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“You can tell me anything, Marinette.”
Those words. Those reassuring words spoken softly by someone who meant them in every capacity.
Nathalie would lecture her and be firm, and make Marinette feel less like a Guardian and more like a child being scolded. She was already hiding so much from Chat Noir, and they had just repaired their fractured partnership that this secret would break them again, she feared. And honestly, she wasn’t sure she could explain to him why she struggled with keeping the truth from Adrien without compromising her identity.
But Luka wouldn’t lecture her, and would know why she struggled to face Adrien.
Marinette couldn’t stomach the lies anymore, not this one on top of all the others; she needed to talk to someone.
“Can I come visit you?” She blurted out, hands pressing down on the guitar strings harder than necessary as she cut off whatever Luka was saying.
He looked taken aback, as he should. They were having their regular guitar lessons via video call but clearly, her heart wasn’t in it.
“Now?” Luka asked, blinking. “Sure, but is everything alright?”
“I just…really need to talk to someone,” the heroine confessed, voice softer, weaker. “It has to be you.”
Alya wouldn’t understand; she’d be furious at her for hiding the truth from Paris, from Adrien. Frankly, Marinette was expecting Luka to be too.
“Yes, of course, Marinette,” assured Luka, tone gentle as he smiled reassuringly at her. “I’ll be here for you.”
And so, an hour later, Ladybug dropped down on the sands of a Brazilian beach, and after ensuring no one else was around, released her transformation.
Instantly, Luka noticed how tired she looked, a kind of exhaustion he hadn’t noticed before on camera.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” he said. If it was an emergency with the miraculous, she wouldn’t have detransformed. So it had to be something more personal. “You can tell me anything, you know.”
Marinette dug her nails into her palms, not caring if she drew blood. She glanced at the snake miraculous on his wrist, and opened her mouth to ask for it when she stopped.
Yes, confessing and then winding back time would help get this off her chest in the moment, but what about when the panic resurfaced and new worries came in? Could she really be okay with taking advantage of time, of Luka like that?
Marinette shut her eyes and took a deep breath.
“I have to tell you something, something I’ve been keeping secret from everyone. I promised to never tell anyone but I can’t do it anymore, Luka.”
Her eyes flew open when she felt Luka’s warm hand over hers, gently prying her fingers open so she wasn’t hurting herself anymore. His face, always so handsome and gentle, was contorted with worry but also reassurance.
Her heart calmed just a bit; he always had that effect on her.
“Whatever it is, I’ll listen,” he promised. “Please. What’s going on?”
Marinette bit her lip, taking a split second to reconsider this decision, then said screw it.
“I lied to everyone,” she began, and that alone was like a dam bursting. “Adrien’s father wasn’t a hero. The truth is … Gabriel Agreste was Monarch. He made me swear never to say anything, especially to Adrien, and I thought it was a good idea at first, I really did. But it’s getting harder and harder to keep this to myself, especially when I see how much Adrien is struggling. He lost his father, his only family left, and he doesn’t even know the truth of what happened. I can’t tell him, can’t shatter whatever good perception he still has of his father, and if he finds out, I’m terrified he’ll be so angry and hurt, and get akumatized or worse. I love him so much, but I’m lying to his face every day and I can’t stand it anymore!”
Marinette covered her face with her hands, trying and failing to muffle her sobs. And yet, even as tears poured down her face, she felt so much lighter. Just saying it out in the open.
And then the fear kicked in, the same heart wrenching panic that she had when Rena Rouge stared at her in horror, in anger, like she was looking at a stranger, not her best friend, not Marinette, not Ladybug. But a liar.
What would Luka do? What would he say?
“Oh, Marinette…”
Then she felt strong arms wrap around her, and she could hear his heartbeat racing wildly in his chest as she buried her face against him.
She was tired of having to be the strong one, the one to comfort others. It felt … so good to be on the receiving end for once.
“Do you think I did the right thing?” She whispered, once her sobs finally calmed down. She wasn’t even sure how long that took. “Should I have just told the truth from the beginning?”
Luka stroked her back soothingly, not speaking for a moment as he considered her question.
“It would have made things very different than how they are now,” he admitted, and she sniffled. “But I can’t tell you if it would have been better or worse.”
