Adrinette April 2020

Day 19 - Rain

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Adrien sighed. School was one of the only places he felt a little freedom. Being Chat Noir was where he felt the most free, but school was where he could see all his friends. It was a miracle that his father had allowed him to go to school in the first place, so it was hard to take it for granted and even harder to leave everyday without feeling a little downcast.

The weather didn't help. It had started raining around lunchtime, but Adrien had hoped it would let up. Sunshine always made him feel better. It reminded him of his mother.

Adrien and Nino walked to the front doors, chatting about video games. When Adrien stepped outside, he couldn't bring himself to walk past the protection of the overhang. Nino stopped and looked at him.

"It's just a little rain," he chuckled, and Adrien laughed with him a little.

"I know, but my father will be angry if I soak these shoes again," he told his best friend, wishing he'd brought an umbrella.

"Good luck with that, my man. I gotta bounce," he spoke, giving Adrien a small wave as he took off.

Adrien stared up at the gray sky, wondering if he should just take his shoes off and make a run for it.

"Hey," he heard behind him, turning to see Marinette. Suddenly, the sky seemed a little less gray, and Adrien didn't feel like his heart was so heavy. He'd noticed that around Marinette, he always seemed to feel a little lighter. A little happier.

"Hi, Marinette," he smiled genuinely as she came to stand next to him. He glanced over as she opened her umbrella, her eyes meeting his.

"This is the umbrella you gave me on the day we became friends," she told him, and his eyes widened. "Do you remember?"

"Yeah," he breathed out, feeling happier than he thought he would. "You kept it?" She tensed up a little, looking guilty.

"Is that okay? I'm sorry I never returned it," she said, her shoulders rising up to sit below her ears. Her small pout grabbed his attention.

"I don't mind," he smiled, looking at her holding it. "I'm just really glad we're still friends."

The smile she gave him made his heart stutter, and he didn't quite know why. He found himself admiring her features, trying to pinpoint if it was just one or all of them put together that made her so beautiful.

He caught himself, shaking his head a little. He knew Marinette was just a friend, but the word seemed to stick out at him.

Friend.

For some reason, right then, that label didn't seem to fit her. That look in her eyes was making his heart feel funny, the word bouncing around in his head.

All at once, he was confused. Did just friends think about how pretty their friends were? Did they think about hugging their friends for a long time, just to be in their arms? He wasn't sure. As he thought more, he realized that he had thought about kissing Marinette as well, blushing as he subconsciously looked to her lips. The gentle smile on them made him want to hold her hand and bring her close.

Marinette wasn't just a friend.

"Adrien?" she called gently, staring at him. He realized that she'd moved closer, reaching out to hold the umbrella over his head, offering it back to him. Maybe she'd heard him talking with Nino, or maybe it was her abundant kindness that he admired so much. Either way, he was blushing, and he never wanted to take his eyes off her again.

"Thank you, Marinette," he said, trying not to sound so infatuated but not really being able to help it.

"Anything for a friend," she grinned, slinging her bag over her shoulder and starting down the steps, leaving his heart racing.

He found himself unsettled by that word on her lips, trying to push the thought of kissing it off them. He watched her leave, her pigtails beginning to droop as they got wetter, and she began to run towards her house.

He wished he'd been quicker to stop her, thinking about what would have happened if he had told her how he felt right then and there. It shouldn't have been news to him, but it was. How long had he thought of Marinette that way?

He pushed the question from his mind as she disappeared from view, knowing that wasn't what mattered.

Adrien was in love with Marinette. 

_____

this one was rough lol

thank you for reading! 

mel x