Chapter Text
Chapter 22: The Whole Truth
The new apartment was strange.
Stepping into it, on her first day home from the hospital, everything essential had been set up. She’d been in there only once before, when she’d accidentally spied on Luka singing, but it had been bare then, almost entirely empty save for Luka’s mess of musical equipment and several large boxes.
The apartment was an exact mirror of Luka and Adrien’s next door, so everything was on the wrong side and it felt oddly like stepping into a parallel universe where everything was familiar but a little off. It was also incredibly empty, making it look that much larger.
“Obviously,” Adrien began a little nervously “you have your bedroom and the nursery completely set up, that’s all been seen to, but you don’t have a sofa or a coffee table or anything. The oven’s built in but you’ll need somewhere to sit and… you know, a toaster and things like that - I really don’t mind paying.” He swore. “I can have it all sorted within the week.” He promised, feeling a little awkward that it wasn’t all ready for her like he’d hoped it would be.
“I…” Marinette hadn’t thought of that, and standing in the entry way with Summer in her car seat (Luka had carried her up from the car park as (according to the hospital) Marinette wasn’t allowed to lift anything heavier than the baby for six weeks) and nowhere to settle down with her, she was suddenly incredibly lost and felt foolish.
She’d once had a fully furnished apartment but had sold everything, now the giant apartment she’d lucked into only had what she’d possessed in her bedroom and it just wasn’t enough to survive independently on. In the chaos of everything it had completely slipped her mind.
“So for the first few days,” Luka cut in immediately, seeing she was faltering “while everything gets delivered, why don’t you stay at ours during the day, and come here to sleep and shower and stuff. We’re collecting some of the final things from your parents’ place and both apartments will be baby friendly eventually - but for now, until yours is set up, you can go between both as needed?” He put forward.
“I’ll grab the basinette from your room and you can come over for lunch?” Adrien suggested.
“That… sounds good.” Marinette said appreciatively, a little overwhelmed.
Without a word, Luka lifted Summer’s car seat and lead Marinette back across the hall.
“It’ll take a while to get everything figured out.” Luka explained gently, bending to unbuckle Summer’s clasps as Marinette settled on to the sofa. “Don’t worry, okay?”
“I… honestly just didn’t even think to worry about it.” She admitted. “I’ve been focused on the fact they just let me walk out of the hospital with her.” She whispered in disbelief, as Luka cradled the newborn. “Feels like they should make you take a test or something before they just leave you in charge.” She joked.
“For what it’s worth I think you’re doing a great job so far.” Luka said kindly.
At only a few days old, everyone swore she was changing by the minute. She’d lost a few ounces - though Sabine had repeatedly reassured them that was completely normal, and looked less round already, her facial features becoming more defined as her fragile skin grew accustomed to not constantly being submerged in water. Luka slipped off her hat, and carefully passed her to Marinette.
“Hungry again, I think.” She mused, analysing the scrunching face, she sniffed and wrinkled her nose. “But a change first.”
“I’ll do it.” Adrien offered, appearing with the basinette and setting it by Marinette’s feet. With no objection, Marinette offered up the tiny infant who was promptly whisked back next door to the apartment that had the changing table. This was going to be tricky.
“Coffee?” Luka suggested. Marinette paused and then shook her head.
“No. You know what, I’m really done being waited on. I’ll make us coffee.” She said decisively, getting to her feet.
—-
Around 2pm on that first day home that was not home, Marinette’s phone pinged. She’d set it to Do Not Disturb after arriving in the hospital, filtering so that only text messages and calls from family and friends could get through. With a new baby, things like news alerts and game notifications could absolutely wait.
She had to juggle slightly to hold the baby and check the text from her mother which read:
Sweetheart, a reporter just called wanting to speak to you, we didn’t say anything but is everything okay?
“Uh oh…” Marinette winced, certain she could feel her blood running cold. “Either of you two know anything about this?” She asked, turning her phone round to let them read it. Luka frowned, as Marinette immediately took to social media and Adrien began to scour the usual suspect gossip sites.
