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It was too early for the godforsaken alarm to be going off. Marinette Dupan-Cheng groggily reached for the vibrating phone on her desk to snooze it. After a second of searching with her hand to no avail, she sat up, blinking a couple of times. The phone was on the other end of the desk. She stretched to reach it, but it was just out of her grasp. She stretched a little bit farther, hoping she could just shut it off. With a sharp inhale, Marinette tumbled out of bed, hitting her knee on the ground.
She groaned, rubbing her knee while the phone continued to vibrate. “Okay, okay, I’m up.” She grumbled, standing and unlocking her phone. A picture of her parents greeted her on her home screen, and Marinette felt a pang of guilt in her chest. Ever since they died the previous year, she had been working to preserve their dream of a coffee shop.
Marinette bit the bottom of her lip, slipping her phone into her pocket as she limped to the bathroom. She was trying as hard as she could, but some days were a lot harder to face than others.
Marinette winced as she flipped on the bathroom light. Her mind wandered as she pulled her hair into the twin braids. It was pretty close to the ten-year anniversary of her family’s coffee shop being opened. She wondered if she was supposed to do something about that. Maybe she could make a special drink? Or perhaps a new baked good?
She sighed as she met her own gaze in the mirror. She still felt like a child. Being eighteen did not magically solve all of her problems, but now everyone expected her to solve them on her own. She reached out and rested her fist against the glass of the mirror. “You’ve got this. Today is going to be an awesome, successful day of greatness,” she murmured, forcing a smile at her reflection.
Marinette walked out of the bathroom, heading back to her bedroom. She picked one of her uniforms out of the closet, slipping it on. Grabbing a coat, gloves, and a scarf, she made her way to the kitchen to grab her bag. She’d get something to eat at the cafe when she opened. She flipped open the blinds above the sink, smiling lightly as she saw the first hints of sunrise on the horizon.
Marinette slipped her headphones on, leaving her apartment. She made sure to lock the door behind her, then hobbled down the stairs to the street below. Her knee still ached from where the ground had wished her a good morning. She shivered as the cold winter wind hit her face. She pulled her scarf tighter around her face.
She walked down the street, taking in the peace of the early morning commute of everyone around her. Cars lazily drove by, the sound of bike wheels crunched on the icy ground, and other pedestrians waited for the light ahead to change. It was one of her favorite parts of the day, seeing the city waking up.
A car sped up on the road, trying to make the light before it changed. Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette saw the wave of melted snow descending upon her, faster than she could react to it. She barely had enough time to throw a hand up and turn her face away, bracing for the crash of the freezing water.
That never came.
Slowly turning back, she saw a tall, blue-haired boy standing with a dripping umbrella. She met his eyes and her heart skipped in her chest. His eyes were ice blue and had a mysterious glimmer behind them. He folded up the umbrella, winking at her. She was certain she was going to faint. “Oh, my gosh, thank you so much!”
“My pleasure,” the young man bowed lightly, a soft smile on his lips.
“How did you know that was going to happen?” Marinette asked, walking beside him to the street corner, having just missed the walk sign.
“I’m...lucky like that,” he said, lifting one shoulder in a half shrug. He held out his hand. “Luka Couffaine.”
Marinette shook it, feeling her cheeks burning. She knew they were brilliant crimson. “M-Marinette.”
He smiled again. Marinette jerked her gaze away, her ears heating up. She tugged on one of her braids, suddenly nervous. How did one talk to a beautiful guy? Did she ask what his favorite cookie was? No, no, he would think she was stupid. What were words, again?
Marinette was so grateful for the walk sign appearing. Maybe now she could go on her way and forget the embarrassment of the last couple of minutes and get on with her day. She stepped out into the street. A hand grabbed her collar, yanking her back as a car swerved around the corner, oblivious to any pedestrians. Her heart thudded in her ears, adrenaline rushing through her veins as she realized just how close to death she had come.
Luka raised his eyebrows in concern as he started to walk across the street. Marinette followed him, quickening her pace to keep up with him. “Thank you again,” Marinette said when she finally reached the other side. “What are you, my guardian angel today?” She laughed a little before wincing at how silly her words sounded. Luka grinned, tucking a piece of hair that had fallen out of Marinette's braid behind her ear.
“If you want me to be.”
The car would have been a much faster death. The heart palpitations of his touch and words gave her way too much anxiety. Marinette hoped that Luka didn’t notice how flustered his words made her. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to compose herself enough to respond like a normal person. While her eyes were closed, her toes hit piece of sidewalk that was slightly raised. She felt herself falling, her arms flailing to catch on something. Luka’s sure hand wrapped around her wrist, steadying her.
Marinette quickly pulled away, readjusting her scarf. “I am so sorry, I promise I’m not normally this clumsy.”
