Kiss the Girl
"I'm going to do it Plagg. Tonight I'm going to show Marinette Dupain Cheng how I really feel about her." Adrien announced in his bedroom.
Standing in front of his life-size mirror, the young man lifted his chin up and adjusted his black tuxedo jacket. The dance was to start in half an hour and Adrien was ready to go in a shiny black tuxedo, matching dress pants, black shoes, and shiny sea green vest and matching bowtie. This year's dance theme was Disney's The Little Mermaid, and everyone was encouraged to dress up in ocean and sea life colors.
As Adrien stroked back his bangs he could not help but wonder how Marinette was going to look like. No doubt she was definitely going to come dressed in a design she made herself, and the thought made Adrien giddy with excitement. He had seen her dressed in her designs in the past and she looked beautiful in every outfit. It was too bad Adrien was always too shy to admit it out-loud. When he was Chat Noir, it was different. He had come to learn that when he was Chat Noir, he could be bold, fearless, and suave. Too bad his alter-ego could not be of much use tonight.
"I'm sure everything will be fine. No need to sweat it." Plagg insisted as he flew to his friend. He crinkled his nose at the nervous look on Adrien's face. "Seriously, no need to sweat. We don't want your girlfriend running away."
"She's not my girlfriend!" Adrien protested. Not yet at least.
"If you kiss and announce your love then doesn't that make her your girlfriend?" Plagg questioned.
Adrien turned to him with an arched brow and Plagg lifted his tiny black paws. "You'll do great kid!"
"I just hope so. I really like her." Adrien confessed. He sat down on the edge of his bed with a sigh. "And here's the other thing, Nathanael likes her too."
"Who?"
"Nathanael, he's an artist in our class who has a huge crush on Marinette. What if he's planning to do something at the dance? What if he wants to say how he feels too?" Adrien straightened and thought about the possibility. He imagined coming over to Marinette and suddenly being blocked by the red-haired artist and hearing the words boldly come out of his mouth: "Marinette I really like you."
Adrien swallowed and stood up from his bed. No I have to tell her. I have to tell Marinette how I feel about her before it's too late. I'm sure there's another girl out there that's perfect for Nathanael.
"Come on Plagg, we're going to the dance."
Plagg's eyes widened as he watched Adrien walk to the door. "We? What do you mean we?"
"You and me. We're going." Adrien insisted.
"But you said I can sit this one out. What am I supposed to do in a room full of hyped up mushy teenagers?" Plagg complained.
Adrien placed a hand on the doorknob and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. He could just allow Plagg stay home like he initially planned, but then who would come to his aid if he needed it? Sure Plagg was a pest at times, but Adrien also learned that he did offer good advice when it came to relationships.
Still gripping the doorknob, Adrien stood silent for a brief moment before his lips curved into a haughty grin. He suddenly knew exactly what would get Plagg out of his room.
"Are you sure you wanna sit this one out? Cause I heard there'll be lots of camembert."
And just like that, the single little word was enough for Plagg to zip into an inside pocket of Adrien's tuxedo as fast as a hummingbird. "Let's go Romeo!"
"Do we have enough punch?" Marinette walked over to the long buffet table that stood along one wall of gymnasium. Looking down at the large seashell bowl, the blunette let out a relieved sigh and checked something off her clipboard.
"How does it look Marinette?" Ivan asked at the other side of the table.
He was already dressed up in a black tuxedo and a blue tie. Marinette could not wait to see him with Mylene, who was coming in a matching purple dress Marinette designed especially for her.
"It looks great Ivan. Thanks for helping us out." Marinette said with a warm smile.
The large boy returned her smile and went back to arranging the cups in a perfect tower. While Ivan and a few other students made last minute adjustments, Marinette turned and looked around with a proud smile.
As president, it was Marinette's responsibility to prepare and make sure that the dance was supposed to run smoothly. She was in charge of overseeing the decorations, making sure there was enough refreshments, paying the DJ, and of course, monitoring the dance so there was no trouble.
