My room was nearly done; everything was packed all neat and organized in a stack of boxes Daddy already brought downstairs. I was just tying up some loose ends up here. Tikki was helping by scouting every inch, nook, and cranny of the drawers, under the bed, and in the closet. Thankfully she was in the middle of doing that when company arrived. "Ten minutes until the moving truck leaves, Marinette!" Mom hollered up from downstairs. "Ok, Mom!" I called back. Ten minutes- that gives me just enough time to make sure I've left nothing behind in here. I proceeded to jam my backpack full when….. "Wow! This place looks so different now that all your stuff is gone."

"Plagg!" I darted around on my heels. The little black kitty kwami was flying there just below eye level behind me. He lazily scanned about the room with a sort of disinterested attachment. "I never realized how big your room was before. Then again, you did jam pack it to the brim with pink, frilly junk….. I mean "things"." I sighed, bringing my hand up to my startled heart. "Plagg, how many times do I have to tell you? Please don't sneak up on me like that," what if Tikki was out when you arrived? Or worse, what I was in the middle of transforming? Cat Noir's kwami doesn't know that I'm Ladybug either, and trust me, that's been a difficult secret to keep for all these years with this little guy randomly popping by.

Of course, Plagg couldn't be bothered with any of that. He simply huffed and waved his hand up and down dismissively. His posture changed to one of laying down in a casual manner. "Ah, what's the worst that could happen? It's not like there's anyone else here," he remarked ignorantly. I rolled my eyes; he has no idea. Plagg yawned again and did a little twirl in the air.

"So, excited to move houses?" "Not particularly. I've loved living in this part of Paris; it's where I grew up. Don't get me wrong; I LOVE downtown Paris, but…" I hesitated to continue. Plagg's eyebrow raised in a mischievous way. "But?" "But let's be honest, I'm not thrilled about moving into a complete stranger's house," I sighed and continued to fill my backpack. Plagg shut his eyes for a second. "Maybe it'll be a nice house with lots of space. And a garden! You love gardens." "Almost as much as you love cheese. Why are you here anyway?" I asked the kwami. He tilted his head a bit to the side nonchalantly. "I just came to check on you. Cat Noir wanted to know how you're doing." Cat Noir is worried about me? Awe! I love it when he's overprotective, even if it does mildly inconvenience me when he sends his kwami. Course he has no way of knowing that I'm his partner in justice, so I can't fault him for that. It was a very kind gesture, despite us supposed to be "broken up".

I smiled, cause of course I did. "That cat….. He's so sweet." "Well, if you ask me, he's a little overprotective of you. It's always "Marinette this" and "Marinette that" and "oh, I hope Marinette is ok"," Plagg countered in a mocking voice, which only widened my grin. "He's just worried about me. He is a superhero hero, after all." "More like "super pain". But I'll be happy to report that you're doing well." "As well as I can be given the circumstances," I uttered under my breath. Plagg waggled his hand in the air again. "You're worrying too much. Paris's city centre is a great place to live! There's the Eiffel Tower and the Seine and more cheese shops than you can count!" "It's not the location that's the problem. I'll be living with the man who's supposed to be my future husband." "So? You still have Cat Noir. Marry for money and keep your side piece for love. Viola! Best of both worlds. Men have been doing it for centuries." "You're impossible," I shook my head with a sigh. "No, I'm hungry. You didn't possibly save me any…..?" He tapped his hands together with eagerness. I looked at him and grinned. He truly is impossible, but charming- just like his owner. "Downstairs in the fridge. I managed to save some camembert for you." His face lit up with delight. "You're the one who should have been a superhero!" He began flying towards the staircase. I gave him a wave. "Say hello to Cat Noir for me!" "Will do!" And with that, he was gone.

Tikki did the wise thing and waited a full minute just to be sure Plagg was really gone. She flew out from my closet with a disgusted look on her face. She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Ugh, I hate it when he shows up out of the blue like that." "Awe, Plagg's not so bad. He's just…. eccentric." "More like annoying. I don't know how Cat Noir's put up with him all these years." "He has the patience of a saint," I grinned, zipping my bag up shut. "Heh, well they say love is blind. Then again, he must be a saint to live with a kwami like Plagg for so long," Tikki giggled. I shook my head and put on my backpack. With one last look around the room, I confirmed that absolutely everything was gone.

