands Hold Home: Chapter Twenty-Eight: Reunion

“Phew!” XY heaved a thunderous sigh of relief as he sank down onto the couch where Adrien had already collapsed. “I thought they’d never leave.”

Luka rolled his eyes, taking a seat on the makeshift coffee table facing his boys.

Adrien and Xavier-Yves had banded together to throw Luka a small surprise birthday party with a dozen of Luka’s closest friends, and the festivities had stretched well into the night, leaving everyone tired and the Liberty in need of more of a cleanup than usual.

“Thank you, guys. That was a blast, and I really appreciate you organizing it,” Luka stressed, giving XY’s foot a gentle tap with his own and then reaching out to lightly touch Adrien’s knee.

Adrien grinned through his fatigue. “We’re just glad you had a good time.”

Xavier-Yves nodded in agreement. “It’s worth it, so long as you’re happy.”

Luka’s heart warmed at this proof of how important he was to his friends.

“Thank you, Prune, P5,” he repeated. “Seriously.”

“Sure thing,” XY responded with a wink before turning to Adrien and giving his shoulder a nudge. “Hey. Let’s get started on cleanup so we can both get our beauty sleep.”

Adrien groaned, sinking further into the couch. “Ugh. The one downside to parties. Let’s get it over with, I guess.”

“It can wait until tomorrow,” Luka assured. “Don’t worry about it. Xavier-Yves, you should head home and get some rest. You’ve seriously done more than enough.”

XY cocked an eyebrow at this. “Why do I feel like you’re trying to get rid of me so you two can go have sex without me?”

Adrien broke out into a cackle fit of laughter, but Luka only scowled.

“Prune, no one is having sex on this boat,” he informed sternly.

“I think you and I are the only ones not having sex on this boat,” Adrien giggled, clearly entering the slap happy phase of exhaustion.

Luka buried his face in his hands, groaning loudly. “No one is having sex on this boat.”

“He’s in denial,” Adrien snickered conspiratorially to Xavier-Yves.

“No duh,” XY snorted. “Why aren’t you having sex with your boyfriend on his birthday, G Flat?”

Adrien clicked his tongue and gave XY a playful shove. “Why do you have to be so crass, Zay?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Luka told Xavier-Yves for perhaps the hundredth time in the past two months.

“Still?!” XY demanded, sounding genuinely offended. “Geeeez. Majorly un-dope, guys. Seriously. Just kiss already!”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Luka sighed, scrubbing at his face roughly.

XY caught one of Luka’s hands and gave it a supportive squeeze. “Don’t worry, Six Strings. I’ll have sex with you whenever you want,” he offered in earnest.

Adrien clapped a hand over his mouth to keep another giggle fit at bay.

Luka’s expression, by contrast, was unamused. “Prune, thank you for your kind offer, but please go home before I throttle you.”

“I mean, if you’re sure.” Xavier-Yves shrugged, leaning in for a quick smooch. “You know where to find me, if you change your mind.”

“Get out,” Luka commanded. “And text me when you get home safe, so I don’t have to waste my time worrying myself sick about you.”

“Will do,” XY affirmed, leaning in to give Adrien’s cheekbone a kiss. “Be good, G Flat.”

Adrien rolled his eyes, shaking his head fondly. “Be good, Zay.”

XY clicked his tongue as he got up to go. “I’m always good.”

“I’m sure,” Adrien chuckled just as Luka snorted, “Debatable.”

Once Xavier-Yves’s footsteps had faded into the soundtrack of the city and the gentle waves of the Seine, Luka turned to Adrien in concern.

“His comments like that don’t make you uncomfortable, do they?”

Adrien laughed, shaking his head. “No. If he were anyone else, they probably would, but Zay is Zay, so it’s just funny.”

Luka exhaled slowly in relief. “Okay. Good. I don’t…I just don’t want things to be awkward.”

Adrien nodded. “Don’t worry. It’s not. I promise.”

He gave Luka a reassuring smile, but then something shifted in his eyes, and he looked away.

Luka’s brow wrinkled as he caught the almost imperceptible change. “…What are you thinking?” he inquired curiously.

Adrien shook his head and kept his gaze averted so that Luka wouldn’t see his expression and guess. “It’s nothing.”

Luka’s frown deepened. “Uh-oh. Now I know it’s got to be bad. You usually tell me, even when you’re thinking about something unusual.”

Adrien winced, realizing he was caught. He looked up at his beloved guiltily. “I don’t want to ruin your birthday.”

“Since it’s past midnight, my birthday is technically over,” Luka reasoned. “And now you have to tell me; otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep what with this impending doom hanging over me.”

With a heavy sigh, Adrien gave in. “Oh, all right. I guess you have a point. So…you know how about a month ago I started responding to the letters my father’s been sending me?”

Luka nodded and then moved over to the couch to curl up beside Adrien. “Yeah? Everything okay?”

Adrien rubbed his lips together nervously. “He’s been asking me to come and see him.”

Luka’s eyes widened infinitesimally.

“And I decided that I’m going to,” Adrien resolutely informed, steeling himself for pushback.

Luka noted that Adrien wasn’t looking for Luka’s opinion or approval. Adrien had made a decision, and now he was telling Luka about it.

A part of Luka was extremely proud of how far Adrien had come. Another part was extremely worried.

“…You don’t like the idea,” Adrien observed.

Luka winced. “No, not really. I mean…he’s… He’s not someone…”

He took a deep breath and tried again to articulate his concerns. “I’m not sure what expectations you have, but I’m afraid he’s just going to disappoint you and hurt you again.”

Adrien looked down into his lap at his hands and began to wring them. “Yeah. I’m kind of afraid of that too,” he admitted, “but…I also kind of need the closure? I’ve got questions that only he has the answers to, so…”

Luka nodded, wrapping an arm around Adrien’s shoulders. “I can understand that.”

“And, I mean, maybe he’ll surprise me. From his letters, it sounds like he’s thinking about things and maybe regretting how some of it went down.” Adrien attempted to further justify his decision. “You never know.”

Luka gave Adrien’s arm a comforting squeeze. “Adrien, if you want your father in your life, that’s for you to decide—no one else—and I support you.”

Adrien blinked several times in succession. “You do?”

“I will always support you,” Luka stressed. “I’m here for you.”

With a soft smile, Adrien leaned in and rested his head on Luka’s shoulder. “Thank you, Middle C.”

“Any time,” Luka assured. “Do you know when you want to go? Do you need me to go with you?”

Luka could feel Adrien wincing.

“Don’t feel hurt…but I kind of already talked to Marinette and Nino about this, and they’re going to go with me.”

Adrien lifted his head to meet Luka’s eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t come to you first. I just needed someone I’m not so infatuated with to bounce ideas off of. You have too much influence over me because I care too much about what you think, and this really needed to be something I decided myself. Doctor Katsuragi said so too.”

Luka’s expression softened, and he blew out a breath, his hurt feelings going with it. “It’s okay. I get it. I’m proud that you’re thinking for yourself like this. I’m just kind of hurt that you’re only ‘infatuated’ with me. Am I just a phase to you, Perfect Fifth?”

An impish grin spread over Luka’s lips, and Adrien rolled his eyes, smacking Luka’s arm. “You know I’m crazy about you. Stop fishing for compliments.”

 “Can’t you just pace like a normal person?” Juleka grumbled as she poked her head into Luka’s cabin. “That incessant plucking is giving me a migraine.”

Luka frowned up at his sister. “It’s a hammered dulcimer. There is no plucking.”

Juleka rolled her eyes, flipping her hair back over her shoulder to emphasize her exasperation as she sighed loudly.

She opened her mouth to sass her brother, but something in the main cabin caught her eye. “Hey, Adrien. How’d it go?”

Luka nearly knocked over the hammered dulcimer and his sister in his haste to get to Adrien who was in the act of slumping on the couch.

“Are you okay?” Luka demanded, taking in the pallor of Adrien’s cheeks.

Adrien brightened up a little and laughed as Luka hurried to his side and set about inspecting him for damage.

“Orpheus, I’m fine. Just exhausted,” Adrien assured, submitting to Luka’s mothering. “Mentally and emotionally exhausted.”

“Let me get you some water. Are you hungry?” Luka fussed, starting to stand.

“I’ll go get the water,” Juleka intervened. “You keep fretting over your boyfriend.”

Luka didn’t bother correcting her. Instead, he focused all of his energy on Adrien.

“Just the water is fine. Thank you, Juleka,” Adrien replied over the back of the couch at his future sister-in-law. He then looked back at his intended. “Luka, I’m fine. Seriously.”

“How did it go?” Luka hesitantly pressed, handing the glass of water from Juleka to Adrien.

Juleka politely slipped out of the room, giving them some space.

Adrien took a deep breath. “Pretty well? I think.”

Luka gaped at Adrien in amazement. “Yeah? He was…not awful?”

Adrien grimaced. “I mean…it was obvious he was trying not to be.”

“But he didn’t say anything cruel?”

Adrien shook his head. “No. He was actually on his best behavior. It was kind of surreal.”

Luka nodded. “Well, that’s good. I’m glad.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it was good,” Adrien agreed, sipping at the glass of water. “I was surprised. I thought he was going to try to manipulate me or make me feel bad for abandoning Maman or…I don’t know. Something.”

Luka shifted in closer, putting an arm around Adrien’s shoulders.

“It wasn’t like that, though,” Adrien continued in a soft, reflective voice. “We just kind of talked. He told me about prison. He’s reading a lot. He hates the food. He misses Nathalie. …He said he missed me.”

Luka bit the inside of his cheek, holding in the question, “Do you think he was telling the truth?”

“I told him about living here,” Adrien narrated. “He seemed concerned about your mother’s influence on me.”

Luka burst out laughing. “But of course.”

“I told him you guys were actually really good for me,” Adrien snickered. “I don’t think he believed it, but he kind of seemed grateful that you’d taken me in and were making sure I ate.”

Adrien scrunched up his nose. “It was weird. He’s never expressed much concern about my general wellbeing before, but…it felt genuine.”

Luka nodded. “That’s…good. I’m glad this was a neutral-to-positive experience?”

“Yeah,” Adrien confirmed. “I…”

His eyes dropped to the floorboards.

