I don't wanna lose control

I scream

Marinette's pov

Perhaps it was good luck that allowed me to go the entire day without any of my attacks. In fact, I was prepared at any moment for the tingling and burning in my spine to appear. There was hope in me that this was the end of them but part of me knew they would come back as some point.

Alya was smiling at me when we put our things away after last period.

"I am glad you are coming to get ice cream with us. Really Marinette, it's weird you not hanging out with us."

I have her a bright smile and continued fitting stuff in my bag when I noticed a collection of papers which had been shoved to the side.

"Wait for me outside, I'll be right there."

I walked to Mrs Bustier's desk and she stopped shuffling papers to look at me as I arrived.

"Here Mrs. This is most of the homework that was overdue."

"Marinette! I thought I said it was okay for you not to do it, after all you have been through." Mrs Bustier looked at the stack, shocked.

"Don't worry Mrs, I did this Thursday night, before I... Went missing."

"Well in that case I'll allow it." She said with a smile, taking the papers from me. "Now go, don't let me keep you from your afternoon."

I bid her farewell and wondered out into the hallway where Alya was leaning against the wall, editing a post for the ladyblog.

"Where are Adrien and Nino?" I asked as I hitched my bag onto my back and Alya stood up, putting her phone in her pocket.

"They are going to meet us there, André is at the Louvre."

"Cool!" I replied but part of me felt sick at the thought of going back to the Louvre. The place of my downfall. Well, not really. Chat and I had defeated the akuma. And all the place was fixed except me.

Reluctantly, I followed Alya for the walk, my joints stiff.

Paris was peaceful, though ice-cream didn't seem such a great idea on such a cold day.

"Why are we getting ice-cream in the middle of winter again?" I asked Alya as we walked and I pulled my coat further around me.

She shrugged, pulling her hood over her head. "Adrien likes André's ice-cream. And let's be honest, with his dad away he is finally allowed to leave the house without being nagged every ten seconds."

I nodded and we continued walking in a comfortable silence. It was peaceful, though cold, as the streets which were normally thronged with people were quiet and empty.

"What are you doing for winter break Mari?"

"Staying here, hoping it snows, helping dad with the bakery, the usual. You?"

"My dad is thinking of flying over to America for Christmas. You know those second cousins twice removed? I think he wants us to spend Christmas with them, bonding. It sucks because if I'm there I'm not going to be able to get good quality content for the ladyblog."

"It's only for a couple days though, right?"

"I don't know, dad said he wanted to be there for a large amount of time but then again, he is very hesitant to leave the zoo without his supervision. Who knows really?"

Alya sighed and kicked a pebble down the road. It rolled over and over before dropping into a drain.

The Louvre came into view.

Honestly, I expected some veil to hang over it. Some aura of dread but, it looked as it always did. The winter sun glinted off the glass panels and the surrounding buildings sheltered it from the howling wind.

André was on the edge of the road, wrapped up in a coat, hat, scarf and gloves and both Adrien and Nino had already got their ice-creams.

"Ah Marinette, it is good to see you are safe." André said with a smile as he dished out ice-cream without even asking for my preference.

"I see new love in the horizon for you but it may be already experienced. Chocolate is not quite as dark as I wanted but it will do seeing as licorice is not a popular flavour so I stopped making it. And mint, pepper mint to be exact, with a colouring to make it more... Acidic in colour." He smiled and handed me the cone and we bustled over to a bench to eat our ice creams.

What was André taking about? A new love? I frowned at the ice-cream.

"What are you thinking about Marinette?" Adrien asked and he ate some of his ice-cream.

"Nothing important."

"Oh yeah, Marinette? Juleka is meeting us here a bit later, she said she had a surprise for you." Alya mentioned between bites of her ice-cream.

"Really? That's strange. I wonder what it could be?"

I sat for a while, mulling over my thoughts as the others talked. That was until I spotted Juleka in the distance walking with someone who I couldn't quite make out. As they got closer I looked more and more at the person she was with. That looked like... But it couldn't be. Right?

"Luka?"

Adrien suddenly started choking on his ice-cream beside me but I couldn't tear my eyes away. Was I really missing him so much that I was hallucinating seeing him or something? But no, it was him.

I got up quickly and started running over and I watched him smile where he stood. I ran to him and felt him wrap his arms around me and suddenly I was spinning in the air, the wind biting my face. And I was laughing because it was Luka and he was here and I was hoping it was not a dream.

He put me down in front of him and held my face in his hands for a while, just looking at me.

"You're here! You're actually here! I'm I dreaming, please don't let this be a dream. My alarm is going to go off any second isn't it." I rambled to myself and pinched my arm making Luka laugh.

"Okay definitely not a dream." I said breathlessly as I looked at him.

He pulled me into a hug and I wrapped my arms around him. He was so warm.

"Oh Marinette, I was so worried." He spoke into my hair as he held me.

He pulled away and I saw tears on his cheeks and in his eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm okay. See!" I said and gave him a small twirl.

He laughed again and I smiled at him. Luka was back and he was here and he cared about me.

"I'm never leaving you again." He said gently as he looked into my eyes. And slowly, ever so slowly he leaned in until our lips were almost touching.

"Hey Luka, how you doing?"