“Can you tell me what you think, honestly?” She added, as if he would lie to her. (Well, actually, alright, so he had lied a few times to her but they were to protect her so-) “Please?”
Luka rested his chin on the top of her head, and she was acutely aware of how intimate this embrace was but then pushed the thought away.
“I’m … a bit stressed myself thinking about all of this,” he confessed. “I know things you don’t, about the miraculous, things Su-Han told me about, and there are a lot of things I have to consider. But the stress you must have felt all this time is something I can’t even imagine. I’m sorry you’ve been alone with this burden.”
He hesitated, and then asked, “Is there a reason you haven’t told Chat Noir about Monarch?”
Marinette slumped against him, adjusting her head so her face wasn’t pressed against his chest anymore.
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “I just figured it was my burden to carry. Some weird guilt and promise to Gabriel, I guess. It’s not that I don’t trust Chat Noir, but I’m worried how he’d react. If I could stop myself if he told me to tell the world the truth. And if that happens, I break my promise to Gabriel.”
“Marinette, Gabriel Agreste was a grown adult who made his decisions,” said Luka firmly, leaning back a bit to meet her eyes. “You may be the Guardian, but you’re still a teenager. He might have had regrets, but he still made his choices and made you deal with the aftermath. In the end, he was still a villain, and that can’t be undone.”
Marinette wiped her face, even as her chest tightened and she worried about bursting into tears again.
“And I know that; I know Gabriel did terrible things as Monarch. I can’t forgive him for that. Which is why telling the world he’s a hero feels so awful, why my mouth feels like ash every time I say it, why I can’t look Adrien in the eyes when he talks about his father. He deserves to know, I know that, but I’m so scared of what will happen if I tell him. Because the only one who can tell him is Ladybug, and why would she go out of her way to hurt him even more? But if I tell him as Marinette, he’ll ask how I could possibly know that. And if he finds out I’m Ladybug, if I’m the one who had to do that to his father-“
She choked on a sob, and Luka wiped the tears from her eyes.
“Gabriel Agreste made his choices, and Ladybug did what she had to do to save everyone,” he said. “You did the best with what you were given, Marinette.”
He tilted his head back and sighed.
“I wish I could help you and magically make everything better, but I can’t. Not without you hating me.”
“I could never hate you, Luka,” assured Marinette, eyes wide. “You’ve carried some heavy burdens yourself, and you even moved all the way here to Brazil, away from your friends and family, to keep mine and Chat’s identities a secret. Which! Worked out well, since you even met a girl here, remember? That’s what you told me last time.”
His lips curled in a sad smile, one she didn’t quite understand.
“That was a lie,” he said, and she blinked. “I didn’t move here because I met a girl. I’m sorry I told you that. But I was telling the truth about being a risk to your identities with this new butterfly holder. If I get akumatized, I’d put you and Chat Noir in danger.”
“But why would you get akumatized?” Marinette pressed. “You’re the most level headed person I know.”
“And yet, I got akumatized twice, remember?” He said gently, and she flinched at the memories of why and who caused that. She made to move away, out of his arms, and he let her but seemed to know what she was thinking as a result. “It’s not your fault, Marinette. But it’s proof I’m not as strong-willed as you are, to avoid being akumatized.”
Marinette’s emotions were a mess, her head full of too many thoughts like usual, but that didn’t make her any less intelligent.
“Both times were because of me,” she said slowly, eyebrows furrowing. “You even resisted akumatization to protect my secret … are you saying you’d get akumatized again because of me?”
Luka watched her expressions shift from panic to horror, and he knew she would be able to catch on eventually so may as well say it himself.
“Not because of you,” he assured, gently poking her cheek so she would turn and meet his face. “Because I still love you, Marinette.”
Her eyes grew wide, jaw dropping.
“The truth is, I told you this already, before I left Paris. I said I didn’t want to ruin being your friend and become jealous of your relationship with Adrien, who I am truly happy for. You told me you wouldn’t let that happen, you would be mindful of the way you were when the three of us were together. But I couldn’t accept adding another worry to your life.”
Questions formed on her lips, and then her gaze dropped to his miraculous.
“Do you still think you could never hate me, or that I won’t be akumatized if I’m back in Paris?” The musician asked. “You have many burdens to carry as both Ladybug and Marinette, and you deserve the happiness you have with Adrien and your friends. I don’t want to add to it by having you worry about me too.”