And so far, everything was perfect. The room was decorated with long green streamers, colorful cut-outs of different sized fish and sea-life creatures, blue, green, and purple balloons, and life-size mermaid cut-outs. The buffet table was draped with a dark blue tablecloth and covered with plates and platters of different cheeses, crackers, fruits, vegetables, sea blue punch, and sweet desserts (courtesy of the Dupain-Chengs). On another side of the gym stood a table with a DJ set and large speakers on either side. The only thing that was missing was the actual DJ.
Marinette bit down on her bottom lip and looked down at her phone. It was almost time for the dance to begin. "Where are you Nino?"
All of a sudden a pair of large hands came down and covered her eyes. "Guess who?"
"There you are!" Marinette's frown disappeared and she turned around to see a smiling Nino and Alya standing behind her.
Her best friend was dressed in sea blue, off-the-shoulder mermaid dress with a sequined bodice and silver heels. Her hair was arranged in a neat up-do and she wore a pair of silver hoop earrings. Standing beside her, Nino wore a dark blue tuxedo, sea blue bow-tie that matched Alya's dress, and black shoes. He still wore his favorite headphones around his neck and his dark hair was neatly combed.
"You look beautiful." Marinette admitted. She then turned to Nino. "And you look so handsome."
"I wish I could say the same about you girl but I don't see you ready. Why aren't you dressed? The dance is about to start!" Alya exclaimed, gesturing to the regular clothes Marinette still wore.
Marinette winked. "Don't worry, I have it all covered. Madame Bustier let me leave my things in her classroom. I can go and get ready there."
"Let me help you." Alya offered. She shook her head with tease and tuned to her boyfriend. "We won't be gone long."
"I'll be here getting the DJ ready." Nino declared.
Half an hour later, the gym was full of students enjoying the dance. Music filled the large space and the disco lights bathed the dark room in different colors. Teachers and administrators stood in random spots to observe the students. At the DJ, Nino took requests and experimented with different songs while Max operated the disco lights nearby. Juleka and Rose were dancing with Kim on the dance floor, and Ivan and Mylene were taking pictures at the corner of the gym.
Stepping into the gym, Marinette smiled wide at how successful the dance was. With a deep breathe she turned to her best friend and gestured to herself.
"How do I look?"
"Beautiful." Alya said and wrapped an arm around the girl.
At the moment her best friend stood in a light coral pink, baby doll dress with no straps and matching heels. The flowing hem was sprinkled with small sequined diamonds and to complete her look, Marinette added the same sequined diamonds to her loose wavy locks. A light trace of pink mascara and eyeliner outlined her large blue eyes and her lips shined with a touch of lip-gloss.
"Do you think Adrien will be here?" Marinette whispered as they began to walk into the gym.
"Nino told me he's coming." Alya assured her. She then giggled and leaned close to Marinette's ear. "And judging by how drop dead gorgeous you look I bet it won't take him that long to find you."
Marinette blushed and let out a small laugh as she and Alya moved to the dance floor.
Meanwhile, outside the gym, Adrien approached the large doors and peered into the gym. Loud music echoed from the DJ's stage where Nino was bopping and moving to the beat. A light smile appeared on his face as the blonde boy caught sight of a happy Theo and Mireille dancing in each other arms. By the buffet table, a dressed Alix was blushing and running a hand through her bright hair as a just as flustered Kim was talking to her.
A sudden movement inside his jacket caused Adrien to look down. "Are you going in or what?"
"I can't find her Plagg." Adrien stammered, his gaze moving from one swaying couple to the next. He was able to spot each and every one of his friends except Marinette.
What if she didn't come at all? Adrien quickly shook the possibility off. No of course she had to come. She was the one who set up this dance. Of course she would attend it.
"Adrienkins! Is that you?"
Adrien jumped at the high voice and turned to his right, where sure enough, a smiling Chloe was hurrying towards him. While Chloe wore as much make-up as she usually did, tonight she stood in a bright yellow ball gown with so much layers and poof that it looked as though it came out straight from a princess's wardrobe. All that was missing was a sparkling princess tiara on top of her blonde head.
"Hi Chloe!" Adrien greeted. He lifted his arm in a small wave just as the rich girl approached him. A whiff of strong perfume filled his nose, suddenly making him lightheaded.
