Work Text:
Never forget these things
There’s someone living for you
Wherever you go, just remember
There’s somebody living for you
May you be safe wherever you go
May you be safe wherever you go
This is the only wish my heart wants.
The door opened softly, breaking Luka out of his song. He looked up to find Juleka leaning by the door, giving him a soft smile. Returning the gesture with a weak smile of his own, Luka put his guitar down and closed his laptop
“I’ve never heard you sing, Lu. That was beautiful,” Juleka murmured as she strode into the room.
The young man ducked his head, letting out a nervous chuckle. He fixed the music sheets strewn over his desk and tucked them in his bag before looking over at his sister. “Yeah, Clyde’s got a sore throat so I’m filling in for him. Thankfully he had given me pre-requisite vocal training beforehand for emergencies like these.”
Juleka cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “You mean you’re singing at the wedding? Her wedding?”
“I...yeah. It was just an emergency and--”
“You’re the one who wrote this song as well, right?” Juleka interrupted him without missing a beat.
Luka didn’t answer her, but simply turned to rearrange his already clean desk. Finding nothing to engage himself with, he heavily put his hands on the desk, looking out from the apartment window at the frozen Seine river in front of him. The calmness of the river water below the ice sheet was quite opposed to the state of his own thoughts.
Juleka moved over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Luka, you know you don’t have to do this.”
“But I want to.” He looked up at her, the moonlight streaming in from the window making the tears in his eyes shine. “I want to do it for myself, Jul. To let her know that I still care and that… that I’m there for her if she ever needs me.”
“Even if she hates your guts right now?”Juleka couldn’t digest this fact. Marinette hadn’t even tried to smooth things over post her breakup with Luka.
He gave her a wry smile. “If I know her well enough, Marinette could never hate me. But anyways.” He got up abruptly, wiping his face over the sleeve of his shirt. “I’ve got to go and give Felix a rehearsal of this song tomorrow. God knows if he would like it or not. He is already pissed off that Clyde ain’t singing at his wedding.”
“Felix’s a total jerk, and you cannot change my opinion,” Juleka huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I don’t disagree with you. But I hope he’s not a jerk when it comes to her.” And saying so, he moved out of the music room in the direction of his bedroom.
Juleka watched her brother’s retreating form for a while, and as soon as the door slammed shut, she immediately walked towards his work desk. Not finding anything satisfactory there (except for a cute picture of Marinette and Luka), she bent down and pulled out the completely filled wastebasket underneath the table.
Picking up a few paper balls, she unrolled them and went through the contents. Most of them were filled with illegible scrawls and squiggles she couldn’t decipher at all. However, a couple of papers had words that moved her heart to tears.
Voila. Just the thing I needed.
Quickly stuffing the appealing papers in her purse, Juleka put the wastebasket back in its place.
She had some serious work to do right now.
Marinette was huddled up in a blanket on her couch, staring blankly at the dress that stood on the mannequin in front of her. The dress was exquisite: made out of satin with white pearls adorning the bodice in a breathtakingly-regal fashion.
Marinette did not hate the dress, not even a little. In fact, she totally despised it.
The bodice was too body-fitting, the neckline was a little too deep, she had never wanted a backless dress in the start, the train was too long -- there were so many flaws she could list with that dress. Flaws that held no ground, but helped her ignore the prime reason for which she hated the Gabriel Special piece.
That dress was the horrifying symbol of her marriage taking place against her wishes.
Huddling deeper into her blanket, Marinette breathed into the fruity ocean smell of the pink, fluffy scarf she had wrapped around her neck. The scarf might have been a bitter reminder of her breakup with the love of her life. But she also remembered how Luka had spent his own sweet time making it just for her.
She had seen it lying deserted on the road on her way back home after her fight. And something in her had forced her to pick it up and take it with herself. Maybe it was because of her stupid hopes that he would come back to her. Maybe he’d be back to apologise, maybe to simply demand for the scarf, maybe to give her stuff back.
Whatever the reason, she simply wanted to see his face. To see if he regretted his words. To see if he still was hopelessly in love with her, just like she was with him.
But he never came. Never even passed by her home. An entire month had passed by after their breakup, with her desperately waiting for him to show himself, to protest against her engagement and marriage to Felix Graham de Vanily. But Luka Couffaine never arrived as her knight in shining armor. It was as if he had disappeared from the face of the world.
And that had just broken her already-shattered heart even more.
So when the doorbell of her house rang at 11 in the night, Marinette didn’t want to get up to open the door. It could be her nosy neighbour who always somehow ran out of salt, or a random stray cat who decided to play with her doorbell switch, or some pizza boy who had messed up addresses.
Luka used to work as a pizza boy in his free time.
