Chapter Text
Adrien loves to see Ladybug and Serene Sphynx fly through the city. It was his favorite thing to do while he worked on online courses in his room.
His eyes widened each time whenever they passed by his large windows. Serene Sphynx was their quick and agile protector. He wore beautiful gold jewelry on each limb and a matching neck piece. Adrien wore a scarf the color yellow to try and match in a way. He was too scared to try and get his Father's approval for merch.
If he could be as smart as either of them, he'd bet he would be getting better at most things. Sometimes he wished he could have his hair flow down like Ladybug's. Oh to be less neat and more swishy in the wind. He'd never brush his hair if it was up to him.
Wait, that's kind of gross. Never mind. He'll brush his hair, but he'd want it to be messy.
“You cannot be watching those superheros all day.” A voice threw him from his fantasies. He specifically had a desk propped up in front of the window so he could people watch. Unfortunately, that made him much more prone to being snuck up on.
“I apologize for not announcing myself,” Nathalie said, “-But I'm here to remind you that after your classes, instead of fencing class-”
“Photoshoot, yeah, I know. Thanks Nathalie.” He corrected his posture, standing up to go fix his hair and wash his face.
“You're a good kid, Adrien. I wish you fun.”
Adrien smiled with gratitude. “I will. Chloe will be there.” That girl was a blast of energy no one could possibly contain. Sure others may look down on her for that, but Adrien's sheltered self found it delightful. It's like not being able to eat fruit so you eat harsh vitamin supplements instead.
“THERE YEW AREUGH!!” Chloe, a tanned girl with bright blonde hair pulled up in a strict ponytail came marching to him.
“I'm not even late.” Adrien smirked.
“Well, I missed you. So. How dare you.” Chloe tossed her head to the side.
“Yeah, how's um…everything?” Adrien hasn't spoken to Chloe in one whole week and it was bothering her.
“Talk while you work.” The director said and Adrien was handed clothes that he was to quickly put on in the changing room.
“It's finnee. My dad is being SUCH a diva lately.” Chloe talked through the divide.
[Runs in the family.] He thought.
“He keeps trying to win mom back but he's using all the wrong techniques. Do these old hags not know how to woo a woman anymore???”
“I guess not. I know you want them back together but if it doesn't work out I'm here for you.” Adrien said easily while he worked on a difficult part of the outfit.
“I know you will. I'm gonna try and teach him how to shape up. Hmm… literally. He's kinda a chubster.”
Adrien laughed from the other side of the wall.
“Okay okay, enough of me drama. Any you drama?” Chloe asked. Adrien walked out of the changing room and saw she had her head pressed closely to the wall. She quickly corrected herself.
“Well, no. My father makes sure nothing dramatic goes on in my life.” What he wanted to say was “interesting”.
They walked to the makeup booths and sat down in their chairs while makeup artists swarmed them.
“Do you think I can convince my father to let me have a Miraculous poster?” He wondered.
“I don’t see why not.” Chloe talked while her mouth was open and having lipstick applied. “Unless he hates Paris's heros.”
“I mean he kind of does.”
“What?” Chloe turned her head in a snap to face him.
“He's not um…really enthusiastic about most things. He says I shouldn't be getting into true crime.”
“That’s so lame. It's barely true crime when they're wearing animal costumes.” Chloe said as she walked over to the posing station, ignoring other people's orders while also obeying them.
“Well, I think they look cool…! Ladybug looks…very pretty- not that I'm a fan boy or anything.” He quickly added. Chloe stared at him a few seconds and then grinned.
“She is pretty. If I were Ladybug, I'd ditch those awful goggles and get a cool masquerade mask thing to cover my face.”
They posed with their backs touching.
“I'd wanna be Serene Sphynx…he's the smart one.” Adrien said in too much awe. Once a blue moon, he'd picture himself with his own Black Cat costume. He knew that'd never be him, though.
“Oh, yeah. He's hot too. But I think they're both smart. So what if he convinces the akumatized people to reject the akuma? It's JUST as equally smart to lucky charm a car on top of a villain too!”
They posed again, hands touching.
“Yeah, sometimes it feels like Serene Sphynx is trying to save the villain from Ladybug's wrath.” Adrien snickered.
After the shoot, hours later. When Adrien was sweating from the hot lights that shined at him and Chloe's hair started to defy her hairspray, they walked along the studio, out in the main hallway.
“My hair will defy the laws gravity before it spends another MINUTE with this hair spray. It's awful. It's gross. It stinks.”
“It doesn't matter how it smells. It's just to look good.”
“Yes, yes. Thank you, mansplainer-OOOOooOoo!” Chloe interrupted herself and showed a post on her phone that advertised a meet and greet with Ladybug and Serene Sphynx. Adrian's hope sparked up.
“That's so soon. Maybe I can actually go?” Adrien thought out loud.
“They probably totally sell posters and all that stuff there. Do you think Ladybug will take a selfie with me? The two most b e a u t i f u l queens in Paris? Together? Ugh!” Chloe fangirled.
