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{Marinette's POV}
"Come on, girl!" Alya whined, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting like a child. "This is like, the biggest party of the year! You have to come!" My best friend, Alya, was attempting to drag me, notably against my will, to the school's New Years party, and she wasn't taking "no" for an answer. Of course, that didn't stop me from saying it.
"Alya, no! I'm not going to the party!" "Girl, it's New Years!" She said, stomping her foot in frustration. She really was acting like a child. "Let loose and live a little!" Her face lit up and she raised her eyebrows, a Cheshire-like grin, which reminded me a lot of Chat-noir's, lining her face. "Adrien will be there!" Aaaaand there it is. I knew that was coming. I didn't even bother trying to hide my burning cheeks, knowing that any and all attempts would just be in vain.
"E-exactly! Th-there's no way I'm c-coming!"
But you need someone to kiss when the ball drops!"
"WHAT?!" I shrieked. "Th-then it's a definite no!"
"Too bad! Girl, I won't hesitate to drag you there if I have to." With that being said, Alya turned and began rummaging through my closet.
"B-but-" I stammered, trying to come up with an excuse. 'Chat and I are supposed to be patrolling the city tonight, I can't go to the party,' I thought. HawkMoth had been more active than usual lately, so we had started patrolling the city at night, just to be safe.
"No buts! Except for yours in this cute dress!" Alya squealed the last part, turning around with a bundle of fabric held up in both hands. It was a white, non-formal dress with a sweetheart neckline, and three-quarter sleeves. The gold and red accents adorning it shimmered in the fading sunlight coming through the window. I had to admit, it was gorgeous. I didn't even know I owned a dress like that!
"B-but I h-have to h-help m-my parents in th-the b-b-bakery!" Man, I really need to work on that stuttering problem. Alya raised an eyebrow, looking at me with disbelief.
"Seriously, girl? That's the best you could come up with? You told me yesterday that the bakery would be closed tonight." Crap, I did!
"Uhh. W-well, y-you see, I-I-"
"Uhh, nothing!" She shoved the dress into my arms, crossing hers once more. "You are going to put on that dress, you are going to look fabulous, and you are going to kiss Adrien at midnight! No ifs, ands, or buts!" I sighed in defeat, trudging to the corner of my room and sliding my sweater ever-so-slowly off of my shoulders. It landed on the floor with a quiet "thump!" and Alya cheered, victorious.
"I can't believe I'm doing this..." I sighed again, glancing at the dress. It really was beautiful...
"I wonder if you have a matching purse..." Alya ignored me and tapped her chin, turning her attention back to my closet. I slipped off my shirt while her back was turned, kicking off my jeans and sliding the dress on. Alya turned around and dropped the purse she was holding, her jaw dropping almost as far as the purse did.
"Gahhh!" She squealed excitedly. "What did I tell you? Girl, you look amazing!" She ran over and grabbed me by the arm, dragging me across the room and plopping me into a chair.
"A-Alya, wh-what are you-?!"
"Be quiet and let me work!" She scolded, grabbing the makeup bag that was resting on my dresser. I almost never used anything in it, reserving it's contents solely for special occasions.
"W-wait, Alya, that's for-"
"I know, I know, special occasions!" She rolled her eyes, glaring at me. "Lighten up, Marinette! Your first kiss is a pretty special occasion, isn't it?" She winked at me, rummaging through the bag.
"Wha-!" The blood instantaneously came rushing up to my cheeks, turning my face a deep red.
"How about... This?" She held up a black eyeliner pencil, uncapping it and bending down to meet my face.
"No way, you're gonna jab my eye out!" I blurted, earning me another eye roll.
"Jeez, I'm really feeling the love! Now shut up, or I really WILL jab your eye out." I frowned as Alya began working on my face, losing myself in my own imagination. I wonder how I'm going to get myself out of this one... Chat's going to be really mad if I don't show up, and to contact him, I'd have to transform! There's no way I can do that with Alya here, and I doubt she'll leave me alone long enough to transform, call Chat, and change back all without her noticing. Maybe I could feign illness? Or "accidentally" twist my ankle? No, no, then she'd probably insist on skipping the party and staying with me... Maybe I could-
"Hey, girl! You still here?" Alya waved her hand in front of my face, interrupting my train of thought.
