Marinette sat at her desk, surrounded by scattered sketches and bits of fabric swatches she had collected for ideas. She wasn’t sewing, just brainstorming decoration concepts for the Winter Ball. A notebook lay open in front of her, half-filled with doodles and lists, but her pen tapped idly against the page as her thoughts drifted.
“Focus, Marinette,” she muttered to herself, snapping out of it. She jotted down a note about streamers and fairy lights, but her mind kept wandering back to Adrien. Would he even go to the ball?
She shook her head and stood up, pacing her room. “Why am I even thinking about that? It’s just a school event. It’s not like it’s... anything important.”
Her cheeks reddened as she tried to distract herself by reorganizing the art supplies on her desk. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t entirely push the thought of Adrien and the possibility of seeing him at the ball out of her mind.
Adrien sat at the long, polished dining table, his dinner spread before him. The sound of his fork against the plate echoed in the cavernous room, a stark reminder of how empty the mansion always felt.
Just as he took a sip of water, the heavy door creaked open, and Gabriel Agreste stepped inside. He paused, his eyes scanning Adrien with his usual intensity.
Adrien set his glass down, sitting up straighter. “Father,” he began cautiously, “I wanted to ask you about something.”
Gabriel raised an eyebrow, his silence signaling for Adrien to continue.
“The Winter Ball is coming up,” Adrien said, choosing his words carefully. “It’s a school event, and I’d like to go.”
Gabriel’s expression didn’t change, but his tone was sharp. “You know my thoughts on such distractions, Adrien.”
Adrien met his father’s gaze, his voice calm but firm. “It’s more than just a party. It’s a way to connect with my classmates. You’ve always said I need to understand the world they live in.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, considering this. After a long pause, he nodded slightly. “Very well. You may attend.”
Adrien’s heart lifted, but Gabriel continued.
“On one condition,” he added. “Your bodyguard will accompany you. I won’t have you lose focus or compromise your safety.”
Adrien nodded quickly, grateful to have secured permission at all. “Thank you, Father.”
Gabriel gave a curt nod and left the room, leaving Adrien alone again.
As Adrien leaned back in his chair, he allowed himself a small smile. For once, things had gone his way. He didn’t mind the bodyguard—it was a small price to pay for a chance to experience something closer to normal life.
And, as much as he tried to brush the thought aside, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement at the idea of seeing Marinette there.
Adrien and Nino strolled along the winding paths. Nino kicked at a stray pebble, his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets.
“Man, relationships are hard sometimes,” Nino said with a sigh, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
Adrien glanced over, his brows knitting in concern. “You and Alya okay?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Nino waved a hand dismissively. “We just had one of those dumb arguments, you know? She got all fired up about me not texting her back when I was setting up stuff for the Winter Ball DJ gig. I tried to explain, but—”
“Did you apologize?” Adrien interrupted, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Nino stopped walking and gave him a deadpan look. “Dude, of course. I might not always get it, but I’m not an idiot. She’ll cool off, and we’ll be good in, like, an hour. Couples fight it’s part of the deal.”
Adrien nodded, his expression thoughtful. He admired Nino and Alya’s ability to navigate their relationsip, even with its ups and downs. “I guess it’s good you can talk it out. That’s important.”
Nino grinned, slapping Adrien on the back. “Don’t worry, man. When you finally ask someone out, I’ll give you all the pro tips.”
Adrien chuckled nervously, looking away. His thoughts drifted to Marinette. Nino’s words might’ve been a joke, but they hit a little too close to home.
As they continued walking, Adrien spotted a familiar figure sitting alone on a bench, her sketchbook open on her lap. Marinette was completely absorbed in her drawings, her pencil moving in quick, confident strokes.
“Hey, isn’t that Marinette?” Nino asked, nodding toward her.
Adrien’s heart skipped a beat. “Uh, yeah. It is.”
“Let’s go say hi,” Nino suggested, already veering off the path toward her.
Adrien followed, trying to shake off the sudden nerves fluttering in his chest.
Marinette looked up as the sound of footsteps approached, her face lighting up when she saw her friends. “Oh, hi, guys! What are you doing here?”
“Just walking around, enjoying the fresh air,” Nino said casually. “What about you? Planning the Winter Ball masterpiece?”
Marinette blushed, snapping her sketchbook shut. “Something like that. I just needed a change of scenery to get some inspiration.”
Adrien smiled warmly. “Your ideas are always incredible, Marinette. The ball’s decorations are going to be amazing.”
Her cheeks turned pink at his compliment. “Thanks, Adrien. I just hope everyone likes it.”
“You kidding?” Nino interjected. “People are gonna love it! And I can’t wait to see what kind of outfit you’re rocking for the ball. Knowing you, it’s gonna be epic.”
Marinette laughed nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh, I haven’t even thought about that yet. There’s still so much to do before then.”
As they continued chatting, the conversation flowed easily, with Nino cracking jokes and Marinette sharing some of her creative ideas for the ball. Adrien found himself smiling more than usual, watching how animated Marinette became when she talked about her plans.
For a moment, everything felt light and simple, and Adrien couldn’t help but think that being around Marinette made the world feel a little brighter.
