Running from the Night (A Ladybug and Chat Noir Fanfic)

Chapter 35

The tall intimidating doors of the Agreste mansion were flanked by equally intimidating bouncers. Marinette stepped up to them holding out her mat black invitation. She craned her neck to look up at the security guard twice her size as he scanned the card. A beep signaled she had an invitation and one of them opened the door for her. The sound of instrumental music flowed from the interior.

Marinette stepped into the foyer which had a short red carpet. Gowns and suits filled the room with a gorgeous display of craftsmanship and designs. The sea of party goers milled about the room in quiet conversation. She tentatively stepped forwards, her eyes darting around the room. Everyone in the room stood at least a foot taller than her, not to mention the vast amount of heels that the attendees were wearing.

Marinette adjusted her mask and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She took a step into the crowd. A server walked by holding tall glasses with a liquid she could only assume that she was too young to drink. She untucked the hair from her ear, it looked better loose. She weaved through groups of people laughing and conversing. She needed to find Adrien, if she could just see him, better yet talk to him, she might be able to enjoy herself even a little bit.

The party spilled into more rooms of the mansion, rooms she had only seen in passing. A large high ceilinged room held the live orchestra and pianist that were playing a slow classical song. She scanned the room for the sun shine blond hair of her missing friend but found only adults filling the space. A glint of blonde caught her attention in the corner of her eye and she spun to investigate further. She sighed in disappointment as she realized it was a long haired girl, a familiar one at that.

"Chloe," She called against her better judgment. The teen's long gold dress flowed gently just above the floor as she turned to the sound of her name. A white fur was draped over her shoulders and along her arms. Her tall heels clicked against the floor as she sauntered over to Marinette.

"What are you doing here Dupain-Cheng?" Chloe scoffed. Her blue eyes were framed by a diamond encrusted mask that, although reeked of money, was beautifully made.

"I was invited," Marinette rolled her eyes, "but I'm also looking for Adrien. Have you seen him?"

"Adriekins hasn't shown up yet," Chloe said as she took out an elegant fan and began fanning herself, "this party is dull without him."

"Right.." Marinette wasn't sure what valuable information she thought she was going to get out of Chloe, "if you see him let me know."

Marinette shuffled away, not bothering to wait for Chloe to acknowledge her request. Maybe if she was careful she could check the rest of the house. She found herself a secluded corner and watched the room. The servers were entering and exiting through two doors. Attendees were slowly trickling through the front entrance but as she was quite late not many were still arriving. Gabriel was nowhere in sight, neither was his son.

She resolved to sneak her way upstairs and stepped forwards pushing herself away from the wall. A solid mass ran into her from the side sending her tripping over her dress to the floor. She braced herself for impact but a firm grasp pulled her back up. She gasped and opened her eyes wide from the sudden force.

"So-sorry!!" She stuttered. Her free hand flew up to fix the mask that had been knocked askew over her eyes. She looked up at the person who she had collided with. A dark haired teen wearing a plain black mask and a tailored black suit that fit his form perfectly.

"No it's my fault, I apologize for not looking where I was going," he looked down at her for only a moment, his striking green eyes meeting hers, before letting her go and moving as if to continue on his path. She gasped.