“How have I gained over 3000 followers?!” Marinette asked, horrified when she realised her work Instagram had completely exploded with comments from strangers ranging from
Congratulations!
To
When will your commissions be open again?
“This would be why…” Adrien flinched, handing Luka and Marinette his phone.
There, in print, was the photograph of them all flanked by paramedics leaving the apartment during the black out. The headline read:
A FRIEND IN NEED! Adrien Agreste attends as best friend Luka Couffaine’s secret girlfriend gives birth during the emergency!
Luka couldn’t help it: in spite of their worst fears being realised, he laughed, shaking his head.
“They could not have got that more wrong if they’d tried.” He whispered, always amazed at the lengths some outlets would stretch to for a story.
“I mean… they’re not that far off.” Marinette murmured, horrified by the image. “Did I really look that awful? Ugh. I look like a zombie.” She sighed heavily. Marinette had entertained lofty dreams of being famous one day, off her own back - her first big press article and she looked half dead, pale, covered in blood, and dazed.
“You look fine, you’d just given birth.” Adrien reminded her. “This is not exactly how we wanted to introduce you to the world, little one.” Adrien mumbled apologetically, looking at his daughter.
“How bad is it?” Marinette wondered, as Luka began scrolling through.
“They’ve got pictures of us when we went shopping…” Luka pointed out, flicking through to the story somewhere beyond pages of adverts and pop ups. “They must have sat on those a while…” either until they’d had more ‘proof’, or Adrien’s involvement made the story more than a C-list celeb spotting to post on a slow news day.
“Uh oh. While Luka Couffaine’s representative could not be reached for comment - I don’t HAVE a representative… Adrien’s father, Gabriel Agreste had this to say: ‘We at Gabriel offer our wholehearted congratulations to Luka Couffaine and Marinette Dupain-Cheng on the birth of their little girl.’.”
“Why is your dad lying to the press?” Marinette blinked, confused - she could follow why he wouldn’t tie Adrien to the baby, but for him to outright say she was Luka’s made little sense to her. Adrien sighed heavily, already fairly certain his father had less than kind intentions.
“He’s giving Adrien an out.” Luka explained. “The option to cut and run. He’s being a dick, while sounding polite for the papers.” Luka concluded, scowling at the words on the page - Gabriel confirming the false story made things a lot trickier to deny. “We can’t even have one day at home before dealing with more stories and more lies…” he growled, frustrated. Adrien reached behind Marinette and squeezed Luka’s shoulder gently.
“I… have what might be a stupid question.” Marinette said carefully. “Why don’t we just… tell the truth?”
“Because whichever we do, one of us ends up the villain in Adrien’s story.” Luka reminded her gently, having dwelled on it far too much. Whether they chose to tell Luka’s story or Marinette’s, the other became public enemy number one.
“Isn’t it kind of all the same story now though? I mean… if you’re no longer tied to Gabriel you could come out if you want to and I can’t exactly keep her hidden away forever.” As much as she’d sort of like to keep Summer to herself for a little while at least, and would love to avoid the obvious scandal, that had been an idea for an earlier version of them all: if Adrien had just been visiting occasionally there would be no need to tell the world.
As it stood they practically lived together. They were a family… a weird one, admittedly, but a family nonetheless. The plans had changed.
“Wouldn’t it be better to do both in one story? The whole truth?” Marinette wondered.
“I… the whole truth?” Luka blinked, concerned for her reputation. “Even the parts that make you look…”
“slu*tty?” Marinette guessed. Luka paused.
“That’s… not the word I’d have used but it will be the word the press uses…” he said apologetically. Marinette sighed softly. She really didn’t want to be painted as Adrien’s whor*… but what other option was there? Adrien had said it himself: can’t raise a baby in a closet. Was she supposed to just never leave the house again? Or lie every time she did?
“But we didn’t actually do anything wrong. It’s a strange set up but… if we explain it…” Adrien mused, his brow furrowed as he raised his phone. “If we did it on our terms? An Instagram live or something, in our own words?”