“I hope you don’t mind, but…I told him I’m going to marry you if I’m ever able to convince you,” Adrien confessed, a faint, cherry blossom-pink blush dusting his cheeks.

Luka’s entire being flushed until he resembled a sunburnt crab.

“O-Oh?” he choked. “And…what did your father have to say about that?”

Adrien smirked. “Nothing at first. He pulled all kinds of faces, and his complexion turned rainbow colours. There were a few false starts where he could only find parts of words, but he eventually got there. He asked if you were worthy of me.”

Adrien looked up with a coy smile. “I told him I was more worried about me being worthy of you.”

Luka rolled his eyes, leaning in to nuzzle Adrien’s hair. “You and your self-esteem issues.”

Adrien turned his head to nuzzle back. “He wants to meet you. You don’t have to,” he was quick to add. “Only if you feel comfortable. Only if you want to. Please don’t do it for me or anything like that because I only want you to go if it’s something you want to do. I told him I’d ask once I convinced you to be my boyfriend to buy us a little time so you can think about it.”

Luka chuckled. “You didn’t tell him that I’d be your boyfriend the second you were ready?”

Adrien shook his head. “I didn’t want to explain how messed up I feel to him, so I’m letting him think that I have to win you still or something.”

Luka hummed thoughtfully. “If you keep going and he keeps behaving, I’ll meet him.”

Adrien pulled back to gape at Luka. “You don’t have to. You don’t even have to make that decision right away.”

Luka winked conspiratorially. “I think I need to properly meet my future father-in-law at least once.”

With a pleased blush, Adrien looked away, leaning back into Luka and resting his head on Luka’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Absolutely,” Luka whispered, giving Adrien’s hair another affectionate nuzzle.

[youaremylittlesunshine]

Villanelle/Eve One-shot Fanfic Rec List My favourite one-shots

don't need to ask it by lorelaislatte (M)

Elena is stocktaking out the back, leaving Eve with an old newspaper a customer had left behind and an empty café, when the bell above the door jingles, catching her attention. In walks a woman. She’s wearing some brash tartan outfit with a green fluffy trim, she’s the most beautiful person Eve has ever seen, and when she gives her name as Jackie Kennedy, Eve slightly wants to throat-punch her.

AKA the "you come here every day and i'm definitely into you but it's really difficult when you point blank refuse to tell me what your fucking name is" au nobody asked for but everybody needs.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24765898

More Fun Than Killing Me by heyitsathrowaway (E)

Eve’s skin is just as soft as Villanelle thought it would be. Her hair feels amazing. She’s breathing shallowly, the way a lot of people do just before Villanelle kills them, or before she fucks them, or when they try to kill Villanelle--

Ah. It’s small, but the tremble in Eve’s arm is there. Such a small thing. Small things are so useful. Small things are what makes Villanelle’s job so fun.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” Eve says, voice trembling, cheek moving under Villanelle’s thumb. Anna’s voice shook, once, but surely it never felt like this, honey in Villanelle’s veins.

AU of the final scene in the first season finale.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14786552

and i know i've kissed you before, but i didn't do it right by freshbaguette (E)

Eve holds onto Villanelle’s gaze like a lifeline, like a final breath, like a fool reaching for the bloody knife again. Like Orpheus turned to see if his lover was still there, a terrible binding action full of unholy yearning. However, instead of condemning Eurydice to stay in the Underworld, Eve is condemning Villanelle to stay with her.

Which, Eve thinks, is an even worse fate.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24780877

Dinner Date by Bearslayer (M)

When Eve, a clinical psychologist at the Royal London Hospital, receives a text from her ex husband, she goes to her best friend, the lovable pathologist Oksana for help.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25010143

Let me lose you like I found you by allsoulsnight (E)

After finding Dasha in Barcelona, Eve returns to her Hotel room before her train back to London in the morning. She wasn't expecting to find someone waiting for her.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24314506

a girl like you needs something real by thegatorgood (Teen And Up Audiences)

"No," said Villanelle, "what I want is for you to chop off my hand--"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20346286

Special Day by gapyeartragedy (E)

3x01 but Eve crashes Villanelle's wedding instead of Dasha.

-

“Nice?” Eve laughed in disbelief. “You ruined my life.”

“Yeah, but you’re about to get a really good orgasm out of it so…"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24657523

on purpose by charizona (E)

“You said something about us consuming each other,” Villanelle says softly, glad her voice is as steady as it is.

“Yeah.” Eve doesn’t move.

“So. Consume me.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24492199

Meet me in the middle (touch and go) by qgmon (M)

‘I’m not going to leave you. We’re in this together.’

She squeezes her hand, intertwining their fingers to make sure Villanelle knows. Knows that this is how they were always supposed to end up, and that Eve is finally okay with it. No, not just okay – she wants it. She really, genuinely wants it.

•••

Post-ep7; pre-season finale, my take on what little we know

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24457375

Making Fools by alicekittridge (M)

She doesn't want to be careful.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18676846

A Study in Living Art by alicekittridge (M)

Villanelle and Eve in Paris.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21165557

tie me to your longing, I'll tie you down to mine by nextgreatadventure (M)

These are all things Villanelle remembers. She doesn’t know if any of it meant love, but surely it meant something. It was not nothing.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24001489

Ondine by skinonbones (M)

In the end, there was no easy direction of escape.

Eve’s own disappearance was easier to fake: Carolyn drew up paperwork, so that she was, effectively, a political prisoner held by the British government. After a year or so, she would “die” in captivity. It was sound, as long as the paper trail was tight enough, the evidence overwhelming, the story airtight. Too many “ifs,” Eve thought. Hypotheses that could only be tested by the appearance of a new threat, which one or both of them might not survive. And how would this benefit Carolyn? Before she sat down, she picked a lemon from a tree and took the most enormous bite out of it, Eve heard. Rind and all. Eve heard: There are simply too many players in the game. When the threads become hard to count, the echo continued, then the knot becomes impossibly tangled.

Eve and Oksana find a way out. Canon-ish up to 3x06—alternate ending. Justice for Eve Polastri! There should be more of her in Season 3. (There is sex, with plot.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24279067

La Dolce Vita by piggy09 (Teen And Up Audiences)

Villanelle likes giving Eve the things she likes.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14763023

Nacre by willowbilly (E)

Eve makes a different choice.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14892486

hell is empty (all the devils are here) by ehj (caskettcase) (M)

"i was thinking... we should go to alaska."

set post-season two finale.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18982339

Visiting Hours by Fixy (Teen And Up Audiences)

Eve has come to really enjoy Villanelle’s visits. Even when Villanelle is... clammy.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20924285

Did We Do It? by Arriva (Teen And Up Audiences)

A dazed and drugged Villanelle shows up at Eve's place

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18874759

[hadestownmodern]

dont have sex u will get pregnant and get made fun of by persephone

Hi guys! @dilforpheus here! I want to preface that the first segment of this was written before the banter on Instagram, but once I saw it I had to incorporate it. There is one final segment with WAY too many spoilers to share yet! 

This friendship/semi maternal relationship between Eurydice and Persephone is arguably my favorite in the ENTIRE modern au. 

The exams were passed back with no particular ceremony. Just Persephone turning them over on Student’s desks, curling writing on the front projecting a number as to how well a student did. Eurydice wasn’t particularly paying attention. She didn’t sleep much the night before and her back was absolutely killing her. She wasn’t even sure how she was going to make it through the next fifty-seven minutes of Persephone lecturing her on social structure in some specific midwestern town and the obscure sociological study that was performed on middle schoolers in the region. 

Eurydice barely notices when Persephone puts her returned exam in front of her, and most certainly misses the smirk on her features as she hands back the papers. Eurydice flips it over to see her grade- 87, adequate- before flipping through the exam to see what she missed. She notices that one corner is bumpier than the other, and flips to see what is interrupting the pages. 

There, staples to the corner of her exam, is a single condom. Not much use now that there is a staple through the middle. In persephone’s swirling cursive is written  

“You, like the girls in this study, could benefit from these -Seph”

Dumbfounded, Eurydice looked up to see Persephone smirking at her as she returned to her laptop in the front of the room .

“Are you fucking with me, Stephanie?” Eurydice mumbled, turning the paper to look at Persephone. “Jokes on you, i’m allergic to latex.” She quips, disregarding the fact she was fully in class in front of people she didn’t know. Fuck ‘em, she’d never see them again after this semester anyway. Persephone was going to be in her life forever. 

“Excellent point. I’ll remember that for next time.”

They ignore the gaping looks of her classmates, and the murmured whispers as Persephone goes back to teaching and beginning the new unit. 

“What did she just call her?” “Did she lowkey call Eurydice a whore?”  

It’s halfway through class, not even a full 30 minutes into the lecture when Eurydice is grasping the edge of the desk so tightly her knuckles were white. Her breathing is labored, but only enough that a trained eye would see. She isn’t even taking notes as Persephone tosses a keyring at her. “Get out of here, you look like shit.”

Persephone is erasing the board before Eurydice can process it, grasping the key ring in her fingers. 

“No, i’m staying. I have to learn this eventually before you give me an 87 again”  

Persephone rolls her eyes before shutting her laptop. “Fine. Class is over.” 

Noone else in the class argues as they quickly pack up their things and scramble out of the classroom, short “bye” and “have a good weekends” pour out of their mouths as Persephone watches them go. She sits at the now empty desk beside Eurydice and runs a hand over her hair. “Is it your back again… Orpheus told me it’s been bothering you recently.”

Eurydice only nods, letting out a shaky breath. ‘You didn’t need to end class-”

“Well you weren’t leaving, and you were distracting me. I was afraid you were gonna pass out right here.”

Eurydice laughs half heartedly, and starts to put her stuff in her bag. “Thank you, Perstephanie.”

Persephone put an arm around her shoulder and rubbed her shoulder. “You know, if you used a condom, you wouldn’t be having this problem.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you fucking serious right now?” Eurydice pulled out the tissue paper, pulling a single box of condoms out. Attached was a note, in Persephone’s flourished cursive.

