Chapter Text
When Marinette’s eyes fluttered open and she raised her head to look up at Luka with the gentle smile he’d grown to love, he felt his heart melting all over again. “Sleep well?” he asked as he put his guitar to one side. “Feel better?”
“Yes.” Marinette pushed herself just a couple of inches off the comfortable cushions which she’d taken from the couch and arranged on the floor so she could lie next to Luka while he practiced his latest tunes. Then she moved herself forwards and climbed into Luka’s lap, causing Luka to chuckle and embrace her while she wriggled into a comfortable position. She sighed contentedly as she stretched out against him, but then she paused. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Mind what?”
“That we set up a date, and I came over here, but then I just fell asleep listening to your music.” Marinette craned her head back to look at him, and Luka winced to see the frown on the other girl’s face. “I hope you don’t feel like I wasted your time.”
Luka shook his head. “I like playing for you, Marinette. I like it when it’s just the two of us, sitting here in the Liberty, with me playing my melody and you hearing it.” Then he dropped his head slightly so he could kiss her forehead, which erased Marinette’s frown and brought a startled smile as well as a blush to his girlfriend’s face for a few moments. “And if you’re tired, the last thing I’d want is to drag you around town and exhaust you even more.”
“Are you sure? You’re always so generous to me.” Marinette reached towards her neck and lifted up the thin silver chain on which a ring was dangling. It looked like simple pewter at first, but it had two music notes engraved in it as well as a series of tiny red and black stones which mimicked the pattern of a ladybug. It wasn’t an expensive piece, but it was still one of Marinette’s most precious possessions. “I still haven’t found anything to give you in exchange for this.“
“Marinette, it’s a gift. There’s no exchange. And besides, that ring was perfect for you. I’m happy to see you wear it.” Luka smiled at her. “Really, Marinette. You don’t need to worry.”
Marinette studied Luka for a few moments more, as if wondering whether he was telling the truth, but then the doubt faded from her eyes. “I’m glad,” she said. “Thank you.”
The two sat there for a few minutes before Marinette asked, “Is there still time for us to go out? I’m not sleepy anymore and I really want to do things with you.” Her grin grew slightly mischievous. “Ooh. We could get some pastries at Maman’s and Papa’s bakery!”
Luka’s mouth curved upwards in a matching smile. “You wouldn’t by any chance have arranged for some kind of special surprise to be waiting for me there, would you?”
“Who, me?” Marinette pretended to gasp, causing Luka to giggle. “Luka, I’m surprised at you! I assure you, my motives are totally pure.” Luka just laughed harder, and Marinette gave up and giggled too before she caught herself. “But seriously, do we have time to go out? I didn’t sleep for the entire afternoon again, did I?”
Luka glanced at the clock on the wall. “Just an hour and a half. We’re fine.”
“Good.” Marinette got up and stretched, wincing a little as a couple joints popped. “I’m glad I’m not spending two-thirds of the day unconscious like back when…”
She trailed off, and Luka was immediately at her side. “That was six months ago,” he said quietly. “It’s over, Marinette. You don’t need to think about that part of your life anymore.”
Marinette managed a slight nod and then gestured at the door leading topside. Luka took her hand and led her up to the deck, where Anarka was lounging on a recliner. “Mom,” Luka said. “Marinette and I are headed downtown. Anything we should know about?”
Anarka glanced in their direction. “Just stay away from the Champs-Elysees. Some fashion model got akumatized, so now there’s a gigantic fashion stage covering half the arrondissement and people are being turned into mannequins if they try to get out of the show or don’t clap enough.”
Luka’s gaze snapped back to Marinette, and he again winced as her face fell upon Anarka's mention of the akuma. “Don’t worry; we’re going the other direction,” he said. And then, leaning a little closer to Marinette, he murmured, “It’s not your problem anymore.”
Marinette stiffened for an instant before relaxing just the slightest amount. Anarka didn’t seem to notice and just said, “Well, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Luka snorted. “So, ignoring curfew’s okay then? Because you told me when you were in high school you were always staying out all night at bars and—“
“Never!” Anarka laughed. “That would be insubordination! And mutiny! I’d have you swabbing the decks for weeks!”
“Oh, so it’s okay when you do it, but not me?” Luka teased.
“The benefits of being the captain, lad.” Anarka grinned before leaning back on her recliner again. “Have fun!”
Luka again took Marinette’s hand and led her off the boat. “Are you okay?” he asked as he stopped by his tandem bicycle. “If you don’t want to go out, we don’t have to.”
“No, I want to go out.” Marinette took a breath. “It’s fine.”
Luka opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, a whoop sounded from above them. They looked up to see a figure in a red and black outfit swinging from building to building on the string of a yo-yo. As Luka watched, the figure lightly landed on a rooftop and flashed a pose for a fraction of a second before she ran off towards the Champs, some sponsorship text on the back of her uniform blurring into unintelligibility as the figure raced into the distance. A few moments later the familiar figure of Chat Noir jumped across the rooftops after her.
“I don’t like her,” said Marinette suddenly. “The new Ladybug, I mean.”
“I don’t either,” Luka admitted. “There’s all kinds of crazy stories about her. But she does the job.”
Marinette slowly inclined her head. “Yes. She does the job.”
“She handles the akuma. She makes sure Hawkmoth never wins. And that means the rest of us can live our lives in peace.” Luka helped Marinette onto the bike, then caught her gaze. “Like I told you, it’s not your problem anymore.”
Marinette let out a long breath. “No,” she said. “It’s not.” And then she managed a small smile. “That being said, how about we get those sweets?”
“Anything for you, Marinette,” Luka said as he hopped on his bike. “Let’s go!”
***
Dear Luka, the first of two letters had began.
I’m sorry for dumping this letter on you. I know that I shouldn’t, that telling you this will only put you in danger and load you with a completely unfair burden I wasn’t able to handle, but I can’t help it. I’m barely holding on as it is, Hawkmoth is always out there, and if I give in to my negative emotions for even the moment it would take him to akumatize me, everything would end. You don’t deserve this, and I’ll understand if you hate me forever, but I have to do something for myself just this once.
I am Ladybug. I’ve *been* Ladybug for the past two years, and I’ve fought over five hundred akuma and sentimonsters. I’m also the Guardian of Paris, which means I’ve been responsible for assigning temporary miraculouses and taking care of the kwami. I’ve done my best, Luka. I’ve done everything I could for this city.
And I want out.