“Adrien, I just had a baby and I look like hell. I’m not going anywhere near a camera again without an hour with Alya doing my hair and…” Marinette huffed but stopped herself mid sentence.
“Make up?” Adrien took a guess at the end of her sentence.
“Alya?” Marinette whispered, suddenly realising the powerful weapon they had in their back pocket. “Would you let Alya run the story? She mostly does local investigative pieces but I guarantee she won’t twist our words, if anyone can spin this it’s her.” She said excitedly.
Adrien looked at Luka who was sitting quiet and stunned. He’d been looking at it as two separate issues when the answer was obvious. The whole truth.
He looked past Marinette to Adrien who was awaiting a decision and Luka smiled softly.
“I’d like that.” Luka confirmed. “If you’re okay with…” he began but Adrien was there in a heartbeat:
“I’ve kept quiet for you. Both of you. If any of it had been my choice I’d have broadcast it on every tv station that would listen.” Adrien insisted, surprised it was even a question. Luka felt his heart race suddenly in his chest. There was the same fire in Adrien’s eyes that he’d had when standing up to Gabriel.
“Luka, I’m not ashamed of you. Of us. I never have been. I’ve been… scared of the consequences,” he admitted “but my father has no legal say in the matter now. And I’m not ashamed of her.” He smiled down at his sleeping daughter, before turning his gaze to Marinette. “Or how she got here - a happy accident but not a mistake.” He added. Marinette smiled weakly, her cheeks tinging pink.
“Your career…” Luka began, wary of what Marinette’s truth meant sacrificing.
“Is over.” Marinette said softly, giving a half hearted shrug. “For now at least.”
“…I have an idea?” Adrien put forward carefully.
—————-
“I just thought we’d have more time to let things settle before we had to deal with all this.” Marinette admitted, rocking the baby gently to try settle her. Behind the scenes they were waiting for Summer to fall asleep so they could take more photographs, as she’d been a little agitated by all the hustle and bustle of her first press shoot. Adrien thought that was understandable - he struggled with the sensory nightmare that was a shoot sometimes, and she was so very little.
“Me too.” He murmured in agreement, stroking Summer’s soft dark hair in an attempt to lull her.
“Is Luka still in hair and make up?” Marinette asked - it was her first ever proper photo shoot and she was fascinated. The urge was high to run around adjusting lighting like she did in her bedroom, or ask a million questions.
“Yeah.” Adrien laughed softly. “Getting Luka to dress up is a little like trying to dress up a dog for a Christmas card,” he shook his head fondly. Marinette smiled nervously. Luka being uncomfortable wasn’t a good thing.
“Are we doing the right thing?” She wondered, staring around at the chaos. A closed set, the bare minimum in staff… it all seemed like a big deal.
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in Adrien’s voice. “We’ve told the story on our terms,” they’d already given Alya the interview portion of the article, and she was overseeing the shoot to ensure there were no leaks before the final version of the interview was approved.
“And then we back away from the media. I won’t be working for a while, so I can be on hand at home, Luka’s always been good at flying under the radar and you… you’re getting your name out there for your designs.” He gestured down at his own outfit.
Adrien had been the one to suggest it.
No longer contracted to Gabriel he could wear whatever he wanted, and Marinette just happened to have some pre-made examples handy in her hoarde of personal affects brought over in the house move, from a pastel phase she’d had gone through which served to perfectly match the soft newborn aesthetic .
Adrien had been in media long enough to know how to spin things: for all his faults his father had taught him a few things after all. Instead of addressing the potential issue that she was a designer and he was a model - drawing attention to the matter, they simply wouldn’t discuss it at all. But beneath the pictures when the article ran, she’d be credited as the designer.
Between that and her socials blowing up after the paparazzi article, it was a subtle way of advertising without looking like she was trying to boost her station. She still seemed nervous.
Gently, Adrien lifted Summer from her arms, cradling her against his pastel green shirt. At least when she was asleep there was little risk of her spitting up again.
