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The night was young at the annual masquerade dance Mayor Bourgeois held. Adrien wore a black suit with green accents and tie, with a black and green mask. He stood among his male classmates, watching Marinette chatter with Alya some feet away. She wore a dress with a black lace bodice and a red skirt, her mask red and black. Her hair was down, he noticed, making his heart stutter. For anyone else, their outfits were just a nod to Ladybug and Chat Noir, but they knew better.
"Dude, why don't you go ask Marinette to dance? You've been staring at her this entire time," Nino asked, nudging Adrien softly with his elbow.
Adrien blinked at Nino. He knew he'd been staring, but was it really for that long? He cleared his throat, "Are you saying that to help me, or so you can dance with Alya?"
Nino shrugged with a grin, then ushered Adrien over to the girls.
I know I stand in line, until you think you have the time
To spend an evening with me
And if we go someplace to dance, I know that there's a chance
You won't be leaving with me
Alya greeted Nino with a kiss then waved goodbye to Adrien and Marinette as she dragged Nino out on to the dance floor. Adrien glanced nervously at Marinette.
She was staring at her punch cup, holding it with one hand, swirling the drink around. Her other hand was fidgeting with her hair. It had grown long other the years, silky and smooth. It took a lot of control for Adrien to stop himself from playing with it.
The thought of playing with Marinette's hair made him think of how soft it would feel between his fingers. His gaze flitted to her red lips and his train of thought wandered to thinking of how it would feel to run his hands through her hair as he felt her perfectly kissable lips against his. Shaking his head to get away from thoughts like those, he cleared his throat.
I practice every day to find some clever lines to say
To make the meaning come through
But then I think I'll wait until the evening gets late
And I'm alone with you
Her hand fell from her hair, and she stared at him with her big, blue eyes. He glanced away before he could drown in them. Taking her hand gingerly and bowing, he glanced back up at her as he kissed her hand. He delighted in the blush that spread across her cheeks.
"May I have this dance, milady?" he asked softly.
She smiled, brighter than the stars that littered the night sky, "You may."
She sipped the last of her punch then threw away the cup before joining him on the dance floor. Her arms wound around his neck, and his gently held her upper waist. He hoped he wasn't making her uncomfortable. As they swayed, she sighed softly and place her head on his chest. She would definitely feel his thundering heart, but he didn't care as he carefully pulled her closer and laid his head on top on hers.
Too soon, the song was over. Reluctantly, Adrien pulled away from Marinette. She gave him a peck on the cheek, her lips lingering as she whispered, "Thank you for the lovely dance." When she pulled away she had a fond look in her eyes, and a smile so soft he thought he'd die. With how fast his heart was beating, maybe he would die that evening.
"Uh, would you like to look at the stars outside?" His voice was weak and his delivery anything but smooth.
Somehow, though, her smile brightened and she took him by the hand to lead him to a balcony. They stood side by side, shoulders brushing, as they leant against the stone railing. He couldn't help but stare at her as stared at the moon and the stars.
The time is right your perfume fills my head
The stars get red and oh, the night's so blue
And then I go and spoil it all
By saying something stupid like
"I love you," he murmured.
Marinette's eyes widened as her head whirled around to face him. His own eyes widened when he'd realized what he'd let slip. He'd ruined everything, hadn't he? How would they ever remain friends? Everything would be so awkward from that moment on. Why did his treacherous heart have to speak up?
"Did you really mean that?" Her voice trembled slightly, her gaze so intense he forgot how to breathe for a moment. Maybe there was a chance he hadn't ruined everything!
"Yes," he replied breathlessly, "I mean it with all my heart."
She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly before cupping his face and kissing it all over. She murmured "I love you"s between each kiss, and he thought he was going to cry. When she finally kissed his lips, he took the chance to bury his hand into her hair, feeling the soft, silky strands between his fingers as he tasted strawberry lip gloss. It was then that he knew he'd had to have died and gone to heaven.
When they pulled away, eyes bright and filled with love, she whispered once again, "I love you."
He pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and savoring the moment. "I love you, too."