Lady Midnight in Paris

Chapter 19

Marinette was so exhausted. Her back was still sore, from the wound and the severe bruising she got when she fell from the bus. She felt well enough to get up and walk around, so she insisted to her parents that she could manage a short walk around the block.

She waved to her parents as she pulled out the big black umbrella and stepped out of the warm bakery into the rain-soaked air. The rain was starting to fall. It sprinkled at first, then came down harder. She reached out her hand to feel the droplets. She sighed deeply.

Marinette started toward the Pont des Arts bridge. She stopped at the end of it, and listened to the rain slap on the river waves.

It felt weird knowing that she had been akumatized. She couldn't remember much, only memories of Chat Noir becoming Adrien, Hawk Moth getting their Miraculouses, and of Adrien holding her tight as a new heroine saved Paris...

Adrien being Chat Noir didn't seem so surprising to her. Of course, Marinette felt like jumping up and down knowing the love of her life was one of her best friends.

The rain felt so relaxing, so chilling. Marinette let her thoughts drift from pain and stress to the cloudy, dark gray sky. There was so much detail in the wisps of air, where water seemed to magically come out.

Marinette closed her eyes and lifted her chin to the sky. Droplets streaked down her cheeks. Her hair lay flat, strands of blue escaping her ponytails. She didn't care. She was alone in the beautiful world. She extended her arms, and let the rain soak her clothes. Smiling, Marinette slowly walked down the bridge. She turned in a slow circle.

It was an amazing feeling. She could feel her stresses fading away. The pain in her back seemed to dull. Happy sensations flooded her mind. She opened her eyes. The sky was still gray. People always thought that gray skies were gloomy, too dark, and meant for bad luck. Marinette felt differently.

She gripped Adrien's black umbrella, and leaned on the railing to watch the ripples in the river.

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It was too dark, too depressing. The rain soaked his shirt, his shoes. The homework in his backpack was getting wet.

Adrien walked down the street toward his house from the restaurant where he had had crepes with Nino. He passed lights of stores still hoping for customers, but the rain was keeping them all away.

Nino had been talking about the latest Jagged Stone concert coming into town, but Adrien's thoughts had been on Marinette.

I hope she's doing okay, thought Adrien as he walked down the rain-soaked pavement. His shoes sagged with every step. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, and stared at his feet. He stopped before a puddle.

Adrien's mournful face looked back at him.

"Don't look down. Look up. Keep your head high, my darling. Walk happy that you were born."

Adrien looked up.

He was standing at the start of the bridge. He noticed someone with a big black umbrella at the railing in the very middle of the bridge among the mist. Their face was hidden from his view. The umbrella twirled around on their shoulder. Soaked pink pants and slippers peeked out from below.

Who is that...?

Before he could finish his thought, Marinette twirled around on her toes, around and around with the umbrella perched on her shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and she had a big smile on her face. Her face was splotched with droplets, her clothes soaked through.

She doesn't seem to be in any pain...wait, isn't that my umbrella?

Adrien walked onto the bridge towards her. His blond bangs were plastered to his forehead. What a sight I must be...but she doesn't seem to care what she looks like right now. She's soaked through!