Gotham's Own Ladybug

Seven

Stepping into the limousine, Marinette felt smooth leather caress her skin as she took a seat. The faint scent of ginger wafted into her nostrils, making her let out a small smile at the reminder of home.

Damian closed the car door behind her, making his way over to the opposite side.

She felt the seatbelt click into place as she lay her hands on her lap, turning her head up to meet the male's gaze.

He voiced, "Alfred, you can set off to the manor," before relaxing onto the back of the seat. Marinette copied his movements, and soon the vehicle was lapped into silence as the engine roared to life.

"You don't seem so surprised to be in a limousine," Damian noted. "I expected you to be fawning, or at the very least surprised like everyone else usually is."

Grinning, she shot back, "Well, I guess I'm not like most people."

"I won't disagree with you there, Angel."

A slight blush spread across her freckled cheeks again, as she glanced bashfully to the side.

"I've noticed that you wore glasses to school today," Damian started. "Are they for your eyesight or are they simply an accessory?"

Her eyes widened, suddenly remembering the Horse miraculous that she had decided to adorn. Pushing the spectacles up the bridge of her nose with a finger, Marinette answered with, "No, they're not for my vision. I just think they suit me well, honestly."

"You're not wrong about that."

She giggled as a response, saying, "I think you'd suit glasses too, Dami."

Whilst the two exchanged easy conversation in the back of the vehicle, Alfred watched subtly through the upper mirror, and gently smiled at the clear display of friendship. However, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the glasses that Marinette was sporting, noticing that the rose gold rims didn't hold any lenses.

As he was contemplating, Marinette's gaze drifted to the windows, taking in the passing streets and skyscrapers. Damian focused his attention on the girl, seeing her pull out a familiar notebook from her backpack.

Clicking the tip of a pen, she brought it to the paper, and began to sketch out the basic outline of a structure. Out of habit, her tongue slightly stuck out of her mouth as she eyed the window for any more stone gargoyles in sight.

Damian's lips twitched at the scene, but before they could form into a smile he caught the knowing eyes of Alfred, and locked his jaw shut. The butler only shook his head in amusement as he turned his attention back to the road.

The teenager craned his slightly flushed neck back to Marinette, yet instead spotted the manor not too far away at her side.

"Angel?" he called, as Marinette distractedly hummed in response.

"We're almost there, so you might want to pack your book away."

Instead of doing so, she simply scribbled a few notes in French beside a drawn image on her page, and tilted her head in a questioning manner. "Is it okay if I'm able to bring it in with me?"

"You can take your belongings from the limousine, Angel," Damian assured. "However, I don't see the point in taking a sketchbook if we are going to be having dinner in the Manor."

Marinette chuckled lightly, finally slamming the pad shut. "It's something I'm used to doing," she explained, beaming up at his taller figure. "You never know when inspiration can hit, so I tend to carry some sort of notepad or paper if I can in case a new idea strikes."

Though the car slightly shook from the bumpy Gotham roads, Marinette managed to keep eye contact with the male, who was fighting to keep the blush off of his face.

Where was this confidence when I gave her a tour of the school?

After a few more minutes of waiting, the limo pulled up at the Wayne Manor - the structure shadowing the three oncomers like a giant. Taking a look around, Marinette couldn't help but fawn over the beautiful fountains and the well-tended flowerbeds present, much to the amusement of Damian.

He exited, strolled to the other side of the car at a steady pace, and allowed Marinette to see the manor's entrance when he opened her door. Outstretching a hand, he waited for the girl to intertwine their fingers and lightly pulled her upwards.

Expecting her to break off, he was pleasantly surprised when she sent him a beam of gratitude, soon followed by her walking forward with him trailing close behind.

Alfred moved further ahead, and let in the two teens with a small smile. They entered the building, with Marinette glancing around in wonder.

Damian's lips upturned, as he held his arm out and offered, "A tour, Angel?"

Pink dusted her cheeks, yet she simply let out a miniature giggle and wrapped her arm around his.

"J'adorerais ça, Dami."