Deep breath in, deep breath out. It's just a party Marinette, this is daily life for you. You're a celebrity. I walk slowly in, idle chatter to either side of me and music all around me. For an 'underground' party this place sure had some swank. I stroll over to the bar and take a seat, reviewing my surroundings.


I casually jog up to my friend, best friend that should be, hand raised for a high five. It is met warmly and welcomingly, transitioning to a friendly handshake and hug.

"Adrien, dude, so good to see you. How've things been? Did you get that job?" The slight rough edge to Nino's voice had stayed and grown slightly, giving his smooth accent a bit of contrast.

"Sadly, I did not, but something else happened that is even more important." I pass him the card from the other night.

"What could be more important than you getting a- no way dude..." His jaw drops, his eyes wide. "How on Earth?"

"Pure luck, we happened to be in the same bar at the same time." My eyes cloud slightly as I remember the peck on the cheek and the profession of bygone love. I'm not gonna forget that in a hurry.

"Told you these things were still lucky." He taps the jade bracelet on his wrist, it sounds hollow, like something's missing from inside it. They all sounded that way these days, without the voices of the Kwami to fill the void. "Tell you what dude, I'm DJing for this party tonight. Nothing major, just a more underground social event. A few big names there but I'm not sure who. Host says I can invite whoever I like. Why don't you come along and maybe bring a guest." He must've guessed what had happened last night.

"I'll think about it. But for now, duty calls." Our codeword for me going to the unemployment office. I give him one last high five before heading to the metro. Life was hard when you weren't rich.


A ringing pervades my ears and my dreams, I reach for the phone that had appeared beside me

"Hello?" My eyes flutter open, confused as to why I could still hear the ringing. My conscious mind slowly arrives at its desk and tells me that my phone is actually ringing. I fumble to the left of my left side and drop it once or twice before finally getting it to my ear and answering it.

"Hello?" Who was calling at this hour?

"Uhh, hey Marinette. It's Adrien. Did I wake you?" Adrien. Snap. Alert. He sounded a tad confused. What time was it? Noon already? I had badly overslept. Lucky I had Fridays off. Too much was 'lucky' these days.

"Uhh, no." Lies. "I'm just tired from… jogging." More lies. I don't jog.

"Well I was gonna ask, Nino invited me to a party he's DJing for tonight and he said I could invite whoever I liked. It's probably not your kind of thing, underground social event sorta thing, but feel free to come along." My childhood dreams claw their way out of their fog and remind me that this was what I had always wanted. I kick them back. I do not need to be reminded.

"Oh, well I'll try and be there" Could I make it? Maybe. I don't know.

"I'll see you there. Dress casual. But well." I have to stifle a giggle.

"Adrien I'm a renowned fashion designer, I always dress well."


I'd stayed true to my promise. I was wearing one of my more off trend pieces. A grey-brown pilot's jacket with a nice comfy and fluffy collar worn over a white shirt with a floral decal. The top half of the outfit was contrasted by a pair of pink jeans, slim but straight cut, not skinny. My hair was tied in a ponytail, smart yet still fun, and it had its distinctive blue shine under the lights of the party. It was kinda wasted though, everyone was already partnered off and chatting in pairs or threes. Nino was on stage, reading the room and matching or moving it. I heard a squeak of a stool behind me and spun to see Adrien taking a seat.

"We gotta stop meeting at bars" He ordered a drink.

"You're the one who invited me." There was a slight snark in my voice but the tone was mostly humorous.

"Guess it's my fault then." He chuckled and leant back in his chair, arms behind his head. Quick Marinette, small talk.

"There sure has been a lot of... weather lately." I shouldn't be this nervous. I should never have come, if I'm being honest with myself. I could've made an excuse, busy with work, date with Spence. Another party even. But I had come anyway. I couldn't keep myself away, never could. My better judgement closed up shop whenever it saw him. That was why I did what I did. That's why I stopped trying.

