Chapter Text
She was almost late. Keyword was almost . Not even Marinette herself could register that she was able to get to school on time. Her usual tardiness was often teased by her parents and friends, especially with the fact that Marinette’s family was right next to the Dupont school.
One would say you couldn’t blame Marinette, though. She had a rough night last night. Hawk Moth obviously did not understand the definition of sleep and forced Marinette as Ladybug along with her trusty partner Chat Noir to fight a poor akumatized victim .
But, she managed to make it to class on time.
Ms. Bustier had some news for her class that morning.
“Today, we have a new student coming from the city of Lyon,” she announced. “Everyone, please welcome, Henry LaBove!”
The door opened to reveal a boy…but not just any boy.
In stepped the kind of boy you only ever expected to see in glossy magazine spreads or on a movie poster. Maybe he was the Adrien to Lyon’s level of famous models!
Henry was a boy who anyone could expect from a movie screen; tall, handsome, elegant, with a hint of boldness in him. He wore a brown leather jacket, a white T-shirt underneath, the style simple yet high branded, and black jeans with brown dress shoes.
He unexpectedly flipped his hair, and at once, all the girls in Miss Bustier’s class swooned and sighed in their seats, even those who couldn’t feel romantic love even if they tried, like Alix, those who already have boyfriends, like Alya and Mylene, or those incapable of love for anyone but themselves, like Chloe and Lila.
(Every girl was swayed except Marinette, although she could also feel her own brain switching off like a light switch.)
Henry opened his eyes, and his eyes were like a pretty amber.
“What’s up?” He announced, and boy, even his voice sounded like honey.
One by one, every girl in the class bonked their foreheads against their desks, (including Marinette,) making the boys glance at them in concern.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you guys like that,” Henry cleared his throat, though he was speaking more for the girls than the boys. “It’s just how I treat my buddies back home. Hi, everyone. As Miss Bustier might’ve told you, my name’s Henry LaBove. I’m from France originally, just not from Paris. I’m from Lyon.”
“Lyon is a beautiful city,” Miss Bustier praised. “May we ask why you and your family decided to move to Paris, Henry?”
“The office company my parents work with offered them a big promotion in Paris,” Henry explained. “We were a little hesitant to move here, since not only is Paris the capital city of France, it was much bigger than we could ever expect in Lyon. We decided to take a tour of the city at first, and we found ourselves liking Paris better than we liked, so as soon as we got home in Lyon, we made arrangements to move here right away.”
“That’s a very interesting story, Henry,” Miss Bustier praised. “I hope you will love Paris the same way you loved Lyon.”
“Thanks, Miss Bustier,” Henry chuckled. “And I can’t wait to get to know my new classmates too.”
“You can sit next to Ivan for now, the boy with the black shirt with skull design on it,” Miss Bustier suggested. “You’ll also be sitting behind none other than our very own class representative and deputy, Marinette and Alya.”
Both girls took their cue to stand up.
“Hello, Henry,” Marinette waved. “As our teacher just said, my name is Marinette, and I am the class representative. Sitting besides me is my best friend and class deputy, Alya Cesaire. If you have any questions or concerns and you can’t get to Miss Bustier right away, you can come to one of us for help instead.”
“Thank you… Marinette, was it?” Henry walked up the step near Adrien and Nino’s desk and delicately took her hand in his. “Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”
He went to press a kiss on the back of Marinette’s hand, only for the girl to politely shake her hand off.
“O-OK, we may be French, but we’re technically still in school, so let’s keep it PG, okay?” Marinette giggled nervously. “And as much as I want to get to know you too, we still have a school schedule to follow. How about we talk during break?”
“Studious, aren’t you?” Henry grinned. “I like that in a girl. Very well, Marinette. I look forward to being your classmate.”
“Thank you, Henry, me too,” Marinette said politely as she and Henry took their seats, allowing Miss Bustier to start their lesson.
-
Marinette tried to focus on her notes, diligently scribbling down what Miss Bustier was explaining. But she couldn’t help noticing small, subtle movements from Henry. At first, she chalked it up to him fidgeting or adjusting his posture—but then she realized he kept flicking her pigtail whenever he thought she wasn’t looking.
Her pencil paused mid-word. Why is he…? She tried to shake the thought away, blaming her imagination.
