#posted the lukanette one separately but i felt like they all had to be together here

[castles-in-the-eyre]

been thinking about casual affection

[mikauzoran]

October/November Update Schedule

Hi guys! I hope you’re all well. I just wanted to gives you a heads up on the update schedule for October and November.

~*~

Saturday, 10/23/2021: (Adrienette) A Grand Misunderstanding - Marinette regretted not telling Adrien how she felt. She waited too long, and he moved on…or did he? At Nino and Alya’s wedding, Marinette finds out that she might not have missed her chance after all. Fate gives her another shot at telling her partner the truth and making him the happiest cat in town.

This is the one that I was referring to as the “PRPR DJ WiFi Wedding Adrienette” one-shot. XD I talked about it more here and here.

Saturday, 10/30/2021: (Lady Noir and Adrienette) In the Shadow of Truth - When an akuma attack leaves the heroes unable to detransform and the kwamis stuck in human form, secrets are spilled and identities unravel, leaving Adrien and Marinette to pick up the pieces of their relationship.

This is the one I referred to as the “Plagg and Wayzz Prompt” story in my The Plan(TM) post. I finally finished it! ^w^ I’m pretty happy with how it turned out too. I broke it into three separate chapters instead of keeping it as a one-shot like I first thought it would be. It got kind of long. ^.^;

Sunday, 11/14/2021: (Lukadrien) Perfect Fifth - Adrien is distressed at his inability to get sex jokes and tired of hearing that he’ll understand when he’s older. Luka comforts him and assures him that he’s perfect as he is.

This idea just randomly came to me while I was out walking, and it amused me, so I wrote it. Luka’s teaching Adrien to play cello and says “spread your legs”...and, yeah. This one is for people like me who don’t understand sexual humor.

Sunday, 11/21/2021: (Adrienette and Marichat) Who’s Thirsty? - 

“I don’t sound too thirsty, do I?” Marinette inquired anxiously as Alya read over her confession letter to Adrien.

Overhearing his friend in distress, Adrien stopped, quirking his head to the side and asking in concern, “You’re thirsty, Marinette?”

In which Adrien doesn’t know what “thirsty” means, and Marinette ends up explaining it to Chat Noir…with surprisingly favorable consequences.

This is the one I was talking about here. I just randomly had this idea getting out of the shower, and it amused me, so I wrote it.

Sunday, 11/28/2021: (Lukanette) Request Piece Like Piano for Four Hands - This one doesn’t have an official summary or title yet, but someone asked me to do a Lukanette piece like my Adrienette story Piano for Four Hands. Basically, Marinette is feeling stressed and lost, and she comes across Luka playing a calming song on guitar. They talk, and he teaches her to play a song on the harp. They play a duet together, and it’s really cute.

I’m kind of out of my element because I don’t usually write Lukanette outside of a Lukadrienette or Lukadrigaminette context. ^.^; I think this turned out well, though. I guess we’ll see what people think when I post it.

~*~

And that’s it for now. So what do you guys think? Which stories are you most excited for?

[lady-charinette]

Justice's Reign - Akumatized!Lukanette AU a.k.a Silencer & Princess Justice AU

(Sooo...I can't find my original post about the idea of Silencer and Princess Justice working together as two uber powerful justice based akumas, so I will post my story separately).

Justice's Reign

"Come to me, my honorable loyal subjects." Princess Justice and Silencer stepped forth, bowing their heads. "Now, I want you to unleash your powers upon the citizens of Paris and punish all the evildoers you can find, including bringing me Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous!"

There was a sound, the sound of a bell chime and the scales of Princess Justice began to move. They swayed, one moving up, while the other moved down until they finally came to a definite standstill.

One side was tipped as low as the scales went and silence filled the room. Her eyes Hawkmoth could not see, but the sharp scowl told him she was displeased.

"I see now, my scales never lie." with that, Princess Justice raised her sword, lowered her scales to her side and pointed the blunt blade directly at Hawkmoth.

"What?! How dare you! I'm the one who granted you this power! Silencer, I command you to-!" Hawkmoth found himself in a tight headlock, two strong arms snaked under his own ones and locked behind his head, keeping him in place. "Silencer! What are you-" Silencer's gloved hand covered his mouth and steel grey eyes widened in astonishment.

It was Princess Justice that answered, all the while stepping closer, her bare feet padding against the sleek floor of Hawkmoth's lair. "Sorry Hawkmoth, but you're the biggest evildoer in this city and I won't allow you to continue the injustice any longer! Repent for what you've done!" Princess Justice touched him with her sword on his shoulder and promptly, Hawkmoth froze.

The small purple jellyfish that had flown into the air before the blade touched him traveled to Silencer's helmet, effectively capturing his voice.

The dark colors of his suit vanished and in Hawkmoth's place stood now a man clad in white, a white cloth over his eyes with his hands bound in front of him. His lips moved but no sound escaped him and he hung his head in defeat, the cleansing ritual complete.

The scales in the women's hand balanced themselves out, recognizing the purification process and tipping back into balance. The blindfolded woman rested the blade at her side and Silencer gently touched her shoulder.

She smiled. "Thank you, let's go." the young akumatized man nodded, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the lair.

---

It was hours later that the two figures found a quiet place to rest.

Silencer gently lead the woman in white to sit on a bench in the secluded park, while he himself scanned the area warily.

Princess Justice's voice made him sharply turn his attention to her. "It's alright, he won't come without his partner. He wouldn't dare engage us in combat alone." taking her words for what they were, the tension in his shoulders left and he allowed himself to sit beside her.

Her lips stretched into a smile. "Thank you for being by my side, my scales are the only thing allowing me to gaze at the world as it is, but alerting me of others is not one of its functions." She giggled and smiled when Silencer's familiar hand found her shoulder to pat kindly.

She grasped his hand and squeezed it in appreciation, bowing her head in deep gratitude.

Her companion remained silent for a while, despite all the voices already stored within him, it took another moment before he raised his hand to speak. "Mistress-"

She shook her head, her hand lightly squeezing his own again. "I told you I'm no mistress to you, my dear Silencer."

He shook his head, green eyes twinkling with mirth. "Little melody," the name his civilian identity held for her own civilian one fell from his hands and Princess Justice felt herself flush under her blindfold.

"W-Would...would you choose a different name please?" she couldn't properly condone those worthy of punishment if he distracted her like this!

Silencer's chuckle sounded amused to her keen ears and she resisted the urge to gently tap his head with her blade. "My lady?"

Distantly, vaguely, a memory tried to float into her mind at the title, as if someone from a distant time had once called her so, but Princess Justice had no recollection.

She wasn't the woman before Hawkmoth's akuma had granted her her powers, she was Princess Justice, a punisher of sinners and a protector for the innocent. "Y-Yes?"

He paused, as if to choose his words carefully. "We've largely restored order to Paris as it is now, should we rest for the day? I'm sure you're exhausted." The tap on her shoulder made her smile and she nodded, granting him permission to soothingly rub her back.

While she had no recollection of her previous life, she still remembered him, her companion.

Silencer.

Luka.

How kind and gentle he'd been with her before and oh so affectionate. How it never changed even when they both fell prey to Hawkmoth's influence and their own emotions. If anything, his gentleness towards her had increased, laced with fierce protectiveness at her added blindness.

