A Tail of Adventure

Chapter 17 - The Calm Before the Storm

Adrien's POV

After a long game of would you rather and two truths and a lie, we all just decided to sleep in the giant game room, with Alya and Nino taking the L-shaped couch, Marinette taking the floor because everything else was too soft, and I took the smaller couch on the other side of the room. After trying to fall asleep, but failing because of anxiety of my father coming in and scolding me for sleeping here, I just decided to sit up and ponder on things for a while. I glanced over at the couple on the large L sofa, they seemed to be sound asleep, even with the thrashing of the sea outside. I look down to the pile of blankets of the floor and notice it's missing some midnight blue hair. I get up and look around, and after determining she wasn't in the room, I went looking around the ship for where she might be.

After looking around the ship for a while, I walk through a door and find myself with the indoor pool. I see a blob of red at the bottom, knowing that's where Marinette went. I threw off my shirt and slowly dipped myself into the water, swimming over to the red spot in the deep end. I dive under and she doesn't notice me, so I gently put my hand on her shoulder to let her know I'm there. I suddenly feel a gut punch and see a flash of red before being launched to the other side of the pool. I groan from the impact as she emerges from the water.

"Adrien? I'm so sorry, I thought you were some random person! Are you okay?"

I take a minute to catch my breath. "Yeah I'm good, just, didn't expect to be thrown tonight."

She swam up to me, looking around me, most likely for any injuries. "I'm sorry if I worried you, I came here to think because it's really calm under water for me, but I guess I fell asleep."

"Note to self, don't wake sleeping mermaids."

"I said I'm sorry! Here, does this feel better?"

She lifts one of her hands up to my bare chest and rests it gently on top. The pain leaves my body down to a distant ache, which also eventually fades out. I sign in relief, almost instantly relaxing after whatever she did to me.

"I've been working on a more recent discovery of being able to heal, I usually use it on bruises I get from being clumsy, so I'm not the best at it."

"No, you're basically perfect, It feels so nice even I might fall asleep in the water."

She sighs in relief. "Okay good, I was worried I broke a rib, I'm told I have a powerful tail."

Remembering that I told her that as Chat, I naturally feel that I must get as much out of the situation that I can. "Oh? By whom?"

"Oh, um- no one really, just someone special."

"Last time I recall, Alya hasn't swam with you yet so unless she has, the no one is more important because only me and her know."

"Okay fine! You need to keep a secret, but it was Chat Noir."

"Mmm, what were you doing with one of the heroes of Paris while swimming?"

"Ugh okay, if you must know, he was the first to find out besides me. He vowed to help me out and as a promise, he gave me this."

She lifted her necklace into the air, the silver heart one with a ruby in the center.

"Seems you are very fond of this gentleman, maybe you have feelings, hmm?"

Her face turned the color of her tail in an instant after realizing what she said. "N-No! It's not like that at all! I just, ugh-, I just really care about him you know? I had no idea what to do and he was so sweet, kind, and understanding. He helped me out and I really don't know how to thank him for that."