Chapter Text
Adrien sighed and rubbed his temples. “Look, Nino, I would love to do this, but–”
“But what?” his best friend asked. “You’ll get some extra cash? You’ll actually do something you could enjoy? You’ll find yourself free from expectations?”
“But it’s ridiculous,” Adrien cut in.
Nino slapped him on the shoulder. “That’s your old man talking, my friend. Some of the best things in life are ridiculous.” He chuckled and took a long drink from his glass. “Didn’t your father ever have fun when he was your age?”
“No,” Adrien replied shortly. “I’m certain that he’s spent his entire life being a priggish bore.”
Nino laughed heartily. “Well, do you want to spend the rest of your life as a priggish bore?”
“Well, no, but–”
“No buts, my friend. You’re twenty-three and as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been the poster boy for stiffly perfect behavior. I know that you’ve got an adventurous spirit somewhere deep down and I am going to uncover it, or my name isn’t Nino Lahiffe.”
Adrien tipped his head, thinking hard. “If I agree, though, my father will–”
“Storm and rage for a while, but in the end, what can he do? You’re of age. You can do whatever you want. It’s time that Gabriel realized that his son is a grown man that can take care of himself and needs to make his own life. I know you well enough to know that you don’t want to live your father’s life anymore. So make the choice to live a little, laugh a little – it’s up to you. Not your father. You. Give yourself the freedom to dream for once.” Nino gave him a wry smile. “Your path is yours to choose.”
Adrien pursed his lips thoughtfully. Then he fixed his friend with a challenging look. “Okay, supposing that I agreed to this insane scheme of yours – how much of the show would I own?”
Nino laughed. “Fair enough, fair enough. Seven percent?”
Adrien snorted. “I wasn’t born this morning, Nino. Eighteen would be just fine.”
Nino’s eyes widened. “Well, look who’s suddenly a negotiator. Why not ask to be the ringmaster as well?”
“Fifteen.”
“Eight.”
“Twelve.”
“Nine.”
“ Ten .”
Nino worked his mouth for a moment, then burst into a grin and held out his hand. “Done.”
Adrien shook it. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a junior partner.”
His friend chuckled. “What I have is an overcompensated apprentice.”
— — —
The most frightening and also the most thrilling part of trapeze was when you let go and let gravity take over, completely trusting your partner to catch you and send you flying to your catch bar. Man may not be able to fly, but Marinette had what in some ways was the next best thing.
Her cousin Luka was her partner, and together they formed the trapeze artist duo of Lahiffe Circus. When Nino had first asked them to be a part of his new show, they had been a bit hesitant. But, as Luka pointed out, it was a way to make a living while doing something that they loved. Luka was a fantastic musician, but being at one of the lowest rungs of the social ladder made it hard for him to get well-paying gigs. Marinette loved sewing and designing, but just like with her cousin, her social class was her greatest barrier to becoming a renowned seamstress. She and Luka had discovered an additional passion for trapeze when they were young, and now they were finally putting it to good use.
Marinette peeked around the side of the curtain that concealed the prep room for the circus performers. Quite the sizable crowd tonight.
“You ready?”
Marinette turned to smile at Alya, Nino’s wife. “Of course.”
“Time for Ladybug to fly,” Alya declared with a returning smile.
“Indeed.”
Luka walked over and took a look past the curtain too. He pulled his head back in and grinned at Marinette. “Shall we bring down the house, cuz?”
“Bring down the house and raise the roof,” Marinette agreed. “We shall.”
— — —
“You’ve never seen my show before, have you?” Nino asked.
Adrien shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. I understand you get quite the attendance, though.”
Nino grinned. “What can I say? Alya and I know how to draw a crowd. And now that we have you, you can help us draw in the upper class snobs. It’ll be perfect.”
Adrien smiled wryly. “I don’t know, Nino, you have a great deal of confidence in me that I think is a bit unfounded.”
“Oh, come on. You’ve spent your life among the very people who are preventing this show from being an all-around smashing success. Surely you know what appeals to them.”
“Well, I know it’s not circuses, especially not ones that employ ‘riffraff off the street.’”
“So, what, I have to get Prince Ali into the act if I want them to come?”
