Title: Marinette's 29 Valentine's Days

Author: Veritas Found

Rating: T / PG-13 / Teen

Characters/Pairings: Luka Couffaine, Marinette Dupain-Cheng; Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Summary: Marinette hasn't had the best track record with Valentine's Day, but she's determined to make this year better. This year, she's going to give her Valentine his card, and she's going to sign it, and he's finally going to know how much he means to her, and NOTHING is going to get in her way – not even the akuma that's trapped her in a time loop! Wait, what?

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Notes/Warnings: HAPPY LUKANETTE FEBRUARY, BITCHES! When the prompts dropped I was in the middle of a Doctor Who binge, so of course things happened. Set during Marinette's first year of lycée, with each chapter following a prompt from Lukanette Month's February 2020 table (prompt is the title). With that being said…happy Valentine's Day!

Marinette's 29 Valentine's Days

Day One, Starting Point: Mine

"Happy Valentine's Eve!"

Marinette leapt a foot out of her skin as Rose slammed into her back, squealing the greeting as she pressed her cheek against her own. Juleka smirked at her from across the lunch table as her girlfriend started handing out little pink gift bags, already talking a mile a minute about the looming holiday.

"Wait, Valentine's Eve? That's not a thing," Dingo said. He glanced at Brielle, who continued eating her sandwich as if this was an everyday occurrence. After five months of lunches with the freshmen, by this point it was. "Bri. Bri. Valentine's Eve isn't a thing. Tell me it's not a thing!"

"Why are you asking me? I've never celebrated Valentine's Day before," she said, shrugging him off her. "I don't know."

He turned desperate eyes on Luka, who was sitting just behind Marinette with his chair pushed away from the table to accommodate his guitar. He looked up as Dingo called his name. Given it was Rose, his baby sister's girlfriend and his bandmate, he had continued noodling without paying her exuberant arrival much attention. He'd had years to get used to her antics, after all.

"Is Valentine's Eve a thing?" Dingo asked. Luka shrugged before looking back to his guitar.

"For Rose it is," he said. Dingo looked back at Brielle.

"So it's not a thing for us?" he asked. At her raised eyebrow, he groaned. "You finally agree to date me after two years of maybes, and now you're sabotaging our relationship before it can even begin. I need to know if this is a thing for you so I don't mess it up!"

"It's Rose," Juleka said, pulling a chocolate out of her gift bag. It was shaped like a little bat. She smiled at Rose, kissing her cheek. "Valentine's Day is her Christmas."

"Not true!" Rose pouted. "Christmas is my Christmas! Valentine's Day is just….Valentine's Day!"

"I think you're safe," Marinette said to Dingo, who slumped back in his chair with a relieved sigh.

"Thank God," he said. "It was hard enough getting the dinner reservation for tomorrow."

"Awww, you're taking Brielle to dinner?" Rose cooed. His cheeks turned pink, and he glanced at Brielle quickly before looking back at his lunch. She remained impassive, still scrolling through her phone, but her lips had quirked up a bit as the conversation continued.

"M-maybe," he said with a shrug. He snapped his head back up, grinning as he nodded at Juleka and her. "Anyway! What are your plans, then? If Valentine's is your Christmas, I'm sure it's something good!"

"It is, and that's for me to know and Juleka to find out tomorrow," Rose said with a wink. She looked at Marinette, her smile taking on a mischievous glint. "What about you, Mari? Any big plans this year?"

"W-what?" Marinette squeaked, choking on the water she'd just taken a sip of. Rose giggled as Luka reached up to pat her back, the gesture automatic but making Marinette's already pink cheeks turn a shade darker. She glanced behind her nervously, but Luka was still looking at his guitar. She shot a weak glare Rose's way, but Rose just giggled again as Juleka continued smirking at her. "N-no, no…no plans. I mean, I'm bringing in macarons for everyone. Y'know. The usual. But nothing…that is, I don't have a Valentine."

"That's a shame," Rose hummed, dipping a baby carrot through her hummus. She tilted her head, looking past Marinette to Luka, and smiled at him. "Isn't that a shame, Luka? Marinette doesn't have a Valentine yet."

The soft music that had been accompanying their lunch immediately stopped, but only for a moment. When he continued playing, the song felt…tenser. More on edge. Marinette refused to look at him, her face burning, but he sounded neutral as ever when he finally replied. Rose and Juleka shared a conspiratorial grin at his response.