"H-huh? Oh, yeah, sorry!"
"Alright, good! Pucker up, girl!" I obeyed without question as she dabbed some light pink lipgloss onto my mouth. "And... There! All done!" Dropping the lipgloss back into the bag, Alya stepped back, both hands on her hips, admiring her work. "You... Look... Amazing!" She cooed, clasping her hands. I stood up walked over to the full length mirror, inspecting myself with curious eyes. I barely recognized the girl in the mirror.
"That's... That's me?" I asked, staring dumbfounded at my reflection. "I told you! Now come on, help me get ready!"
~~~~~~~~
After Alya finished getting dressed and doing her makeup, I slipped on a pair of white flats and we started down the stairs. Ayla's black, medium-length sleeveless dress, paired with her freshly straightened hair and golden wedge sandals, made her look like a princess straight out of a fairy tale. Her makeup was impeccable; subtle, but still noticeable. She looked stunning.
"Mom, I'm going to the party with Alya," I called upon reaching the last step. "I'll be back sometime around one!"
"Oh, wait, let me get a look at you!" My mom quickly appeared and gasped, clasping her hands together. "Oh, you both look wonderful! Hold on, let me get my phone!" Once our impromptu photo shoot was over, Alya and I hopped into the back of my mom's car. It was already 11:28 by the time we reached the school, and Alya was eager to get inside. She practically dragged me out of the car and all the way into the gym, without skipping a beat.
"H-hey, slow down!" I begged, tripping for the third time.
"Sorry," she giggled, slowing to a walking pace. I couldn't believe I had let her drag me into this! And worse yet, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to leave. The gym was beautifully decorated with balloons and streamers, in a wide variety of colors. It seemed that everyone in the school had come, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it. But, as much as I hated to say it, I needed to leave immediately. I couldn't risk leaving Chat alone. Most of the teenagers in town would most likely be out partying, and it was the same situation for most of the parents. Of course, the fact that the few parents who stayed home would likely be intoxicated didn't ease my nerves. If HawkMoth were to try anything, people might not even notice!
"H-hey, Alya?" I said, tapping her on the shoulder. "I-I'll be right back, I need to go to the bathroom!" I raced towards the other side of the gym before she could offer to come along, snagging some cookies for Tikki and placing them in my purse. After making sure no one else was in there, I locked myself in a stall and she came flying out.
"Alright, Tikki," I said. "Spots on!" After transforming, I walked out of the stall and over to the very convenient window. Opening it as quickly and quietly as possible, I looked over my shoulder once more before jumping out into the cold night. I leapt from roof to roof, looking for Chat-Noir, shivering when the cold wind blew through my hair. "Geez, it's so cold..." I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself and trying to cease my chattering teeth.
"Maybe a hug will warm you up?" I turned around, involuntarily sighing in relief. There was Chat, just barely visible in the darkness. All I could make out were his eyes and that familiar smirk of his.
"I think I'd rather freeze to death," I teased, sitting down on the roof and dangling my feet over the edge. He really wasn't that bad, once you got to know him. Of course, all the cat puns did get a little bit annoying, but hey, you take what you can get.
"I'd never let that happen to you, M'lady." He cooed, sitting down next to me and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I huffed.
"You're lucky I don't feel like starting the new year off dead!" I mumbled, leaning into him.
"I was going to suggest you have that girl, Marinette, make us some coats," he purred, pulling me closer to him. "But I think I prefer this!" I rolled my eyes, smacking his forehead with the palm of my hand.
"Remind me to get in touch with her." We sat there in silence for a while, until we heard it. It was faint, but still audible. In a nearby house, people had started chanting, counting down the seconds 'till the clock struck midnight. Quietly, I chanted along with them.
"10!"
"9!"
"8!"
"7!"
"6!"
"5!"
"4!"
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"Happy New Y-" I was abruptly cut off when, much to my surprise, Chat turned my head towards his and planted his lips firmly on mine. My cheeks turned bright red, and every muscle in my body tensed up. I very faintly head the sound of fireworks, but my brain refused to properly register anything, except for the feeling of his lips on mine.
...Why... Am I enjoying this?