miraculous life || miraculous ladybug [slight au]

013

I met a curious child,  he seemed to be slightly older, or he was just tall for his age, I wasn't sure. 

But he was strange.

Him and his mother had come in to our bakery, I was helping dad design a cake. Though I hadn't put much effort into drawing much, so the design wasn't beautiful, but you could tell where I was going with it.

Dad understood it pretty well, seeing as his drawings are usually chicken scratch.

But mom was getting some pastries for a woman with a unique accent, and suddenly I was having a staring contest with this boy with- wow, okay, really pretty eyes.

"Marinette?" I turned back to my father, who was waiting.

"Shi de, fuqin?" I asked, slipping in to Chinese easily, making my mother shake her head.

"Mari, that's not fair!"

I shrugged, "Shenghuo shi bu gongping de." Mom snorted while my father sulked dramatically. 

"Quite a smart one you've got there, haven't ya?" The woman asked, laughing, "How old is she?"

"She'll be turning six soon," Mom replied, and the woman looked surprised, as did the boy. 

"Really?" I looked over, curiously, as the woman slipped into English. Though it was still heavily accented, then she returned to French. "I'm Anarka Couffaine. This is my oldest child, Luka, he'll be turning eight this year."

"Mari, go introduce yourself," Mother encouraged, and I hopped down from the counter, on to my stepping stool, and down to the floor, and walked up to the boy who I had previously thought was at least ten.

So he was pretty tall.

I stuck out my hand, "Hello, I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

The boy grabbed my eyes, still watching me carefully, "Nice to meet you, Marinette, my name is Luka Couffaine." Our hands dropped and yet, I found myself holding his gaze.

His hair is black, which is a stark difference to aqua eyes.

It bothered me on the way he watched me, it was as if he was trying to figure me out. Which is not a look I'd expect from a child two years older than me, physically. He seemed more mature than most kids, reminding me of Nathaniel with how quiet and reserved he is.

I narrowed my eyes at him. What are you trying to find?

"-and we just moved here from a farther town, Paris has always been a dream for me, and now I'm here, with my family," the woman smiled, "I have a daughter as well, she's Marinette's age, I'll bring her next time!"

"Please do, I'm sure Marinette would like another friend her again other than Adrien."

I broke the stare, pulling a face, "I have friends, mother."

"Like who? You can't say Miss Aime."

I huffed, crossing my arms, "Nathaniel is my friend."

"Why are they all boys?!" Papa wailed, making the two mothers laugh.

"I'll be sure to bring Juleka by some time, then, thank you for the bread. Come, Luka, time to go."

"Yes, mom." The boy answered, but hesitated in following. He then brought his hand up in a small wave, before following his mom.

I pursed my lips, "Bye, Luka!" I called after him, and the boy with black hair and bright aqua eyes looked over his shoulder at me, holding his mother's hand. I waved back at him, making his lips lift up.

The store door closed and I turned to my father, "Why are you so embarrassing, jeez. What's wrong with me having boy friends?"

All I got in response was a louder wail and a hearty laugh from mom.

-

"Hey, mom?" he called, swinging his and his mother's hand as they walked back to their new home. He was excited to go back to his baby sister, who couldn't come with them today because she had a cold. When he got a hum back, he continued, "You know how you and dad were teaching me about the songs from hearts?"

"Yes, did you finally hear it, dear?" she asked, excited.

He nodded, his arm stopped swinging, as he brought his free one up to place it over his heart. 

"I think I heard Marinette's."

"Oh!" she looked over curiously, "How was it?"

"It was...weird. Like it was- like there was two songs playing, trying to dominate the other." His mother stopped walking, and Luka did as well, looking up at her in question, "Mom?"

"Are you sure, Luka?"

"It- it's just what I think I heard..." he mumbled, toeing at the ground with his sneaker shyly.

Anarka looked back at the direction of where they came from, concerned. She had heard of such of thing, of course, her own song struggling to come to what it is today, but to see it in a child.

A heart song only quarrels when one is trying to find themselves, to find out who they are, their purpose. Usually happens during teenage mid-twenties, but Marinette- she's only five.

Why would a five year old's heart and soul be fighting against each other?