"Yeah," he said. "Shame."

– V –

The truth was, Marinette did have plans for Valentine's Day, and given Rose and Juleka had helped her with them they were both well aware of that fact. She sighed as she glared into her locker, staring at its contents without actually seeing anything. She had plans, but she didn't have a Plan.

Given her track record with romance, it had seemed safer that way.

Because this Valentine's Day was going to be perfect. Well…ok, it didn't have to be perfect. She would settle for successful by this point.

She jumped again when a hand landed on her shoulder, her startled squeak masking Luka's quiet, "Hey." She spun, nearly falling into her locker as she turned wide eyes on him. He was smiling slightly, hands raised to show he meant no harm, though he looked…troubled. She frowned as she relaxed, her eyes searching his own. "Sorry. You just cut out kinda early, and I was a little worried."

"Worried?" she asked, and he shrugged a shoulder before nodding back towards the canteen.

"You know Rose can be a little…intense. Especially when the heart's involved," he said wryly. His grip tightened on the strap of his guitar case. It was a subtle gesture, something most people would never notice – but Marinette wasn't most people. Especially where he was concerned. When he looked back at her, his eyes were tight. His smile seemed forced. "She can be a bit much on…Valentine's Eve."

"Oh, that," she said with a nervous laugh. She waved him off. "It's fine. It's just Rose. You know. Like you said: intense. She means well."

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged.

"I'm fine, Luka, really," she said. "Besides, I think Brielle has it right. I don't think I'm doing Valentine's this year."

He seemed surprised at that.

"Really?" he asked. "I would have thought…"

"Nah," she said, swinging her arms and bouncing on her heels to relieve some of the tension that had been building up since Rose had first asked if she had big plans. "I don't have the best track record with Valentine's Day, anyway. Figured it's safer if I just ignore it this year."

He chuckled, ducking his head to hide his smile. The result was, when he glanced back up at her from under his eyelashes, a pleasant thrill racing up her spine. His voice was low, or maybe she was just imagining it was, when he said, "I can't imagine you having a bad track record with an entire holiday."

"You should see me at Christmas," she muttered, and she smiled when he chuckled again. (He had seen her at Christmas, actually, and had found the elf costume she'd donned for the hospital's charity drive adorable.) She shrugged and leaned back against the locker next to her own. "No, it's just…well. My past two Valentine's weren't that great. The first year, I sent a card to Adrien. I wrote him a poem that was an entire love confession asking him to be my Valentine. But…I forgot to sign it. That was actually kind of normal for me, but it seemed to set up a pattern of not being able to tell him how I felt."

She looked at her feet, smiling slightly as she toed the floor. She didn't tell him how, the entire next day, Adrien hadn't stopped gushing over that card to Nino, and how much he'd loved it, and how certain he was it was from someone that was not her. She'd almost told him, until she'd overheard that part.

"And last year?" he asked. She groaned, tipping her head back against the locker.

"Ugh, it was a disaster," she said. "The girls got involved. Well, Alya got involved, and then she got the others involved. And Alya with a Plan is…well, it just didn't work out. Nothing with Adrien ever worked out, though, so I guess that shouldn't surprise me. I suppose it's a good thing I'm not crazy about him anymore, huh?"

That seemed to surprise him, too.

"…you're not?" he asked. When she looked up at him, his eyes were wide and…she didn't want to think hopeful. Thinking that news made him hopeful made her hopeful, and she didn't want to be hopeful. At least not too hopeful.

"Not for a while now," she said, smiling slightly. She tipped her head to the side, her face warming as she looked up at him. "You're usually so observant. You really didn't notice?"

He didn't answer, looking away as he hummed. His hand flexed again, grip tightening on the strap. But his smile was more relaxed, and if she didn't know better she might say he was blushing. She swallowed, her own face warming as she looked back at her feet.

"A-anyway!" she said, tapping her knuckles against the metal door behind her. "What about you?"

"Me?" he asked, looking back at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Valentine's?" she asked. "You never said if you had any plans."

"I didn't," he said. The corner of his mouth quirked into a smile the longer he looked at her. "…might be rethinking that now, though."

"O-oh?" she asked. She felt her stomach dropping to her feet. She didn't want him to have plans. Her vague plan hinged on him not having plans – Juleka had assured her he didn't have plans! "That's…well. That's good, then! I'm happy for you, Luka!"