"Well? What do you think? Don't I look beautiful?" Chloe purred. She then turned and spun around so quickly that her dress managed to hit two students who happened to walk by.
Adrien forced on a smile and stole a quick glance back into the gym. His heart did a small flutter as he caught sight of a familiar blunette head in the center of the dance floor. There she is.
"Uh hello did you hear what I just said?" Chloe scowled and obnoxiously snapped her fingers in front of Adrien's face.
Adrien turned to her with a brief nod. "Yeah you look so…. um poofy." he revealed and ran a hand through his hair.
Chloe beamed and grabbed the edges of her dress. "It's a Gabriel original! I had Daddy call man himself and make him this dress especially for me. I bet I'm the only one with a Gabriel design here tonight. Have you seen what the other girls are wearing? They look absolutely horrible!"
Adrien blinked and tried to remember his father ever mentioning such a design. "Yeah I um…I bet you are. Look Chloe it was nice seeing you but I have to…"
Turning back to the gym, Chloe suddenly gasped and grabbed Adrien's hand in a tight vise. "Oh my God I think the photo booth is finally empty! We should go take a few pictures Adrienkins! Make some memories!"
Before Adrien could open his mouth and protest, the girl pulled him into the gym and towards the booth where the photographer was adjusting his camera.
"Look who finally decided to show up." Alya mumbled, her eyes narrowing at the couple at the booth.
Marinette turned and her smile faded as she watched Chloe and Adrien pose in front of the pretty ocean background. While Chloe smiled wide and puckered her bright pink lips, Adrien stood as stiff as a statue. Marinette could clearly see that his smile was forced and his arms remained glued to the sides whenever Chloe was not forcing his arm around her shoulders or waist. As she watched Chloe lean in and try to kiss Adrien, Marinette bit her lip and imagined herself in the blonde girl's place. She pictured herself smiling wide for the photographer while Adrien's arms wrapped her in a warm embrace and his face nuzzled her bare neck.
"Poor guy, looks like Chloe's not planning to let him go anytime soon." Alya said with a shake of her head. She turned to the buffet table and picked up two glasses of punch. "Too bad you didn't see him sooner."
Marinette nodded in solemn agreement as she took the offered drink and looked down at the blue juice. She then lifted her gaze and saw a desperate Adrien pull himself out of Chloe's grip and walk away.
"Hey where are you going? We still haven't finished!" Chloe growled. She quickly picked up her dress and began to follow after him. "Come back here!"
Adrien was about to turn around and answer her back when a trio of love-struck girls approached him, their voices high and excited as they pleaded him to take a picture with them. Helpless, Adrien forced on a new smile as each girl took out her phone.
Marinette shook her head with tease and took a sip of her punch. It looked as though Alya was right. She might as well accept the fact that she was not going to run into Adrien at all tonight.
"Hi Marinette." the young woman turned around and her eyes widened at the sight of the elegantly dressed and evidently nervous Nathanael.
Marinette forced herself to push aside her thoughts of Adrien aside and smiled up at the boy. "Hi Nathanael. You look really nice."
Nathanael smiled and looked down at his black suit and dark purple bowtie. He then looked up and took in Marinette's dress and pretty smile. "And you look very beautiful. Did you make the dress yourself?"
"Yes." Marinette could not help but blush at the compliment. She looked down at her dress and awkwardly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
Don't look around for Adrien. Focus on Nathanael. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
Nathanael nodded and ran a hand at the back of his neck. "Yes. The dance is a real success. It looks like everyone is having a fun time."
Everyone except Adrien. Marinette thought. She stole a quick glance back at the spot where Adrien last stood and noticed that he was no longer there.
At the DJ, Nino picked up the microphone and turned up the volume. "Can I get everyone's attention?"
The noise in the room quieted down as all heads turned to the young man. "I think it's time we pair up for our first slow dance!"
Oh no. Marinette bit down on her bottom lip as Nathanael turned to her. She had a feeling he was going to….
"Would you like to dance Marinette?" the red-haired boy asked, hope clear in his gaze as he looked down at her.
Marinette let out a small sigh and forced on a new smile. She then turned and set her drink down on the table. "Sure Nathanael."