Adrien laughed. “Not necessarily. But let me take a look at the show and I’ll see what I can do. I can’t make any promises, though, especially after my father disowns me, which is bound to happen after he finds out about this, since he’ll see my joining you as the nation’s greatest betrayal since Benedict Arnold.”
Nino immediately cracked up. “Look,” he said once he got a hold of himself. “Just do what you can. Even if you can’t get the upper crust into my show, that’s okay. What matters is making people happy. If they don’t want to be happy from the simple joys of laughing at the circus, then that’s their loss.”
Adrien nodded, suddenly somber. He couldn’t remember any time when he would have described his father as happy, or anything remotely close to that. It was so easy to forget what was truly important in life.
He recalled once when his father left once again to try to seal some new business agreement. Adrien had asked his mother why Father was always leaving and why he was always so sad.
Emilie Agreste had smiled sadly at her son. “He’s trying to find what makes him happy, Adrien,” she’d said. “The problem is that people quickly lose interest in what they achieve if what they’re chasing is empty.” Then she sighed and pulled him close for a hug.
Adrien blinked and pulled his mind back to the conversation.
“...And I can’t wait for you to see the new stunts that my two trapeze artists have been working on,” Nino was saying. “Amazes me every time.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“Interesting? Interesting? Try captivating. It never ceases to astound me what people can do with their bodies and a bit of rope. Wait till you see them. Then you’ll see how insipid the word interesting is.”
The corner of Adrien’s mouth quirked up in a half-smile. “Let’s see it, then.”
Not long before they reached the building that Nino had bought to hold the circus in, they could hear the stomps and cheers of the crowd inside. Adrien’s eyes widened. “Whoa.”
“See what I mean?” Nino laughed. “Come on, I’ll let you in the side door. Then we can have the best view in the house.”
“Through the side?”
“There are stairs .”
“…Oh.”
“Just come on.”
They walked around the side of the building and Nino pulled out a set of keys. He fumbled with it a moment, then inserted one into the lock of a door. He slowly opened it and led Adrien up a tall staircase to a railed platform. Adrien leaned on the railing and stared down at the swirling circus beneath.
“Wow,” he whispered.
Nino stepped up beside him and looked down as well, a smile playing about his lips. “I’m rather proud of it, myself.” He exhaled. “You already know that so many of the people in my circus are outcasts. Most grew up in the streets and had no hope of living a better life. But look at them now.” He squeezed Adrien’s shoulder. “Someone once said, ‘The noblest art is that of making others happy.’ Even if I don’t make a single cent off of this circus, I hope that I can make these people happy. That’s what really matters. I hope that you can find some happiness in working with us.”
Adrien blinked back sudden emotion and turned to smile at his friend. “I think I will.”
Nino nodded, then gestured back down towards the show. “Alright, let’s not get too mushy. Tell me what you think.”
Adrien surveyed the dance below him. “It’s so… intricate. So many different layers and pieces in the puzzle. Yet it all fits together perfectly.” He grinned. “And you can tell they’re having fun.”
“I sure hope so, my friend. I sure hope so.”
They were silent for the next while, just watching the show, until a new act started and Nino bounced excitedly. “Time for the trapeze feature.”
Adrien watched in fascination as the two trapeze artists, a man and a woman, began their performance, twirling through the air from rope to rope, tossing and catching each other and doing complicated flips and spins.
And then, in a single magical moment, the female trapeze artist swung upward, her legs hooked over the catch bar, and her upper body posed just so. She swung up, right towards where Adrien stood. And in that instant, time slowed nearly to a stop.
Their eyes met, Adrien’s green staring into her blue. She was dressed in a scarlet costume decorated with black spots, complete with a mask over her eyes. Her blue-black hair was in a twisted updo. Adrien stared, transfixed by the sparkle of happiness in her eyes and the way her soft, red lips were parted ever so slightly.
Then time sped up again and she fell back down, launching herself off her own trapeze and flipping through the air until the man on the other side caught her and they continued their act.
Adrien was certain his eyes were as wide as saucers. “Who is that?” he murmured.
— — —
Who is that? Marinette thought as she and Luka finished their trapeze act. They reached the ground again and took their bows, then rushed back behind the curtain.
Luka embraced her. “House?”
“Down.”
“And roof?”
“Raised.”
He grinned, gave her another hug, then walked away, back to his dressing room.