The bell rang, making her wince, and he chuckled as he reached out and laid a hand on her head. She glanced up at him, but he was still smiling at her.

"You're a funny girl, Marinette," he said fondly. She rolled her eyes as he ruffled her hair. "I'll see you later. Gotta get to class."

She watched him walk off, and once he'd left the locker room she turned and screamed into her locker.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! What was wrong with her? Why…

She leapt out of her skin for the third time in half an hour when a throat cleared beside her. The girl with the pink-tipped undercut that used the locker next to hers was staring pointedly at where her hand was pressed against her locker, preventing her from retrieving her books. A manic laugh escaped her as she apologized, quickly grabbing her own books before slamming her locker shut and booking it to her next class.

She was such an idiot…

– V –

"Wait, wait, wait…what do you mean you're backing out?" Alya demanded. Her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at the screen, the twins screaming as they raced around her room behind her. Marinette winced and looked back at the dress in her hands. This was exactly why she hadn't wanted to involve the girls! "Oh my God, girl! You can't seriously be this hopeless!"

Except apparently she could.

It wasn't like she wanted to be! She had thought – when she had realized how much she was starting to care for Luka, when she had realized what she felt for Adrien maybe was just a (crazy stalker) crush – things would be easier this time. She was already good friends with Luka, and she had always been so comfortable around him. Everything about Luka was calming and put her at ease, so she had been certain her days of being a stuttering, stumbling mess were far behind her. She was quick to learn her Disaster Mari status, as Alya liked to put it, wasn't exclusive to blond supermodels, however. She had been horrified to realize, the more time she spent around Luka, the ease and comfort she'd had in her relationship with him had vanished as her skipping heart had made her skip words (and steps), too. The Liberty had become a much more dangerous place for Marinette since the end of college.

What made it worse was that it wasn't even all the time. For the most part, she was fine around him. It was just when things like feelings came up, or when he'd look at her with that smolder (because he definitely had a smolder, even if he'd never admit it), that her brain short-circuited and any hope of a coherent conversation went out the window. Or when she tried to muster up the courage to tell him she was maybe starting to care for him as more than a friend. Or when she tried to confirm if he actually liked her back, which she was pretty sure he did – or at least had, at one point not so long ago – but she was still just insecure enough to doubt. Feelings could change, after all. She knew that better than anyone.

She sighed and put the dress down, sticking her needle back into her pincushion.

"We were talking after lunch, and –" she started, but she froze as she heard his voice coming from the computer. Juleka whirled around in her desk chair, accidentally knocking Rose back and out of the camera's focus, and chucked the nearest item she could grab off her desk – it looked like a stapler – at his head.

"Ow – what the hell, Jules?!" he cried, but Juleka was already reaching for her next weapon.

"Out!" she shouted, tossing a three-hole punch at him. "Get out, you freak, go!"

"All right, all right – I'm gone!" he huffed, turning around and slamming the door behind him. Marinette groaned and sunk forward, her head landing heavily on her desk.

"Ok, so you were talking after lunch…" Rose said eagerly, leaning back against Juleka to return to the camera's view. Marinette dropped her forehead against the desk again.

"He said he had plans!" she whined. "Juleka, you said he didn't have plans, so –"

"Hold on," Juleka said. "Hey, dumbass, get back in here!"

"What?" Luka asked after a moment, popping his head back into the room. He looked mildly annoyed, but so did Juleka.

"Did you tell Marinette you had plans for tomorrow?" she asked. Marinette peeked up from where she had buried her head in her arms. He was looking at Juleka like she had grown an extra head.

"What? No," he said, frowning. Rose pointed an accusing finger at him.

"And you don't, right?" she pressed. "Your Valentine's schedule is wide open?"

"I don't have a Valentine, so yes," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Like you said at lunch, it's a shame, but there you have it."

"Good," Rose said primly, nodding. "Keep it that way. Now get out!"

He rolled his eyes again before ducking back out of the room, muttering about weirdo little sisters as he went. Rose was grinning from ear to ear when she looked back at the video call.

"There, see? Wide open! No Valentine! The plan's still on!" she cheered.

"I thought we weren't calling it a plan?" Mylène asked, looking at the faces of her friends nervously. "Because of Marinette's bad luck with the Adrien plans?"

