𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐹𝓊𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝓁𝒹𝓈 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝒰𝓈 *Slow Updates*

Chapter Four

Marinette snuggles into the jacket Luka let her borrow, happy with the warmth and nice smell that seemed to linger. She figured Luka must have worn it so many times for it to smell like him. The vest was a cotton material and it was black, the sleeves were like jean pattern and on the insides, it was somewhat fuzzy. The back had one of Jagged Stone's much earlier albums, the words had faded over time, but it was still readable.

Ocean and peppermint was an odd combination.

An odd, but great combination! She had received weird looks from people in passing cars and on sidewalks as she inhaled the intoxicating aroma from the hems of the sleeves.

"Marinette, are you doing okay?" Tikki's voice slipped from the hood of the jacket.

Marinette glanced over her shoulder. "Why do you ask?"

"You haven't stopped sniffing your sleeves since we left Luka's home."

Marinette turns beet red. "I...well...it...he just smells good!" She stammers, unable to find the right words.

The Kwami giggles mischievously. "Do you like Luka, Marinette?"

Marinette nearly pauses in the middle of the crosswalk, losing all her giddiness and fluster. Did she like Luka? She couldn't say for sure. She didn't want Luka feeling like she was rebounding.

Adrien...Marinette's heart clenched rather painfully. Thinking of him hurt. Seeing him hurts. Everything about him still stings her. She was in love with the model for a long time, and suddenly, her feelings for him just...faded, for lack of a better word. 

After her breakdown, she felt released of her feelings. And then Luka appeared like some emotional supporting angel with bluish-green hair. She broke and he was there for her, let her cry on his shoulder. 

She wanted to thank him for that.

~

"Ah! Marinette, you're home! Are you okay?" Sabine bombards her daughter worryingly with questions.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Marinette asks, barely glancing at her worry-stricken mother.

"Well, you're home later than you usually are! That's why I'm asking! As your mother, I'm going to worry. I thought something had happened to you. Another Akuma attacked and I thought something happened---where's your hoodie?" Sabine finally took notice of Marinette's change of jacket. "That's not of yours, and I don't think I ever bought you--"

"It's not mine, " Marinette looked at her mom, her cheeks becoming pink rosy, "It's...it's um, it's Lu-Luka's jacket." 

"Luka?" Sabine scrunched her face in brief confusion. "Oh! Do you mean the boy from the weekend? He's a nice one---wait, why do you have his jacket?"

Marinette, her small fluster turning into an overbearing embarrassment, just wanted to take refuge in her bedroom, which still needed to be cleaned but it wasn't as bad---thanks to Luka's gracious help.

The teenager certainly didn't want her mother to explode into mother-bear mode if she told her, but she didn't want to lie anymore.

"Well, I scratched my arm..." Marinette began slowly, "And then Luka sorta ran me over with his bike and then we went to his house to bandage my arm and wash Dad's hoodie because it got some blood on it...and then Luka didn't want me to walk home without something warm, since...you know, it's getting somewhat cooler...and he was being a mule about it and he insisted I'd take this." Marinette finished off her explanation by flapping the collar of the Jagged Stone jacket.

Sabine smiles. "Why, that was mighty kind of him! Him taking care of you, that is! You are a clumsy girl, after all. You get it from me, but it was way worse when I was your age..." Sabine rambled, trailing off with a healthy blush and bright smile.

"Marinette, you're home!" Tom barreled out from the kitchen, his shirt is covered in various cake mixes and lots of flour. He wipes his colossal hands in a hand rag.

"Ye-yeah..." Marinette forced a cheeky smile. She really didn't want to have to explain to her overprotective father that she was at a boys' house.  She also didn't want to explain to him why his old hoodie wasn't on her or why she was some odd minutes to an hour late.

"Sorry, I can't talk, Papa, I got lots of homework! Love you both!" Marinette quickly raced to the spiral stairwell before her father burst into questions.

Finally, in her room after a long day, Marinette felt more relaxed than ever. The teenager kicks her shoes off and Tikki flies from Luka's jacket hood as Marinette tosses her backpack to the floor.

"How's your arm, Marinette?" Tikki asks immediately.

Marinette sorely rubs her wounded limb tenderly. "I think I've had worse injuries. I'll be fine. Luka really did a nice job wrapping it for me." 

From a tiny jar Marinette had began keeping in her room since she became Ladybug, she plucked out a red macaron. The Kwami gratefully took the desert and chowed down.

The dark-haired teenager sighs dreamily, her pain long-forgotten as she plops onto her bed, which now had purple comforters with lighter flower-y designs. She stretches, a big smile tugging her lips up, as well as healthy pink glowed within Marinette's cheeks. She rolls onto her stomach, pulling one of her pillows to her face, which muffles a high-pitch squeal Marinette suddenly lets out. The girl even kicks her heels in the air.

Tikki knew this reaction. Marinette's crush on Adrien had sent her into suddenly gushing frenzies of heavy blushing and squeals and kicking her feet in the air. 

Or at least she used to.

She fawned over a new boy now. 

Tikki couldn't say if she trusted--trusted Luka completely, but if Marinette trusted him, then she would try to trust him too. She liked everything better when her Holder was in high spirits, as they are right now.

The Kwami gulps down the last of her macaron and then floats over to Marinette.

"I'm sorry I'm so giddy, Tikki, " Marinette couldn't contain her lovesick grin. "I don't I've ever felt this way before...I can't really explain how I feel."

Tikki giggles, brushing away the stray bangs from Marinette's forehead. "It's okay, Marinette. Feelings will blossom and arise in you, it's understandable."

"Luka's such a sweetheart!" Marinette gushed once more, her cheeks burning rather brightly. "He's done so much for me already and --- I just can't help myself!" 

"Yes, but don't let your new feelings go to your head, Marinette, as much as I hate to say, " Tikki says lightly. "You have to stay focused."

"I know..." Marinette glumly pouted. "I can still go about my day and have time to focus even with Luka around. It's like he grounds me or something...I probably don't make any sense..."

"That's okay, Marinette."

Tikki understood more than Marinette would know. Although, she couldn't help but to have this feeling tugging within her small body that something was going to happen.

Well, whatever it was, she hoped it wasn't bad at all.

Sorry for the late chapter, I would've had a chapter published when the weekend began but my phone was being a big dummy and wouldn't even let me type correctly, so I apologize and I finally got my hands on a computer (AKA my friend is an angel sent from the depths of a nice paradise-like Hell) I know what I said. Anyway, I hope you liked it and stay tuned.

~Brittany