Chat Blanc ✅

Chapter 1

Luka and Marinette strolled together across Paris, heading to André as they had planned minutes before. Side by side, they both looked straight ahead, though in a comfortable silence. It was reassuring for Marinette to have Luka with her, a friend that hadn't betrayed her.

The male pulled out his phone and switched it on. After scrolling on Instagram for a minute, he paused on the map that showed the location for André's cart. He tapped Marinette's shoulder, causing her to turn to him, and showed the screen to her.

Giving him a smirk she said, "The Louvre, huh? It's been a while since I've been there."

"Me too," he agreed, as they fell back into the comforting quiet.

The duo arrived at the Paris monument minutes later, and sure enough, they spotted a familiar cart and man in the distance. When they reached him, André's eyes immediately took in their presence as he exclaimed, "Ah, Marinette! It's lovely to see you here again!"

"It's great to be here André! I was hoping to get some ice-cream to share with my friend," she greeted. "This is Luka." She gestured to the male beside her.

"A new customer, what a surprise! A good friend of Marinette, I can see it in your eyes!" he rhymed, making the teenagers chuckle.

André proceeded to dip his scoop into two different flavours, reciting, "Peach pink like his lips and mint like his eyes, eat this my dear, as for your position it may be wise!"

Marinette raised her brow at the last phrase, but took the ice-cream nonetheless. A rose red cherry sat atop the smaller mint scoop that had been placed over a large strawberry scoop. Two spoons had been wedged into the dessert, for the teenagers to eat with.

"Thanks André!" Marinette said as she and Luka walked over to a bench to sit on. Once they had both relaxed on it, Marinette held the cone out for him, with which he pulled the spoon from. She did the same, as they began to savour the sweet delight.

"So Marinette," Luka decided to break the ice with. "Can you...tell me what I did as an akuma?"

Surprised by the question, Marinette was about to answer when suddenly, a tap on her knee made her look into her purse. Tikki had a phone in her hands, and lifted it up for Marinette to take.

She switched the device on, and wasn't at all startled by the fact that over thirty messages were displayed on the lock screen. Seeing her annoyed face, Luka asked, "Did someone text you? Who was it?"

Letting a sigh, she replied, "My classmates," and slipped the phone back into her purse, but not before stroking the black spot on her kwami's head delicately.

As she closed the purse clasp, she looked up to see Luka's expression, which was one of hesitance and confusion.

"Did they find out?"

She nodded and assured, "I'm not mad at you, if that's what you're worried about. Actually, I'm thankful that you exposed Lila. It's just..."

Looking down, she carried on, "I'm not sure that I want to forgive them yet."

Luka shook his head in understanding before questioning, "Was it all of your classmates that believed her?"

Thinking for a moment, Marinette answered, "Surprisingly, me and Chloe have a sort of...'temporary truce' if you will."

His eyebrow raised, to which she elaborated, "Chloe figured out that Lila was lying, which wasn't even that hard, but me and her have a sort of unspoken agreement that she's worse than the both of us. So, we basically ignore each other."

"Huh," Luka said, taking another lick off the spoon.

"I think out of everyone, I'll be friends with her," she decided, already thinking of ways to make it onto friendly terms.

"If the person who bullied you was nice, even when your friends weren't, I think that proves that she's better than them."

Marinette giggled, "Yep. Pretty sure it does."

By now, the duo had devoured the desert and had shared the remnants of the cone together. They wiped their hands, cleaning off the ice-cream residue, and turned fully to each other.

"She wasn't the only person who knew, though," Marinette informed to Luka. "The boy I like did too."

At the mention of someone she had romantic feelings for, Luka broke eye contact awkwardly, while a blonde nearby choked on his scoop of ice-cream.