Marinette frowned, hurt and frustration flooding her features as she grabbed his hands.
“You said Gabriel made me deal with the aftermath of his decisions. And now you’re trying to do the same!” Both their eyes widened and she hastily corrected herself. “I mean, I know it’s not the same, and you’re not anything like Monarch, but what I mean is you’re not letting me have a choice here, Luka! You want me to be happy, but how can I when you’re so far away from me?!”
She yanked on his hands, shaking them in her anger.
“I trust you more than you think, Luka. Your thoughts and feelings matter to me, and I take everything you say seriously. Do you not think I missed you when you had to leave Paris the first time? Don’t you think I was worried and scared of something happening? Not because I was worried about my identity, but because I was worried about you? I was angry too, that you kept it from me, but also angry at myself for making you think you couldn’t tell me.”
And she knew why he didn’t; her identity was something she kept tight to her chest, and she imagined the worst even when telling Alya, never mind anyone else. But knowing he knew her identity didn’t worry her because she was anxious about him telling, but because she knew he kept it a secret for her sake.
“I wish I told you the truth myself,” confessed Marinette, and feelings long forgotten bubbled to the surface. Why not, when she had already confessed so much? “I didn’t want us to break up back then. I liked you more than you think, Luka; I really mean that.”
And maybe that was cruel to say, moments after his confession, both of them knowing she still loved Adrien.
“If I had handled things better, if my lies weren’t so obvious, if I could have told you how I felt, I like to think we would have lasted longer,” she said, voice soft and on the verge of cracking. Her gaze focused on their hands, unable to look him in the eyes. “There are lots of reasons why I liked you, Luka, and I hope you don’t think I just wanted to use you.”
“Of course not, Marinette. I’m happy with the time we shared, even if it wasn’t enough,” assured Luka, but there was a twinge of hurt in his voice and she winced. “I’m sorry; I wanted to avoid hurting you, and I still did it anyways.”
Marinette squeezed his hands once then pulled hers away, giving him a sad smile of her own.
“Well, we’re just teenagers,” she said, bringing back his words from earlier. “We make mistakes and know less than grown adults. But that also means we have more time to fix them and make things right.”
She got to her feet, offering him her hand and he took it without hesitation as she helped him up.
“Please come back to Paris, Luka,” she pleaded. “I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but the truth is I need you. I don’t know what I’m doing half the time, and the truth is, when I need help or advice, I think of you first. Everyone back home misses you, including me and Adrien.”
Maybe she didn’t know what she was saying; maybe she did.
“You got trained by Su-Han, and you’re much stronger than you think. Come back and be a Guardian with me.”
And there was a heavy silence as her words sunk in, slipped past her lips before she even realized it. But they were words she didn’t want to take back, she realized.
“Marinette…” He sounded as shocked as he looked, and she knew she must have been the same. “What are you saying?”
“Exactly that.” She straightened her shoulders, took a more definitive tone. “Luka, I told you; I trust you more than you think. I know what you’re worried about, but I promise, I really promise, I won’t let that happen. You mean so much to me, and I want you by my side. Fu had no choice in being a Guardian, being by himself for years; Su Han likes being alone, likes doing things on his own if he can help it. But I’m not either of them. Between what the two of them taught us, surely us two can be one decent Guardian?”
She trusted Adrien Agreste with her heart and Chat Noir with her life; she trusted Luka Couffaine with her secrets.
The azure musician stared at her, shocked, and okay, maybe, panic sunk in a bit the longer he went without answering her. It was a crazy thing to drop on him, on top of everything else she confessed - after flying all the way to another country impulsively.
“Okay.”
She blinked, shaking those fleeting thoughts away as she looked back at him. There was some hesitation in his gaze, but his voice was firm.
“What?”
He smiled, and despite it all, for a moment, she felt like the girl from before, the one on the houseboat, holding hands and sweet whispers with the boy in front of her.
“I’ll come back to Paris,” said Luka, voice steady and firm, like he was convincing himself too. “I think it would be good for everyone, like you said, despite my feelings. And to be honest, I think Chat Noir really needs a friend too. So, I’ll come back, and we’ll make this work somehow, between the three of us.”