A few moments later, Marinette briefly glanced back toward him, curious whether he was paying attention to the lesson at all. That’s when Henry caught her eyes. He flashed her a grin—warm, friendly, easy… but for some reason, it sent a shiver down her spine.
Marinette quickly shook her head to get rid of the thoughts and went back to her notes. Henry LaBove was just a new student. She shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions about him, especially when he deserved to be welcomed into their school.
-
Morning classes usually seemed to drag, but today, most of the students felt that it went fast since they had a new student in the room.
While everyone was focused on their curiosity on Henry, Marinette took the opportunity to decide to stop by the bakery real quick to grab some pastries for her classmates, and sneak a few extra for herself, Alya, Adrien, and Nino.
Before she could reach the front gates, she ran into… Henry.
Who seemingly was casually down the stairs she had just gone down, and the way they ran into each other was just a coincidence.
Plus, Henry was new to Francois Dupont, so it’d make sense he couldn’t familiarize himself right away with the school’s layout. But Marinette felt there was something else going on.
“Oh, hi, Henry,” Marinette greeted politely. “May I help you?”
“Hey, Marinette, I was just on my way to the cafeteria, since well, it's lunch time, and I’m hungry,” Henry explained casually. “But the wind suddenly blew my map away, and now I can’t find my way. Since you’re class representative, and I can’t seem to find a teacher right away, maybe you could help me?”
“Um, sure,” Marinette nodded slowly, feeling like it was the right thing to do. “Come on.”
At first, it seemed straightforward and normal. She led the way down the familiar halls. But slowly, Henry began to make the encounter feel less like a coincidence and more like a game. He’d veer slightly off-course, forcing her to adjust her steps, or step close enough that she could feel his presence brushing past her shoulder. Sometimes he pretended to look at a wall or a classroom door, only to shift suddenly, making her have to spin around to keep up.
As they reached the wall that always seemed to have white cardboard papers always glued on, behind the basketball hoop, the keep away game grew stronger. At one point, Henry suddenly stomped forward a little, making Marinette flinch, and she briefly bumped into the boards, her spine stifling.
Her thoughts spun. Was Henry just being playful? Or was he deliberately trying to see how far he could push her?
“Marinette!”
Marinette whipped her head around just in time to see Adrien coming towards them. Without thinking about it, she almost missed Henry stepping closer, but she unconsciously bounced away from him and rushed to Adrien’s side, bumping into him and her face briefly pressing into his shoulder.
“Hi, Marinette,” Adrien had her back as usual when she fell, gently chuckling and helping her adjust. He kept a hand on her shoulder, allowing the tip of her pigtail to brush against his fingers. “Are you okay? Alya sent me to check on you. She said you suddenly just disappeared.”
“Yeah, sorry for worrying you, Adrien,” Marinette blushed, but truthfully, she was glad that Adrien was here. He was a thousand times better than Henry. “I just decided to stop by the bakery real quick to pick up some pastries for you guys when I ran into Henry.”
Adrien’s green eyes softened as he glanced at her, worry and protectiveness mingling in his expression. Not once did he interrupt her, making Marinette feel more love towards this boy.
Outside the classroom, Adrien finally had the chance to face Henry properly. He straightened his posture, offering the boy a polite smile.
“Hi, Henry. I’m Adrien,” he said smoothly, extending his hand in greeting. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Henry took a moment before responding, his expression carefully neutral, almost unreadable. Finally, he gave a faint nod.
“Henry LaBove,” he said evenly, shaking Adrien’s hand just long enough to be courteous—but no longer. There was a subtle edge to him, as if he were testing Adrien without openly challenging him.
Quickly as the boys shook hands, Henry took his hand back just as quickly.
“So…you’re the famous Adrien Agreste everyone talks about. Believe it or not, you’re even a hit in Lyon. Some of the girls in my class back home can never stop talking about you,” Henry stated stiffly, his amber eyes flashing.
“Oh? Is that so?” Adrien rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. My father takes introducing the world to his fashion pretty seriously. He has a lot of Gabriel brand stores in many other countries now. In fact, I think he’s starting to plan a new one in the Philippines or somewhere like that.”
As they spoke, Adrien couldn’t help but notice Marinette edging closer behind him. The more Henry approached, the more she instinctively pressed against Adrien, as if trying to make herself invisible. He was about to ask her if she was alright when he caught a subtle detail: Henry’s gaze was fixed on Marinette, and there was a glint in his eyes—calculating, intense—that Adrien recognized immediately as more than friendly.
