Chapter Text
Adrien did what he was supposed to.
Ever since he was born, he had done what he was told to do. When he was asked to model for his father’s company, he did it without saying anything. When he was told that he couldn’t go to public school, he was upset, yes, but he abided by his father’s wishes. When he was told that he’d have to learn fencing, piano, and Chinese, he had agreed.
He often never liked how much his father overwhelmed his schedule, be didn’t dare complain. Sure, he had plenty of other things he was interested in and would rather be doing, but he never brought it up, knowing that he would provoke his father and get in a worse situation than he was already.
He knew that one day he would take over Gabriel , and be trapped into a life he didn’t want. He didn’t want to be a model, fashion designer, or businessman, but that was the life he was going to get whether he wanted to or not. After accepting that, he simply stuffed his dream of being a lawyer away.
However, what he was being told to do today was where he drew the line.
Gabriel kept his back to his son, facing the large windows in his office. He had his arms crossed, bringing a business feel to the atmosphere, something that caused a shiver to run down Adrien’s spine. The tension was thick whenever he rarely talked to his father, but today was a whole other level. “Son, there’s a model for my company. Her name is Lila Rossi, and I believe that she would make a good successor for this company. Alongside you, of course. I believe you should marry her.”
Adrien's eyes widened. Out of all the people he could’ve been forced into marrying, his father had to choose Lila? Lila, the conniving liar that somehow managed to fool everyone but him? She acted sweet and nice in front of everyone, but her poorly applied facade hadn’t fooled Adrien for one second. Adrien used to believe his father was an intelligent man, but he fell among the many that were unable to see through Lila’s lies.
“Why!?” He spat, balling his fists in anger. He had them so tight that his fingernails were digging into the skin of his palm, but he barely felt the pain due to the fury coursing through his veins.
“Because,” Gabriel started, his voice monotone but carrying hints of agitation. “She’ll up your public image. I’ve spent years training you to be a proper Agreste, and this will only make it all better. You’ll have a wife who is also of the same social status as you, someone who knows the ins and out of the fashion and modeling industry. You need this, my son.”
“No!” Adrien yelled, the volume of his voice shocking even himself. Gabriel flinched. “I am not going to marry that girl!”
Gabriel turned, eyes narrowing on his son. Adrien shook at his father’s appearance; something about it always made a jolt of fear travel through his body. He never stood up to his father, so the possibilities about how mad he was going to get were still unknown.
“You will!” Gabriel shouted, walking closer to Adrien with brisk movements. “This is not your decision, this is mine. I believe that you marrying this girl will be a great addition to the business and your image. Why? Because an image is everything for an Agreste.” He huffed, and Adrien felt his chest constrict out of fear and dejection. “End of discussion. The engagement between you and Mademoiselle Rossi will be announced to the public after your next fashion show. You may leave now.”
Adrien practically ran back to his bedroom, slamming the door shut and flopping back onto his bed. He let out a groan into his pillow.
Why? Why did this have to happen to him? He was only twenty-two, for starters, and he was thinking about attending university and beginning his career, much less getting married. Yet, out of all the models he worked with, why the one he hated most out of them all. Sure, they were all mostly superficial and only liked him for his money, but Lila was a whole other level. He was going to be miserable if he had to spend the rest of his life with a demon like her.
“What’d the old man say to you this time?” Plagg asked, his tone anything but empathetic. “You can’t go to university or something stupid like that?”
Adrien shook his head. “I have to get married,” he mumbled into the pillow, his voice muffled.
“Oh? Who’s the lucky girl?”
“Lila Rossi,” he groaned again.
“That gremlin? Kid, we gotta save you. You have to retaliate.” Plagg’s tone quickly changed to one of seriousness.
“If I retaliate, then father’s going to disown me, cut me off, or worse . There’s no use in fighting it. I have to do what he says.” Adrien rolled onto his back, burying his face into his hands.
“But you’re an adult!” Plagg flew in front of Adrien’s face. “You’re twenty-two, and you’re entitled to your own life. Rebel. You’ve been trapped under your father’s iron fist for much too long now.”
“Just because I’m an adult doesn’t mean bad things can’t happen to me, Plagg.” Adrien sat up, his fists clenching his blanket.
“Really? Can you drive?”
Adrien shrugged. “Yeah, I can.”
