This oneshot takes place after Take My Hand, but before Velvet Soft.
"What did you want to eat for lunch today, Marinette?"
"Besides all the Doritos you keep in your pockets?" Marinette shot the man next to her a teasing smile.
"Emergency snacks," Luka corrected. "And usually it's Funyuns." As if to prove his point, he pulled a yellow onion-shaped snack from his vest pocket, and popped it into his mouth.
"Do you just put those straight into your pockets, or is there a bag in there?" She craned her neck to get a look, reaching out to pull open his pocket, but he weaved away before she could get a good look.
Luka raised his brows at her and chided, "Don't you know it's rude to look in a man's pockets? There could be a snake in there or something." He spoke the last part with a devilish smirk tugging the corner of his mouth,
"Gross!" Marinette recoiled, pulling her hands back. "It's not like I was looking in your pants."
He simply laughed as he shoved another Funyun into his mouth.
"Your sister was telling me about a lovely place a few blocks from here," she chirped, steering the subject of conversation back to its original topic. "They have those little cappuccinos with the art on the top and Nathaniel works as a part-time barista there. He can makes cappuccinos with any anime character you want."
Luka let out a low chuckle and asked, "Do you know if he's working today?"
"Nope," she replied, and bumped his shoulder with her own. "I guess we'll find out when we get there."
"Heh, sounds cool."
Something large and white over Luka's shoulder leaped from one roof to another across the street.
"I can't wait to see your new designs for Kitty Section. Rose wouldn't quit texting me last night asking if I'd seen them yet."
The mass of white darted along the edge of the roof, a thin whip-like tail lashing back and forth before it crouched down and out of sight.
"Hey Luka," Marinette interjected. "Why don't you go on ahead and get us a seat. I need to uh..." Marinette cast her eyes to the shops around them and found one that was completely overflowing with the most girly, frilly and pink merchandise she'd ever seen. "—stop in this shop and get something for Rose."
Luka snorted and covered his mouth with his hand. "I could go in with you. I'm secure enough in my own masculinity to shop around a disgustingly pink store."
"No!" she choked loud enough to make him flinch. "I mean, she wanted something private, that only this store carries. And I'll be super embarrassed if you go in a buy them with me."
Luka spared the store a glance, "What do they have, a section in the back for florescent pink floral scented vibrators?" It was clearly a joke when he cracked a smile at her, and it was one of those sweet handsome smiles that would have had her heart stuttering like mad a few years back.
"No, but it's just as bad," she assured, placing a hand on his back. "So go on ahead and I'll catch up with you." She gave him a gentle shove in the direction of the café they decided on.
"Alright, alright," he relented, "just don't stand me up, okay?"
"Pfffff! Like I would do that to you?"
He quirked a brow at her. "You used to do it all the time when you were still in Lycée."
"I've gotten waaaay better about that," Marinette defended, jabbing a finger at him even as she approached the shop door.
"Mmhmm~" Luka just smirked at her, and started for the café.
She darted into the store, pretending to browse the offensively pink shop—seriously she loved the color pink but this was a little excessive, it was like someone puréed a Barbie—for about three minutes until she was sure Luka was gone. Taking a peek out the entrance she confirmed his mop of blue and black hair was out of sight.
Coast is clear, time to get to the bottom of this. She surveyed the nearby roofs, but was unable to spot anything suspicious.
Sucking in a breath, Marinette casually stepped out of the shop and made a beeline for the closest secluded alley she could find. She ducked into the shadowed narrow passage, and wasn't more than ten paces in before a large white form dropped into the alley behind her, effectively cutting off her escape.
Marinette spun around to face him, already leveling him with a hard look.
"Hi Chat."
"Hello, mouse." His mouth was curled into sneer.
"May I ask why you're following me?"
Chat Blanc moved toward her backing her against the brick wall of a building. "I was bored," he remarked in an offhand way. Like it wasn't a big deal that he'd been tailing them. "Who's the delinquent you're with today?"