Getting up, Marinette rushed towards the door, a small part of her heart hoping against all hope for the person outside to be the one she wished them to be.
She opened the door to be greeted by a woman with a mop of purple hair brushed over her eye.
“Juleka? Is everything okay? Come inside.” Marinette’s hopes were dampened, but not totally crushed. Luka’s sister making an appearance at her doorstep meant he was thinking about her, right?
“No, I’m good here. I just… I got something for you, Marinette.” Saying so, Juleka fished out two balls of paper from her purse and handed them over to a confused Marinette. She unravelled the paper balls to find them filled with hasty notes and scribbles.
“I know you might be wondering what this is,” Juleka started to speak, causing Marinette to look up. “In case you’re unaware, Luka is part of Felix’s favorite band. And Felix asked him to play at his wedding.”
Marinette’s eyes bugged out in surprise as she stared down at the paper in her hands, her jaw slack. “You mean to say… this song… it’s--”
“Written by Luka? Yep. Going to be sung by Luka? Double yep.”
“Wait, Luka is singing?!” Marinette was shocked. She had heard her ex-boyfriend sing on some occasions; she was the only one who had heard him sing to date. But knowing that he was going to sing a song at her wedding in front of everyone proved to be a stab to her heart.
Did he really hate her that much for no concrete reason? That he chose to sing at her wedding, expressing his happy feelings at finally getting her off his tail?
Juleka must have seen the tears threatening to spill from her eyes, for the woman immediately started blabbering. “Oh god, I didn’t explain properly. It isn’t what you think it is, Marinette. I...just read the lyrics first… please.”
Marinette looked up at her, her teary eyes voicing her unspoken questions.
“There’s still time to make things right, Marinette. And it is worth it, trust me.” Saying so, Juleka took her leave.
Marinette watched the woman’s retreating figure for a good while before closing the door gently and prying the paper open once again. Her eyes skimmed over the paper, taking in the messy scrawls and squiggles she had grown to love with her heart. Tears blurred her vision, yet somehow, miraculously, she could make sense of every word jotted down on that paper.
Never forget these things
There’s someone living for you
Wherever you go, just remember
There’s somebody living for you
Marinette slumped against the door, her knees coming close to her chest as a strangled sob escaped her lips. The hasty scribbles, the teary marks, the frustrated strikethroughs — they spoke a language that Marinette was painfully familiar with. Sung a silent song that only her ears could listen to. The jagged heart song of the love of her life.
The more she took in the words on the paper, the more reality made itself clear. And the more she felt her heart bleed with a love that was returned yet totally unrequited.
Luka looked at his bandmates set up the stage as his fingers absentmindedly strummed against his guitar, checking its tuning. He wasn't feeling the vibe today. He couldn't lose himself in the music or find himself in it either. The pressure of the situation he found himself in was too much for his heart. The song he was supposed to sing had to be soft and cheerful and loving, but how could he achieve the necessary musicality if his own heart was bleeding in agony?
“Luka, my mate!” a cheerful voice called out to him, darkening the already-sullen guitarist’s mood.
He looked up to find Felix Graham de Vanily walking up to him. The blond was wearing a classic black tuxedo, sharp-looking and well-fitted. The vest was minty green in color, in sync with the dusty rose palette of the wedding.
He would really have preferred a frosty blue theme. The color of a January wedding and the color of his Melody’s eyes.
Luka had to admit, Felix looked handsome. Yet, the musician’s entire being hated the bridegroom at that moment. Stifling his anger within himself, Luka flashed a tight smile at Felix as the latter clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“I am looking forward to your song this evening. Though I have a request… could you play the song right after Marie is at the altar?”
It’s Mari, you dumbwit. And she doesn’t like nicknames from people she hates .
“After the bride is at the altar?” Luka stowed his contempt away and voiced the strange request in a neutral tone.
“Yeah, it’s her request. And this is the first thing she asked from me, and I don’t really want to deny her. We Graham de Vanilys respect our women a lot,” Felix said with a smug smile.
More likely to force them into marrying you , Luka wanted to bite back. He was so blinded by the rage and contempt he held for Felix, he didn’t even notice someone else had arrived by the blond’s side. Not until they put a hand on Felix’s shoulder, catching the bridegroom’s attention.
“Felix! What are you doing here? Mother Am’s been looking for you everywhere!” Adrien Agreste exclaimed as he grabbed hold of his cousin’s shoulders, and Luka didn’t miss the way Felix’s happy composure turned a bit sour.
The sour expression immediately gave way to a surprised look, as Felix started to blabber. “But I was telling the band to --”
“Oh c’mon, what am I here for? Marrying Marinette? You go get ready, I’ll take care of these things,” Adrien reassured his half-brother as he steered him in the direction of the dressing room, before walking back to Luka.
