Shades of Blue (Adrienette AU)

Regret

Adrien's car rolled up outside the carnival, where Alya and Nino shared Cotton candy, once in a while blowing away a piece to the wind, or laughing.

The banner was glistening with the sunlight reflecting on to it, and loud blaring sounds of chatter, laughter and metal scraping metal omitted behind the open gates. The sky was blue, and the Sun only sparkled it further. In all, it was a normal bright happy day, but Adrien, once again, found the sky quite dull.

He stepped out and hugged Nino, greeting Alya. "So, Marinette didn't come?'' He asked, his tone quite bored. Alya shook her head in sadness as Nino nudged her shoulder, whereas Adrien felt cold seeping through.

"Coward."

He muttered. Fight or no fight, she should at least have the guts to look him in the eye, instead of running and hiding like that. Guilt had rocked his conscience enough; he had no right to think of such a person with the glass heart of a coward.

Adrien walked into the carnival, his friends at his heels as they surveyed the park. It was quite boring for Adrien, just as life has always been. Alya and Nino, as usual, third-wheeled him unintentionally, however for once in his life, Adrien Agreste felt lonely.

No... he couldn't feel lonely. Just slightly empty, must be because he skipped breakfast.

At the end of the day, the friends parted as Adrien sighed and sat on his seat, he had to sign some T-shirts at some popular clothing store before he could go home. Across the store, he saw a garden. The little blue rose entrance caught his eye, and he wished to cross the street into it. Perhaps his driver would allow him to do so, and he could excuse his father with the T-shirts. After all, his driver and assistant cared more for him than his father ever could.

Surprisingly, the session ended quite earlier, either it was the green tea, or his own fire blaring to visit the garden across the grand store. For all that glitters, is not gold.

After a small plea, his driver grunted a yes, and Adrien may as well have sprinted across the road to enter. The garden had 4 different sectors, all divided into different pathways. Each had a designated colour. Golden, pink, green, blue. He decided to choose pink, whilst he thought of the blue that had brought him here, for some reason, pink seemed a good choice.

He followed across the tiles, passing flowers such as lilies', lotus and plenty more. His breath hitched in fear as he heard someone humming a very, very familiar tune.

He slowly stepped forward to see a maiden in a pink polka dot frock, with pigtails sitting and planting a lily. He would've brushed her over, walked past or even retreated having his solidarity bubble broken, but the tune. He knew only one person who knew of that tune.

"Marinette?"

He was not mistaken when she turned, her eyes sparkling in the setting run. Or perhaps it was tears? He couldn't tell when he was blinded by mockery. He wanted to call her a liar, a coward and say a lot more, perhaps even enjoy finding her out. But he didn't, he wanted to humour himself and see her excuse.

"Oh, hey Adrien. What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing Dupain-Cheng, you cancelled the trip to the carnival, why?''

He saw something unrecognizable pass her eyes, shade covering her face, but only for a moment as she recovered herself. It was a mix of pain, regret, and acceptance. Adrien moved towards her, and sat down, crossing his legs and looking at her with an expressionless face.

"Why are you avoiding me?"
Marinette's eyes snapped back at him, and she stayed silent. But her eyes and silent plead reached Adrien who nodded, understanding she did not want to speak about it. He squeezed her hand, and they sat in comfortable silence as the sun went down.

"You can't run away forever Marinette, you have to face all of it someday."

He muttered bitterly, looking away from her face which was registered in shock. And he didn't need to turn to know there was hurt too, he had enough of the guilt from this girl. She abruptly got up as he looked over, her eyes full of tears flowing.

"You're- you're just so! I'm done, I am so sorry Mr. Agreste junior I breathed the same air as you and sat with you! The fact I, worthless old me had the audacity to even look you in the eye! I am in debt as you haven't had someone strangle me for being so daring! Well guess what! If I recall you don't like people talking to you, so I may as well leave! Good day your majesty!"

And with that she walked away, leaving a confused Adrien. She stomped, didn't run and she looked him the eye the entire time bearing something else. He felt like running after her, was this regret? No, Adrien Agreste never regretted anything!

So, he did the most rational thing his brain thought of at spur of the moment, he sat. Until his driver came, whisking him away from his confusing thoughts of the garden, bluenette and day. He sat in his car, staring out at the stars, the dark night. Thinking why she had reacted so.

"Tsk, tsk." Complete coward.

He reached home and went to the dining room, and took his seat. It scraped the tiles as the noise echoed for several seconds, before coming to full stop. He was about to eat the chicken as he heard it.

Footsteps. Heavy footsteps. Nathalie had dainty heels; they made a clicking sounds not the step ones. And he knew very well only one person could do that.

"Adrien."

"Greetings, Father."

"I see you're well?"
"I am, I wasn't expecting to see you, that's all."

"Well sit down, I just wanted to inform you we shall meet the Dupain-Chengs to offer our condolences today at 10."

Adrien blinked, shooting back up the chair, Gabriel's eyebrows slightly turning in surprise.

"Why?''

"Oh, do you not know?"

Adrien slowly shook his head, afraid of what was to come.

"Her mother's death anniversary."

**

Adrien lay in bed, his father's voice repeating in his head. Death Anniversary, Death Anniversary, Death Anniversary...

As the darkness swallowed him whole, and the rock was placed in his chest, he knew, this was what regret felt like.