“Luka and I won’t have to walk ten feet apart when we’re out together. You won’t have to explain yourself if we go for a walk. People won’t mistake you and Luka for a couple. And… who knows when all this is over, maybe I can finally ask him to marry me.” Adrien whispered. Sparkling blue eyes widened, amazed and excited.
“You’re going to propose?” Marinette breathed. Adrien laughed softly.
“It’s sort of always been the plan for when we were free.” He nodded, tracing his fingers across Summer’s cheek gently as she drifted off “I want to surprise him though so… not yet. Speaking of the devil…” Adrien nodded over her shoulder and she turned to see Luka emerging awkwardly from the dressing room.
“Am I going to say ‘wow’ or are you?” Adrien prompted, amused at Marinette’s surprised face.
It wasn’t that Luka didn’t look good generally, but that he always shied away from anything that drew attention to him. That he was mostly allergic to colour and preferred black and grey t shirts and hoodies. To see him in a pastel blue button down, with an artful v neck and his hair slicked back was… Marinette absolutely wasn’t going to be the one to say it.
“You look amazing.” Adrien said honestly, avoiding the word ‘sexy’ but really, it went unsaid.
“I feel like a doll.” Luka muttered, plucking at his rolled up sleeves. He’d gone his whole life avoiding scenes such as this, but needs must.
“Summer’s out like a light, if we want to do this we should do it now.” Marinette hummed, nodding toward the well lit stage.
“Lead on, my lady.” Adrien said with a dramatic bow. Luka blinked, something stirring in the back of his brain as Marinette looped her hand through Adrien’s outstretched elbow and reached to take Luka’s, so the three of them could go together.
———
Marinette’s apartment was fully functional.
She had quietly whispered to Adrien that she’d pay him back, but he wouldn’t hear of it, her basic living essentials were non-negotiable.
In theory this meant Adrien and Luka had their own space and Marinette and Summer had their own space. In the reality of the chaotic newborn phase what it actually meant was everyone was forever flitting between the two, using whichever facilities were closest and combining the living areas until the corridor separating the apartments was effectively useless unless Marinette had visitors, who were entertained in her own accommodation.
Luka didn’t question the maternity bra in their bathroom hamper - Marinette had likely needed an urgent change and just used the closest shower, Adrien didn’t bother to go to his own bed in the middle of the night if it was his turn to get up with the baby, it made sense to sleep on Marinette’s new sofa until Summer stirred and he could go fetch her, Luka cooked on whichever stove top was the least buried under sterilisers and mountains of baby clothes (they really had bought too many clothes, it turned out).
By the time the article was published, they were basically living together.
“They’re such lovely pictures.” Marinette whispered, leafing through the magazine Adrien had been sent on its release day. Full colour family photos, three beaming adults and a peaceful baby. Quotes from the article emblazoned throughout the spread.
“They are… we should get this one done as a print.” Adrien smiled, tapping one of the photos gently. Luka looked up from Summer and even he couldn’t help but smile. Luka and Adrien stood behind a seated Marinette who was holding Summer. All three of them, in the photo, were staring lovingly down at the tiny little girl in Marinette’s arms. It was staged - true, they were artfully co-ordinated and well-lit, posed to hide Marinette’s post-partum figure a little, and they all looked far less exhausted than any of them truly were these days - but it was honest. A fair representation of their weird and wonderful new family.
Written across the photo was a quote from Marinette.
“I think Summer is very lucky to have three parents who love her so much.”
“So it’s officially all out in the open.” Luka breathed, having (in his darkest moments) never thought he’d see either the day he and Adrien could kiss for a magazine as they were doing on the next page, or could hold a child in his arms knowing she was his in every sense but biological. The whole world knew. Adrien let his fingers dance along the page, smiling down at the picture.
“I want that one printed too.” He decided, enjoying how Luka’s nerves seemed to have abandoned him the minute they were on film.
All three had their phones set to do not disturb, unwilling to face the world’s opinions at the moment. The safe little domestic bubble was a comfort, and, with everything finally public, one they were choosing to keep for the moment.
