"O.M.G. THEY ARE FINALLY TOGETHER, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Rose screamed, hands on her head and eyes wide open as she yelled across the Seine.
"It's the biggest scoop of the year!" Alya exclaimed, showing her phone to her classmates on The Liberty, Marinette's message simply reading: 'We're dating'.
"Oh, isn't it just amazing, Juleka?" Rose encouraged as she wrapped her hands around Juleka's arm.
"It's about time," she mumbled back, her free hand tugging at her sleeves.
"Speaking of time, when will Marinette be here?" Mylene asked, looking at Alya.
Checking her phone, Alya responded, "In half an hour, around about." The girls' heads turned at the sound of footsteps walking up from below the deck.
Luka appeared, waving, "Hey girls!"
"Hey Luka!" They greeted back in unison, their faces wearing all-American smiles.
"What's going on?" Luka asked, not exactly sure what got the girls so giddy on this typical Wednesday afternoon band practice-slash-concert.
"Marinette and Adrien are finally dating! For real this time! No buts!" Alya sang, emotions running high over the moon.
"Woah, that's great, I'm super happy for them," Luka replied, hoping that his masking wasn't obvious because, well, it wasn't that Luka wasn't happy for them. Of course, he was. He'll always wish his friends the best, even if it breaks his heart. But that's the thing, it did. And that's something he would keep to himself. It's taken so much of Ladybug's luck to get hashtag Adrienette together, and he wasn't going to mess with that. That would be like messing with the balance of the universe! Just not right - there is no need to get in the way of canon events. Marinette is Ladybug, and Adrien is Chat Noir - they are best friends, partners, soulmates. They are endgame. And this little-guitar-playing-boy wasn't going to stand in the way of fate.
So that's what Luka stuck with - He'd be happy for them and give Adrien and Marinette his best wishes.
"LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR DATING, CONFIRMED," the bolded, red headlines, articles, and news anchors read across Paris this Sunday morning after an unsuspecting German tourist captured a series of photos with Ladybug and Chat Noir kissing under a shower of rose petals in the background of his Snapchat story last night. Which was later submitted to the ladyblog in the early hours of this morning, prompting a pre-made statement on the blog from the heroes themselves confirming that they were, in fact, dating.
Okay, now Paris felt like home to Luka. After leaving Paris at fourteen and later returning at the age of twenty-two with all the miraculous safe and sound over the past year - he hadn't heard much superhero gossip in a hot minute.
"It took them long enough," Juleka said after pouring milk in her cereal, heading to sit down on the couch in front of the TV.
"Yeah, I just wish them the best after all they've gone through with protecting Paris," Luka replied.
"Me too," Juleka agreed absentmindedly as she scrolled through her Instagram feed. With the members of their social circle being so busy and everywhere all at once, Instagram was the only way to keep up with everything they were up to. But Luka wasn't really into the whole social media thing - maybe he was stuck in his monk-temple ways, but it was just so distracting and soul-sucking sometimes. In the middle of frantically tapping through the stories, Juleka quickly took to her feet.
"What is it?" Luka questioned her sudden movement.
Juleka looked up from her phone, "Marinette and Adrien are engaged!" She exclaimed wide-eyed, fingers tapping on the screen as she quickly liked the story and started typing out a congratulatory DM.
"That's great! Tell them I send best wishes," Luka said, knowing he'd deleted Instagram earlier that week again for the fourth time this year, and it was only February! He needed at least a few more days of digital detox until he'd cave into social pressure and re-download it. Oh well, he'd just send the couple his own congratulatory SMS later - as they're phones are probably already blowing up from the news and he didn't exactly feel like talking on the phone himself right now.
With all the knowledge Luka gained over the years training under Su-Han, he thought he would have perhaps gotten better at letting go of feelings that wouldn't eventually serve him. But he didn't. He wouldn't say he was heartbroken over this news - he was happy for them and he knew it was coming - but his heart was in grief over a girl of which he knew from the moment he learned about her secret; he would never end up with.
Luka knew he wasn't respecting himself by holding onto Marinette like that, but he also knew he could respect both her and Adrien better than himself by sucking it up and giving them his best wishes.
"Dear Marinette and Adrien,
Yours is the most perfect love story I have witnessed. You are perfect for each other and can look forward to a life of happiness and peace by each other's sides. The universe is on your side, and so am I.
Best wishes always, Luka."
