Chapter Text
“Someone’s been busy.”
Kagami stepped back from the corkboard, tying one last red string around a pin stuck in the center of Hawkmoth’s police sketch. The wall of Kagami’s office had transformed into a red web of connected images, each akuma victim staring down at Adrien as he set his coat down on a nearby chair.
“I was thinking about what you said the other day,” Kagami said, running a hand through her hair and taking a sip of her cold tea with a grimace. “Ladybug isn’t the enemy we need to be focusing on; defeating Ladybug doesn’t solve the Hawkmoth problem-”
“Only defeating Hawkmoth does,” Adrien said, folding his arms over his chest as his eyes roamed over the faces of friends, loved ones, and complete strangers Hawkmoth had ensnared in his web over the years. His best friend, his classmates, even his own father had fallen prey to Hawkmoth’s single minded pursuit of the ring around his finger. Seeing hundreds of victims, all laid out in a web of lies only stoked the glowing coals of anger that flickered almost constantly these days.
“Ladybug’s still the best lead we have, unfortunately,” Adrien sighed. “We have to count on her making a mistake and letting something slip to Rena or the others.”
“About that,” Kagami said, glancing at Adrien out of the corner of her eye. “Isn’t there an ally we haven’t reached out to yet?”
“You’re talking about Chloe,” Adrien said with a tight smile.
“I’m just wondering why you haven’t reached out to Queen Bee yet,” Kagami said. “It would seem that she’d be the most...enthusiastic supporter if she found out that you were Chat Noir.”
“She’s working very close to Hawkmoth’s lackeys right now; that’s not information I want to put in his reach,” Adrien said. “If Rena’s right and the others are working with her to expose the truth, she’s already doing as much as she can for me without risking her or my safety.”
“That’s...surprisingly well thought out,” Kagami said, raising an eyebrow.
“Believe me; if I could pull someone else in, I would,” Adrien said, leaning on the table as he stared up at the red, tangled web above him. “But for now, it looks like it’s you and me against the world.”
“A- hem .”
Plagg glared up at him from the table, hands on his hips and cheeks bulging with stuffed Camembert.
“You, me, and a cheese addicted cat against the world,” Kagami chuckled. “That might just be enough.”
"It's gonna have to be," Adrien said, leaning on the back of a chair as he looked up at the web of Hawkmoth's victims. "Okay...where do we start?"
“Hey, Marco?”
Luka hovered in the doorway of his manager’s office, hands wringing the corner of his apron as he rocked back and forth on the heels of his shoes.
“Can I ask about that checker position you put out today?” Luka asked.
“Think you just did,” Marco chuckled. “You know that would be kind of a step down from backroom, right?”
“Not for me,” Luka said, scratching the back of his head. “See...my friend needs a job and I was wondering if there was anything I could do to put a good word in for her.”
“Is this friend like the last friend you put a good word in for?” Marco asked, narrowing his eyes. “Because I just got the smell out of the employee lounge and-”
“No, no, no!” Luka said, holding his hands up. “No, she’s nothing like Leo; she’s super sharp, really dependable, no interest in magic cigarettes...also going off to college next year and really needs some cash.”
“I bet,” Marco said, rubbing his stubbled chin thoughtfully. “But after the last guy you recommended-”
“I’ll take the after-closing shift for the next month if you push her application to the front of the line,” Luka said quickly, smirking as he saw Marco’s eyebrows clear his glasses frames. "Me and Simon will handle everything."
“Well, if you feel that strongly about it, I suppose I can help you out,” Marco sighed. “But I’m gonna hold you to that promise.”
“You won’t regret this!” Luka promised, tapping twice on the doorframe as he headed towards the back with a little spring in his step.
“That was very gallant of you,” Duusuu whispered in his ear as he stepped into the cool, refrigerated section at the back of the store.
“Just helping out a friend,” Luka muttered, grunting as he lifted a cardboard box onto the table and started unloading it. The thought of handling closing shifts every day for the next month made his stomach turn a little, but it would be worth it if it meant helping Marinette achieve her dreams.
Dreams that no longer included him.
Rena Rouge: You good?
Chat Noir: just peachy, thanks for checking in
Chat Noir: thanks also for those patrol details you sent
Chat Noir: i was occupied at the time but good to know when people are looking for me
Rena Rouge: Whole city is looking for you.
Rena Rouge: I would limit my nightly excursions if I were you.
Chat Noir: duly noted
Chat Noir: anything else?
Rena Rouge: Queen Bee thinks that Mayura might have been Ladybug’s former fling.
Chat Noir: i guessed as much
Chat Noir: still carries the torch for her, doesn’t he?
Rena Rouge: I guess so.
Rena Rouge: Got all touchy with Bee after she brought it up.
Chat Noir: hm
Chat Noir: might be able to get something out of that
Rena Rouge: Like what?
Chat Noir: idk i’m still planning
Rena Rouge: Lol you plan now?
Chat Noir: i thought i’d give it a try since it works so well for lb
Chat Noir: did she hint at anything when you patrolled together?
Rena Rouge: No, she was pretty buttoned up.
Rena Rouge: Seemed kinda
Rena Rouge: Sad, I guess.
Rena Rouge: I think she misses you.