“So, Luka, right? I bet we have met before,” the Agreste heir spoke as he took out his hand to shake with Luka’s.
“At an ice skating rink? Yeah, we sure have,” the guitarist replied with a wry smile, remembering the time when Marinette had asked him out for the first time.
Adrien smiled, before giving Luka a soft smile as he fished out his phone. “I was surprised to know who my future sister-in-law was going to be. And I still don’t get it. Why did you leave her?”
Luka looked down, strumming a low chord on his guitar before looking up at Adrien with a small smile. “We don’t always get what we want in life, Adrien. Not everyone’s that lucky. Plus, my melody’s happiness means everything to me.”
Adrien swiped through his phone as he shook his head, before giving Luka a frown. “And you think she really is happy like this? By being forced to be with a musician who can never understand her tunes properly, ever?”
“I--” Luka didn’t know what to say. He had never considered that point. All that had mattered to him at the crucial moment was safeguarding Marinette’s hardwork and dreams, even if that had meant crushing his own desires. He now realised that he had actually failed to take Marinette’s feelings into account as well.
Someone called for the blond, saving Luka from the trouble of answering the difficult question. Adrien hollered back something before turning back to Luka. “So I guess Felix already told you about the change in schedules?”
“Yeah, he did.”
“Perfect then! All the best, Luka. Eager to see your performance!” Giving the musician a thumbs up and a smile, Adrien jogged away.
Luka sighed, fiddling with his guitar strap. Yeah, he was eager to perform as well.
Very eager to perform — and then get the hell out of this suffocating place.
“... my melody’s happiness means everything to me.”
Marinette put a gloved hand to her perfectly painted lips, stifling the sob that threatened to escape her. Beside her, Kagami, her Maid of Honor, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she took her phone back from the bride.
“There, there. You’re gonna ruin your makeup, Marinette.” She said, ending the call and giving Marinette a small smile through the mirror. “You look more beautiful than I looked at my wedding.”
“I don’t wanna be beautiful, ‘Gami,” Marinette wailed. “I wanna be with him .”
Sabine walked up to her daughter, dabbing below her eyes before giving her a concerned look. “There’s still time to back out, Sugar. You know you don’t have to do this.”
“But he was the one who asked for this in the first place,” Marinette sniffled. “I want him to be the one to ask me to back out.”
Sabine opened her mouth to speak something, only to be interrupted as a saccharine-sweet voice drifted into the room. “Make sure the flower arrangements are perfect. I don’t want anything to ruin this day, understand?”
“Quick, Amelie’s here,” Kagami hissed to the occupants of the room. Sabine immediately dabbed Marinette’s eyes and started working on her mascara.
The Graham de Vanily heiress soon entered the room, walking over to Marinette with a bright smile on her face. “Oh look, here’s our future Mrs. Graham de Vanily! How beautiful you look, darling! And oh, my, why this long face?”
Amelie picked up a lipstick tube and walked towards Marinette as Sabine moved aside. The elder Chinese woman placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, smiling softly at the bride. “We were just reminiscing about how Marinette’s childhood seems to be a thing of yesterday. How fast our kids grow up is surely jarring.”
“I can agree with you, Sabine,” Amelie said in a sweet voice as she began reapplying Marinette’s lipstick. “But don’t worry. If the kids are marrying after being in love with each other, who are we to stop them?”
Marinette wanted to bite off the lipstick tube at that instant.
“You’re right, Mother Am,” Kagami spoke up, causing the three ladies in the room to look up at her. “After all, marriage between two parties should be totally consensua l, right?”
Sabine let out a little gasp as Marinette resisted the urge to smirk. Beside her, Amelie’s face darkened before she let out an airy laugh.
“So right Kagami! You’re so blunt, no wonder Adrien fell for you.” The elder woman didn’t wait for a reply as she applied a final touch to Marinette’s lips. “Anyways, now that we’re done,” Amelie put the lipstick aside and gave the three ladies in the room a big smile. “I guess it’s time we start with the ceremony!”
Saying so, Amelie sauntered out of the room, once again taking incharge of the other wedding preparations. And leaving behind a concerned Sabine and Kagami and a totally-distressed Marinette.
The time following Amelie’s exit from Marinette’s dressing room passed in a blur. The entire time, Marinette was oblivious of her surroundings, her thoughts spinning in her mind like a broken record as a thick fog surrounded her senses.
“It’s either this mystery man of yours or your Porte Bonheur. Decide for yourself, Ms. Dupain Cheng.”
“Y’know you can share anything with me, right Marinette?”
