Chapter Text
~~~
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The incessant beeping became sharper and clearer as Adrien drifted into consciousness. His brain felt so foggy.
Where am I?
He stretched, slowly opening his eyes.
A sigh of relief.
The familiar surroundings of his bedroom.
His phone alarm was still beeping. He snatched it off of his nightstand to dismiss it.
Ugh… Get up or you’re going to be late.
As Adrien’s bare feet hit the floor beside his bed, there was a knock at his bedroom door.
“Yeah?” he called out in a croaky morning voice.
Yawning, he looked up to see his mother walking across his bedroom. She was holding her tablet in one hand and had her cell phone pressed to her ear. Her golden blonde hair was perfectly in place as always.
She smiled as she put a hand over the speaker to talk to him, “I’m off to work. I was going to offer you a ride but it looks like you aren’t ready.”
Adrien blinked and looked around, still feeling as though his confusion hadn’t quite dissipated yet. He scrubbed at his face, noticing that he needed to shave.
“Yeah… err… no. Thanks. I need to shower.” He smiled sleepily back at her.
Emilie pushed some of his messy blonde hair back from his forehead and planted a kiss on his temple.
“Ok, just don’t keep your father waiting.”
“Mom, I’m 19 years old… You’re acting like I’m still a kid. Have I ever been late for work? Literally, ever?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
She patted his cheek. “I know, I know. You’re my responsible one.” She turned to leave, pausing in the doorway, “Just make sure to let your brother know that you need a ride before he leaves-”
“Yep.” He waved to her, “Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, Sunshine.” She beamed as she resumed her phone call.
~~~
Luka Couffaine stood at his kitchen counter scrolling through the newsfeed on his phone as he sprinkled cinnamon into his black coffee.
Some vague coverage of last night’s battle. The Parisian public loved their superheroes the way they loved the French flag or the Eiffel Tower. Symbolic. Patriotic Pride. But they had more interest in gossip, fashion, who the Agreste twins were dating…
Luka tossed the phone on the counter and took a sip of his coffee.
His other hand went to his ear, feeling for the jet black stud.
Since Master Fu had entrusted the miraculous to him at age 14, the stones had almost become a part of him. But that hadn’t stopped Luka from developing a nervous habit of touching them from time to time to assure himself that they were still there.
That they hadn’t lost.
Yet.
His twin sister Juleka came slinking down the stairs. He could hear her breathing, trying to sneak past him. Her footfalls were almost imperceptible.
Catlike.
He took a sip of his coffee.
“Just getting in Juju?”
He didn’t have to turn around to know she had frozen behind him. Busted.
“I went for an early morning run.” She lied as she grabbed a mug and poured herself some coffee.
Luka glanced down at her hand, the silver ring gleaming up at him. He breathed a little easier.
“Didn’t think you were much of an early bird.” he murmured from the inside of his mug.
“I’m trying something new.” She side-eyed him, “Didn’t think you were so nosey…. Oh wait. Yes I did.”
She dumped horrendous amounts of sugar and cream into her mug.
“Gross.” Luka cringed, “How much sugar do you need, Jules?!?”
“You know, you should probably worry less about me getting diabetes and worry more about AV…”
Luka swore, setting his coffee down. “What did he do now?”
She slurped her coffee loudly as she held up her phone, “You would know if you stopped scrolling through news articles like an old man and checked your accounts once in a while.”
On her social media newsfeed was a picture of a teal Lamborghini Aventador wrapped around a tree.
Luka cursed again under his breath as he snatched the phone to look closer at the wreckage.
“He’s fine by the way. In case you were wondering. Walked away without a scratch.”
Luka looked up at her with a dark expression. “Of course he did…”
Juleka swiped her phone back from her brother. “Well, I’ll just leave you to sort that mess out with AV and I’ll see you at practice tonight.”
Luka was already typing an angry “We need to talk.” message on his phone as Juleka retreated from the room.
Luka glanced up to see that his sister was gone.
“We aren’t done talking about where you were all night Juju!” he called after her.