As a model, Adrien learned long ago to read people’s body language and emotions. Henry seemed to have a certain gleam in his eyes, and now Marinette was so close pressed to his back now that her cheek brushed against his shoulder.
Henry’s eyes narrowed as he watched them — the way Marinette leaned in, the easy, unspoken way Adrien sheltered her. He tilted his head, studying the small gestures like a connoisseur inspecting a painting.
“So,” he said slowly, voice smooth, “what are you two, exactly? Friends? More?” His tone was casual, but the question prodded at something private.
Adrien opened his mouth to answer, but Henry cut him off with a direct stare aimed at Marinette.
“Tell me this—if it came down to it, would you trust Adrien with your life?” It wasn’t a casual question, it was more like a demand.
Marinette didn’t even hesitate.
“Yes.” Her voice was quiet but flat with certainty.
Adrien felt the world narrowing to that single word; relief and a fierce protectiveness hit him at once. He kept his smile polite for Henry, but his grip on Marinette’s shoulder tightened just enough to let her know he’d heard—and that he’d always be there.
Henry’s mouth curved into a faint, unreadable smile.
“Good to know,” he murmured, eyes glittering in a way that promised he’d remember.
Adrien decided to leave it at that, knowing if they kept staying with this guy, things could become… not good.
His hands moved to Marinette’s shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze. He leaned slightly closer, his voice low enough that only she could hear.
“Are you okay?” he whispered. “Are you hungry?”
Marinette nodded, grateful for his calm presence, though her cheeks were still warm.
“Do you want me to walk you to the bakery?” he asked, his tone soft and protective.
“Yes… please,” she replied, relief flickering across her face.
They began to walk, Marinette staying close beside him. The air between them felt momentarily safe, familiar, until a sudden swoosh of movement made them both pause. Henry skidded to a stop right beside them, eyes glinting with curiosity and something sharper, more calculating.
“And where are you two off to in such a hurry?” he asked smoothly, his tone casual but edged with something almost predatory.
Adrien’s jaw tightened imperceptibly, keeping his smile polite while his grip on Marinette’s shoulder subtly shifted, guiding her slightly behind him.
“Just heading to the bakery,” he said evenly.
“Which bakery? The bakery down the street from the school?” Henry throttled. “It’s the best bakery in Paris, isn’t it? My parents and I couldn’t get enough of their croissants!”
“Er, yeah,” Adrien nodded. “We go there all the time.” He didn’t say that it was Marinette’s parents who owned it. The last thing he wanted was for Marinette to feel more uncomfortable.
Marinette instinctively pressed a little closer to him, trusting his presence to shield her as they continued forward, aware of Henry’s gaze lingering just a little too long.
Henry’s grin widened just slightly, that calculating gleam never leaving his eyes.
“Mind if I come with you?” he asked casually, though Adrien immediately recognized the undertone—it wasn’t just curiosity.
Adrien stiffened for a moment, then forced a polite, easy tone.
“Uh… actually, we have a few things to pick up first, and we’re kind of on a schedule. Maybe another time?”
Henry’s brow rose, but he let it slide, though the glint in his eyes suggested he wasn’t done observing them yet.
Adrien glanced down at Marinette, giving her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. She nodded slightly, relieved.
With that, Adrien led her forward, putting a few steps between them and Henry. Once they were clear of his reach, Marinette let out a small, quiet sigh, and Adrien finally allowed himself a brief exhale of relief.
“Thank you for that, Adrien,” Marinette softly leaned against his shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to protect me from…that. But truthfully, I felt you didn’t have to. Henry’s a new student, so I shouldn’t be feeling this…weird around him. He deserves to be welcome.”
“Marinette.” The streetlight had turned red, so that allowed Adrien a precious few seconds to talk to her. “While I agree with you that Henry should deserve a welcome, as he’s a new student and all, no one deserves to make you feel uncomfortable. If I’m being honest, Henry was giving me a few weird vibes too.”
“Really?” Marinette lifted her head up.
Adrien nodded, giving her free shoulder a gentle squeeze to reassure her.
“I’m a model, remember? I can tell when someone’s faking casualness,” he reminded her. “And although I admit I haven’t been out of the house much except for modeling, it allowed me to tell when someone is masking their real selves. Plus, since my father’s letting me out more, he’s always giving me the ‘be careful around strangers,’ speech.” He playfully rolled his eyes, though it held some seriousness in them. “As if I have strangers screaming my name all the time, but Nathalie says ‘your father means in general, Adrien.’”