Chat Noir: misses hiding behind me while our enemies beat me to a pulp maybe
Rena Rouge: Is that really fair to say?
Rena Rouge: You weren’t just a human shield to her.
Chat Noir: she never seemed to have a problem using me as one
Rena Rouge: IIRC, you were the one who was always jumping in front of attacks meant for her.
Chat Noir: yeah and that makes me a shmuck, doesn’t it?
Rena Rouge: Your words not mine.
Chat Noir: >:P
Rena Rouge: Anything good on your end?
Chat Noir: i’m getting ready to possibly fight ladybug again
Chat Noir: i want you to know that i’m not looking for a fight
Chat Noir: but if she gets in my way, i have no problem fighting her to get to hawkmoth
Rena Rouge: Damn, you got frosty, didn’t you?
Chat Noir: november gets frosty
Rena Rouge: Alright, well, keep me in the loop.
Rena Rouge: And if you get your ass nabbed, we never talked.
Chat Noir: of course we didn’t
Rena snapped her communicator shut, de-transforming as she stepped back out of the bathroom and into Chloe’s garishly decorated living room. If she hadn’t outed herself as Queen Bee within hours of getting her Miraculous, the black and yellow patterned throw pillows, honeycomb artwork, and tiny golden bees hanging from each lamp string would have been enough to give her away.
“Did you fall in?” Chloe snorted, popping a piece of popcorn in her mouth as Alya took her seat at the table.
“You know if being an heiress gets old, you can always go into standup with material like that,” Alya said, pulling a soda out of a nearby ice chest and cracking it open.
“And miss my chance to become a hotel baroness like my father would have been if he didn’t get into local government ,” Chloe said, wrinkling her nose. “Pass. What’s the cat doing?”
“Preparing to take Ladybug on again if she gets in his way,” Alya said as Chloe let out a low whistle.
“Dang, the golden lovers really fell out hard, didn’t they?” Chloe clucked, shaking her head.
“Ladybug’s taking it pretty hard,” Alya muttered, chewing on her lower lip.
“If Chat’s right, then she’s got nobody to blame for her unhappiness but herself,” Chloe said.
“I know...but-”
“Don’t get soft on me now, Cesaire,” Chloe said sternly, eyes narrowing across the table. “We said we were gonna get to the truth behind this come hell, high-water, or teary-eyed bug girls. Did that stupid cutlery cross we did in the restaurant mean literally nothing to you?”
“I’m not saying I trust her,” Alya said, holding her hands up. “Just...I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ladybug look so down before. She’s always so...energetic and upbeat. But she just looked so tense last night; like she was one step away from snapping.”
“You wanna switch next time?” Chloe asked. “Maybe she’ll be more open with me.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” Alya chuckled.
“Well, if that fails, I can always-”
“You are not seducing Ladybug,” Alya said, glancing over the rim of her glasses.
“You’re just saying that because you want to be the one to seduce her,” Chloe muttered, folding her arms across her chest.
“I’m in a relationship.”
“So? Nobody said you have to date her ,” Chloe said as the door to her flat opened. “Just tell Nino you need the night off to throw yourself at Ladybug with reckless romantic abandon and get her to tell you her darkest secrets.”
“I miss out on the coolest conversations,” Nino sighed, pecking Alya on the cheek as he settled into the chair between her and Chloe. “You guys get started without me?”
“Chloe wants one of us to seduce Ladybug,” Alya said offhandedly.
“That’d be one way to see who’s under the mask,” Nino said, rubbing his chin. “Either that or Mayura but he seems to be too Ladybugsexual to bite.”
“After last night, I would really rather seduce Hawkmoth than Mayura,” Chloe said, mouth wrinkling in disgust. “Ew, ew, ew, why did I say that?!”
“Haha, you’re gross,” Nino sing-songed, catching a pretzel Chloe whipped at his head.
“Any ideas that don’t involve getting naked?” Alya asked, leaning in on her palm. “I don’t think the femme fatale routine is gonna be super successful.”
“Shouldn’t we be working just as hard to see what Chat Noir is up to?” Nino said. “We’re digging pretty deep into LB’s dirty laundry, but there’s still a chance she’s telling the truth.”
“Letting Chat Noir go went a long way towards getting him to trust me,” Alya said. “He’s not exactly telling me everything, but he’s at least saying more than ten words at a time to me.”
“With all the pressure Daddy is putting on him, he’s bound to reach out for some help sometime soon,” Chloe muttered, twirling her ponytail anxiously. “That security company he hired to help the cops out gives me the heebee jeebees.”
“Given Stigma International’s reputation, those jeebees are pretty justified,” Alya said, frowning down at the black-clad security personnel that flanked Mayor Andre on the cover of the newspaper.
“They've been roughing up people around the neighborhood for no good reason,” Nino huffed. “Is it true they can’t even run contracts in the States anymore?”
“When America kicks you out for being overzealous fascist dickheads, you know you’re a real piece of work,” Alya sniffed, shaking her head. “Somebody’s gonna get desperate sooner or later; we just gotta keep our eyes on both targets and see who tips their hand first.”
“It’s that or seduce Chat Noir,” Chloe muttered, straightening up as Alya and Nino both raised their eyebrows at her. “Oh so Paris’ it-couple breaks up and I can’t make out with the remnants?!”
“Come on, focus !”
