Cataclysm

Calm before a storm

The bell of the boat-house rang, interrupting Luka's concentration. He had to stop using the miraculous to keep translating the grimoire because of the fight of yesterday, but that didn't mean he had to stop working. He left the book open on the page he was working on at his desk, then got up to answer the door.

It was the evening, so it was not a weird hour for a visitor, but Juleka was out with Rose and his mom was napping, so he wondered for the few seconds it took him to reach the door who could it be. The blond hair he saw through the circular window was enough of a clue.

''Chloe'' He greeted calmly, trying to conceal his surprise with the girls presence. She was carrying a tiny box and looked a bit nervous.

''Hi'' She said, awkward. They hadn't talked since yesterday, mostly because he fell asleep as soon as he got home after the non-fight. But he knew that wasn't why she was acting so shy.

''Come in'' He invited, opening the door for her and moving out of the way. He guided her in silence towards his room, where he usually attended his ''guests''. His guitar laid on a corner, unused for the past few days.

''I brought you something''

''Sorry about yesterday''

They both blurted out at the same time. Luka laughed nervously then grabbed the box Chloe brought.

''Thanks'' He said as he opened it. There was a teal mask inside, decorated with shiny sequences that created the illusion of scales. ''Wow this is really nice, for the gala I assume?'' He asked, trying to lift the mood and erase the still awkward tension between them.

''Yeah, now you are properly equipped for the mission'' She said, crossing her arms and avoiding his eyes. So she was still mad at him for ignoring her presence basically after yesterday. Well, this was Chloe after all, he thought.

''Hey, sorry about ignoring you before. It was a tense moment and I had a lot, and I mean A LOT on my head at the moment...'' He tried to excuse himself. He knew he had been a bit mean, but he had the right to make some mistakes, right? If this was how it was going to be with Chloe then...

''What? I'm not mad at you!'' She said, looking at him in surprise. Well, the feeling was mutual. What?

''I was just.. All of you work so hard and you did a lot even though you are not Ladybug... I just feel... useless'' She said, looking at the floor now. ''I know I just busted in the team with no invitation basically, but I feel like I must be able to do more, you know? I've made mistakes in the past and this felt like the perfect chance to...'' She stopped herself from finishing her sentence, probably feeling that she was being too candid already.

Luka realized while she talked that she was feeling exactly what he was before the heroes came to this same house with Sass and a job for him. He couldn't imagine what would it be like to know what would fill that void, that need of purpose, but not being able to do anything to achieve it. And also wanted to repent for her older actions, adding some guilt to the boiling pot of emotions that was the blonde right now. He smiled.

''Silly Chloe'' He said and she lifted her head to look at him, offended. Or pretending to be. He wasn't ever totally sure with her. ''You don't have to prove anything to anyone'' Chloe shook her head.

''But I've messed up! I revealed my identity to everyone, and now I can't be Queen Bee to help fight Lila! I provoked so many Akumas before I-'' He tenderly put a silencing finger on her mouth.

''And you waited almost two years without knowing if you would see your kwami ever again, without getting a word from Ladybug and still behaved, or so I've heard'' He said, a bit scared of inflating Chloe's ego, but deciding that she kind of needed it right now. Besides, not being cruel was basic decency, no matter how much he was starting to like the girl, she didn't exactly deserve praise for acting like a human being.