Marinette giggled quietly at that, making Adrien smile wider.
“See?” Adrien playfully flickered her pigtail making her mock glare at him and say “hey!” “You’re not imagining anything. Your instincts are right—Henry’s intentions just aren’t… straightforward. And that’s okay. We just need to be careful around him.”
-
The bell above the Dupain-Cheng bakery jingled as Adrien held the door open for Marinette. The warm, sweet smell of fresh bread and pastries wrapped around them instantly, soothing after the strange tension with Henry. Marinette’s mother, Sabine Cheng, looked up from behind the counter, her smile softening as she spotted them.
“Marinette, darling, you’re back!” Sabine put down the tray she was holding and went to kiss her daughter’s forehead. “And you brought back Adrien, too.”
“Did someone say Adrien?!” Tom Dupain, Marinette’s father, came out from the back, wiping flour off his hands with his apron. “Welcome, my boy!”
He swept Adrien off the floor and gave him a giant bear hug before the boy could blink. Despite the slight squeeze, Adrien felt warmth in Marinette’s father’s arms.
“Daddy! Let Adrien breathe!” Marinette scolded.
“Oops, sorry, son,” Tom immediately set Adrien down. “I’m just so excited to see you again. It’s been a while since we last saw you.”
“No problem, Mr. Dupain. It’s nice to see you and Mrs. Cheng again,” Adrien answered with a grin.
“That’s the spirit!” Tom clapped him on the shoulder with such force that Adrien wobbled a little before chuckling.
“So,” Tom added, looking between the two of them, “what brings you here in the middle of lunch break?”
“Your daughter came up with the generous idea to give out treats for the class,” Adrien explained, giving Marinette a soft, fond expression. “When she told me, I decided to help.”
Sabine’s expression melted into pride as she looked at Marinette, who ducked her head shyly.
Tom, meanwhile, puffed up like a balloon. “That’s my girl!”
-
Sabine and Tom wasted no time helping their daughter and Adrien. Tom carefully packed boxes full of croissants, baguette sandwiches, and flaky pastries while Sabine tucked in rows of cream puffs, macarons, and chouquettes with practiced precision. Adrien eagerly helped, balancing two boxes with ease, while Marinette carried another in her arms.
“Don’t forget the napkins!” Sabine reminded, slipping a neat stack on top before closing the lid.
“Merci, Momma,” Marinette said with a grateful smile.
“Good luck, you two,” Tom called as they hurried out the door. “Make sure your classmates know who baked them!”
“They’ll be able to tell, Papa! We’re not the best bakers in Paris for nothing!” Marinette reminded him. Adrien laughed at the warm banter between Marinette and her father, and even offered to pay. Tom and Sabine refused, and before they could waste time about money, the adults were gently ushering the two teenagers back to school before their lunch break ended.
By the time they returned to school, their arms full of bakery boxes, the buzz in the classroom immediately shifted. Eyes widened, chairs scraped, and classmates crowded around the pair as soon as they set the treats down.
Rose clapped her hands in delight while Juleka murmured something grateful through a mouthful of macaron. Kim stuffed two chouquettes into his mouth at once, shouting “FREE FOOD!” before getting scolded by Alix for his manners, who promptly snatched one before he could finish them all. Laughter and chatter quickly filled the air, the room bright with the smell of fresh pastries.
Marinette smiled shyly as she handed out goodies, while Adrien hovered close, making sure no one trampled her in their enthusiasm. Soon, most of the class was happily munching away, crumbs dusting their desks.
With the crowd distracted, Marinette slipped away with Adrien, Alya, and Nino to a quieter corner of the room. Adrien set aside a small box just for them, opening the lid to reveal an assortment of pastries Sabine had tucked in—strawberry tarts, flaky mille-feuille, and a pile of delicate cream puffs.
“Now this is the VIP corner,” Nino joked, reaching for a tart.
Alya grinned, snatching a mille-feuille before Nino could.
“VIP means I get first pick. I’m Marinette’s BFF, after all.”
Adrien chuckled and passed Marinette a cream puff, watching her take a dainty bite. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she smiled, savoring the sweet custard inside, and she generously handed Adrien one, too, making him smile in thanks.
