All's Well that End's Well

*Part Eleven*

___________Luka's POV___________

"Happy Birthday to you!"

I smiled, surrounded by my friends as they sang Julika and me the traditional song. Well, most of them. Eden had been absent from the crowd, much to my disappointment. She had started to become one of my closest friends.

"Open your presents!" Rose squealed to Julika, handing her a sparkly gift box. With bright eyes, Marinette walked up to me, a simple red box in hand. Under the firefly lights, she was breathtaking. The multicolored stage lights reflected off her eyes, staining them emerald, violet, and opal, every second a different shade.

"Here, Luka, happy birthday," She told me, grinning. She'd stolen my breath and with it my words.

Carefully peeling back each layer of tape and wrapping paper, I opened her gift. The inside revealed a handmade JaggedStone™ shirt, a Kittysection shirt, and a decorated frame of a picture of us and all our friends at Kittysection's last performance.

"Marinette, this is beautiful! Thank you so much," I exclaimed, and she blushed shyly. I debated confessing how I felt to her right then and there. But I wouldn't want to put her on the spot. I didn't want to think about it, but that girl, Lila, could have been wrong about Mari's change of heart.

"What is it? Hold it up," Alya called, her phone raised to video. I obliged, and everyone chorused "ooo" and "ahh".

"Wow Marinette, that looks amazing," Adrien told her. Marinette's fading blush grew crimson, and she scratched her head. My smile faltered.

"No, you look amazing. Ahh, I mean, thanks," She stumbled, embarrassed. Adrien smiled at her, and she quickly backtracked over to Alya. It stung, their interaction. Because it proved that Lila had been wrong. She wasn't over Adrien, and she didn't love me. And I'd been so gullible to believe that she ever would. Silently, I cursed myself for getting my hopes up.

I wanted to hate Adrien for being the object of Mari's affection, to hate Lila for lying to me, and to hate Marinette for leading me on. But I couldn't. And it was tearing me up. Everyone around me was smiling and laughing and talking. Everyone here thought Marinette and Adrien were destined for each other. Even Julika. Even Nathaniel.

Someone behind me grabbed my hand and started leading me away from the crowd.

"Luka? Are you okay?"

I turned to face Eden, blinking back tears. I'd have time to cry tonight, by myself.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," I told her, but my voice cracked at the last word. She studied my face for a moment, frowning.

"No, you're not, I use that excuse all the time." She decided, letting my hand go and crossing her arms.

I tried to smile at her, and her eyes softened.

"Eden, really, I'm alright."

"Then why do you look like you're about to cry?"

I realized that if I tried to respond to her, I'd actually start crying. All I could do was shrug, not meeting her eye.

"Look, Luka," she said softly, grabbing my shoulder, "you don't have to tell me what's going on. But you know you can talk to me, right? About anything. Just, don't act like nothing's wrong, it's not healthy. I'm here if you need me."

I wasn't sure what to say.

"And," Eden said, dropping her voice, "if it's about Marinette, you can talk to me about that too, I won't judge you."

I glanced at her, stunned.

"Is it that obvious?" I sighed, and she laughed lightly.

"A little bit, but only to those looking for it. Not that I was looking for it or anything, I wasn't. It's just, that I'm your friend, so it's kinda my job to notice these things." She said, patting my shoulder awkwardly. I couldn't hold back my snort. She was awful at consoling.

"What?" She asked, looking uneasy.

"Nothing, you're just terrible at comforting people," I said, wiping my eyes and sighing.

"What do you mean? You feel better, don't you?" She demanded, rolling her eyes.

She was right, I did feel better, against all odds.

"See, I'm perfectly competent at 'comforting people'. But you do know I'm here for you, right pal?"

"Yes, I do, pal," I responded, grinning.

"Did you just call me pal?"

"Huh? No, I didn't," I said, smirking. "Pal."

"You're not funny." She told me, but she was smirking back.

"Don't be mean, it's my birthday," I laughed, and she crossed her arms, unamused.

"Whatever, birthday boy, just don't get all sad again, because I'm not sure I could nail another session of 'comforting people' again."

"You mean like you nailed the first one?"

She shook her head, laughing. Alya noticed her and called her over.

"See ya, birthday boy. Don't let anyone rain on your parade." She said, waving goodbye. I sighed. The pain wasn't gone, but for the moment, it had been nullified. And for a moment, I'd forgotten all about Marinette and Adrien and Lila. For a moment, it had just been Eden and I, smiling and laughing and talking. 

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A/N- 

Word count: 851

Hey guys, super short update this time, but I hope you guys like it! Next up, the competition!! There will be a new character introduced...or maybe Eden has already met them...;) Oh well, until next time friends.