While Silencer may be mute without other voices, Princess Justice was blind, blinded by an oath to her blindfold, unless she committed a crime, that the blindfold would fall and she could no longer judge impartially.

A heavy sigh left her lips and she rubbed his knuckles over the gloved texture appreciatively. "While the idea sounds wonderful, I'm afraid the injustice that remains won't be idle while I rest. I want to completely cleanse the evil from the city and I cannot rest until I fulfilled my duty."

Two warm hands stopped her from standing, their warmth seeping into her shoulders, through the white toga she wore.

"My lady, while I share your thoughts, I don't think it's a good idea you overextert yourself. You have to be careful." she hoped her smile could convey what she couldn't with her eyes.

"My dear Silencer, as much as I appreciate your worry, I cannot rest until I finish my duty, at least for today." she stood and sensed Silencer stood beside her. "Will you accompany me again? Surely you are-"

"Nonsense. Of course, I'll come. I promised to be by your side, didn't I?" his voice, Luka's own, made her feel oddly warm and Princess Justice tried to clear her throat from the sensation of her heart nearly jumping out of it.

"Thank you..." she shook her head, tightening her grip on her blade. "I know who my next target will be. It's a woman who has wronged me in my past life, so I will judge her for her sins in this one."

"Do you mean..." Silencer's voice was replaced by another, but she could always tell it was him that spoke.

"Yes. Lila Rossi. The atrocities she has committed not only upon Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but upon all those who have known her, are despicable. She among all else deserves the punishment my scales will determine."

At the mention of the Italian woman, Silencer oddly fell silent and the woman sensed a change in his demeanor.

His aura felt wild, furious, as if the hottest fires from the flames of hell licked against the surface of his calm composure, threatening to consume it.

So he remembered Lila Rossi as well.

"I'll use the power Hawkmoth gave me to restore justice once and for all!" Silencer's anger radiated in waves off him, but a sudden hand on his cheek made him stop.

It was Princess Justice, Marinette, whose furious expression melted into genuine appreciation and affection for the akumatized man before her. "Silencer, my noble knight, I'm grateful for your help. But dishing out justice is my job, yours is to forever silence the evil voices haunting the innocent." reluctantly, he nodded, and she could see him smile with the way his gaze softened.

"I know but...she hurt the woman I love, and that is a crime even worse than what Hawkmoth did."

Princess Justice's eyes widened behind her blindfold and she took a step back, cheeks a bright red. "W-What are you saying? That's impossible! My scales-"

A familiar hand gently cradled her cheek, the heat on her face rising exponentially at his tender touch. "Sometimes, your scales can't measure the weight of what is in people's hearts, my lady."

Gentle, warm pressure was on her knuckles, Silencer's hand rubbing the limb lovingly, before he grabbed her other hand and lead her out of the park, into the open streets.

Princess Justice shook her head, Silencer's words strengthening not only her blade but also her heart and she gripped his hand more firmly before making a single small leap.

Silencer froze when he felt a tug on his hand and before he could react, warm soft lips placed a short but sweet kiss on his cheek, where his cheek would've been had it not been for his helmet.

The akumatized man stopped, suddenly feeling entirely too hot in his headgear before he was lead by his lady, in the direction where her sense of justice took her.

He followed, green eyes softening at her gesture and with her hand secure in his, they both set out on their mission.

To deliver justice.

[bbwoulfc]

Lukanette Viking AU - Luka and Jagged: Picking A Dragon (REWRITE)

Ao3

Viking Life was a mixture of many things.  Expand, learn, fight, trade, dragon training, etc, the list goes on.  Though, when it came to the Anarky tribe, chaos and fun were one important motto when it came to being a viking.

For the Stone-Couffaine clan, they believed chaos and fun allowed a viking to reach their full and true potential.  At least, that’s what Jagged and Anarka, the chief and chieftess, believe.  It’s what allowed the Anarky tribe to rule over areas of Sratha Cluade in Scotland and Ulaid in Ireland for so long.  They were fair and just but tended to focus more on kindness and fun, with a bit of chaos of course.

And though they were a bit chaotic, they had good allies.  One of those allies they were closest to is the Cruthachadh tribe; ruled by the humble and kind Tom and Sabine of the Dupain-Cheng clan.  Together, they helped each other strive with trade and goods which only strengthened their alliance.

This eventually led to the day that house Dupain-Cheng and house Stone-Couffaine decided to sign a contract of union with a marriage between their eldest children, believing they’d be a good match for one another and lead both tribes, once united, to years of prosperous reign.  Now, at the age of twelve, Luka, heir of the Anarky tribe, was betrothed to the heir of Cruthachadh’s heir, Marinette.

With the weight of the betrothal and upcoming visit from Marinette approaching, Luka was growing nervous and anxious.  He never gets the chance to meet Marinette as often as most betrothed or even friends would, and that made it difficult when your betrothed lived a couple day’s trip by boat away or a day’s flight by dragon on a separate island.

Would they be considered friends when they hardly see each other?  Does Marinette even consider themselves friends?

Luka sighed from the whirlwind of questions and worries.  Sitting at the dining table, he dropped his head on the heavy wooden tabletop and let out a grown.

“What’s got you all mopey?” he heard his sister quietly ask as she entered the dining and kitchen space.

“Just thinking about Marinette and our betrothal.”

“Oh, that again.  Then I’m gonna leave and go hang out with Alix and Kim.  Have fun sulking.”

“Love you too, Jules,” he called out as Juleka left the house.

Luka let out another sigh.  He really wanted to make this relationship work.  But now that Juleka ditched him, he had no one else home to talk about gift ideas.  And that was the nervous part of figuring out a gift, what kinds of things does Marinette like?  Does she like jewelry?  Weapons?  Crafts?

Where was someone when he needed it?

The front door to their home burst open with force as he heard someone enter the domain.

‘I take that back.’

“Eh, my boy!”

Pushing his head up, Luka greeted his father with a small smile.

Seeing his son’s dull expression, Jagged walked over and sat across from his son, his winged crimson pit drake hybrid, Fang, followed close behind.  Luka gave a small chuckle seeing the large dragon stopping beside his father, lay down, and curl up.  Fang might look like a terrifying beast, but that dragon was nothing but an oversized puppy with how his father spoiled him.  Well, until someone threatening came along, then that puppy side was gone.

“What’s got ya so blue, son?”  Jagged’s brows furrowed,  “Is...is dis ‘bout the betrothal?”

Luka huffed, “Yea.  I’m...I’m worried about screwing this up and ruining my chances making Marinette happy.”

A smile stretched across Jagged’s face, feeling guilty for his son’s turmoil.

“I’m sorry, lad.  Yer mother ‘nd I didn’t mean fer dis betrothal ta get ya worked up.  We all just thought da two o’ve ya would be great fer each other.” 

“It’s alright, dad.  I really like Marinette, don’t worry.  I just don’t want her to regret being stuck with me.”

“Ah, come on, don’t think like that, son.  Yer a good man,” -he pushed himself up to tap his finger against Luka’s forehead- “don’t forget that.”

Sitting back in his seat, he rested his arms on the table.  Jagged looked at his son, “So, tell me what ideas ya got fer Marinette.  I know you’ve been thinkin’.”