Marinette barely took a few bites out of her cream puff when a shadow fell over her. She felt a strange chill, then whipped around to see Henry standing behind her, her cream puff still accidentally in her mouth.
“Hey, Marinette,” he said smoothly, but the smoothness in his voice sounded like nothing this morning.
Marinette swallowed the bite she had just taken of her cream puff, feeling Adrien’s hand brushing against her pigtails protectively.
“Hey, Henry,” she greeted back, politely but cautiously.
“That cream puff you have there looks pretty good. Can I have some?” Henry asked, and without even waiting for an answer, he rudely plucked the treat out of Marinette’s hand and ate it himself.
Marinette’s face turned red, then turned whiter than a sheet in horror. Her lips parted, but all she could say was “imunwell,” before dashing out of the room.
Adrien gritted his teeth, feeling furious for Marinette, but kept his cool. He took a deep breath, and turned to Alya, who had watched the same thing in horror.
“Alya, please follow Marinette, to make sure she’s okay,” Adrien managed. Alya nodded and immediately rushed after her best friend.
-
Alya found Marinette in the girls’ bathroom, trying to calm herself down by splashing water on her face.
“Girl, are you okay?” Alya asked gently.
“Yeah, Als, just a second,” Marinette gasped out, gripping the edge of the sink tightly, taking a few deep breaths, and feeling Tikki repeatedly pressing against her leg inside her purse to comfort her without Alya noticing.
After a few moments, Marinette turned back to Alya, giving her a shaky smile.
“I’m fine…I’m fine, really,” she assured Alya, though her glassy eyes said otherwise.
“Sweetie, no, you’re clearly not okay,” Alya wrapped a sisterly arm around Marinette. “You were eating that pastry, and Henry just snatched it up and ate it himself without asking you for permission.”
“Still, it’s just a cream puff. It’s not like my parents never make them for me or the bakery…” Marinette reasonably argued.
“It wasn’t just about the cream puff girl,” Alya soothed. “Henry crossed the line, and you have every right to be upset about that. I’d be really upset if someone just ate food out of my hand like that, too.”
“I just don’t know what to do, Alya,” Marinette buried her face into her friend’s shoulder. “Henry LaBove is a new student, and he deserves to be welcome, sure, but the way he just acts…I just can’t…”
“New student or not, no one deserves to treat my BFF like that,” Alya stated gently but firmly. “You did the right thing, getting away from Henry as fast as you could. And I’m not the only one who saw what he did. Adrien saw it. Nino saw it. And trust me, they’re pretty mad on your behalf. Especially Adrien. You should’ve seen his face. He looked like his dad for a minute!”
“Well, who else is Adrien the son of?” Marinette laughed breathlessly.
“Exactly.” Alya grinned, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “While I agree we should give Henry a chance, we shouldn’t excuse his actions like that. You ready to go back to class?”
“Well, the bell is going to ring soon, and we surely don’t want to be late for class. Who knows? Maybe literature or history will take my mind off of things that just happened,” Marinette reasoned.
“That’s the spirit, girl!” Alya cheered, and the two girls hugged.
After a minute or two of Alya allowing Marinette to take another deep breath, they went back to class, where the boys were patiently waiting for them.
Nino went to Alya while Adrien went to check on Marinette.
“You okay?” He asked, his smile gentle but worried.
“I’m okay,” Marinette assured. “I washed my face to try to cool myself down.”
“Cool. I asked Miss Bustier if I could take your seat if you don’t mind. Since Henry sits behind you right now, I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable with him breathing on your back.”
“Thank you, Adrien. That’s very sweet of you.”
-
Later that afternoon, Marinette was humming a happy tune as she prepared to go to her locker to grab the books she needed for tonight’s studying.
Unknown to her on the other side of the lockers, Adrien was getting ready for his fencing lesson. His eyes caught Marinette walking to her locker, looking carefree and happy, humming a sweet tune, and most of all, she was safe.
Adrien smiled softly in relief, happy that Marinette was happy and safe, and focused back on zipping up his fencing jacket, and adjusting his gloves. He got his sabre ready, and was about to exit the locker room when he suddenly heard a click, then a scream from Marinette.
Immediately, Adrien rushed to her side, his fencing sabre clutched tightly in one hand.
“Marinette?!”
Marinette whipped her head around to look at him, eyes filled with tears, but then relief at the sight of him.
“Adrien!” She cried, running to him and standing on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck.
