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The Liberty had never felt so…imposing before.
Everything felt imposing just then, though.
The city felt like it was growing up around her, higher and higher until every bright and beautiful and good thing was blotted out by cold and hard and dark.
She didn’t usually have this much trouble shaking akuma effects.
It…had been a long time since one had gotten to her like this.
But being trapped in that dream…in that nightmare…it had been too much.
She could take a lot of things. She just…she couldn’t take that.
And as she broke through the buildings and onto the walk along the Seine, as the familiar barge came into view with its bright and chaotic clash of colors – with that stupid face she used to think had been painted on to scare police away until Luka had told her otherwise grinning back at her – she felt her throat tighten again. Her feet slowed to a stop just shy of the gangway, and she found herself staring up at the boat like…like…
He would be there.
He had to be there.
He almost always was – he definitely was, when she needed him.
…and she needed him now.
So…why did she feel like he’d be gone?
It’s just the akuma, she reminded herself. It’s just a bad dream.
Luka wouldn’t say those things.
Luka would never…Luka loves you.
…loved. He had loved her. Back before he’d come back, before he’d left the first time. Before she’d broken his heart and made him go.
How could she possibly hope he would still be there, waiting for her now?
She started running again, blindly – barely aware of the startled shout of the Captain as she burst past her. Barely aware of anything beyond getting below, through the galley, past the door and to…
“Marinette?”
He was there.
She crashed into him, her arms wrapping tight around him and her head burrowing against his chest as she knocked them back. He fell onto his bed, his arms immediately coming up to hold her close as she openly wept into his shirt. If she had bothered looking up – if she had been able to see through her tears – she would have seen the baffled expression on his face, but all she was really aware of was the warmth of him beneath her, the security she felt with his arms around her, the peace that fought to sink its way in through her panic.
“Shhh, shhh, melody, it’s all right,” he murmured, a hand rubbing up and down her back. He didn’t ask what had happened – of course he didn’t. He had probably seen the akuma alert. Even if he hadn’t been there for the battle, he had to have known. “It’s over. It wasn’t real.”
“It could be,” she gasped, her fist tightening in his shirt. “It should be.”
He didn’t press for more.
He never did.
He was too good like that.
“…I can’t do this anymore, Luka,” she croaked, shaking her head.
“Do what, Marinette?” he asked, his voice too soft and kind for how horrible she felt.
“I can’t love you anymore,” she choked out. She was dimly aware of him…tensing. Freezing? Beneath her. His hand on her back was suddenly too still, and it felt like even his breathing had slowed. She groaned and pushed her face against his chest. “Not when you don’t know. And even if you do know. It’s unfair to you. You deserve so much better, and I know I ruined us. I know I ruined it all, and I don’t deserve a second chance, but I want one, Luka. I want you. I want –”
…she was hit by a sudden feeling of vertigo, like the akuma had grabbed her again and was hurtling her into another reality – only it couldn’t have been the akuma, because nothing good ever came from akumas, and this…this…
Luka had both pushed her away and pulled her up, rolling them until he was pressing her back into his bed as he kissed her senseless – or tried to. And she just laid there, staring at him with wide eyes, as he held her face in his hands and gently coaxed her mouth to move with his and…her eyes were just starting to close as he started to pull away, but she wasn’t ready for him to pull away yet. She reached up to pull him back, her hands twisting in his hair as she dragged his mouth back to hers, and oh, that was better…
She had kissed people before.
Most of them had been…not exactly her choice. Usually because of an akuma. Because she had to – never because she wanted to.
…she had never kissed Luka before.
And if this was what kissing Luka was like…
“No,” she gasped when he tried to pull away again. His chuckle was warm and filled up her insides, like honey in her favorite tea. His nose brushed against her cheek, and she whined as she tried to pull his mouth back to hers. She wasn’t ready yet – she wasn’t done with him yet.
“No?” he asked, his voice somehow lower than that damn chuckle. She squirmed beneath him, sighing when his lips pressed against her cheek.
“I mean yes,” she huffed, tugging his hair. She opened her eyes to look up at him, a pout definitely on her face, and oh the way he was looking at her…she felt…gooey. “I…please don’t stop?”
“…never,” he whispered, kissing her again. He was practically beaming at her when he pulled back. “I have no idea what the hell that akuma did, but thank God.”
“…what?” she asked, blinking up at him. He shook his head, his smile slipping.
“No, not…I mean. Not that it scared you like that – that’s not ok,” he said, leaning his forehead on hers. “But…it got you here. It made you say that. It…yes, Marinette. Hell yes.”
“…yes?” she asked, uncertain. Just uncertain enough that he apparently decided he needed to kiss her again to chase it away.
“Hell. Yes,” he said, emphasizing each word with a kiss. “Marinette…you crazy, wonderful, absolutely insane girl…”
He dropped to the bed beside her with a sigh, curling his arm around her to gather her to his chest. He kissed her again, and then once more. She hoped that meant he was enjoying kissing her as much as she was enjoying kissing him.
“You can have all my second chances,” he said, leaning his forehead against hers as his hand traced absent lines along her back. “And then some.”
“…forever?” she asked, peeking up at him. His smile was so…so…stupid.
She loved it.
She loved him.
“Forever,” he promised, pulling her back to him.
The Liberty suddenly didn’t feel so imposing anymore, once again a symbol of everything that was bright and beautiful and good in her world.