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The service bell at the front of the bakery rang, calling attention to the customer.
“Just a moment, please!” Sabine called from the kitchen. After Marinette moved to New York, Sabine had become the one to answer most customer inquiries. Thankfully, it wasn’t something that she minded-- she was glad that her daughter was following her dreams of becoming a fashion designer.
Wiping her hands on her apron, she walked into the front of the store. Sabine stopped, frozen in her tracks.
“Hi, mom,” Marinette greeted, her usual warm smile gracing her features.
Marinette watched as her mother’s eyes filled with tears, followed by a loving smile. Sabine rushed towards her, throwing her arms around her in a hug.
“Oh, honey!” she cried. “You know you shouldn’t surprise me like this!”
“I know,” Marinette giggled, fighting off tears of her own, “but I wanted to.”
They remained in their hug for a solid few minutes. It had been two years since Marinette graduated from high school, and had won a position in a highly-competitive fashion internship. Because she had been so busy, it was rare for her to return home, except for the holidays.
Her mother called her father into the front, and that action, alone, extended the length of their hug by an additional six minutes.
Marinette explained that she had been granted a week-long vacation from her boss, and had decided to return home. But, she wanted to surprise her family and friends-- and boy, she was glad she had. The look on her parents’ faces had made a month of secret planning completely worth it.
After their reunion hug, Marinette and her parents decided to catch up over some coffee and cake. She told them about her time in New York, all of the people she had met, and how she felt like she had a sense of purpose there, although she had a hard time feeling like she was home .
Paris would always be her home.
During their conversation, Marinette’s eyes wandered to the bulletin board that her parents kept. Many of the usual posters were there-- advertisements for art shows, discounted tickets to the Louvre, and so on-- but there was one that immediately caught her attention.
It was a poster for a concert-- by complete chance, playing tonight . The band, in particular, caught her attention: Kitty Section.
Just seeing the name conjured up memories of her adventures as a teen. Creating costumes for them, watching their rehearsals, and supporting them in any way that she could.
Following her gaze, Sabine gave her a knowing smile.
“That nice boy brought those posters by. What was his name again, Tom?” she asked, tapping a finger to her lip. “Leo? Louis?”
“Luka?” Marinette asked, falling right into her mother’s trap.
“That’s right! Luka!”
There was someone Marinette hadn’t thought about in a long time. With the hustle and bustle of life in New York, she hadn’t really thought of most of the people from her teen years. She had just fallen out of touch with many of them; they were busy, and so was she. The thought occurred to her that it’d be nice to see them all again.
“That show is tonight, isn’t it?” Sabine asked, inspecting the poster closely. “You should go, Marinette.”
“Oh-- mom, are you sure?”
“Of course I am!” Sabine proclaimed. “It’s after dinner, so we can eat together, and then you can see the show.” Smiling warmly, she added, “You can see your friends again. They’ve missed you, too.”
Just like that, Marinette had some very spontaneous plans. Not that she was complaining. It would be nice to see everyone again.
Handing the usher her ticket, Marinette walked into the venue. It was crowded, but not packed, with plenty of 20-somethings, such as herself, hanging out, drinking, smoking. Just a typical small concert in Paris.
She was glad that Kitty Section was able to perform in a venue, though. It had always been their dream as teenagers, she remembered.
Buying a water bottle for herself, she managed to find a seat on the second level of the venue before the show began. It was bizarre not knowing anyone in the audience-- how long had it been since that happened? With the nature of her work, she usually knew at least one person.
Finally, the lights dimmed, a hush falling over the audience. The first floor seemed to be almost entirely standing room, and it was packed .
When the first note, strummed on an electric guitar, rang out over the speakers, the house lost their cool . Everyone around Marinette, and everyone on the first floor began to cheer and scream.
The sound of Rose’s distinct voice floated out over the speakers, leading into a hard rock song that was unfamiliar to Marinette. It wasn’t too far of a cry from “I Love Unicorns”, but Rose had certainly grown up as a lyricist.
After the second song, Rose stepped up to the microphone to address the audience.
“Hey, hey, hey, everyone!! Thank you so much for coming tonight! We’re Kitty Section!”
No matter how many years passed, Rose would still sound the same. Marinette was officially convinced.