"No, those were schemes," Alix piped up, looking up as she caught the ball she'd been tossing and held it. "Plans are cool. Schemes are disasters waiting to happen."

"It's not a plan or a scheme or anything, guys," Marinette sighed. Alix shrugged and leaned back, returning to tossing her ball as she zoned out again.

"You were going to invite him for a coffee after school, give him homemade chocolates, and tell him you love him," Alya said, ticking each step off on a finger as she went. She turned and shouted at the twins to get out of her room, then grinned at the screen as she turned back around. "On Valentine's Day. That's definitely a bit of a plan, girl."

"It's stupidly simple and tame compared to some of Alya's plans, but it's definitely a plan," Alix deadpanned, glancing back at the screen before returning her attention to her ball. "But because it's so stupidly simple, it might actually have a chance of working."

"But…ugh, this is stupid! He probably doesn't even like me anymore, so I should just keep my mouth shut and –" Marinette started, but Juleka snorting made her pause.

"Wait, what?" she asked, her visible eye wide. "Marinette. You're a dumbass, too. He's stupid crazy about you. He always has been."

"Yes, exactly!" Alya cried. "This is so long overdue – why are you freaking out now?"

"You can do it, Marinette!" Mylène cheered, and Rose squealed as she started bouncing in her seat.

"Oh, it's gonna be so sweet – you have to go through with it, Marinette! It'll be a Valentine's Day miracle!" she cried. That was certainly one way to put it, Marinette thought. If she could actually get the words out without stuttering or falling down a flight of steps, it might just be a miracle. She sighed and looked back at the dress she was supposed to be finishing. Alya would be coming over once her parents were home to pick it up, and she still had some finishing touches to do.

"You guys are right," she said after a moment. She smiled at them all, a look of determination on her face. "All right, I'm gonna do it! Tomorrow, I'm gonna tell Luka I love him, and I'm not backing out!"

"That's my girl!" Alya cheered.

"Way to go, Marinette!" Mylène cried.

"Woo-hoo," Alix deadpanned, twirling a finger in the air.

"Yay true love!" Rose cheered over Juleka's "Gross. Go get him, Mari."

They ended the call not much later. With the screen dark, she looked at the box of chocolates sitting by her backpack with the card – signed, she had triple-checked! – taped to the top. Tomorrow, she was going to do it. She was going to confess to Luka, and ask him to be her Valentine, and then they'd start dating, and eventually they'd get married and have three kids and…

She slammed the breaks on that train of thought, taking a steadying breath to clear her head. They'd start with Valentine's and a confession first. She could always fantasize about their future later, if he still returned her feelings…

– V –

The next morning, Marinette awoke feeling confident. Birds were singing outside her window. She could hear cheery voices from the street below, smell the scent of fresh bread and candy apples wafting up from the bakery below, feel the warmth of the sun as it shone its welcoming light into her room. Everything felt like a Disney movie come to life – like she was Giselle waking up for the first time in New York, terrified out of her mind but ready to take on the day with her plucky, can-do attitude. She even had a box full of kwami friends to help her along, she thought with a giggle. She felt refreshed, determined, ready to take on the world…ready to confess to her crush on Valentine's Day. It was going to be a good day. It was going to be a successful day.

By the end of today, she was going to be Luka Couffaine's girlfriend!

…or at the least his Valentine, and that would be good enough for today. They could tackle the girlfriend part tomorrow.

She sang along with her radio as she dressed, ignoring her giggling kwami when Jagged's new single came on and she tossed her pencil case aside to shred an imaginary guitar. With the perfect Valentine's outfit on (her shirt custom-made specifically for her plans today), her bag packed, and Luka's present carefully tucked away with Tikki in her purse where it would be safe, she made her way downstairs. Her mother handed her the box of macarons she had baked the night before, and her father kissed her cheek as he handed her two candy apples and wished her a good day. When she inquired after the two apples, he looked past her to the door, smiled, and again told her to have a good day.

She didn't have to wonder long as she stepped outside and the box of macarons was immediately lifted from her arms. She turned away from her parents' knowing grins to find Luka smiling at her.

"You mentioned you were bringing these today," he said in lieu of a greeting, "so I thought maybe you'd like a ride?"

His bike was parked on the street behind them. She felt her face warm as she looked back at him and nodded.