“So next birthday you don’t have to be pregnant -Seph. P.s. the real present is a vacation where you can put these into use. “

“I’m just saying, twenty two is way more fun when you don’t have feet you can’t see.” Persephone is on the other side of the bar, pouring herself an extra drink to toast to Eurydice, where she herself could not. “We could be drinking on the beach, but no, you drank two glasses of wine at my house and ended up in bed with my nephew.”

“Oh fuck off, You set me up for that-”

“EuRyDiCe! PeRsEpHonE!” Orpheus’ voice cracks from the other end of the bar at the same time a shot glass slips from his fingers and shatters on the ground. “What...whats going on? Why are you fighting?” 

His hazel eyes are wide as they flick between the two most important women in his life who are seemingly arguing over..a gift? Their impending child? “I thought you liked each other!”

Eurydice reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “We do, Orpheus. We’re just messing around.”

“We do this in class all the time!” Persephone promised, squeezing his shoulder. “And you clearly didn’t listen when I taught you what safe sex was all those years ago. Maybe it’ll get through to her.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

There’s a gentle knock on the door that startles Eurydice, who pulls her eyes away from her daughter. A couple of hours old and she already seemed to shift the tilt of her world’s axis. She’s finally showered and in something comfortable when Orpheus stepped out to grab something to eat- namely, bring her fries from that diner down the street. She deserved it, dammit.  Eurydice looks up to see Persephone in the doorway, waving and smiling brightly.

“Hey sunshine, can I come in?” Persephone peaks in, genuine joy on her face as she watched Eurydice. So young, but in the short time she’s known her, she’s seen her grow into a completely different woman. “Everyone else will be here soon..Junie’s with my mom..but I wanted to see you.” Yes, she was overjoyed to see this baby that belonged to the boy she raised, but her priority was currently on the woman holding her. She wasn’t about to let her get overlooked in all the excitement of the baby. 

“Yeah, Yeah of course… I’m trying to get the hang of feeding her, but then she fell asleep. And they keep telling me to sleep when she does. But I can’t seem to stop looking at her…”

Persephone sat on the end of the bed, near Eurydice but not daring to crowd her personal space. “No, no I understand completely. I didn’t even put Junie down for about two weeks. Wouldn’t even let my mama hold her..” She rests her hand on Eurydice’s knee with a smile. “So a girl, huh? Does she have a name yet?

“Don’t act like you didn’t know.” Eurydice teased, running her finger over the baby’s nose with a lazy smile. “Your mother knows everything. But yes. I can’t believe it. I love her so much already, and I’ve barely known her three hours...we can’t name her. Nothing seems good enough..I’ve called her french fry for months now.”

“Even you’re starting to believe in her magic. That’s impressive. And a name will come to you. Well, My mother named Junie. No way in hell did my husband pick the name Juniper.”  Persephone watched the way Eurydice didn’t even look at her, unable to drag her eyes away from the tiny person she held in the crook of her arm. “How are you, honey. And don’t give me that fine, bullshit.”

“i...I’m so happy. I love her so much and I love Orpheus so much and- i’m so tired.” Eurydice admits, letting out a sigh. “I love her so much, and I can’t even describe how happy I am. But i’m tired and I didn’t realize how much pain i’d still be in.. and it’s like her gums are razor blades and I don’t think i’m every going to physically be capable of having sex again, not to mention why would Orpheus even want to and- I’m so tired but I can’t look away from her! I can’t put her down. She’s been apart of me for so long.”  She’s crying before she realizes it, warm tears running down her face. She hiccups as she feels the baby starting to move in her arms and almost cries harder. How was she supposed to do this if she was already exhausted?

Persephone is closer to her, tucking black curls behind her ear before wiping at her cheeks. “It’s okay, Eurydice, it’s okay. I understand. I really do. I felt guilty for being tired, for not being on top of the game all the time. I worked so hard to have her, how dare I be anything less than 100%.” She pulled her head to her chest, stroking Eurydice’s soft curls as she held her. Eurydice needed a mother, she needed a mother to care about her, and Persephone was more than glad to fill her part. “”I would take showers that were exactly three minutes long. And for 180 seconds I would sob. Because how dare I be anything less that grateful. But fuck, I just wanted a nap for more than two hours at a time. And to not feel like a cow. So I get it.” 

Persephone kisses the top of Eurydice’s head, feeling the girl’s body just shake as she cried into her. Of course she kept it in. Women were trained to think they could show nothing but joy that day, when in reality the emotional highs and lows came like the changing tide. “It’s okay. You’re going to be the best mom. You are allowed to feel things, Eurydice” She promises, allowing herself a glance down at the incredibly small little girl Eurydice was clutching as if her life depended on it. “She’s so beautiful already. Looks just like you…”

“She looks like a potato alien, you can say it!” Eurydice whined, hiding her face in Persephone’s shoulder. 

“Well..all babies do. But you ate so many fries what do you expect other than a potato?” It’s teasing, and light, and the way Perspehone lightens the mood. She won’t dare ask to hold the baby, not with the way Eurydice anchors herself by holding her. 

“I feel like I got punched in the stomach with at least six knives and then someone ripped out whatever balances my emotions. All that while feeling like a dairy cow mixed with the happiest person in the world.” Eurydice tries to describe, laughing just a little as she wiped her tears away. “I’m a mess.”

“Well, you know, all of that could have been prevented with a condom. Which, by the way-” She pulled out a card and handed it to her. “Heres one for safekeeping, remember it in six weeks.”

“You’re such an asshole sometimes.”

“I know.”

[mimymomo]

Orphydice Weathering With You AU Part 2

I’m just gonna get straight to it!

...

Eurydice’s standing outside the backdoor of the bar. The alleyway is barely lit under the cloudy sky. She’s holding a bag filled with cheap snacks, deli sandwiches, and chips she bought at the store.

And she’s nervous af

What was she doing here? She was in an alleyway behind a bar where she’s supposed to be meeting a boy she barely knows (a cute boy sure) who can also control the weather?!

“Hello, Eurydice!” The girl jumps as she notices the backdoor she’s been staring at is wide open and being held by the boy plaguing her brain. “H-hey, Orpheus.”

The boy leads her inside and up the stairs to the house section of the mixed-use building. He and Mr. Hermes live above the bar. Once they reach his room, Eurydice holds out the bag she’s been gripping, “I bought these. Sorry I didn’t know what you like so-” “No, no this perfect! Thank you Eurydice,” he smiled causing the girl to unwillingly blush. Wth was wrong with her today??

Orpheus pulls her into the kitchen/living room hybrid and starts prepping their lunch while Eurydice looks around. There are pictures on shelves and on the walls of Orpheus in varying ages. Baby, a toddler with baby food painted across his mouth, cheeks, chubby fingers and even forehead? A picture of him standing outside of a classroom holding a sign that said “first day of kindergarten,” school photos, photos of him playing a guitar, writing, at the bar, nearly every picture is of him smiling. She even sees photos of a familiar man she can’t put a name on and...Persephone and Hades? She has to ask Orpheus about that.

Then she sees something. Eurydice reaches out to grab a frame that’s been knocked over and hidden, facing photo down. Carefully flipping it over, it’s an old photograph, the corners bent and worn with some discoloration from the years. It a picture of a woman holding a months old child. She’s smiling but eleven from the photo Eurydice can tell it’s not genuine. The baby is staring at someone, not looking directly at the camera. It must be Orpheus but who was the woman? 

“That’s my mother.” Eurydice whips around to see Orpheus, smiling slightly but there’s a trace of sadness behind his expression. “My dad left before I was born and that sent my mom into a downward spiral. She never wanted a kid, especially not one who was...“difficult to raise,” he emphasized with air quotes. “So she left me with Mr. Hermes when I was about 5 months. That’s the last pic we have of her and me together.”

Eurydice didn’t know what to say, she knew that Orpheus didn’t live with his mother but that was... “I’m sorry Orpheus.” Orpheus shakes his head, “no it’s fine. I think it worked out for the better. I love Mr. Hermes and my family and life here.” He said all that with a smile, no sadness to be found. “Do you have any family Eurydice?” Caught off-guard by the question, Eurydice ponders what to say. “No, no I don’t.”

The two eat and Eurydice pitches the idea she originally came to discuss: starting a partnership with Orpheus. “You want me to start changing the weather for money?” Orpheus is extremely hesitant at first because it doesn’t seem right to charge money for it but Eurydice convinces him (it will help him raise money for Hermes/expenses, spread joy for others she will handle the business part and all he has to do his the singing/weather changing). The two come to an agreement and even upload an ad on Craigslist for their services.

As they’re finishing up Mr. Hermes comes up and asks them what they’re doing. Eurydice finally figures out where she recognized the man from- she met him at Seph’s shop. “You’re Mr. Hermes?” she screams, less at Hermes and more at her own stupidity for not putting two and two together.

Suddenly a notification for their Craigslist ad pops up: someone hired them to clear the weather for an upcoming farmers market. Said farmers market is tomorrow.

“We already got an offer?! Eurydice I don’t think I can do this!” “Orpheus, you’ll be fine! I’ll be there with you tomorrow.” “It’s tomorrow?? Please let there be clear weather tomorrow...” “What would be the point of us showing up if the weather is already clear?!”

The next day, Orpheus is a mess. Eurydice brings him gloves with hand warmers in them, an umbrella she scribbled music notes in sharpie on and a thermos of hot tea. Orpheus appreciates the gesture (sure he cant use the close with he plays, nor hold the umbrella but the gesture is sweet all the same)

When they get to the market and set up, the rain is pouring furiously. Orpheus is shaking, partially from the cold, but mostly from nerves. He’s under an awning away from the crowd and mostly our if the rain but Eurydice still covers him with the umbrella as a precaution. His fingers are shaking as he starts playing, constantly stopping to tune the ancient guitar.

The runner of the market is not amused (it was one of his workers who hired these children). He tries to tell Eurydice and Orpheus to go home but Eurydice convinces him to wait. Orpheus begins his song, “la, la la la, la la la~ la, la la la, la la la~”

As he performs, the rain slowly comes to a stop, the clouds parting to reveal a beautiful crystal blue sky. The golden sun coming out to say hello. Murmurs from all around can be heard, fingers pointing to the sky, people shocked by the return of the sun.

The man is shocked and ends up paying the kids double than what they charged for proving him wrong. “You got a gift kid, voice ain’t half bad either.”