As the show continued, with periodic breaks from Rose, Marinette found herself immersed in the music. They had found their distinct sound, and it worked for them. Closing her eyes, she listened, images of models walking down runways to Kitty Section’s music coming to mind.
About three-quarters through the show, Rose took another break.
“Okay, so… usually, I’m the one writing lyrics for our songs, but every now and again, one of our band members will write a song, and I can’t say no!” she giggled, bouncing up and down. “This one is from our guitarist, Luka.” Lowering her voice, she added suggestively, “Seems he’s had someone on his mind lately.”
The audience ooh’ed suggestively in return, but Luka, standing on the far part of the stage, waved them off.
Part of Marinette felt just a little disappointed. Of course, Luka wouldn’t remain single forever, that was to be expected. He was nice, cute, could play the guitar-- what girl wouldn’t be interested?
But still, there was something about finding out he had someone “on his mind” that felt a bit like a punch to the gut.
Now that her attention was brought to him, Marinette watched Luka a little more closely through the next song. He had changed a bit since she last saw him-- obviously, it had been well over two years since they had last seen each other.
Still, it felt like she was too far away to notice many changes about him. At the moment, the only thing that seemed different was his hair, now styled into a loose mohawk, with the sides of his head shaved.
Rose sang the lyrics to the song, wasting no effort in making it sound as emotionally intimate as the lyrics made it out to be.
Marinette, despite herself, listened closely to the lyrics, hoping to catch any hints as to who this mystery person might be, and how Luka felt about them.
His lyrics were far more poetic than the typical lyrics for Kitty Section, and he didn’t necessarily describe how they looked , but how they sounded .
The lyrics continued to describe what sounded like a long-lost love. Separated all too soon, this person still haunts his thoughts, a ghost from a happier, simpler time. Their voice still haunts him, a whisper of a kiss that was never to be.
It wasn’t until the middle of the song, between verses, that Marinette caught a familiar set of notes. Listening closely, she focused on where she recognized them from. The memory nagged at her, calling her attention, but it was just out of reach.
When the song ended, and a new one began, she lost grip of the memory entirely.
Once the show was finished, Marinette made her way to the side exit, in hopes of meeting the band, and she was certainly not alone. A huge crowd was gathered outside the stage door, all of them bustling around, chatting excitedly with one another.
It was nice to see that Kitty Section had become so popular. Fulfilling, in a way.
The band emerged, and the crowd went wild, practically stampeding them. Marinette, however, stayed where she was, letting everyone else go first. Since she personally knew the band, she was hesitant to shove her way to the front.
Kitty Section loved their fans, and made the effort to give back as much as they could. This was great, but it meant that Marinette waited that much longer. Finally, once the crowd had mostly waned, she took out her sketchbook, and approached them, easily reaching Rose.
“Could I have your autograph?” Marinette asked, smiling slightly.
“Sure!” Rose said, already focusing on the paper, as opposed to the person holding it. “Who should I make it out to?”
“Marinette.”
“’Marinette’? That’s funny, I have a friend--” Rose looked up at her, cutting herself off as soon as she saw her face. “ MARINETTE!! ” she screeched, throwing her arms around her in a very, very excited hug.
“What? Marinette’s here?” Ivan asked.
“Marinette?” Juleka piped in, turning to face her.
“Hi, everyone.” With a sheepish grin, her eyes glided over the faces of her friends, most of which she hadn’t seen in upwards of two years, since they graduated high school. They all seemed extremely happy to see her, their smiles warming her heart.
“Oh my god!! I thought you were in New York!” Rose exclaimed, finally releasing Marinette.
“I was, I’m just back for a quick vacation.”
“Sick,” Juleka smiled.
“Oh, and by the way, all of you were fantastic !” Marinette said. “I absolutely adore all of your music.”
“Thanks! It’s kind of funny to think we’ve been together for so long, but the integrity and the heart of the band has stayed the same,” Rose beamed.
So, she had met with Juleka, Rose, and Ivan, but… where was Luka?
Right as she thought that, he emerged from the stage door, carrying a speaker.
“Oh, Luka!!!” Rose screeched, jumping up and down. As calm as ever, he glanced over at her. “Look who it is!!”
Rose pushed Marinette forward, and for the first time in years, they met each other’s eyes.
