Quarantine In Prague

Chapter 2: Marinette's Half Frozen Brain

"Oh, Adrien! I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE" She screamed and dropped backwards, playing totally innocent (and failing miserably). She turned ninety degrees and started to step away with a weird smile on her lips. 

"Yeah, I didn't see you there either." Adrien laughed. "Wait, you are going already?"  

Marinette paused mid step and looked at him with her shocked-deer-on-the-highway face. "Going? N-No not at all." she turned at him completely. "I was just... Legging my stretch- I mean stretching my legs and I... eh. Yes." She wanted to facepalm herself with a flower pot. 

Adrien raised his eyebrows. His black and green mask suited him, with his blond hair and green eyes, like a crown fits a prince. He looks so much better than Chat Noir, doesn't he?  

"Marinette?" 

"That's me." she nodded with a weird smile. What am I saying... No... I am ruining it all again! And in a near split second she felt like she would cry.

Adrien looked at her for a moment.  "You know, Marinette, talking with you is never boring." 

"Thin- You think?" Marinette babbled.

 "Yes. I mean, you always manage to say something in a such a silly and cute way-" But he stopped when he saw Marinette's tennis ball eyes. DID HE SAY I SAID SOMETHING CUTE?! Adrien, probably scared of her reaction, raised his hands in panic. "Eh, I mean, funny. I meant to say, funny." He chuckled nervously and looked around. 

Funny. >:( ... Wait... That's still good! HE THINKS I AM FUNNY.

Silence.

"That's... gooood!" She didn't think of anything better to say, but the silence was too awkward. Or was it? Now it was even worse...

"So..." Adrien found her eyes again and she was resolute to not glance away this time. Blood rushed to her cheeks - Maybe he will think it's because of the cold. 
"What are you going to do now that everything is closing down?" He said with an unsure smile.

"Probably drive my parents crazy, lay in my bed most of the day and cry because I can't do anything I want, with the people I want and just be a a sad, locked away mess." Marinette froze. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? DID THAT BLUE COLOR OF YOUR HAIR SPILL INTO YOUR BRAIN,GIRL? What will he think of me now... That I am a depressed good for nothing that has nothing going for her? Well played. She looked down at her feet. 

And then he chuckled. His laugh, sweeter to the ear than a morning bird orchestra, washed over her like a cure all. Her mood skyrocketed, her want to cry dried out and her life energy quadrupled. 

"Oh and Marinette?" said Adrien with both a raised eyebrow and a smile.
"Yes?" Marinette subconsciously checked her hair and smoothed over her clothes. "Something wrong?"
"I think you put on your mask backwards" He chuckled as her eyes tripled in size out of embarassment. Marinette turned away and clumsily tried to put it on the right way. When she mistakenly thought she got it over both her ears, the mask flew away in a sudden gust of wind.

Marinette covered her mouth and pushed down a shriek. NO! She stepped to run after it, but Adrien grabbed her by the shoulder.

"You won't catch it." Adrien said, nodding to the mask already disappearing behind a street corner, no doubt on its merry way to finally seeing the Eiffel Tower close up and ordering a double croissant with jam. Marinette jumped up at his touch, but still held her hands on her mouth. Then she nodded. Fantastic. Brilliant. Of COURSE you had to have the mask on backwards. This is terrible. Is this how Adrien is going to remember me? Oh, that stupid girl that can't even put on a mask?