For the next month, the two get job, after job, after job. The run around the whole city and sometimes even further out, clearing the sky, for birthday parties, weddings, competitions, even for a daycares field trip to the park. Orpheus is never a stickler for payments (he did the daycare job for $20 (the teacher forced him to take it) and a bunch of stickers and snacks).

Orpheus and Eurydice get closer and closer through their job and all the travels they do (they both have crushes on each other but they’re teens. They stupid with love). Seph teases her for how much she hangs out with Orpheus (“I’m losing my apprentice to my cute nephew!”) while Hades gets more annoyed than anything (he misses her and all the stuff she does around the house. She makes hades and Seph ultimately get along better).

One of their biggest jobs is to clear the sky for a 4th of July firework show. Since they are hired by the event coordinators, the two have to dress up. Eurydice shows up in her black dress, Seph had got it tailored to fix any holes, tarnished hems, and other rips. While Eurydice talks with a few event workers, Orpheus shows up.

He looks absolutely adorable. Still, in his suspenders, he replaced his cream shirt and signature bandana for a white button-up with a red bow tie. His pant legs are rolled up to reveal red socks and fancy shoes.

Orpheus performs and the sky clears. The firework show goes off without a hitch. The event planners let Eurydice and Orpheus have a private area to watch the show as a thank you.

“It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen fireworks in person before,” Eurydice says. “Yeah, Mr. Hermes and Aunt Seph used to take me to watch these fireworks how’s for my birthday when I was younger. Haven’t been able to in years since Hermes has gotten sicker and Aunt Seph and Hades haven’t been getting along as well...”

Eurydice grabs his hand, “Orpheus when is your birthday?” “Oh,” Orpheus pauses for a second, “next week? 4 days to be exact.” “Oh my birthday is before yours,” Eurydice says.

“Wait, how old are you?” Orpheus asks. “I’m...1...8...” Eurydice says slowly. ‘You liar!’

“You don’t look 18,” Orpheus unintentionally counters. “You saying I’m lying?” Eurydice smirks. ‘You are!’ “No! I just meant you look young.”

“How old will you be next week Orpheus?” “Oh, um...17.”

‘Shit he’s actually older than me!’ Eurydice thinks to herself. Then sit there the rest do the night watching the fireworks but in all honesty, more time was spent between the two staring at each other secretly then actually watching the colorful display in the sky.

Over the next few days, Eurydice tries to figure out what to give Orpheus as a present. She tried asking Persephone and Hades but...they were absolutely no help. Then she tries Hermes. While Orpheus is busy, she slyly tries to question Hermes on what Orpheus would want for his birthday.

“So girl, how many secret jobs do you two have left?” Hermes asked while wiping some glasses. “Just one more next week, the day before Orpheus’ birthday actually.” “Really now?” “Yeah, since the job offers have been getting kinda overwhelming we decided to take one more offer then go on a break.”

Hermes nods and goes back to work. Perfect opportunity! “Speaking of Orpheus’ birthday-”

“You love him, don’t you girl?”

Eurydice then proceeds to freak the eff out. “What?? No! No, no! I mean, he is very cute and a talented musician and I love to hear him perform or laugh...or when he turns pink after cracking a joke. But I just wanted to think of a birthday present NOT BECAUSE I LIKE HIM OR ANYTHING! Just for a friend! Yeah, a friend...what the hell is wrong with me?”

Hermes smiles at the girl, “Eurydice.” The girl shuts up immediately. “I’ve been watching over that boy since he could talk. And I can tell you he would love whatever you’d give him. Even if you decided to give him nothing but a hug or a few sweet words. He would treasure it all. But I can tell that this goes deeper than you just wanting to surprise a friend with a present.”

Eurydice’s quiet, she knows he’s right but she wasn’t planning on be confronted on it today. “I... I like him...?” She raises the end like a question. Making sure that it’s okay.

Hermes nods, “aight, I give you my blessing.” Eurydice’s chest lightens. “Now about that gift idea...”

...

“Stop running!”

“Shit!” the man runs for his life. He hadn’t done anything wrong but with police, it never was innocent until proven guilty. It was guilty until proven innocent.

He ran down the slick streets, nearly falling as he turned the corner down a backstreet.

Suddenly he was corned by three detectives from the downtown police department. “Wait officers, I didn’t do nothing!” the man tries to reason with them.

“We know,” one says. “What?” the man asks. They hold out their badges: Detectives Atropos, Clotho, and Lachesis.

“We tried to tell you that but you just went and started running,” detective Clotho said with an amused attitude.

“Are you the guy in this video?” detective Lachesis held out her ooh one displaying a shoddy video of surveillance footage of the night a month ago when a girl fired a shot that nearly blew his head off.

“Hell, that kid nearly shot me in the fucking face!”

“She’s apart of a missing child’s case,” detective Atropos states, not acknowledging what the witness just said. “Parents filed her as a runaway. She also may have possession of an illegal stolen firearm. A firearm that actually looks eerily similar to one that went missing from a previous unrelated case that wasn’t solved a few weeks before this incident.

“We need to find the girl. Have you seen her around?”

...

Seph is working at her Anthomania. The rain is drizzling once again and the streets are starting to flood. She’s arranging an order when an older woman steps through the door.

“Welcome in!”

“It’s really pouring out there ain’t it?” the woman asks. “Sure is,” Seph agrees. “Kinda frightening.”

“Frightening? Child ain’t nothing but a lil’ rain. The world was covered with water before humans were got involved. It’s all just a cycle. Reminds me of a story I dudes to hear as a child though.” Seph silently encourages her to continue. It’s a slow day, one old tale can’t harm her.

“There used to be ones that could control the weather. Children of the earth and sky, chosen to bring balance to nature. By their voices alone, they could end storms and disasters. Blessed beings they were. But they were also cursed with a heavy and heartbreaking burden. Those poor children.”

Seph back straightens, a chill running up her spine. Dread pooling in her stomach. “What kind of burden? What happened to those kids?”

The old woman gazes up at Persephone, “death.”

[mvsicinthedvrk]

hw task 04: the one with the letter writing!! (from this post on the main 1 year ago)

i’m aware that this is so old, but as i didn’t join the rp until october, i missed out on this task before! so i’m doing it now, late. and to be fair, it DOES say there’s “no set time limit” 😂

not everyone would have taken the opportunity to do this, so my characters NOT writing letters and why: 

wei wuxian has no memories of anyone outside of D.C., so he wouldn’t write to anyone. same with kaz brekker. everyone patroclus knows is dead, so... he wouldn’t write a letter, either. pippin thinks it’s probably be better if he explains everything to his family in person whenever he gets back, and he’s got terrible handwriting anyway, so he’d skip out on the opportunity. peter pettigrew would rather not anyone know he was here in the first place, so no letter from him. and the only person yu ri cares about is rang, and he’s here, so no letter needed there. 

and then below are my other characters’ letters! i should have put these alphabetically but i started writing them in order of when i picked up the characters and it’s too much work to copy/paste everything around at this point.

martin blackwood: letter to jon sims (the only people left at the Institute martin could have talked to are: jon, basira, and daisy. he doesn’t much like daisy and between jon & basira he’s known jon for longer, so that’s why he’d choose him as letter-recipient.)

Jon, It’s Martin. It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me, by now! Nearly a year. I hope you’re well. I promise I didn’t mean to abandon the Institute, and if I knew of a way to leave, I swear I would have told you so you could leave too. But-- I ended up here in America accidentally, severed from the Eye (as far as I can tell). I REALLY mean accidentally. I don’t even know how I got here, honestly. Anyway. Melanie’s here! And from a few years ago! (Yeah, time travel’s a thing.) The good news is that she’s got her eyes and everything, so that’s a definite benefit. She never even worked for the Institute, where she came from, still doing her YouTube thing. We don’t talk much, since she doesn’t remember me. I should tell you-- I was working with Peter Lukas on purpose, at the end there, before I ended up here. It’s too complicated to put in a letter but do know that I was trying to help, although I realize now that I approached it all wrong. We should have communicated better, all of us, especially after the thing with the Unknowing. Speaking of communicating, this might be the only time you hear from me. But rest assured, I’m okay! Not devoured by worms, or stalked by fears. I’ve got a normal desk job now, and I’m doing alright. I don’t think the Extinction’s much of an immediate threat, so I hope you’re not worried about that too much. I think about Sasha and Tim every so often, and you as well. Please be safe, and get out when you can, but not by doing anything drastic. You’re so clever, you always have been, and I know you’ll be alright. Don’t trust Peter. Sincerely, Martin Blackwood. 

holland vosijk: a letter to kell in red london (kell is the only other known Antari, and although holland has an antagonistic relationship with him and they’re from two parallel realities, he’s the only one he would trust with this information)

Kell-- I hope this letter finds you, though you know me better than to think I’d wish it finds you “well.” Regardless, I must admit that even your face would be a welcome one. I’ve found myself in the world below yours, the one sans-magic, a few hundred years in the future and on the other side of the sea. I am aware that sounds impossible, but I assure you that it’s true. My magic works as usual except for Travelling, which is what keeps me from returning. Should you find yourself once again in the world you always referred to as “Grey London,” do ask around about rumors of a capital city in America called Washington, D.C. I would appreciate any information you might find out regarding it’s magical status, though I’ve no idea if you’ll have a way to return this correspondence. I will also take the liberty of warning you that I have been here for months and the Danes are surely sore about my absence from their command. Should you find yourself in Makt, you would do well to avoid them, as they may be looking for a new pet by now. I tell you this not out of kindness or concern for your well-being but because I fear what they may do if they have control over a new Antari’s power in their disgruntled state. Do both of our worlds a favor and avoid travelling for the time being. Holland. 

yuri plisetsky: a letter to his coach (even if he’d want to write to his family, his skating comes first. this letter would be written in russian, but I don’t actually know russian, so.)

