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“This trip is your chance to get some clarity, Marinette. Don’t pass it up.” Alya had told her in the days leading up to the New York trip.
She wasn’t sure how much she believed her friend. She thought she would have gotten clarity sometime within the past two years, but that wasn’t happening any time soon. It was a dream, a fantasy that wasn’t realistic.
Marinette was slowly coming to terms with that. It was hard, but it was for the better.
But enough of that! This was a special trip. Marinette wanted to have fun! She was going to New York of all places. The Big Apple! Home of the famous and the fashionable. There were at least twenty different stores she wanted to visit.
There was nothing that could stop her, not anymore.
Everyone boards onto the plane and filters into their seat. Marinette checks her ticket. Once, twice, three times for good measure. She strolls down the row of seats, checking the letters and numbers each time she passes.
She finds her seat after ten rows and pushes the handle of her luggage down. Tries to pick it up and over her head, but the tight space makes it hard to maneuver. In true Marinette fashion, she loses her grip on it and squeaks when it starts to fall behind her.
“Whoa!”
Something catches the weight with a grunt. Marinette looks over her shoulder and her eyes widen at the sight of blue dyed locks.
Luka looks back at her with a grin, holding up her luggage with the palm of his hands.
“Hello Ma-Ma-Marrinete,” he says, “Are you sitting in this row too?”
Maybe Alya was right all along.
She would gain some clarity on this trip.
Hour 1
“So, you decided to come along on the trip?” She asks.
Luka nods. Hums a response as he drums his fingers along the armrest. “I felt like it was too important of an opportunity to let pass. Besides, when’s another chance to go to New York going to pop up?”
He has a point, Marinette thinks. There might be some chances for study abroad later, but that was far ahead in the future. So far ahead that thinking about it makes dread seep into her. Her future felt uncertain, like she had no control over it. Fate of the world here, talk about destinies there. It’s overwhelming.
She shakes the thought out of her head though, no time to think about that now.
“You have a point. It’ll be interesting to see what the states look like,” Marinette smiles to herself. It’s a large city with a lot of potential. She can think of a couple of stores she wants to visit if given the time. Take back a fashion magazine or two, just to study them.
Beside her, Luka nods. “I’ve never been out of France, I’m looking forward to it.” He cocks his head towards her, curious. “Do you have any tourist spots or landmarks you want to visit?”
Marinette brightens. “A couple! I-well, in general, I want to visit as many clothing stores as I can. Not to buy, but I want to see what’s in season for the Americans. What their current ‘in’ style is, you know? If I started to buy stuff, I might not be able to stop. There’s so many different styles in the United States, it’d be hard to just come home with one or two.” She feels excited talking about her plans. It feels great to have someone listen to her, too. And with Luka, talking to him is easy.
He never pushes her to talk, never makes her feel rushed. It’s like he wants to hear what she has to say. Marinette doesn’t feel bad or feel ridiculous for talking about her interests or feelings. No standards to meet, no pressure on her shoulders. Marinette could simply be. And that feels amazing.
She could get used to this.
He nods in agreement. “I’m looking forward to seeing some more American bands. Maybe I should pick up a vinyl or two to take home.” There’s a pause, then a smile. “Maybe we could visit some stores together, if we have the time.”
Together.
That sounds nice.
Hour 3
“Have you seen the new Jagged Stone concert?” She finds herself asking.
Luka shakes his head, a bit saddened. “Haven’t had the time, prepping for the trip and all.”
Marinette looks between her tablet and him. She thinks about it for a moment, wonders what Alya would say if her best friend could see her now.
She decides that the potential teasing was worth it.
Flicks the tablet’s welcome screen up and taps her Netflix application. She pulls out her earbuds and plugs them in, looks at him. Luka seems a bit lost, looks at her with slow, blinking eyes. It’s… cute. Very cute.
Marinette smiles, shy and hesitant, but offers him one of her earbuds. “Well… would you like to watch it with me?”
He looks touched. His eyes brighten and he gently takes the offered earbud, placing it in his ear and leans towards her to see the screen.
She does the same. Puts her earbud in and taps the play button on the screen, holds it in the space between them (there’s not much, and Marinette thinks she’s okay with that).
Their arms brush against each other. It brings a warmth to her cheeks and she’s almost sure that the gesture does the same for him.
Marinette smiles to herself as the opening credits begin to play. Luka hums quietly along to the familiar song.
Neither pull away.