Chat Noir bit his lower lip as his claw outstretched, green flickering flame dancing on the end of a candle. He focused on moving the flame down the wick, struggling to keep the ambient heat from melting the wax that surrounded it. He watched the flame slip down the wick, watched the smooth, featureless wax give way and start to bubble with a frustrated sigh, igniting the candle and immolating it in a flash of green flame.
“Take three hundred and thirty three,” Chat Noir muttered as Plagg conjured another inky black candle from the floor of the sanctuary. “Is there a point to all this?”
“The point is teaching you how to use your powers without destroying everything ,” Plagg sighed, rubbing his forehead. “That fire is like Cataclysm; it destroys what you want it to destroy. You have to keep it in check to keep collateral damage to a minimum.”
“Couldn’t have started with an easier task?” Chat Noir panted, wiping his brow. “What was that about using phantom Nazis as target practice? Can we go back to doing that?”
“You got that part down,” Plagg said. “But unless you want to burn the city down every time you use it, you need to get a better hold on your abilities.”
“I’ll get a hold on my abilities after I eat,” Chat Noir sighed, turning around and heading back up the stairs that led to the door out of the Sanctuary. “I’m burned out.”
“Nice pun,” Plagg snickered as Adrien detransformed, stepping back through the door and into his bedroom. “First one I’ve heard from you in a long time.”
“Not feeling especially punny these days,” Adrien muttered, stepping out of his bedroom and into the hall in time to see his father step out of his office.
“-tell him I’ll handle it before tomorrow afternoon,” Gabriel sighed, deactivating his earpiece. “Idiot.”
“You would think you would have fired all the idiots that seem to work for you by now,” Adrien chuckled, patting his father on the shoulder as he passed him. “Unless one of the perks of the job is muttering darkly to yourself about how you’re surrounded by idiots.”
“It’s remarkably gratifying, even if it means dealing with Marcel’s latest breed of incompetence,” Gabriel sighed, following his son down the stairs. “Promise me that when I’m gone and you inherit the company that you’ll fire him at the first opportunity.”
“I don’t think he’s gonna outlive you, but sure,” Adrien chuckled, grabbing his scarf off the coatrack. “You gonna try cooking again or wait until the new smoke detectors are installed?”
“I was actually wondering if you wanted to get dinner somewhere,” Gabriel said, lingering on the bottom step somewhat awkwardly as Adrien slowly turned around, looking at his father like his head had turned into a talking pumpkin. “The two of us, I mean.”
Frowning, Adrien walked up to his father, pressing the back of his hand against his forehead. “Are you sick?”
“I’m perfectly well, thank you-”
“Are you in debt to the mob and this is the last night before they whack you?”
“Why would I be in debt to the mob?”
“Because I can count on one finger the number of times we’ve been out to dinner together,” Adrien said. “So you’re either dying or going to die or-”
“Can a man have dinner with his family without being interrogated about it?” Gabriel sniffed, straightening his tie uncomfortably. “If you have other plans-”
“No, no, no, we’re good,” Adrien said, cinching his scarf around his throat. “I take it takeout from the Thai place down the road is out of the question?”
“You’re talking to someone who survived on cheap noodles from the ages of eighteen to twenty nine,” Gabriel sniffed, pulling his coat off the rack. “If I never eat pasta again, it will be too soon.”
“What did Chat Noir mean when he said that he had “ just spent his day getting fireballs shot at him and fighting the legions of hell that his kwami raised just for him to practice on?”
“What part of that sentence was unclear?”
“You’re saying that Plagg has some way of...what, raising the dead for him to beat up?” Marinette sighed, closing the help wanted section of the local newspaper to look at her kwami.
“It’s very likely that Chat Noir got in touch with another Master,” Tikki said, taking a bite of her cookie. “One that allowed him to access his Sanctuary.”
“No chance of accessing that for myself, is there?” Marinette asked.
“Not unless we somehow stumble on the Key that lets you go there,” Tikki said. “And if Hawkmoth’s research is to be believed-”
“Dr. He is the one that sent him there,” Marinette sighed, rubbing her temples. “...what’s the worst case scenario for me?”
“Worst case scenario is that Hawkmoth gets what he wants, but I assume you’re talking about the scenario involving Chat,” Tikki sniffed. “The longer he’s allowed to train, the stronger he is going to become. And with Plagg and another Master fully behind him, he’s going to be a better Chat Noir than he’s ever been.”
“Shame he didn’t show this much gusto for his responsibility when we were partners,” Marinette muttered, ignoring the sharp look Tikki shot her. “What? He jokes his way through four years of akuma attacks, lets me do all the heavy lifting, and now he suddenly wants to take things seriously? How am I supposed to feel about that?”
“Maybe he finally feels has a reason to give his all.”
“Shame he didn’t give his all sooner; we could have ended this years ago,” Marinette said.
“We can still end this-”
“I intend to,” Marinette said, flexing her fingers. “He can get as many power-ups as he wants; I’ve spent four years figuring out ways to beat akuma with all kinds of stupid power-ups.”
“There’s a pretty big gap between an akuma and a fully realized Black Cat,” TIkki said, tapping the cheek Chat Noir had bruised.