“Hey, shh, it’s okay. What happened?” Adrien soothed, hugging her back, still gripping his sabre tightly just in case.
“I was just getting my books I needed for studying tonight, when Henry… he just appeared in my locker like some kind of magic Jack-in-the-box prank!” Marinette explained.
“What the?! How did he even get in there, anyway?” Adrien shared her astonishment. “And with all those books and stuff in the way?”
A banging sound of metal from the lockers occurred, making Adrien and Marinette snap their heads up. Sure enough, Henry was there, looking nothing like he was that morning.
Henry was casually leaning against the lockers mere feet away from them, and at once, they could tell that their new classmate looked like nothing like the one they met that morning.
He still had that agonizing smile on his face, but it was no longer at least trying to act friendly. His stance was tense, his eyes sharper than the hardest amber with the most predatory glint either Adrien or Marinette could see in another human being, and the easy smile Henry seemed to always have on his face was no longer there.
Henry pulled himself off the lockers and stretched. Then, he looked at them with such intensity that set Marinette and Adrien on high alert.
“Why so tense, you two?” Henry drawled out, stepping forward. Instantly, Adrien dropped his sabre onto the ground, the metal’s tip tapping against the ground in warning. “I just wanted to get to know my favorite classmates better.”
“Favorite?” Adrien repeated, his gloved hand subtly nudging Marinette back behind him. Unfortunately, his protective hand gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Henry. “You’ve barely been in our class for a day. You know nothing about us.”
“Correction. I know what I see, Agreste Jr.,” Henry retorted. “You and Marinette seem close. Very close.”
He took another step forward. Marinette flinched, and she instantly moved more behind Adrien, one arm still holding her backpack against her chest and the other going to grip Adrien’s arm.
“So?” Adrien’s voice dropped low, his teeth clenched as he let out an almost hiss. “The friendship Marinette and I have? That’s none of your business. First, you corner her at lunch. Then you rudely snatch a cream puff right out of her hand—while she was eating it. And now, you’re hiding in her locker? I wouldn’t call that ‘normal’ if your goal was just to get a girl’s attention.”
Henry’s smile vanished, and Marinette felt her stomach drop, her heart almost sinking to her shoes. She squeezed her eyes shut and ducked closer behind Adrien’s shoulder, clutching her backpack like a shield.
“Like you’re any better, Agreste Jr.,” Henry sneered, stepping closer. “All you have to do is toss a pretty little wave, and girls fall all over themselves. Why? Because you’re AdRiEn AgReSte—the golden boy, not just of Paris, but probably all of France.”
Adrien’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing.
“Well, at least I don’t scare girls by hiding in their lockers,” he shot back sharply, his protective stance unflinching as he moved slightly to block Marinette further, especially when he felt her face pressing into his shoulder. “Besides, being the ‘golden boy’ isn’t as fun as you think.”
“Oh, poor little rich boy,” Henry sneered as he mock- wobbled closer. “Life must be so hard when everyone worships the ground you walk on.”
He leaned forward, his eyes flashing.
“But here’s the thing—you don’t earn their attention. You’re just born into it. Everything’s handed to you.”
Adrien’s grip on the sabre tightened, his knuckles white under the glove. “You think you know me?” His tone was calm but cutting, every word sharp as the blade in his hand. “You’ve been here for less than a day, and already you’ve decided what kind of person I am. That’s not insight—that’s arrogance.”
Behind him, Marinette pressed tighter against his shoulder, her breath quick and shallow. She could feel the tension in Adrien’s muscles, taut as steel, and it steadied her enough to lift her chin, even if she stayed shielded by him.
Henry tilted his head, watching them with that unnerving, predator’s patience.
“Arrogance?” he echoed, his smile twisting back, thinner and more dangerous. “No. Just observation. You shine so bright, Agreste Jr., everyone else fades into the background. That’s why you’ll never understand people like me.”
Adrien leaned forward just enough to meet Henry’s glare head-on, voice lowering into something almost feral.
“You’re right—I don’t understand people who think scaring girls and cornering them is the way to get noticed.” His free hand curled protectively around Marinette’s arm. “And if you think I’m going to let you try that with her again, you’ve got another thing coming.”
Henry seemed to ignore Adrien’s words as his smirk snapped into something sharper. Without warning, he lunged—not at Adrien, but at Marinette, as though testing how fast Adrien would react.
