Part 1

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The faraway lights in the sky twinkle in time with the nearby lights in the city, and they dance in Luka's eyes. His breath is steady, and his eyes are rested by the cool darkness. The river laps quietly at the hull of the Liberty, and all should be quiet.

But a bell's tinkle rings out, and he turns and sees something moving in his peripheral vision. Luka squints his eyes to see better as he approaches, waving his lantern in front of him.

A dragging noise is heard on the wooden deck floor. As the lantern inches closer, a face is thrown into golden light, and it almost glows back. Greenish yellow eyes, dark mask covering the cheekbones, and black cat ears perched on the head like they belonged there. Chat Noir.

Chat involuntarily turns his head away and sticks a gloved hand in front of his eyes to shield himself from the light.

"Oh, uh, sorry to intrude, " Chat Noir says, rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand, his face uneasy. He looks like he wanted to be alone.

"It's fine, I won't bother you." Luka turns away to the railing. Chat looks at him, quizzically and a little relieved. They stand there for a few moments, listening to the silence, before Chat breaks the silence.

"So, what brings you here?"

Luka's eyebrow shoot up and he replies, "What brings me here? I think I should be asking you that."

"Well, this is the best spot for stars, and cute boys." Chat looks away as he throws the line, distracted.

"Really? Well, I guess it is since you showed up." Chat looks at Luka in surprise, and smiles slowly.

They stay there for a while afterwards, enjoying each other's company. Afterwards Chat Noir bids Luka goodbye with a two-finger salute, before leaping into the inky blackness beyond the water.

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The next afternoon, Luka wanders Paris. The scent of vanilla drifts in from bakery displays, and the soft, puffy macarons he buys envelopes his mouth in strawberry frosting. He waves goodbye to the vendor before heading to the infamous Pont des Arts bridge. Lovers there are engaged in tying locks to the bridge, before tossing the keys into the water, to symbolize their 'undying' love. Even though it was environmentally detrimental and kind of cheesy, Luka cannot help but wish to 'lock' his love, if he only had one.

He's known about love and its beauties all his life, but he hasn't had the fortune yet to experience what he's heard in a thousand songs. He hopes to get that chance one day, but in the meantime, he stares at the lovers and wishes.

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Luka steps into the park, noticing someone near the fountain. He peers closer, then time slows down.

A boy with lion-mane hair turns to the camera with bright eyes and jumps. His shirt slides up and his hair shakes, creating a perfect image of youth. The photographer enthusiastically snaps dozens of pictures, bending in different awkward poses to capture the shine in his teeth.

Luka stares and feels something, a pull attracting him to that sun, a star sparkling in the midday heat. The boy smiles, and the sight is so breath-taking he can't look away. Luka quickly takes a seat at a bench opposite the scene, and sneaks glances above his music-book.

He has felt something similar before, when he glanced at certain boyish strangers on the street, incomprehensibly eye-drawing. He always used to ignore such impulses, and instead buried his head in music.

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