Chapter Text
Marinette could feel her mouth working in silence, but she was struggling to get it to actually form words. Judging by the fond but amused smile her soulmate was presenting her with, it didn’t go unnoticed either.
“Adrien!” She finally managed to let out, her fingers clenching around both the umbrella and his own hand a little tighter. “How- why are you here?” She took a peek around him, careful to stay under the protective circle provided by the umbrella now that the rain had started to really pick up speed. Sure enough there was Gorilla – as both Adrien and Chloé referred to his bodyguard (affectionately, for the first one, not so much the second) –, standing next to the limo that had presumably brought Adrien there.
But her brain was having trouble wrapping her mind around it even with the now familiar circumstances; just yesterday she’d waited on the curb for the very same limo to drop the very same boy off. But yesterday had been Sunday, and Adrien had been scheduled to spend the day at Le Grand Paris. Today was Monday, and Mondays and time with her soulmate just didn’t inhabit the same plane of existence. To say she was confused would be an understatement.
Adrien gave a light chuckle that only served to confuse her even more, before switching her hand from the umbrella onto his hand, turning on his heel and tugging her along in the direction of the school. “I wouldn’t want to miss the first day of school. I hear it’s important.”
Marinette gaped at the back of his head, taking in the amused excitement in his tone and the spring in his step, then prodded at their bond lightly – a feeling of pure elation was by far the most overwhelming thing Adrien was putting out. But she still didn’t dare voice the thoughts that echoed in her mind even as she processed all of this. “I don’t understand.” She said instead, tugging on her soulmate’s hand and bringing them to a stop just as they reached the school gates.
There were already plenty of people going around, excited shouts being thrown around as friends reunited for the school year. None of it mattered when Adrien flipped his radiant smile onto her fully, his hand squeezing hers, and it felt like it might as well be squeezing her heart. “I didn’t tell you because until this morning I was honestly not sure if he’d go through with it. But my dad went for it. He’s finally letting me attend school. Here.”
Marinette could feel her own smile spreading across her face as he kept talking, her free hand shakily coming up to cover her mouth on its own. “I can’t believe this.”
She didn’t think it was her imagination conjuring up the mistiness in Adrien’s eyes, much less the bruising intensity their fingers were interlocked with, or the wave of happiness that was steadily emanating from their bond. “I can’t believe I finally get to see you every day.”
Marinette let out a choked laugh – it really was something to go from the idea of one day a week with her soulmate to the perspective of all but one filled with Adrien’s warm presence, in the span of a minute. They stood there for a couple of minutes, just staring at each other in the little bubble of privacy the umbrella provided, rain and people around them all but forgotten.
Finally, Adrien cleared his throat, bringing their joined hands to his lips to drop a kiss on her knuckles with a light smirk. A flare of affection that wasn’t her own ran through Marinette. “Of course, seeing as it’s my very first time attending school, I’m going to need all the help I can get. I sure hope there’s a nice girl around here somewhere who wouldn’t mind some tutoring.”
Marinette’s grin felt like it would break her face. “I’m sure that could be arranged.”