"That would be great, actually. Thank you," she said as she followed him over to the bike. When the box was secure on the back, she held up the extra apple. "I'm assuming Papa gave me this for you."

"And here I was hoping you'd made me something special," he teased, reaching for the apple. Her breath hitched and her fingers tightened on the stick, and he frowned when she didn't release the treat. "Marinette? Are you ok?"

"Y-yeah! Fine I'm! I'm fine!" she yelped, yanking her hand back as if he'd burned her. She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked at the street. "W-why would you think that? I mean I made something for everyone – macarons, remember? Just not you. Not just you!"

He chuckled, and she groaned as she glanced up at him. He was already on the bike, the candy apple in the basket. He patted the seat behind him.

"We should probably get going if we're gonna make it on time," he said.

"Right," she said, putting her own apple in her bag before she climbed on behind him. She was grateful he was glancing over her nervous flub. He had always been kind like that.

"Hold on tight," he said. She rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around his middle, but he chuckled and looked back at her. "You can hold me tighter, you know."

She met his grin with one of her own and leaned against him, tightening her grip as she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"Like this?" she asked, peeking up at him from under her lashes. His chuckle cut off abruptly, and he coughed as he looked back to the street. The next thing she knew, he was pedaling towards the school. She couldn't get a great look at his face from behind, but she thought he was smiling. "Sooo…did you end up making any plans?"

"Sorry?" he asked. He kept his eyes on the road in front of them, and she closed her eyes as she rested her head against his back.

"Valentine's Day? You said yesterday you might make some plans," she said. She felt them stop, and when she looked up she saw he had stopped at a corner and was looking back at her.

"…not yet," he said after a moment. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn't. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and took a steadying breath.

"It's just that I was thinking…you know, if you don't have any plans, and I don't have any plans, and we're both plan-less…" she trailed off, wincing as she realized she was rambling. She took another breath and sat up straighter. He stayed on the corner, waiting for her to say whatever it was she was trying to say. "That is…maybe we could make plans…together?"

"I wouldn't be opposed to that," he said. He smiled softly at her before looking back to the road. He crossed when it was clear, and she leaned back against him as he continued to pedal. "What did you have in mind?"

"Nothing big," she said. "Maybe coffee? After school?"

He nodded, but he didn't exactly say he'd like to go. When he stopped outside the school, she bumped her nose against his shoulder.

"So?" she pressed. "What do you think?"

"I think I'd like to get some coffee after school," he said once she'd hopped off and was standing in front of him. He turned to unlatch the box of macarons, missing the wide-eyed stare she gave him. When he turned back to her, he was still smiling. He leaned in over the box of macarons and winked at her. "Actually, I'd like to get coffee now, but school's going to start soon and I've already had a cup this morning. I've got Theory first thing, and Belcourt will kill me if I drink that much caffeine before class."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" she giggled. He was still smiling, but there was a definite blush on his face – and he still hadn't leaned back yet. She darted forward and pressed her lips against his cheek in a quick kiss before she could second-guess herself. "Thanks for the lift, Luka."

"Anytime, Marinette," he said. His blush was definitely darker. She held the box of macarons up for him.

"Go on, take one," she said. "You'll need all the energy you can get to survive Theory."

He chuckled and snatched up an off-white macaron. It was one of the toasted marshmallow ones she had made just for him – they were his favorite, after all. She smiled when he bit into it.

"Candy apples and a macaron before lunch? I'm starting to feel spoiled," he said. They both jumped when an arm landed heavily on his shoulders, and Marinette quickly closed the box as Dingo reached around for a macaron.

"That's because you're her favorite – oi!" he whined when she wouldn't let him take a macaron. "See? She won't give me one!"

"Because you didn't give me a ride to school," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. He propped his sunglasses on his head, nestling them behind the first spike of his lime green mohawk. He leaned in and winked at her.

"No, chérie, it's because he's your fav-ouch!" he whined, leaning back as another hand slapped him. He rubbed his cheek and looked up at Brielle, who had walked up with Rose and Juleka. "Bri!"

"Don't make me regret agreeing to go out with you tonight," she said with a glare. Her expression immediately brightened when she turned to Marinette. "Those for us?"

"For lunch, yes," she said. She shot a pointed look at Dingo. "Luka only got one early because he gave me a ride."