“I was hoping to get Marinette a gift when she came to visit.  I just don’t know what she likes or would like.”

Jagged gave his son a wide grin, “Well lucky fer you, I know exactly what ta get fer yer future wife!”

“Really?” Luka perked in relief.

Leaning forward to Luka, he gave his son a nod and whispered the answer like it was a secret.

“The perfect way ta a girl’s heart is a dragon o’ve their own.”

Luka looked at his dad with skepticism, “Really?”

He watched Jagged lean back with wide arms and bright smile, “Absolutely!  That’s how I won da heart o’ve yer mother.”

Well, Luka couldn’t really argue with that in all honesty.  Based on the bond between his parents, their relationship was one of strength and many other traits.  If his dad believed a dragon would help the start of his and Marinette’s relationship, it couldn’t hurt to try, right?

“Alright,” Luka breathed with new confidence and gave his father an excited smile, “Mind joining me to the nesting grounds to find a dragon for Marinette as a pre-wedding gift?”

Jagged gave Luka a starry-eyed look and jumped up excitingly in place.

“Of course!  We’ll get ta ‘ave a father-son bondin’ moment.”  Jagged ran around the table and picked up his son, missing the sound of a yelp from Luka.  Throwing his son over his shoulder as he ran for the front, calling his dragon companion to follow, “Come along, Fang!”  

 **********************************************************

 It didn’t take them long to navigate through the Scottish woods along the shore cliff sides that housed one of the larger gatherings and nesting grounds for dragons.  Nesting grounds were always a serendipitous place for vikings to come and bond with the majestic creatures.  To build lifelong companions and friends.

For Luka, he hadn’t been to the nesting grounds in two years when he came to find a dragon companion of his own at age ten.  Which turned out as a great experience if he had to say so himself.  

He remembers when he stumbled across the Icelandic hatchling with the golden eyes two years ago.

The white-colored dragon gazed at him with curiosity and hope.  Luka reached into his side pouch and pulled out a strip of dried fish to give the hatchling; reaching the piece of meat forward.  Perking and giving the item a sniff, the dragon took and ate the treat before moving closer to the young boy.

Dropping to his knees, Luka waited patiently for the hatchling to approach on his own will.  His parents told him that you’ll know the right dragon when you both bond and connect in mind.  So, as he waited, the hatchling stepped with his front paws on Luka’s knees and stretched up until the boy stroked his head.

Seeing the dragon wanting attention, Luka ran his hand along the smokey grey muzzle and snow-white head.  He felt a rumble-like purr and within a few moments, he heard a faint, new voice say “friend” enter his head.  Hoping it was a sign of the bond, Luka thought of the word friend in return and watched as the Icelandic hatchling opened his eyes from the nuzzling and looked at him in awe and excitement within those golden eyes.

‘Bonded?’ he heard from the dragon.

Luka gave the hatchling a nod and smile, “Bonded.”

The small dragon gave a chirp in happiness and nuzzled fully against Luka.

“You’re quite the majestic dragon, aren’t you?  Really cool and handsome looking,” he stated while taking in all the dragon’s detail.

The Icelandic hatchling heard the boy’s praise and sat back, standing boldly with a little cockiness and pride.

Luka chuckled, “Oh?  A little sassiness I see.”

The hatchling perked at the term of sassy.

“You like that?  Sassy?”  He heard the dragon bark in agreement.  “Alright then.  How do you feel about Sass for a name?”

‘I like it.’

“Then, it looks like you and I are bonded companions for life,” chuckling when Sass jumped into Luka’s arms. 

Finding Sass was one of the best things to happen in his life.  To have a companion and friend to talk to, who also came to enjoy some of his interests.  And in two winters, he would be able to add Marinette and her own dragon to add to his list of good things to happen to him.

When Luka and Jagged crossed the skirt of dangling tree branches, both men gasped at the utopia that was the nesting grounds.  The area was filled with hoards of dragons of all shapes, sizes, and colors.  It might have been only two years since he had been there, but he knew for a fact that there weren’t as many dragons last time.

“There are so many new dragons,” Luka mumbled in awe.  “I didn’t know there were so many types.”

He felt his father bump his shoulder, not removing his gaze from the joyous sight, “Maybe the dragons talk to each other and tell how awesome our land is.”

They both chuckled which built to laughter.  Together, once they calmed down, began walking again, slowly approaching further into the nesting grounds.  Taking in all the activity surrounding them, they saw dragons roaming, flying, lounging under the bright sun, and herds of hatchlings playing about among the green fields, small hills, and low mountains.  The scenery looked like a kingdom all its own, but he wouldn’t let the variety of dragons deter him from finding a hatchling for Marinette.

“Where to start?” Luka mumbled to himself, gazing at the nearby nests.

However, he wasn’t aware of Jagged moving towards another direction until the sound of grass rustling came beside him.  Looking to his left, Luka watched his father take off like a kid during the holidays, jumping from nest to nest or dragon to dragon; Fang following close behind in the same enthusiasm.  

“Dad!  What are you doing?!  This isn’t like being at one of the trading posts.”

Jagged looked back at his son and waved off his worries, “Oi, no need ta worry, son!  Fang will keep me safe.”  

‘Yea, but there’s a difference from looking fearsome and acting like one.’

Rolling his eyes, Luka followed his father and Fang towards the open meadow, heading to the opposite side.  Coming upon one of the nearest nests, he came across a familiar breed of dragon.  Seeing a mixture of gold, blue, and red eyes, the snow-white scales was no mistake.

Falling to his knees, the hatchlings scurried towards Luka seeking attention like most hatchlings sought.  Chuckling, Luka tried dividing his attention to all three hatchlings as they chirped and licked his hands.  He could feel the smoothness in the younglings' skin and bumps where future spikes and horns would develop.

Though, like all hatchlings, the attention span didn’t last long as the Icelandic younglings ran off to play with the other hatchling breeds.

At the sound of a chuckled rumble, the young heir looked up at the mother of the nest, her gaze distant to where her offsprings ran off.  After a few more seconds, the mother’s gaze shifted to Luka.  Wise blue eyes looked into young ocean filled ones.

“Hey, girl.  It’s been a while.”  Opening his travel pouch, he pulled out a piece of dried fish jerky meat, holding it up to the dragon.

The female lowered her head and took the piece of meat and ate it.  She lightly nudged her dull upward beak muzzle against Luka’s head in gratitude.  Raising his hands, he returned the gesture by petting along her jaw and snout, earning a purring rumble.

“You’re a good girl, aren’t you?”  He heard the dragon give another rumble.  Leaning back, he looked into her eyes with a smile filled with his own sense of gratitude, “I want to thank you for letting me have Sass.  We’ve both been very happy.”

He received a lick across his cheek when they heard the hatchlings return and huddle back into the nest, all three curling up to one another before falling asleep.  Feeling it was time for him to move on to allow the hatchlings to sleep, he gave the mother a wave goodbye before walking off.  The Icelandic breed was a gorgeous dragon, but he felt it didn’t suit Marinette.

Continuing on to another random nest, Luka came upon a family of Wyverns.  Strong but stubborn creatures, they were majestic in their own way.  Slightly smaller than the Icelandic dragon, they were more of, what Luka felt, bird-like in appearance.  Large and powerful wingspans and two strong powerful legs.  Forest green and browns in color, they would act like good camouflage dragons in the woods or forests.

