La Magie est Perdue à Minuit

Part Two, Chapter Two

Marinette gave up drawing. Her clock said it was almost 1 in the morning. She couldn't sleep, nerves and fear keeping her up. Alya was asleep at her home, dead to the world, as Marinette's messages remained unanswered. She walked over to the balcony door and stepped outside. The air was crisp, yet she felt warm. Marinette leaned over the railing, looking at the empty streets of Paris. The Eiffel Tower could be seen from across the city. It glowed like a tower of stars in the dark sky.

Adrien watched the city from below him, half hidden in the shadows. Being on top of the world felt great. Exposing himself in the moonlight, he walked over to a metal support pole and swung around it, laughing. Adrien took off his hood and shook out his hair. Making sure to be quiet, he walked on top of the roof, jumping from ledge to ledge. It was exhilarating, being up so high and unseen by anyone.

Marinette someone making a faint noise behind her. She spun around, looking behind her, then looked back in the direction the sound was coming from. Her hand flew to her mouth at what she saw. Adrien. On the roof. What was he doing? Out of all of Paris, he was across the street, dancing or something on the roof... in the middle of the night? He stood there, in a black sweatshirt and basketball shorts. His white socks were dirty from the roof, and he ran his hand through his shining blonde hair to create a much more natural, messy style that suited him well.

Marinette tried not to smile as she watched him. This was a completely different person in front of her. A side of the model that she never saw before.

Adrien heard someone laugh and spun around, red-faced. The balcony across the empty street held none other than the one and only Marinette Dupain-Cheng, who was currently wiping tears from laughing so hard.

Shoot. I must have looked ridiculous. Adrien, still blushing from ear to ear, gave an awkward little wave. He whisper-yelled over to her. "Um, the weather sure is nice?"

She burst out laughing again, trying to stifle the sound with her long sleeves of her shirt but failing miserably. Adrien couldn't help but notice how much she resembled his lady in the moonlight. Come to think of it, there were a lot of similarities he never noticed.

The wind picked up again, and Marinette watched Adrien's hair moving with it, almost dreamlike, as if it was being lifted by magic and slowly flowing through the sky. She saw his emerald eyes sparkle like the stars above them. Maybe Ladybug's identity reveal won't be so bad after all.

As his eyes met hers, she looked down shyly. With a wave and pointing back to the door, she indicated going to sleep now. He got the message, and Adrien made the most dramatic face he could. Batting his eyelashes and blowing her kisses, Marinette was reminded of Chloe and giggled. Bye Chaton, she thought. Marinette shook her head, still grinning, and walked back inside to her room.

Adrien watched her go back inside like a lovesick kitten. He slumped his shoulders in longing when he realized what he was doing. This was Marinette, a girl at school who avoided him at all costs. It was Marinette, yet he was still smiling and blushing.

Goodnight, Princess, he thought as he watched a shooting star rocketeer across the sky.