Strike At Midnight || Luka Couffaine

Chapter 7 ❧ Newfound Camaraderie

I was urged by Rose to ask Luka for snacks an hour later. Luka basically lead me to their kitchen and offered to help prepare them. A brief silence emerges as I contemplate on what to say. Should I just demand what he knows?

"I've visited this house more times than I can count, but how come I've never seen you before?" I ask instead, pouring cool lemonade onto five glasses.

"I was at boarding school and just got back," he answers as he pulls out some boxes of crackers from a cupboard.

"Oh, so you're going back soon?" I say, mildly hopeful and rather unashamed.

"I'm sorry to disappoint but I'm moving here permanently since I'm a new student in Collège Françoise Dupont."

"You're coming to my school?" I say in disbelief.

"Do you want to get rid of me that much?" He jokes in amusement, folding his arms and leaning on the counter's edge. "Just so you know, if you keep pushing me away, you'll lose a whole encyclopedia on kwamis."

"I'm not pushing you away," I say instinctively. "It's just-" I throw my arms up. "-you know about my kwami and it's dangerous for me."

"I smell food," Grimm shoots up from my pocket and darts towards the open box of crackers.

"And that's you're doing." I point to Grimm as he dives into a box, toppling it over and spilling its contents. "Ever since I treated him to snacks, he's been eating incessantly."

"It's understandable. Kwamis need their nutrients to replenish themselves. You said he's always tired, right? He could've been relying on sleep as an alternative to food. And now, he's consuming as much as he needs."

"Or he's actually a glutton all along," I add. On cue, Grimm produces a loud burp before flying back out with a considerable swell on his stomach.

"That might be true." Not only does he semi-agree with me, he also perches onto my shoulder, catching me by surprise.

"Compared to your interactions I witnessed last week, I think you guys have hit it off," Luka says, smiling.

"I'm not quite sure. I wouldn't mind if she considers changing her whole personality," Grimm says, scuffing behind his ears.

"Where's your off button?" I quip. I turn back to Luka. "How do you know so much about him?"

"That's a secret I can't tell," Luka confesses honestly. "But if you want to learn more, and say control your powers, you can always give me a call." He winks. I furrow my brows.

"He wants to exchange phone numbers," Grimm mutters.

"I know that, idiot."

•●•●•●•●•

"I'm back," I greet, popping my head into Adrien's room. There's a blight flash of light that blinds me. What in the world?

"Oh hey, Sel. What's up?" Adrien says- a hand splayed on the glass pane just beside an open window.

I frown, rubbing my eyes. Is it late enough in the night to hallucinate? Shaking my head, I say, " I just got back from Juleka's. Aren't you feeling cold? The window is open."