“After all, first Adrien Agreste, then Felix Graham de Vanily, both rich blondes… why would you like to be stuck with a struggling musician…”
This is it. It is finally happening. I’m marrying Felix and Luka isn’t here to stop the wedding and… I’m going to be a Graham de Vanily soon. Against my wishes. I just want to smack this stupid blond in the face and get out of this wedding dress and this place.
She didn’t remember the wedding march being played. She didn’t remember walking down the aisle. She had been vaguely aware of her father kissing her brow and her mother and Nona saying stuff to her as they tucked something in her dress, maybe a good luck charm according to traditions. It wasn’t until she was at the altar and Felix was holding her hand that her mind swam back to partial reality.
“My love, at your request, we have arranged for my song to be presented right now. I hope you like it,” Felix spoke, turning her attention towards the band that stood in a decorated corner of the room. Marinette’s eyes skimmed over the band members only to land on the blue-haired guitarist who stood in front of the microphone.
He wasn’t even dressed for the occasion. And the way he was looking at her… it might be a blank expression for the world, but for her, those teal eyes said everything. Every confession, every explanation, every apology, every regret.
She just needed him to give her one sign. One sign and she would leave everything and run away with him to the ends of the world.
Luka cleared his throat and the band began to play. And as soon as he started to strum his guitar, Marinette realised that this was probably one of the last moments of intimacy that she and Luka were going to share. Taking in what fate gave to her, she closed her eyes, immersing herself in the music that filled her ears and synchronised with her heartbeat.
Luka couldn’t take his eyes off Marinette as she glided down the aisle. She sure had glorified the wedding dress that, for some reasons, turned out to be a sore sight for his eyes. The bodice was too body-fitting, the neckline was a little too deep, he knew how much she hated backless dresses, the train was too long -- there were so many flaws he could list with that dress.
But the greatest flaw was that it was not a Marinette-original dress, and that she was wearing it to get married to someone she never wanted to.
Sighing, Luka strummed his guitar to recheck the tuning before signalling to his bandmates to be ready. As Felix addressed Marinette about how he had arranged for her to listen to the song that the blond himself had written, the guitarist suppressed the urge to deck the sorry liar in the face.
But that was before his eyes met with Marinette’s and the entire world went silent.
To the world her expression might be of a bride who was crying at drifting away from her parents, but to him, the tears held an entirely different meaning.
He just needed her to give him one sign. One sign and he would shun his guitar and music, leave everything and run away with her to the ends of the world.
He simply cleared his throat and the band began to play. As Marinette closed her eyes, losing herself in the music, Luka finally realised that this was probably one of the last moments of intimacy that he and Marinette were going to share.
Taking in what fate gave to him, he started to sing, immersing himself in the happy moments of his life, the moments that channelised the feelings into the song he had written just for the bride.
Life is a sharing caring friend
When you are with me..
It was a memory of last summer, when the weather had been too sweltering and Luka had wanted to spend his entire day in bed. However, Marinette apparently had had different plans.
“You’re totally crazy, you know that?” Luka spluttered and grumbled as he glared at his girlfriend.
Marinette stuck her tongue out at him, languidly waving the jug of water in her hand. Her mischievous smirk only reminded him of how drenched he really was. “Well, it’s time for cuddles right now. Plus, it’s summer and you needed a shower so you indeed should be thanking me instead of being grumpy.”
“Cuddle time? Being grateful to you, huh?” Luka said in a low tone, his lips pulling into a smirk. “Let me give you a thank you present then, Melody~”
Marinette let out a squeal and tried to run away, but she was too late. Luka’s arms snaked around her waist and pulled her onto the bed beside him. He chuckled as Marinette gave him a fake-innocent expression. She then blew a raspberry at him, and he kissed her forehead in reply.
“You’re drenched,” she stuck her tongue out at him. He held her closer in response.
“Watery cuddles, a punishment for giving me a bath in bed.”
Marinette snuggled into him, causing him to let out a sigh. “As long as I’m with you, anything is acceptable, Lu.”
When you’re away from me
It becomes a stranger to me
Luka had never known that having a fashion designer as a girlfriend could be this agonizing.
“I can’t believe it’s been just a day! I miss you so much!” Luka wailed, flopping down on his bed, legs hanging in the air. A soft giggle came from his laptop, causing his heart to flutter.
“Look who’s being melodramatic now. That’s why I didn’t want to go,” Marinette spoke over the video call, and Luka could clearly hear the eye rolling in her voice.
Grabbing a pillow, Luka tucked it underneath his chin as he turned to face the laptop on the bedside desk. “Well, I didn’t know you were this irresistible, Melody.”