It’s Yuri. I have been trying to call you but my phone does not go through. I can’t leave this place in America. It’s partway your fault since you sent me here. Tell my sponsors I am NOT DEAD, only stuck in a weird magic town. Have you heard of a skater named Victor Nikiforov? He says he knows me but I do NOT remember him. He promised to choreograph a program for me. Don’t get mad, he’s very good. I will try to get out of this city by the next round of prelim competitions for the grand prix. I’m still practicing every day and I will definitely WIN!

orpheus: a letter to eurydice (he loves & misses her so much; his letter would be short but sweet and would include pressed flowers, just in case there aren’t flowers down there and she needs to remember what they look like)

Eurydice: I hope letters can travel to where you are. It’s me! The wind may have changed on us, but you’re still my sun and my north. I’m coming after you, it’s only that I got caught up on the way. I’ve never wanted anything more than to hold your hand and bring you back to the world above, and I swear that I'll be there as soon as I can. Wherever you go, I go. I love you now and forever. Your Orpheus~

melanie king: a letter to andy caine (her former youtube channel co-host; her parents are both gone or she’d write to them, so she figures-- why not at least let one person know where she is, even if they’d fought the last time they spoke in person)

Hey Andy, I know we’re not on the best of terms but I thought I’d let you know I’m in America for the foreseeable. I’ve been publishing videos on my channel-- though no idea if they show up anywhere other than here-- it’s a long story. I’m still alive, and if any of my extended relatives come looking for me just let them know I’m “abroad.” One of my cameras is still at your place. Don’t sell it-- I’ll be back for it at some point or you’ll owe me £800. -Mels

henry strauss: a letter to his parents (he packed up and left NYC without really telling anyone where he was going, so. time to rectify that poor decision)

Mom and Dad, I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye. I can’t face goodbyes without getting emotional, you both know that. (If it helps, I didn’t tell any of my friends goodbye either, so I hope you didn’t give them a hard time when you realized I’d gone.) I’ve had to keep secrets from you that I genuinely regret, but please know that I never wanted to hurt you. My whole life I always tried to be a good son, and I’m trying to the kind of person here that you always taught me to be. You might not hear from me again, and that’s alright. I hope you can accept that, and know that wherever I am, I love you. Henry

wen kexing: a letter to gu xiang (wen kexing has trust issues. he wouldn’t want any correspondence to get intercepted by the five lakes alliance or with reference to his status in ghost valley, so this isn’t technically a letter with any specific information: it’s a classical Du Fu poem about travelling. he’s super pretentious about quoting literature, so he would have picked something fancy like this to code his message in to prove that it’s actually him. and to code it, he’d have written certain characters in dark purple ink instead of black to send to a’xiang, his maid who’s essentially his younger sister/adopted daughter, to try and explain where he is. even if someone noticed the change in coloring, the message wouldn’t mean much to anyone but a’xiang. he’d also include a brief coda at the end in his own words. and each line would be written in a vertical column but that’s too annoying to format for tumblr)

寺忆曾游处 (purple last two characters for ”travel” and “place”) 桥伶再渡时 (purple last two characters for “crossing” and “time”) 江山如有待 (purple last character that means “stay”/“await” so she knows to wait for him to return) 花柳更无私 野润烟光薄 (purple second-to-last character for “light” to indicate he’s not in the ghosts’ world anymore; she’ll know what that means) 沙暄日色迟 客愁全为减 (purple last four characters of this line-- in the context of the poem, this phrase basically means “sorrow fades away” but read on their own it’s just, like, “don’t worry so much”) 舍此复何之

当好姑娘 (“be a good girl”)

給阿舒我的爱 (”give my love to A’Xu”)

哥 (just “ge” for brother)

noah czerny: a letter to gansey (gansey’s the leader, after all, so it makes sense to send him the letter.)

Dear Gansey: surprise! Blue & I are stuck in Washington D.C. She’s been here for much longer than I have, she said. Time’s weird here. I hope you & Adam & Ronan are alright. I don’t know if you will have noticed that I’m gone, but if you do, don’t worry: we’ll both come back when we can. Tell the others hello from me, keep looking for Glendower (good luck!) and don’t crash the Pig! :P -Noah

[mikauzoran]

Lukadrien Drabble: Nachtmusik Chapter Five

A Little Night Music (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik) Chapter Five: ...the more they change.

(Okay, this actually takes place during Jabberwocky when Adrien is eighteen and a half and Luka is almost twenty-one. It takes place in August, two months after Chapter Twenty-Six: Boy of There’s a Daisy. Sorry if it’s a little confusing. I debated whether to post this or not. :/ I hope you enjoy it.)

Luka blinked.

Was that…? It was. Adrien Agreste at the bar with his back to the stage, chatting with Raoul the bartender.

Adrien Agreste wearing black leather pants with buckles up the thighs.

A primal shudder darted up Luka’s spine as Adrien shifted his weight.

He had such a nice—

“—You have a girlfriend,” Luka’s shoulder angel reminded him.

Luka looked over to where Marinette was laughing at something Mylène had said.

“A girlfriend who’s only dating you as a rebound because things with Adrien exploded,” Luka’s shoulder devil weighed in, having a less-than-positive effect on Luka’s self-esteem.

Objectively, Luka knew he should finish packing up his stuff and go sit with his girlfriend while the other bands played. He knew that increasing his proximity to Adrien wearing those pants was just asking for trouble, but…

Whereas Marinette would say something encouraging like, “You guys were wonderful! I really liked that third song. It was super intense”, Adrien would look at Luka in awe and breathe, “Did you write that third song? It was amazing! I loved the tension you built using those tritones. I could feel it mounting in my chest”.

Luka appreciated Marinette, he really did, but…he felt appreciated by Adrien, and he was really more in the mood for Adrien-style praise that evening. Pushing his reservations aside, Luka made his way over to his personal siren.

“Here he comes,” Raoul whispered to Adrien.

Adrien sucked in an anxious breath. “How do I look?”

Raoul snickered despite himself. “You’re golden, Dollface. He’s been staring at you the past two minutes trying to make up his mind to come over here, and now he’s taking the bait. All you have to do is reel him in.”

Adrien blew out a sigh of relief.

Raoul frowned. “Why did you two ever break up in the first place? You were disgustingly adorable two years ago.”

Adrien debated correcting Raoul’s assumption but eventually decided that it wasn’t worth it. “My father,” Adrien sighed. “He found out and made threats, and it was really ugly. I was scared, so I didn’t stick it out, and I didn’t put up a fight like Luka wanted to…. I was weak, and I…I was a stupid kid who didn’t realize he already had everything he’d always wanted.”

Raoul chuckled softly, a deep rumble like thunder rolling over the mountains. “Just do better this time.” He waved at Luka over Adrien’s shoulder and turned to go.

“Hey, Ariel.” Luka wore a besotted grin as he came up next to Adrien. He shoved his hands into his own back pockets so that he wouldn’t be tempted to try to put them into Adrien’s. “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight. Thanks for coming.”

“Hey, Orpheus,” Adrien greeted warmly, slowly turning to give Luka his most inviting smile.

In spite of his best intentions, Luka took note of Adrien’s lip gloss shimmering in the atmospheric, low light of the bar and absentmindedly wondered what Adrien’s smile tasted like.

“The photoshoot let out in time, so I thought I’d drop by,” Adrien was saying, angling his body towards Luka’s and stepping in a little closer, presumably to be heard over the din of the next band taking the stage. “I’m glad I did because tonight was spectacular. I can really tell which songs you wrote.” His voice dropped into a purr. “The third song tonight was genius. I loved the way you used the unresolved tritones to ratchet up the intensity. It reminded me of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony when he musically depicted his own impending heart attack. Your song gave me chills.”

Luka grinned, bruised self-esteem making a comeback with a little attention from Adrien. Why couldn’t Marinette say things like that?

“It’s not her fault she doesn’t have the musical vocabulary to stroke your ego. She says plenty of nice things about you and your work,” the shoulder angel reasoned.

“Well, I can’t deny my indebtedness to Mahler,” Luka admitted, “but I’m glad you found my approach enjoyable.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so humble. We’re all musically indebted to Mozart and Beethoven and Berlioz and Debussy. What’s important is what you do with your musical inheritance, and you just slipped classically-inspired musical themes into a rock song. I bow down to your creativity and knack for innovation.” Adrien dipped into a dramatic bow.

Luka laughed, taking his hands out of his pockets to pull Adrien back up. “Oh, please. Stop. You’re going to make me conceited.”

“You have every right to be,” Adrien insisted, hand coming to rest on Luka’s upper arm and squeezing gently. “You’re amazing.”

The breathless way Adrien said it stole the air from Luka’s lungs.

Luka gulped as his eyes locked with Adrien’s. “Yeah?”

When had they gotten so close?

Adrien ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “Yeah.” His right hand came to rest on Luka’s hip, and his thumb started to stroke rhythmically, hypnotically.

“Hey,” Adrien breathed.

“Hm?” Luka answered distractedly.

“You’re done for the night, right? Wanna go somewhere else?” Adrien tempted. “Maybe take a walk…head back to your place…jam a little…. It’s been forever since we last had a sleepover.”

Luka’s mind fell down a flight of stairs.

That…sounded exactly like what Luka wanted to do. It would be just like before, before they’d been torn apart…. Only, it wouldn’t. Whereas the flirting and the tension between them had been innocent and subtle and beneath the surface two years prior, this, now—with Adrien’s thumb stroking Luka’s hip and the look in Adrien’s eyes and the leather pants clinging to Adrien’s skin—this was not subtle or innocent. This was overt, surface-level sexual tension. 

Adrien was no longer oblivious to the attraction between them. He was no longer questioning his sexuality or unsure of himself. Adrien was seducing him. On purpose. Adrien was picking him up. Adrien was asking to spend the night.

Mentally, Luka let out a string of curses. Two years ago, Luka would have seriously considered killing for this moment. Now? He didn’t know what to do with it. Was this a whim of Adrien’s or something lasting? Things had blown up between Adrien and Marinette…whom they were both in love with. Adrien had told Luka the details, told him how he was a mess emotionally, told him about the ups and downs of the year he’d been having mental health-wise. Was Adrien’s attraction to Luka any different than Marinette’s? Was Adrien using him too?

Luka took a step back.

Adrien’s eyes widened. His head tipped to the side questioningly.

Luka shook his head.

He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t do this to himself. He had to set up boundaries and protect his heart from those two. He had to preserve the friendships in hopes that someday either the man or the woman he loved would be emotionally healthy enough for a real relationship with him.