"Sure has, gotta love all that weather." He laughed at my blunder. I hadn't heard him laugh like this in years, not since his umbrella closed on my head. I couldn't help but beam at him and laugh myself, it was infectious. He patted my shoulder and I jolt a millimetre, enough for him to notice but not enough to comment.

"I'm gonna go dance, I'll leave you here with your weather." He stood up and stretched his arms, groaning as I sigh, annoyed yet amused at his teasing. I mutter a 'have fun' then turn back to my drink, straight gin. The song playing came to an end and I vaguely caught the sight of a mischievous grin on Nino's face as he changed records before my breath caught in my throat.

My favourite song. The song that had played at Adrien's 'birthday'. The one that had played at Chloe's party and the one that Nino had played at my own birthday. I turned slowly on my stool to face the crowd and at that moment, he became the only one in the room. Standing there, swaying with one arm on the other. A shining beacon of beauty and hope for the world. Always so filled with positivity even against the greatest adversity. I remembered why I fell in love with him and I was overcome. Overcome with him. I couldn't help it, I had to, there was no choice, this was my destiny. This was my reasoning as I stood up from my stool and stride to him, grabbing his hands. He opens his mouth but I lay my finger over it to silence him.

"One hour." I meant it. "One hour and then never again." My hand found its way up his shoulder and I raised the other to my right. We stepped in time to the music, the motions coming to us naturally. Slowly, I slipped into an embrace, leaning on his shoulder. It felt like…

"Deja vu." The words came from his mouth not mine, but I thought them the same. We'd danced like this 10 years ago, the night we fought Despair Bear side by side without knowing it. "You're even dressed the same." And I was.

"I'm not alone." Despite his clothes being dirtier and a bit crushed, the jeans and off-white shirt were a perfect match to my memories.

"If only your hair was in those cute pigtails." He stroked my hair softly and smiled slightly pleadingly.

"No chance, I'm not 14 anymore." I'd cut those off years ago, when I was away… with Spence. My thoughts flew to him, sitting at home, probably dusting off a vintage record. He wouldn't mind, would he? It was only an hour. And it wasn't like he needed to know anything. This was my chance.

We stood like this for what felt like 2 hours but I knew it wasn't because I'd promised myself we'd only do it for one. I was broken from my trance by loud footsteps running away. We both turned to see a figure dressed in yellow sprinting away from the party, blonde hair trailing behind her, crying her eyes out.

"Was that…" My voice trailed off slowly as I realised who our host was. "Oh my god…"

"I hadn't seen her since school. I can't believe it. I honestly feel bad for her, first big party she throws in years and we end up dancing in front of her again." I think he meant it, there was emotion in his eyes. I didn't think I could ever feel bad for such a bitch (hey I'm 24, I can call her what I want) but I nearly did. I wasn't gonna let that ruin my one hour with Adrien though.

"We don't need to worry about her though. Remember, it's only one hour." I softly laid my hand on his cheek and turned his face back to meet mine. He smiles and laughs his infectious laugh. Not wanting to be caught by it again I pulled his head in for the kiss that I always wanted and will always miss.

"Marinette…" His eyes were full of happiness and joy but also guilt. "That was amazing…" I felt my cheeks redden. I felt like I was in the shoes of that 14-yr-old girl again, and she was having a heart attack inside me. I kissed Adrien! she was saying. Despite this, the 24-yr-old me was calm and collected, I'd kissed before. I smile at his face.

"I'm glad you liked it." Also, I'd just realised that he was a horrible kisser. "You might need some practice though." His mouth hung ajar, realising what I meant. Slowly the song drew to a close. I was sad to see it go but it didn't bring me down. I squeezed his hand and led him off the dancefloor.

"What else can we do in half an hour?" My eyes gleamed as I thought of all the fun we could have, unable to pick just a single thing.

"I have an idea." His eyes slowly drifted upwards. "Let's go up there, back into the night sky and stare at the city like we used to. Only this time we won't be looking for villains."

