(A/N) Hello again.

Just some quick messages before I start the chapter.

This is a Lukanette chapter, so warning to people that don't like the ship.

The chapter is also short, only just scraping over 2k words.

It's been a bit hard writing these chapters after watch Kuro Neko. So bare with me if feelings don't sound so intense. I've been so mad at how they are making Ladybug treat Chat Noir and Marinette only having a type for perfect guys.

I tried my best.

Now this chapter wasn't meant to be out for another week but I rushed it to make my friend feel a little bit better. The following Chapter might take two weeks after this update as my kids are going back to school.

Now enough talk.

Enjoy!


Losing her job was one thing. Losing the three men she cared deeply about was another.

There was no way she could see Chat without an akuma showing up. Luka probably didn't want anything to do with her for the way she treated him and Adrien was too busy playing house with his fiance.

Pain had felt numb up until this point.

Sitting on her tiled floor with boxes stacked around her, Marinette was now clutching at the very thing she hoped would never come true.

It wasn't in her head, Adrien said he loved her, had given her a piece of himself to her all over again. This wasn't her childhood brain playing out scenes of their future, this did actually happen and she had proof of it.

But then again her proof was also a sign of friendship when he gave her the bracelet on her birthday all those years ago.

Was it really all in her head?

Was she actually going insane?

The wedding invitation in her hand made her believe it was, because who would continue living a lie if he really loved her the way he told her... many, many times over. Even making love to him, he reminded her how much he loved her.

So why was this still happening?

"Knock knock." Chloe's voice was chipper, almost making Marinette jump off the ground. She quickly placed the invitation in the oven beside her, the blonde not paying any attention to her actions as she got up off the floor. "I come bareing gifts." Sabrina came through the door with a bunch of stuff piled in her arms.

"What's all this?" Marinette walked over to inspected what Chloe did, still a bit shocked that after all these years she was actually starting to become a good person. How did you even get in?"

"Please! I can get in anywhere!" She told her matter of factly. "Let's say daddy owed me a favour and I couldn't let you be without your supplies." The blonde waved her off like it was no big deal, then looked at her perfect manicured fingers. "I mean, how else are you going to make my new dress?"

Well only when it came with favours.

The bluenette hugged her tightly, tears spilling down her cheeks freely. Marinette didn't know if it was the emotion of the wedding coming up soon or the fact that all hope was not all lost.

"Thank you." She cried.

Chloe didn't know what to do, that kind of affection was foreign to her. She always lack that love from her family, especially her friends for so many years.

It was a weirdly nice change.

She patted Marinette Awkwardly, hoping in her own way it showed the same affection Marinette was giving her but the bluenette didn't care, she was just happy that her bad luck wasn't fully on her side.

Finally.

"This means so much to me." Marinette pulled away and cried a laugh.

"Don't think I did this without any help." Chloe looked towards her front door, seeing Luka standing at the doorway with Bethany's wedding dress. Marinette gasped, she was speechless. "Found him at the hotel looking all down in the ditch. I know you were one to cheer people up."

Chloe bumped her shoulder and Marinette blushed at the comment.

"Where do you want this?" Luka asked, stepping into her apartment. He could feel the redness spread across his cheeks as well.

The room got awkwardly silent again.

Chloe looked between the two of them, clearly knowing by the awkwardness that they hadn't spoke for awhile. "I'll let you two sort that out I'm going to... SABRINA!" Everyone almost jumped from the yelling of her name, seeing the girl in question pop out from behind a box and rushed towards Chloe. "Thats our que to leave."

"Right Chloe. Okay Chloe!" Sabrina rushed in front to grabbed the door.

"But wait... I..." Marinette tried to stop her.

The awkwardness of being alone with Luka after what had happen starting to set in around them. Chloe just sent her a wink and closed the door behind her.

Once it clicked shut, silence graced them once again.

"Hi." Luka greeted her, still holding Bethany's dress draped over both arms.

"Hey." Marinette greeted back, taking a few steps towards him, unsure if she should grab the dress off him or leave it.

Touching seemed a bit too much for what they've been through so she left it and took a small step back, giving him some room to choose what to do with it himself.

More awkward silence.

"I'm sorry." They said in sync.

"I didn't mean to..."

"I shouldn't of said..."

They both laughed.

"You go..." They said in sync again.

"Wow, this isn't really what I had in mind." Luka expressed, not making direct eye contact with the bluenette.

"Yeah, me neither." Marinette bit the edge of her thumb and hugged herself with her free arm.

Silence hit them again.

Marinette was the first to break it. "I'm sorry for what I said to you at Alya's wedding..." She started but Luka interrupted.

"No, No! I shouldn't of question what you were doing." He explained. "You were right, we aren't dating so it's non of my business."

"It doesn't matter, dating or not! You were only trying to be a good friend and look out for me." Marinette broke down, tears coming out again but not happy ones this time. "He doesn't have respected for me." She cried. "He doesn't love me, it's all a big lie."

Luka placed the dress on her couch neatly, making sure he didn't wreck the fabric and stepped into her personal space, hugging her, letting her tears soak his shoulder.

"Shhh... it's okay." He whispered.

She let out a strangled sob, leaning her weight freely on him and said. "No, it's not okay!" Tears overflowed, so she snuggled into Luka's chest just a big deeper. Her muffles only just making sense. "I have no j-job, soon no a-apartment and I have fucked up all m-my relationships!" She explained. "I'm a mess!"