“I can’t,” Luka replied with an easy smile that cost him an incredible amount of energy to maintain. “Not tonight. Maybe some other day. Tonight, Marinette and the gang are here, and I’m supposed to be hanging out with them. I have to walk Marinette home.”

Disappointment was evident on Adrien’s face. “Oh. Okay.”

“Some other day, Ariel,” Luka assured, using the nickname to remind himself of the danger of the temptation.

Adrien nodded, fiddling with his ring. “So, I guess you have to go then? Or can I buy you a drink and gush about how talented you are a little?”

Luka bit his lip. Tempting, tempting, tempting. “Why don’t you come join us?” he suggested, knowing he would be sure to behave in front of the others.

“Who’s here?” Adrien craned his neck, looking for his acquaintances.

“Over there.” Luka pointed.

Adrien frowned, mentally sizing up the assembly: Juleka (actively opposed to Adrien getting close to Luka again), Mylène (skeptical of Adrien after the events of the year), Rose (an ally), Ivan (indifferent to the conflict but likely to side with Mylène), Alya (would kill him if she knew what was going on in his head), Marinette (…), Nino (compromised, caught in the middle). Not the most friendly crowd, and he would have to watch Marinette and Luka being couple-y together.

Adrien wasn’t sure what would be worse: watching Marinette fawn over Luka or watching Luka melt for Marinette. Both prospects sounded…honestly, like torture. It had been almost two months since Adrien had learned that they were dating, but…losing them to one another hadn’t gotten any easier, especially since he had started to understand his feelings for Luka.

“I don’t think I want to intrude on group date night.” Adrien smiled softly, letting a bit of the pain slip onto his lips unintentionally.

Luka frowned. “Group date night?”

“It’s all couples. I’d be the odd man out,” Adrien explained, keeping the smile in place with some effort.

Luka’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…”

Adrien shrugged unhappily. “Don’t worry about it. Hey, it was great getting to hear you play. Have fun with…with the others,” Adrien offered in parting, turning back to lean on the bar.

Luka blinked rapidly. “Wait. What are you going to do?”

“Oh, probably just get a drink, hang around for a little while, see if anyone asks me to dance. I don’t really feel like being alone at the moment, so going home to mope around by myself is out,” Adrien answered honestly.

Luka rested an elbow on the bar, his body bracketing Adrien’s. “Is there someone else you could call to hang out with? I don’t really like the idea of you drinking by yourself and getting hit on by strangers.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it,” Adrien assured with a small but genuine grin as he met Luka’s eyes. “Thanks for worrying about me.”

“How can I help worrying about you?” Luka sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You make it so easy. You don’t handle alcohol well, and you drink too much without thinking when you’re upset.”

“I’m not upset. Just a little melancholy.” Adrien shrugged. “Look, I swear I’m not trying to manipulate you into spending time with me. I’m actually okay, and I’m going to be okay having one drink and dancing with some random people and getting myself home. You don’t need to stress over it unless the real problem is you not liking the idea of me dancing with other people. I’ve got Plagg and Nooroo with me; I’ll be fine. If I’m not, they’ll make sure someone knows. So don’t let me ruin your evening. Go hang out with your friends…with your girlfriend. I’m sure they’re waiting for you.”

Luka bit his lip hard. “They can wait a little longer. I mean, I don’t have to go right this second. Didn’t you offer to buy me a drink and stroke my ego for a bit? I’m thirsty and could use the attention.”

Adrien gave a snorted laugh. “I could make so many jokes right now. Everything from ‘I don’t do quickies’ to ‘buy me dinner first’, but seeing as you have the sweetest, most giving girlfriend on the face of the planet, I will assume that your needs are being more than satisfied—”

“—You’d be surprised,” Luka thought darkly.

“—and skip the suggestive banter. I’d be happy to buy you a drink while I rave about your creative genius, though,” Adrien replied with a smirk.

Luka briefly contemplated remarking on how it really ground down your self-confidence and made you feel undesirable fast when your girlfriend always gave you her cheek when you tried to kiss her and looked incredibly uncomfortable when you told her you loved her. Luka wondered what Adrien would do with that information.

Adrien signaled for the bartender. “Raoul, could I please have a Pink Squirrel and…” He turned expectantly to Luka.

“Scotch. Splash of water, please.”

“Coming right up,” Raoul confirmed.

Luka raised an eyebrow at Adrien. “Pink Squirrel? Forgive me, but are you positive that you’re straight?”

“Rude.” Adrien kicked Luka in the ankle and stuck out his tongue. “I don’t believe in labels…and my drink preferences have nothing to do with whether or not I sleep with guys.”

Luka held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry. That was in poor taste. I should know better.”

Adrien bit his lip. “…I think I’ve been guilty of worse, so I’m inclined to give you a get out of jail free card this time.”

“Your magnanimity is much appreciated,” Luka assured with a slight dip of his head.

“You’d better appreciate it.” Adrien rolled his eyes and smirked. “Next time, I’m making you grovel.”

“And it will serve me right.” Luka gave another bob of his head.

“Right,” Adrien affirmed. “…And while we’re on the subject, it’s not my fault that I like dessert-y drinks. I never get dessert.”

“Fair,” Luka agreed.

“I can’t help it that I like a little sugar with my alcohol,” Adrien continued in his own defence.

“Rather, you like a little alcohol with your sugar,” Luka snickered, feeling like they were back on solid enough ground to joke.

Adrien steamrolled forward, looking off to the side. “…just like I can’t help if there are certain boys I’d like to kiss.”

Luka’s brain stopped working. Did Adrien just…? Did Adrien mean…?

And, if so, what was Luka supposed to do with that?

Before Luka could really process that revelation, Adrien pressed on, “Besides, it’s Rose’s fault for introducing me to Pink Squirrels. Also, something Rose told me: apparently, it’s possible to be something called ‘biromantic’ while still being heterosexual…. And that’s as much as I think I should blurt out without having ‘I’m drunk’ as an excuse. But there you go; cards on the table,” Adrien spit out rapidly, twisting his ring round and round his finger. “Let’s talk about something else. I said I was going to talk your ear off about what a great musician you are, didn’t I? Has anyone told you how wonderful you are today?” The words spewed out of Adrien’s mouth, and Luka struggled to keep up.

“Wait.” Luka placed a hand on Adrien’s upper arm.

Adrien turned his head to smile the fakest, most personable smile he had in him. “How’s your girlfriend doing? I haven’t talked to her much lately,” he inquired civilly, as if speaking to a business acquaintance at a cocktail party.

Luka groaned softly in frustration.

Raoul approached and looked like he was about to say something teasingly, but he felt the mood between the two from a meter away and thought better of it, setting their drinks on the counter with a cordial nod.

“Oh, look,” Adrien observed cheerily. “Something to put in my mouth to shut me up.”

Luka choked on air as inappropriate suggestions rose in his mind.

“Before I destroy everything,” Adrien added under his breath, but then his joviality was back.

“I drink to you.” Adrien lifted his glass to Luka with a practiced smile covering his internal panic. He looked away and began to sip at the pink concoction.

“So…we’re not going to talk about this?” Luka sighed, ignoring his scotch for the time being.

Adrien shrugged. “What?—Here? Now? No. I’m supposed to be talking about your music for a bit before you have to go back to your girlfriend. Besides, there’s nothing to talk about,” he answered a touch sullenly down into his drink.

“You just told me you wanted to kiss me,” Luka laughed, on the brink of hysteria but covering it up brilliantly. “And we’re not going to discuss that?”

“I never said I wanted to kiss you,” Adrien corrected, still not looking at Luka. “I said I couldn’t help it if I wanted to kiss certain boys. I was talking about Nino.”

Luka’s mind ground to a sudden halt as he tried to figure out if that was true or merely a diversion.

“Because I’m a home-wrecking slut,” Adrien laughed with a sweet smile that proved jarring in its juxtaposition with the words it accompanied.

Luka’s hand squeezed Adrien’s arm tighter. “No, you’re not.”

“Fine,” Adrien relented. “I’m an aspiring home-wrecking slut. I guess I can’t claim the title until I actually wreck something, but…I want to wreck them. Isn’t that bad enough?”

Part of Luka’s mind thought that, yes, this was very, very bad indeed. Adrien wasn’t looking for a relationship. As per usual, he was seeking affection and attention, and he was coming back to where he’d found it in abundance two years prior…but, this time, Luka’s supply couldn’t meet Adrien’s demand. It was a tricky situation, and Luka could tell that between Marinette and Adrien, his own heart was going to walk out of this one in tatters…if it could walk at all once those two were done with it.

Still….

“What if Nino wants you to kiss him?”

Adrien slowly turned an incredulous glare on Luka. “Please don’t patronize me. Why the hell would Nino want to kiss me? He’s in a relationship with the girl of his dreams. He’s been crazy in love with his girlfriend for years. Why would he risk messing that up for me?”

“…You still don’t think you’re worth anything, do you?” Luka realized, his stomach going sour.

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Well, obviously, I’m athletic, and, on the outside, I’m gorgeous, but inside I’m a monster. I’m not worthless, but I’m sure as hell not going to get picked over Mar—over Alya.”

“Angel,” Luka whispered, conveying so much meaning in so few syllables.

Adrien looked up, his heart fluttering at the old nickname. He’d been “Ariel” in the months since their reunion. It had been a long time since Luka had called him Angel or Perfect Fifth in that tender, all-embracing way of his.

“Adrien,” Luka corrected. “You are not the monster. The monster is the ugliness inside of yourself that you’re fighting against…and everyone has something inside themselves like that…even Alya.”

Adrien found himself unable to speak, so he gave Luka a wavering yet grateful smile instead.

“Besides,” Luka shrugged, picking up his scotch and taking a sip. “There are so many good things about you that you didn’t even mention.”

Adrien was about to challenge Luka to name one when Luka continued, “Like your beautifully awful sense of humor and your virtuosic piano abilities and your encyclopedic knowledge of cheese.”

Adrien burst out laughing as the tense atmosphere was obliterated. “You still…say the sweetest things,” he chortled.

Luka shrugged. “Eh. I know where your buttons are…just like how you always have your fingers on mine.”