Marinette leaned against the wall, her mind reeling. She fiddled with her long glove as she replayed the memory of that man standing next to Nino. Time had seemed to stop as she had swung up and made eye contact with him.
Who was he? He was dressed exceptionally well, in obviously individually tailored clothes in the latest style, so clearly he was of the upper classes. And, she thought with a blush, there was no denying that he was very handsome, with his thick blond hair, bright green eyes, and chiseled jawline.
Perhaps a prospective investor that Nino was meeting with , she thought. It was the only thing that really made sense, even if that was a bit of a stretch. Everyone knew that the Lahiffe Circus was no smashing hit among the upper crust. It would take a miracle for Nino to find any support for his show in that arena, especially with all the scathing reports that some had made in the New York Times . Why some of the stuffy reporters even came back after being so thoroughly disgusted the first time was beyond what Marinette could fathom.
I’ll never understand rich people .
Marinette jumped, startled out of her thoughts as there were sudden loud, rambunctious cheers and whoops from the crowd outside. The show must have finished, so she quickly moved away from the curtain so as not to be in the way of the rest of the performers who would come bursting through at any moment.
She walked towards the dressing rooms and was about to enter hers when she heard her name being called.
She turned around to see Nino approaching her with the handsome man from before. “Marinette, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” the ringmaster said. “This is my best friend, Adrien Agreste. He’s agreed to be my overcompensated apprentice in this business.”
The man – Mr. Agreste, apparently – shoved Nino playfully. “Junior partner, you mean.”
Nino shook his head and looked heavenward. “We’ll talk about it later. Anyway, Adrien, this is Marinette Dupain, half of our trapeze artist duo. Adrien enjoyed your act specifically, Marinette.”
Mr. Agreste swept her a bow. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Dupain. Your trapeze skills are incredible.”
Marinette fought down a blush and tried to summon her Ladybug persona. Ladybug was never afraid. Ladybug was good luck personified. Ladybug was confidence and vivacity. “Thank you, Mr. Agreste. And what is your act?”
Mr. Agreste blinked. “I… I’m afraid I don’t have one.”
Marinette smiled teasingly. “Everybody’s got an act. They’re just not all on stage. Excuse me.” And with that she walked – no, sashayed , there really is no other word for the way she moved – away from them and into the dressing room. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and exhaled heavily.
What in the name of sugar was that? She had never behaved in such a way in her life. She’d been… almost flirtatious. Her! Flirting with Adrien Agreste! She laughed wryly. The very idea was ludicrous. Everyone in New York had heard of Gabriel Agreste’s son, and everyone who was anyone was constantly throwing themselves or their nearest unmarried female relative at him. For him to even notice her was beyond belief.
And now she’d be seeing him every day, it seemed, as he would now be partnered with Nino in the circus. So every time she saw him she’d be reminded of what had just happened.
She sighed. Maybe summoning the Ladybug persona wasn’t the best idea where Adrien Agreste was concerned.
— — —
Adrien stared after Miss Dupain, trying to kickstart his brain back into functioning. Good heavens, she was captivating. He’d known her name for thirty seconds and that teasing smile of hers had made him want to catch her up in his arms and kiss that smirk away.
Nino snapped his fingers in front of Adrien’s face. “Hello? Earth to Agreste?”
Adrien blinked and looked at him. “Sorry, Nino.”
His friend just grinned unrepentantly. “Nothing to be sorry about. I think I saw destiny happen tonight. Why do you think I wanted to introduce you to Marinette first? This is going to be fun.”
Adrien sighed. “Nino, what are you planning?”
“Oh, nothing,” the ringmaster replied airily. “Honestly, I don’t think I need to plan anything. Anyway, let’s introduce you to the rest of the performers.”
“Nino–”
“Ah, here are our two lion tamers, Rose and Juleka. Ladies, this is Adrien Agreste…”
The rest of the evening consisted of Adrien meeting everyone else who made up Lahiffe Circus. Despite the nagging memory of his interaction with Miss Dupain, he was very impressed with the number of people Nino had in the circus and how well they all worked together.
Once all that was through, Adrien gave Nino’s hand a hearty shake, promised to return late the next morning, then summoned a hack carriage to take him back to his apartment.