“Can you access your bank accounts?”
“It would be illegal if my father still had control over them.”
“So? You’re good. You can live on your own.”
“Yeah, but Father is a powerful man. He could make it impossible for me to get a job, leave the country… I’d be even more trapped than before.” Adrien looked down at his lap, ideas rushing through his mind about what to do. He was a guy that loved deciphering puzzles and solving complex equations, but every solution to this scenario led to a dead end. The only way he’d get through was only tangible through luck, and, considering he had the literal god of destruction sitting in front of him, he didn’t have high hopes for that possibility.
“Come on, Kid, you gotta do something! You’re smart, and I’m mischievous. That’s an odd combination that almost always succeeds. How long do we have to think of a way to get you out of this?”
“After my next show, which is a week away. Once the news of the engagement is out into the public, there will be no chance of me escaping,” Adrien explained, rubbing his temples. “Are you absolutely sure that this is a good idea?”
“It’s the only shot we got. One week to come up with your rebellion. Not the best time frame, but I’ve had to deal with worse before. Are you in?” Plagg held his tiny paw out, waiting for Adrien to fist-bump it.
Adrien laughed at his Kawmi’s silliness and responded to his gesture.
He didn’t know how good of an idea this was, but any chance he had at not marrying Lila was worth it. He was going to do whatever it took, even if he lost everything in the process.
“I’m in. Let’s do this.”
***
“Come on, girl! It’s just one night, it’s not like you can’t do the work later!” Alya said, pulling her best friend by the arm.
Marinette groaned, shaking herself out of Alya’s hold. “No, I’m not going to go to a bar and get wasted with you and the rest of our friends. You guys can go without me.”
“What’s wrong with having a little fun, Mari? You don’t always have to be serious, you know.”
Marinette rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “I have tons of fun. I have a dress I’m making this weekend; it might be perfect to wear to Gabriel ‘s next fashion show that I’m attending. I’m not going with you, and you can’t make me.”
“Marinette! You have a whole week before you have to go to that show, and your dress is nearly done. Come on, and relax with us for once. Please?” Alya held her hands out in a pleading gesture. “It’ll be more fun with you there.”
“I’m sorry, Alya, but bars just aren’t my scene. You’ll have plenty of fun with our friends. I’d rather stay home and sew; it’s calming for me and the perfect relaxation method.”
“Really?” Alya raised an eyebrow skeptically. “I’ve seen you cry over getting a pattern wrong and you know it.”
Marinette scowled at her friend. “Hey, anyone would get frustrated at that!”
“Whatever you say, girl.” Alya sighed, getting up from her spot on their living room couch. “I’m going, but the invitation is still open if you want to join.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” Marinette muttered as her roommate disappeared into her bedroom. Marinette went into her bedroom, looking at the mannequin where her in-progress dress was being made. It was simple: a knee-length, black dress with multiple flowers embroidered onto the tulle skirt. She’d spent a long time hand-stitching each flower, and she was almost done with it.
“That looks amazing, Marinette!” Tikki said, flying out from whatever discreet corner she was hiding in. “You’ve outdone yourself this time!”
“Thank you, Tikki,” Marinette replied, looking at each flower meticulously. “I’ve never done something this intricate before.”
“It’s certainly paid off. Are you excited about going to one of Gabriel Agreste’s fashion shows?”
“Oh, Tikki!” Marinette fell back on her chair, spinning in circles. “It’s like a dream come true! I had to save up extra for it, and I really hope it’s worth it. Monsieur Agreste’s been my fashion idol for so long… it would be incredible to go to one of his shows.”
“If you like him so much, why don’t you apply for a job at his company?”
Marinette sighed, shrugging. “He only recruits the best of the best, and he’s never actually had an opening for a new designer as long as I’ve been in the field. I’d love to work for him, maybe someday, but that isn’t anytime soon. Like, look,” she pulled out his phone and opened Gabriel‘s official Instagram page. “Look at this, Tikki! Every single piece of clothing is designed to a certain standard. There isn’t a single thread out of place!”
“And you’re good enough to uphold that standard, Marinette. You just have to believe in yourself!” Tikki flew over and looked as Marinette scrolled through the Instagram page. “Ooh! He’s cute!” She pointed to a model with blond hair and green eyes. He was modeling a suit from the newest collection.