Adrien’s laughter died down, and a tentative smile settled onto his lips. “…Sometimes I wonder if I still know where they are or if they’ve shifted in the time we’ve been apart. You still seem like the same you, but…a year and a half is a long time. I feel like I’ve probably missed something important.”

Luka took another sip of his scotch, considering before answering, “Yes and no. I’m different, but I’m still me. All the important bits are there…and, as for the rest, we have plenty of time to catch up now that your father isn’t being a psycho and keeping us apart. If I have new ‘buttons’, I’m confident you’ll find them and start pressing them eventually…probably sooner rather than later.”

“Good to know you believe in me,” Adrien hummed and then paused. “…Are we okay?”

He cast a nervous, sidelong glance at Luka. “I didn’t ruin everything, did I?”

Luka frowned. “No. Of course not. I mean—” He winced and hastily corrected, “—of course we’re okay.”

Adrien blew out a slow breath. “Okay. Good. Sorry. As I’m sure you’ll remember, I kind of suck at the whole self-worth thing, and I’m constantly worrying that people are going to stop caring about me overnight if I make a mistake, so…and I know things are kind of odd between us with the whole…well. Me being in love with your girlfriend, so… And probably me bringing up wanting to wreck things between Alya and Nino so that I could kiss him was…”

“Adrien?” Luka bumped Adrien’s arm gently. “It’s okay. I say this in the most loving, accepting way possible, but…I know you’re a mess. I accept that you are a screwed-up human being with crazy, ugly stuff going on in your life…. I still like you and want to be your friend. We’re okay.”

Adrien studied Luka’s face for a minute before nodding solemnly. “Okay. You should probably be canonized as the patron saint of patience and radical acceptance, but I’m really glad to hear that you feel that way.”

Luka’s lips pulled into a lopsided smirk as he raised his glass. “To friendship and radical acceptance.”

Adrien clinked his glass against Luka’s and drank.

“…So…” Adrien led in after a measure of silence, his voice gliding up to land on the note.

Luka cocked an eyebrow.

“The last song you guys played. That was one of yours too, right?” Adrien angled his body slightly away from the bar counter and more towards Luka as Adrien’s desire to close himself off dissipated.

Luka nodded. “Yeah. Thoughts?”

“You’re a genius.” Adrien shrugged. “Second coming of Mozart.”

Luka scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Blasphemy. Seriously, what did you think? No flattery. I respect your musical opinion more than almost anyone, so please give it to me.”

“I am being serious,” Adrien assured. “Your sound is so unique. People are going to go crazy for you once you get some more exposure. I honestly can’t offer you a critique because you’re legitimately just that good, Luka.”

The earnest adoration in Adrien’s eyes and voice turned Luka’s legs to jelly. This was exactly what he needed to patch up the wounds of inadequacy his relationship with Marinette had been inflicting upon him.

“Careful, Ariel. You’re going to give me a big head,” he chuckled, leaning on the bar, gravitating closer.

Adrien rolled his eyes. “If anyone deserves to have a big head, it’s you. Seriously. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Okay,” Luka relented. “If you won’t give me a critique, at least tell me what specifically you liked so I can do something similar in the future.”

“In the last song?” Adrien took a sip of his drink and then licked the creamy remnants from his top lip. “The bass line. Particularly, about halfway through, that descending chromatic. Ugh.” Adrien’s eyelids fluttered in ecstasy. “It made me melt. Nothing makes me go all tingly faster than those low notes. It’s like aural pornography.”

“N-Noted,” Luka gulped, suddenly getting all manner of ideas that he had no business entertaining. He did not need to know how to musically seduce Adrien Agreste. “What else?”

Adrien bit his lip. “There’s this leitmotif that’s been showing up in your work lately.”

Luka shifted uncomfortably, knowing exactly what Adrien was referring to and not wanting to own up to its inspiration.

“It’s not even the main theme, and sometimes it only pops up once in a piece for just a second, but it’s pervasive throughout your recent oeuvre. It’s the same sequence of serpentine, kind of…gypsy, tarantella, Habanera, Anitra’s Dance…sort of played as a mix between a tango and a waltz. You know what I’m talking about?” Adrien eyed Luka expectantly.

Luka shifted again, taking a sip of his scotch before replying in an offhanded way. “Oh. The Siren Leitmotif. It’s…been stuck in my head lately…kind of driving me nuts. I didn’t realize that it was ending up in…well, everything.”

“Siren Leitmotif?” Adrien echoed with an arched eyebrow.

Luka cleared his throat. “You know how Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique musically tells the story of a musician’s unrequited love and how it gradually drives him mad?”

Adrien, familiar with the piece, nodded.

Luka continued, “And you know how throughout the piece the idea of his beloved is represented by the same repeating musical phrase? I guess the Siren Leitmotif is kind of like that.”

Adrien’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

The leitmotif was Marinette.

Suddenly, Adrien didn’t care for the tune as much as he had before.

“It’s…I like it. It’s very…exotic,” Adrien did his best to cover the abrupt turn his mood had taken. “…It doesn’t sound very much like Marinette, though—at least, not to me,” he hurriedly amended.

But then, Adrien reasoned, Adrien wasn’t Marinette’s boyfriend. Chat Noir and Marinette had only made out once. Phenomenal though it had been, it wasn’t actually a lot to go on. How would Adrien really know what Marinette was like intimately?

A terrible realization: Were Marinette and Luka sleeping together?! They must be. They’d been going out for two months, and Luka was crazy about Marinette. Surely, at this point in time, Marinette had fallen wildly in love with Luka—how could she not have?

“Because it isn’t,” Luka replied, cutting into Adrien’s downward mental spiral.

Adrien blinked, backtracking. “Because it isn’t…what?”

Because the Siren Leitmotif wasn’t…Marinette? But then…who? Who the hell else could it be? Who had managed to get into Luka’s head, capture his attention enough to subconsciously permeate into Luka’s music? Who could—?

“Siren,” Adrien whispered. “As in…a mermaid?”

Luka frowned but then nodded.

Slowly, a vindicated grin spread across Adrien’s lips. “As in…Disney’s The Little Mermaid…Ariel?”

Luka’s face went ashen and then flushed. He looked away, bringing his glass up to his mouth, hiding behind it.

“You know,” Adrien giggled in glee, “for the longest time, I thought that nickname was a Shakespeare’s The Tempest reference, but…”

“You weren’t supposed to find out,” Luka muttered into his drink, his shoulders scrunching up in horrified mortification with a touch of dread.

“I’m your siren,” Adrien continued to laugh, suddenly over the moon because Luka was thinking about him. He’d gotten into Luka’s head, under Luka’s skin.

Luka sighed audibly, setting down his glass and running a hand through his hair.

Adrien turned his body so that he was facing Luka full on. “Don’t make that face,” he cooed.

“I’m not making a face,” Luka grumbled. “What face?”

Adrien gave Luka’s nose a poke. “The face you make when you wish you had a guitar in your hands so that you didn’t have to talk.”

Luka lifted an eyebrow. “I have a face for that?”

Adrien nodded, the teasing coming out of his voice to be replaced by softness. “Yeah, but you usually don’t make it at me. At least you didn’t…before. I guess things have changed.”

Luka chewed on his bottom lip, reluctantly meeting Adrien’s uncertain gaze. “Not as much as you seem to think.”

“…I thought you were over me,” Adrien admitted.

“In all fairness? I thought I was too…until you ran smack into me at that party two months ago.” Luka shook his head. “I mean, I knew a part of me would always have feelings for you, but…I didn’t anticipate…” His brow furrowed deeply. “These past few months have been emotionally confusing as we’ve become friends again and you’ve reminded me of all the things time and distance helped me to forget.”

Adrien took a step closer, his thigh brushing Luka’s. “…Am I driving you nuts?” he whispered, his hand coming to rest on Luka’s chest and slowly trailing up to Luka’s shoulder.

“Cards on the table?” Luka breathed in frustration. “Yes. Between you and Marinette, I am going insane. I’m glad you find this so amusing.”

“Hey, I have a leitmotif,” Adrien chuckled, “and it is sexy and alluring and vibrant and fierce and…and that’s how this really amazing guy thinks of me? You have made my week. Yes, I’m amused. Are you kidding? I’m freaking ecstatic. Luka, I have felt so low this year. I’ve felt ugly and-and like a total dumpster fire. I’ve felt unsalvageable, but…God, your music is beautiful, and that theme is supposed to be me? I feel…” Finally the emotions caught up with Adrien, and he got choked up. “…so good right now. Genuinely good.”

Luka’s mouth (which had dropped open around the part where Adrien had called Luka amazing) flapped open and closed impotently. There was so much he wanted to say, but the words weren’t coming together. He really wished he had a guitar so that he could play Adrien what he was feeling.

Adrien smiled, patting Luka’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. You can play it for me later,” he assured.

Luka nodded. “You think I’m amazing?”

Adrien cracked up a little. “Luka, I legitimately think you’re the second coming of Mozart. What higher praise do you want from me?”

“Snap,” Luka chuckled giddily. “You were serious about that.”

“Yes. Yes, I was.” Adrien rolled his eyes.

Luka’s entire face went carnelian.

“It’s so easy to make you happy,” Adrien observed with a hum of amusement. He rubbed his knee up Luka’s thigh and snatched Luka’s hand, spiriting it to Adrien’s lips for a butterfly kiss. “And you’re so cute when you blush.”

Luka’s flush deepened as both his tongue and his stomach tied themselves into knots.

“You’re sure I can’t steal you for the night?” Adrien hummed, wanting nothing more than to go back to the Liberty for shared music and deep, meaningful chats and snuggling in Luka’s bed and maybe even a kiss or four or six or eight.

Luka gave a little gasp of realization and tried to take a step back, but Adrien followed. “I don’t…Ariel, this isn’t just platonic flirting anymore.”

Adrien thought about it for a minute before agreeing. “…No. No, it’s not.”

“I can’t do this,” Luka breathed plaintively.

Adrien bit his lip, studying Luka’s face.

Luka’s normally clear blue eyes were cloudy as they begged, “Please don’t make me do this” but at the same time whispered, “You could make me do this…if you really wanted to”.