Damn, I wish mom were still here. Parenting sucks.
~~~
Felix Agreste groaned when he saw a notification from the Guardian of the Miraculous.
CC: We need to talk.
Guaranteed that stupid kitten told on him.
It was none of the Couffaine’s business what Felix did in his personal life. He tapped out a response.
AV: Pretty busy today…
CC: Make time.
Felix rolled his eyes. Luka’s self-righteous Guardian mode was literally the worst.
Mom and Dad didn’t even know about the wreck last night yet and Luka was already planning to lecture him…
A knock at his bedroom door saved him from formulating a response to Luka.
Adrien barged in.
“What?” Felix eyed him skeptically.
“Can you give me a ride to work?” Adrien asked.
“$100.” Felix stated.
Adrien stared at him. “You’re going there anyway.”
“Take it or leave it.” Felix shrugged.
“I’m going to be late if you don’t let me ride with you.” Adrien said through clenched teeth.
“Sounds like a personal problem to me.”
“Fine,” Adrien pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed Felix a folded bill, “I’ll be in the car.”
Felix swore loudly.
“What?” Adrien groaned.
“The Lambo isn’t out there.” Felix confessed.
“What do you mean it isn’t out there?”
“It’s in the shop. I forgot.”
“Are you kidding me? I can’t be late Felix!” Adrien raked fingers through his perfect golden hair in frustration.
“Ok then you should have rode with mom,” Felix shrugged, “I wasn’t planning on having to transport you. Besides, so what if you’re late? What are you afraid that Dad’s gonna fire you?”
“Give me my money back Felix.” Adrien growled.
“Sorry. No refunds. I’ll call someone to give us a ride.”
Adrien slammed the door as he left.
~~~
Marinette Dupain-Cheng awoke with a start. She sat straight up in bed, rubbing her eyes. Totally disoriented. She could feel her heartbeat racing.
I was dreaming. Whoa.
I was having a sex dream about… Luka?
She covered her face in embarrassment, although there was no one around to be embarrassed in front of. The dream had been so good… until it wasn’t. Something was wrong…
She couldn’t quite remember. The dream began to vanish away from her mind like little miraculous ladybugs were repairing it. She smiled.
She climbed out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen to make some coffee.
After a few moments of hunting through the cabinets for the coffee, a very sleepy Alya emerged from the other bedroom of the apartment.
“Top shelf…” she muttered, gesturing to the cabinet next to the refrigerator.
“Thanks.” Marinette snatched the bag.
Alya glanced at her watch. “You’re up so early. Nervous about work?”
“I had a bad dream and I decided just to get up.”
Alya nodded.
Marinette’s phone started to buzz. She glanced at it, then paused to make sure that she had read it correctly.
Felix
“Speaking of work…” Alya muttered.
Marinette grabbed the phone, stepping into the bedroom again to take the call.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” a voice on the other end of the line launched in, “I’m gonna’ need you to swing by and pick us up on your way to the office this morning.”
“Pick you up?” Marinette asked.
An exasperated sigh from the other end of the line.
“Yes, Marinette…Adrien and I need a ride to work. I had some… car trouble.” Felix mumbled.
Marinette shook her head trying to focus. “Um, ok can you send me the address?”
“Are you serious?” Felix got louder, “You can’t just google-? Fine. Yes, Adrien says he’ll send it now. Hurry. Oh and bring some of those croissants-you know the ones-Adrien says please hurry.”
The call disconnected. Marinette stared at her phone for a minute.
Alya came into the bedroom, handing her a cup of coffee with lots of cream-no sugar.
“Thanks.” she murmured, still staring at her phone.
“What did that dickhead want this time?” Alya asked, annoyed.
“He said he and Adrien need a ride to work… Oh and to bring croissants?”
“Does he think you have nothing else to do this morning? Geez… you have the perfect job with the most asinine boss. It’s like a cruel twist of fate.”
Marinette nodded. She took a sip of her coffee. She needed to wake up.
Her head still felt all clouded.
