Ways to be Wicked - Descendants 2 AU

Chapter 12

 He looked as if nothing had changed in the time that Marinette had left him on the lower docks, heartbroken and excommunicated from Marinette's growing villainous plans with her friends. He had the same jet black hair that was dyed half way down to be sea foam colored. His clothing was loose, reminiscent of something his father's nemesis, Aladdin, would wear with harem pants and a canvas shirt. The fish scale tattoo up his left arm was new, but the necklace hung against his clavicle was heartbreakingly familiar. It was the same one that she wore, the Roman sign of Hades that Marinette had given him a life time ago when things seemed so much simpler despite being so much more dangerous. That's what they had run on back then, the thrill of the chase and the adrenaline that came with barely making it out with your life.

His sea green eyes studied her lazily, the smile on his face somewhat strained as he took her in. Marinette grabbed her wrist, her hand still tightly gripping the pair of scissors as if her life depended on it. Depending on how this reunion went, she may be glad she had them.

The young man slid from his perch, slinking across the room with an air of comfort despite not having been there in the last few years. He tilted his head towards Marinette's work in progress mural, studying it with feigned curiosity.

"Looks good," his voice was cool and absent of the nerves that seemed to be plaguing Marinette at that moment. "I really like how you did the line work."

"How did you fine me, Luka," Marinette asked bluntly, feeling her body shake. First Adrien, now him? Her fragile emotional state couldn't take much more of this. Why couldn't she just be left alone?

"By now? Everyone knows you're here," Luka said plainly, as if they had just seen each other yesterday. His undisturbed behavior was starting to wear on her. Why couldn't he just yell at her and get it over with? Isn't that what everyone wanted to do lately anyways?

Marinette laughed, sounding almost deranged. "So you've been spying on me then?"

Luka turned in that moment and she could see that all light banter had been thrown aside. His gaze was soft, almost like he was genuinely concerned for her, the girl who seemed to hurt everyone she had ever come in contact with. He approached her with the care of someone who was trying to corner a spooked deer, ready to bolt at the slightest sound. Soon, they were only a few inches apart, Marinette shaking violently in spite of herself.

Get a grip, Marinette, get a grip! She hissed to herself as she fought against the need to just collapse where she was and never rise again. The shaking stopped when she felt a gentle touch against her wrist. Luka had her wrist in his fingertips, careful not to touch her more than he should.

"I'm not spying on you, Marinette," Luka said in a low tone, his head tilted to try and catch her gaze even though it was fixated on where his fingers were. "I wanted to make sure you were safe. You shouldn't have come back."

His sentimentality made Marinette's blood boil. She pulled her hand away, spinning on her heeled boot to march across the loft space, her hands gesturing wildly about her.

"Why shouldn't I be here!" She howled, throwing her scissors violently at Nathaniel's couch where they impaled themselves against the plush backing. "This is my home! This is my town! No one should be able to tell me I can't come back!"

"I'm not saying that -" Luka tried to say only to have her turn on him, a fire in her eyes as she snarled. He could swear he saw her blue hair flicker at her ears like it was alive.

"I ran this town, Luka! Auradon may not have accepted me, but the Isle will take me back whether it wants to or not!" Her eyes were hot with tears, the loft taking on a watercolor effect as she tried not to let him see her cry. When did she become so weak that she would cry over something so ridiculous as feeling like she didn't belong? This was the island of people who didn't belong. It would be her safe place.