Adrien’s fingers dipped into Luka’s jacket pocket and pulled out a guitar pick. He stepped back to a reasonable distance and began to roll the pick back and forth over his knuckles, between his fingers.

He looked down at the remains of his drink in the glass on the counter and sullenly considered his situation. He felt frustrated that he’d missed out when Luka had been available and very much in love with the oblivious and confused Adrien. He felt cheated now that Luka was with Marinette so that Adrien couldn’t be with either of them. He was jealous. Marinette didn’t need Luka. If she didn’t want Adrien, why couldn’t she be with any of the dozen other guys who had crushes on her? Did it have to be Luka?

He turned the question back on himself: Did it have to be Luka? Did it have to be Marinette? Could he somehow extract himself from the situation and figure out how to be okay? He’d been doing so much better in respect to his mental health the past few months. Did he really need to complicate things with his relationships?

No…but he wanted to. He wanted love and affection—Luka’s kisses and fond smiles, Marinette’s thoughtful gestures and adoring looks, kind words and praise and light touches and—if Adrien couldn’t have Marinette, he could at least have Luka, couldn’t he? Marinette didn’t need Luka. And Adrien could be good to him. Would be good to him. There would be other men for Marinette, and Luka would have Adrien, so no one was really missing out if Adrien took it upon himself to…rearrange the relationships between them…right?

“But aren’t you doing it already?” Adrien hummed.

Luka’s face lost all color.

“I mean…the Siren Leitmotif has been showing up in your work these past two months, hasn’t it?” he challenged. “Even without me doing anything to actively encourage things between us, I’ve been on your mind, haven’t I?”

“Adrien,” Luka sighed, gripping at the roots of his hair. “Look. I realize that I’ve been unfaithful to Marinette in my thoughts, but there’s a big difference between…”

Adrien let the guitar pick fly out of his hand. “Whoops.”

Luka abruptly went silent as Adrien dropped into a feline-like crouch to retrieve the guitar pick and then slowly rolled up, leading with his behind in a way that gave Luka all kinds of bad ideas.

Adrien turned back around and smiled impishly as he purred, “Sorry. What were you saying?”

“Adrien,” Luka groaned at the object of his desire’s deliberate teasing.

“Luka,” Adrien echoed, playing innocent.

Luka shook his head. “You know exactly what you’re doing,” he accused. “And I’m asking you to stop.”

Adrien slipped the guitar pick back into Luka’s pocket and looked away with a pout.

“Adrien,” Luka called firmly, taking Adrien by the shoulders and forcing him to look at Luka. “Please. We both know that you don’t really want what you’re pretending that you want.”

Adrien frowned. “What does that even mean?”

“It means,” Luka explained patiently, his hands moving up to Adrien’s face, “that you don’t really want to seduce me. Didn’t you just tell me a little bit ago that you weren’t sexually attracted to other guys when you alluded to being biromantic heterosexual? Haven’t you told me before that you’re not interested in a relationship right now while you’re not emotionally well? Adrien, you don’t want to sleep with me. You don’t want to be with me. You don’t want to grow old together or build a life with me or take care of sick kids or figure out how to finance buying a house. You’re not thinking of any of that.”

Luka’s voice was soft and not accusing or angry or bitter, but there was a pain in Luka’s eyes that cut through Adrien, filling him with guilt anyway.

He was doing what Marinette had done to him to Luka. All of the sudden, Adrien felt vile, lower than dirt.

“Luka, I’m sorry. I—”

Luka cut him off with a finger pressed to Adrien’s lips. “Shh. It’s fine.”

“No, it’s really not,” Adrien wanted to argue.

“I know you’re going through a lot,” Luka assured. “I know you just want attention and affection. Things, first with Ladybug and then Marinette, haven’t been easy for you, and even though your father is doing a better job in recent months, there’s still a big affection deficit in your life that’s going to take a long time to fill. I know that you don’t mean to hurt me and that you weren’t thinking about what effect your actions would have on me at all, really. That’s why I’m telling you now.”

Luka ran a thumb over Adrien’s lips, eyes pinning Adrien like a butterfly. “We have three options. One, you get one hundred percent serious about me.” Luka paused to let his words sink in. “Two, we stay just friends with normal levels of platonic flirting, and I keep trying to maintain a hold on my feelings for you.” Another solemn pause for reflection. “Three,” Luka winced. “we don’t see each other anymore.”

Adrien’s hand flew to Luka’s wrist, gripping tightly. His bottom lip trembled. He shook his head. He couldn’t even verbalize a response.

Luka smiled reassuringly, giving Adrien’s cheek a comforting pat. “Well, then, behave, okay? Don’t tempt me because I’m not a cheater. I want to keep being around you because you make me feel genuinely good too. You’re a precious friend to me, Adrien. I don’t want to lose that again. Having you ripped away from me once was hard enough.”

Adrien shook his head, feeling very much afraid. “You were wrong…. I have no idea what the hell I’m doing.” He couldn’t get over the sinking feeling that he was going to wreck everything once more.

“Hey.” Luka’s thumb gently stroked Adrien’s cheek. “Shhh. Calm down. It’s going to be fine. Just breathe. Don’t panic. We’re going to figure this out, okay?”

Adrien took a deep breath, body shaking. He nodded. “Sorry about the mood swings. I swear I’m fine. I just…”

“Close your eyes,” Luka instructed.

Adrien frowned but did as asked. A second later he felt gentle kisses placed on his eyelids, Luka’s breath warm on his face as Luka whispered, “You’re okay, Perfect Fifth.”

Adrien’s grip on Luka’s forearm tightened. “Luka…” His eyes fluttered open. “I’m sorry. I’ll be good,” he promised.

Luka smiled. “I know you will. I’ll do my best on my end as well.”

A cacophony of texts began to pour in on Luka’s phone, snapping the two out of the moment.

“The hell?” Luka frowned as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Sorry.”

A text came in on Adrien’s phone too.

Luka cursed under his breath as he read, “WTH do u think ur doing?!” from Juleka followed by an onslaught of question marks and exclamation points sent individually so that Luka could not ignore her.

“It’s my sister. She disapproves,” Luka sighed, typing back, “we’re just talking”, “chill”.

“Apparently, from Nino’s angle, it looked like you kissed me for real,” Adrien groaned. “He’s freaking out.”

Luka ran a hand back and forth through his hair vigorously. “Yeah, he’s coming over here.”

Adrien cursed softly, grabbing Luka’s scotch glass. “I’m going to need this,” he grumbled, downing the rest of the contents with a wince before turning to face Nino.

“What the hell, Mec?!” Nino hissed, taking Adrien by the arm and tugging him. “Have you completely lost your mind? You’ve completely lost your mind!”

“Nino,” Luka interceded. “This is a misunderstanding. I just kissed him on the cheek. It wasn’t—”

“—You. Don’t even start with me,” Nino warned, waving a finger in Luka’s face. “I like you, Luka, but you’re screwing around with two of my best friends. You are on thin ice.”

“Nino,” Adrien sighed, pulling on Nino’s arm. “I’m the one trying to seduce him. You should be yelling at me.”

Nino rolled his eyes. “You are having a quarter-life crisis. You and I will have a talk later when you’re sober, Adrien, but, for now, he’s taking advantage of you, and—”

“—Are you sure about that?” Adrien scoffed. “Because I’m having to do a heck of a lot of the work, and I don’t feel like he’s deriving any benefit from me. Maybe someone should teach him how to take advantage better.”

Nino gritted his teeth. “Adrien—”

“—Okay.” Luka stepped in. “This is not a productive conversation. Maybe we need to call a time out and discuss things later when we’re feeling more level-headed.”

Adrien and Nino both snorted.

“Adrien, Nino’s just concerned because he cares about you,” Luka reasoned calmly, trying to defuse the situation. “Nino, yes, Adrien is having a rough time lately, but he’s not a child. Now, if we could all take a deep breath?”

Begrudgingly, Nino and Adrien inhaled slowly in tandem.

“Good. Nino?”

Nino cocked an eyebrow, not letting go of his attitude entirely, lest Luka mistakenly think he’d been forgiven.

“I want to make sure Adrien gets home safely. Since I don’t think you’d approve of me escorting him, could you please take him or see that he gets into an Agreste vehicle?”

Nino shrugged. “I was planning on it.”

“Good,” Luka repeated. “Thank you. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go check in with the others.”

“Wait.” Adrien reached out a hand as Luka made to go.

Luka read the anxiety on Adrien’s face and smiled. “Don’t worry,” he assured. “We’re good. I’ll text you later?”

Adrien nodded, conjuring up a smile in answer.

Nino sighed as they watched Luka walk away. “Mec…I understand that your whole life is exploding this year, but couldn’t you have picked any other guy? Literally any other guy? Why do you have to set yourself up to get hurt?”

Adrien shrugged, looping his arm through Nino’s. “Literally any other guy?”

“Yes,” Nino insisted.

Adrien chuckled, leaning in to lick Nino’s cheek. “Don’t you think Alya will mind sharing?”

Nino cursed under his breath. “Dude. Don’t make me bite you.”

“There’s a snapping turtle joke in there somewhere,” Adrien mused.

Nino shook his head, pulling Adrien towards the exit. “You keep me up nights worrying about you.”

Adrien was silent for a few steps before answering. “…Sorry…. Thanks.”

“It’s what I’m here for,” Nino assured, bumping Adrien’s hip with his own.

( Now, who clicked on the link in "I drink to you"? Those of you who did were confused, weren't you? Unless you're familiar with Wagner's leitmotifs in Tristan und Isolde. Adrien is making a joke that he doesn't expect anyone else to get. In the opera, Tristan and Isolde think that they're drinking poison, but Isolde's maid has put a love potion in the cup instead. Tristan drinks first, and then Isolde snatches the cup from him, claiming that half is for her. She says, "I drink to you" (as the leitmotif in the link plays), and they fall in love instead of dying. Their unfortunate, star-crossed love dooms them to death anyway. Adrien is being melodramatic and seeing parallels between his own star-crossed, hopeless situation and the opera. This is just a little piece of subtle character psychology that I snuck in...until you know it's there, and then it's ham-fisted and glaring...but that should give you some background for what's going through Adrien's head as he says the line.)