By the time Marinette had showered and dressed, she was running really behind. She was having so much trouble finding things. She reached for her perfume bottle and was dismayed to realize that it wasn’t the one she thought. After spraying it, she realized that she didn’t recognize the scent at all. It wasn’t bad… just not really her. Maybe one of Alya’s that she had borrowed?
Marinette’s mother was gracious enough to run a bag of assorted pastries out to the curb to save her some time. She had no idea what kind Felix wanted-although he seemed to think that she would.
She kissed her thanks to her mother and raced to the Agreste mansion.
The intimidating rod-iron gate opened for her vehicle, allowing her access from the street. She drew in a sharp breath as she neared the extravagant entrance.
Adrien stood at the bottom of the steps with a messenger bag slung over his shoulder and his coat tucked in the crook of his elbow. He was giving a shy wave of greeting as she parked.
He pulled on the handle to the back door.
“Oh you don’t have to sit in the back-” she started, but stopped when she saw his confused expression.
“Oh-well Felix will want to-” he motioned towards the front passenger seat as he tossed his bag and coat in the seat before climbing in.
Marinette nodded in understanding. But she didn’t understand. She handed Adrien the bag from the bakery.
“Breakfast?” she offered.
“Oh that’s so kind of you, thank you. I’d better not. I have a shoot later today and I’ll feel so bloated if I eat a bunch of bread.”
“Right.” Marinette blushed.
Because you’re a supermodel.
A moment later Felix came down the steps holding a full cup of coffee with no lid Marinette noted with annoyance.
He was on the phone as he slid into the front seat. He yanked the car door shut, immediately spilling drips of coffee on the floor of her car. He snatched the bakery bag from Marinette.
She pulled out onto the street again as Felix continued his conversation.
“No! Dad-I told you it’s these damn cyclists on the road. He’s lucky I didn’t hit him!”
Marinette glanced in the rearview mirror at Adrien. He was staring vacantly out the window.
Felix huffed, “Who said I was going that fast?!? The police? Dad… you know they hate me-I don’t even think it’s possible for the Lambo to go that fast-of course I wasn’t speeding!”
The voice on the other end of the phone erupted into some loud yelling.
“No Sir. I understand perfectly.” Felix ended the call, throwing his phone down on Marinette’s dashboard.
“Sounds like Father’s going to be in excellent humor today… Should I thank you now?” Adrien murmured sarcastically from the backseat.
Felix didn’t answer, he just shoved a huge bite of croissant into his mouth.
No one spoke for the remainder of the ride. Felix’s bad mood hung in the air like a dark cloud.
Marinette had barely put the car in park before Felix was out of the vehicle.
Adrien handed Marinette some gas money and thanked her for the ride before turning to run into the building.
Marinette grabbed her purse and quickly made her way across the parking garage. She caught up to Felix at the elevator.
They rode in silence for a few seconds before Felix spoke.
“What’s that smell?” he demanded.
“I’m sorry?”
“You changed your perfume?” Felix stated more than asked.
“I um… “
“You smell different.”
“Thanks?” she hesitated.
“It’s giving me a headache.” Felix sighed.
“Oh.” she felt herself blushing.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened to the C-suite offices. Marinette looked around in confusion for a moment as Felix stepped out in front of her. He stopped, looking back at her impatiently.
“What?” He sighed.
She shook her head before following him. This didn’t seem familiar.
Felix dropped the things that he was carrying on a desk before continuing on through the double doors of what looked to be a very luxurious corner office.
Marinette noticed that the front desk that he had laid his things on had a large desk calendar with her handwriting on it.
My desk.
She knew it like one knows things in a dream.
She hung up Felix’s coat and bag.
A quick glance at the calendar informed Marinette that Felix had a meeting this afternoon with the board of Agreste Fashion.
She wondered absentmindedly if he was prepared.
His office door said that he was the CFO. The Chief Financial Officer of the company.
Must be nice to just be handed a job like that at 19…
He couldn’t possibly be qualified for that position.
Alaya had called Marinette’s job “the perfect job”.
Being a personal assistant to one of the Agreste twins…
Not even the good one.