Luka took the ends of the scarf and in one movement fixed it to perfection. “No need to apologize. It’s cute.” He grinned as all words left Marinette’s mind for the second time that morning. His eyes sparked with realization, and he stopped at a hotel door. He pulled the door open just as a woman with a baby on one hip and several bags clutched in the other hand hurried into the lobby. The plastic bags looked like they were seconds from bursting all over the ground. Luka took a large cloth bag out of the satchel on his back. “Here, miss. Please take this. I don’t want you to lose those groceries before you can get home.” He helped her get the items into the larger bag, all the while she was thanking him profusely.
The woman walked off with more confidence in her step, the cloth bag on her shoulder. Marinette attempted to wipe the adoration off her face as Luka turned back to her. “You’re walking to work, right? I’m happy to go with you, if you’d like.”
“Really?” Marinette tried to keep from beaming. Maybe he actually thought she was cute. He would tell her he loved her over a fancy date, then they could get married, have three kids, and a hamster named-
“You dropped this.” Luka held out a bracelet to her, interrupting her thoughts. They turned down the street where the cafe was located. Marinette accepted the bracelet, smiling gratefully at Luka. It was one of the last birthday presents her parents gave her before the accident. She would have been crushed if she lost it.
Luka paused outside the door of the coffee shop. Marinette dug in her purse for the keys. “You really have been a lifesaver today. Don’t you want to come inside and have a coffee? It's on me.”
Luka smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes this time. Marinette couldn’t help but feel like there was a deep sadness that was hidden by that smile. She felt a sense of deja vu, looking into his eyes filled with sorrow. She shook her head, trying to brush off the feeling. “No, sorry. I’ve got band practice today. I’ll see you later, Mari.” He turned to walk down the sidewalk, waving over his shoulder as he went.
Marinette stood at the door until he was out of sight and let out a sigh. “He does all of that really nice stuff for me and won’t even accept a coffee.” She pressed a hand to her chest, wishing that she could do something to get rid of the sadness on the face of a man who had been so kind.
***
It was busy as usual at Marinette’s coffee shop. Customers in the holiday cheer always brightened the store which made the day fly by. Marinette’s best friend and business partner, Alya, sipped on her third black tea of the day with an exhale. “Girl, your drinks are magical, I swear. This morning, after you made me my drink, my sister called to apologize. You know how stubborn she is!”
Marinette shook her head as she passed a peppermint latte to a teenage girl. “Everyone says that for some reason. I just love making drinks, that’s all. No magic to it.”
Alya started counting off her fingers while she moved over to the syrup counter. “Let’s see... this week alone people have attributed your drinks to reuniting with lost love, finding a dream job, a surprise vacation, and the mending of a broken family. And it’s only Tuesday!” She shook her head as she mixed caramel syrup into a to-go cup. “Seriously, you have a talent of fixing things with a wave of your hand and some whipped cream.”
Marinette laughed. “Alya! I promise you, there’s no magic involved. Just a listening ear and a warm coffee is enough to mend people’s problems for a little while.” She smiled down at the coffee she was making. “Really, if I had magic that fixed broken things, don’t you think I would use it on my own life?”
“No, you’re just not selfish like that.” Alya shook her head again. The bell on the front door rang as another customer stepped into the cafe. “Welcome in!”
Marinette’s eyes rose instinctively, catching sight of a blue haired boy with a guitar case slung across his body. Luka. He decided to come after all. “Luka! I’m so glad you decided to come.”
Marinette wiped her hands on a paper towel, leaning on the counter next to the register as Luka walked over. “What can I get you? Like I said earlier, it’s on the house!”
He rested his elbows on the counter, looking into Marinette’s eyes. She tried to keep her composure. His gaze was so intense and caring...it definitely was not helping the butterflies in her stomach. “What do you think we’d like? I think it would taste better if you made us a surprise.” He winked at her.
Red rose on her cheeks and she turned around. “O-okay! I can totally do that.” She started mixing the drink, humming to herself. Maybe he was flirting with her? No, no, she didn’t need to be delusional. He was just a nice guy, surely. But he had said earlier that he thought she was cute...
Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luka slide in a booth across from the counter. She quickly looked away, pumping lavender syrup into his cup. Every time she caught herself stealing a look at the handsome boy in the booth, his eyes were on her, a gentle sort of admiration present that made her want to propose right then and there.
She finished the drink with a swirl of whipped cream. She stuck a straw in it, taking a deep breath before walking over to his table. “Here you go!” She smiled at him. “Hope you like it.” Before she could return to the counter, Luka stopped her.
“I heard the drinks here can fix any problem. Is that true?” Marinette tilted her head, studying him. A hint of hope danced through his question, a desire for magic to be real.
Marinette laughed lightly, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. She really wanted to tell him yes, to let that hope flourish, but she hated leading people astray. “No, the things that happen are just coincidental. As far as I know, anyway.” His shoulders fell a little, and she hated the disappointment that flashed across his face. “B-but maybe this time it will?”