An excited smile lit Nathanael's face as he took Marinette's hand and guided her to the center of the dance floor. As the other couples began to sway and a love song began to play in the background, Marinette and Nathanael turned to face each other. His hand reached behind her and rested on the small of her back while Marinette took his other hand into hers and lifted it up so they could dance.
The song began to play and Marinette allowed Nathanael to lead her through the dance. When he stepped back to let her twirl, Marinette turned and caught sight of a frowning brunette-haired girl standing off to the side and watching them. Her long side bang covered a large brown eye and she wore a pretty dark midnight blue dress and blue cardigan.
Marinette tried to recognize the girl and put a name on her, yet nothing came up. What startled Marinette even more was that the mysterious brunette was watching Marinette's dance partner with a dreamy and sad look etched on her face, a look very similar to the one Marinette wore when she saw Adrien with Chloe.
Finally away from Chloe and his fangirls, Adrien let out a frustrated sigh and fell back against the restroom wall. This night was definitely going as he wanted it to go. All he wanted was to take Marinette into his arms, kiss her, and tell her that he loved her.
Casting a quick glance at the door, Adrien opened his jacket. "You have three minutes."
Plagg flew out of his jacket with a chunk of cheese in his paws. He let out a relieved sigh. "I thought I was never gonna get out of there!"
He then threw the cheese into the air and gobbled it down in one loud bite. "So did you make any progress?"
"No I didn't!" Adrien scowled and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Is there ever a time when I'm not being chased by Chloe or a bunch of fangirls?"
"Well not really, I mean you are tall, good-looking, and not to mention every girl's crush. So no I say you'll never get a time alone. You might as well forget it kid."
"Seriously? You're telling me to give up? I thought I could count on you." Adrien declared with a shake of his head.
Plagg blinked and his shoulders moved up in a small shrug. "You want my advice? It doesn't take a word, not a single word. Go on and kiss the girl."
"Kiss Marinette?" Adrien blushed and tugged at his tie. "That's it? I should just go up to Marinette Dupain Cheng in the middle of the floor and just kiss her?"
"Yes, just kiss the girl. And for once in your life stop being so polite and give in to everyone else's needs and wants. You don't like Chloe so don't give in to her. Just walk away. You don't wanna take a hundred selfies? Just smile and say I need to be somewhere, I'll have Nathalie send in autographed pictures. You came here to tell Marinette how you really feel so just do it! Do what you came here to do!" Plagg cried.
Adrien blinked, stunned at his kwami's outburst. Who knew a small black cat could be so persistent? Turning to one of the restroom mirrors, Adrien straightened his jacket and lifted his chin.
"I'm going to do it. I'm going to go up there and I'm going to kiss Marinette." he announced. He then turned and opened his jacket.
Satisfied, Plagg flew into his little pocket and Adrien began to make his way out of the restroom. Just as Adrien was about to head out, the door opened and Nino poked his head in.
"There you are! I was looking all over the place for you." He took note of the determined look on Adrien's face. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to kiss Marinette and tell her how I truly feel about her." Adrien answered with a confident smile.
Nino's eyes widened and slight hesitation appeared on his face as he turned back to the hallway. "You might wanna pick up the pace. Cause I just spotted Marinette with Nathanael and there was some serious talking going on. Looks like he's just as confident as you are."
"I never knew you were such a good dancer." Nathanael said as he and Marinette stood by the buffet table. Before them, the other students danced to an energetic Katy Perry song. The mysterious brunette girl was nowhere to be seen.
Marinette grinned and nibbled on a starfish cookie. She really did not know how many times Nathanael complimented her tonight. "Thanks, I took some extra lessons when I did ballet a few years back."
Nathanael suddenly looked once again nervous as he glanced around the room and then stepped in front of the girl. Marinette caught sight of his anxiety and arched a brow.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Everything's fine it's just that…." Nathanael let out a confident breathe and looked down at her. "Marinette I just want to say that I like you."
Marinette's eyes widened and for a long moment she did not know what to say as Nathanael bit his lip and ran a hand through his bright hair. "I like you a lot, and I've been wanting to tell you this all night. You're sweet, kind, beautiful, brave…"
"Nathanael…."
