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Luka sat back, sipped his double dirty chai, and watched the chaos unfold.
His girlfriend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, was engaged in a heated argument with one of his best friends, Adrien Agreste. The blond had foolishly insisted that Rocky Road was the best ice cream flavor. That had sent Marinette into a tizzy with Adrien’s girlfriend, Kagami Tsurugi, and Luka being passive observers.
“Rocky Road has nuts!” Marinette was kneeling on her seat, one hand digging into the table as she leaned over all their drinks and pastries. “Nuts, Adrien!”
“The nuts are the best part!” Adrien insisted, shoving his face into Marientte’s, his mouth hovering close to hers. If Adrien weren’t totally in love with Kagami, Luka would be worried that the kid and Marinette would slam their lips on each other’s and resolve some of that UST that had built up for years between them.
But Luka was totally secure in his relationship with Marinette; she loved him and he loved her, and though she still adored Adrien, she’d chosen Luka. And continued to choose him.
Kagami grasped Adrien’s shirt tail and yanked him back down into his seat. Kagami didn’t talk much, but when she did, everyone listened. “Calm yourselves.”
“Sorry,” Marientte and Adrien both whispered, both growing as red as traffic lights, much to Luka’s amusement.
Marinette lowered herself into her seat. She chugged her venti decaf Americano and glared at Adrien.
Finally, Luka thought, taking another drink of his tea with espresso. He cast about for another topic change, trying to think of a way to redirect them before they got started again.
But Luka was too late. Adrien wasn’t done, apparently. “You can’t say no to marshmallows, Marientte. And the fudge ribbons are amazing.”
Marinette’s fingers tightened on her to-go cup. “Adri--”
“Besides,” Adrien continued with a cheeky, Chat-tastic grin, and Luka stuffed the urge to roll his eyes as the kid continued to dig himself deeper, “green tea ice cream tastes like sugary grass. It’s got nothing on Rocky Road.”
Marinette gasped. She reached forward and poked her opponent in the chest. “You take that back, Adrien Agreste!”
“Never!” Adrien crowed, throwing his hands in the air, and Luka sighed.
Kagami nibbled on her pastry, seemingly content to ignore the massive storm brewing across the table. “This argument is ridiculous. I’m glad you two are having fun.”
Marinette was fuming. Luka could swear he saw steam coming out of her ears. He decided to intervene before Marinette exploded over the insult to her favorite ice cream flavor. “Aren’t you lactose intolerant, Adrien?”
“Yeaaah,” Adrien mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. “I am, but I still enjoy ice cream.” He raised a brow at Marinette. “Especially Rocky Road. I just… regret my life choices for a while afterwards.”
Kagami slanted a look at him. “You’ve never hesitated when presented with Rocky Road, it’s true. Though sometimes I wish you would.”
“It’s… almost like you’re a cat, Adrien.” Marinette winked at him, her anger having seemingly fled as quickly as it had come.
Adrien flushed, a pleased smile curving his lips. “Nah, I’m more of a dog person.”
Luka had long figured out that Marinette, his plucky, cheery girlfriend, was also the indomitable Ladybug. And Adrien, bless him, wore a catsuit to protect her as Chat Noir.
Luka strongly suspected that Adrien and Marinette had revealed themselves to each other. And conversations like this made Luka wonder about that yet again.
Kagami chuckled. “No, I’m pretty sure you’re more cat than dog. Cats are contrary creatures.”
Adrien grinned at his girlfriend. “Ouch.”
Has he told her? Luka thought, feeling a brief pang of envy. Marinette hadn’t trusted him with her secret yet, though she’d danced around the topic with him several times.
"Another thing you're contrary about," Marinette declared, giving Adrien a sly smile, "is which of Jagged Stone's songs are the best."
Adrien shook his finger under her nose. "I'm telling you, Penny's Birthday Party is an underappreciated classic.”
“This argument again?” Kagami said, shaking her head minutely and smiling slightly.
Luka took a bite of his cheese danish. He chewed and swallowed, watching Marinette’s hackles rise.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Adrien Agreste.” Marinette cheerfully dismantled Adrien’s argument, claiming that Rock and Roll 5ever was the best Stone song. Surprising everyone, Kagami agreed, and Adrien clutched his chest.
“Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame!” Adrien sang, making the rest of them laugh. They all sang along with the rest of the verse. “You give love a bad name!”
Adrien grinned. “Hey, Marinette,” he said, waggling his brows. “Did you know that Sisyphus was the first musical genius?”
“What?” Mariette blinked at him.
Luka raised his brows as Kagami groaned. “Here it comes…”
“He was the master of rock and roll!” Adrien crowed.
Luka watched Marinette facepalm and chuckled. “Adrien!” she shrieked, poking him in the chest. “That’s terrible! You oughta be ashamed!”
“It wasn’t as bad as the pun he made last week,” Luka said, shrugging. He took another bite of danish.
“What was the pun from last week?” Marinette asked, tilting her head.
“Oh, man,” Adrien whined, pressing his hands to his cheeks. “You don’t remember? I’m wounded, my Lady.”
Marinette flailed. “I’m sorry! You make so many, I can’t keep track!”