Giving attention to some of the hatchlings, he took in some more of the details around the body.  Spikes traveling along the back and parts of the head, at the end of the tail it formed into a spike club shape.  Luka was sure the Wyvern would make a good fierce and loyal companion, but again, he didn’t feel confident it was the dragon for his betrothed.

“Oi! Luka, come here, son.”

Looking over towards the location his father was, he saw Jagged and Fang hunched over a smaller nest compared to the larger ones laying about.  Standing up, Luka headed over and knelt down beside his father.

“What do ya think o’ve these little guys?”

Jagged picked up one of the little dragons with butterfly-like wings.  The coloring reminded him of one of those butterflies with orange and black markings.  A Monarch he thinks it was after learning from a gentleman at a trading post when he was with his father.  

The little dragon looked up at the two of them with curiosity in those bluish buggish eyes and chirped.

“I don’t know, dad.  They look like one of those Feydragons.  They’re very small and I wanted to get Marinette a dragon she could eventually ride.”

“Well, maybe dis guy can be an inside home dragon companion, like a dog or cat.  There’s nothin’ wrong wit’ havin’ more than one dragon.”

Looking closer at the small dragon, it’s fins fanning out and wings fluttering from the light breeze passing, and chirped.

“The little guy is cute,” spoke Luka, “It probably wouldn’t hurt to have two dragons for Marinette.”

Smiling at his dad, Jagged returned one when the sight of the Feydragon’s body began to glow.  The father and son perked in attention at the sight and gazed on in their own curiosity, leaning closer to the little creature.

“Oh?  What’s this?” Mumbled Jagged.

Suddenly, the Feydragon sneezed, the body giving a spark as a small explosion burst out.  The smoke from the blast hit Jagged and Luka with a small light force, becoming coated in patches of ash and scorch marks across their upper body.  Blinking, Luka broke his gaze from the dragon and glanced up at his father with a fuzzled haze, taking in all the scorch marks and strands of his hair and beard sticking out of place.  A few strands sizzling or giving off smoke.

If Luka hadn’t been a part of the explosion, he’d find the sight of this whole event hilarious.  He was sure he sported a similar appearance and knew the moment they returned home, Juleka would probably laugh.  As for his mother, he wasn’t sure.

“I like this little guy!” Shouted Jagged, “Marinette would love this!”

“No,” vetoed Luka.  “I’m not giving her a dragon that has explosive sneezes.”

“Oh, I’m sure they grow out of it.”

“Still no.  I’m not risking my future wife with an explosive dragon.”

“You’re no fun, but I guess you have a point.  I bet Juleka would love him!”

“Oh, gods,” mumbled Luka.

He didn’t want to begin imagining the idea of Juleka owning a dragon such as this one.

His eyes widen at the sudden thought of Alix and Kim learning about this dragon breed.  The explosions would only add up on a daily basis.

He felt a weight land on his back and little chirps and clicks.  Turning his head to his left, he tried to catch a glimpse of what landed on his back, when a small reddish gold hatchling crawled up and rested on top of his shoulder.  Raising his right hand up, he waited patiently until the hatchling crawled in his palms, the dragon’s eyes never once leaving their focus from his.

“A Chinese Gold dragon?” he gazed at the structure and appearance, taking in certain details of the bat-like wings and size, along with the crests to signal it was a female.  He gave the little dragon a welcoming smile, “Well, aren’t you a beautiful girl.  It’s not very often we get to see your species around these parts.”

The red hatchling chirped and looked knowingly with her blue eyes and seemed to gleam at being called beautiful.  Reaching into his small pouch, Luka pulled another piece of fish jerky, ripping off a smaller strip and placed it in front of the hatchling.

Watching as she sniffed the food, gurgled in excitement, and snatched the piece of meat, eating it whole.  Licking her muzzle, the red hatchling pushed up with her hind legs and rubbed her head against Luka’s chin, causing the boy to giggle.

“You’re a lovable little thing aren’t you?”

The golden hatchling gave another chirp.  Luka looked over the dragon coated in gradients of reddish-gold with some smokey black markings on her back.  It really was a gorgeous dragon and seeing the blue eyes, it reminded him of Marinette’s when he saw her a couple of years ago when they were younger.  He felt confident that this was the dragon for Marinette.

“Would you like to come home with me?  I have someone special who would love you and make a great bonded companion.”

Wanting to let the dragon make the decision, it didn’t take long for the small hatchling to crawl up his shoulder and give a little lick to Luka’s cheek.

“Well, it looks like ya found yerself a dragon, son.”

“Ya.  Ready to head home?” Luka asked as he turned to his father.

“Yep!  I can’t wait ta show Juleka her new companion!”

Luka shook his head as he followed behind his father and Fang towards home.  He was sure their house was going to get slightly busier with all the new residents.

 ********************************************************

 It didn’t take them long to reach their village, taking the pathway leading to the Couffaine home.  Compared to the other houses, it wasn’t hard to find the large two leveled home.  Then again, it was said that the chief and chieftess homes were built to be a bit larger.

Walking up the front steps, the father and son entered the family home to find Juleka at the dining table, eating lunch.

Looking over to her father and brother, Juleka perked at the sight of them, taking in the messing appearance.

“What the heck happened to you two?”

“My little darlin’ daughter,” Jagged ran over to Juleka in pure excitement, “I got you a little companion.”

He held out the small Feydragon so Juleka could take a look.

“This little guy gives off explosions when it sneezes.  It’s so cute!”

Juleka’s eyes grew in awe and wonder, mumbling, “Awesome.”

As Jagged and Juleka continued to wonder over the small Fey hatchling, Luka jolted when he heard his mother’s voice to the side of him.

“What on earth happened ta ya, lad?”  He turned towards her to find her glancing at all his messed up appearance.  “What the Hel did you ‘nd yer father get up too?”

Luka motioned for the gold dragon to hop into his palms as he held her out to his mother.

“I wanted to get Marinette a special pre-wedding gift when she comes over to visit in two weeks.  Dad said that the best way to a girl’s heart was a dragon.  What do you think?”

Ankara looked at the Chinese Gold dragon hatchling and gave a warming smile.  As quick as lighting, his mother pulled him into a crushing hug.  He was thankful that the hatchling was quick as well as she jumped out his hands before being crushed.

“Oh, my boy is growin’ up,” Ankara softly spoke, “I’m so proud o’ve ya.  Yer gonna make a fine husband ta Marinette.”   

Luka sighed at his mother’s words, feeling thankful for having such support, but feeling a weight lift off knowing he was giving his all and that his family believed in him.  They might be chaotic, him having his own moments, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.  Hopefully, Marinette doesn’t mind a bit of chaos.

@lineith @depressedrainbowcake @fantastucbaby @hansa-12 @justafanwarrior @bugaboo-valerie

[fandomsphere]

Welcome back to the FANDOM-sphere for another #fanfictionfriday ! This week we are bringing you the final part of our Lukanette fic How to Date a Superhero. If you’d like to read it on ao3 you can follow this (link) if you need to find our earlier parts, follow the tags on this post. Please enjoy and we’ll see you again next week!

Step 5: Win her heart. 

