Crisp air whispered softly into her ears, sending shivers to run up her spine.
With blurred vision and trembling fingers she walked up her path; a rather tangled line.
The seemingly unknown city that stood before her under the dark night sky gleamed with iridescent lights, piercing her clouded mind. A groan escaped her parted lips along with her visible breath in forms of clouds as she struggled to keep going.
Tossing her pink suitcase aside for a moment, she used it as her support to withstand the pain that weighed down her heart. She looked up at the sky for a moment, letting light tears trail down her face.
She felt cold in a way she'd never felt before. Perhaps it was the numbing breeze that blew long midnight locks into the night. But it was mostly that emptiness that hollowed her heart, that loneliness.
The girl exhaled a humorless laugh.
"I couldn't have been more stupid."
Silence surrounded her. Rarely, it was interrupted by the common passerby; business people on their way back home after a long exhausting day, because, who else would be walking around in plain winter at midnight?
"Only me and my stupidity," the bluenette thought as she cleared up the lingering tears from her face.
"Marinette, quit calling yourself that." Another whisper in her ear. "Everyone commits mistakes."
Marinette laughed once again, causing a random pedestrian to gawk at her strangely.
"Yes, I'm crazy", was what the bluenette wanted to yell at every judging eye, at every pointing finger. "I'm complete and utterly senseless and I don't give a damn."
"Marinette."
Her voice hinted at disapproval, but the girl knew that behind it she felt proud of her for not caring anymore, and for realizing how much stronger she was.
"You know what, Tikki?" The girl thought with a slight smile.
Marinette could hear her humming in the vast of her mind. She continued, "I say we start looking for a place to spend the night. Tomorrow is a new day and we will need the energy to begin once again."
Her friend giggled in her mind, voicing her thoughts of approbation.
It had always been like this.
Silence had long surrounded the girl, and before she knew it, she'd been all alone. Though never truly. She had always had that small, caring voice in her head. That sweet confident and companion.
Her guardian angel.
"Aish... Where are gentlemen when you need them?" Marinette whined as she struggled with her suitcase. Seemingly high heels didn't help either. Why had she chosen those shoes out of all days, she didn't know either.
"Excuse me, lovely lady," a husky voice suddenly said from behind her.
She turned around to come face to face with a man. Dark brown hair fell over light hazel eyes. His physique could only be described as sturdy and well built. The male appeared to be on his middle twenties.
"Wow, I jinxed it."
"Mari, I don't think we should trust this--"
"Would you like some help with that?" He signaled her grand bag with his chin, a smirk barely tugging up his thin lips.
"Um, actually, I don't think-" Marinette was cut off when the man pushed her aside, almost throwing her onto the cold pavement.
He snatched the bag from her, turning on his heels and preparing for his race.
"And this is what I get for asking for a gentleman... Should have expected it, really."
"Not trying to be mean, sweetie. But, yeah, you should have."
"Hey! Come back here you little-"
Suddenly, the man fell down on his knees before turning a corner.
"What the heck?"
He shifted his eyes upwards. Surely he felt how someone had stuck his foot out for him to trip on, but who, he hadn't seen anyone around, he had prepared his plan well.
But upon glancing up, his eyes widened for they had never seen something more outlandish and scarier in his life.
A man looked down at him, his eyes a piercing green. No, it wasn't their color that surprised him the most but the way his pupils stared at him with a nerve shattering coldness that froze him into place. They were also quite strange, his eyes. Extremely bright and luminous, and very cat-like.
The man then smirked maliciously, minuscule, sharp fangs pierce lightly through his lips.
"That is no way to treat a lady."
"What?" The man thought with wobbly legs, his heart skipping beats while fear ran up and down his spine in an interminable frenzy.
"You know," the man with curious eyes started with a smirk. "If I were you, I'd give that back."
He took a step forward, the hoodie that had long covered his head almost falling as he did so, lightly revealing a pair of silky black ears.
"Now."
The man rapidly stood up, taking small steps backwards at first before full on running away from the mysterious man.
Said man smiled lightly to himself. His ears flickered with the knowing presence of the girl, he rushed to cover his head again with his hoodie.
Thankfully, he had stayed behind a building, which had covered his little scene from her eyes.
The boy stepped forward to finally face the girl when she appeared around the corner, softly bumping into him.
She looked up and lightly bowed, "Sorry."
Then, she stopped to take a proper look at him. "His eyes..." She thought. But never did she mention about their uniqueness for she had knew how it felt to be pointed at for your quirks or flaws. She loathed that feeling.
So, she smiled, "Thanks so much for your help, I shouldn't have trusted that creep, really, it was stupid of me to do so. So, thank you, I mean it."
He didn't know if it was the way she smiled at him even after seeing him-- with sincerity and acceptance-- or how she sounded truthful to her words but it made his heart skip a single beat. He caught his breath, unsure of how to respond for not many dared talk to him.
"You're welcome," he shortly replied after regaining his composure.
"Please let me invite you a drink as thanks," Marinette blurted out rapidly, surprising herself.
"Marinette, what are you doing?!" Questioned her exasperated friend, her voice on edge.
And Marinette didn't know. God, she wished she did but she didn't. She just felt the urge to voice those words. Perhaps it was the feeling that radiated from him, so different and even inhuman. Or she simply just needed someone to accompany her through a drink.
He stared at her in surprise but then bursted out laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" She demanded, almost jokingly. "I hope you didn't get the wrong idea, or else..."
He finally stopped, clutching at his aching sides, "No, that's not it. It's only... You just said you shouldn't have trusted that man, what makes you think you can trust me."
Marinette's cheeks reddened lightly at that in embarrassment. She sure was coming off as an innocent child.
Finally, after gathering her thoughts, she answered.
"Well... I don't know, you seem trustworthy, I guess. And, I've already fucked up my life enough for a day, so why not one last time?" Marinette responded sharply. "It's not like things could go worst."
The male looked at her intently. She was shorter then him, and so, he hadn't been able to take a proper look at her eyes. They seemed empty behind that luminousness that made them so beautiful. He, too, realized the light shade of red surrounding them, a clear sign that she had been crying.
Maybe it was the way her eyes reflected his- void and ethereal, clear and intangible- what made him take the treacherous, yet quite appealing, decision.
"Alright."
"Pardon me?" Her eyes doubled in size.
"I'll accept the drink," he finally said, the faintest of smiles appearing on his lips.
"Great," Marinette murmured, though still finding herself dumbfounded by his sudden choice.
The girl resisted the urge to throw her fist to the air, for she preferred to avoid any more weird stares.
"Finally something goes my way!"
"I'm still unsure about this," Tikki's knowing voice appeared on the back of her mind, reminding her, as per usual, to not commit anything stupid.
"Oh, come on, Tikki. This might just as well be a beacon light for us! Besides, there's nothing to lose... I don't have any money." The girl chuckled in her mind, feeling her friend's utter weariness after putting up with her for years.
"I don't know why I'm surprised, as expected from you." Though meaning to be serious, she sounded rather teasing.
"You know me. Simply can't stop my nonese-"
"So..." The male broke the silence, finally. "Shall we get going?"
"Mhmm," Marinette nodded, reaching for her suitcase.
"Let me help you with that," the blond stretched his hand towards it, only to be stopped by her.
"Uh-oh," the girl shook her head, her long blue locks following its movement.
"I'm not trusting any 'gentleman' anymore."