So, there are two theories that explain the past of Spirou. In the album '38. La jeunesse de Spirou' (Spirou's youth), Spirou is dropped as a baby at a hotel and he already knew Fantasio from his earliest youth. In the spin off series 'Le petite Spirou' (Little Spirou) he has parents but doesn't know Fantasio yet. For this fan fiction, I had to combine both the theories. But why am I writing in English? Well, I'm Dutch and I can't write enough French to make a decent story in that beautiful language, unfortunately. Also, if I would write in Dutch, no one would be able to read it.

"This is you're floor, madam" Spirou said politely when the elevator doors opened. Without saying a word, the woman with a fur collar walked out of the elevator, her nose upwards. Spirou thought for a second he saw a star on her belly.

"You're welcome, madam…" murmured Spirou when she was out of hearing distance. Spirou sighed. No one ever thanked him. He worked in a big, expensive hotel where only really rich people came for a holiday. Everyone looked down on the bell boy Spirou. When he was a baby, he was dropped in front of the door from the hotel. They wanted to bring him to the orphanage, but someone thought that later he could might be useful as a part time bell boy, so he stayed in the hotel. It's not that Spirou was unthankful for being alive, but sometimes he wished he had normal parents like everyone seemed to have, and the ability to choose his own job. In his free time, Spirou was always drawing and writing stories. If he could choose, Spirou wanted to be a writer, a photojournalist who went on cool adventures in far foreign countries like Palombia where he would discover a lost animal race called…

"Bonjour" greeted someone, startling Spirou out of his day dream. "Twenty-fourth floor, please."
"Of course" answered Spirou and pressed the corresponding button. Finally someone greeted him, so he had to be a nice person! Spirou looked at the one who requested the floor. His age was between a boy and a young man, one or two years older than Spirou was. He had blonde hair with a few cool rebel hairs standing upwards. He looked different than the other guests from the hotel. He was wearing normal clothes for someone to be in such an expensive hotel. When Spirou say that he wasn't comfortable with Spirou staring at him, he quickly looked to another way. "Desolé…" Spirou muttered, almost inaudible. Around the neck of this yet unknown person hung a fancy old fashioned camera.

Maybe he's a photographer, how awesome! I have to ask him about that, I'm sure he doesn't mind! Spirou thought. He took a breath to ask him about the camera, but the doors of the elevator already opened.

"Merci" said the young man with the camera, and he walked away.
"You're welcome" answered Spirou, and this time for real.

Spirou was a bit happy to finally meet someone who seemed nice, but he also was disappointed by himself that he didn't dare to talk to him. Spirou promised himself to start a conversation the next time he was in 'his' elevator.

A few hours later, Spirou met the mysterious person again in the elevator.
"Ground floor, please" the young man requested. He had the camera on his neck again.
"Okay" answered Spirou while he pressed the button.
Spirou felt he had the courage to ask about the camera.
"Cool camera," Spirou said, "Are you a photographer?"
"Better yet," answered he with obvious pride in his voice, "I'm a photo journalist. Well, actually, I'm still studying photography and journalism. But when I'm done, I'm going to work for Nation Geographic or something! At the moment, I have to make a report on something in the neighbourhood from this hotel, to practise. The university is actually paying my stay, nice huh? I'm Fantasio, by the way."

Fantasio. That sounded like a speaking name for someone creative with much fantasy. Spirou thought it was an awesome name.
"You're a photojournalist? All adventure like and such?"
Fantasio nodded proudly. Spirou felt a bit envy. He wanted to have a job to be proud about, too.
"Wow, that's so cool! I have always wanted to be an adventure journalist. I'm Spirou."
"Then why are you a bell boy?" asked Fantasio wondering.
"Do you think I choose this work?" asked Spirou, "Well, actually I did, it was this or doing the dishes. I choose this because the outfit suits me. Anyway! I didn't choose to work in a hotel. I don't know who my parents are and dropped here as a baby."
"Oh, I'm sorry man." Fantasio said and put a hand on Spirou's shoulder.
"Meh, it's ok. This work isn't even that bad; standing still so long is good for the blood pressure in your legs."
"Well, I don't know the way in this neighbourhood, and if you're so interested in photo journalism, could you maybe help me not getting lost?"
"Yeah, that would be great! Me, helping in an adventurous adventure! I'm free tomorrow, ok?"
"Tomorrow is fine. My room is number 24-38. See you then!" Fantasio said as the elevator doors opened, magically and unlikely correct timed.
"Ok, see you tomorrow!"

The next day, Spirou knocked on Fantasio's hotel door.
"Come inside, but… be careful" was the answer. Spirou opened the door with a question mark in his text balloon. Fantasio was lying on the floor with an expensive looking photo camera, photographing an… insect?
"What are you doing?" asked Spirou, questioning the sanity of Fantasio.
"Attends… et… gotcha!" said Fantasio, pressing on the 'take a picture' button. He stood up and his camera printed the photo. He showed the photo to Spirou. "Look!" On the photo were the many enlarged facet eyes from the fly visible.
"Beautiful," said Spirou, "I didn't know something like a small, seemingly unimportant fly could be so pretty, zoomed in."
"As a photographer, you have to have an eye for small details. Pressing the button on exactly the right moment is also important. In other news, why are you still wearing your bell boy uniform? You didn't have to work today, right?"
"No but… I like this outfit. It suits me."
"And it matches your hair prettily…" Fantasio murmured inaudible, blushing.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. Glad you didn't choose for the washing the dishes option. Allonz-y!"