Ladybug swung up onto a nearby building and opened her yo-yo into a phone to call Chat. She still couldn’t believe that she’d kissed Luka. It had been a spontaneous impulse brought on by how proud she was of Luka for being Ladybug. He was one of the few people she would trust with such a task and he had done it. He protected Paris. If they didn’t have to keep identities a secret she would shout to the world how great Luka was.

Maybe this was how she would get over Adrien?

“Ladybug?” Chat asked cautiously.

The voice hadn’t come from the phone as expected. She whipped around to see her partner standing at the  opposite end of the roof. He hesitantly stepped towards her with hope in his eyes.

She smiled at him. “Hi, Chaton.”

Chat ran forward and hugged her, lifting her off her feet and spinning her once, before setting her down again. “I’m glad you’re okay, m’lady. I wasn’t sure if I could trust that guy you sent.”

Ladybug laughed at the enthusiastic greeting but quickly sobered. “Sorry, about that. The akuma got to me before I could transform. Lu… uh… my friend, was there and I needed to send someone to purify the akuma. I’m glad you guys could work together so well.”

Chat rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah… we did. Look, Bugaboo, this guy, he said that the two of you had been on a date and that he wants you to be his girlfriend. Is that true?”

“He said that?” Her heart soared at the thought of being Luka’s girlfriend and him being her boyfriend. It was looking more and more like her feelings for Adrien, while not completely gone, were definitely fading. “Yeah, we are on a date at the moment.”

Chat’s expression shifted into a grimace, before settling into something like a kicked puppy, or kitten in this case. “Oh… so he’s the guy you’re in love with.”

She almost corrected him, but swallowed it down. There was no point to it. It would only hurt Chat more to know that her feelings had shifted to someone else and that someone else wasn’t him.

“He is,” she confirmed.

He took a deep breath through his nose. “Great. He seems… nice.”

Ladybug nodded. “He is.” She paused for a moment. She really didn’t want to deal with his jealousy when all she wanted was to be excited about Luka. “Chat, I’m not asking you to be happy about it. And if you need some time-”

He waved off her concerns. “I don’t need time. You’re my friend and I’m happy that you found someone who cares about you as much as I do.”

Chat leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. For a moment she thought that the gesture would bother her, but it felt different than the barely held back romantic affection that usually came from him. She lightly punched him in the arm. “Thanks, partner.”

“Just let him know that if he ever breaks your heart, he’ll have me to deal with.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes but appreciated the intent. He still cared for her. He still wanted to protect her. She was just relieved that she still had her friend and partner. Part of her had been afraid of losing him whenever she finally started getting serious about someone. “I’ll be sure to tell him.”

There was an awkward moment of silence where they just stood looking out over Paris. Except maybe it wasn’t that awkward. It was nice for Ladybug to enjoy Chat’s silent company.

“I said that I didn’t need time,” Chat said so softly she almost missed it. “Because I didn’t want you to think I wanted this to end.” He gestured between them. “But I… it does hurt… to know that you don’t want to be with me the way that I want to be with you.”

“I know.” She reached over and took his hand. “I know. But, know that I’ll always need you and want you by my side. Got it?”

He smiled at her. It was genuine and betrayed the relief he must have felt. “Got it.”

____________________________________________________

Marinette met Luka outside of the exhibition building. She hugged him and he kissed the top of her head.

“Is everything good between you two?” he asked.

“Yeah. It’s all great.” She really hoped it was. After everything her and Chat had been through together it would be devastating to have their friendship thrown away because she was dating someone else.

Luka took her hand and winked. “Good. I had one last stop I wanted to make before the end of the date.”

Marinette gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. All the apprehension from the beginning of the date was gone. It had been replaced by a calm assurance that she was exactly where she wanted to be. “Let’s go.”

They reached the Pont des Arts and stopped to look out over the Seine. There were other couples there that had stopped to chat or take photos, and passersby who crossed the bridge behind them, yet it felt like they were the only two there. Marinette yawned, feeling the events from earlier catching up with her, but she didn’t want the date to end.

“You amaze me, Marinette,” Luka sighed as he looked over at her.

“What? What do you mean?” she asked, blinking in confusion.

He lowered his voice so as not to be overheard and moved closer to her. “I was Ladybug for one night and that was the most difficult half hour of my life. And there you are, doing that every day. It’s amazing… you’re amazing.”

“Thanks, Luka.” Marinette blushed and looked down. “I’ll admit, at first I didn’t think I could do it. It was terrifying. But now, I couldn’t imagine, not being Ladybug.”

“And I could never imagine a world in which you aren’t either.”

Luka looked pensively at the water. She got the feeling that he had something to say, but needed to find the words. Part of her wanted to say something encouraging but silence seemed like the more prudent way to go at the moment.

He turned to her. “Marinette, I’ve never met anyone like you. You surprise me at every turn. Every time I think I’ve got you figured out, there’s some new discovery, like listening to my favorite song and finding something new to appreciate. I would like to keep discovering who you are and I’d like for you to discover who I am too… but I’d like to do that as an official couple. Can we?”

Marinette felt her answer stick in her throat as she stared at Luka with wide eyes. She wanted to say yes, but it was as if she’d suddenly forgotten how to form words. Something touched her finger and she looked down to see Tikki poking her head out of her purse.  The kwami mouthed something to her that looked like “say yes!” and then nodded her head toward Luka.

She looked back to her date who was now looking at her in confusion. “Can we?” she tried. No that wasn’t right. “I mean, we can! I- we- I’m trying to say yes! I want to be your girlfriend, Luka.”

“I’m glad,” he said as he pulled something from his pocket. It was a tiny black bag. One usually used for jewelry. “I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do with this if you’d said no.”

Luka opened the bag and pulled out a thin chain that held a guitar pick hanging from it. The pick was light pink with a white M on it in looping script.

“It’s beautiful.” Marinette felt her stomach flip at the sight of something so personal. It was so… Luka, but it also felt like her.

“Can I?” he asked as he unclasped the chain.

She nodded and pulled up her hair for him. He reached around behind her and put the necklace on. When he stepped back, she looked down and touched the pick now hanging around her neck with her fingertips. “I love it,” she said as she looked back up at him.

Luka smiled and leaned in to kiss her. She tipped her head slightly to allow him easier access to her lips. They met in a tender kiss that sent sparks through Marinette. It was like fireworks going off in her chest at the sensation of the shared moment.

As they separated, Marinette hoped there would be more moments like that. It didn’t seem possible that there could be anything as wonderful as that kiss. But she had realized that Luka was someone capable of making her unimaginably happy with that one gesture. She didn’t think it would be smart to doubt him.

Luka took her hand and they began their walk back to the metro. Their date was coming to an end. It seemed like a dream that she was going to be waking up from as soon as she reached the apartment above the bakery. Marinette vowed to enjoy the last little moments with Luka before they arrived at her home. She slowed her walking speed and he matched her as he smiled knowingly.

______________________________________________________

Thank you so much for joining us for How to Date a Superhero. We have enjoyed working on this story and may continue it in the future with a sequel of the Lukadrinette variety. (This is still undecided). Please let us know what you thin of this possible sequel idea.

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[seasonofthegeek]

Brave New World: Music

Written for Lukanette Week at @mlshipfleet

Parts 1, 2:

“That one,” Marinette nodded, dropping her phone in her lap. “That’s the one that sounds the best.”