"There! All done. I'm ready to….. move," my lips lingered on this final word. Tikki looked at me concerned. "Are you alright, Marinette?" "No. Actually I'm….." "Marinette!" My sentence was cut short by my mother coming up the stairs. "Quick, hide!" I opened my bag for Tikki to fly in. Mom arrived just as I was zipping it shut. She grinned and came over to beside where I was standing in the centre of the room. Scanning about approvingly, her head nodded and she set her hand on my shoulder.

"Looks good. All ready to go?" "Uh, y-yes. I… I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be," I wasn't able to meet my mother's gaze as I said this. She looked at me a moment, then took my hand in hers. "Marinette, sweetheart. I know this isn't what you had in mind when you thought about getting married before. Your father and I realize the sacrifice you're making and we don't take it lightly. We're thankful; from the bottom of all our hearts, we're thankful to you." "Thanks, Mom," I gave her a sad, small smile. She let the moment linger before continuing on.

"I know…. this isn't easy for you. Moving to a brand-new house and meeting your fiancé all in one day…. I just want you to know how proud I am of you, Marinette. You've taken this in stride so far and we couldn't be prouder," her hand squeezed mine. "Thank you, Mom. Hearing that makes me feel a little better," a little. That's when her warm, assuring expression altered to a more serious one. Her grin gradually declined into a stoic line.

"That being said, I think…. I think it's only right that you give Adrien a chance." Adrien! So that's his name. Better remember that this time. Wait, what did she just say? I blinked at her dumbfounded as she went on talking. "He didn't ask to be in this arranged marriage either; remember, both of you are in the same boat. It's not fair for you to brush him to the wayside before you have a chance to get to know him. He's going to be your husband one day- the least the boy deserves is for you to at least try and love him." "Mom!" I gasped. She brought her other hand up to cover the hand she was holding. "I know you've had boyfriends before," she said. Boyfriend- I've only ever had one boyfriend before actually. "But Adrien is different. You're going to spend the rest of your lives together. For the sake of your happiness and his, give him a real chance. Will you do that for me, honey?" She finished. "Mom….." I stared her straight in the eye now. I mean….. What can I say to that? I'm already so madly in love with Cat Noir that all others seem ridiculous. But I'd be lying if I said that she didn't have a point. After all, Adrien didn't ask for any of this either… Nugh! This is why I wanted to break up with Cat Noir last night! How can I give Adrien a fair chance if I'm secretly still seeing Cat Noir on the side? Even if we did break up, I wouldn't stop loving Cat Noir. In truth, I doubt I'll ever be able to love Adrien anywhere near as much as I love him. But I can at least be friendly and amiable with Adrien- that is, if Cat Noir is out of the picture. And he made it pretty clear last night that he's not going anywhere soon. Jesus Christ! How'd I ever get myself in this situation? This is a nightmare!

Mom squeezed my hand like she was expecting an answer. "Marinette?" She prodded. My turned scrolled back to her and I inwardly sighed. What other choice do I have? She's got a point and has made her expectations of me crystal clear. Sorry, Cat Noir. You know that my heart belongs to you, and I'm more than a little sure that it always will. But…. I inhaled deeply and looked my mother straight in the eye again. "Ok, Mom.

I'll….. try."

We all helped the movers load up the moving van. Daddy and the movers did most of the hauling by the time Mom and I came down. I took one last look around the place before Daddy locked up. Truthfully, it didn't look like "home" anymore; not the home I'd once lived in anyway. Just an empty shell of a place. This whole experience made me realize just how much furniture and stuff we had. I also made sure to check the fridge to see if Plagg was gone. Both he and the cheese were nowhere to be seen- good. Now I can leave the house with that peace of mind anyways. The movers shut the moving truck's door and the three of us loaded up into the car parked in front of the truck. Daddy was driving, Mom was in the passenger's seat, and I was in the back. "Everybody say "bye house"!" Daddy announced in that booming voice of his. "Bye house," I whispered to myself, taking one last look out the window. Tikki sunk out of my bag to sit on my lap. She cuddled into my leg in an attempt to make me feel better. I just looked down at her, saying nothing and petting her head as the tears fell down my face.

