Quarantine In Prague

Chapter 6: The City of a Hundred Spires

Alya: Did you kiss?

Marinette: No! I just fell asleep on his shoulder.

Alya: And he let you. :smirk:

Marinette: He was just polite...

Alya: Oh Marinette... how are you enjoying it anyways?

Marinette: Stressed out.

Alya: That is your natural state. I mean Prague, Adrien and all that! The atmosphere!

Marinette: We just landed so idk. U doing fine?

Alya: Better I guess. If he let you sleep on his shoulder, he likes you, Mari. Give it time, walk around the magical city, ride the exciting wave of mystery and charm him good! 

Marinette: Alya... -.-  Adrien will be ultra busy... Plus how can I charm him.

Alya:  Adrien told Nino that he has a trip planned for each and every day for the first two weeks. So unless you stay locked up in your room, everything will be all good.

Marinette: Gotta go. Bye <3

Alya: Good luck, silly ;)))))))

Adrien whistled as they walked through the Prague airport, getting their luggage.

"What is it?" asked Marinette.

"I am just surprised the check ins here are not called - czech-ins." Adrien shrugged.

Marinette sighed slightly. It seemed like Chat Noir's personality slowly rubbed over all Parisians, even Adrien. Her head felt a bit foggy still, but she payed it no mind.

Adrien threw his bags over one shoulder, bound two of his suitcases together and somehow still managed to carry Marinette's things effortlessly despite her grand complaints about being able to do it herself.

Apart from the virus prevention ultra slow procedures, they got out of the airport quite smoothly to Marinette's great surprise. She didn't break anything, she didn't topple over some cables, she didn't even forget any documents nor lost her wallet! A miracle! She really was lucky...

The airport was extremely small, compared to the one in Paris, but Marinette and Adrien both agreed it had a comfy, cute feel to it. They marched out and just stood there. The chill wind outside was no warmer than back at home, but somehow, Marinette didn't mind at all. Marinette honestly didn't remember much of the logistics of how they were going to get from the airport to the hotel-apartment. Were they supposed to take the bus or...?

Someone cleared their throat next to them and both teenagers jumped up.

A tall man in a strict black suit and hands folded behind his back stood there with an obvious chauffer hat.

"Mr. Agreste?" he said with a Slavic accent. It did not sound Russian at all though. 

Adrien looked around him, still somehow unsure if he was the one being spoken to. "Yes, that's me."

The strict man nodded, then pulled out his phone while signaling the teens to follow him. They looked at each other hesitantly, but when they heard Nathalie's voice on the other side of the man's phone, they relaxed and followed and... and wow.

One might say that the hotel's car could easily rival even the Agreste family ultra-modern super-car in style. It was so smooth, elegant and noble at the same time that Marinette felt like she wasn't worth even being close to it and was instead supposed to walk behind it on her own two feet. Those thoughts where chased away when Adrien guided her and helped her in the car almost like if it was a noble carriage for his princess. She shook her head. Such thoughts were dangerous. What if he saw her blushing? She reminded herself to control her emotions or risk that it would end badly for her.

The driver started the car and drove out the airport without saying a word the whole ride. Marinette jumped in her seat. 

"What is it, Marinette?" said Adrien, a bit worried.

"I forgot to text mom and dad- oh they will be so worried, they will think I crashed" she spoke faster and faster, her words turning into one. "-and-that-they-will-never-see-me-again-and-all-mydreamsofbeinginPraguewith-you--" she squeaked. "They must be really scared, I mean." She really hoped didn't notice her comment about dreaming of being with him...

"Marinette. I am sure they tracked the flight and saw that we landed safely."

Marinette sat down in her seat properly. "Oh. That's probably right. I should still tell them- And look!" she showed him her phone. "My phone didn't show me all these notifications! Sixteen messages in under ten minutes, can you believe that? Isn't that crazy." She shook her head.

Adrien looked out of the window. "I think it's nice of them that they care about you so much. It means they really love you."

Marinette bit her lip, regretting everything. She quickly sent them a "All ok" message and then turned to Adrien. "I...uh." What do you say in such a situation? For real?

Adrien asked couldn't stop this one thought repeating, again and again, buzzing in his brain like an infinite swarm of mosquitos.

Father... Do you care as well? Do you care about me... at all?

Watching the strange, foreign city around him through the frozen, foggy window made him feel truly alone.

Well, not alone. He turned at Marinette and felt a wave of guilt ran through him. He saw her shocked, biting her lip as if it was a piece of candy, lost for words. Poor thing, she feels bad for what she said. He smiled. Smiling always helped others. Smiling with pain was what he was good at. Smiling made people not look more closely... 

Marinette relaxed. He is not mad after all. Or is he? 

She was not sure exactly, but she thought she saw a brief glimpse of... something in Adrien's eyes. It was as if she saw one crack in his armor, in his smile, revealing something else. Maybe Adrien saw that she saw, maybe not, but he suddenly jolted to the side.

"Look, Marinette!" Adrien pointed out of the window. "The Prague Castle! Over there!"

And truly, there it was. The wonderful castle sat on top a hill, overlooking the whole city. The majestic seat, the crown of Prague, the jewel of Europe...

"Prague is called the city of a hundred spires, " Adrien explained. "because of all the historic churches, cathedrals, castles, towers, universities and more, all having those lovely spires..."

Marinette was in awe. The city seemed stuck in time, picture perfect right out of the medieval times... Then she noticed a bridge over the wide river Marinette didn't know the name of and there, she saw cute old-school trams running both ways. Marinette gasped. 

She fell in her seat, basking in the view. Months, here, with Adrien. She closed her eyes. It was too much. It was far too cute.