Adrien didn’t hesitate. He caught his sabre on Henry’s arm, sending him stumbling back a few steps. Then Adrien pointed the tip at his chest.
Henry froze for a split second, his calculating eyes locking with Adrien’s. The sharp tip of the sabre hovered just inches from his chest, gleaming under the fluorescent lights of the locker room.
“Back off, Henry,” Adrien warned, his voice steady but carrying an edge that left no room for argument. Marinette pressed closer behind him, squeezing her backpack so hard that some books might’ve as well break out of the bag.
Henry’s smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of hesitation. Then, with a quick, almost imperceptible movement, he shifted sideways, keeping his hands raised in mock surrender.
“You don’t have to get all dramatic, Agreste,” Henry said, voice smooth but tense. “I was just… testing the waters.”
Adrien didn’t lower his sabre.
“Testing the waters, you say? Does that involve cornering someone at lunch, rudely eating something out of her hand, or crawling out of her locker? I think not! You’re done!”
Adrien’s patience was slowly starting to snap, but the string that held it was still there, albeit barely.
Henry opened his mouth, clearly ready to retort, but by then, Adrien’s patience snapped completely. Channeling every ounce of authority he had, he lifted his voice in his best “Gabriel Agreste” voice.
“GET OUT!”
The sheer force and precision of Adrien’s command echoed through the locker room. It was enough to make even Marinette jump, although she knew Adrien’s words weren’t aimed at her.
Henry finally gave up, sighing and grumbling words under his breath that were definitely not-so-nice words.
He walked past them, purposely knocking shoulders with Adrien roughly, and he seemed to almost “accidentally” knock shoulders with Marinette too if Adrien hadn’t grabbed her and pulled her under his arm.
Finally, Henry exited the locker room, the brown doors swinging shut with chilling precision.
As soon as she was sure Henry was completely gone, Marinette exhaled in relief, her grip on her backpack loosening yet still holding it close to her chest. Adrien let out a long breath of his own he didn’t even realize he was holding and turned to her, softening instantly.
“I know he’s barely in our class for a day, but…I don’t like him,” Marinette finally whispered.
“You and me both,” Adrien muttered in agreement. “He’s one of the few people I don’t know if I’ll be able to have patience with.”
If someone was going to be on Adrien Agreste’s list of people he didn’t like, Marinette knew it would be really bad, since Adrien usually didn’t have a lot of bad things to say about people, even if they had difficult attitudes, like Chloe or Lila.
And since Adrien was one of the most trustworthy people Marinette knew, she wasn’t sure if she could fully welcome Henry LaBove into their class herself.
“It’s been a long day,” Adrien said, breaking Marinette out of her thoughts, rubbing her arm up and down comfortingly. Even if he was still wearing his glove, Marinette could feel the warmth in his hand underneath the leather. “Come on, Marinette, I’ll walk you home.”
“Thank you, Adrien.”
With that, they left the locker room. Marinette realized that she had caused Adrien to miss his fencing lesson, and she began feeling bad, but Adrien assured her not to worry about it.
“But what about your dad?” She tried. “Won’t he get mad at you?”
Adrien shrugged casually, like his father’s anger was now natural to him. (Poor Adrien 🥲)
“My dad gets mad at the dumbest things, Marinette. He once threw an adult tantrum because Nathalie once accidentally set his neatly styled stack of papers a millimeter off. It was actually pretty funny pm how she reacted to him. Given that Nathalie had worked for my father before I was even born, I could see why.” Adrien explained.
“She seems to know him almost as much as your own mom,” Marinette blurted out, then when Adrien stopped, Marinette felt her face turn red, then pale. “Oh my god, Adrien, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean!--”
Adrien burst out laughing.
“It’s okay, Marinette, I know what you mean. You want to know a little secret, actually?”
“What is it?”
“As much as my mom was also one of the few people who could handle Gabriel Agreste no problem, she admitted to me once that when she and my father first met, she was a bit intimidated by his signature ‘Agreste’ glare as they would call it. Turns out, he just always looked like that, even if he was genuinely happy. He just looks like that. I think it’s said Father inherited the look from his grandfather or something.”
“Oh. That is a pretty funny story,” Marinette admitted with a giggle.
Adrien smiled softly, happy to see her lighten up after such a tense day. Together, they walked down the quiet street, the city around them feeling a little calmer, a little safer, with each other’s presence keeping the world’s chaos at bay.