The drive into Paris wasn't long; a little over forty minutes or so. The traffic got heavier and heavier the closer to the city centre we got. Ah, traffic- guess this is something I'll have to get used to. It's gonna become a part of everyday life living down here. Daddy seemed very unimpressed by how slow the lanes were going, but he said nothing. Neither did Mom, who remained quiet until we reached the Eiffel Tower. Only then did she break the miasma of uncomfortable silence. "Ooooooh, look Marinette. Paris's most famous icon." "You and Adrien should go on a date there," Daddy tacked on. "Daddy!" I flinched in my seat. A date? With Adrien? Why does it feel so weird going on a date with my fiancé? I mean, we are engaged, but…. But….. I've only ever been on dates with Cat Noir. I don't want to go on a date with Adrien…..

Wishing it was him instead the entire time.

It took longer to reach the manor once we were in the interior of Paris than driving on the highway outside it. Looks like we won't be driving much anymore. Eventually we arrived at our destination. It was one of those old, beautiful, really fancy old Parisian mansions; the types you see in movies. You only have a house with THIS much space in Paris if you're super rich, and I do mean "super" rich. Our family is very well off, all things considered, but we were nothing like this. Adrien's dad must really want those family connections over in China, I thought biting my lower lip.

Daddy parked the car and the movers followed suit behind us. The movers immediately began unloading as the three of us approached the gate surrounding the estate's front lawn. At first none of us really knew what to do, but soon enough Daddy pressed a button which looked like it could be a doorbell. The security camera whizzed in our direction.

"Yes?" This unfriendly female voice emanated from the speaker. "Uh, we're the uh, Dupains," Daddy held the button down as he answered. "Hold please," the cold voice replied. There was beeping and buzzing, and then the gate slid open automatically. We looked at each other and proceeded to go inside. We weren't used to technology guarding a house like this. Again, something we'll have to get used to.

The manor was HUGE! Mom told me Adrien's family was rich but I had no idea I'd be moving into a place like this. It's the modern-day Versailles of Paris. Cat Noir's gonna get so lost if he comes searching for me in this mansion. I had to give myself a swift mental kick here. No! Stop thinking about him! You're about to meet your future husband, you idiot! The walk up the front steps- which were ornate and grand, by the way- was….. awkward, to say the least. Mom and Daddy both looked as uncomfortable as I was to be there. By the time we reached the front doors- which were also elaborate- we were a collective mess. But we pulled it together really quickly. We all straightened up our postures and anxiously waited while Daddy pressed the doorbell. I held my breath, not uber excited to see what and who was on the other side of this door.

One of the double doors opened to reveal this thin, tall lady in a suit. "Mr. Dupain, I take it?" Her voice was the same one from the intercom. "Uh, y-yes. That's me," Daddy scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. This woman seemed so strict and humourless. "Please come in," she opened the door wider, stepping aside to let us in. Going inside this place was like entering the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles for the first time all over again. It was grand, it was vast, and it was gorgeous. Yet there was something vaguely…. cold about it. It was like that feeling you get when you go into a rich friend of your grandma's parlour. Everything's beautiful and untouched, but it's not a welcoming environment. Kind of like the host is polite to you but doesn't really want you there.

This aura didn't bode well for meeting my future husband and father-in-law.

The stiff lady waited until we were all a way inside before shutting the door. She approached us with her hands clasped together. "I'm Madame Nathalie Sancoeur, assistant to Gabriel Agreste and his personal housekeeper. You must be Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng," her head shot over to me. My back flinched; what a terrifying lady. "Y-Yes, that's me!" "Welcome to the Agreste estate, Marinette, Mr. and Mrs. Dupain," he eyes glanced over to my parents, who's spines also arched. "Uh, thank you, Ms. Sancoeur," Mom replied. Ms. Sancoeur checked her watch.

"Mr. Agreste will be down shortly." "Great! We're really looking forward to meeting him in-person. Him and Adrien, of course," Daddy stated with some enthusiasm. Ms. Sancoeur checked her watch again. "Master Agreste shall be joining us soon. He's just finishing up with his fencing lesson." "Fencing! Did you hear that, Marinette? Adrien fences," Daddy told me from over his shoulder. My hand lifted up to my face. He always gets so over-excited about things, and this is something I didn't feel we should get too excited about. Ms. Sancoeur relaxed her posture ever so slightly. It was barely noticeable but I noticed. "Mr. Agreste shall be down first. He should be here in a moment." "I don't need a moment. I'm here."