“Is there anything you can do to prepare me for that?” Marinette asked, cupping Tikki in her hands. “I know you only said you were going to help protect me, but-”
“I only awakened your healing abilities to heal you and your friends,” Tikki said, worming out of her grip. “I can’t in good conscience give you access to anything that could be used against Chat Noir.”
“So that’s a no on Ladybug eyebeams then?”
“I don’t even have eyebeams to teach you,” Tikki sighed.
“Anything to protect me at least?” Marinette asked. “Chat’s gonna be hurling fireballs at my head; can you give me anything to prevent me from being burned alive?”
Tikki almost flinched, tensing as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath through her nose.
“...I’ll see what I can do,” Tikki said, grabbing a cookie and floating towards her dollhouse.
“...thanks?” Marinette said, watching Tikki slip into the dollhouse. “O...kay, we’ll unpack that later, I guess...be nice if she could Miraculous Ladybug me a new job while she was at it…”
“So...how are things at school?”
“Same as usual,” Adrien said, leaning back in his chair so the waitress could set the creaking plate of meat, potatoes, and roasted vegetables in front of him. His father raised an eyebrow as Adrien immediately tore into his porterhouse, rending the filet in half with his knife and taking an enormous bite out of it.
“Getting a little bored of it, to be honest,” Adrien said, juice running down his chin as Gabriel neatly tucked into his roast duck.
“I keep telling you you should test out already,” Gabriel said. “Take an early graduation and get a head-start on your life.”
“I’m starting to come around to it,” Adrien said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Would be nice to have some free time to focus on...other pursuits.”
“You certainly have your pick of them,” Gabriel said, taking a sip of his wine. “Your date with Mme. Dupain-Cheng went well, I take it?”
“As well as a date making pastries with her parents could have gone,” Adrien said with a somewhat wistful smile. “Better than I thought, actually.”
“Better at least than the first time I took your mother out,” Gabriel chuckled. “Baking pastries beats getting attacked by a rogue duck while walking in the park.”
“She married you, so it couldn’t have been that bad, right?” Adrien laughed.
“I still order the duck whenever I go out,” Gabriel said, teeth glinting as he popped another piece of duck meat in his mouth. “My symbolic revenge. Made your mother mad, but she could never convince me to give up meat.”
“It almost worked with me until we went to Spain and I had chorizo for the first time,” Adrien said, mopping up his steak juice with a potato.
“We never went to Spain,” Gabriel said, brow furrowing.
“ We went to Spain,” Adrien clarified. “That was when you had to prepare for the-”
“-Vogue shoot,” Gabriel said, nodding. “I remember that...your mother didn’t speak to me for a week after I cancelled that trip.”
“I seem to remember her referring to you exclusively as your father and that man ,” Adrien laughed. “I also remember the floral display you bought for her at the airport.”
“Only because I killed her hydrangeas while she was away,” Gabriel chuckled. “She used to joke that I was her second most beloved living thing after her bonsai trees.”
“I don’t know how much of that was a joke,” Adrien snickered, taking a sip of water as a comfortable silence lapsed between them. “You know...I don’t ever remember you talking about Mom this much.”
“I suppose I’ve been thinking a lot about her lately,” Gabriel said, fingering his wedding ring as he stared into his wine glass. “Just wondering what she would say if she were here with us...every time I’m with you there’s just this...space I’m waiting to be filled. Half of me still thinks that she’s going to walk in at any moment…”
Gabriel trailed off, swirling his wine glass absentmindedly.
“I haven’t...I know I haven’t always been the father you needed,” Gabriels said.
“You did the best you could,” Adrien said.
“No I didn’t,” Gabriel said, shaking his head. “I...did what I always do when confronted with hardship; I reacted out of fear. I wanted you close and under supervision in case...anything happened to you.”
“Well with Hawkmoth running around, it wasn’t like you didn’t have good reason,” Adrien chuckled.
“That maniac certainly didn’t make things easier, did he?” Gabriel clucked, shaking his head. “It’s just...you’re going to be out and on your own soon and I don’t...I don’t want to lose you because I was too harsh or too controlling when you were a boy.”
“Dad,” Adrien sighed, shaking his head with a smile. “I’m not going anywhere; you’re not gonna lose me. I’ll admit we’ve never been close but I still love you, you know.”
Gabriel managed a small smile, clearing his throat and taking a bite of his duck. “Thank you...I love you too.”
“Didn’t need to say that over a hundred euro dinner, did you?” Adrien chuckled, trying to break the tension a little.
“Everything is better over fine food,” Gabriel said, clinking his wine glass against Adrien’s. “I just...I want you to know that I”ll support you no matter what you do. If you don’t want to go to Cambridge, I can’t very well stop you. It’s just…”
Gabriel looked out the window as a few police officers accompanied by Stigma security personnel walked past the window on the sidewalk outside.
“This city is going to the dogs,” Gabriel muttered. “Might be a good idea to get away for a few months.”
“Are you planning on taking that vacation you always threaten you’re going to take?” Adrien chuckled.
“My home is where your mother is,” Gabriel said. “You on the other hand-”
“Have a life here,” Adrien said, taking another monstrous bite of his steak. “HEC is as good a school as Cambridge.”
“Even if Mme. Dupain-Cheng is also planning on heading across the pond?” Gabriel said, raising an eyebrow.