Marinette’s entire face lit up and she threw her arms around his neck. He chuckled, returning the hug, and she knew that she had made the best decision to come to Brazil.
.
Moving back was an easy adjustment, surprisingly.
Everyone had been ecstatic for Luka’s return, his mom and sister throwing him a huge welcome back party. Adrien seemed thrilled as well, often hanging out with the musician when not with his girlfriend or Nino; in fact, Marinette was a bit surprised since she didn’t think they were that close before, but honestly, whatever helped brighten up her boyfriend’s day more.
Sharing roles as Guardian was less of an easy adjustment.
Not that it was necessarily hard either, but they definitely had a lot of kinks to work out between them. Lots of terms and conditions, and lots and lots of planning.
There was no need to worry about keeping the miraculous safe in one place since there were now active heroes all over the city, but there were still times when Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn’t be there in time, whether because of another akuma or because of something in their personal lives.
So Luka would be the one to retrieve the ladybug or cat miraculous from them and take over, given that he knew both their identities - and the new butterfly holder didn’t know that. It had been something they managed to keep within their friend group, after all.
Another secret that died with Gabriel Agreste.
Marinette still didn’t know what to do with that secret, but eventually, she decided she would tell her partner and her boyfriend - one day. Not sure when, but she promised Luka she would tell them both the truth eventually, when she got a better standing.
It wasn’t something she was looking forward to.
Luka took on the guardianship role well, mostly because he was used to being the group therapist and advisor. And of course his secret training from Su-Han gave him a bit of an advantage.
The heroes were happy to have Viperion on scene again, as his powers with time definitely came in handy more often than not. Since no one knew who was behind the mask - above all, Ladybug was a stickler for identities still - they took it as a happy coincidence back to back.
Sometimes it sucked to know she was lying to all her friends, but she knew her duties.
The hardest adjustment though was adding Luka to her relationship.
Honestly, Marinette did want to keep to her word and try to be considerate of his feelings; she made sure to be a little less obvious about her affection with Adrien if the gang was all together, and still hung out with Luka, not avoiding him like she had before in the past.
But surprisingly, it was Adrien who was the most excited about taking Luka everywhere. He still showered her with kisses and sweet words, but he lit up like a Christmas tree whenever Luka came around. Even invited him on outings that were unofficial dates between the two of them.
“I can’t believe you’re getting revenge by stealing my boyfriend,” remarked Marinette, huffing as she spun around in her desk chair. “It’s been two months since you moved back, and Adrien acts like you two were in a long distance relationship or something.”
Luka laughed from his spot on her chaise, where he was strumming his guitar. Their lessons didn’t stop after moving back, though they often used it as an excuse for their Guardian discussions.
“Well, I did miss Adrien as well, and I don’t think he has many close guy friends other than Nino,” he replied. “It makes sense he would want to catch up.”
Catch up and vent his frustrations about Chat Noir, about his struggles with the loss of his father. Struggles that were too heavy to share with Nathalie or Marinette, it seemed.
The snake hero couldn’t help but laugh at how perfect the two of them were for each other.
“I think you’ve been on more dates on Adrien than I have,” said Marinette, puffing her cheeks out in a pout. “Are you sure it’s not revenge?”
She was only half joking, knowing Luka wasn’t the spiteful type. Mostly. Unless Bob Roth or XY were involved.
“Sorry, I’ll make sure to invite you to our date next time,” teased Luka, and she huffed again. “I’ll try to spend less time with him, if you want.”
“No, no, I don’t want that,” assured Marinette. “I’m glad, honestly. I was so caught up in my own head, I didn’t realize he was lonelier than I thought. Not that Nino is a bad friend, but he and Alya are basically mind-linked; they can’t keep anything from each other, especially secrets.”
She slumped her shoulders, a bit envious of her best friend’s relationship.
“He would understand, if he ever knew,” assured Luka, strumming a gentle melody. “But it’s not my place to tell you to tell him or not. Just remember neither of you are alone. I’m here for you.”
Marinette smiled tiredly at him, and he returned the gesture.
There was another secret she was keeping though, one she couldn’t confess to anyone, not even her partner. Any of them.
It was something she had never considered, something she was angry at herself for, despite knowing it was as much her fault as it wasn’t.
She was falling in love with Luka again.
