Chapter Text
Adrien Agreste is the embodiment of sunshine. Adrien Agreste is perfection personified. Adrien Agreste is the nicest teenager in Paris, if not the world. He’d heard them all. It was a persona his father was keen to promote and one that he didn’t mind playing up to if it made his life easier and kept undesirable attention off his back. Being Chat Noir helped let out some of the more negative aspects of his character such as frustration, aggression, overprotectiveness and being as annoying as he could be with bad puns. A certain black cat kwami was exceptionally helpful at letting him vent his anger and emotions that his ‘image’ wasn’t allowed to display. It was refreshing that all Plagg expected in return was an endless supply of cheese.
Honestly Adrien couldn’t imagine what state he would be in if his floating friend wasn’t around. Who would have guessed how much difference the mini god of destruction would make to his life? The truth was, Adrien did have a dark side, one that could easily turn very unpleasant if he didn’t control it. His father was Gabriel Agreste – cold, calculating businessman and fashion mogul. His mother was Emilie Agreste – a fiery Actress who had been notorious for showing a diva side when she had to. She was related to the Graham de Vanily family … a bunch of arrogant, wealthy English Aristocrats who had won more than their fair share of successful feudal fights, quite possibly with some very shady and underhand dealings. In truth with the amount of unscrupulous rich relatives in his family, it was a wonder that he could so easily channel the nice, kind, sunshine values he was famous for, and actually preferred.
When he returned to his room from yet another tedious photoshoot with that annoying bitch Lila, it certainly wasn’t the megawatt smile of joy that graced his features. He tossed his bag down on his bed, Plagg carefully flying out before it landed with force and heading to the mini fridge for his customary wheel of camembert.
Adrien sank into the chair at his desk and put his head in his hands. He casually switched his computer on. The Ladyblog was the first site to flash up. He scowled at the fact that Alya seemed to be leading without yet another interview from Ladybug’s so called ‘best friend’ as they analysed the latest battle with Mayura and the sentimonster version of Ladybug. There hadn’t been much news footage as it hadn’t caused any damage or involved any random civilians. It had just been a cruel ploy to trick Chat Noir into giving up his Miraculous and mess with his feelings.
Lila was being touted as an ‘expert’ and even had the audacity to suggest the duplicate Ladybug had been her idea all along. She didn’t even know the word ‘sentimonster’ – made apparent by the way she brushed over the term when Alya used it and instead directed attention to the fact she will be making the evening news after being unveiled as the new ‘muse’ for Gabriel Agreste. Adrien paused the interview and resisted the urge to vomit. Not only did she not know the word ‘sentimonster’ she clearly didn’t know what the word ‘muse’ implied. Gabriel’s PR team would really have to have a word with her.
“Geez, what a parasite.” Plagg remarked, Adrien hadn’t noticed he had been floating by his shoulder watching the footage with feigned interest.
“Tell me about it.” The blond closed the web page and looked for some music videos instead to help calm himself down.
Plagg threw a piece of camembert in the air before swallowing it with one gulp. “I heard she really pulled a number on Bakery Girl today.”
Adrien practically growled as he opened the music app. “That’s one way of putting it.” He angrily tapped the button to activate the latest Jagged Stone number to play quietly in the background.
“That bitch had better listen to what I told her, or so help me…” He clenched his hands in fury.
“God of Destruction, at your service.” Plagg grinned, flying in front of him and bowing in the best Chat Noir style.
Adrien smirked back. “Tempting – very, very tempting.” He admitted.
He turned away and went to his bag to extract his homework.
“Remind me what you said again?” Plagg, asked, “I might have been slightly distracted by my latest cheese date to notice.”
“I just told her that her behaviour was unacceptable and that she had better find a way to make Mr Damocles bring Marinette back to school or else.”
“Or else what?”
“I wouldn’t be her ‘friend’ anymore.”
Plagg rolled his eyes. “Only you would use the phrase ‘unacceptable’ and the idea of losing a ‘friend’ as a threat.” Plagg had somehow managed to find another piece of cheese. “Whilst we’re at it, I reckon you should check up on the definition of ‘friend’ again. Especially when you do stupid things like put the words ‘just a’ in front of it.” The cheese and kwami disappeared as Plagg went to find something else to entertain himself with.
If Adrien had heard his last barbed comment, he didn’t react. He took his homework to his desk and called down to the chef to say he wanted to eat in his room that night. He knew he didn’t have a scheduled ‘date’ with his father and just wanted a quiet evening, free from drama.
He briefly gazed at the unofficial class photograph that Marinette had arranged to help Juleka over her photo curse. It was over a year old now, he wondered if they would ever have another one. He sighed, not with Lila influencing the class.
“I just hope it’s enough.” He stated.
Plagg looked at him sadly as he returned. “All we can do is see what tomorrow brings.”