Work Text:
"Since Valentine's is coming up," Rose had suggested, "We should have a love song we can perform. Adrien, Luka, do you want to write one for us?"
Luka put on a smile, genuinely happy to see Adrien but wanting to hide his mixed emotions about co-writing a love song.
"Hey, Luka," Adrien said cheerily. "I hope you know how to write love songs, because it's not something I've done before."
"Hey," Luka greeted back, leading the way belowdeck. "I've played around with some ideas before, but until recently I didn't have anyone I wanted to write a love song for ."
Adrien frowned. "It needs to be for someone?"
Luka shrugged. "You don't need to tell anyone who it's about, not even the person you write it for. But a love song is about emotion, so ideally there's someone you feel strongly for so that you can channel those feelings."
"Ah," Adrien said with a nod. "I- I guess there is someone."
Luka tried not to feel heartbroken by that. "Do you want to try putting some words to the feelings?" He asked. "Maybe we can find some lyrics to start from."
"I-" Adrien took a breath, steadying himself for something. Luka raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. "I was fine, before them," Adrien said finally. "Then, they put their hand in mine, and- and now I'm theirs."
"That's actually gorgeous," Luka said breathlessly. Whoever Adrien had in mind was incredibly lucky.
Adrien smiled. "Thanks," he mumbled. "It feels really chaotic, sometimes, having these feelings. It's like, love does what it wants. I'm just along for the ride."
"I get what you mean," Luka nodded. "I feel a little untethered by it all, too, sometimes. Sometimes, I worry that the person I like hates me, and sometimes I could swear they like me back."
"You might say," Adrien offered with a smirk, "that they want your hide."
Luka laughed. "That's awful," he chuckled. "I love it, and we're using it."
"Exactly the reaction I was hoping for," Adrien smiled.
Luka smiled back, writing down a few ideas. "You know," he said after a while, "this mess of emotion is like getting a tattoo."
Adrien blinked with confusion, looking up from his own notepad.
"Well, it's exciting, right?" Luka explained. "But it can also be painful, and you have to trust someone else with something that's going to change you forever."
"That actually makes a lot more sense than I was expecting," Adrien said softly. He paused a beat, then asked, "Do you have any tattoos?"
"Not yet," Luka answered with a bit of a sad smile. "I always wanted my first tattoo to be a matching one with a life partner. What about you, have you ever thought about getting a tattoo?"
"Only in that it's a typical teenage act of rebellion," Adrien joked. "I like the matching tattoo idea, though."
Luka hesitated, not sure if Adrien meant anything by that. He'd thought Adrien liked Marinette, but Luka knew Marinette didn't like the idea of getting tattooed.
He shook his head. He was probably just projecting his own feelings for Adrien onto the conversation.
"What kind of tattoo do you think you'd get?" Adrien asked, oblivious to Luka's thought process.
"I mean, it'd be a conversation with my hypothetical partner," Luka answered cautiously, "but I've always pictured it as a flaming heart."
Adrien nodded thoughtfully. "I could see that. I might add a snake, though." He said it quietly, while looking away, almost lost in thought.
"Why a snake?" Luka asked, curious.
"Um," Adrien said quickly, turning back to face Luka. "No reason," he stammered.
Luka shrugged internally, figuring it was some reference he wouldn't get.
"Here," Luka said, changing the subject and turning his notepad. "I had an idea for a melody."