At first, she thought it was just the excitement and relief of his return, knowing she had shared the truth about Monarch with him, knowing she was getting her friend back.
But her heart beat wildly in her chest and she became too aware of her actions when she was around him; she flushed at his smooth words and gentle reassurance. She stared at him a bit longer than she should, as a friend.
Butterflies in her stomach whenever she saw him and Adrien together, and she thought at first it was because of her boyfriend - because why wouldn’t she think that? But it became more apparent as time went on, as he adjusted to his life back in Paris, that she felt a lot like she did when they actually dated.
But it was easier this time, the feelings at least, knowing she wasn’t hiding as many secrets. Versus everything she was keeping from her boyfriend.
Damn, she really, really thought she had her love life finally figured out. Unfortunately, life just enjoyed kicking her heart around - though arguably, this was her fault this time.
It was eating her alive, honestly.
She loved Adrien; she knew in her heart she always would. Her feelings for him hadn’t vanished or faltered even once. And she wouldn’t break up with him, not unless something drastic happened, which of course she hoped it wouldn’t.
(Marinette shoved down the nightmares of him finding out the truth of his father and hating her for lying to him, for breaking his heart.)
But her feelings for Luka were getting stronger with each passing day, and she knew - god, she knew - that he was also still in love with her. If his feelings didn’t subside even after so much time passed and there were whole countries between them, she highly doubted they would die after they were in close proximity again.
She hated herself for it, for her stupid heart. Because someone was going to get their heart broken one way or another, and she didn’t know what to do.
Things couldn’t be worse.
.
Okay, things could be worse, apparently.
“I know I’m not in a position to complain, but why are you flirting with Chat Noir so much whenever you’re together?” Marinette exclaimed, immediately getting up from her spot on her terrace lounge.
It had been a rare night of her being unable to get to an akuma, and so Luka took her earrings. It wasn’t the first time, and she doubted it would be the last.
The spotted hero, Adalia, gave her an easy smile as he landed next to her.
Against her better judgement, she glanced over his uniform; his jumpsuit almost entirely black with the exception of the ride line going up the side of his body, along with a red polka-dotted cropped jacket and knee-high boots. His signature blue highlights were tinged red instead, a lovely color on him unfortunately. And of course, the final nail in the coffin was the very distracting set of snake bite piercings on his lower lips.
“Tikki, spots off.”
Luka, with practiced ease, removed the earrings and handed it back to the designer, who happily put them back on. From his pocket, he pulled out a cookie for the tired-looking kwami of creation.
“Flirting with Chat Noir? Am I?”
There was a sparkle in his eyes as he said this, and she stomped her foot. He laughed, leaning against the railing.
“I don’t know; it’s not anything serious, at least on his end,” said Luka. “I guess it started out as just some banter; if you recall, Chat Noir is very good at being charming with his words.”
“Sometimes.”
“Well, it’s just easy to return the gesture sometimes, and we get carried away when flirting-”
“So you admit you’re flirting!”
Luka laughed.
“Yes, well, he is very cute, and charming, like I said,” he said. And honestly, she wasn’t fazed by his interest in other genders; he wasn’t the first in their friend group, his own sister included. “But I don’t have any intentions of dating him, if you’re wondering.”
Marinette felt her cheeks grow hot, and she prayed to whatever god was out there that he hadn’t caught onto her feelings. She wasn’t ready to face any of that.
“W-W-Why not?” She stammered. Her voice came out a pitch higher than normal. “I mean! You already know his identity so-”
“Trust me, he’s not interested in dating me,” interrupted Luka gently, and the way he said it made her take pause. It sounded too close to when he talked about her relationship with Adrien; like he knew he lost. “If playfully flirting is what makes up our relationship, I’m okay with that. It’s just something we do during team-ups.”
“Not outside the mask?” And she knew she shouldn’t ask, not anything that could leak her partner’s identity to her. But there was just something in his tone that bothered her. “Really?”
Luka hummed.
“No, that would only cause trouble,” he said simply, and she decided to drop it upon seeing the saddened look in his eyes.
Turns out that was only the start of her future heartaches.
“And why don’t you flirt with me as Bastet?” Ladybug blurted out, moments before the two of them went their separate ways.