"I'd love to." I clinged to the side of him as we stole away from the party. We laughed and smiled together as we giddily climbed the stairs to the roof and then when we weren't high enough we climbed higher. He perched on a ventilation unit in his catlike crouch while I stood beside him. Multicoloured lights lit up the city and across the Seine we could see the figure of the Eiffel Tower. Broken and torn yet still standing, it was now a symbol of the city's resilience. I took his hand and sat in silence.

"I never realised how beautiful it was, I was so busy trying to keep it that way." There was a tear trailing down his cheek. Sometimes I could barely believe that this was the same man that cracked horrible puns and flirted with anyone in reach of his claws.

"Feel proud, it means you succeeded. We succeeded." I sat down next to him and pulled him close.

"We did, we beat them all." He kissed me again, marginally better this time. I slowly laid him down and stared at the night sky beside him, lightly snuggling. Ok not that lightly.

"Do you ever wish we were still fighting? That we were still back at school trying to balance all our lives? That Hawk Moth was still big bad #1?" I put it poorly but that was the truth of the situation.

"Every single day." He twisted the ring on his finger, it was a practiced motion, a longing one.

"Me too, I don't like to admit it though. I always thought it seemed selfish." I looked at my own engagement ring. It's shine had dulled slightly and I tried to polish it with my sleeve when a thought came to mind.

"You know, if things had gone differently, you could have been the one to give me this ring. If I'd been stronger." I still couldn't get a reflection out of the gems.

"Would you have liked that, Marinette?" He drew my gaze away from my ring to his green eyes. I thought, I stopped thinking, I felt.

"Yes. Maybe. Would you have?" My heart squeezed inside me. Spence. I loved him, didn't I?

"You have Spence, and he loves you. That's what matters." He dodged the question but I let him.

"But for now, this is our time, right? Our time to be in love again?" I squeezed his hands.

"Just like old times." The music wafted up from downstairs, something in English, about time? And being lost? My English still was pretty poor. I stood him up and we planted our feet, slowly twirling around each other, arms outstretched. The lights of Nouveau Paris shone on us, sparkling.

"Why did they ever stop calling it the City of Lights?" I pined for the old days. The old city. The city we defended, not the one we built, but that was all gone now. But did it have to stay that we? Why couldn't we keep it, keep what we had found again tonight?

"Let's just live here, now, for now, Marinette. Our hour." He leant back and we spun, staring at each other, backlit. We spun and twirled in harmony for a few more songs before my eyes fell on my watch. Quarter past 10 already? I sighed and turned to look at the boy, no, the man beside me.

"Damnit already? Our hour is up, but I don't care. I like it here with you" I smiled at him caringly and happily.

"Marinette…" He practically breathed the word.

"I know, I love it too." I glided closer to him.

"No Marinette, you should keep your word. Our hour is up and that's enough for me." I gasped when he said this.

"But…"

"But nothing you have Spence." He pushed me away and stood me up. I was shaking.

"Adrien…" I couldn't get out more than a word at a time.

"You made a promise to me and yourself. Keep it. If not for you, for me." My breathing accelerated and I practically ran down off the roof, tears in my eyes. I heard him follow me and saw him reach out in the corner of my eye. "Marinette, you don't have to go."

"I'll see you later Adrien. Maybe." I picked up my pace and my bag and pushed through the door. I sat on the sidewalk half deep in thought and half looking for a cab. The ride home was uneventful, the streetlights casting stripes of light and dark along my face but I was comatose, replaying the night's event over and over, wanting that hour back. I wandered into my loft and meandered onto my bed, daydreams turning into night dreams.


A/N: I couldn't help it. There was too much potential here. Thank you all so much really for inspiring me to do this however, I never would have if I hadn't got such great feedback. I honestly think this chapter is the best piece I have ever written. It is heavily inspired off One Crowded Hour by Augie March (fans of the song will see just how heavily it is) which lends it its melancholy mood. Now that I've started this, be ready for probably around 10 chapters, they won't all be this beautiful but I'll give it my best shot. Please leave more feedback and reviews, I love hearing from all you guys and it helps me get better so criticism is very welcome.