"And I've been having this crush on you for a while and I was hoping that…."
"Nathanael!" Marinette exclaimed.
Nathanael blinked and closed his mouth as Marinette smiled and placed a hand on his arm. She sensed a pair of eyes on her, and when she stole a glance behind her, Marinette saw the brunette girl watching them from nearby.
With a light sigh, Marinette turned back to her dance partner. "Nathanael I'm happy that you like me, and tonight was really wonderful and I'm having a lot of fun but the truth…" Marinette swallowed. "The truth is that I like you too…but just as a friend."
Nathanael nodded and a sudden hurt look passed his face. He stepped back and looked down at the floor. "Oh I see…"
"I'm sorry." Marinette whispered. Truth to be told she liked Nathanael, but Marinette knew that they could never be more than best friends. Her heart belonged to Adrien, and from what Marinette seen tonight, she knew that nearby, another girl's heart belonged to Nathanael.
Nathanael looked up and shook his head. "I knew it, I knew that your heart belonged to someone else. How could I've been so stupidly in love for nothing?"
"Attention folks! Let's partner up and dance for our final slow dance song! Everyone partner up! Don't be shy!" Nino encouraged on the stage.
"Nathanael wait!" Marinette stepped forward and reached an arm out, yet Nathanael turned away and began to walk towards the doors.
Quickly, Marinette turned to where to brunette girl was, only to find the spot she stood on bare. All around her, the other students were pairing up to dance through the song.
There you see her.
Sitting there across the way,
She don't got a lot to say.
But there's something about her.
Standing alone in the middle of the blue lit floor, Marinette sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, unaware that a tall, handsomely dressed, young man was approaching her from behind.
And you don't know why
But you're dying to try
You wanna kiss girl.
"Can I have this dance Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng?"
Marinette turned around and she swore she felt her heart flutter at the warm smile on Adrien's face. He stood behind her, poised in a half bow with his hand extended out.
"Adrien!" Marinette grinned and approached the boy. She glanced at the space around him and gave him a teasing look. "Where's Princess Chloe?"
"I might've told her to back off while coming here." Adrien scoffed and rubbed a hand at the back of his head.
"Turns out she hates rejection." he then held his other hand out and dipped into a polite bow. "So what do you say? Can I have this dance?"
Marinette bit back her grin and placed her hand into his. She then let out a small gasp when Adrien pulled her close and pressed her body to his. Holding her hand lightly, Adrien began to lead Marinette through the dance.
Yes, you want her
Look at her, you know you do.
It's possible she wants you too
There's one way to ask her.
"I saw you with Nathanael." Adrien whispered as they gently swayed to the music.
Marinette winced and looked up at her partner's warm green eyes. She wondered if Nathanael was still in the gym or if he actually did leave the dance. "I hurt him."
"How?"
"He told me that he liked me a lot. And I turned him down because…." Marinette felt her voice fade as she looked up at Adrien's handsome face. Inside she felt the butterflies go wild in her belly. "….because my heart belongs to someone else."
"Hmm funny...because my heart belongs to someone too." Adrien revealed in her ear, his breathe hot on her neck and his grip on her body tightening.
Marinette looked up at him in surprise. Just as she was about to open her mouth and ask who, Adrien's lips came down on hers in a soft and passionate kiss. Something inside Marinette sparked as she blinked in surprise.
A few seconds later though she slowly closed her eyes and gave into the kiss. Her hands came up to Adrien's soft hair and her fingers weaved through the gold strands as Adrien's arms tightened around her waist to bring her close. They continued to kiss and sway throughout the song, oblivious to the other dancers.
La la la la, La la la la
Go on and kiss the girl
Go on and kiss that girl!
La la la la, La la la la
Go on and kiss the girl
Go on and kiss the girl!
Pulling back from Marinette's sweet lips, Adrien grinned and leaned in close so his lips were close to the girl's ear. "Let's get out of here. I think I see unwanted company heading our way."
Marinette giggled and nodded quickly. She could not believe it. Adrien had just kissed her. It seemed too good to be true!
