Work Text:
Marinette bit the thread to break it as she finished the final touch-up on Luka’s leather jacket. Fifteen minutes to go and Luka would be up on stage in front of a crowd of thousands for the first time. Marinette twirled the jacket back and forth in the air, inspecting her work to see if the fix was noticeable. From a distance, it would be invisible. Perfect.
When she looked up, she noticed Luka wasn’t in the backstage room with her anymore. He’d wandered off while she was working. Where could he have gone so close to show time? His makeup had been done, the instruments had all been set up and sound checked, everything was ready to go; she had just noticed the small tear in the seam at his shoulder and he had shrugged the jacket off for her to fix it by hand.
He had been pacing, now that she thought about it. More nervous energy had been pouring off of him than she’d ever thought possible. But she'd been nervous, too. When he had shrugged the jacket off and stood in his thin white T-shirt she swore the temperature in the room shot up ten degrees. Their fingers brushed as he handed it off to her and she might’ve imagined his small shiver, but she definitely didn’t imagine the spike in her heart rate. So she had dutifully lowered her eyes to her work and focused on her needle and tried to calm her racing heart.
When she opened the dressing room door, a wall of noise rose to meet her. Luka was the opener for Jagged Stone. It was a huge gig, a great opportunity, and all of Kitty Section—including Marinette—had encouraged him to go for it. But now that she thought about it, had there been a pinch of hesitation in Luka’s voice when he had agreed?
She followed the noise and she found Luka off to the side peeking out at the crowd. As she watched, he took a deep inhale in and let it out before he turned his back to the stage and jumped up and down, shaking his hands out at his sides. It led to a full body shake and he took another deep breath before he sat heavily on an empty instrument case and hung his head. His hands clasped around his neck as he looked at his feet.
Marinette clutched the jacket to her chest. She’d never known him to be jittery, but then his performances were always for the few friends that supported Kitty Section and family events.
He didn’t even look up as she approached. Had he not heard her? Alarm pricked at her senses. It wasn’t like him, even with the thundering noise of the crowd, to not notice his surroundings.
She draped his jacket across his shoulders as she walked up. He held the collar together with one hand as he looked up at her with a strained smile.
“Thanks for fixing it, Marinette.” His eyes darted off to the side before he looked at his shoes again. She couldn’t tell if it was the pale stage light that made him look colorless or if he had blanched because of the sea of faces crowded at the edge of the stage.
She hesitated before she dropped her hand to his shoulder and squeezed gently, hoping to convey some sort of support. His hand came up to cover hers and he held it tightly. She could feel him shaking.
“Luka, what’s wrong?” She crouched to try to see into his face, but it was hidden by his hair.
He shook his head before he glanced up to meet her eyes. “Marinette I…” his voice wavered and he took another steadying breath. “I don’t think I can do this.”
“Should I get Juleka?”
She started to stand, but he squeezed her hand and pulled her back.
“No. No, it’s okay.” He turned again to the stage and the harsh light threw half his face into shadow. “It’s just… you know. All these people. They paid money to see… what exactly? Not me, they came for Jagged and I’m just-” he cut himself off and swallowed visibly before he turned back to her. “I’m just some kid with a guitar that’s related to him. This… I mean...” he waved his hand in the general direction of the crowd. “I didn’t earn this. I’m not… I’m not worth-” he got too choked up to continue.
He let go of her hand and ruffled his fingers through his hair. A few drops of sweat flicked off his bangs in the light. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees and his forehead on his clasped hands. His foot started tapping frantically. She could tell he was trying to do his meditative breathing but he couldn’t stop shaking.
A fire lit in her. Raged around her heart and flamed up to her ears. To think that he didn’t know. She stood and pressed a finger to his forehead to push his head up until he was sitting up again, staring up at her in confusion.
“Luka Couffaine, you’re worth way more than you think.”
He was stunned into stillness. The jacket slid off his shoulders, but she didn’t care and he didn’t seem to either.
“You’re a great friend. An awesome brother. The most patient and observant person I know. But you’re always looking out for other people. This”—she waved her hand at the crowd—"this is yours. Your moment to be in the spotlight. You deserve this.”
He opened his mouth to object, but she pressed a finger to his lips. “I’m not finished.”
A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and he nodded. His eyes locked with hers and she knew she had his full attention.
She felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she pulled away. Must be the adrenaline that was fueling her impromptu speech. “You’re a badass guitarist. I know it. Everyone in Kitty Section and anyone who’s ever heard you play knows it. Jagged knows it, or he wouldn’t have offered you this chance. You’re going to go out there, and you’re going to play just like you always do. Like you’re playing for me.” His smile quirked up and she backtracked. “Or—or Juleka. Or Kitty Section.”
He was smirking now, but he nodded again and he wasn’t shaking anymore.
“My point is, you’re amazing.” Her eyes widened as she realized what she said. “Guitar! Amazing guitar—you play guitar.” She smacked her forehead and groaned. “Of course you play guitar, that’s why we’re here.” She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes and sighed before she realized he was chuckling softly and he sounded… closer. His hands took hers away from her face and he was standing right in front of her with a halo of light behind him from the stage. She licked her lips unconsciously and noticed his eyes dart down for a split second before they met hers again.
“You’re amazing, too, Marinette.”
Her breath hitched as he leaned down, but he turned to pick up the jacket from the floor and slung it around his shoulders to push his arms through. He paused to adjust the collar. “Thanks again for fixing it,” he said warmly.
She got the feeling that he wasn’t talking about the jacket that time.
The emcee announced him over the loudspeakers. He twisted to look back out at the stage before he jumped up and down again and shook his hands out one more time. From excitement instead of nerves, judging by his grin. When he stopped, he took a steady, deep breath in and let it out before he took her hand in his.
“And you’re right, by the way.” His thumb stroked hers gently. “I do always play for you.”
The emcee called him again, but Marinette grabbed the collar of his jacket as he turned and pulled him back to her. His hand fell on her waist as she stood up on her tiptoes to press a light kiss to the corner of his lips.
“For luck,” she whispered as she pulled away. Before he could protest, she spun him around and gave him a gentle push towards the stage. He took a few stunned steps forward before he caught himself and waved back at her, smiling, as he stepped into the spotlight.