Luka smiled and strummed the guitar chord again. “You think so?”

“Mmhmm, it just flows really nicely from the last one, I think. Can you play them together again?” She listened as he did and hummed happily. “I think that’s it.”

“I think you’re right,” he agreed. “Thanks. I’ve been struggling with this one for a while.”

“Glad I could help.”

He set his guitar to the side and gestured to her phone. “Find what you’re looking for yet?”

“No,” she pouted. “Trying to find a post on here through tags is a nightmare sometimes. I might be able to work on the piece from memory. It was just an inspiring piece of art, that’s all.”

“If I can help, just let me know.”

“Do you have a lot of experience designing ballgowns?” she teased, easily leaning back into his arms when he prodded her.

“Well, no, not exactly. But I’m great at sharpening pencils and I could hold onto your eraser so it doesn’t get lost.”

“Truly a hero among designers.”

“I try.”

“I’ve still got time. The design entries aren’t due for another couple of months. I just wanted to get started,” she explained. “It’ll be fine.”

Marinette closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the moment. She could hear his heartbeat, steady and clear, and the boat rocked them gently enough that it wouldn’t take much to fall asleep, she decided.

She’d been back in this timeline for almost three months now and by all accounts, things felt successful enough and she was definitely making different choices this time around. It was funny what a difference it made when her world wasn’t colored by Adrien-centric glasses. It also didn’t hurt to know that he was Chat Noir. She remembered how long it had taken her to reconcile the two separate identities into one person the first time around. Surprisingly, she found she had more patience now with the knowledge. She still needed to figure out when to talk to him about everything. He had a right to know and maybe if she could warn him, things would go differently this time around. She knew she’d been putting it off but she still wasn’t ready. They had time.

Things with Luka had made her transition back into being a teenager so much easier. He was cheesy and dramatic at times but it felt endearing and familiar and so simple after all she’d been through. And in some ways, five years didn’t feel like that much of a difference. He was only three years younger than her really. She frowned. Was that right? She’d been twenty when Paon sent her back and now she was in her fifteen year-old body. So was she fifteen or was she twenty? Luka was seventeen now which meant in her previous timeline, he was twenty-two. Did that make a difference? It didn’t feel weird. And was her mind really still twenty or was she fifteen with the knowledge she gathered over five extra years? How did all of that work exactly?

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Luka kissed the top of her head and adjusted his loose hold on her. “I can practically see the steam rising.”

“Sorry. I think I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“Anything you need to talk about?”

It was tempting to tell him. She needed someone other than Tikki to talk to about it but...

“No, I’m good.” She sat up and turned to face him. “Play me my song again?”

He smiled, light pink blushing his cheeks. “You aren’t sick of it yet?”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

Luka had a pleased smile as he picked up his guitar once more.

“You have to sing too.”

“Marinette...” he whined.

“You’re a good singer!”

“I’m not. Those lyrics were just for you to read the one time.”

"But you have such a nice voice.”

“Is that so?”

“Mmhmm.”

She leaned back against the wall, tucking her feet under the blanket on his bed as he began to play. His voice was uncertain and slightly off-key but it made Marinette smile. 

“And we’ll enter this brave new world,” he sang, “hand in hand. Say you’ll be my girl and here I’ll stand. By your side, I’ll forever stay, in this brave new world that starts today.”

Buy me a cherry coke?

[freedom-shamrock]

Chai Tea and Fresh Starts - Chapter 5

Also on AO3

|<< First Chapter      << Previous Chapter Slightly late Lukanette week, prompt 3 - confession

Marinette and Luka had been dating for about four months when the stress of managing everything started to kick in.  She'd been lucky in the first few weeks that none of their dates were disrupted by akuma attacks. Then, for the next month or so, when they started getting together more regularly, she was occasionally a little late. When she apologized, he said his sister had cautioned him to expect that, and he didn't take it personally.  A few of their dates were directly disrupted and she managed to 'get separated' from him in the chaos. Being the amazing and calm guy he was, he never got upset, and just told her that all he cared about was her safety. Unfortunately, things had changed again in the last two weeks, when Hawk Moth decided to step up his efforts.

Ladybug had nearly burst into tears when Chat Noir asked her what was wrong last night on patrol, and she'd spilled the whole awful mess to him.  While she had told him that she'd started seeing someone, because it made her uncomfortable now when he flirted too hard, she tried to be considerate of his feelings. He was still one of her very best friends, and she knew how it felt to not get to be with the person you wanted.  He'd been stiff for a few weeks, but eventually they found their equilibrium again. Still, she'd avoided telling him anything about her boyfriend or their dates until she found she just couldn't manage things anymore. And he'd actually given her really good advice.

It was evening, and Marinette was running full pelt down the sidewalk.  She was late. Horribly, terribly, unforgivably late. She and Luka didn't celebrate month anniversaries, she thought that was a little excessive, but they did try to do something a little extra special about once a month. Most of their dates just involved hanging out together, sometimes at a cafe, more often at one of their homes.  Tonight, he'd planned a special dinner. He was making her a traditional Scottish meal. She'd never had any of the cuisine from his mother's homeland, and they'd recently had a whole conversation about how food was sometimes the best bridge to their ancestors.

She'd missed their last date entirely and had been an hour late for the two before that. He'd never seemed remotely bothered, but she was sure it sent a message about his importance to her. She could only use the excuses of getting sidetracked by inspiration or getting on the subway the wrong direction so many times before they became completely unbelievable.  And she was pretty sure she'd crossed that threshold weeks ago.

Even sweet, accepting Luka was going to hit a point where he couldn't tolerate her flakiness, or perceived flakiness. She was terrified it would be tonight, because that's just how her luck was right now.  He'd break up with her, and oh, that thought made her stomach drop and her chest hurt. Tears leaked down her cheeks. She really liked him, might even love him. This was so horribly unfair. But he didn't deserve a girlfriend who couldn't be bothered to show up.  She forced down the sob that wanted to creep out of her chest; it would just slow her down.

She clomped over the gangplank wondering if Juleka or Anarka would be home to witness their breakup.  Oh, god, that would be even worse. She liked his family.

"Oh good, you're here," Luka said brightly, peeking out of the galley kitchen when she clattered down the stairs.  His smile faded to a frown of concern. "Oh, come here, Nette." He pulled her into his arms. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. His worry and kindness were just too much, and she started to cry in ernest, her hands grasping and clinging to the back of his shirt while she buried her face in his chest. He kept one arm around her waist, holding her upright, while the other ran down the hair she'd taken to wearing loose around him. When she'd calmed to the point of shuddering breaths, she realised he was singing to her, and it wasn't in French.  She wasn't sure what language it was, but it was a gentle song and his voice was soothing.

When it was clear she had control of herself again, he caught her face in both hands, his thumbs softly stroking away the tears on her cheeks. "Better?" he asked in a low voice.

She nodded, feeling a bit lost as she gazed up at him. He was her beautiful boyfriend, at least for the moment, and she didn't want to lose him.

"Can you tell me what brought that on?" he asked.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.  Their relationship had been built on respect and honesty.  She couldn't bring herself brush it off or lie entirely. "I'm a terrible girlfriend," she whispered, struggling to get the words out.  "You deserve someone who isn't nearly two hours late to our special date." She sniffled. "You deserve someone who's there when they say they'll be there."

