Alright, so it's been more than awhile, and Miraculous has caught hold of me like a leech. And I might have a soft spot for soulmate AUs, so I thought; I might have been shit at writing but let's see if I can do any better now. And here we are! Please do tell me what you think. It's a soulmate AU, but I've tried to avoid my previous cringe-worthy style of writing. It might come across as a bit pretentious or awkward in places, and I didn't use a proper laptop or desktop, so I tried my best to proofread but no promises. Feedback would be very much appreciated.

It is September and the sky is a dull, cloudy grey. The cold morning air carries a faint promise of rainfall. Adults step out of their homes on their way to work, coffee in hand. Elderly couples sit hand in hand on damp wooden park benches, enjoying the last of the morning peace. The city of Paris is only just waking up, and an almost tangible buzz of activity starts to fill the air as people begin to go about their daily lives.

A young boy in his teenage years smiles to himself as he trails after his two friends on their way to school, burying his chin further into his blue scarf.

His friends seem to be engaged in a lively debate, hands flying as they both argue their perspectives. The boy sighs exasperatedly, a touch of fondness coloring his tone. It's so obvious, he thinks to himself. He can see the subtle glances of sheer contentment between them, in the way they easily slip into a comfortable rhythm. It's simple, natural. They are a textbook example of soulmates, everything a match made by Fate Herself should be.

He recalls when they met, remembers countless petty arguments, the childish dislike for each other that eventually made its way into everyday life at school. He remembers thinking that the two would never get along, how his friend had never thought he would actually meet his destined partner. Precious few in the world actually do, after all.

It seems strange that it was months before they first touched, before the electricity sparked at their fingertips and they just knew.

Adrien has never felt it before, but he has heard countless stories as a child, sitting at the foot of a thin bed in a room with white walls, from a woman whose face he vaguely remembers (those smiling green eyes gaze down at him, light fading from their depths).

He knows that soulmates are not perfect. He knows that sometimes fate is careless, that even destiny makes mistakes. But he is so glad that the pair before him isn't one of them.

The days immediately after are the ones that he remembers the most; the stark, cold fear settling like a weight in his chest, scared that he will see it happen just like in all the stories he hears (not again, not like maman and père) to the first friend he ever made, the fighting and the tears, spiraling downwards until no one can take it anymore.

But he needn't have worried. They are stiff in their early days, timid and unsure of what this means for the future, but they are also strong and stubborn, and looking at them now makes him feel like it was worth all the long nights on the phone comforting Nino because he's not ready for this, we're only thirteen, ohmygodwhatifshehatesme

"Adrien, dude, snap out of it!" comes a voice, and he looses his train of thought and looks up into the concerned face of his friends. It is raining and they are standing still in the middle of the crowded street. He is the only one without an umbrella in the downpour, and he feels his blonde hair becoming soaked and matted with rainwater.

An umbrella is pulled out of his bag with fumbling fingers, and the three are on their way once again. Nearing the school building, he notices a girl hovering under the shelter offered by a nearby store, hesitating in the cold with no raincoat in sight. She looks up at him and her eyes seem to widen in-surprise? Shock? He can't tell. She looks like a drowned kitten, hunched over shivering in wet clothes with drenched hair tied in two pigtails. Overcome by a sudden protective urge, he strides over to her, face determined. His friends stop talking to stare inquiringly, but he pays them no mind. His attention is focused on the dark haired girl with big eyes. Eyes which, he notes, are startlingly blue. She tenses and steps back a bit.

Is she scared? Adrien feels bad. He smiles gently at her in an effort to put her at ease, but the action only receives a narrow gaze. Fair enough. He is a complete stranger to her after all. He turns to move away, but remembers once again her lack of any waterproof material. He weighs his options and nods to himself, turning back.

The girl soon finds a hand thrust in her direction holding the handle of an umbrella. The suspicion in her eyes is gone, but uncertainty remains. Her eyes glance from the umbrella to him, back and forth until he catches her gaze once more and smiles , a little shy after the bold move. Her pale, tiny hand slowly reaches out, every movement hesitant and light. He stays still, feeling (irrationally perhaps) like she might walk away with any sudden movement . She falters in the last second, but he doesn't give up. Quickly, before she can retract her arm, he forces the handle into her hand, their fingers brushing lightly. The pair freezes in place, and he vaguely registers the sound of his two friends standing off to the side chatting among themselves .

A spark of lighting dances through his veins.