mind over mask

thirty-six

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Marinette's POV

I've never felt so happy. It's gleeful, and it's infectious, enough that even Damian, the ice prince of Gotham, (at least, that's what the Gotham newspapers called him) smiled.

Over the past two weeks, I've spent all of my free time on this dress for this single night. I wanted it to be special, and I knew it would be with Damian.

I hoped Hawkmoth wouldn't come and ruin it, but it had been too long since his last akuma, so I was a bit on edge.

Chloe and Adrien were already here, dancing in the crowd. Chloe was in a silky, yellow sresss, which reminded me of the one from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Adrien was in a tuxedo, with a matching yellow tie. They were the best of friends, having fun for a night.

Chloe wouldn't tell me who she liked, and I wasn't going to push her about. Honestly, I don't think I even knew him, it must of been someone she met in New York over the summer.

I think Adrien still had feelings for Kagami. Fading feelings, and he was learning how to deal with them.

The song ends, and Chloe beelines for the refreshments. She's a little tired, but she looks happy.

After all we had suffered through, we deserved this. We deserved to be happy.

Chloe grabs a cup of punch, raising it to her lips when she spots me. She practically squeals, and shoved her drink into Adrien's hands. Adrien eyes go widen as he attempts to grab the drink without spilling over himself. Luckily, he doesn't get any on his pristine suit.

Chloe rushes towards me, and envelopes me into a hug, causing me to let go of Damian. "Oh my goodness! YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!" She screams into my ear.

"Thank you," I say back, and pull away slightly from her. "You look stunning. Yellow is your color."

"Well duh. Hello, it's me," Chloe says, rolling her eyes at my obvious statement.

Adrien makes his way over to us, scowling at his date. "You might as well throw your cup at me next time."

Chloe checks her nails, while staring, "I like to keep you on your toes. A cat always lands on his feet, doesn't he?"

Eyeing Damian, Adrien says to conceal his identity, "I wouldn't know. But please, tell me about your new found crush on Cat Noir."

"That mangy alley cat!" Chloe exclaims. "Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous," she mocks him.

Adrien opens his mouth to argue with her, but he's interrupted by his phone buzzing. He takes it out of his suit pocket, and his face twists as he reads who is calling him. He sighs, "It's my Father. It's important if he's calling me directly. I'll be right back," Adrien promises Chloe and I. He walks swiftly out of the room, out into the cold.

Chloe shrugs, and turns to me, "I can't get over your dress, it looks amazing." She gushes towards me.

"Thank you Chlo. It's worth it to see the looks on Alya and Lila's faces." I shrugged. Damian hums in agreement, although I know he feels like an outsider in the conversation.

The music suddenly gets less intense, and it's replaced my a love song. Nino takes off one side of his headphones, and grabs the microphone, "And this one's for all the lovers out there! Grab your partner, and head to the floor for a slow dance."

I blushed , not really knowing what to do in the situation. Adrien wasn't back yet, and I didn't want to leave Chloe alone.

And then there was Damian.