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Making her way down the cool, busy stream full of colorful fish and coral, Marinette decided to take a breather by a nearby flounder. She'd been searching for a strange shadow that she caught a glimpse of earlier that morning.
"Aha!," Marinette thought excitedly when she saw the familiar flicker of darkness near the surface. It was a rather small shape, and was now zipping around through the cold waters. She bit her lip as she tossed around the idea of breaking the surface. Was it worth the chance of being exposed?
Marinette couldn't seem to decide if the sun had just come up or was soon going down, but figured to take her chance of guaranteed darkness while she had it.
Marinette quickly made her way towards the shadow, a cheeky grin illuminated in her features. It wasn't often that she had the opportunity to breathe air, so Marinette couldn't seem to resist coming up with a big splash. Excitement coursed through her veins as she reached the surface, warming her body temperature by a ten-fold.
Marinette took a deep breath of air and searched the barely visible horizon for any sign of a shadow.
There was nothing to be seen except a cheerful whale spraying gusts of water into the damp morning air.
A sudden ray of dazzling sunlight tore through the gusts of water, coating the salty water with a sunny orange. The water resembled a tasty sherbet, ready to be scooped for an awaiting child.
Marinette stopped to watch this beautiful sight for a moment, reveling in the freedom breathing the salty air gave her. No mermaids were allowed to break surface, no exceptions.
Marinette hadn't seen the sunset for months, so she figured she could afford five minutes of rebellion.
A sharp whistling cut through the peaceful air, it almost sounded like...a net?
A bunch of thick rope hit Marinette from behind, encasing her with a painful burn as someone tightened the rope. She screamed and struggled against the ropes, cursing herself for being caught off guard.
A crank sounded and Marinette was yanked upwards into the frigid air.
Men nearby cheered, likely thinking they had just caught a large group of bass or flounder. Fortunately this wasn't Marinette's first time in this situation, so she came prepared.
Marinette slid her sharp hairpiece from her midnight locks, slicing the rope vigorously. She almost had a large enough section cut for her to slip through, when she was interrupted by a deep gasp.
Marinette paused momentarily to glance at whoever had gasped so loud, nearly letting loose a gasp of her own.
The man was dressed in a deep black jacket, which he draped loosely over his broad shoulders, adorned with a crisp white shirt and light grey slacks.
His golden hair resembled a scattered pile of hay, leading Marinette to believe it was sunrise and not sunset. Stunning jade orbs stared right into her soul, making it hard for Marinette to break eye contact. His iris's caught the sunlight at just the right angle, adding a pretty golden hue to the outer rim.
"What are you?" The enticing man questioned.
Marinette shot him a dry look.
"Julius Cesar reincarnated."
The man let loose a small grin, holding in a chuckle.
"And why him in particular? Are you planning to stab me to death?"
"If you don't intend to release me, then, yes. I see you paid attention during your private lectures."
The man looked baffled at Marinette's remark.
"Why would you think I had private lessons? Ah, you must think that I'm as rich as I am handsome."
Secretly he took pride in the fact that such a beautiful creature thought he was handsome.
"No you unintelligent git. The way you dress speaks volumes, but your boat must've cost a fortune."
Or maybe she didn't...he couldn't be quite sure.
The man shook his head, mindlessly running a hand through his thick golden hair. He looked frustrated, probably wondering what on earth he would do with a mermaid.
"Joe, fill one of the sturdy crates with water and bring it to me. We're going to take her with us."
After his men cleared the deck, likely off searching for a watertight crate, he turned to Marinette.
"I don't think I've formally introduced myself, I'm Captain Adrien Agreste."
Adrien offered her a warm smile and a hand. When she took it, he pulled her towards the boat, pulled a pocket knife from his coat pocket, and slit a few strings. He was careful to avoid her tail as he cut her free, and proceeded to help Marinette out of the net.
She fell into his welcoming arms as soon as the net gave way, and couldn't help but notice how strong his arms felt as he held her close.
Surprisingly, Adrien didn't complain about the strong salt aura she naturally gave off, or how her dripping tail got his jacket damp.
"Captain, the crate is filled." A stocky man yelled from the stern.
"Alright, thank you." Adrien called back, repositioning Marinette in his arms before making his way over.
Marinette couldn't resist taking a peek at Adrien while she thought he wasn't looking, only to regret it moments later. As if he knew exactly what she was thinking, he met her gaze with a wink of his deep green eyes, causing Marinette to blush wildly.
Once they reached the crate he gently lowered Marinette in, causing her to smile as she felt the familiar chill of the ocean water.
"I'll be back soon with some dinner, sit tight." Adrien said, and with a wave, headed to the lower deck.
Patiently waiting for Adrien's return, Marinette turned to watch the sunrise, when she caught a glimpse of a shimmery red tail flicking itself just the above the surface. Marinette's pulse quickened as she recognized the tail.
It was Alya's.