Luka took a sip of the drink in front of him. His eyes widened at how perfect it was. Marinette noticed the look on his face, and a smile lifted her lips. “Is it good?”
“This may be the best thing I’ve ever had,” Luka said, blinking a couple times.
Marinette clapped her hands together, bouncing a little. “I’m so glad you like it!” The air sparkled around them as Marinette did an internal happy dance.
“You should come back tomorrow too, if you like that. We’re having a special latte day.” She had finally decided what to do for the anniversary of the cafe. Marinette clasped her hands behind her back, clearly trying to calm her excitement. “I-I mean, if you want, you know. You’re totally welcome here any time. S-so is everyone!” She winced. Her voice sounded so stupid to her ears.
Luka spun the straw in his drink. “I personally promise you that if tomorrow exists that I will run across town to kiss you.” Luka had not meant to say that aloud and judging by the look of complete surprise on Marinette’s face, it was the last thing she was expecting him to say. Oh well. Tomorrow didn’t exist for him anyway.
One of Marinette’s coworkers must have noticed her short circuiting, because she came over to drag Marinette back to the counter as a new group of customers came in.
***
Marinette was jittery the entire time she was getting ready. Surely, he hadn’t actually meant what he said. It was ridiculous. The fact that it most likely was just a beautiful man flirting unconsciously did not stop Marinette’s mind from racing though.
For some reason, she had memories of Luka that were different from the day before. It was odd. None of them felt solid in her head, more like a dream that she had previously forgotten about. The memories were similar to the deja vu she had felt the previous morning, as if Luka had been her friend for ages, rather than just a stranger she happened to meet.
She exhaled as she reached the door to the cafe, a cloud of steam fogging into the air. “Stop thinking about him!” She scolded herself, unlocking the front door. “It’s ridiculous, Marinette!”
Marinette went down the checklist for opening, though she practically knew it by heart. She just needed something to distract herself. Alya had texted her that she would be an hour late to her shift that morning, so Marinette had to make sure she was prepped to handle herself until Alya could get there.
Marinette switched on the open sign. She crossed out the last thing on the list, holding the pen cap in her teeth while she pulled her hair into a ponytail. It hadn’t even been a full two minutes after she turned on the sign that the door burst open, making her jump. Looking up, she inhaled sharply. Luka?
He ran up to the counter, placing his hands on the surface, breathing heavily. “You said it wasn’t magic.”
“Wh-what?” Marinette’s brain was not prepared for this in any way, shape or form.
Luka laughed and pushed his hands through his hair, moving away from the counter. “You’re going to think I’m insane.” His face seemed to be filled with so much light and life that wasn’t present the day before.
Marinette shook her head, her eyes locked on him. “What makes you think they’re magical? I mean, things happen, but it’s definitely not-”
“I’ve been repeating the same day for a year.” Luka said, taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. “Every single morning, I woke up to the same day for a year. That’s how I could help you all morning yesterday, that’s how I knew everything I did.” He shook his head, laughing again. “I can’t believe I’m here right now.”
Marinette’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Wait, hold on, you’re saying that in that whole year you repeated the same day, you never had a drink from here? You clearly ran into me before, I can’t imagine not offering you a drink...” She grabbed water out of the fridge, moving around the counter to offer it to the boy who had just run all the way across the city for her.
“You did, you always did. I just couldn’t bear the idea of accepting that, when I knew you wouldn’t remember me the next morning.”
All of the deja vu moments and fuzzy memories clicked in place for Marinette at that moment. He had to be telling the truth, there was no other explanation. “Oh my gosh. This is amazing.” She held out the water to him, but instead of accepting it, he embraced her in a tight hug.
“Thank you, Mari.” He whispered, his voice cracking. Marinette’s heart swelled. She hugged him back, hoping he couldn’t hear how her heart was racing.
“I’m still not convinced I did anything to help you, but you’re welcome?”
Luka pulled back, his hands on her shoulders. “Even without the magical abilities you clearly have, you helped me. The only reason I made it through the loop was because I got to meet you every day. You are the most amazing girl, Marinette.”
Marinette feared her legs would not be able to hold her up under the weight of Luka's bright, grateful smile.
“You don’t know me yet. This is probably really weird to you.” Luka shook his head, taking a step back. “I’m sorry.”
Marinette caught his hand before he could get too far away. “I’d...like to get to know you. If you let me. You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life, and you seem so genuine.” She looked away, her ears turning pink.
Luka was stunned for a moment, before his face melted into a soft smile. “I would love that, Marinette Dupan-Cheng.”
Marinette loved the way her name sounded on his lips. Before she could stop herself, she pressed a kiss on his cheek. “Here’s to many more tomorrows, Luka Couffaine.”