Accident of the Evening

On The Run

His heartbeat echoed in his ears and his feet pounded against the pavement. He heard the car turn onto the street and ducked behind a tree as the sleek black car sped past, his bodyguard looking out the windows for any sign of him.

Adrien Agreste was a trouble maker by his father's standards. Sure, he had grown up being obedient and well-behaved, following his father's schedule for him to the letter from home-schooling to photoshoots, Chinese lessons to fencing; he had even been brought into acting in the last few years. Every second of his life was, and had always been mapped out for him and he had always blindly obeyed.

Until now. He was twenty, for crying out loud. He wanted a life, he wanted to be normal.

Having a bodyguard chase him through the streets of Paris at eleven at night, was not normal.

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief and took off the way the car had come, crossing the road, not caring about the water that soaked through his converse as he splashed in the gutter.

Ahead, he saw a figure walking, a shopping bag hanging from their left hand, their right holding the umbrella that covered their face. Adrien sprinted past them, but knocked their shoulder as he did, causing him to fumble and the person to almost drop their bag. He turned and met their blue eyes.

"S-sorry," he stammered, breathing hard. The girl looked back at him and cocked her head slightly.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a small frown. Adrien could see her dark pigtails and pink jeans. She clutched her shopping bag a little tighter, but it was clear she was concerned.

Adrien made to respond, but his eyes were drawn to the headlights that had turned back and were getting closer. Thinking quick, he did the only thing he could think of.

He stepped forward and pulled the strange girl into a kiss, the umbrella hiding their faces as the black car he had been hiding from sped past. They stayed like that for a moment more before she pushed him away, her cheeks bright red.

"W-What the hell?" she squeaked, holding her umbrella between them like a shield. He could see it tremble slightly in her hands. He saw the bag at her feet, slightly crumpled. She must have dropped it when he kissed her.

"Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm kinda on the run," he gave a half-hearted chuckle and her cheeks reddened even more.

"What?" she squeaked again, her voice unstable. "I mean...what?" She blinked a few times, confused.

"Is there somewhere we could go?" Adrien asked, looking over his shoulder, realising just how quiet the street was now that his lungs had stopped screaming at him. Sure he was athletic, but the cold air was piercing, even to experienced runners. His heart was still pounding, though he assumed that was more from his first kiss than anything else.

"I-I guess. My place isn't that far," the girl responded, lowering her umbrella a little before shaking her head and picking up the bag at her feet. She closed the umbrella and began walking, Adrien falling into step slightly behind her.

"You're not on the run from the police, are you?" the girl asked as they reached the main road and crossed.

"No, no, nothing like that," Adrien gave an awkward chuckle. "Are you always out this late?"

"Not normally," she replied. "I was visiting my parents. They own a bakery in the centre of town." The girl smiled as she walked. "Maman took me antique shopping today. I forgot how much I missed them."

"You like antiques?"

The girl just shrugged as they turned onto a street and stopped out the front of an apartment building.