My heart stopped. All eyes drifted over to the white marble staircase where this older man wearing a sharp suit descended. He looked tall, austere, callous, and very, very intimidating. It took all of three seconds to realize that this man was my future father-in-law; a chilling thought all in itself. While all our stares were locked onto him, his eyes were firmly cemented onto me. I could see them move as he did, constantly staying on where I was positioned in the room. It was a little eerie, if I'm not gonna lie. No one else seemed to notice it and he marched over to us, clasping his hands behind his back. He came to stand right in front of me, towering over me formidably so. This guy looked like he was allergic to smiling.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, we meet at last," his voice was so scary, it could freeze up a room. It certainly put me on edge. Still, wanting to make a good first impression I forced a smile. A SMALL smile. "H-Hi. I-It's nice to meet you, Mr. Agreste," not! I think he could see through my fear, considering the fact that he didn't waste any more time with me, instead turning to my parents. He stuck out his hand to shake my father's. "Thank you for coming all this way, Mr. and Mrs. Dupain. I hope the drive didn't take too long." "Oh, not at all! I mean, we'll get used to the city traffic, coming from the outskirts and all," Daddy clearly struggled with his words. Mom quickly stepped in to rectify the situation. "You have a very lovely house, Mr. Agreste," she said, though I could tell by her tone of voice that she was nervous. Mr. Agreste brought his hand back around his back in a power pose.

"It's "our" house now, Mrs. Dupain." "Please, call me Sabine," Mom waved her hand in the air. "And I'm Tom," Daddy added. Mr. Agreste's eyes shifted between the pair; it was literally like I was invisible to him. "Yes, so be it. Well, Tom and Sabine, welcome to your new home. Nathalie's already had personal access cards prepared for all of you," he peered over to her from over his shoulder. Ms. Sancoeur nodded that this was correct. With that confirmed, Mr. Agreste carried on talking to my parents- again, not to me. "They'll give you access to any room in the house, including the front gate and garage." "Thank you, Mr. Agreste; or Gabriel. Can I call you Gabriel?" Daddy inquired. "If you must," Mr. Agreste rolled his eyes. I will most definitely NOT be calling him by his first name. Screw that noise. He clearly had no intentions on becoming familiar with me, so why should I try with him? Besides, it's not him I'm marrying anyway.

My future father-in-law motioned to the top right-hand hallway at the top of the staircase with his shoulder. "You and Sadine will have a wing of your very own on the top of the right side. Miss Dupain-Cheng will have her own wing in the back. My son's room is on the opposite side of the estate. Miss Dupain-Cheng and Adrien will stay in separate wings until after the wedding," he informed us. Mom nodded her head at this. "As it should be." "I've also had Nathalie contact Miss Dupain-Cheng's university with all the relevant information. Her name will be changed to Dr. Agreste on her Doctorate at the time of her graduation." Ugh, this man! He simply refuses to call me by my first name… for some reason. And wait a minute. He did WHAT?! I didn't say he could contact my school like that! What kind of controlling family was I marrying into? If he's willing to do that, who knows what else he'll do! Better check my room for cameras when I get there.

Even Mom and Dad were taken aback by this but did their best to maintain their poker faces. Mom wore the most forced grin imaginable. "How very…. forward-thinking of you. Good job." Good job? GOOD JOB?! What about any of that was "good"?! It sounds like we're falling into the hands of a controlling dictator. Can't imagine what it must have been like for his son to live with all these years. Speaking of his son….

"You'll have to forgive Adrien for his tardiness. My son partakes in several extracurricular activities and has a very complicated schedule," as if reading my mind- yet still only speaking to my parents- Mr. Agreste apologized for Adrien's absence. Daddy's hands shot up in front of him. "Oh no! No, that's fine! We get it! Our Marinette has a busy schedule too; it's just the way things are for kids our age." Only then did Mr. Agreste look at me again, though I doubt he was going to say anything to me. "Indeed," he responded to Daddy, all while still observing me.

The sound of a door opening down the hallway on our level made me and my parents jump. But Mr. Agreste and Ms. Sancoeur merely turned to the direction the noise echoed from. The sound of frantic footsteps could be heard coming up the hall towards the main entrance. This boy, about my age I'd say, rounded the corner in a hurry. "Sorry I'm late, Father!" He called out. I watched him with more curiosity than anything and then this unconscious sinking feeling took over my stomach. It felt like a pit being pried open agonizingly slow. Oh….. Oh no. I wanted to wince my eyes shut, the pain was growing so intense. This boy, this one who just appeared on the scene. I couldn't be one hundred percent sure but…. But I had the most sneaking suspicion.

