Shades of Blue (Adrienette AU)

Piano keys for Memories

Adrien turned in his bed, his sleep now crumbled. The cleaning lady will sure have a surprise seeing the bed sheet in the morning, it seemed as if he just threw a crumpled sheet onto the bed and jumped onto it.

He hadn't been able to sleep ever since he found out Marinette was a childhood friend. Had she remembered him? Did she play him? No, the surprise on her face was genuine when they had read the diary. There were plenty of pages, but about 3 entries stuck in his head. Their words spinning his world faster than the Earth's rotation.

He wondered how he'll face her in school tomorrow, will it be awkward? Happy? Sad? What? Now that he thought about it, she was familiar the day she joined his school. He had thought that perhaps it was because she was a rarity to be seen anywhere, and it usually caused a frenzy in the papers.

He tried to see if he could remember anything, nothing came to mind except a hum. It felt quite far away as he tried to concentrate on it. It was a blurry memory, a console in one hand and another hand in his, guiding and humming.

It must be Marinette. Is this from where he thought of playing the Piano song came from? He shut his eyes as rain tapped at his window, and the steady flow of water reminded him of another blurry memory. It was like this, but in front of him he had pizza and cookies nearby. Someone else also sat near him, and he was sure she was Marinette since he saw a small fraction of her dark hair.

He stopped tossing and took a deep breath, the rain finally lulling him to sleep. He felt as if his mother was nearby telling him they'll spent the night...somewhere. An he dreamt that night. He dreamt him, Marinette and his mother ate pizza and cookies and laughed all under the clouded rainy city.

 Adrien woke up the next day to discover his school was cancelled since the rain caused a minor flood in the school grounds. He breathed a sigh of relief realizing he would not have to face Marinette just yet.

His assistant told him for the day he was to spent it in the music institute, and thankfully luck seemed to smile upon him. For the instructor, Mr. Fu was a nice old man, nicer than the other instructors who would slap his back with a ruler if he dared make a mistake.

He sat by Master Fu who had him go through some routine plays before speaking, "Adrien, my boy, you have talent, why not write your own piece?"
"I...haven't written it, but it's there."
"Ah, for someone?"
Adrien slightly blushed, he couldn't tell from embarrassment of the assumption or being called out. He wanted it easy, he wanted to deny. So he did...sort of,

"It kinda is? We made it up as kids...and some time later...well now. I kinda recalled it."

Master Fu nodded towards the piano, and Adrien sat. He thought of all the lost time, all because his father thought the business expansion was better. Adrien was able to go some notes before he stopped, "I- I'm not done properly with it so...uh I'll do it some other day."

Master Fu smiled, he understood fully it might too much for the boy, so he didn't force Adrien and let him play a few more tunes before his class ended. Master Fu, in fact let him off early, since he very well saw past the wall of dullness Adrien had built around himself, to see the distraught boy searching for...something quite important. He smiled knowingly, leaving the young boy to his young life troubles.

Adrien hadn't moved a single step away from his seat nor piano. Not when Nathalie said his father won't make it (as always), not when she said she will let him be and leave his dinner in the refrigerator, not when black clouds rolled in and thunder sounded far away.

And then, he moved, his neck subtly towards the window, which had tears of the sky covering it. And soon enough, the same tears went down his own face. They streamed silently, for Adrien couldn't tell why he was crying himself.

He slowly let his fingers go through all the piano keys, a play-full tune bouncing off his walls. And then, he grasped the keys, as the tears poured faster, he couldn't tell where though. The window or his face. The thunder sounded louder, his only bane bringing him back to existence for his mind was here, his body was here, but his soul and thoughts were far. Further than this cold mansion, further than the ends of the Earth. To a soul no longer here, and to soul who now usually occupied his thoughts.

It felt serene, to cry. He wished to cry even more, out of saddened joy, it had been oh so long since he cried. Since something made him feel. And then he played, a person crying through his tears, guided by invisible hands. Sometimes small hands from his memory, sometimes big delicate hands he could probably never touch again, and he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to remember the warmth of both pairs of hands.

Adrien played the tune lowly, full of every feeling he had cooped up. He remembered how Marinette had attempted to smile after reading their diaries, but he saw right through it. She had cried on the lost time, that she had, still, a framed photo of them playing video games. Her eyes had shone then, not like the sky nor the ocean, but the bluebell flowers that could be wilted, that could be snapped. 

And so Adrien played, learning a new shade of blue. The one where people stood under umbrellas, where they would smile once upon a time, when flowers would wilt and show weakness, when one didn't cry alone, when the rain would be the only one knocking on their doors and windows.

 The sky was grey, mixed with blue, and the rain soothingly bumped against his glass windows, rolling down. And Adrien understood, he understood all the Poems he read, all the biographies he learned, all his daily quotes. The Rain made him feel better, for he knew he wasn't the only one alone, crying. He wasn't the only one with problems, not the only one experiencing such pain, not the only one who had tears staining their faces for no reason, not the only one who missed out on what could've been.

Adrien smiled solemnly, the Rain makes sad people happy, for then they know they are not the only ones who are crying. And so all night, full of emotions he hadn't felt for years, Adrien played. For those alone hurting, for those like him who missed out, for every sad person who cried along with the rain. And no one would know, no one has to know. Just like they can't see their sadness, they needn't witness his music, for his piano keys were memories alone enough.