Soothing Sore Heartstrings - Luka Couffaine X M Reader

06

If anyone's coming back to read this after a while, just know that I changed Brianna's name to Abigail, I just wasn't feeling the previous name anymore. There haven't been any other changes besides a few details and editing in some chapters, but it's overall the same exact story so there's not much need to reread anything. :)

(h/c) = Hair Color
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"I heard about supervillains before coming here, but experiencing it is a whole other level!!" Abigail screeched, her voice sharp as it pierced through my ears for a good second. We all stood still, staring at the aftermath before us.

The other students and I slowly rose from our hiding spots, still in shock. The classroom was a huge mess: papers were scattered about, chairs overturned, and the shattered window let in a gust of cold air that sent chills down my spine.

"Ditch day?" someone asked from behind. I turned to see a guy from another one of my classes, one of those quiet, forgettable types who never made much of an impression. His voice trembled, and he shrank back slightly after his suggestion, clearly unsure of himself.

A few of us murmured in agreement. What else could we do? No one was going to stick around with an unconscious guy lying on the floor like that. Without another word, we slipped out of the classroom, leaving the mess and the unconscious victim behind.

The hallway outside buzzed with a strange mix of panic and normalcy. Some students were calmly chatting as if nothing unusual had happened, while others ran around, freaking out like they always did when an akuma attack hit.

"What should we do now?" Abigail asked, her voice calmer this time. She was walking beside me, no longer clinging to my arm, but close enough that I could still feel her presence.

I glanced at the students nearby, my mind racing. There hadn't been any students from our school akumatized before, at least, not like this. Françoise Dupont usually had the highest number of victims, with all their emotional tweens.

"I'm not sure," I admitted, my thoughts scrambling for a solution. "But it's probably best not to disturb the other classes until they hear about.. Somnia." The name felt heavy on my tongue. It sounded cool, but from the look of things, I guessed Shadow Moth had used her nightmares against her to amplify her negative emotions, turning her into a weapon.

"I think she's in my Chemistry class," Abigail said thoughtfully, her brows furrowing. "She's always so quiet, really focused on her work." I nodded, that description fit her perfectly.

Abigail's POV

I needed to find a way to get closer to (Y/N). The problem was, he didn't seem to care. Each time I tried, his attention slipped away.

As we wandered through the halls of the school, I wracked my brain for something to say that would break the ice between us. But just as I opened my mouth, the sudden shrieks of students echoed down the corridor.

Panic rippled through the air, a wave of fear that sent people dashing from classrooms, their faces pale with terror.

"Luka!" (Y/N)'s voice cut through the chaos, desperate and loud enough to make my chest tighten. We were pressed up against the wall now, the frantic mass of students shoving past us. I could feel his shoulder against mine, close, but so far from how I wanted it to be.

Luka suddenly came into view from across the hallway. His blue-streaked hair caught in the light as he strolled over, confusion overtook his expression, yet he seemed quite calm. It was kind of infuriating how he would present himself to (Y/N).

"Do you guys know what happened?" Luka asked, his voice steady, like he hadn't noticed the panic around us. I forced a nod and pasted a smile on my face, trying to match his calm demeanor while also trying to look good in front of my newfound crush.

"A classmate of ours got akumatized," I explained, hoping to contribute something useful, even if Luka didn't seem impressed. He barely blinked, his eyes shifting over to the (h/c) haired guy with a sort of calm understanding that made my stomach churn with jealousy.

"She's not much of a danger," (Y/N) added, his voice thoughtful, "but we should probably shelter somewhere safe and watch the news."

Luka nodded, and the three of us moved off to an empty classroom, weaving through the panicking crowd as though this was just another day.

Once inside, Luka sat at a desk arranged in a group of four. Naturally, (Y/N) sat next to him, leaving me on the opposite side, alone. It was like a scene from a romantic movie, only the romance wasn't mine. It was them, always together, always so effortlessly in sync, leaving me feeling like the awkward third wheel.

I sank into the chair across from them, the distance between us feeling much larger than the physical space. I wanted to use this time to make (Y/N) see me, but how could I when his best friend was always there, always in the way?

Luka, ever the practical one, pulled out his phone and propped it up against a water bottle. "Let's see what's going on," he said as he swiped the screen, then showing the familiar face of the news reporter.

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news." Her voice was steady, but the footage behind her was anything but. Ladybug and Chat Noir were in the middle of a fierce battle, dodging beams of energy as the supervillain, Somnia, hurled taunts at them. Chat Noir's puns seemed to tick her off, but the danger was real.

The reporter's voice faltered as the live footage shifted, showing civilians dropping like flies, their bodies limp as they fell into deep, unnatural sleep. "This supervillain has brought upon sufferable comas to those who—"

Suddenly, one of Somnia's robotic bunnies appeared on the screen, spraying what looked like stardust across the room. The reporter collapsed, unconscious before she could finish her sentence. The broadcast cut out, leaving a suffocating silence in the classroom.

For a moment, none of us spoke. Luka quietly slipped his phone back into his pocket, his expression as unreadable as ever.

"Well," he said, breaking the silence with a resigned sigh. "Guess there's not much to do now but stay put." He finished, looking at his best friend.

(Y/N) nodded in agreement, and I did too, though my thoughts were a tangled mess. I was stuck here, again on the outside of their world. And all I could think was, how do I make him notice me when I feel so invisible?

(Y/N)'s POV

"From now on, none of you may sleep in this classroom, understood?" Ms. Dufort stated. "Over the next few days we'll have some gentlemen here repairing the window and the rest of the building, but our assignments remain the same, alright?" The students around her muttered in understanding.

The poor girl who was akumatized, her name being Angéline Laurent, was embarrassed of her actions, therefore not bothering to show up to school the following Wednesday.

I turned to Abigail, who seemed to be lost in thought. I noticed her gaze fixed on me the day before as I conversed with Luka, but I didn't feel like pointing it out. "Are you alright?"

My words seemed to spook the blonde as she readjusted herself. "Oh! Yeah I'm sorry, just thinking about some advice my host sister gave me last night." I had forgotten about her rooming with Marinette, and I still hoped Luka wouldn't find out too soon.

"Are you having trouble here?" I asked, shifting my posture to face her more directly. I had always enjoyed listening to people's problems, offering advice where I could, even if I wasn't the best at solving my own.

"I know it can be hard to adjust to life here, but once you settle in, you'll leave with nothing but wonderful memories of your time in France," I added, my voice low yet encouraging as I ended with a warm smile. Abigail nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful, before she finally responded.

"Yeah, you're probably right..." she murmured, her voice fading as she turned her attention back to her work. I did the same, but a nagging feeling gnawed at me. I couldn't shake the sense that her struggle ran deeper than just adjusting to a new country. Something else was bothering her mind.

1467 Words
Sorry this isn't as long as the other chapters I've made previously, but I am picking up the pace and hopefully I'll get another 1-2 chapters out by the end of the month :)