“Oh, Adrien Agreste? That’s Gabriel Agreste’s son. He’s alright, I guess. I don’t get what the big deal is.” Marinette shrugged and scrolled past the photo. He was just like all the other models: tall, muscular, good-looking. There wasn’t anything special about him.
Well, come to think of it, Adrien Agreste did look a lot like another blond-haired green-eyed boy she knew. Chat Noir, her partner in superheroing, the guy she trusted more than anything in the world. If anyone was desirable, it was him.
She loved being Ladybug and she loved fighting by his side. That was why she didn’t go out with Alya as much, not just because she didn’t like going to crowded, loud places, but also because she had Akuma attacks and patrols and all her other duties protecting Paris.
Come to think of it, she was getting late for patrol.
Marinette peaked her head out of her bedroom, finding Alya by the entrance with Nino, both dressed in clothing fit for a night out.
“Oh, Marinette!” Alya said, catching her roommate's gaze. “We’ll be heading out now.”
“That’s cool.” Marinette walked to the kitchen, getting the ingredients out for coffee. “Just don’t come home too late, and please, for the love of my sanity, don’t do anything illegal.” The last time Alya did something illegal was a story Marinette didn’t want to get into. To summarize a long story, Marinette had to promise the cops Alya would never go into a china shop again.
“Nothing illegal this time.” Nino chuckled. “I promise, Mari.”
“Good. Now get lost, guys.” She shooed them out the door, shutting it tightly the second they were gone. “Finally,” she whispered, walking back into her room. ”Tikki spots on!“
***
Adrien sulked as he dressed for the photo shoot. He’d had days and days with Plaggto think about what they could do, but all their efforts were fruitless. Everything they’d brainstormed was either unfeasible, unrealistic, or just plain dumb. Adrien knew that was probably because of the limited knowledge the both of them had. Everything Adrien knew about love was from media, not because he’d gone out and felt the real thing himself, and all of Plagg’s ideas were to kill Gabriel or Lila with fire. As intriguing as that was, Adrien would rather not break a law, just because going to jail and being public enemy number one didn’t seem very appealing.
Another idea was that he could find a way to get off the market. However, it wasn’t like Adrien could just go out and ask a random person to pretend to date him because that would still be a life he didn’t want.
He slipped on the suit jacket, buttoning the linen shirt closed. He sighed, making sure that his clothes looked alright before he left the room. He had nearly three hours left as a single man. After that, he’d be engaged to the worst person alive.
Yes, Lila Rossi was worse than Hawkmoth because even Hawkmoth had the decency to not continuously flirt with him.
He shut the door, plastering on his model smile so that no one would notice how the prospect of marrying Lila was crushing him inside. Smiling even when he felt like dying inside was something that had been ingrained into his system. He could fake a smile without even thinking about it. However, the sight of her made even his model smile hard to muster.
“Adribaby!” She yelled, rushing over to him. Adrien braced himself, trying to make a run for it. Unfortunately, she closed him in, so he was unable to escape. “Aren’t you excited to get engaged today?”
“Uh… yeah. Let’s go with that,” Adrien half-heartedly responded, trying his best to remain at least somewhat polite as he tried to wiggle himself out of her hold. However, his urge to transform and cataclysm her sorry ass was stronger than he wanted it to be.
“Where are you going?” She asked, batting her eyelashes. “Do you want to spend time with me, hubby-to-be?” She was so close that he could see her poorly overlined lips, the clumps of mascara forming on her eyelids, and the sparkle of her blush. Her breathing coming in contact with his skin sent tingles down his spine, but it wasn’t the good kind. It was the uncomfortable kind that only increased his want to get out.
“I have a fashion show, Lila, and I still need to get my hair fixed. I can't talk to you right now.”
“Oh, that’s fine. We have our whole futures together!” She smiled giddily as she backed away. Adrien took the golden opportunity and slipped away, sitting at his hair and makeup chair to let his stylist work his magic. As she fixed him up, Adrien thought through all of the possible scenarios to get out of his arranged marriage. Just a giant puzzle, he reminded himself. You love puzzles.
Before he could get very far with his thinking, Nathalie came backstage, announcing that all the models would have five minutes before the show would begin. Adrien knew that he would have to keep himself focused during the show, but his time was running thin. He glanced at the clock. It was five minutes to six in the evening. The fashion show ended at eight. He had two hours to get out of this.