He smirked as Marinette blushed, before sighing. “But seriously, I miss you so much. Like, I can’t imagine being separated from you, ever.”
Marinette smiled softly. “I know. It’s just a thing for one more day but still… I wanna be in your arms right now.”
“I miss you.”
“Nuh uh, missing you more, Mr. Couffaine.”
“Definitely missing you the most, future Mrs. Couffaine.” Luka ended the small argument by blowing a kiss to his girlfriend, who giggled before catching it over the call and holding her hand close to her heart.
The love that I have for you
How do I tell you about it..
Luka shifted on his legs, fiddling with the bouquet he held in his hand. He had never felt this nervous in a long time. Some strange voice in his mind screamed at him to chicken out, to flee before the door opened and he had to present an answe--
The door opened and Luka felt all air rush out of his lungs.
“Luka? Uhm, you okay?” Marinette asked in a concerned tone, waving a hand in front of his face.
Picking his jaw up from the floor, the musician shook his head to get back his bearings. “I-uhm, yeah.. It’s just… uhm,” He took in a deep breath, determined to let his feelings out in one go. However, what escaped him was something entirely opposite. “This is so difficult and oh gosh, can we please forget this meeting and postpone this and I will be better prepared to just conf--”
Marinette stood on her tiptoes to look behind his back and giggled. “Luka Couffaine, we’ve been dating for a year. You can tell me that you love me.”
He felt his throat go dry. “Not when you’re looking drop dead gorgeous. Understand this guy’s plight, please?”
She blushed and pulled him inside, kissing his cheek gently. “Happy first anniversary, Luka.”
That kiss apparently brought some life back into him, as he gave her a tender smile before kissing her cheek in return. “Happy first anniversary to you too, Ma-Ma-Marinette."
As the soft memory ended, so did the song. A round of applause brought Luka back to the real world.
He looked up to find the audience cheering for him, but his gaze was fixed on the girl in white. The girl in white who had clasped her hands to her mouth. The girl in white at the altar who looked ready to burst into tears as her future husband put a hand on her shoulder.
In a second, the atmosphere turned from refreshing to downright choking. Luka felt like he couldn’t breathe. He had given himself pep talks for this occasion, told himself multiple times through tears that he would have to be a brave man to be a smiling spectator in the ceremony. But now that he stood in the room, he felt his knees give out.
“You think she really is happy like this? By being forced to be with a musician who can never understand her tunes properly, ever?”
He didn’t know about her, but right now, he couldn’t bear to see his Melody in the hands of some other musician, no matter how better that person may be.
Immediately turning to one of the back guitarists, Luka signalled towards the door before pointing his little finger up. Receiving a thumbs up in reply, he made a mad dash towards the doors and in the direction of the restrooms.
Once inside, Luka quickly made his way towards the sink and splashed some water on his face. The cool water awakened his senses a bit, giving him some more semblance over his thoughts. The memories from before came rushing back in, and Luka felt each and every happy moment stab at his heart ruthlessly. He gasped and a stifled sob escaped him through the ragged breaths.
Marinette was getting married and there was nothing he could do to stop it. In a few minutes from now, she was going to be someone else’s, and there was no one Luka could blame for it but himself. He was the one who had broken up with Marinette to get her to stay with Felix, and he was the one who had not intervened anytime during the entire month when there could have been any chance to get Marinette back.
He had lost everything: the love of his life, his Melody, and his happiness. And there was nothing he could do about it.
Gripping the sink tight, Luka did his best to calm his racing heart down. It was his own stupidity that landed him here, and now he could do nothing but sit there, sing and watch his girl being married to someone else. He just had to accept what fate had cruelly thrown at him.
Stop being a whiny fool for what you yourself let go, Couffaine. Now all she needs is your support in her marriage. That’s the least you can provide to her as an apology for your actions, can’t you?
Patting his clothes to appear as presentable as possible, Luka took a deep breath and opened the door of the restroom to get back to the main hall.
Only to be greeted by a big commotion outside.
People were running here and there, some were hollering and Adrien was barking orders at everyone present in the hallway. Luka quickly strode towards the main hall to find Kagami comforting Amelie, who was in turn trying to calm a raging Felix down. Sabine and Tom stood in the side, hugging each other.
There was no sign of Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Grabbing the arm of some random person, Luka pulled them to a less chaotic side. “What happened here?” the musician asked, urgency creeping into his voice.
The man gave him a baffled expression. “You don’t know? The bride ran away!”
The stranger shook Luka off himself and ran out of the room. Luka made no move to stop the man and ask any more questions.
The once prim-and-proper, stuffy room had suddenly become more comfortable, more breathable with its chaos, and Luka was extremely grateful for that.
