After the Ball (Based on the Movie)

Part 4

"Ouch," Marinette repeated as she pinched her nose. Did she seriously do that in front of all those people outside? Man, I am a klutz, Marinette thought to herself until a warm hand rested on her shoulder.

She turned around to face...the blond haired guy.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Marinette's face turned bright red. Of course she wasn't fine! Not only because she just hit her nose in front of random civilians, but she just did it in front of a really attractive guy!

"I uh, i-it's f-fine!" the ravenette stammered.

She heard a few onlookers let out a few snickers.

The man in front of her looked at them and rolled his eyes, humor dancing in his emerald greens. "Don't mind them. It could've happened to any one of us."

Marinette smiled. Not only was this guy super hot, but he was kind and considerate too.

"It's okay. I'm used to it, being the klutz I am. Things like this happen all the time," she grinned. She winced again a second later; her nose still in pain from the collision of the glass door earlier.

The man patted Marinette lightly on the shoulder as a friendly gesture.

"I mean," she went on to explain herself more, "I guess I was just a little nervous since it's my first day and all."

He smiled in sympathy. "No wonder I never seen you before. I would have remembered a pretty face like yours."

Marinette blushed at the compliment. She definitely wasn't that pretty, at least in her eyes.

"Don't sweat it, okay. Just remember-," he paused and gestured towards the door, "go slowly."

The blunette nodded and looked back into his eyes, getting lost in its green depths. Just remember, you can do this, said a voice in her head that sounded a lot like Tikki's. Coming back to the real world, Marinette nodded at the blond stranger.

Before she could get sidetracked any more, she quickly turned around and swung open the door, with a little more force than needed, before storming inside. The ravenette heard a small thud behind her but brushed it off as nothing since she was already late.

Meanwhile, outside the door, it was Adrien's turn to hold his nose.

"Ouch," he winced as he rubbed the sore spot on his nose. The raven hair stranger just doored him in the face; literally. She may have used just a tad too much force when opening it. But if being doored was the price to see her again, then so be it.

A few passerbyers started to laugh at the blond after witnessing the scene earlier, but Adrien just glared at them in return in a joking matter. Yep, this day was definitely going to be interesting.

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

Meanwhile, Marinette was standing awkwardly in the reception area while the receptionist was currently busy taking in a bunch of calls.

"Dupain Clothing, please hold," said a man with a tiny dark brown afro at a weird slant, with thick black glasses framing his face. He was also wearing a green polo with suspenders. The man moved on to pick up a different phone, and the process continued on. "Dupain Clothing; I'll see if he's in...Dupain Clothing, I'll send you to the other phone operator...Hello..."

"Uhm, hi?" interrupted Marinette, who finally approached the front desk.

"Dupain Clothing..." the man continued in a louder voice. He heard the ravenette alright, but he just continued to ignore her for now. At least until he got some of these phone calls sorted out.