Running away wasn’t a bad option, was it?
“One minute!” Nathalie yelled, and all the models began rushing to their places. Adrien took in a deep breath, deciding to enjoy his last few minutes of freedom rather than worry about how to get out of it. He went to his place, plastering on his signature model smile before the lights turned on and the music started playing.
He waited for all of the models to go until it was finally his turn. He stepped, out instantly blinded by bold lights, defeaned by loud music, and bombarded by flashing cameras. If he was fifteen, he would’ve gotten overwhelmed by it, but he was twenty-two now, and he was a professional model. He was used to all the attention he got, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it. He went through his rehearsed movements, walking to the end of the catwalk and posing, displaying the outfit his father had picked out for him. However, as he was walking back offstage, a certain thing caught his eye.
He looked back, noticing a beautiful girl in a black dress embroidered with multicolored flowers. Her long hair was expertly tied into a french braid, and a light blush dusted her cheeks. But, in her hands, was a sign that said, “Adrien, Will You Marry Me?” in bold, black letters.
This was like a gift from heaven. He knew now exactly what he had to do to get away from Lila.
***
[Ten Minutes Earlier]
Marinette uncomfortably made her way through the crowd, dodging through all the hordes of screaming fangirls excited to see Adrien Agreste. Marinette sighed, somehow making her way to the front. She toyed with the end of her braid, not liking being close to so many people. She didn’t get it. What was the big deal with Adrien Agreste?
“You’re actually going to do it?” Marinette heard a high female voice whisper. Against her better judgment, she looked in their direction. It was a girl, blonde and skinny, dressed in pale blue. Next to the blonde girl was another girl dressed in black, her dark hair falling around her shoulders in thick curls.
“Yes, I am!” The girl with the dark girl squealed to her friend. “I’m actually doing this. I can do this! I’m going to! I’ve been in love with Adrien for years, we’re meant to be! But what if we aren’t? Oh, this is going to be a disaster.”
“Calm down,” said the blonde girl.
“Nope.” The girl with the dark hair held onto her poster tightly. “I think I’m going to be sick—” She shoved the poster into the blonde girl’s hand and darted away, most likely to the bathroom.
“I’m sorry,” the blonde girl said to Marinette. “I need to make sure my friend is okay. Do you mind holding this?”
Marinette opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted when the girl shoved the sign into her hands and darted away. Marinette looked at the sign, reading over the words written in bold.
“Adrien, Will You Marry Me?”
Marinette snorted. As if a model as famous as Adrien Agreste would ever say yes.
She looked around, trying to find a place to set down the sign. The last thing she needed was to attract any attention. The only thing she wanted to do was witness a fashion show she’d been waiting for for a long time. Unfortunately, people were literally standing cheek to cheek and there was no place to set the sign down. She sighed, awkwardly holding it so that no one would notice.
After a few minutes, the lights dimmed and the music began playing, signifying the start of the show. Marinette instantly became captivated by all the designs, making mental notes of things she liked and other things she wanted to try out soon. She admired Gabriel Agreste’s creations, tantalized by all of the genius in front of her. There were many different styles, from suits to dresses to couture, all equally amazing.
Finally, the music changed and it was time for Adrien to come out. She expected him to be the last person to come out because he was Gabriel’s prized gem. He always came out last during fashion shows. He was dressed in a royal blue suit, one that perfectly complimented his eyes. The golden thread was embroidered on the sleeves to look like peacock feathers. Even if she did think he was a little too famous for his own good, she had to admit that he did look handsome.
Before he was about to go back in, he looked right in her direction, most likely reading the sign. A spark of hope twinkled in his eye, and before Marinette could hide the sign, he was jumping off the stage, making his way through the crowds and over to her.
“Yes, I’ll marry you,” he answered, leaning in for a kiss. He brought his lips to her ear before he whispered quickly, “I’m sorry. Please, let me explain later.” And kissed her soundly on the lips, dipping her. Marinette felt the blood rush in her ears, her heart beating faster than it ever had. Her eyes fluttered shut on their own accord, and her mind willed her to kiss him back as if they were destined to meet in this very moment, exactly like how they were.
When he let her go, wearing a fake grin, Marinette had to blink a few times before she could comprehend what was happening.
Adrien Agreste just said he wanted to marry her.