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It was an accident.
Sometimes it seemed like all the momentous things in her life were messy and unexpected.
Marinette had been walking across the perfectly smooth, if a little cluttered, deck of the Liberty while Kitty Section set up for practice when she slipped, sliding across the planks while her arms windmilled wildly.
Rose was trilling through vocal warm-ups while Jules moved through a smooth walk on the bass… Luka wasn't plugged in yet, or even onstage, leaving the band feeling like it was missing something crucial.
A box of baked goods had been the first casualty — flying from her hands and into the surprised face of Ivan — causing her to brace herself for the impact she was sure would come next.
She didn't hit the floor, or even the edge of the stage, like she thought she might. Instead, she ran into something strong, but yielding, someone who held her close for a split second before spinning her out again and then into a couple of slow steps that fit the rhythm, if not the style, of the music.
Their first dance. An accident, but a happy one.
She looked up with a smile while her heart thundered in her veins. "Thanks, Luka."
"Anytime, Marinette." He winked before adjusting the strap of his guitar, which was slung across his back, and making his way to the stage.
There was a promise in his words. She resolved then and there to hold him to it.
Maybe not all messy and unexpected things were bad.
Perhaps some of them were perfect and wonderful.
It took longer than she would have liked to hold Luka to his words. It's not easy to dance with the musician. Hard to find free time between school, family, and seemingly endless akumas. Hard to find the courage and words to make him understand what—who—it was she wanted.
Time slipped by as Hawkmoth slipped through her fingers time after time. Luka was still there, though. Ready with a smile and a hug when she needed it.
Eventually, she included more of her friends as permanent wielders, and Ladybug and Viperion found themselves in a dance of a different kind. Their team grew stronger as they learned to trust one another. The net around Paris' villain closed until he couldn't slip past them anymore.
Victory won the day.
Broke the heart of a Chat.
Freed the heart of a girl.
The population of the unshackled city danced in the streets. Black, red, and green confetti floated through the air as people rejoiced in Hawkmoth's defeat. With the details left to the police, and Tikki safe in her purse, Marinette had run breathless through the streets until she'd spotted Luka, his blue-tipped hair a beacon for her heart. He spotted her through the crowds when she was still meters away. It only took him seconds to work his way through the cheering mass of humanity to meet her. He gestured around them at the chaotic, euphoric celebration.
"I always knew Ladybug would save us." His words were almost as soft as the thumb that caressed her cheekbone and down her chin.
His touch was so unexpected that she had to take an extra breath to get the words out. "Do you remember the first time we danced?"
With a nod, Luka's hand slipped from her chin, down to her neck, and to her shoulder, where it came to rest. "When you tripped on the Liberty?"
She nodded. "When you said 'anytime'. Did you me—?"
His hand slid down her arm, and he pulled her close before she even finished asking the question. Clearly, he had meant it. Their second dance didn't fit the music or the pace of the celebration surrounding them. They danced to the music of hearts shared, all but oblivious to the rest of the world.
Actions spoke louder than words, and Luka was more eloquent than anyone gave him credit for.
Marinette tossed in her bed, trying to hold on to the thin wisps of sleep that still clung to her mind. Sleep had eluded her ever since she'd fallen into bed, giving her up even when she managed to briefly grasp it. Tomorrow was a big day, and she wanted to be well-rested when Luka and his family came for her in the morning. It was a sweet tradition, but it felt silly. After being together for years and living together for months, it felt almost foreign to be back in her childhood bedroom. Rose and Juleka had planned and executed a perfect bachelorette party, but all she wanted was to return to her flat with Luka, where she never had any problem falling asleep in his arms.
Tap, tap, tap.
Her eyes flew open and up to her skylight. A dark silhouette blocked the view of the night sky. If her life had been different than it was, she might have screamed; as it was, she smiled. Quickly, she opened up the window to let her fiancé in. He dropped in and pulled her into a quick kiss.
"Luka! What are you doing here?!"
His eyes shone in the dim light. "Come dancing with me."
She pulled back, confused. She blinked at her clock; it showed 2:36 am. "Tonight? It's so late, why?"
Luka nuzzled her neck with his nose, scrambling her thoughts. "I want one more dance with Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
"Tonight?"
Luka nodded, pulling her towards the skylight, "It'll be too late tomorrow. Tomorrow I have my first dance with Marinette Couffaine."
She giggled, but Luka's expression didn't change. "You're serious."
"Yes."
She glanced down at herself. She had borrowed one of Luka's plain black shirts to sleep in, "But I'm not dressed—"
"You're perfect. Don't worry, we aren't going far." Luka whispered, drawing her through the skylight to her tiny balcony. It had been transformed. The fairy lights had more than doubled, pink and blue mixed in with the white lights she always had up. Music—Luka's recording of her heartsong—was playing from a speaker next to a jar of daisies and a handful of tealight candles.
She turned wondering eyes to the man she loved. "You planned this."
Luka didn't answer; he simply pulled her close and led her in a small circle under the lights. Marinette melted against him, letting him guide her through the steps that they had started all those years ago. She listened to the beat of his heart under her ear, breathing in time with him. They had been in sync for quite a while, and she never felt as secure as when he was holding her.
The night breathed around them for a while while she got lost in thought and lost in Luka's arms. "Thank you for this. I forgot how to sleep—how to be—without you."
Luka's arms tightened around her. "Anytime."