"There was an akuma attack," he pointed out, as if that made sense.  But the attack was on the other side of town, and there was no reason for it to interfere with her getting to his place.  "You can't help it. I mean, not unless you're Hawk Moth," he teased gently.

"I'm not," she said firmly, since that was something she could honestly answer.  "Everyone else in Paris has figured out how to be on time despite the akumas, except the really destructive ones."

"You're not everyone else," he said, and for some reason that made him smile proudly at her.

She didn't understand this amazing boy.  "How are you not even the slightest bit upset with me? I missed our last date.  I've been late to every date for the last few weeks. And my reasons all sound like absolute garbage, even to me."

"If it helps you feel better, Nette, you don't have to give me reasons," he suggested.

"But you deserve to know why I'm late, why I don't show up…"  She looked down. "Why do you put up with me?"

"Do you want to break up with me?" he asked, his voice wobbling a little.

"No!" She vehemently shook her head, her eyes snapping back to his. "I think I love you." She hadn't meant to say that.

He closed his eyes and sighed happily. "Thank you for telling me, that… it makes me really happy." He kissed her forehead. "In case it wasn't already clear, I love you, too."

She suddenly understood what he meant about it making him happy.  Hearing him say it, was like being wrapped in a cozy blanket on a cold day.

"Since we're being honest, I need to tell you something," he said, his tone definitely sounding like a confession. "I noticed it the last time Ladybug rescued me."  He held her eyes, utterly serious. "Her heart song sounds just like yours, and that's… it's not something that happens."

Her breath caught, and she stared at him.

"I know I'm not supposed to know.  It's not safe. But it makes so much sense."  His one hand was back on her cheek. "You're both so brave, so clever."  He shrugged. "I'm okay being second to Paris, Nette. You have responsibilities and secrets that you have to keep.  I understand that, okay?"

She nodded, feeling stupid.  "Why didn't you tell me before?"

He shrugged.  "I thought I was helping." He snorted.  "I didn't want to make things harder for you, but I guess I did anyway.  Sorry about that."

"You're pretty amazing, Luka, did you know that?" she asked, smiling up at him.  Sure, she'd have to talk to Tikki about this later, but Luka knew and accepted the reality behind her absences, which meant she didn't have to make up excuses anymore.  She could withhold information without lying. The stress that had been gradually building up, suddenly faded.

"Feel better?" he asked, letting go of her hands just long enough to check the stove.

"I do."  She stepped in close to hug him.  "Thank you."

Check out Chapter 6  >>>

I finished this last night but was too tired to scan it for typos and post it. Planning to get another one (or possibly two) done today.

I did research on Scottish lullabies because that's what he's singing, but then getting back to the actual song didn't end up mattering at all. Oh well. :)

[fandomsphere]

Happy #fanfictionfriday everybody! Here's chapter 2 of our Lukanette fic, How to Date a Superhero.

If you haven't read chapter 1, you can find it by searching the tags listed below. Also, please be advised this story is post-silencer. There will be spoilers.

Thanks for visiting the FANDOM-sphere we hope you enjoy!

Step 2: Pay attention to her interests.

Luka had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He was really on a date with Marinette. He got to hold her hand as they looked at the displayed exhibits inside of the exhibition. The fanciful designs from throughout history had his date entranced. It was beautiful that she had something she was so passionate about.

Marinette gasped. “Look at this one!” she told him excitedly as she pulled him along.

He laughed lightly at the enthusiasm she had and she blushed.

“Sorry. I got overexcited.” She let go of his hand and looked down, embarrassed.

Luka took her hand again and put a finger under her chin to tilt her head up. Once Marinette’s eyes met his, he smiled at her. “I brought you here to enjoy yourself. Don’t apologize for that.” He never wanted her to feel uncomfortable just being herself around him. He couldn’t imagine the guilt he would feel if she dimmed her light for his sake.

She smiled in return. “Oh, uh, okay. Thanks, Luka.” She turned back to the display. A unique dress with what Luka thought was too much lace. Timidly at first, Marinette began pointing out all of things she liked about it. As she gained more confidence, her in-depth knowledge of design came out as she talked about the intricacies and specifics of how the dress was designed and made.

Luka was careful to only jump in with questions that would prod his date to keep going. They continued like that going from one exhibit to another. He even noticed that they picked up a couple of groups who were listening in to Marinette’s fashion lecture. Luka was proud to have such an amazing girl at his side.

They spent a little over half an hour just looking at the different exhibits before there was an announcement requesting everyone with a special ticket to step through to hear their surprise guest speak in a separate room. Marinette was practically vibrating with barely concealed excitement as they followed several older, well-dressed groups through a door that was being held open by one of the exhibition managers.

Luka let Marinette take the lead and followed her as she chose seats toward the back of the room. Behind them was a long table of platters that held what Luka would call “rich people food”. There were also several servers walking around, handing out hors d'oeuvres and champagne.

He noticed a light tremble to Marinette’s shoulders and leaned over to ask in a low voice, “Are you cold?”

She laughed nervously and shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I’m toasty as a cucumber.” She paused and frowned, clearly noticing that what she’d said hadn’t made sense. “I meant-”

Luka smiled and slipped off his jacket. “Here,” he said as he draped it around her shoulders. Marinette was the type who was always helping others out, yet had a difficult time accepting help in return. So he would give her a little push.

She looked up at him, her expression stunned. He was suddenly hit by an impulse to lean down and kiss her. He hesitated. This wasn’t the right moment. But she was there, beautiful and intelligent Marinette was there beside him, wearing his jacket.

The squeak of a wheel drew Luka’s attention away and he looked up at the small platform at the front of the room to see a woman wheeling a monitor on a mount out to the podium. She clicked a button on it, then stepped off the platform as it flashed to life. Then Gabriel Agreste was on the screen, frowning deeply at the camera.

Marinette made an odd, panicked squeak, identical to the one that came from the wheel, and Luka turned to her. She was frantically looking around but then stopped when her eyes landed on someone sitting at the front of the room. Luka followed her gaze to see that it was Adrien Agreste sitting beside his bodyguard and the woman who had put the screen on the platform.

Luka would be lying to himself if he tried to say that he wasn’t somewhat nervous about Marinette’s crush being in the same room as them. But he shrugged it off. It wasn’t as if Adrien knew and had planned to be there. Marinette was on a date with him and if she was still in love with Adrien, then it wasn’t meant to be… as much as he wished it was.

It was an uncomfortable fifteen or twenty minutes (Luka lost track at some point) that Gabriel Agreste spoke on fashion throughout history. The famous fashion designer sounded disinterested for most of it and stern at maybe one or two fleeting moments. Marinette was nervously fidgeting beside him the whole time. She would be focused on Gabriel for several minutes but then her gaze would shift to the back of Adrien’s head and she would shift in her seat, brushing against Luka’s arm periodically.

Towards the end when Gabriel was winding down, speaking on the future of fashion, Luka leaned over to his date. “We can leave if you’re uncomfortable.”

Marinette turned to him with wide eyes. “What?” she asked in a low voice. “I’m not uncomfortable. Why would you think that?”