“Uh. If we even get the chance to meet them. It looks like there's gonna be a lot of people there…”
“Well, they'll be too busy with the heroes to notice our presence. Well, you. I'm always noticeable. I can ask Sabrina to bring us snacks and stuff and we can have a girl's day out!”
Adrien liked Sabrina. The calm soft demeanor and the way she fit with Chloe like a glove despite it. Sabrina genuinely was careful about her words and how they would affect others. Unlike Kagami and Chloe, the only other two people he spent time with.
“I'm not sure if Father will let me go.”
“THAT'S why we don't tell him. Remember the rule? Don't ask permission, ask for forgiveness. You can't be told no if you never let him speak.” Chloe was right. Adrien only did her advice once before. Adrien snuck a sweet treat despite his model diet and his Father could only tell him to not do it again.
“Alright. I'll try.” Adrien decided.
And so Adrien snuck out in broad daylight that saturday with some pocket money to get that experience.
It was held at the nearby park and he immediately saw Chloe and Sabrina waving to him.
Chloe yanked Adrien into their little personal bubble. There was no arguing with Chloe.
“Okay! So we got the food over in that section, the signing there. And also plushies that way, but no one actually buys those kids toys.”
“But Chloe, you bought 3 Ladybug plushies-” Sabrina piped up.
“Sshhshut up. Those are for resale value.”
“You're rich Chloe.” Adrien smiled, trying to act like he's done this before. He was quite nervous about an outing no one planned for him. Did he put on enough sunscreen? Was he being followed? Was he going to get caught and face some horrible punishment?
“Okay. They're really cute. Now I will buy both of you smoothies from the generosity of my heart to not tell ANYONE at school about this.” Chloe's strange way of treating the other has begun.
“I don't go to real school-”
“Oh, yeah. You do that online school. It must be so cozy to not leave your bed.” Sabrina said in awe. Adrien smiled, but it was a lonely experience to see the people out his window living an everyday life outside of his cube. Sometimes he just wanted to shut his computer and watch. He got to see people hug and talk and laugh together because they chose to meet up or because their lives called for it to be that way.
His life wasn't designed like that. He let Sabrina drink his smoothie because he had a feeling he'd get sick from it. He walked around to the poster booth and saw the wonderful art he could never draw. He wondered how he could get one and have it without his Father finding it out.
Something more inconspicuous would probably suit him. He walked over to the plushies and saw there were variants. There were poorly made ones on the sides of the tables listed for cheap but there was a well made one up on display for quite some money.
“Excuse me? I'd like that Serene Sphynx one, please.” And with that, he took it, looking at it. Chloe was both right and wrong. These weren't for babies. This would make a nice pillow, while also being easy to hide under the bed.
“Is that Adrien Agrest?” And with that exclamation, went his day with it. Turns out the paparazzi for the event were the same people that would document Adrien. His shoulders tensed up and he knew no body guards were gonna help him from any thirsty fans or people trying to hit the jackpot.
His ankles agreed with him and he ran from the mob of people that seemed to grow. People were looking in his direction, some with annoyance and some with confusion.
Before he knew it, he was swept off his feet as a muscular arm wrapped around his torso and pulled him up far into the air. He went cold before he realized what was happening.
He was set down as a large thump was heard from the crowd far away. He was now in an ally. It was dark and moist, but two figures glowed amongst the dirt. Ladybug and Serene Sphynx. Their “costumes” shined and made it clear they were professional fighting suits. Their tools in their hands defined math entirely and they looked down at Adrien.
Ladybug scratched her nose. “Um- are you- okay? I mean- we get it. We get it a lot. I mean the uh…the uh the uh the uh the uh-”
“What she means to say is that we understand the attention and we know how to avoid it.” Serene Sphynx spoke as Ladybug pushed back her hair in a shy manner. She was strict and smart on the battlefield and on television, but up close she was a pretty girl his age.
Adrien looked up at Serene Sphynx, not noticing his mouth was open until Serene Sphynx bowed his head. “Not much of a talker? I understand. I'm sorry you couldn't enjoy the event like everyone else. Hopefully this will make it up to you.” Serene Sphynx walked over to him and wrote his hero name on one of the eyes of the plushie. “Sorry it was on the eye. It wouldn't be visible on the suit.”
“Iuaahauuuhh-” Adrien stumbled over his words. Words he did not have. (He sure makes that noise a lot)
“It's okay. You can sneak out of here and hopefully reunite with your friends. We won't say a thing.” Ladybug's light voice suddenly became assuring and not like the voice a moment ago.
“Um- thank you. I really…um wanted to come here without anyone knowing…” Adrien admitted.
“We'll make the paparazzi delete any photos. A fan should always feel safe at a convention.” The cat said. And now Adrien understood a new layer of what it means to be a hero. To be so kind and caring for a complete stranger and be able to have such soft words.
“Thank you- for your your service.” Adrien managed to say, doing a little bow.
“Any time.” The Sphynx bowed back. They left in a whoosh and the wind that they created made his neat hair blow into a slight mess. He left that ally and found a way to meet up with the girls that were super jealous that he got to have a conversation with Ladybug and Serene Sphynx.