This time, it was Chat Noir who couldn’t make it to the fight, and he was substituted with Luka, who wore essentially wore the same outfit as Adalia, just with extra feline features and the green replacing red - and for whatever reason, the boots went to his thighs, a concept she was not opposed to. And of course the signature bell around his neck.
Bastet cocked an eyebrow, letting her question permeate the cool evening air. She wished sometimes he would just ignore her stupid questions instead of entertaining her.
“Did you want me to flirt with you, Ladybug?” He asked, words coming out a bit slowly, clearly confused. “I assumed keeping things professional would be best.”
Also, you’re clearly in a happy and loving relationship and you know how I feel about you, so what are you thinking, Marinette?
She could practically hear his thoughts, ones he’d never say aloud even if they weren’t wearing their masks.
Ladybug crossed her arms, shame filling her being. She had been right in saying her feelings wouldn’t die down, for either of the boys in her heart. And she knew it wasn’t fair to either.
“I don’t know. Ugh, damn it, I don’t know anymore!”
She covered her face with her hands, screamed a bit, and then immediately took off with her yoyo. It was a relief that Bastet didn’t follow her, either sensing she needed the space or just knowing he had to return the miraculous to Chat Noir.
Confessing the truth to Luka was supposed to make her life easier, and yes, in some ways it did, and yet, here she was. Burdened with more worries and nightmares.
Adrien had once been worried about her getting back together with Luka, back during that disastrous, humiliating double date at the museum with Kagami. She hadn’t known at the time, but Kagami mentioned it later on, after the two of them had gotten together.
She worried maybe a part of Adrien still thought she liked the musician - which, okay, yes, she did now but not at the time they started dating. But he never seemed to have any concerning thoughts like that whenever Luka was around, or when she mentioned hanging out with him.
And the last thing she wanted was to give Luka false hope; there was no way she was leaving Adrien, but this was building into something huge and unmanageable.
Ugh, and there were those terrible nightmares, the ones where not only Adrien found out she lied about his father but also that she was leaving him for Luka and him being all alone. And the ones where Luka became akumatized again and cried how she broke his heart and led him on.
Marinette felt worse than she did after their actual breakup at this point.
Apparently, she looked like it too because Alya and the girls did their best to cheer her up and ask what was going on. Adrien reminded her she could tell him anything. She lied and said she was just tired from working on new designs, that was all.
Another lie to her list.
Luka hardly spoke to her after that rooftop fiasco - neither of them avoided each other, but there was a clear shift. Not as bad as when she dodged him after their breakup, but it was along the same lines, and that was probably why he gave her space.
Or at least, she thought he was giving her space. Turns out he was just juggling with his own thoughts.
“I’d like to talk to both of you.”
Adrien and Marinette looked at each other in confusion, then to Luka, who sat across from them. They were at a local cafe, one much quieter and older than their usual date spots. There weren’t many guests, and they were seated off in the corner, only seen by the red-haired barista who seemed to be working alone.
“What’s up, Luka?” Adrien said, eyebrows furrowing in concern. His hand squeezed Marinette’s under the table, and the musician glanced down briefly before meeting their eyes.
“I haven’t been very honest with the two of you the last few months, if not longer,” he began, and fear filled Marinette’s heart before settling down almost immediately. No, he wouldn’t do that. “Truth is, I never stopped loving Marinette.”
Okay, well, apparently he would do something just as explosive as revealing her identity, if not worse.
“Luka!” She shrieked, then panicked, glancing around the cafe before lowering her voice. “You said-”
“I figured.”
She snapped her head over to her boyfriend, who didn’t look angry, but rather had a resigned smile on his face. Luka matched the gesture, and she settled back in her seat, confused.
“It’s the way you look at her,” explained Adrien, chuckling. “I know because I look at her the same way. But you were always respectful to the two of us, so I never really…minded.”
His voice caught on the last word, and she looked at him worriedly. There was something defeated almost in it, and she wanted to reassure him that whatever he was thinking, he was wrong.
“I’m sorry,” said Luka, and he sounded sincere. They both knew he was. “I am truly happy for the two of you, and the melody between you two is nothing but soft and harmonious. However, it doesn’t mean it can’t be finely tuned.”
He smiled kindly and then looked directly at Adrien, who was caught off guard by the intensity in his eyes.
“My confession is that I’m also in love with you, Adrien.”