She snorted at that. "That's rich coming from you. Pot, I'll have to introduce you to Kettle sometime."
Chat Blanc narrowed his eyes at her, "I'm not black."
"For the love of God!" She threw her hands up and leaned back against the wall. "It's a phrase Chat, it's not literal. You had a better sense of humor when you were black."
Chat moved to trap her against the wall with his hand, his large frame towering over her, but she didn't so much as flinch. Instead she held his gaze with a flare of defiance in her eyes. "Do you miss the old me?" he rumbled, proceeding to grin and show her a mouthful of fangs.
"You weren't a stalker back then," she replied a little too dryly.
Chat wiggled his nose, and his ears followed suit, swishing bits of his hair in the process. "I was simply curious about your new company, since you didn't stop by my place to annoy me to death today."
"Awwww, you poor thing." Marinette brought her hand up to flick the bell in the middle of his chest. "You were missing me."
Chat scoffed wrinkling his nose. "Hardly. Just wondering why you aren't spending more time with that guy, instead of bothering me all the time. Goth boy looks into you, and I'd finally get you out of my hair."
"His name is Luka," she corrected, wondering why it even mattered that he used his name. "And he's my friend."
"Is that Luka?" Chat pondered aloud. He got a faraway look like his mind was wandering into memories that had been locked away. He shook himself and fixed his attention back on Marinette, "You two are just friends?"
"Just friends."
"Right."
Marinette rolled her eyes.
"So there's no one who tickles your fancy?" He rumbled, and she watched his tail whip around in what was clearly an agitated gesture. He wasn't as relaxed and unconcerned as he tried to play it off. "You'd rather spend all your time with me?"
"Actually," she began, and noticed the way his ears twitched, "If you're that curious I had a raging crush on Adrien Agreste for the longest time."
Chat snorted and his ears relaxed, "Won't you be disappointed."
She furrowed her brow at him, attempting to decipher if that was meant to be an insult or not. "And why's that?"
Chat's ears curled back, and his tail brushed her leg as he wrapped it over his shins in a defensive gesture. "It's not important. You'll figure it out on your own," he sneered, his expression turning cruel again. "Or maybe you won't."
"If you're going to waste my time, I'll just get back to my date with Luka."
The nasty air of superiority fell from Chat's face, and his mouth twisted into a frown, followed by his nose wrinkling. But it only lasted half a second before his features smoothed into cold grumpy indifference.
"Then go," he spat, "get back to your little boyfriend before he starts to wonder where you've wandered off to." Contrary to his words, Chat brought his other arm up to trap her in. He cocked his head and leaned in, practically growling the next words. "He might get the wrong idea if he catches you sneaking off to spend time with me."
She could feel his breath on her chin, and smell the foul aroma of cheese that laced it. He was getting far too close for comfort.
"Chat," she warned.
He didn't back off.
"Goth guy is better for you than Adrien."
"He's just a friend."
He was so close she could feel him snicker. "Yeah, I bet you've heard that a lot before."
If she hadn't been back against a wall, she would have recoiled like he slapped her. Oh this was just overstepping ALL kinds of boundaries.
Marinette snatched Chat's ear and pinched it as hard as she could.
"Raaaaahhhhhhh!" Chat recoiled with a hiss, spitting and clutching his abused cat ear.
It was just enough of an opening for Marinette to slip away towards the entrance of the alley, doubtful that he would follow her out onto the main street.
"I know you're an akuma, and you can't help being mean," she started, her hands clenching into fists at her sides, "but you're being an ass, Chat."
Chat simply watched her with wide glowing eyes from the shadows of the alley, still nursing his ear.
"Word of advice," she stepped out into the sunlit street, "don't push away the people who care about you." With that she stalked off towards the café where Luka was waiting for her, leaving Chat Blanc by himself to wallow in his loneliness.
