Connected Skies

Part Seventeen

"Hey." Alya said catching Adrien just as he was about to walk away from the hospital.

He turned around and began to walk away, Alya grabbing onto his arm. "Come on, we're going inside."

"Happy New Year!" Alya said while walking through the door. Adrien sat in silence the entire time the two of them talked.

**

Kagami and Adrien walked home together. "Looks like it's gonna rain." He said walking in front of her. As rain began to pour, they stood on the patio on some store, avoiding getting wet. "I wish it was snow and not rain." Kagami said. "You'd only wish that until it was piled up."

Talking like we always do. The banter, joking around. Suddenly having to take shelter from the rain. A boy right next to me. "I know you didn't want to see Marinette." "It's not that." "Liar. No, you just can't take it. You still think she'll never have feelings for you." That's why you avoid her. Just like you stayed by my side, I always stayed by yours. I can read you like a book, Adrien.

"You like Marinette, Adrien." She said looked at him. "Yeah." He nodded in agreement.

They both stared at the rain in front of them. "Idiot! She still thinks you put gum on her chair, you know! She always did, remember? As if she'd like someone who'd do that!" "I know." Adrien smiled. "You don't have a chance in hell!" "I know."

Liar. You don't know the first thing about me. You liar. "What a moron. As for you... I am your only choice." Adrien's eyes widened as he looked at her.

She ran away from him through the rain. Suffer, suffer, suffer, just like I'm suffering. The time I exist in, just started flowing.

**

"M-morning." Adrien said to Kagami who he accidentally bumped into. She didn't say a word and just quickly ran away.

What was everything she said yesterday about? She was joking, right? But when did Kagami make those kind of jokes? She said I'm like her kid brother.

**

"You don't have to come by the hospital anymore." Marinette said into the phone Adrien held against his ear. "I know you're busy. You're doing double the work without me. So anyway, have a goodnight Adrien!"

Was it something I did? Maybe I shouldn't of ate her croissants. I never say anything when I'm there. Maybe I pissed her off. If I stop checking in, then I wouldn't have a reason to see you anymore..."

The cat her and him once seen together chased after Adrien who was walking. He jumped slightly at the sound of his phone ringing.

"Hello?" "Look look, there's a plane in the sky!" Adrien look up at it, "Huh, a late night flight." "You can see it too? Wow, the sky's connected." He could hear her laughing. "Is that all?" "Yeah, is something wrong?" He began laughing at the trivial phone call about a plane. The plane crossing the sea of stars. Like a cat, you silently creep up on me.

"You told me not to see you." "I didn't say I wouldn't call you." He smiled staring up at their connected sky. I'm dumbfounded, always following you. "I'll stop by soon." "You know you don't have to, you hardly have the time." "It's not about the time. I want to see you."

A lump of steel floating through the stars. Just seeing the same sky as you makes familiar scenery look different. I swing between hope and despair at the slightest gesture and my heart starts to play a melody. What kind of feeling is this again? What do they call this feeling? I think it's probably called... being in love. I'm sure this is what they call love.

"Is that a problem?" He asked the girl who giggled.

**

Adrien and Alya walked up the steps to the hospital, "You hated when I would invite you." "I was avoiding you guys." He said shoving one hand in his pocket, the other holding a bag of croissants. "Hey, Alya?" She turned to look at him. "I really like Marinette." She smiled, "I already knew that." She laughed as they approached her room.

A nurse rushed past them with a cart full of supplies. "Hey, isn't that Marinette's room?" They walked closer. "Hang on! The doctor will be here soon. Are you with me, Marinette? You'll be better in no time. Take a deep breath! Please hurry doctor! Ms. Dupain-Cheng, look at me! Can you hear me?" Her shaky hand gripped the bar next to her bed. She was shaking violently until her hand fell limp.

He dropped his bag of croissants as the doctor came and shut the door to her room.

**

Adrien walked home as he heard a car screech. He turned over to see the black cat he saw so many times, ran over and laying in the street lifeless. He picked it up and ran to the nearest vet he could find.

The nurses quickly took the cat as he sat in the waiting room, staring at the blood on his hands.

"He was pretty much beyond saving when he got hit. I'm sorry but..." Before the doctor could finish Adrien said a thank you and left.

He scrubbed his hand over and over and over again. Recalling when Marinette pressed her hand against his. "Your hand is happy to be touching mine." Recalling Marinette's lifeless hand falling off the railing to her bed. Tears pouring down his face, Adrien fell to the floor.