He had changed quite a bit. He was much more mature, having outgrown his softer, adolescent features. Marinette could even see the slightest shadow of stubble dotting his jawline. He had also gotten a few more ear piercings-- the image of a true rocker.
She was secretly glad that his hair was still blue. He had just gone for a darker shade, and had dyed all of his hair, as opposed to just the tips.
Of course, she had changed, too. Her face had narrowed, her hair had gotten longer, and her figure had become fuller. That night, she was wearing her hair in a high ponytail, with a scarf tied into it. She was no longer the teenager that would come over to hang out with his little sister. She was a young woman now.
When Luka saw her, his eyes widened, and, as much as he tried to hide it, his jaw dropped, just slightly. His speechlessness was quickly replaced by a broad grin, approaching her, his arms open for a hug.
“Marinette!”
Without hesitation, she threw her arms around his waist, giving him a hug. It occurred to her, in the few seconds that they embraced, that he had gotten quite a bit taller, too.
She found that she didn’t mind.
They all spent about twenty minutes hanging out by the stage door, chatting, catching up. Juleka and Rose were engaged, and it took Rose about seven minutes to show Marinette all the different pink wedding dresses she had her eye on.
After about fifteen minutes, Rose began to glance between Marinette and Luka, who had seemed particularly invested in what the other had to say. Finally, she spoke up.
“Marinette, it’s been so nice seeing you again, and we definitely have to get coffee or something while you’re here. I’m getting a little tired, and I know Juleka feels the same, so we’re going to head home now.” With a warm smile, and a big hug, Rose bid goodbye to Marinette. Taking Juleka’s hand, they began to walk away. “C’mon, Ivan, we’ll walk you home. Mylène is probably wondering where you are.”
“Huh? But I’m--”
“ Let’s go, Ivan. ”
And, just like that, Marinette and Luka were alone.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, just as laid back as she remembered.
“… Yeah,” she lied. “How about you?”
“Starved,” he smiled. “Want to grab a bite to eat together?”
“Sure,” she tittered, an all-too-familiar flutter passing through her heart. It was subtle, not entirely detectable just yet, but definitely there.
If she hadn’t been so focused on Luka’s eyes, the way they seemed to sparkle when he looked at her, then maybe she would’ve noticed.
As they walked, they chatted, easily falling back into the momentum of their friendship. Luka still made her feel incomparably comfortable, his very presence soothing her, relaxing her. She hadn’t realized how tense she had been-- work, travel, and all that began to wear down on a person after a while-- until she finally began to relax.
The night air in the city wasn’t necessarily cold , but it was beginning to get cool. Marinette shivered, not even realizing she had become chilled. Before she could remark upon it, Luka unzipped his hoodie, took it off, and draped it over her shoulders.
“Here.”
“Oh… thank you.”
Even with that simple action, her heart skipped a beat. The simplicity of it, and the way he showed he cared with such small actions, somehow was far more charming than the over-the-top declarations she had received in New York.
Her mind wandered to the show, and, by extension, Luka’s song.
“I really liked the song you wrote,” she said, pulling his hoodie closer around herself.
“I’m glad,” he smiled easily. “That song means a lot to me.” Marinette weighed her options. She wanted to know more, but… maybe it wasn’t her place to ask? She couldn’t exactly just blurt out so you like someone? “Just like you do, Marinette.”
Freezing in her tracks, Luka continued walking for another step or two before glancing back at her.
“Me…?” she breathed, hardly believing her ears.
“Of course,” he smiled, as if that was the most natural thing in the world to say. “The song was about you.”
But, she thought, frantic, that was a love song!
Sure, Luka had hinted, way back when, when they were teenagers , that he had feelings for her, but she never thought it was anything more than puppy love, or a tiny crush! Things had been so complicated, between her life as Ladybug, the whole mess with Adrien, and Kagami, and--
Her life was just never going to give her a break, was it?
“But…” she hesitated. “It’s been years .”
With a slight, wistful sigh, he placed his hand atop her head, smoothing her hair.
“I know,” he said, his voice quiet, just a little unsure. “I could never forget you. You’re too special to me.”
Shuffling forward, she leaned her head forward, resting it against the crook of his shoulder. She didn’t have the strength to give him a full hug, but she couldn’t just stand there, mouth gaping, either.
