When your best friend rigs the Secret Santa to hook you up
Merry Christmas @hoppershedgie ! I am your Secret Santa for @mlsecretsanta! Hope you like your Lukanette gift fic~
“Alya!” Marinette screamed, admonished. “How could you?”
“How could I set up my best friend with her crush? I know; I’m a Saint.” Alya looked up briefly from her phone and fluttered her eyelashes in innocence.
“What am I going to do with this?” Marinette continued, flailing a slip of paper she had drawn from a hat earlier that day and refused to confirm nor deny Alya’s self given title. A slip of paper was normally something Marinette would have little to no concerns about, but this particular slip of paper had a name on it, which under coincidental circumstances, she would have had no issue with, that she currently had issue with because of purposeful conditions that had caused to be in her possession. Worse yet, Luka had a similar slip of paper baring her own name. She really wished she hadn’t asked about it.
“You’ll get Luka the perfect gift,” Alya began with a flourish, “sign it, confess your feelings to him, and kiss under the mistletoe at the party tonight!”
“Or, he’ll hate my gift, realize that knowing me is a complete and total mistake, and never ever want to see me again!”
“You know that will happen.”
“It could! You don’t know that!”
“This is Luka we’re talking about, right? Nicest guy in the world? Wouldn’t hurt a fly? Totally head over heels in love with you?”
“You don’t know what either.”
“Don’t know he’s the nicest guy in the world? I think I do.”
“You don’t know that he’s in love with me!”
“Uhm, yea I do. The whole class knows it. The neighbours know it. All of Paris knows it. He’s even told you how much he likes you.”
“But that’s not the same. This is a confession we’re talking about here. This is a huge deal. I can’t mess this up.”
“Like you would have even done it in the next century if you hadn’t drawn his name.”
“If you hadn’t given me his name!” she retorted pointedly.
“Well, you might as well get planning,” Alya shrugged. “What are you going to get him?”
~
After a week of arduous planning and embroidering, Marinette held up her handiwork to present to Alya, Juleka, Rose, Alix, and Mylene as a final check. The girls sat in awe and approval at the sight of it.
“It’s beautiful, Marinette!” Rose bubbled, hands at her cheeks.
“He’s going to love it,” Juleka agreed.
“Now that we’ve got that all sorted,” said Alya, “what are you going to wear?” Marinette immediately stood and ran for her hangers, more than ready for this line of questioning.
~
It was agreed that they would unceremoniously reveal themselves to their Secret Santa recipients. Since Alya was the one to arrange the whole event, party aside, it was easily in her power to make that particular decision. This, of course, paired very well with Marinette’s intent to have a rather private discussion with her Secret Santa recipient. This all only left one problem: Marinette’s willingness and strength to approach Luka herself, without the pressure of all her peers’ expectations. Worse yet, if she didn’t approach him, he would be left as the only person at the party without a gift, and she would never forgive herself for leaving him that way. And even if she somehow managed to avoid facing him with her gift, and other things, on her own, he was sure to find her himself, having drawn her name as his giftee. It was all a mess and a small part of her (that somehow managed to take over her entire body) didn’t want to attend the party. But with a friend like Alya, how could anyone say no.
Chloe Bourgeois always held the most lavish parties. Even into their university years, she never ceased to impress, inviting anyone and everyone she knew, and even some she didn’t know. This made convincing everyone to exchange their gifts personally much easier. The dress code was nearly non-existent. People came in suits and gowns, contrasting those in khakis and crop tops. Marinette personally enjoyed her sweet, pink, semiformal dress. From across the way, Marinette spotted Luka. He was wearing a dress shirt and tie underneath his usual blue hoodie. Although it was not a style she would have put together herself, she found it ridiculously charming nonetheless. He made the effort, and something about that thought made her smile uncontrollably.
It almost melted her heart to see the smile immediately form on his face just at the sight of her. She wasn’t the only one.
“Hey Marinette,” Luka greeted when she approached his corner of the room.
“Hello,” she said, unabashed by the happiness in her tone. There was a nearly unnoticeable moment of silence, had neither of them been thinking about what to say and how to say it.
