Marinette had never felt more alive. The evening was still fresh in her mind, the memory of her date withtheAdrien Agreste was pulsing in her chest like the sweetest of melodies. Every time she thought about the way he had smiled at her, her heart fluttered uncontrollably and she couldn't stop smiling. The way he had looked at her — as if she was the only girl in the world — was enough to make her feel like she was walking on clouds.It was perfect, too perfect, she thought. He'stoo perfect.
"Maybe... maybe this might be the start of something," she mused to herself, grinning like a lovesick fool as she walked through the now empty streets of Paris.
Her day had been a whirlwind of happiness. She could still feel the warmth of Adrien's hand brushing against hers, even if it was only for a moment, as they sat on the park bench, their laughter mingling in the night air. They had talked about everything, it felt like forever with him and yet time flew by so quickly. She wasn't sure how long they'd sat there before the night had ended, but she knew that it was a memory she would cherish forever.
"I can't believe this is really happening," Marinette thought, a little breathless with excitement. "Me and Adrien... together?"
But as the thrill of the evening's events simmered down, a strange feeling began to stir within her. It wasn't quite dread, but something was off. The night was beginning to feel fragile, like a beautiful glass sculpture at risk of shattering at any moment.
She shook her head, brushing the thought away.Don't be silly, she told herself. Nothing could ruin this. Nothing could stop her from being happy. Not after everything they had been through. She was just overthinking things again. Right?
Suddenly, her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her reverie. She pulled it out of her pocket and stared at the screen. A message from Alya popped up:
"Are youstill on your date?Big news! Something crazy is happening in Paris right now.Text me back. URGENT.
Marinette tensed. Her gut feeling told her something was wrong, but how she wished she didn't have to deal with it right now. That she could just, for one night, be a normal teenage girl and gush over her date with the boy she's loved for years. She sighed when she turned around the block.
But when opened the bakery door softly and saw her parents, with their arms wrapped around each other, and the news about the Hawkmoth's newest villain on the TV, something clicked in her. Shecouldn'tbe a normal teenage girl. She was ladybug. She was chosen to save the people of Paris from Hawkmoth's selfish desires and manipulation. Paris depended on her to help them. People she loved depended on her. And she couldn't let them down.
She slipped out onto the cold street, immediately pulling out her phone and texting Alya:
"Just saw the news. I'm on it"