00
Marinette caught up to Luka inside the café. He was standing in front of Nathaniel who was clutching an empty tray. Both of them were dripping coffee onto a floor littered with broken cups and a scattering of Doritos and Funyuns.
"What happened to you guys?" she implored, unsure whether to bust out laughing or cry.
Both men gave her a deer-in-the-headlights stare.
"I spilled coffee everywhere," explained Luka, unhelpfully.
"I—uh I wasn't watching where I was going," said Nathaniel in a quiet voice. He pushed aside a lock of coffee-drenched hair from his face, then patted his waist for a towel only to discover it too was soaked with coffee. "I'm, so—I'm so sorry." He tried to step back and his foot crushed a Funyun, starling the already nervous barista.
"I can clean this up," Luka stated.
"No-no, I'll clean it up," Nathaniel insisted. "It's my job."
Marinette cut in before both men continued awkwardly apologizing for eternity. "I'll clean it up, while the both of you go dry off, and ice those coffee burns." She reached behind the counter and snagged a broom, waving it at the hesitating men to prompt them to start for the break room.
Reluctantly both men disappeared to the back and Marinette began sweeping up the mess. She cast her eyes around the vacant café and felt a sense of relief.
"Aren't we lucky no one else was here."
Tikki poked her head up from Marinette's purse to survey the damage.
"Like a Ladybug," she winked up at her host.
0000
Luka kicked a loose piece of stone into the Seine and watched the way it disturbed the dark water below.
It was the middle of the night, and in the distance his Mother was making a fuss on their houseboat, fighting with a staticky speaker system. Juleka had moved out to live with Rose almost a year ago, and he'd stuck around to take care of his batty Mother who progressively got a bit crazier as her memory continued to go.
It was fine.
He could handle it. He was alone most days, aside from his Mom, but that was ok.
It had been nice spending the day with Marinette. Refreshing. Even if the afternoon had turned into a bit of a mess.
Luka picked at one of the aloe-soaked bandages on his arm. A feeling of guilt squirmed in his gut, and he promised to go back to the café tomorrow to apologize to Nath properly, maybe even leave him a nice tip.
Despite it all, everyone had parted ways in a good mood.
Something white moved in the reflection on the water, and he whirled around coming face to face with Chat Blanc.
Ears flattened, shoulders hunched, and tail arced, the akuma bared a mouthful of teeth at him.
"What do you want?" Luka demanded.
"I want you to treat her nicely," he growled out.
"Who?" Luka braced a hand against the railing, while the other hand slipped into his pocket to feel cold scales curl nervously around his fingers. "Marinette?"
Chat moved to pace back and forth in front of him in an almost circling motion. "She is... special."
"You care about her?"
Chat drew up close to him and narrowed magenta eyes, "Yes..." His tail lashed back and forth, glowing eyes never leaving the other man. "And if you ever kiss her I'll dump you head first into the Seine."
Luka swallowed.
"But she can kiss you," he clarified. "Because she is her own person and can kiss whomever she likes."
"Noted," he responded with a stiff nod.
"Good," Chat sniffed, then paused, then took another sniff. "You stink like a snake."
"Re-really?" Luka rasped out. "Weird."
A low sound came from Chat Blanc's throat, and he backed off, turning to hop onto the back of a wooden bench. "That's all I wanted to say," he paused, then added, "Go take a shower, that smell is foul."
Once Chat was bounding away, up onto the roofs and out of sight, Luka slouched back against the railing and breathed a ragged sigh. "Says the guy whose breath stinks of rotten cheese?"
Something wiggled in his pocket, and suddenly Luka could smell the awful musky smell emanating from his person.
"What the heck was that, Sass?!"
A zig-zag of aqua green slithered out of his pocket to hover sheepishly before his chosen.
"I'm sorry. He was making me nervous."
Luka clamped the hand not covered in snake musk over his nose, and started back for home. "God, that stinks, and you got it all over the inside of my pocket."
"I know," the snake Kwami agreed with shame in his tone. "I'll help you clean it out."