“Well...I mean, not like I can’t take the train to see her, right?” Adrien said, scratching the back of his head. “And she can train back whenever she wants so...and we’ll both be really busy, so not like we can hang out every day anyway.”
“You’ve really thought this through,” Gabriel said with a small smile. “Well, if there’s anything I can do to help with that-”
“Thanks,” Adrien said, thoughtfully chewing his steak with a frown. “Actually...I can think of one thing you could do for me.”
Anarka jerked awake in time to see Luka step back from her, a handknit blanket draped over her shoulders.
“Go back to sleep,” Luka murmured as she slowly stirred, sitting up against her pillows.
“How long have I been asleep?” Anarka muttered, tugging her beanie off and running her hand over her stubbled scalp.
“Not long enough,” Luka chided, pushing his mother gently back against the bed.
“I’m not an invalid yet, honey,” Anarka chuckled, pounding on her chest as a wet, phlegmy cough rocked her chest. “Just a walking anti-smoking ad.”
“Not walking; sleeping,” Luka said, kissing her on the forehead. “I got a shift at the store; Juleka will bring some food in a bit.”
“At this hour?” Anarka muttered, flopping back against the bed as Luka stepped out of her room, heading down the hallway towards the kitchen where Juleka stirred a pot of soup.
“How’d the doctor’s appointment go?” Luka asked, grabbing a canteen of water from the fridge.
“Better than usual,” Juleka said, wincing as a fresh fit of coughing drew their attention from upstairs. “Apparently the coughing is a good sign and besides being cranky from the meds, she’s been in good spirits.”
“I’ll relieve you tomorrow,” Luka promised. “I gotta run something over to Marinette’s place before my shift.”
“Is that a euphemism for-”
“It’s a euphemism for a job application,” Luka said, narrowing his eyes at Juleka.
“Suuuuuuure,” Juleka said, rolling her eyes. “Would be nice if you could get me a job, but-”
“ But you gotta worry about graduating so you don’t end up taking midnight shifts at grocery stores like your lunkhead older brother,” Luka said, scraping some of the soup off the back of the ladle and sampling it with an appreciative nod. “Do your homework; I’ll tell Rose if you don’t.”
“You wouldn’t .”
“I won’t unless you make me,” Luka chuckled, ruffling Juleka’s hair and snatching the job application off the table. “See you in the morning.”
“Power bill’s due tomorrow,” Juleka said as Luka hovered in the doorway.
“I’ll...take care of it,” Luka said.
“You know…we could always see if Dad can-”
“ I’ll take care of it,” Luka insisted, stepping out the back door and into the night before Juleka could reply, clutching the application to his chest to protect it from the wind as he walked down the street.
Ladybug stood in front of the mirror, looking down at the two identical yo-yo’s in her hands.
“Okay...so...Tikki said I just place one yo-yo here,” Ladybug said, placing one yo-yo over her left wrist. The string of the yo-yo snaked out from both sides, wrapping around her wrist and securely holding it in place. One spot on the face of the yo-yo started to glow and as Ladybug tapped it, a pink circle light sprang out of the sides. The circle expanded until it was a solid, shimmering circle of energy, lightly humming around the nucleus of the yo-yo. The light slowly started to cloud, solidifying into a round red metal shield that sank onto Ladybug’s arm with a noticeable weight.
“Past Ladybugs got the coolest stuff,” Ladybug said, swinging the shield around experimentally. “Would have been nice to get this instead of a yo-yo from the start, but we’ll just count this as a victory for good old Team LB.”
Glancing down, she noticed that the wire from the yo-yo remained attached around her wrist and to the back of the shield. Acting on a hunch informed by 18 years of superhero media, Ladybug tossed her shield onto the fainting couch, watching the yo-yo string unspool and hang in the air between her wrist and the shield. She jerked her hand back and the shield retracted along the string, cinching back onto her wrist as her reflection smiled back at her.
“Eat your heart out, Carapace,” Ladybug said, snapping her shield out a little harder than she intended and knocking over a mannequin next to her desk. “...alright, so this is more of an outdoor toy-”
A sharp knock on her bedroom hatch made Ladybug’s heart stop.
“ Marinette?” Her mother’s voice called through the hatch as Ladybug transformed back quickly, stuffing Tikki back into her dollhouse. “ Can I get some help at the register?”
Coming!” Marinette called, straightening her hair as she slid down the ladder out of her room, snagging her apron off a coat rack as she headed from her flat down into the bakery shop proper. “Sorry about the wait, how can I help-”
Marinette could feel the color drain out of her face as Gabriel Agreste looked up from the pastry case, his thin, polite smile catching her off guard even as Adrien beamed over his father’s shoulder.
“M. Agreste,” Marinette managed to stammer, keeping the waver out of her voice with all the willpower she could muster. “What a...surprise!”
“Adrien and I were coming home from dinner and he suggested that we stop by for some quick dessert,” Gabriel said, looking over the rims of his glasses at the case. “I confess, I’m not much for sweets, but Adrien says a few of your lemon bars might be right up my alley.”
“Papa makes them on the tart side,” Marinette chuckled, unconsciously tucking her hair over her earrings as she dove under the counter. “Did you, uh, have a good dinner?”