There was my future husband- the man I was forced to marry.

I felt like I was going through surgery by the time he reached us. Tall, slender, light-blonde hair, pale skin, and very, very attractive. He sort of reminded me of Cat Noir. But I knew that such a coincidence was impossible. That type of thing only happened in movies, and this was no picture film. The boy stopped just feet away from Mr. Agreste, put his hands on his knees, and took in some much-needed air. Mr. Agreste snarled disapprovingly down at him but decided to let the boy speak first.

"So sorry I'm late! I got caught up in my fencing lesson and….." His lips suddenly fell silent when he finally glanced over to me. His jaw fell agape, his eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. It honestly looked like he couldn't believe his eyes- or his luck. Just the way he looked at me right now….. "I love you, Marinette. Nothing's gonna change that; not now or ever…. My little lightening in a bottle, my princess." My heart skipped a beat, all breath turned to cotton in my throat. Why….? Why am I thinking about him now? Why now of all times?! This boy is not Cat Noir; I would know, wouldn't I? But then, Cat Noir can't tell I'm Ladybug and we've fought together for years. But… No! No, you've got to stop thinking about Cat Noir! I love him- we get that! But you need to stay focused right now! That was easier said than done though, seeing the way this man practically gawked in absolute stun at me right this moment.

Everyone else didn't seem what to make of this. Even Mr. Agreste seemed surprised. "Adrien?" He finally broke the stiff silence in the room. Adrien- I guess this was Adrien- blinked wildly, shooting his head in his father's direction. But as soon as he looked at his dad, his eyes were locked back onto me. The widest, purest grin covered his entire face. He looked like it was Christmas morning and he'd just gotten his most favourite toy…. for reasons I couldn't begin to fathom. Still ogling me, Adrien's mouth dropped open again.

"Yes! Oh, yes! I-I absolutely accept! Oh my god, this is perfect! This is wonderful! This is ideal! This is…" Adrien's words fell off at the shocked and speechless expressions we were all giving him. This is ideal? What the hell is he talking about?! We don't even know each other. How would he know if this is an ideal partnership or not? Has he… stalked me before or something? No, he doesn't seem like the stalking type. But still! What the hell is he going on about?! Everyone else's faces said the same thing. His father in particular eyed him sharply. That shut him up quick as he nervously peered back his way.

"This is my son, Adrien Agreste. You'll have to excuse him; he's usually very self-composed." There was a moment of silence, only broken by Daddy waving his hands around in the air again as if to waft away the awkwardness surrounding us. "Not at all! It's wonderful to see you so excited to meet us…. er, our daughter. Hello there, Adrien; it's nice to meet you, young man." "Nice to meet you too, sir," Adrien tore his eyes away from me with some reluctance, glancing over to my parents with a soft, elated grin. I honestly didn't know what he was so happy about- that makes one of us anyway.

Mr. Agreste cleared his throat. "Adrien, this is Tom and Sadine Dupain; your future in-laws." They gave one another a warm, friendly smile. Mom did that cooing thing parents do when they're happy. "Oh, Adrien; you're simply charming! Isn't he something else, Marinette?" I'll say….. Then, again with some reluctance, Mr. Agreste turned his attention back to me. His son followed suit, staring at me with eyes like sponges. "And this… This is Miss Dupain-Cheng, your fiancée as of now." "Fiancée…." Adrien repeated to himself, savouring the word on his lips. It made me cringe. I'd be super into this if it was with you-know-who; not some stranger I'd never met before. Even if he was insanely hot.

I visibly winced when he unexpectedly came over to take my hand in his. He brought it up to his lips in a very smooth motion. Once again, he looked at me with those eyes….. Those eyes that reminded me so much of…. of… "Marinette, right? The pleasure is all mine," he soothed before bringing his lips to the top of my hand. My eyes widened; my heart froze. No… No! This is so wrong! I feel like I'm cheating on Cat Noir already. What should I do? What should I say? How can I make this better? How can I be loyal to both men….? Nugh, that's such a stupid question in of itself! Of course I can't be faithful to both at once! I'll have to pick one,

and it looks like the decision's already been made for me.

