AN: Another very short chapter. I'd meant to add more to this chapter, but... it's been a rough week for me, and this is all I managed. Here's hoping next week will be calmer.
Also, thanks so much for your comments! :D
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Chapter 23: What Is A Lie?
Something was off…
After the fight against Copycat, it took Luka a while to notice it, though. When Adrien had left in the early morning hours, he'd been completely fine again, which helped him cope immensely. But still. Every siren made him flinch, fearing Copycat might have come back after all. It was a good thing he had Sass around all the time to distract him, and also that Chat came around every night, reassuring him of how he was truly okay.
With all this going on, he thought little of it when Marinette cancelled their date for the day after the fight. It was common for her to change their plans on short notice; that happened all the time. No reason to wonder. And even when they talked on the phone a day later and she appeared to be distracted, he didn't think it strange, either. She always had so much going on—school, her parents' bakery, her friends, and all her many hobbies and creative projects—and he didn't mind not always playing the main role in her life.
It was only when she came over a few days later to present an alteration to Juleka's costume that he noticed it. That something was off.
It wasn't obvious, not something major. It was even so subtle that neither Juleka nor Rose seemed to notice it. But to him, it was glaringly obvious, like a punch in the face. Something was bothering her, deeply, and it pained him that she wouldn't talk to him about it. Not because he felt like he was entitled to every detail of her life, but… he wanted her to trust him. Or more precisely, he wanted her to know that she could trust him. That he would always be there for her, that, no matter what her problem was, she could tell him, that he wouldn't judge her, and that he would always try to help her.
Quietly waiting at the side, he watched her point out all the little alterations and adjustments she'd made to a beaming Juleka and a squealing Rose. She was a tiny bit too cheerful, though, too friendly. Overdoing it to cover up her true emotions.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly after she'd pinned down some last minor alterations on the costume.
Marinette flinched, her head whirling around in surprise. "Uh, what? Ah, yeah! Yeah, everything's fine. Why do you ask? Is something up? Did something happen?"
Not saying anything, he raised an eyebrow at her. Even if he hadn't noticed it before, with this answer alone she'd made it clear that something was up with her. He glanced over at his sister and her girlfriend, who were busy discussing which alterations Rose might want for her costume now, then back at Marinette. Her smile was a little too bright, her arms a little too stiff at her side, and seeing how hard she tried almost broke his heart. He nodded to the side, toward his cabin, then threw her a careful look. It was a question, whether she'd prefer more privacy, hoping that with whatever was bothering her, she was still comfortable enough to be alone with him.
To his relief, she nodded after only a brief moment of hesitation and even walked ahead.
"So, what is it?" he asked after closing the door behind him.
"I… don't know what you mean? What is what?" Marinette stood in the middle of the room, fidgeting in clear nervousness. If the situation hadn't been so weird, Luka would have called her behaviour cute.
He let out a heavy sigh. "Marinette… I know you well enough by now. I can see that something's bothering you; I can feel it. You can't fool me. You're nervous and anxious, and I…" he trailed off, biting his lip as an unpleasant thought occurred to him. "Is it something about us? About our relationship? Is it… too much for you?"
It would make sense. Marinette was such a purely good person. She'd feel horrible for delivering bad news like a break-up, even if they were understandable and even necessary for her.
For a few seconds, Luka feared that he'd hit the nail on the head. There was guilt in her eyes, her body tense as she looked at him, her mind whirling without letting him know what she thought. But then she relaxed a little, something like a defeated smile on her lips.
"No, that's not it," she said in a low whisper. Hesitantly, she made a step toward him and placed a tentative hand on his chest. "You're right, there is something, but…" She looked up at him, a whirlwind of emotions glistening in her eyes. "But one of the few things I know is that I want to be with you." She let out a shaky laugh. "I just don't know— Everything became so complicated."
She let her head fall against his chest, and Luka, bewildered by her words, could do little but wrap his arms around her. Trying to comfort her with his embrace.
"Hey, it's okay," he murmured into her hair. "We'll figure something out, no matter what's bothering you. Okay? You know you can tell me everything. Maybe that'll help? Talking it through?"
Marinette sobbed against his shirt, her shoulders trembling. "I… can't do that. I'm sorry, Luka. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just… I need to figure this out for myself. You can't help me there; nobody can."
Luka grimaced. He hated feeling so helpless, and couldn't fathom what it was she couldn't talk about with him when it wasn't about their relationship. She seemed so serious, though.
"Okay," he replied, soothingly rubbing her back.
Marinette let out a strange noise, something between a strangled sob and a hiccup. "It is?"
She looked up at him, utter bafflement on her face, and Luka couldn't keep his lips from twitching.
"It is," he confirmed. "If this is something you need to solve on your own, then that's how it is."
A new shimmer filled her eyes, her lips trembling. "But… but I thought… You said honesty is so important, so I thought…"
Luka nodded as he brought one hand up to wipe a lonely tear from her cheek. "And you were honest. Marinette, being honest doesn't mean you're not allowed to have private things or personal secrets. That's fine, you're still your own person. Not telling me everything doesn't mean that you're lying to me. As long as it doesn't affect us in some way, then I don't need to know about it, if you don't want to tell me. I hope you'll be able to tell me someday, but if not… then that's okay." He trailed off, shrugging.
For a heartbeat or two, Marinette only stared at him. Then, from one moment to the other, she pulled herself up to him and kissed him. Startled, Luka needed a moment to catch on, his hands flailing before they landed on her waist, gently holding her.
"Thank you," she said as she pulled back. She didn't look at him, her eyes following her fingers as they traced some line down his neck. "I… I don't know yet what to do. But I promise you'll be the first to learn about it once I do."
Smiling, Luka brushed his lips against her forehead. "That's enough for me."
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AN: Hmmmmm?