“Dad had the night off so we decided to take advantage of it,” Adrien chuckled, leaning on the counter as Marinette tucked some lemon bars into a paper bag. “He’s been pretty busy lately, haven’t you?”
“Nathalie is taking more of an executive role at the office, so she’s having some trouble staying on top of some of the day-to-day responsibilities she handled,” Gabriel said.
“Sounds like you need a new assistant,” Marinette said, wondering if there was a BAFTA category for Acting Normal While Talking To Your Arch-Enemy.
“Yes, well...Adrien said that you were currently looking for a job, so I thought I would-”
Thunk!
Marinette banged her head on the inside of the glass case, nearly falling backwards as she jerked upright, looking between Gabriel, Adrien, and her parents not-so-secretly eavesdropping from the kitchen doorway.
“You...are you…” Marinette said, head tilting to one side as she tried to find the words to say.
“I know this is somewhat unorthodox,” Gabriel said. “Usually, this would be something we would address back at the main office, but-”
“You’re...offering me a job?” Marinette said, glancing between Adrien and Gabriel.
“Dad told me that Nathalie’s position was opening up,” Adrien chimed in. “I let slip that you were looking for some weekend and after school work.”
“I...well, I am , but…” Marinette trailed off with a laugh. “Sorry, this is just...I mean, isn’t this a little sudden? Aren’t there other people more qualified for the role than me?”
“With Nathalie managing more things at the office, her old role has been reorganized,” Gabriel said. “Just some clerical work, really; nothing an enterprising fashion designer shouldn’t be able to handle.”
“An enterprising designer that’s still a student,” Sabine said.
“It wouldn’t cut into class time either,” Adrien said. “Just a few nights a week and Saturdays. With an opportunity to work for our London office while she’s in school.”
Marinette’s heart throbbed in her ears as she looked between Adrien and his father for a long moment. Her hesitance must’ve been written on her face because Gabriel cleared his throat.
“Would you mind if we had a private word,” Gabriel said, gesturing between Marinette and himself. “One designer to another?”
Sabine shared a glance with Tom and Adrien for a moment. “It’s fine,” Marinette said, shooting her mother a reassuring smile. “We’ll just stay out here; I’ll holler if we have customers.”
“Well...we’ll be in the kitchen, then,” Sabine said, stepping through the swinging doors and shooting Gabriel a firm look before disappearing into the back with her husband and Adrien.
Marinette had never been alone in a room with Gabriel out of her Ladybug costume and his sudden presence in her parents’ bakery made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It was unnerving how ordinary he managed to look; more a stodgy tax accountant than a brainwashing megalomaniac. Seeing him in her own home made her feel cornered, despite the fact that she was armed with her Miraculous and the Butterfly pin was nowhere to be found.
“You know I’ve heard good things about this place but...I’ve never actually been here,” Gabriel said, turning around a curious nod. “Your parents’ reputation precedes them.”
“They’ve certainly worked for it,” Marinette said, swallowing past the painfully dry lump in her throat.
“I can appreciate that,” Gabriel mused. “I can also appreciate an artist at the top of their field; it’s apparent where you get it from now.”
“I don’t know if I’m at the top of my field just yet.”
“I think you will be,” Gabriel said. “One day. You’re on the right track, Mme. Dupain-Cheng. Just need a little nudge to put you over the finish line.”
“And interning for you is the nudge you think I need?” Marinette asked.
“Something tells me that someone with your credentials is going to make it whether I nudge you or not,” Gabriel chuckled. “But Adrien mentioned that you were looking for work, so I thought I’d offer you the position first...and if I may be so bold, a reference from the head of a major fashion label would go a long way towards whatever career you had in mind.”
“I...appreciate it,” Marinette said slowly, trying to choose her words carefully. “And I appreciate Adrien sticking his neck out for me, but…”
“You...think I’m just offering you this position because of your relationship with my son?” Gabriel asked, raising an eyebrow. “Do you think you’re not qualified to intern for a fashion company?”
“Well...I am, but-”
“Does the schedule I proposed not work for you?”
“It does, but-”
“Is there any particular reason you don’t want to intern for my label in particular?”
You’re fucking Hawkmoth, that’s why, Marinette thought.
“I just...I’d rather make it without my friends calling in favors,” Marinette said diplomatically. “If that makes sense.”
“I understand,” Gabriel said, nodding thoughtfully. “I was much the same way when I was your age. Wanted to build Gabriel with my own two hands and tips saved from waiting tables. I turned down quite a few investment opportunities early in my career because I wanted to make it under my own steam...but nobody makes it under their own steam. Even the smallest boutiques need investors and business connections to ensure their designs leave the mannequins they’re pinned on.”
“I’m not offering you this position because my son is taken with you,” Gabriel continued. “I’m offering it to you because, from what I’ve seen of your work, you’re going to be the kind of designer that’s worth paying attention to; the kind that’s going to put me out of business if I’m not careful.”
Marinette couldn’t keep the self-satisfied smirk off her face. “So by offering me this job, you’re hoping I’ll spare your multi-million euro fashion label my terrible wrath?”
“I would appreciate it,” Gabriel chuckled. “You don’t have to give me an answer tonight; I know this is all very sudden but Adrien is...well, Adrien.”
“He certainly is,” Marinette said, eyes drifting over to the kitchen door in time to see Adrien’s face in the crack of the door. He caught her eye, simply raising an eyebrow and tilting his head as if to say Well?