He rubbed at his sandy eyes as he trudged towards his apartment door. The events following Marinette’s escapade had been a total mess.
There had been a point when Felix had passive-aggressively accused Luka of aiding Marinette to escape, but Adrien and Kagami had come to his defense. They had claimed that Luka could have nothing to do with the entire commotion; he was a mere guitarist who didn’t happen to know Marinette at all. Luka did not defy the white lie, and had even volunteered to search for the missing bride. However, Adrien had politely asked him to not worry and to pack his stuff and leave for the day.
Which brought him to his apartment, weary, confused, but most of all, extremely happy and light-hearted. He didn’t know where Marinette was. Concerned for her, he had searched everywhere for hours on end, until a text from Sabine had ensured him that Marinette was safe and sound, wherever she was.
And that had eased his worries by a ton.
Sliding his guitar off his back, Luka fished out his apartment keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. Humming a tune he hadn’t sung in days, he stepped into the apartment. There was a sound of shuffling, catching him by surprise. However, the moment his eyes looked up, he gasped and halted in the doorway. For there was someone else in his apartment.
A certain someone who was clad in a dirty, tattered wedding gown, tears streaming down her cheeks as she held his favorite mug close to her chest.
The mug with ladybug and cherry blossoms, the one that belonged to the person holding it.
His Melody.
As the song had ended and the wedding hall had started cheering, Marinette had broken out of the small bubble she was in. The bubble that Luka’s voice had built around him and her, the bubble of comfort that she seeked in her memories with him. The claps of the people in the hall had burst this bubble suddenly, leaving Marinette gasping for breath.
“Did you like the song, love?” Felix asked, his voice a little too loud to be a conversation just between him and her.
Marinette politely nodded, wiping at her eyes as she internally wished to throttle her fiance for being such a sorry liar. The love and pain the song had held were a clear indication of it being one of Luka’ creations, and not Felix’s.
As the applause died down, Marinette noticed Luka escape from the room out of the corner of her eye, and immediately, her heart plummeted to her sandals. That was it: Luka had ran away from the room, away from her, away from their problems. A clear indication that he had accepted fate as it is, and didn’t want to do anything to get her back. And now she was meant to be the Graham de Vanily bride.
Tears threatened to fall from her already red-rimmed eyes, and she felt herself losing the zeal to make any attempt to thwart the wedding. No way she could run along that long aisle, out of those looming double doors to her love and her freedom.
As the priest droned on with the ceremonial stuff, Marinette closed her eyes, reminiscing every moment she had spent with her ex-boyfriend. The jokes, the laughs. The hugs, the cuddles. The tears, the kisses. The happy and sad moments that were worth everything. The moments that had slipped from her hand like mere sand.
If only she could get out of this place…
“There’s still time to make things right, Marinette. And it is worth it, trust me.”
A rush of clarity washed over her as Juleka’s words from a week before echoed in her mind. Of course there was still time. And of course her relationship with Luka was worth not only a mere try, but her entire life.
She could do this, right?
Her eyes skimmed over the hall, taking in the guests present. She saw her parents and grandparents give her supportive smiles. Beside her, Kagami gently nudged her elbow in a symbol of support. Across from her, Adrien gave her a small nod.
Hope fluttered in her chest, and for some spectacular reason, the distance between the altar and the double doors, the path to her freedom, seemed a lot shorter than before. The room that had earlier dulled in colors now seemed a lot more cheery, with everyone around her encouraging her to make a mad dash for the freedom she yearned for, the freedom she deserved.
Taking in a deep breath, Marinette did her best to calm down her racing heart. She ran her eyes down her fluffy, heavy, constricting wedding dress. Her sandals were flat, they would make the next task a lot more easier. It was a matter of now or never. And last time she might not have been able to make her decision, but this time, there was no one stopping her from flying away.
Fingers gently curling around the heavy skirts of the dress, Marinette hiked it up carefully. Her heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline rushing through her blood. The priest stopped speaking all of a sudden. She felt confused glances being thrown at her, and heard Amelie’s faint gasp. She sensed Felix move a step closer, and that was when she made the dash.
Surprised gasps and exclamations burst from the crowd as she ran down the aisle, but Marinette paid them no mind. Behind her, she heard Felix let out an angry shout, throwing curses at her. This was immediately followed by her dad’s fiery defense as he hollered back at Felix, which brought a small smile to Marinette’s face.
Tossing her veil back to rest it behind herself, Marinette quickly escaped through the double doors. She ran down the stairs towards the parking lot, the frustrating train of her dress billowing behind her. The cold, January air nipped at her face, heightening her senses. She felt her legs ache with the effort of carrying the additional, challenging weight of the wedding dress. Eager to seek some respite as well as to hide from the searching mob, she ducked and hid amongst the cars, her ears at complete attention to her surroundings.
