The Identity Problem •Luka x Reader x Adrien•

Tripping

I nod and rest my head back against the statue, letting my eyes rise back to the sky.

"Is this normal for you- being used as a bargaining chip?"

I scrunch my eyes shut at his blatant probing. Luka is observant, I know this already. But rarely does he ask uncomfortable questions unless something has bothered him to the point of action. I can only imagine how long he has been sitting on that question.

"It's always been like this. Adrien and Felix get it-"

My eyes slide open to look at him lazily. Emotionally drained can't begin to describe it.

"-you're only loved for what you can provide."

His face is absolutely crescent-fallen, a crease between his eyebrows deepening as his shoulders sink in depressed thought. I look away scorned by the sight of him upset on my behalf.

His hand takes mine and we sit in the cold silence, waiting for the adults to leave.

"So this plan is basically to get what they want by giving us the illusion of having a choice?"

Felix rubs his face as he asks for clarification, the stance makes him look twenty years older than he is. Luka and I respond with a nod.

After sitting on the balcony for the good part of a half hour freezing our butts off in the cold, the adults finally decided to vacate off to more shallow conversations. Now we were inside again standing stiffly next to the fire.

I have Caleb's suit jacket wrapped around my shoulders, and goosebumps litter my arms under it.

"Is it really so bad?"

Every head in our group snaps to look at Adrien, he shifts uncomfortably under the weight. His cousin comes to his rescue, running a hand through the front of his hair.

"He has a point, I was going to pursue Kagami regardless so I couldn't care less."

"I'm just saying we are kind of getting what we want in a way-"

"And what about y/n? She doesn't have a choice then?"

The room snaps into silence, Juleka hitting the nail on the metaphorical head. I look up from where I'm chipping at my nail nervously to stare, she's already looking at me.

"One of my favorite things about you is you always stand up for those you love."

Her eyes are sympathetic and she takes my hand into her blacked nailed ones.

"I want to do that for you the best way I can."