“Sorry-- was that too much?” he asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. It was comforting, just as he had always been.
“No… I’m sorry, it’s just--” she huffed, somewhat irritated with herself. She couldn’t get a grip on how she felt about it. Part of her felt light at his admission, knowing that someone like Luka had been thinking of her for the past several years was extremely validating. However, another part of her felt somewhat guilty.
She lived in New York, and he lived in Paris. It just… wouldn’t work, would it? She was too busy for a relationship, as is-- but a long-distance relationship ? That was out of the question, wasn’t it?
It was complicated.
“You’re so sweet, Luka,” she sighed, “and I’d be lying if I said I… I don’t feel the same way, but…” Trailing off, she pulled his hoodie closer, breathing in his scent. “I’m… I’m just… I’m so busy, and you’re so sweet, and I don’t want you to get hurt because you’re waiting for me.”
For a moment, he didn’t say anything, he only placed his hand on her head, and slowly stroked her hair.
“Marinette,” he hesitated. “I’d never ask you to give up on your dreams for me, and I hope no one else asks that of you, either.” His words, so gentle, were enough to lift her gaze. Searching his expression, she tried to figure out what he was thinking, but he was as calm and hard-to-read as ever. “If we just get to see each other when you come home, then that’s fine.”
“Luka…”
“I’m just saying… I’d rather you be happy, and I only get to see you when you come home, than have to see you every day when you’re miserable,” he explained, smiling down at her. “Because the way you look right now-- you look alive , and happy to be alive.” His words brought a blush to her cheeks, and he seemed to notice, although he didn’t call attention to it. “Seeing your smile tonight was well worth the wait.”
All traces of hesitation were banished as he finished, and Marinette threw her arms around his waist, burying her head into his shoulder. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, he put his arms around her, in return.
“Thank you, Luka.”
“Thank you , for hearing me out.”
They stayed where they were, indulging in the moment, for quite some time.
“Here you go, lovebirds!”
Marinette had been relieved to see André, the ice cream vendor, for two reasons: first, she was glad that he was still doing business, even after all that time, and second, she was glad that they caught him right as he was closing shop for the day.
Luka, gentleman that he was, paid for an ice cream for him and Marinette to share.
Neither one of them minded being referred to as lovebirds .
Walking down the path, the two of them took a seat overlooking the river, just like they used to when they were teenagers, hanging out with all of their friends.
Only this time, it was just the two of them.
Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, Luka’s lips turned up in the slightest smirk before he scooped a bite of ice cream onto the spoon they had been given.
“Marinette,” he said, offering the spoon to her.
Blushing deeply, Marinette weighed her options for only about two seconds before she leaned forward, putting the spoon in her mouth, her hand grazing his in an effort to stabilize it.
Now it was Luka’s turn to blush, although he was much more clandestine about it.
After that, he wasn’t as brave as he had been before.
They continued to eat and chat, admiring the night sky in Paris. It was so peaceful-- finally, Marinette was able to relax completely. Luka just had that effect on her.
“Oh, hold on,” she said, noticing something. “Stay still for a second.”
“Okay,” he said, and obeyed.
Leaning forward, Marinette reached out, and wiped away a stray chocolate shaving that had ended up on his cheek.
“There we go,” she said.
“Thanks. Always good to know you have my back,” he chuckled, leaning back. Almost lazily, his eyes drifted towards her, meeting her gaze.
For a second-- an impossibly long, lingering second-- neither one moved, nor did they say anything. Finally, he sat up straight, and leaned closer to her, giving her enough opportunity to back away, if that was what she wanted.
She wanted quite the contrary.
Marinette leaned closer. At the beginning of the night, she hadn’t been anticipating sharing a kiss with Luka, but she wasn’t complaining, either.
Eyes fluttering closed, she anticipated the feeling of his lips on hers, her heartbeat quickening as his hand cupped her cheek…
But the kiss never came. Instead, he leaned his forehead against hers. While this was fine, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
“What’re you doing?” she whispered, almost giggling from her nerves.
“Tell you what,” he murmured, “the next time you come home, I’ll kiss you. That way, we both have something to look forward to.”
He drove a hard bargain.
“… Alright,” she agreed. “It’s a deal.”