Over the mad chaos, Marinette heard Adrien shout orders at people to search for her in the rooms down the hallway and not in the parking lot. A smile twitched on her lips as she appreciated the act he put up, before looking around for a chance to escape. Adrien could only buy her a few precious minutes, and she had to make full use of that time.
Adjusting the straps of her dress, Marinette felt her fingers bump with something solid under the gown. Curious, she ran her fingers under the strap to find her grandmother’s bike keys tucked in there, causing her to let out a gasp. Her mind went back to the moment she had had with her mother and grandmother at the altar, when the older woman had leaned up to press a kiss on her cheek.
“This is a lucky charm for you, My Cupcake. I hope this will clear the path for your happiness.”
Of course that was when she must have tucked the keys in discreetly.
Letting out a silent prayer of thanks, Marinette scanned the area for her Nona’s bike. Her face lit up on catching the sight of the vehicle a few cars ahead of her, and she immediately got up to make her way towards the motorcycle.
That was when someone let out a shout from the hallway behind her.
Hastily turning around, she saw a person pointing towards her. Quickly hiking her skirts even higher, she rushed towards the motorcycle. Mounting the vehicle with ease and putting the helmet on quickly, Marinette put the key in the ignition and kickstarted the vehicle. The engine rumbled to life, sending her heart aflutter with joy. As the crazy mob rushed towards her, she revved up the engine and pressed on the pedal. She felt the strain in her grip as the motorcycle zoomed forward, towards and out of the gates of the chapel precinct, and away from the suffocating future that now lay behind her.
Travelling through the entire Paris on a motorbike in a wedding dress had not been fun. Marinette parked the motorcycle beneath the bridge, dismounting the vehicle and pulling the helmet off. Her hair was stiff and a total mess, with pink flowers dangling from the tresses that had managed to escape her bun. The frills were all ruffled up and the lower hem of her dress had tears at multiple places, but she didn’t care in the slightest. For she herself wanted to get out of that damned dress.
Marinette opened the side compartment in the bike and shuffled through the contents. Retrieving her clutch she had kept there earlier in the morning, she pulled her phone out. She shooted a quick text to her mother, telling her that she was safe and sending her the bike’s location. She looked over the missed calls section and sourly ignored the 10 missed calls from Felix.
Though what sent her heart aflutter were the 15 missed calls she had received from Luka.
Smiling to herself, she tucked the phone back into her clutch and pulled out the familiar key from it. Picking up her tattered skirts, she looked around to check if anyone was on the street, and then made her way towards the apartment that she knew like the back of her hand.
Using the spare key, she unlocked the door to Luka’s home. The door swung open, and his familiar scent of ocean and pine greeted her like a long lost friend. The instant Marinette stepped through the door into the apartment, she finally felt like she was free. Free from her fears, away from her nightmares. Away from the stuffy Graham de Vanily mansion and back where she belonged to.
Back home.
They have been awake, and they have cried
In the nights, these eyes of mine..
She absentmindedly kicked her heels off, her eyes skimming over the drawing room. Flashbacks of her moments with Luka ran through her mind. The comforting cuddle sessions, the funny makeover sessions, the romantic candlelight dinners -- she remembered them all as if they had been a thing of yesterday. During the month she had been away from him, she had never had a proper sleep. The once happy moments of her life had unknowingly turned into her worst nightmares.
And now she could only hope for them to turn back to the wonderful dreams again.
Why after meeting you, every moment
I miss you so dearly..
She walked in the direction of his bedroom, running her hands over the walls. She closed her eyes, remembering the happy memories she held dear to herself. The cake splatters Luka had accidentally made when he had first learnt baking, the music notes she had painted on those walls to cover his innocent mistake, the fiery kisses they had shared against the same walls afterwards…
A shiver ran down her spine as she let out a breathy laugh, a laugh that escaped her lips as a choked sob. Meeting him in her dreams wasn’t enough: she needed him in person. Needed to see him, hug him, hold him tight, just to make her heart feel content again.
Controlling her emotions, she entered his bedroom, only to gasp in surprise.
With dirty, gloved hands clasped on her mouth, her eyes took in the walls in front of her. Walls that were decorated with photographs of her and Luka. Earlier the photographs had been sparse, but now, it seemed like an entire section of the wall was just made out from those pictures.
She was there in every photograph. Be it some candid picture of hers that Luka had taken without her knowledge, or pictures of them spending time with each other; Marinette found herself to be a part of all those photographs somehow.
And in the midst of them all was her favorite photograph. The one with them looking at the sunset, their favorite mugs in their hand as they leaned into each other’s embrace.