The moment Adrien's lips touched my skin, I rapidly pulled my hand back, bringing it to my chest and covering it protectively with the other. All the adults behind us blinked in surprise at my action and Mom shot me a disapproving glare. Adrien, for his part, looked equally surprised at first but his smile returned soon enough. He relaxed his posture a little, slanting one leg and gently shaking his head. "Course," he muttered more to himself than to me. "Pardon?" I inquired, unsure what he meant by this. But he quickly shook his head even more exaggerated. "N-Nothing; it's nothing. I'm just very pleased to meet you, Marinette- believe me." "O-Oh, w-well I'm happy to meet you too…. Adrien," so NOT! This is only gonna make things more complicated. Cat Noir would be so jealous if he knew….. God, why didn't he just let me break up with him and live with a broken heart for the rest of my life?! At least that would have been easier to deal with than this.

Mr. Agreste stepped over to Adrien, putting his hand on his shoulder. "You two will have plenty of time to get to know one another before the wedding," he reassured his son- not me! But Daddy nodded in concurrence, folding his arms. "Absolutely! There's loads of time for all of us to get to know each other. But we better "move in" first." "Quite right, Tom. I'll have the….." Mr. Agreste was cut off by the sound of a truck horn blowing outside. Ms. Sancoeur opened the front door where you could see one of the truck drivers waving at us. Mr. Agreste gazed at Daddy unimpressed. "Your wears, I take it?" "Righteo! We better go help them unload." Mr. Agreste let out a mild sigh. "Very well. Nathalie will show you to your wing of the manor. Adrien," he next turned to address his son. "Yes, Father?" Adrien perked up at the sound of his name coming from such a man. He gave him a firm look. "Show your fiancée to her quarters. Make sure she gets her card and has anything else she needs." "Yes, Father," Adrien nodded obediently. Satisfied with this, Mr. Agreste took off down the hall, but not without one last glance at me. He looked at me for a second, and he wasn't smiling…..

But Adrien was- at me. My head spun back to see Adrien smiling right at me. And those eyes…. Something in those eyes…. Something I'll have to learn to get over if I'm ever going to make this relationship work. His hand extended out for mine, waiting patiently in the air. "Shall we, milady?" I blinked bewildered at him saying this. My hand steadily rose up to my pounding heart- it was beating fast and not in a good way. "W-What did you call me?" Only then did his smile start to fade. "Milady?" Oh… Oh no! No! Nope! No, no, no, NO! Only one person before has ever called me that, and I wanna keep that way.

My hand rubbed the back my head awkwardly as I looked anywhere but at him. "Um, yeah! That! About that! Er, could you… please not…. call me that?" "Huh? Why not?" Adrien looked surprised and confused. My cheeks began to blush while I did my best not to think about you-know-who. Man, this was NOT easy! "Uh! W-Well it's just…. S-Someone calls me that…. I mean someone used to call me that! And… And it's just a special sort of pet name between us and….." Oh my god, I sound like such a loser! Ok, let's start over again. Collect your thought and then speak. "It sounds weird when it comes from you," to my utter horror, I heard myself blurt that out. My eyes grew gigantic in sudden terror. No, not like that, you IDIOT! Try again, try again! "N-Not that you're weird! Course not! It's just that… Well I'm weird with that word and….."

My body entirely froze at the sensation of his hand suddenly on my shoulder. His strong hand… Almost as strong as you-know-who's. I gawked back at Adrien wordlessly and find him smiling back at me. He wore the most understanding smile of which I couldn't fathom. My heart raced faster when his fingers gave my shoulder a tender squeeze. His eyes softened onto mine. "It's ok; I get it. You don't need to say more; I won't call you it again." "A-Adrien?" Is this a good sign? He's being so cool about everything; it must be a good sign. But why is he being so understanding? I don't get it…. I don't understand. Maybe it's a rich person thing.

He had his hand on me for some time, only reluctantly removing it after a minute or so. He didn't offer me his hand again but I did notice how close he was standing to me. He stood next to me and looked straight me with those endless eyes….. "Come. I'll take you to your new room," he said in the gentlest voice you can imagine. Gulping, I nodded in compliance and let him lead me down the hallway. We said nothing, though I did catch him eying me from time to time. He wouldn't stop looking at me…..

Looking at me and smiling, unconsciously so.