Luka and Marinette had dated for close to six years and he always knew it would end. He wanted to at least say they had been a couple and to say he tried.
Their relationship wasn't bad. It was actually really normal. They would go on dates, talk, laugh, even cry in front of each other if they needed to. Luka knew though that he would never make Marinette happy in the long run.
Yes, he made her smile.
Yes, he made her laugh.
He loves her and that is why he's doing this.
"Marinette we need to talk I think." Luka is sitting at the table with shaking hands gripping a coffee cup.
"Is everything ok?" Marinette asks sitting down.
"I don't think so," He takes a deep breath, "You...aren't happy are you? Like with me."
"What of course I am?"
"No listen," He keeps his voice calm but has a slight shake to it, "We don't spend time together like we used to. I don't see much of you anymore and I know we're both busy. Me with the tours and you with your designs, but this feels like I haven't actually seen you in weeks."
"We literally had dinner together last night."
"And it was continuously interrupted by a fan or a phone call."
"You know I can't not answer my phone when the company calls me."
"I'm not saying that. What I mean is that even when we are together we don't try to make a moment out of it anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"Like when we started dating in high school. It was the little things like the stolen glances and blushing and constantly tripping over our words trying not to sound like idiots.
"We were kids."
"I know but then in university, we still held each other. We spent the night in each other's dorms and had to sneak out. We told each other everything. Like everything. Now I don't even know what you do day to day. I don't know your co-workers. When you get off work and go on patrol. I feel like I know close to nothing."
"Luka...I had no idea you felt this way. But I still don't see why you think I'm not happy with you."
"Marinette I will always be second."
She opened her mouth to argue but he stops her.
"Don't try to argue with it. When we started dating you had a crush on Adrien. I knew that and so did everyone but Adrien. Then time went on and I thought maybe you had actually gotten over him. Then you told me you were Ladybug and that you didn't want any secrets between us. Then like a year or something passes by and you said that you and Chat Noir had revealed your identities to each other."
Marinette looked down at the ground.
"You and I both know you still love Adrien and love him, even more, knowing he's Chat."
"Luka I still love you."
"And I still love you," They are both crying, "which is why we can't keep doing this."
He hugs her and kisses her one last time. "I'm sorry but I think you know this is the right thing to do."
"I'm so sorry Luka."
A few months pass and Marinette and Adrien are dating. Luka is writing a new song for his album and getting ready for a tour.
"da dada duh daahh da dada duh dumm." he hums the melody as he writes.
"Hey, Luka you busy?" Juleka asks walking in the room.
"A little but I can talk why?"
"I was just wondering if you still wanted to send Marinette and Adrien the tickets to your show."
"Yeah, I do why wouldn't I."
"Well, you're premiering your new song then at that concert, right?"
"Yeah."
"And you know I've seen the lyrics."
"I know."
"I guess what I'm asking is what do you expect her to do."
"Nothing. I want her to do nothing."
"I'm confused."
"I don't want her to get back together with me. This song is more or less how I am dealing with it and how I'm coming to terms."
"So you see nothing wrong with the song."
"Juleka just tell me what it is."
"You literally confess your love for her in the song and how you won't forget her. She is going to cry because we all know how much she cared about you."
"I don't think she's going to cry maybe if I did this a couple of weeks after the breakup but it's been months now."
"Fine but don't say I didn't warn you." She leaves and Luka goes back to writing and plucking away at his guitar.
The concert rolls around and Luka is almost done he just has one more song to perform.
"Hey guys I just want to thank you for all coming out tonight. I have one more song left for you."
There are cheers from the crowd.
"It's a new one so I wouldn't recommend trying to sing along." The crowd laughs and he starts to strum the intro to his song.
The cords are minimal and soft "You do it for her…so she can be fine. You did it so she could move on with her life."
"And what she won't see. Is how much…she…means…to me
It's time to let go. It's time to realize. She would've been stuck in this life.
And she's happy now. See how she smiles
And she's happy now. See how laughs all the time."
At this point, a few fans pull up their phones and turn their flashlights on.
"The new guy treats her fine. He shows her affection it's like she's on cloud nine. He tells her he loves her and will even when they grow old.
He's seen her dark side. I've seen it too. She's so fierce and beautiful to behold.
And she's happy now. And she'll never see what she means to me.
And she's happy now. And that's ok. As long as she smiles I'll be alive.
I did it for her so she could be free. I did it for her so this tragic story would end for me.
But I'm selfish. I wrote this song. Knowing she would listen along.
He scanned the crowd for her and spotted her with her phone held high and Adrien's arm around her.
"I did it for you so you could be fine. I did it for you so you could have a life.
And what they don't know and what they won't see is how much you mean to me.
I loved you then and I love you now. But now I know I'll never be free from you.
Cause you're happy now.
Cause you're happy now...but you weren't with me."