"So that's where you disappeared to," Juleka muttered. "Figures."

Marinette and Luka both shot her a look, which she pointedly ignored.

"Anyway," Luka said, grabbing his backpack from the basket of his bike before any more bickering could break out. He slipped it on and looked back at Marinette. "I might not make lunch today, but I will take you up on that coffee, if the offer's still good?"

They both ignored the gasping, squealing sound that came from Rose.

"D-definitely, I'd love you!" Marinette said. She realized what she'd said a second too late, her eyes widening in horror as her face started to burn. Dingo and Juleka started snickering as Rose squealed again, but Luka was just watching her with a startled – pleased? Did he really look pleased? – expression, the lock for his bike hanging forgotten in his hands. She gulped and shook her head, fighting the spazz that would have sent the macarons flying. "TO! I'd love – I'd love to get coffee with – oh, hey, bell! C'mon, Rose, class! See you later bye!"

"W-wait! Marinette that was so good!" Rose squealed as Marinette grabbed her arm and drug her into the building. Juleka glanced back at Luka as the warning bell continued to ring, a smirk on her face.

"She loves you," she said, a wicked glint in her eye. He still hadn't moved, his wide eyes locked on where Marinette had disappeared into the building. Dingo snickered and laid his arm across his shoulders again. Juleka rolled her eyes and grabbed the lock, chaining up his bike before she ran after Marinette and Rose.

"C'mon, Romeo," Dingo laughed as he steered him towards the school. "The last thing you want is to be late to Belcourt's on a Friday."

"I think we lost him," Brielle mused, waving a hand in front of Luka's glazed eyes.

"Oh, we lost him the minute he landed eyes on her," Dingo said, shaking Luka slightly with the arm on his shoulders. "This boy's been hopeless for months now."

"I'm going to kill you both," Luka said, though he was grinning like an idiot when he said it, "and bury you in the park, and take Marinette on a picnic date over your grave."

"Dark," Brielle said, smirking. "I like it."

"She said she loves me," he said, his voice as dazed as the look on his face, and his friends laughed as Dingo pushed him towards the door to their Theory class. He pecked a kiss against Brielle's cheek, making her roll her eyes. She didn't reach up to brush the kiss off, though, and he considered that progress.

"See you in history," he said. Belcourt was already shouting for them to get inside, and he sighed as he followed Luka into class. Theory was going to be more fun than usual if Luka didn't snap out of it.

…he couldn't wait.

– V –

Luka didn't make it to lunch, but Marinette – who had returned to being a bundle of nerves for the majority of the school day – thought maybe that was best. She made sure she saved the toasted marshmallow macarons for him, going so far as to slap Dingo herself when he tried to steal one (he'd already had four raspberry-lime). At the end of the day, she was waiting by Luka's bike, fidgeting nervously as she went over her not-a-plan one last time.

They'd get coffee. And, at some point during the conversation, she would tell him exactly how she felt. Which, considering she was able to just blurt out that she loved him like an idiot that morning, shouldn't be too hard. She'd give him the chocolates, and the card (which also stated very plainly that she liked him and asked him on a date, not just a hangout: a proper, just-them, date-date), and he'd smile at her with that little grin he got and tell her of course he liked her, hadn't he been telling her that from the beginning, of course he'd go out with her…it was going to be fine. It was just Luka. They'd spent tons of time alone, just hanging out, or working on projects, and then homework when she'd started attending the same lycée in the fall. It was just Luka. And Alya was right: this had been a long time coming. She had no reason to be so nervous.

"Mari!"

She looked up at the call, and her nerves suddenly vanished when she saw him waving from the top of the steps. Well, maybe not all her nerves – there were still a few butterflies when he reached her, scooped her up in a hug, and spun her around. She clung to him even after he'd set her back down, pressing her nose into his shirt as he held her tight. He wasn't letting go, either, though, so she figured it was ok. She wasn't sure if it was his heart she felt hammering away under her cheek or her own.

"Today took forever," he sighed into her hair. He finally pulled away, grinning at her. "Did you get that impression? Today just felt so long."

"It almost sounds like you don't want to get coffee with me," she said. She realized he had started holding her hand at some point. She tightened her grip, smiling. Holding hands with Luka was nice. He chuckled and shook his head.