Luka chuckled lightly, running his hand through her hair to calm her down. "Swearing doesn't sound good on you." He told her with a smile she couldn't see.

"I don't fucking care." She told him and he laughed again.

"If you were struggling this bad why didn't you call me?" Luka asked. "The number on your hand might've washed off but surely you put it in your phone by now?"

He heard her chuckle, the vibrations rubbling against his chest. It wasn't until she pulled back to look at him did he see the small smile that went with it.

Even if her eyes were red from crying.

"You're terrible." She expressed. "Don't need another person telling me terrible jokes."

Her happiness from earlier went back to sad once her thoughts went to her partner. She pulled fully away from Luka's embrace and made her way back to the kitchen wiping her eyes clear of tears.

Luka followed her cautiously and looked around the room, a bit confused. "You're moving?" He asked, watching her turn around towards him again.

Marinette looked around the room at her mess, her sobs subsiding. "Yeah, I guess." She shrugged and placed the wrapped bowls in the cardboard box. "Can't afford this place anymore so my parents will be taking me in until I can find my feet again."

His eyebrows furrowed as a thought came to mind. "Maybe I can help you out!" He suggested.

Marinette didn't bother looking his way and shook her head, still placing stuff in boxes. "Thanks but I can't ask you to get me out of a hole a dug myself into."

"You won't be." He told her. "You will have a chance to start all over again, be away from all of this and start getting a name out for yourself." He grabbed her hands, stopping her movements, making her look at him. "You need to think about yourself Marinette, instead of everyone else for a change!"

"I can't just leave Paris, I got..." She paused, knowing what was about to come next couldn't be told freely.

Her hands slipped out of his slowly and she continued packing, leaving that conversation hoping he would understand that she couldn't tell him the full truth.

Leaving Paris was a wishful dream, something that will never come true, not while she was Ladybug. Dreaming was all she really did these days.

"Even Ladybug needs a break Marinette." He told her freely.

A gasp never left her lips, instead she gripped onto the edge of the box and stared at the oven, trying not to think what was inside but instead trying to concentrate on what she had to say next.

"I thought you knew." She turned towards him and smiled.

It was a weak smile but at least it was some sort of happiness since he arrived. He watched her shake her head a few times, a chuckle escaping her lips as the realisation hit her.

"You've known for ten years and you've kept that all to yourself?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Her hands still resting on the box but nothing being place in.

"I didn't want you to stress." He told her honestly. "I knew if I kept who you were to myself that I could protect you if anything happen... both sides of you."

Finally her hand slipped off the box and she face him with her body. "I can't believe you've been so cool about it."

"Why? You expect me to run around like a headless chicken and scream?" Luka laughed, leaning on her kitchen bench, feeling a little more relaxed around her now.

"No!" Marinette stated, picking up a few plates again and packing them in. Her body now turned away from him once again. "I was expecting... never mind."

The musician tilted his head in confusion and asked. "What?"

"Its silly!" She told him with a small chuckle.

"Nothing is silly Marinette."

The bluenette sighed but continued with her packing. "That Ladybug would make you feel differently about... me." A few silent moments and Marinette knew she had said something wrong, too afraid to turn his way to find out. "See I told you it was silly. This is one of the reasons I don't tell Chat Noir who I am cause I know I would get this reaction from him as well. I'm glad you spared me the pain of going through..."

"Whoa, whoa!" He halted her rambling and she finally decided to make eye contact again, pink only lightly present on her cheeks but this time from embarrassment "What made you think that?" He asked her. "Marinette do you really think Ladybug stopped me from loving you?"

"No, but I thought..." Completely missing the love confession.

She tried to ramble again but Luka shook his head and continued. "Knowing you were Ladybug came as a shock to me at first, sadness filled my heart." She looked down and whimpered softly, waiting for the final blow. "But that sadness was because I knew I couldn't have you."

She finally gasped. Sadness filling her heart.

"You would always belong to him." He told her honestly, grabbing her hand and rubbing his thumb across the top.

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows, not quite understanding what he meant by that. Before she could even ask the question, her phone interrupted their conversation.

She took a glance at the device, Bethany's name flashing up on the screen. She wasn't really in the mood to speak to her, not after everything that had happen. It wasn't her fault the way Adrien had acted.

He played them both.

She place the device on the kitchen bench and got back to her packing, ignoring the call and hoping she would just message her if it was desperate.

"What did you mean by..." The bluenette tried to finish her conversation with Luka but saw that he picked up the device and answered the call himself. "...Luka!" She hissed.

"Hi, this is Marinette's phone, she's busy right now but I can take a message." He sent her a wink and she relaxed a little. "Yes... Yes... oh no that's no good... no I haven't seen him... yes, I will let her know... okay bye."

Once he put down the phone and hung up Marinette desperately asked. "What did she say?"

Luka looked up, fear of telling her the news. "Gabriel Agreste has passed away!"


(A/N) 2100 Words

Coming up Next...

• "You sure you want to do this?"

• "I'm here for a friend, not the people we turned into."

• "Mother already has big plans for the place."

• "We both know I'm only here to pick up the pieces Adrien!"

• "You're never going to leave her are you?"

Shaz Out...