“Have you given your gift to your Secret Santa person yet?” Luka asked.
“Not yet.” Marinette shrugged.
“Neither have I. Who’d you get?” he prompted. Without another word, Marinette took the carefully wrapped present from behind her back and offered it to him. He blinked confusedly for a few moments before smiling and accepting. “Wow Marinette, you had my name? That’s amazing! I had your name!” Luka produced a small package from his pocket. Alya had mentioned that Luka had her name, but the sight of the small box still produced a gasp from her lips.
“You should open yours first,” she insisted. He tore into the wrapping of the gift and pulled the cloth from the remains.
The guitar strap was a deep blue and black, with tiny pink flowers embroidered into the swirling design. The contrast provided a cute and cool look to the overall design, but secretly, Marinette had made it with the idea of their styles combining into a single image. Not that she would ever be the one to point it out.
“So… what do you think?” she asked when he didn’t say anything. When she finally had the courage to look at his face, she noticed his eyes tracing the designs of the strap, his mouth slightly agape and his face flushed. Her brain searched for the meaning behind such a face.
“What do I think?” he repeated, like he was shocked that she could ask him a question with such an obvious answer. “It’s amazing, Marinette.”
“I’m so glad you like it. I wasn’t sure-”
“Open yours,” he interrupted. It was rare for him to ask her of much, so her curiosity spiked at the request. Tearing apart the wrapping, she was met with a plain velvet box. Inside was a small, pastel, pink, rose pendent on a silver chain.
“Luka!” Marinette gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
“You like it?”
“I love it!”
“May I?” Luka held his hand out, asking for the necklace. She nodded and turned around, pushing aside her hair so he would have access to the back of her neck. He draped the necklace around the front of her neck and secured the clasp.
“It looks even nicer on you than it did in the box. It suits you,” said Luka.
“Thank you,” she replied, blushing and staring at the floor. A smile crossed her face and she gently touched the pendent, feeling all the intricate details of the design. “Hey Luka?” Marinette started. He looked down and smiled at her.
“Yes?”
“I have something I need to tell you.” She bit her lip and shifted her gaze nervously.
“What is it?”
“I… I really like you.” The words practically flew from her mouth as she rushed to get them out lest she change her mind.
“I like you too Marinette,” Luka replied, not missing a beat. The grin on his face was unparalleled. If Marinette had the courage and forethought to look for his reaction, she might have caught it.
“No, not like that!” she rambled, looking everywhere but at him. “I mean. I do like you. As a friend; but also as more.”
“More?” he asked, amused.
“You mean so much to be Luka. And you’ve always been so kind and caring, and I can’t believe I couldn’t see it before.” Taking a deep breath, she mustered the courage to look him in the eyes before uttering the following words. “There is no one as sweet as you, or who makes me feel as comfortable and happy as you do.” She needed him to understand her seriousness and sincerity. “What I mean to say is that, I love you.” Luka pursed his lips through his smile and reached out to hold her hands, draping his gift over his shoulder.
“Marinette, thank you. That means so much to me. Thank you. I love you too.” Her head snapped up in shock at the statement.
“Really?” she asked, disbelieving. He laughed briefly.
“Of course. I haven’t been trying very hard to hide it either. Marinette, I care so much about you and I want you to be your happiest always.”
“I… I’m sorry, I had no idea,” she said. A giggle escaped her lips shortly after. “How could I have not noticed?”
“Well, it is more difficult to tell when you’re involved.”
“Everyone’s been telling me for ages that you liked me, and I just couldn’t believe it.” Luka’s hand rose to cup the side of her cheek and she rested her head into it.
“Believe it or not, it’s true,” he reassured her. “I really like you.”
“Oh. That’s good.”
“Just good?” Marinette’s brought her own hand up to her face to rest on top of his.
“That’s really good,” she grinned.
“Good. Good that you think it’s good.” The whole world seemed to blink out of existence as Luka slowly leaned forward and Marinette stood on the tips of her toes. The kiss was quick, but the fluttering in her stomach lasted the remainder of the evening, as did her smile.