"Thank you, Luka, you're gonna make me cry again!" Marinette hugged him with tears spilling from the corners of her eyes after reading his card.
Adrien joined the hug, his eyes just as puffy as his wife's from both the reception and ceremony, "Thank you for coming, man. I appreciate it so much," he nuzzled into Luka's shoulder.
Luka smiled at the couple, amused by their outward display of emotions not only in this moment, but throughout the entire event. A passer-by would assume that either the bride or the groom abandoned the wedding to elope with a lycée fling and this was the aftermath, "No problem guys."
"Hey Marinette! I'm here!" A voice Luka didn't recognize screamed through the reception venue.
Untangling herself from the hug, Marinette turned her head to the face of the voice, "Fei! You made it!" Marinette rushed over to greet her fellow raven-haired guest.
"Oh, you look amazing, this dress is incredible!" This 'Fei' complimented her. Marinette's dress was empire-lined with a high collar and sleeveless silhouette, tastefully accompanied by a long trail.
"Isn't it? It's a Marinette original as well!" Alya walked over to join, arms locked with her fiancé, Nino.
Marinette smiled, "Thanks, I wanted to mix the Qipao with more western-styled dresses, so this is what I did- with the ombre red overlay on the bust falling into the white and golden lace."
"Impressive!" Fei exclaimed as her eyes followed Marinette's hands pointing along the dress's motifs.
Luka observed Marinette's friend. He was sure he hadn't met her before. Furthermore, his training revealed that the necklace around her neck was probably a prodigious. He also noticed her eyes, which he weirdly couldn't stop looking at. If only she'd turn to him so he could get a better look at them.
And as if on point, she did, "And who is…?" Fei led on as they locked eyes.
Unconsciously, Luka's face turned hot, "Uhh, my, my name's L-l-l-Luka," he struggled out. What was that? Why was he stammering? And why was his heart beating so uncontrollably fast?
And just why did Marinette's eyebrows raise and eyes open wide - as if she could interpret his brain malfunction better than he could? Did she have information about himself that he somehow didn't know about?
"Nice to meet you, l-l-l-Luka! I'm Fei," she replied nonchalantly. Well, this must've felt awkward for her - but Luka couldn't feel anything right now other than his heart pounding out of his chest, trying to escape!
Marinette's expression changed as she filled in the silence between them, "Oh right! actually, I have to go check on the…dessert spoons! Yeah, that's right, uhhmm dessert spoons - for the cake! The special spoons from the bakery for the cake that I have to go check on right now. With Adrien, Alya, and Nino! In the kitchen in the back because we invited sooo many guests so we need to check over every spoon so no one gets left out!" She stumbled through her explanation as she tugged on her husband and friends to leave, "So we'll leave you guys to it! Keep each other company, Fei doesn't know anyone here so keep an eye on her for me Luka, okay?"
"Uh sure yeah great, will do, Marinette, thanks," Luka replied, not quite sure what exactly she was catching on to but compiled nonetheless.
Fei spoke up, "You sure you don't need any extra hands?" as she faced Marinette.
"No, no, no! Noooo way - it's all covered. Enjoy the party and stick together you two, okay?" Marinette answered as she tugged the trio away into the kitchen, "Great-okay-thanks-love you-bye-!"
So there he was, Luka. In all his glory, with a girl who made his heart do loopy-loops in a way he had never experienced before. It was something different; it wasn't in a teenage fantasy or a long-standing, hopeless crush way - it was new, fresh, and exciting.
That's right- Luka was excited. Maybe now for the first time in eight years, he could redirect his best wishes towards himself for once.
"Girl- it's been YEARS, and your excuses have never gotten better; seriously, I love you and all but special dessert spoons?" Alya whispered as the two (self-proclaimed) O.G. OT4 couples popped their heads up from the kitchen window to observe their Cupid mediation subjects.
"I know, but come on look at them! I had to get them two alone somehow!" Marinette defended herself as both her hands pointed at her subjects.
Adrien put a hand on his wife's shoulder "Luka's finally experiencing m'lady's lucky ladybug-certified matchmaking services"
Alya's eyebrows raised. "Wait, what do you mean 'finally'"?
"She's been thinking about setting them up for months, and the only way she'd be able to force Fei to Paris was with our wedding," Adrien explained.
Nino scooted closer, "Marinette, dude I'll admit you've got skills, look at them! Their eyes are all over each other"
"They deserve to be happy. Both of them. I'll give them all my matchmaking and best wishes until it happens".