"The exact opposite," he said. "I want to get coffee with you so bad every class seemed to drag. It didn't help that that stupid group project kept me busy during lunch."

"Oh!" she said, reaching back to the bike to grab a small paper bag out of the basket. She held it out to him triumphantly. "I had to wrestle them from Dingo, but your macarons, monsieur!"

"You're the best!" he laughed, grinning as he pulled one out. He groaned and tipped his head back as he chewed, and she rolled her eyes. Honestly, he could be such a dork sometimes. "God, these are good. Though I didn't actually get to eat during lunch, so I'm kinda hungry."

"We should get going, then," she said. "Coffee and pastries await!"

Ok. She could be a bit of a dork sometimes, too.

He smiled, dropped the bag of macarons in his backpack before dropping that in the basket, and bent to unchain his bike. A moment later, Marinette was climbing onto the bike behind him, and then they were off. The trip to the café was shorter than she would have liked (she was finding she liked riding on the back of Luka's bike with him), but it was filled with easy conversation. When they arrived at the little café they had discovered over the summer (a quaint little joint that was halfway between the Liberty and the bakery), she was a little disheartened to find it was busier than usual. She should have expected as much, given it was Friday and Valentine's Day to boot, but her smile still slipped away as she took in the crowd. Luka chained his bike up to the streetlamp and reached over to squeeze her shoulder.

"See if you can find us a table," he said. "I'll get in line."

There was one table left, back in the corner near the restrooms. There was barely enough room for her to slide in, as the tables around it were crowded with couples and groups of friends all out to enjoy the holiday. It wasn't the most romantic setting she would have chosen, between the crowd and the knowledge that they were a few short steps from the restrooms, but she was determined to make it work. When Luka spotted her from his place in line, she pulled a face and gestured to the hall leading to the restrooms. The other chair was leaning against the wall by the entrance, and she had left it for him to give him room. He chuckled and shrugged, the gesture screaming what can you do?, and then the barista was calling him to the front. Well, as long as he wasn't bothered by it, she supposed.

He returned to her in a few minutes carrying two takeaway cups and a smallish bag.

"So I know I told you to grab a table, but I figured I'd get our order to-go just in case you wanted to find somewhere…quieter," he said. She opened her mouth to speak, but her words were cut off as one of the people at the table behind them stood to leave and bumped into her. She winced as she was jerked forward, her elbow banging into the table's edge. He quickly turned to apologize, but she waved him off with a smile, letting him know she was all right. It was a bit crowded, after all. She looked back to Luka and shook her head, though he didn't seem entirely convinced. "You sure?"

"This is fine," she said as another couple grabbed the table behind her. "I mean…unless you want to go? We can go. We should go. Do you want to go?"

"Relax, Mari," he said with a chuckle as he sat down. He reached out and grasped her hand, squeezing lightly. "You've been really jumpy today. Anything you want to talk about?"

Her laugh sounded strangled in her ears. He raised his eyebrows as he pulled a sandwich out of the bag. She rubbed the back of her neck and shook her head, ready to say…

"Mine!" a high-pitched squeak behind her said, and she paused as she glanced over her shoulder. A girl with long auburn hair sat behind her, and a guy with short black hair was sitting across from her, staring at her with wide, green eyes. "That is, be mine! I mean, not mine-mine, but…y'know, conversation hearts! The candy? Like…"

Luka's chuckle brought her attention back to her own table. He was looking over her shoulder, too, a sympathetic smile on his face.

"Man, brutal," he said quietly. He looked back at her and leaned in, grinning. "I can't imagine confessing to someone on Valentine's Day. You'd be a nervous wreck all day, and then if they said no? It would take an incredibly brave person to go through with that, you know?"

She was pretty sure her face fell along with her stomach, which was now resting uncomfortably somewhere around her feet.

"I could never do it," he said, winking at her. He looked back to his sandwich and took a bite. She swallowed thickly. Her throat suddenly felt like cotton. She grabbed her cup and took a gulp, absently noticing he'd ordered her favorite tea before she yelped and dropped the cup, her mouth burning. "Woah – easy!"

He reached out and steadied her wobbling tea before it could spill, turning concerned eyes on her as she fanned her tongue. His lips quirked slightly.