Marinette didn’t even hesitate to let her tears flow freely as she picked up the coffee mug from the table beside her.
The coffee mug with ladybug and cherry blossoms on it.
And that was when she heard the door open.
I didn't understand, you only tell me
Why even after getting you am I away from you
Turning around and scampering to the main hall, she found a bedraggled Luka looking at her with eyes wide as saucers, his one hand on the door handle with the other holding the guitar. He was frozen in place, his jaw hanging open.
Marinette found herself unable to move as well. In her nightmarish dreams, seeing him as distraught and troubled as herself was one thing. But now that she saw him up close after a month of separation, she felt her heart thud to a jarring stop. She could see how pale and ghostly his face had become. She wished to remove the droopiness in his posture. She wanted to wipe those faint tear trails and kiss his eyebags away.
Marinette took a tentative step forward, then another. She felt the familiar tug at her heartstrings, causing her to tear up in joy. She moved another step forward, and then another. Luka seemed to have broken out of his stupor, too, as he rushed towards her quickly, stopping just a step short and looking at her with unbelieving eyes. Eyes that held so many emotions at the same time she wanted to drown happily in them.
She felt him reach his hand out, his familiar, cold, and callused fingers ghosting over her warm cheek. For some reason, he didn’t reach to cup her cheek, as if hesitant that she might disappear the moment he touched her. Letting out a small giggle at his behavior, Marinette closed her eyes, leaned into his touch and sighed.
When he didn’t make a move, Marinette felt a strange fear overcome her. She expected him to pull away, to lash out at her, to leave her and just… go away. Timidly, she opened her eyes. With great effort, she dared to look into the teals she had come to love. And in a moment, all her breath left her lungs.
She had not expected those eyes to be looking at her with devotion. She had not expected them to be filled with love, adoration, compassion for her. She had not expected to see the tears of happiness, joy and relief in those eyes. Tears that glinted orange in the glow of the setting sun and made the eyes appear so mesmerising, so mysterious and so beautifully sad at the same time.
Reaching out a dainty, gloved hand, Marinette gently swiped the wetness under her lover’s eyes. A breathy laugh escaped him, soon followed by a strangled sob. And that was what revoked her sleeping emotions in full force, breaking the weak dam of indifference she had built around herself the month before.
Relief flooded over her and Marinette found her legs unable to support her anymore. She instantly slumped into his chest and he caught her, just like he always did. The twang of the guitar as it fell to the ground resonated with the broken melody of her pained heart. His strong arms wrapping around her petite frame made her entire self tingle, as if a mysterious chord had been struck within her. Laying her head on his chest as he held her close to himself, Marinette finally felt like the pieces of her shattered world were gluing themselves back. And she couldn’t have been anymore grateful.
Choked sobs escaped her as she let go of the pain that had been clawing at her heart for the past month. His arms wrapped around her even tighter, She felt his hot breath on her neck, heard his silent sobs near her ear, and felt his hot tears drip down her shoulders.
Never forget these things
There’s someone living for you
They held each other like that for what seemed like an eternity, before Luka pressed a kiss to her forehead and broke the hug. He lightly squeezed her waist, causing her to squeeze his shoulders in reply.
“You...you came back.”
“I did.”
“I-Mari…” His voice cracked, and Marinette rubbed at his back, trying her best to soothe him. “I’m sorry for being such a moron, Marinette. I-I can’t...I just…”
Marinette let out a gasp as Luka pulled her into another bone-crushing hug. She reached her hand to ruffle his hair lightly, as he continued to babble against her shoulder, holding her tight to himself.
“I can’t bear to lose you again. Never ever. Not in my nightmares. With you back here, I just… it feels like I’m complete again and I’m so sorry for being such a jerk and an idiot and--”
“Luka, it’s okay,” Marinette shushed him lightly, pulling back to give him a watery smile. “Forget the past. I’m with you in the end. That’s what matters, doesn’t it?”
.“Wh-what about Porte Bonheur ?” He asked in a concerned tone, his voice raspy with emotions.
“It’s tied up with Gabriel. And as long as Adrien is there by our side, nothing is going to happen to it.”
“I-I--” Luka broke off for a moment, before wiping his thumb on her cheek. “Your makeup… it’s ruined.”
Laughter bubbled in Marinette’s chest at that comment. Laughter she hadn’t felt in a long while. She wiped at her eyes, giggling. “I know, I know. Messed up makeup, frizzy hair, tattered dress... I must look like a monster right now.”
Her man simply sighed, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. “You can wear a garbage bag and still look as gorgeous as ever. But first and foremost, let’s get you out of this wedding dress.”
She couldn’t have agreed to anything better.