Dreams of You

Chapter 17

Marinette

Alya wrapped Marinette in a hug as soon as she stepped into their room. "Are you alright?"

"Hard to say." She had too many questions left. The things she had found out refused to settle in her mind.

"I guess that means I'm free to leave?" Nino tiptoed towards the door.

Alya glared his way. "We'll continue tomorrow. Don't forget I know where you live, Lahiffe."

"Of course." The man vanished before either of the girls could wish him goodnight. As soon as the door behind him closed, Alya dragged Marinette to the bed and sat her down. "Okay. Now, spill."

Marinette didn't even know where to start. Which part should she shock Alya with first? But then Alya, most likely, wouldn't be shocked at all. She was Alya Cèsaire after all. She loved everything—

"Nino did tell me a thing or two. Willingly."

Marinette quirked an eyebrow. "Willingly?"

"Details, Marinette. Details." Alya waved off the question and grabbed her friend's hands, her eyes sparkling. "The main thing is that you have magic inside you. Isn't it cool? How does it feel? Did you suspect anything? Is that why you heal so fast? Girl, I have so many questions."

Marinette couldn't help a chuckle. "Believe me, I have a ton of questions myself. Adrien promised to tell me everything tomorrow since it's the middle of the night and both of us had quite a day."

"Speaking of Adrien, how did he figure you out? Do people who can use magic give off a certain vibe he recognized? Like some particular aura or something? Or is it—"

Ringing inside Marinette's ears drowned out Alya's voice, exhaustion rapidly overtaking her body as the initial shock of the evening was starting to wear off. She hardly thought of what she was saying, barely hearing her own voice, but Alya kept asking questions and Marinette was blurting answers on autopilot. It was only when Alya's eyes bulged and she jumped off the bed and started to pace around the room did Marinette perk up. What did she say to send her friend in a frenzy?

"Destruction, you say?" Alya murmured, halting her steps and looking at Marinette. "Don't you think it's a bit too much of a coincidence that Adrien, who possesses the power of destruction has the same name as the prince, who is rumoured to possess some kind of destructive powers?"

The most inelegant of snorts slipped Marinette's lips. She shook her head, almost laughing. Adrien? Her dorky boyfriend with the sweetest tooth in the world? A prince? "I think I'm not the only one who needs rest right now."

Alya had never looked more offended. "It's a perfectly viable theory, M. Same name? Check. Same powers? Check. No one knows how the prince looks, so it could be your Adrien. We know Adrien's rich, just like the prince, and we know his father works at the palace, just like the prince's father. And come to think of it, I've been noticing Nino being suspiciously protective of him, always by his side... well, he was always by his side until you two started dating, and then Adrien was practically glued to your hip overnight. But they live together, go everywhere together and when they are not, they constantly check in on each other... not even that—" she frowned, "—it's more like Nino's checking up on Adrien all the time. He could be his bodyguard or something. You can't tell me this isn't suspicious."

Perhaps it was. Perhaps it wasn't. Whatever the case, Marinette had no strength left in her to admit that on top of everything else she'd been hit with today, she might have been dating the notoriously mysterious heir to the French throne. "Come on, Alya. They are just really good friends. Nino is like a brother to Adrien. He told me so many times. And I'm pretty sure if the two of us ever moved to a new town on our own, we'd be checking on each other all the time, too."