Lukadrien Fluffuary 2023 (A Collection of One Shots)

You Don't Owe Him

(Prompt: Giving Moral Support)

The morning was unusually quiet. Luka could tell that Adrien was struggling. The melody he heard from his husband was somber. If he needed to talk, Luka was there. He always was. But if Adrien just needed time and space to think, Luka could give him that too. The silence lingered for several minutes before Adrien broke it.

"Sometimes I feel bad for not visiting. Especially today." Adrien put down his mug and traced the rim of it with his finger.

"Why?" Luka asked softly, knowing exactly who Adrien was referring to.

"It's the anniversary of the day my mom disappeared." Adrien said.

Luka was aware of the date. But that's not exactly what had happened. Luka knew that. Adrien knew that. But it was an echo of the past. It was the way Adrien had looked at this date on the calendar for a long time. At least, before he knew the truth.

"Adrien..." Luka sat down across the table from him. He stretched his hand out on the surface.

He didn't want Adrien closing himself off today, but he wouldn't force anything either.

When Adrien's fingers intertwined with his, Luka breathed a sigh of relief.

"My mind is still hazy. I had a dream where things were as I thought they were back then. Mom had disappeared and my father was mourning. That's why he closed himself off. I was trying to be understanding, despite him shutting me out. Despite him overworking me. Despite him keeping me locked away so much." Adrien leaned his head back and ran his other hand down his face. "God. If that were the only reason he acted like that. It would have been much less complicated than the truth."

"It would have been. But that dream has you feeling guilty for no reason." Luka rubbed his thumb comfortingly over Adrien's hand. "It's just a memory of how you felt—how HE made you feel. You know the truth. The truth he hid from you."

"She didn't disappear that day. Not really. He saw that she wasn't getting better and slipped her into a magic coma. Then decided to terrorize Paris to bring her back. Despite Mom telling him directly and leaving countless messages telling him not to try to bring her back that way." Adrien looked into Luka's eyes. "He went against her wishes. She wanted us to move on and be happy. To remember the good times with her. But he'd rather mess with reality than respect the wishes of someone else. He thought that was love. But it isn't what she wanted at all. That doesn't sound like love to me."

Luka nodded in agreement. "Me either."

"I don't owe Gabriel Agreste a thing." Adrien spat bitterly. "He deserves to be in prison for the rest of his life. The stupid dream I had is just messing with me."

No doubt Adrien's dream was caused by his past trauma. But Luka never ceased to be amazed by his husband's resolve. He watched him push past the guilt Gabriel would like for him to feel. Adrien was strong. Stronger than Gabriel ever gave him credit for.

Luka smiled with pride. "Need I remind you that you are the reason he's sitting in that jail cell?"

"I am." Adrien's face shifted into a triumphant smile. "I ended that nightmare."

"You did. So don't ever let your own nightmares tell you otherwise. I'm sorry that the past comes up the way it does." Luka brought Adrien's hand up to his lips and kissed it. "But you're right. You don't owe Gabriel Agreste a thing. You should never feel bad for cutting off that relationship. Really, he cut it off first by treating you the way he did back then. It wasn't right. Heck, even if it weren't for all of the other things he did. The disrespect for your mother's final wishes are enough for him to be locked up forever. Then he mistreated you. He became a terrorist. He doesn't deserve your pity or anyone else's for that matter."

Adrien hummed in agreement. That out-of-place guilty feeling brought on by the dream had faded. Instead of dwelling on being angry with Gabriel, he'd always prefer to put his thoughts and energy into enthusiastically living the best life he possibly could. "Speaking of my mother's wishes... I have some reservations tonight at the restaurant that was her favorite. It's one of mine too, of course, I do take after her after all."

"Thank goodness..." Luka muttered at Gabriel's expense.

Green eyes blinked at the comment. Then Adrien burst into laughter that filled the room. His mood much better than we he first woke up in a haze.

"I'm so glad you're feeling better, my muse." Luka said happily, adoration evident in his face.

"I am! And unlike my poor excuse for a father, I plan on respecting my mother's wishes." Adrien got up from the table. He kept his fingers laced with Luka's and looked at him with a fire in his eyes. "Mom wanted me to be happy. She wanted my dreams to come true. She hoped I'd fall in love if that's what I wanted."

"Is it what you wanted?" Luka said teasingly, just to get a reaction.

Always the romantic, his husband didn't disappoint.

Adrien rubbed his thumb over Luka's wedding band. Pointing out the obvious. Then, in quick succession, pulled Luka up from the chair, dipped him and winked flirtatiously. "What do you think, m'love?"

Luka laughed at his antics. Adrien leaned down and placed a passionate kiss on his lips that had Luka buzzing. The somber music he'd heard from his husband earlier had shifted back to a familiar tune—playful, flirtatious, energetic, rock-n-roll, free. Luka's hands reached up and threaded through Adrien's long blonde hair as he pulled him closer. Their melodies joining into one incredible love song. Luka hummed into the kiss doing his best to pour his devotion into their contact. Hearing Adrien's purring accompanying his humming only made Luka press into him more.

He'd be here through Adrien's ups and downs, just like Adrien was always there for him.