Collapsing on his bed, Adrien closed his eyes and tried to decide what he should tell his father. It would be far better if he told Gabriel himself rather than let his father hear the news through the gossip chain. The confrontation was bound to be a bit fiery, but would hopefully end quickly. And if it ended with Adrien being disinherited, then so be it. It wasn’t as if he would be destitute as a result. Not to mention that Gabriel had never been a man that Adrien aspired to emulate, so cutting off ties with his father wouldn’t be an extremely heavy blow.
He sighed and opened his eyes. Yes, facing down his father would definitely be unpleasant. But perhaps seeing Miss Dupain on a regular basis would make it more than worth it.
The next morning Adrien woke up around eight o’clock. His valet, Peter, was bustling around the room. He glanced over at his employer and grinned. “Finally awake, I see.”
“You’re one to talk,” Adrien replied, getting out of bed with a stretch and a moan. “I’m surprised you’re in here so early.”
Peter shrugged. “I heard that you expected to go see your father this morning, so I planned accordingly.”
Adrien and Peter’s relationship was very different from what one might expect between a valet and employer. Peter was an efficient and well-trained valet, but he was also very cynical and had a strange appreciation for French cheese. He had no qualms about speaking his mind to Adrien, but despite the non-customary dynamic, Adrien greatly appreciated Peter’s friendship and advice.
“How did you–”
“The maids know everything,” Peter said smoothly. “Joining the circus, are you?”
“In a sense.” Adrien went to the washstand and splashed cold water on his face and neck. “Should be interesting, at the very least.”
“Will it pay well enough?”
“Mhm.” Adrien toweled off and then walked over to stand next to Peter at the full-length mirror. “Once I sign the paperwork, I’ll own ten percent of the show, actually. And Nino’s been making bank off of this, so my portion plus what I earn on my investments should be more than enough. He’s also hoping that my influence will attract more of the snob district to attend, so if I’m successful that’ll bring in even more funds.”
Peter snorted as he began handing Adrien articles of clothing. “Why in the name of camembert would Mr. Lahiffe want them to come to his show?”
“They set the fashions and their purses are full. Pretty important things to consider when running a business.” Adrien half-smiled as he pulled on his clothes. “You know, Nino goes on an awful lot about only wanting to make people happy, but he’s still human. The wealth he’s accumulating is not at all objectionable.”
“As it would be to we all,” Peter said. He critically eyed Adrien’s appearance and straightened the shoulders of his coat. “Very well. That ought to be fine enough for Mr. Stiff-and-Sour.”
“Thanks, Peter.” Adrien surveyed his reflection in the mirror, glancing back and forth between himself and Peter. Though Adrien wouldn’t trade Peter for the world, they made an odd pair. His valet was about twenty years older than he was and a former street urchin, who, through an insane amount of luck and sudden useful connections, had gotten himself trained as a valet. The traces of his origins sometimes revealed themselves in his speech, but such were rare occurrences. Peter had unruly, thick black hair, strikingly handsome features, and piercing green eyes, like emeralds.
Adrien, on the other hand, had been raised with money – and a lot of it. He had grown up wanting for nothing and doing everything his father had told him to. That included spending years working for his father’s company, a boring job that subjected Adrien to interaction with stuffy, shallow people that didn’t care about anything beyond the next dollar to come to their pockets. Adrien’s blond hair was strictly tamed and his features were softer, more indicative of gentle breeding. His eyes were green like Peter’s, but more like leaves than gems.
Peter winked. “Thank me with some cheese later, will you?”
Adrien sighed. “I really don’t get you, Peter. When are your senses of taste and smell going to begin working again?”
“I’ve never asked you to understand me, sir.”
Adrien arched a brow. “I’ve offended you, I see. You only call me ‘sir’ when you are distinctly ruffled.”
“Anyone who does not see the value of a fine piece of French cheese is hardly worth addressing casually.”
Adrien chuckled wearily. “I’ll have Cook fetch some more camembert when next she’s out.”
Peter grinned. “Fabulous.”
“Am I out of your black books now?”
“Keep the camembert coming and you’ll never be in them again.”
“I’m rich, Peter, but not that rich.”
The valet sighed dramatically. “Fine. Do what you can.”
Adrien laughed. “I shall, indeed. Having a friend like you is worth it.”
“Alright, be off with you,” Peter said, shooing him away. “May as well get the unpleasant confrontation over and done.”
“No doubt,” Adrien said with a sigh.