She sighed.
It was a foot in the door right? She worked for the premier fashion company in Paris.
But she wanted to design.
Create.
Not answer phones.
Which didn’t ring very often.
She found herself doodling design ideas along the margins of the desk calendar.
Hours dragged by.
The intercom on her desk buzzed, startling her. “Marinette.”
She stood, smoothing her dress as she pushed open the double doors of Felix’s office.
“Yes?”
He didn’t look up from where he was sitting at his desk. He held up a folder.
“I need 12 copies of this collated and stapled for the meeting this afternoon.”
Marinette walked over to his desk and took the file folder from his hand.
“Of course.”
She stood by his desk awkwardly for a moment.
He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.
“That’s all.”
“Oh, ok.” She turned, closing the doors behind her on her way out.
Adrien Agreste was standing at her desk.
Looking at her doodles.
She rushed over to the calendar, flipping it over.
“Adrien-err… sorry it was really slow this morning and I got bored.” She was blushing profusely.
“No-I mean-they were pretty good.” He smiled a perfect smile at her, “Do you design?”
“Oh-pffft-not really. Just for fun sometimes-”
“Well, you should… um you should show me some of your work sometime. I’d like to see it.” His eyes went to hers, lingering for a moment.
“Really?” Marinette smiled. Her face was growing warm under his gaze.
Adrien nodded.
Those eyes… Like the Jade bracelets her mother had brought back from China. Mesmerizing pale green.
She jumped when the intercom buzzed again. “Marinette.”
She hit the button to answer. “Yes?”
“Is Adrien out there?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Can you tell him to stop flirting and get in here?” Felix grumbled.
Adrien cleared his throat. “I’m sorry he’s such a-”
“He’s not very patient.” Marinette finished.
“Right.” Adrien let out a laugh that sent warmth down to her toes.
It feels so good to see him happy. She thought randomly.
Adrien vanished behind the double doors.
A few minutes later a familiar voice startled her.
“Nette! How’s the new job going? Your boss is a real dick, huh?” Nino laughed.
“Oh well… Felix is…”
“I know, he takes some getting used to. Here I brought you a sandwich.”
He dropped a bag on her desk.
“Oh.. thanks, Nino.”
He nodded at her as he pushed through the double doors carrying an armful of sandwiches.
From within Felix’s office she could hear loud voices and laughter.
Some packages were delivered. Marinette signed for them.
Nino left, and some board members filtered in for the meeting.
2 Hours later Adrien poked his head out.
“Hey Marinette, Can you call a car for me, please?”
She nodded, snatching up the receiver.
A few minutes later he slipped out with his bag on his shoulder and his coat on his arm again, just like this morning.
He stopped by her desk to thank her for calling his ride.
“I can’t wait to be done with this shoot. I’m starving. Watching Nino and Felix eat obscene amounts of food is an acute form of torture.”
She giggled at his pained facial expression before giving him an apologetic glance. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s a hard life.” He sighed dramatically. He started to walk away, but stopped and turned back towards her. “Maybe… you’d want to come with me? To get dinner after I’m done?”
Marinette’s jaw dropped.
Adrien immediately backpedaled. “I mean but no pressure, I just didn’t know if you would want to catch up-or…”
She clamped her mouth shut.
Get it together, Marinette!
She brushed her hair back behind her ear. Her knuckles brushed against her earlobe. Her bare earlobe. There was nothing there!
She gasped.
Her earrings. Her miraculous.
She swore.
“I’m sorry…?” Adrien’s smile slipped a little.
“No!” Marinette shouted, “I mean no! Not no! But-”
She froze. Trying to remember.
“Oh wow, Marinette, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable-” Adrien held his hands up as if trying to stop the interaction. “I know we work together… I just thought-with it being different departments and everything-but no-you’re right we should keep it professional. I’ll um… I’ll just see you around.”
He turned on his heel, darting into the elevator.
Marinette felt as if she was watching herself from someplace far away. Her fingers kept feeling for the earrings that she knew should be there.
But how did she know that?
And where did they go?
~~~