"Are you ok?" he asked. She nodded mutely, closing her mouth and focusing her gaze on the table. Her eyes were burning, and she hoped if he noticed – because he usually always noticed – he'd think it was because of the hot tea. "Here, I'll go get you some ice –"

"N-no, it's ok, I…I'll get it," she said. When he continued to frown at her, she waved him off. "It was my fault, and you already got the drinks. I'll…I'll be right back."

She went to stand, and for the second time the chair behind her knocked into her. This time the force was stronger and sent her into the table with a whoosh. Luka, already concerned, looked up to say something to the auburn-haired girl, but she was already running out of the café. His attention turned back to Marinette when she hissed, however, and his eyebrows furrowed as he saw the girl had knocked her back into her tea – which Marinette was now trying to mop off her jeans with a fistful of napkins. He looked back at the table, ready to say something, but the other guy was already standing.

"Sorry!" the black-haired guy she had been with said quickly before he grabbed his coat and ran after her. Luka looked back at Marinette, who had buried her head in her arms on the table. She was shaking slightly, as if she was about to start crying – or already had.

"Hey," he said gently, reaching out to lay a hand on her arm. She shrank away from him, and his frown deepened. "Mari. It's ok. It's just a crazy day. I mean…are you ok? It'll wash, and I'll go get the ice, it's ok."

"I hate Valentine's Day," she mumbled into her arms. His lips pursed, but he didn't say anything. Didn't move beyond the subtle shift in his expression. He wasn't sure he had heard her right – people like Marinette didn't hate holidays celebrating love. It was like Rose saying she hated…well, Valentine's Day. "Ugh, none of this is going like it was supposed to."

"It was supposed to go somewhere?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light. He was trying to make her relax, but it seemed to have the opposite effect when she shrank further into herself. "Hey, hey. It's ok. Mari, what's wrong?"

She moved an arm, keeping her face hidden, to grope blindly into her purse. Tikki pressed the gift and card into her hand, and Luka's eyes widened when she dropped a small, red, sparkly box on the table in front of him. A gold-colored envelope with his name in meticulous handwriting was attached, a heart drawn beside it.

"Even when I don't plan I still mess it up," she groaned. She brought her arm back to the other, pressing her face against the table. "Can you just…take it and go? Forget I did any of this?"

"…but you didn't do anything yet," he said, pushing the box aside and reaching out for her arm again. He tried to find her hand, but she shrank away from him. "Hey. Hey."

"Forget I was going to do anything, then. Can…can I get a do-over?" she mumbled. He was finally able to pry her hand away from her arm, and she peeked up at him as he threaded their fingers together. He was smiling at her like…like he thought she was brave.

Incredibly brave.

"I'm not going anywhere, Marinette," he said softly, squeezing her hand. He laid his free arm on the table and rested his chin on it, smiling gently at her as he rubbed his thumb against her skin. "I am exactly where I've wanted to be all day, and the only place I'm going is to get you some ice. If you still need it. And another tea."

"Even if I'm a walking disaster and have completely botched this whole thing?" she asked. His lips quirked at that.

"I like your disaster," he said easily. "Besides, I don't think anything's botched yet. Was there something to botch? I thought we were just getting coffee."

"…I can't tell if you're being really nice or really dumb," she said. He snorted, ducking his head against his arm. She smiled when she heard him laughing. When he lifted his head again, his cheeks were a little pink.

"Jules would say I'm dumb," he said. He tipped his head towards her, glancing at the box he still hadn't touched. "I'd wager it's a fair mix of both."

"I wanted to tell you something," she sighed. Her eyes drifted back to their hands, where his thumb was still brushing absent patterns against her own. "And in my attempt to not over-complicate it, I think I just went ahead and over-complicated the hell out of it."

He chuckled at that. He didn't agree with her, but he didn't disagree with her, either.

"I'm listening," he said instead, when she continued to stare at their heads without saying anything. "Whenever you're ready. I've always been listening, Marinette."

She took a breath. Squeezed his hand. It was now or never. She looked up at him, a nervous smile on her face.

"Then, Luka Couffaine, I wanted to tell you…" she started. She took another breath, opened her mouth, and jerked up when a scream echoed above the crowded café from the street outside. He straightened as well, and they both craned their necks to see through the windows to the street beyond. Something was glowing, the light seeping into the café. Marinette squeezed Luka's hand before she let go, already on her feet. He caught her wrist again, holding her back, and she turned in time to see his worried face disappear in a blinding flash of light.