“At least give me a day to make my case,” Gabriel said, leaning on the counter. “Come by the offices on Saturday; I insist.”
“Well...I guess I can give it a shot,” Marinette said, chewing on her lower lip as Adrien let out a near silent yes in the kitchen behind her.
Already working with him, Marinette mused. Might as well get some money and career help out of it.
“Very good,” Gabriel said, nodding with a small smile as he checked his watch. “I will have Nathalie email you the details later this week. Feel free to reach out to her with any questions you may have.”
“I will,” Marinette nodded, passing the bag of lemon squares across the counter and accepting a note from her future employer. “And, uh...thanks.”
“I wouldn’t thank me just yet, Mme. Dupain,” Gabriel chuckled, taking his change and his bag as he turned to leave the shop. “But I look forward to working with you as well.”
The bell above the door jingled as Gabriel stepped back into the night, leaving Marinette alone with her thoughts for a split second before Adrien cleared his throat from the doorway to the kitchen.
“I...feel like I may have overstepped my bounds,” Adrien said, awkwardly waddling back into the shop.
“For eavesdropping?” Marinette asked, crossing her arms across her chest.
“No, I have no regrets about that,” Adrien chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “I mean, it’s a public shop open to anyone, so technically-”
“Adrien.”
“I...know you were looking to get a new job,” Adrien said, leaning against the counter. “It was a spur of the moment thing; I should have called before coming over but...I got excited.”
“I would have liked more time to prepare,” Marinette chuckled. “But I really appreciate it.”
“Hey, he had the job open; I just-”
“-introduced me formally to a world-famous fashion mogul who wants to take me under his wing,” Marinette said with a small smile. “It was that or intern for Style Queen and Audrey is-”
“-the actual worst person in the world,” Adrien nodded. “Is this...good?”
Marinette responded by throwing her arms around Adrien’s neck, pulling him into a tight hug as his arms slipped around her waist. She stayed like that for a moment, breathing in the smell of Adrien’s cologne.
“This is great,” Marinette said, pulling back without completely disengaging, eyes tracing the curve of Adrien’s lips as she leaned in a little closer. “This is-”
“Marinette!”
The front door to the shop opened as a windswept Luka stumbled through the door, clutching something close to his chest. He stopped when he saw them embracing behind the counter, hovering in the middle of the shop a little awkwardly.
“Am...I interrupting something?” Luka asked as they stepped apart.
“Just a little celebration hug,” Adrien said, coughing into his hand.
“Oh...cool, cool,” Luka said, nodding just a little too much. “What, uh...what are we celebrating?”
“Adrien hooked me up with a gig in the fashion industry,” Marinette said, shooting Adrien a beaming smile.
“...oh,” Luka said, fingers clutching at his jacket a little. “That’s uh-”
“Marinette’s portfolio hooked her up with a gig in the fashion industry,” Adrien said. “My father was really impressed with the stuff she put out so she’s interning for him.”
“I’m still not sure what the pay is, but it’s bound to be a hell of a lot better than working retail,” Marinette chuckled.
“Yeah, no kidding!” Luka said, laughing just a little too loudly. “Anything's better than working retail, right? Well, yeah, congrats! Adrien...to the rescue, right?”
“I just floated the idea to my dad-”
“Yeah, bet you did,” Luka said, cheeks hurting a little from smiling too much. “Adrien’s dad, to the rescue, huh?!”
“Sorry, you wanted to say something?” Marinette prompted, eyes drifting down to the white piece of paper sticking out of Luka’s jacket.
“Oh, no, uh, just saying hi,” Luka chuckled, stepping back as he zipped his jacket up. “Should probably get going; got a late shift at the grocery store I need to get to so...uh...congrats on the new job! Thanks again, Adrien!”
Before Marinette could say anything else, Luka was back out into the cold night air, cold wind biting at his burning cheeks as he took the job application out of his jacket and crammed it in the nearest garbage can as he headed down the street.
Luka stormed through the swinging doors at the back of the shop, plucking his apron off the rack a little harder than necessary and cinching it around his waist with knot that cut into his stomach just a little too much.
Breathing through his nose, he grabbed a box off the floor, slamming it down on the table with clash that echoed throughout the otherwise empty backroom as he started to unpack the box, pen practically slicing through the inventory sheet as he took stock.
He emptied the box as quickly as he could before grabbing another, burning through it with the same singleminded drive to finish as his heart pulsed painfully in his ears. His face burned despite the chilly nature of the back of the warehouse, unloading box after box until he realized the stock wasn’t getting taken to the front of the store.
“Simon!” Luka called out, sticking his head out into the dimly lit grocery store. “Simon?!”
After a moment of silence, Luka sighed through his nose, pulling out his phone and punching Simon’s number in.
“Pick up you lazy prick ,” Luka muttered under his breath. “Hello? Hey, did you forget you were supposed to help me stock tonight...you have a thing? What thing? Okay so...so I’m just supposed to unload, take inventory, and stock by myself?! And you didn’t think of telling me until now ?! No...no, that’s fine . Have fun.”