Silence. Pure shock all over the couple’s faces, and it was honestly quite adorable in the musician’s eyes.
“I, uh, what?” The former model finally stammered out, his cheeks quickly turning bright pink. “You? Me? Love?”
Luka’s smile grew, and that only made the other boy’s blush deepen more.
“Yes, it started as a small attraction in the past, before anyone dated anyone, but it blossomed into something more after I returned to Paris and got to spend more time with you,” he explained. “You’re very charming and kind, the way a song whispers in the wind of a clear spring day. How could my heart not beat faster with your lovely eyes and clever jokes?”
“Oh…!”
Adrien touched his face, then yanked his hand away as if burned. To be fair, he was turning different shades of pink and red alarmingly fast. Marinette would find it adorable in any other situation, especially when the musician turned his attention back to her and she yelped.
“And Marinette, you, again, have been the song playing in my head ever since we met. You’re the strongest person I know, and I wish I could do more to alleviate your troubles.”
Luka glanced down again, at where their joined hands were earlier. Only then did she realize he was not wearing his miraculous on his wrist, like he committed to whatever would happen.
“I’m not a mind reader like most people think, so even if I can guess people’s feelings well, I’m not always right. That said, if what I’ve been reading from the two of you is right, I’d like to suggest something. Maybe I'm a little selfish for it.”
“What…What do you mean, Luka?” She asked, voice barely above a whisper.
“As I said, your relationship is harmonious and happy, and I have no intentions of breaking you up,” he said. “But if you are willing to fine tune your melody, I would like to have the chance to love the both of you equally.”
Adrien and Marinette looked at each other in confusion once again.
“Both of us equally?” He questioned, clearing his throat. “Like…together? All of us?”
“All of you,” confirmed Luka. “Like I said, I’m not a mind reader but I hope I read your feelings correctly.”
Adrien looked at his girlfriend, and smiled.
“Well, I’m not a master of relationships or anything, but I also had my thoughts,” he said, almost pointedly. Her cheeks flushed. “But I know Marinette and I know you; you wouldn’t do something like that behind my back. The thought crossed my mind once, and it made me upset - then I realized I was more upset about not being there too.”
“Huh?” Marinette blinked. “Like. You thought about this?”
Her boyfriend smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
“A little,” he admitted. “I saw the way you looked at Luka sometimes, and I wasn’t really as upset as I thought I would be. Then I realized how I started to feel about Luka, about how it was different than when I’m hanging out with Nino or our other friends. How it was closer to how I feel when I’m with you. I didn’t know what to do with that. I mean, I liked the way I felt with Luka, but I didn’t love you any less. So….I was confused.”
Marinette couldn’t help it; she busted out laughing. She tried to smother it immediately, but it was too much.
“Sorry, sorry,” she managed to say eventually, wiping away the tears that had formed in the corner of her eyes from laughing so hard. “It’s just…I felt the exact same way. I didn’t love you any less, Adrien, I promise, but I couldn’t fight whatever feelings I was having for Luka either. I had no idea you were going through the same thing.”
If she had known, maybe the last few months wouldn’t have been so suffocating. And still, here came Luka with a solution neither of them considered.
“How would it work, you think?” She asked, turning her attention back to the musician.
“Our friends will be both confused and happy, I think,” remarked Adrien as he did the same.
Their hands were still together, but placed on the table this time. Luka gently put his hand on top, and the three of them almost relaxed instantly at how right it felt.
“We can figure it out together,” said Luka, features softening as he gazed at them with nothing but adoration. “The three of us.”
.
.
.
Eventually, yes, the truth does come out. The real, heavy truth.
Adrien and Marinette laugh and cry about their identities; if only they had known sooner, their lives might have been much easier. Luka apologizes for the deception, and they smother him with kisses with reassurances it’s not his fault.
The truth of Monarch is a harder pill to swallow, and Adrien doesn’t lash out at them for keeping him in the dark, but he simmers by himself for a while, until eventually he breaks down in tears, only calming when his partners cradle him on each side and comfort him.
But these are things that make them stronger, and their love can only grow deeper from there. Many, many years in the future, it is something they can smile and joke about.
Stories to tell their children with light hair and blue eyes, and dark tresses with lovely green eyes, and their adorable little hamsters.