Hour 6
Truthfully, Marinette doesn’t remember falling asleep. It might have been after Jagged’s second set of songs because she can hear the melody playing in her head, fading off into a memory.
She also doesn’t remember getting a pillow under her head. When did that happen?
It takes a minute more for Marinette to fully wake up. When she does, she tilts her head up.
Luka is asleep beside her. His head is leaning on hers, chin placed right above her head, mouth slightly open as he breathes slow and steady. The earbud is dangling by a thread in his ear.
Marinette feels her face warm at the sight. She feels all kinds of embarrassed, shy and… happiness.
She takes in his features, appreciating them up close. His blue dyed hair is fading, just slightly. Hints of green are starting to poke through at the ends. She wonders when’s the last time he dyed them.
His arms are crossed, but she can see his hand. The one with a ring and bracelets around his wrist.
Everything is so very much Luka. A part of her wonders what that means, though.
What made Luka, Luka?
Was it his kindness? How he put everyone’s needs above his own?
His creativity, perhaps, and how he was able to create songs that resonated with so many people.
Or his intuition? He had a gift for reading others, listened to the song of their hearts.
Perhaps it’s a mix of all those things and more. Luka didn’t fit neatly into any of those descriptions but wasn’t himself without them either.
Marinette smiles to herself, feeling drowsy yet again. The movie had long ended, the screen on the replay button. But she doesn’t move, doesn’t want to ruin the moment.
Everything was perfect without it.
Everything was crystal clear.
Hour 7 ½
There’s a gentle nudge on her shoulder that brings her back out of sleep.
“Marinette, we’re almost there,” she hears Luka mutter.
She doesn’t want to move, doesn’t want to break contact with him. But the plane is almost landing, and she has no other choice.
The world comes back into focus as she opens her eyes. It’s dawn, the sunrise peeking in through the shut window. That’s enough to wake her up completely. She blinks long and slow, then sighs into a smile. Reaches forward to slide the blind up and see the sunrise herself.
They were flying right above the clouds, sun peeking out. It painted the clouds in a beautiful array of colors. Orange, red, pink, and yellow. Marinette marveled at the sight.
“Wow… who knew it was so pretty above the clouds,” she whispers.
He shifts behind her and leans over her shoulder. Although she can’t see, Luka has a smile, it’s in his voice. “It’s beautiful,” he says, and she wonders if he’s talking about the sight or her.
New York City
Everyone filters out of the airport, some jetlagged, some excited. There’s idle chatter among them, but Marinette doesn’t care to listen.
She stands beside Luka as the class waits for their bus. He’s looking around, either awed or overwhelmed by the new environment. It’s hard to say.
Sometimes, it’s hard to read Luka. He’s so… together. Like he has everything put together. Marinette wonders how he does it, how he stays afloat.
He fiddles with the ring on his finger and the bracelets on his wrist.
Oh.
She keeps her gaze on the skyscrapers in front of them. “You know, there’s… a store nearby that I’d like to visit, once we get the free time.”
The ring stops spinning Luka looks at her. Her cheeks burn but she can’t let that stop her.
“I-If you have the time, would you like to see it with me? Then maybe we could find one of those vinyl stores you were talking about.”
She’s met with silence and Marinette wonders if this was a mistake. Panic takes over and she dares to look at him because she has to apologize and—
Luka is staring at her. He can’t take his eyes off her and now she can’t take hers off him either.
Despite that, Marinette can see pink dusting his cheeks.
Before she can say anything, Luka nods. He ducks his head a bit towards her, smiling shyly. “I’d like that, I’d like that a lot.”
When the bus finally arrives, they go their separate ways. It’s only temporary, but Marinette misses him all the same.
She sits down next to Alya at the front and she can feel the eyes on her.
“So,” she begins, smirk present, “Did you find your clarity?”
Marinette blinks at the question. She finds herself looking towards the front row, where Luka sits across from Juleka. He’s in the middle of conversation with her, but when it dies down, he catches Marinette staring.
He smiles back at her, that shy and almost cheeky smile, like they’re holding a secret between them.
Juleka says something and Luka turns his attention back to her. His cheeks turn red and he shakes his head, denying something.
She can only imagine what the girl asked.
Alya nudges her shoulder into Marinette, bringing her back down to earth.
“I’ll ask again since you were distracted,” she teases, “Did you find your clarity?”
And for once, Marinette answers confidently. The clouds have parted in her heart and her head feels clear for the first time in years.
“Yeah, I did.”