Luka hung up with a frustrated snarl, shoving his phone back into his pocket as he headed back into the back of the store, grabbing the stack of magazines he had just unloaded and carrying them to the front of the store without stopping to look at the cover. Muttering under his breath, he jammed them into their proper spots, stepping back to make sure he had done a good job.
Luka’s lip curled as Adrien Agreste smiled up at him from the cover of the magazine, lip caught in the corner of his mouth as though he were teasing him.
“Well look who it is,” Luka muttered, grabbing a magazine off the rack and paging through to the vapid, meaningless interview towards the middle. “Paris’ Teen Heartthrob of the Year. Guess that’s an easy title to come by when your face is on every billboard in the city, huh?”
A picture of Adrien standing father sitting at a desk made Luka’s pulse spike; the smug, opulent looking Gabriel only aggravating him even more.
“You just got it so...easy, don’t you?” Luka muttered, glaring daggers down at the happy looking father-son pair that graced the center of the page. “Daddy just snaps his fingers and gives you whatever you want, huh? You want a job in the family business? Done. You want to be on the cover of a magazine? Done. You want to show up your girl’s ex by offering her a cushy, high-paying job? Done, son! Can I get you a pony to go along with that?!”
Luka crammed the magazine back into the rack with a frustrated snarl, stomping into the backroom as he struggled to control his breathing. He glanced around at the pile of boxes that seemed to never get any smaller, breathing through his nose as his fingers brushed over his belt-buckle where Duusuu slept. Anger ebbed out of him, leaving him drained, frustrated, and defeated as he padded over to the worn, moth eaten break couch off to one side of the room.
“Not her fault...better gig, all things considered,” Luka muttered to himself as he sank down on the couch, leaning back and closing his eyes. He just needed a moment to rest; a moment to collect his thoughts and
Mayura’s eyes snapped open, jerking awake and knocking a pillow off the edge of the couch. He looked around wildly, feeling around at his costumed chest as he wobbled to his feet. The back room was empty, and for a moment Luka wondered if someone had come in and robbed their inventory as he slept or worse, seen him in his costume that he had no memory of donning.
The sound of clinking metal drew Mayura’s attention back to the front of the store. He stuck his head out, fan gripped in one hand only to see his knights delicately stacking canned beans, mopping the floors, and restocking the fridges.
“Did...when did you guys start doing this?” Mayura asked, waving to catch their attention. Four identical, silent shrugs greeted him as Mayura stepped back into the back room, staring at his reflection in the distorted metal of the walk-in freezer. His fingers reached up, brushing across the bottom of his mask as he tried—really, truly tried—to remember when he had transformed.
I just wanted to help you.
Mayura flinched, looking around as a soft, familiar voice spoke in his ear. “Duusuu?”
You had such a hard day. You do so much for the people in your life. You deserve to have someone take care of you for a change.
Mayura nodded, head tilting to one side as he watched his knights work. “...maybe I do.”
Of course you do...such a sweet, caring young man deserves to have all the things his heart desires.
Mayura let out a small chuckle, scratching the back of his head. “I don’t know about all the things…”
Why not?
“Some things are just...out of my reach, I guess,” Mayura muttered.
Who’s to say they have to be? Marinette just needs another chance to fall in love with you, doesn’t she?
“I doubt that it’ll take this time if it didn’t last time,” Mayura sighed.
I think when she sees the kind, generous person that you really are, she might have a change of heart.
“Yeah she’s...she’s dating Adrien though,” Mayura protested.
She isn’t married to him, is she?
“I don’t know...I don’t want to ruin our friendship,” Mayura said, gesturing to the fridge as Hammett held up a crate of orange juice for him to see. “And Adrien’s...he’s a good guy, right?”
As good as you are?
“That’s a really weird question to ask,” Mayura said.
All I’m saying is that you already know how to make Marinette happy.
“Can we...change the subject?” Mayura said, a chill running down his neck.
I just don’t understand why you’re so unwilling to seize the happiness in front of you.
“Seriously, I’d like to talk about something else,” Mayura said. “Or, you know what, no talking is also good. I should-”
Tell me you don’t still think about her.
“Duusuu, that’s enough ,” Mayura said sternly. “You’re really-”
You can’t even smell strawberries without thinking of her shampoo; can’t even unpack lipgloss without remembering the kind she likes. You can still feel her lips on yours if you close your eyes, can’t you?
“Wings in!” Mayura’s cry echoed throughout the store as his costume disappeared and his knights with it. The crate of juice Hammett held fell to the floor as he vanished, shattering in a tide of sticky orange syrup that pooled on the linoleum lit by the sickly fluorescent lights that flickered overhead.
Luka took short, shaky breaths, back pressed against the refrigerator case as he sank to the floor. His heart thundered in his ears as he closed his eyes, pressing his palms against his eyelids as he tried to forget Duusuu’s words and the sensations they brought to mind. His hand on Marinette’s. The smell of her shampoo as he buried his face in her hair. Her giggling into every kiss as his arms wound around her waist.
Luka wrapped his arms around himself. “Wings out…”
Mayura took a deep breath, blinking as he put his head between his legs and fought the sad, self-pitying surge that rose up around him. "I'm sorry I yelled at you..."
I just want what’s best for you, Luka. I want you to be happy.
Mayura curled into a tight ball as his knights surrounded him, wordlessly and clumsily offering their master comfort as the lights flickered dimly overhead.