“Because you keep fidgeting whenever you look at Adrien.” He wasn’t the type to walk on eggshells around any issue. If she was uncomfortable with her crush in the room, then he wanted to do what he could to make sure that she was enjoying the date again.

“Adrien? I don’t think I’ve been looking at-”

He gave her a skeptical look.

“No,” she said with a sigh. “I don’t want to leave. But if you want to…”

Luka shook his head. “We were enjoying ourselves. And I think we can continue to.”

“This hat was designed by a young talent by the name of Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Both of them looked up at the sound of Marinette’s name. A photo of Adrien wearing a derby hat with a feather in it was now beside Gabriel’s face on the screen. “It is important to support and learn from new designers such as Marinette, who can expand the future of fashion.”

Luka felt a smile pull at his lips but Marinette sat with a stunned expression as Gabriel finished his speech. At the end he nudged her as everyone moved to begin socializing. “Look at you Marinette. Already on top of the fashion world.”

Then she smiled. It was bright enough to light up all of Paris. “I can’t believe it. Gabriel Agreste thinks that I’m the future of fashion. I must be dreaming.”

Luka wanted to tell her that that was how he’d been feeling the whole evening, but he bit his tongue. He didn’t want to take away from that moment. “I can believe it,” he responded. “You’re smart and creative. And you designed those amazing costumes for Kitty Section. You’re very talented, Marinette.”

She pulled the jacket tighter around her and looked down shyly, but she was still smiling. “You should stop now, before you give me a big head.”

He laughed. “Oh, no, you’re too modest for that.”

“We shouldn’t risk it,” she said winking at him.

They both had a chuckle together, but the quickly disappearing hors d’oeuvres on the back table caught his eye. “I’ll go get us something to eat and some drinks. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay. Thanks, Luka.”

It took two minutes at most to get the plates and drinks he had promised Marinette. But when he turned to go back to his date’s side there was already someone in his seat. Adrien was sitting there, chatting with a blushing Marinette. The nervousness returned and was morphing to a jealousy that slithered up from his stomach into his chest.

This was supposed to be his time with her. He was supposed to be able to give her a reason to forget about her feelings for the teen model. It was going to be a magical night, one that she wouldn’t be able to let go of. But here was Adrien. It was like he was everywhere, permeating their lives. Billboards, commercials, magazines… there he was.

Luka took a slow breath. He needed to stay cool. This wasn’t Adrien’s fault and it wasn’t Marinette’s fault. He could get through this, then take Marinette to the Pont de Arts bridge to finish out the night. It could still be perfect.

He walked up behind Adrien. Marinette looked up at him and her blush got even darker. The model turned to look over his shoulder and smiled innocently. “Hey, Luka.”

“Hi, Adrien. I’m sorry to say that you’re in my seat.” He internally winced at how it sounded. He didn’t want to be that guy and yet, he also enjoyed the way Adrien leapt up and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“Sorry,” Adrien said with an apologetic smile. It was almost infuriating how attractive the other boy could be no matter what the situation.

Adrien turned back to Marinette, seeming to be finishing a statement. “But, my dad has been going back and forth on wanting to do an internship for young designers. I’ll let you know if he decides anything for sure. He really likes you so I don’t think you should have any trouble getting chosen for it.”

“An internship would be amazing. Thanks for letting me know, Adrien.”

No stuttering… Was that a good thing? It either meant her crush was vanishing or that she was becoming more comfortable with the other boy. Luka frowned as he handed his date a plate of food and a glass of sparkling water. He couldn’t remember a time he felt the need to overthink something to such an extent.

“That hat was awful.”

All three teenagers turned to see a group of middle-aged women in designer clothing. One with a face that looked frozen with Botox was cackling as she spoke. “Gabriel is losing his touch if he thinks whoever made that is the ‘future of fashion’. It looked like a school project gone wrong. If I were to give my five-year-old some art supplies, he could make something better than that atrocity.” The women all laughed together.

Luka looked over at Marinette. She had pulled his jacket tight around herself. Her mouth was set in a thin line as Adrien put a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t listen to them, Marinette,” the blond boy told her. “They’re the type who feel the need to put everyone down to make themselves feel better.”

“It’s fine,” she said with a shake of her head. “Both Gabriel Agreste and Audrey Bourgeois like the derby hat. That… that’s enough for me. Not everyone has to like it and I don’t need to prove myself to them.”

Luka could tell, as much as Marinette tried to hide it, the things those women were saying were bothering her. It wasn’t right for anyone to smother the beautiful melody that was Marinette. “It’s not fine,” he said as he stood. “They don’t have to like it but they also don’t have to be cruel.”

He set down his plate and glass on the chair, before taking several strides over to the gossiping women. Behind him he could hear Marinette protesting in a low voice.

“Do you need something?” Botox lady said with disgust as she looked Luka up and down.

“So are you a professional fashion critic or do you often comment on things you have no idea about?”

“Excuse me!”

“No, I won’t excuse you.” Luka clenched his fists by his sides. This wasn’t going to change anything. Whenever he walked away they would still be vain and shameless, but Marinette deserved a voice and if she wasn’t going to speak up he would do it for her. “The things you said about Marinette’s hat were not fair or true.”

The woman looked at her friends then back at Luka. “Who are you? Some defender of future fashion designer rejects? Why don’t you go back home to your hand-me-down clothes and cheap shoes.”

Luka opened his mouth to respond but someone grabbed his arm and he looked to see Marinette beside him, Adrien close behind.

“It’s not worth it, Luka,” she told him, tugging on his arm to signal she wanted to walk away.

He was about to give in. If Marinette really didn’t want him to fight this battle, he wouldn’t make it about him. But then Adrien spoke and everything changed.

“I apologize, Mme. Dupont. My friend knows the designer and took your critique personally.”

Mme. Dupont sniffed, turning her nose up. “Your friend doesn’t seem very cultured, Adrien. Maybe this isn’t the place for him. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Luka rounded on Adrien. He couldn’t believe that the younger teen would speak as if Marinette wasn’t right there, hearing everything being said. “That wasn’t a ‘critique’! That was her trashing someone because she didn’t think there’d be any consequences. I thought Marinette was your friend.”

A small flash of black pulled away Luka’s attention. It hovered just above the heads of the exhibition attendees. A dark, shimmering butterfly, getting closer and closer. Everything else seemed to fade away. He couldn’t move.

Luka remembered what it felt like just before he’d become Silencer only a few weeks ago. It was a feeling of deep hopelessness. It was like anything good or happy in the world disappeared and only pain and suffering existed. There was no honesty left only corrupt selfishness. He didn’t want to feel that again.

Then there was the guilt after Ladybug had saved him and he’d realized what he’d done. And Marinette had seen it all. She’d probably been afraid of him. That couldn’t happen again.

It was flying closer and closer. Then suddenly Marinette’s hands were on either side of his face. She pulled him down slightly to look into his eyes. “Breathe, Luka. You can’t have any negative thoughts or emotions. There is always a solution.”

He was scared.

“Stay with me, Luka!”

The akuma was right there, heading straight for him. There was no stopping it.

Then suddenly Marinette turned to face it. She was standing with her back to him. She was shielding him. The akuma went to fly past her when she threw his jacket into its path. The butterfly faded into it, turning the fabric a smoky black.

“Marinette?”