Story of a first kiss.

Part 10: Amnesia and memories.

Two days had passed since Luka's mysterious disappearance. Adrien went to the houseboat as often as his father allowed him. Nobody had news. Luka hadn't tried to contact any of his friends.

On the morning of the third day, Juleka, Rose, Mylène and Iván were on the deck of the ship when they suddenly saw Luka arrive on a bicycle. Juleka rushed to hug her brother. Rose noticed that the bike was not Luka's, it looked very old and neglected, full of rust.

"Juleka? Why are you holding me like this? What's happened?" Luka asked.

"Huh? But- What?? " Juleka said puzzled.

"Where have you been?" Rose asked.

Luka looked down. "I'm not sure. Last night I had a stomachache. I guess it was something I ate. Next thing I knew... I was in the park and it was already morning."

"Last night? Luka it's been two days!" Rose said scared. Taking Juleka's arm.

"What? Two days?!" Luka said.

Luka noticed Juleka staring at him. Mylène noticed how Luka was avoiding looking directly into his sister's eyes.

"You are lying!" Juleka said surprised. "You are not like that! Luka, you never lie! What actually happened to you?"

"What? No. I'm not-" Luka said, holding up both hands.

"You are my brother. I know you!" Juleka interrupted him.

"LUUUKA!!!" Anarka Couffaine said, running to hug her son.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry like that." Luka said.

"The important thing is that you are back and you are well. You must be starving. Let's go to the kitchen." Anarka said taking Luka with her.

Rose was hugging Juleka to try to calm her down when Adrien arrived in his limo.

"Hi guys." Adrien greeted sadly. "Any news from... What's with those faces?"

"Luka came back." Juleka said.

Adrien wanted to scream with joy, but he noticed the expressions on the faces of his friends. "What's the matter?"

They all turned to see each other.

"Oh my goodness, is he hurt?" Adrien said worried.

"He doesn't remember what happened to him. He thinks your party was last night. " Ivan answered.

"So he says." Juleka said annoyed.

"Juleka thinks Luka is lying." Rose said.

"Maybe he did it so we wouldn't worry about him anymore." Mylène said.

"We are his family and his friends." Juleka said, sighing. "Adrien. As his boyfriend... could you see if he says something to you?"

"Boyfriend?!!! For real?!! Am I officially his boyfriend now? Luka asked about me? He called me hi-his boyfriend? " Adrien asked excitedly.

"Adrien..." Juleka said with a slight smile on her lips.

"Sorry." Adrien said blushing. "I'll see what I can do."

Adrien stayed with them for as long as he could. But Luka only repeated the same thing he had already said. Adrien was delighted to see how Luka really treated him as his boyfriend, but at the same time he felt confused and a little hurt to see that even though Luka had taken him by the arm and did not limit himself in showing him his affection, it did seem as if Luka was trying to avoid Adrien's touch.

In the afternoon the rest of his friends gathered to see Luka and express their joy to have him with them again. However, everyone had already heard what Luka had said and Juleka's suspicions.
Although he pretended not to notice, Luka did notice the looks his friends were giving him. He wanted Adrien to come back. Of all, he was the one who treated him most naturally.

"Guys, why don't you play something?" Alya said.

"Good idea!" Rose said, looking from Juleka to Luka. She had sat between the two brothers, trying -without much success- to ease the tension between them.

They got up and went to their instruments. Alya watched as Luka suddenly stopped in front of his guitar, not touching it. She could swear she saw him nervous.

"Luka?" Juleka said.

"Umm... I-I don't really feel like playing." Luka said, gulping.

"That's odd. Usually it is hard for you to stop playing your guitar. " Juleka said, taking the guitar, offering it to him.

Luka took a couple of steps back, raising his hands in front of him, as if trying to ward off an attack, then lowering them when he saw the shocked expression on his sister's face.

"What's with you Luka? You are not the same! What really happened to you during these days that you've been missing? " Juleka asked desperately.

Luka looked down, then turned to see his friends. They were all staring at him. For a moment he stopped seeing them. He stopped seeing the houseboat. He was in a cold and dark cavern where the people who were in there looked at him with inquiring eyes.
The silence... That absolute and crushing silence hit him suddenly as well.

Rose and Juleka were the first to notice Luka's breathing quickening. He was looking at all of them, but at the same time he seemed not to really be looking at them. Suddenly Luka closed his eyes and covered his ears.
Juleka turned to Rose. Worried, she placed a hand on Luka's shoulder. Instantly Luka stepped back, removing her hand from his shoulder.
He covered his mouth when after opening his eyes, he saw Juleka's scared face.

"Jul... I..." Luka tried to apologize, but he couldn't bear the eyes of everyone on him anymore and he ran to the other side of the ship.

Juleka was going to go after him but Rose's hand stopped her.
"Give him a little time to calm down."

They turned to see Luka and saw him sitting up, hugging his legs, his forehead against his knees. Juleka felt her heart breaking to see her brother like that. She wanted to help, but she couldn't do that if she didn't know what was wrong with him.

A couple of minutes later Adrien finally arrived again.
Simon smiled to see Adrien heading to the boat and get on it with little jumps of happiness. He knew something bad had happened when he suddenly saw Adrien stop, turning to see everyone.

"What happened?" Adrien asked, slightly scared.

"Something's going on with Luka, but he doesn't tell us what it is." Alya said after seeing that Juleka couldn't stop crying. Rose was next to her, trying to comfort her.

"Is he in his room?" Adrien asked.

Alya looked from him to the other side of the boat and suddenly she gasped sharply. "No!"

They all turned to look and immediately stood up when they saw Luka still sitting but with his hands over his head and Hawk Moth's glowing mask in front of his face. He seemed to be fighting the akumatization.
Adrien ran to him. Nino tried to stop him, telling him that it could be dangerous. But it was too late. Luka was engulfed in a thick dark mist before Adrien could try anything.

The only thing Adrien could see was Luka flying away. It was so fast that he couldn't see details.

"What if... Luka was behaving like that because he already had the akuma on him?" Juleka said worried.

"I was thinking the same thing. I didn't see any evil magical butterflies flying by. " Alya said.

Adrien worriedly turned to look up at the sky.