Still holding onto the young man's hand, Marinette allowed Adrien to lead her off the dance floor and towards a back door of the gym. As they passed the DJ stage, Alya stepped off to the side with a bright grin.
"Don't worry, we'll take care of Princess Chloe and your fangirls." she assured them.
Unsure if she could be anymore happy, Marinette grabbed Alya and pulled her in for tight hug. "See you soon!"
"See you soon, now go!" Alya chuckled. She pulled back and playfully pushed a blushing Marinette towards the doors.
"Where are we going?" Marinette asked out loud as she and Adrien moved to through the dark hallway of the academy.
They were far enough away so Chloe or anyone else could find them, and Marinette was just as excited and curious to know where Adrien was taking her. They weaved through a few dark hallways and up a few flights of stairs.
"You'll see." Adrien chuckled as they moved up yet another mysterious staircase.
Marinette did not respond. Instead she squeezed Adrien's hand and watched Adrien as he stopped before a door and opened it. A few seconds later he turned back to her and nodded for her to come. They moved through the door and stepped outside. Above them the sky was dark with night and the air was warm with the occasional breeze. Stunned, Marinette looked around, suddenly recognizing where they were.
"Are we on the academy's rooftop?" she exclaimed. She let go of Adrien's hand and turned to see a secretive smile appear on his lips.
"Yes, I like to call it our Secret Place. Up here no one can find us." Adrien said in a loud and carefree voice. He stretched out his arms and spun around in a swift circle. "We can sing and dance and do whatever we want!"
Marinette could not help but laugh as she turned and took in the spectacular view of nighttime Paris. The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre Palace, and many streets glowed bright and beautiful. Just as she thought the night could not get any better, Marinette heard a soft song begin to play behind her. She turned around curiously, and sure enough, she saw Adrien approach her with a small iPod in his hand and a bright smile on his face.
"It's not the famous Nino Lahiffe, but I think it can work don't you?" Adrien asked. He turned the volume up until Ed Sheeran's "Photograph" began to play from the iPod. He slipped the small device into his breast pocket.
"It's perfect." Marinette felt her smile stretch from ear to ear as Adrien approached her and took her into his arms once more.
His warm hand gripped hers and her heart steadily beat against his as they began to dance to the song. Halfway through, Marinette looked up and met Adrien's smile. Not stopping their calm swaying, Marinette leaned in and kissed her true love on the lips. Pulling back, Adrien opened his mouth, wanting to tell her the three little words that he wanted to say all night. The words though did not have the chance to come out as Marinette leaned in and nuzzled his neck.
Happily, Adrien pressed a kiss on Marinette's head and pulled her close. Kissing her seemed good enough to him. And now Adrien knew that he had an entire future to say a hundred "I love you"s to Marinette Dupain Cheng.
Outside the academy, a glum Nathanael sat on one of the steps in front of the school and silently watched the cars drive by. He was so focused on the passing vehicles that he did not hear the sound of approaching footsteps.
The young man straightened and turned just in time to see a tall and pretty girl with long brunette hair and dressed in a long dark blue dress approach him.
"Is the dance not fun for you?" the brunette girl asked.
"No not really." Nathanael answered, turning back to the road. A few moments later he heard the girl step up beside him. He turned and watched her as she sat down to his right and wrapped her arms around her knees.
Turning to suddenly curious boy, the girl smiled and brushed her side bang back from her eye. "Want some company?"
Nathanael hesitated as he took in the girl's pretty dark brown eyes and small timid smile. He quickly brushed back his own bright side bang. "Sure."
The girl's smile widened and she slipped a strand of wavy hair behind her ear. "My name is Adeline Monnier."
Nathanael's cheeks flushed a slight pink and he found himself returning her smile. Perhaps some company wouldn't hurt.
"I'm Nathanael Kurtzberg."
Thanks for reading! I was originally going to end the story with the Adrienette rooftop scene, but I felt bad for poor Nathanael and so I added the little scene with him and Adeline.
As of right now I'm done with school and officially on summer break. :) I hope to get back into the habit of writing and posting new stories real soon. If you liked this one-shot then I have a few more ML stories titled "My Hero", "Roommates", "The Old Recital Song", and "The New Dress". Check them out if you like!
Until next time! :)