Luckily, Kagami saved her. “‘That five-car pileup sounds like a clustertruck.'”
Luka laughed. “Told you. That one was groan-worthy.”
Adrien’s chest puffed up. He looked like his heart had grown three sizes. “All the best puns are.”
“Topic change,” Kagami said neutrally, after taking a drink of her green tea. “Your favorite places to go in Paris?”
“Depends,” Marinette observed, grinning, “on whether you mean when we’re alone or with our sweethearts.”
Her smile turned shy as she glanced at Luka, and now it was his turn for his heart to grow three sizes. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles.
“Romantic spots.” Kagami took another drink. “Your favorite places?”
Marinette and Adrien both started speaking and then both pulled back. “You first,” Marinette insisted just as Adrien did. “No, you first.”
The foursome laughed, and Marinette started the conversation. “Nothing beats the top of the Eiffel Tower for views of the city. But my favorite place has to be the Liberty.” She cast another shy smile in Luka’s direction. “Lots of good memories there.”
Luka beamed at her. “I was going to say the Liberty, too, but that’s because I’m biased. I think, for romantic places, I like the Place de Vosges.” Marinette lit up at the name of the park next to her family’s bakery, and Luka chuckled. “Marinette and I like to get a chocolat chaud at Carette to share and then just… stroll the park. There’s a lot of good memories there, too.”
“Lovely,” Kagami sighed. “And you, Adrien?”
Adrien cupped his chin in his hands and rested his elbows on the table. “I like Notre Dame at sunrise, when the rest of the world is still sleeping. The cathedral is gorgeous and my favorite bookstore--Shakespeare & Co.--is nearby.” He winked at Kagami. “And I know she likes to stroll to the Jardins du Luxembourg and read while basking in the sunshine. Sometimes we kiss.”
“Cheater.” Kagami flushed, pressing her fingers to her lips. “I like the ponds there. Some of them have turtles.”
Marinette’s gaze softened. “Turtles are cute.”
“They really are,” Adrien murmured, tucking some of Kagami’s hair behind her ear.
“Did we…?” Luka started, blinking at the three of them. “Did we just find something Marinette and Adrien agree upon?”
Marinette slugged him in the shoulder. “Don’t ruin the moment!”
Luka laughed.
***
“Lulu,” Marinette whispered, and Luka cracked open an eye.
The two of them had just eaten a big lunch with Juleka and Anarka on the Liberty, and were now enjoying a post-lunch cuddle session in his old bunk that Luka hoped to turn into a nap.
“Mmm?” he hummed and then yawned. He squeezed Marinette’s shoulders, glancing down at her where she lay on his chest. “What’s up, chanson?”
“I…” Marinette nibbled her lower lip. “I think I’m ready.”
“Ready?” Luka mumbled, blinking down at her blearily. He was so close to sleep before… “Ready for what?”
“To tell you.” Marinette sucked a breath over her teeth. “Who I am.”
Who you are? Luka’s eyes shot open. He was wide awake now and all his attention was focused on Marinette. “I’m here. I’ll listen.”
Marinette dithered for a moment, tracing absentminded patterns on his chest. He let her think about how best to phrase her words, waiting patiently for her to come to a conclusion. “I think the most straightforward way is best.”
“It usually is,” Luka agreed, making her smile.
“Luka,” Marinette said, fixing him in a hard gaze. The one he’d come to recognize as her Ladybug gaze. “I trust you. And so I want to tell you this.”
“Okay,” Luka said, and she took a steadying breath through her nose.
“I am Ladybug,” Marinette whispered, chomping down hard on her lower lip.
A smile curved Luka’s, and he smoothed a thumb over her mouth. “I know.”
Marinette’s eyes widened. “You know?” She sat up on his hips, staring at him. “What do you mean you know?”
“I figured out your identity a while ago,” Luka murmured, scooting back so he could sit up against the wall. He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “That’s why I was never mad about your excuses when you had to go. I knew you were saving the city.”
Marinette worked her mouth for a moment. Then she darted forward and kissed him, cupping his cheeks in her hands. Her kiss was frantic, passionate; it was as if she was pouring all her anxiety she’d felt about the confession into a liplock.
Luka kissed her back smoothly, threading his fingers through her hair at the back of her head. He glided his lips on hers and parted them when her tongue begged entrance, as solid as a port in her storm.
Smoothing his hand down her spine, he pressed the small of her back and held her tight, trying to convey through the grip that he had her, that he wasn’t leaving her alone to fight anymore.
After a few frenzied moments of tongue wrestling, Marinette gasped into his mouth and pulled back, panting. She looked pissed. “Luka Couffaine!” she cried, shoving against his chest. “If you knew who I was, why didn’t you tell me?”
Heat bloomed in Luka’s cheeks like an opening peony. “I didn’t know for sure? I just guessed, and I wanted to wait until you were ready. I’m sorry, I didn’t think… I just didn’t think, is all.”
Marinette held her forehead in her hand. “This changes everything.”
“This changes nothing,” Luka replied, catching her wrist in his hand and bringing it to his lips. “I still love you. And now I can support you better.”
Marinette smiled down at him, running her hand through his blue-tipped hair. “You were always the most supportive boyfriend.”
Luka chuckled. “I try.”