Author's note: Thanks for the reviews!
/
"Hey! Lebrun!"
It's somewhat startling to hear someone calling after him in such a manner. Hearing that they're using his surname, he makes a point of not acknowledging them. Instead, he continues his way towards the metro, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up to protect him from the rainfall. She doesn't live this way, so it's apparent that she's coming this way with the sole intention of talking with him and he doesn't plan on making it easy for her.
He has a good reason for avoiding this particular individual.
He can hear that she is running. Her feet splash loudly in the puddles as she approaches. She's calling after him insistently, her tone becoming increasingly angry as things go. Just before he's about to go down the steps, she catches him. Physically grabbing a hold of him and pulling him backwards, away from the metro entrance. It's a bold move given his reputation. He turns around, eyes narrowed, dangerous and sending a clear message. One which the teen behind him doesn't seem to get.
"What are you?! Deaf?!" She snaps at him.
"Were you talking to me?!"
"Who else does it look like I'm talking to?!" The teen gestures at the largely empty street.
"My name is Dylan." He growls back as a response.
"You don't use my name. I'm not using yours."
"It's Anya, isn't it?"
Alya doesn't like him much. That much is apparent. What had started at a weariness is now at best a dislike and probably at this point a fair amount of hatred.
It's all because of Marinette.
The girl is very protective of her best friend. The baker's daughter is unfortunately seemingly kind and clumsy, perhaps the sort who needs protecting from time to time. She's seen Dylan treat her well… Badly… His attitude is not a friendly one. He's harsh, cold and dismissive. It's a toxic atmosphere which most would chose to flee and yet she was electing to spend time in. Her reporter's senses had been activated, smelling a rat. More than once, he knew that she had taken her friend to one side and asked her just what was prompting her current attitude, if somehow the new kid might have found some way of pressuring her into spending time with him. On occasion, her challenges had been more vocal, protesting when he had told Marinette to "go back to her knitting" and threatening him with violence of her own.
Like a true bully, when faced with Alya and realistically most of the class, he'd backed down, finding comfort and solitude someplace else if Marinette failed to intervene or convince them that it wasn't a big deal. In her eyes, he's a brute. As unrefined and rude as he is ignorant. Just why her friend insists on spending time with him is a mystery to her and she's made it clear that she disapproves.
Which of course raises the question of just what she's doing here now, in the company of a classmate who by her own admission she can't stand:
"What do you want Césaire?" He grumbles, already fed up with the whole thing.
He's expecting her to start lecturing him about his attitude, telling him to stay away from her friend or at the very least to treat her with a modicum of respect.
As a response, he receives a cold glare from the other teen. He tries not to appear to be phased. The way that she fixes him is almost enough to convince the young man to back down, to turn away and leave. For a moment, he actually thinks that she might be the one to leave, the way that she turns away, frustration obviously getting the better of her. Abruptly however, she stamps her foot, as if it roots her to place before turning back to face him fully:
"It's Marinette's birthday next week!"
"Good for her."
"We're throwing a secret party." The girl lowers her voice ever-so-slightly but it remains angry none-the-less. "I don't know why but she seems to like you. So I guess that means that you're invited."
This comes as something of a surprise to him. Up until this point, he's been carefully excluded from most of the others' gatherings. Not that he's surprised. His behaviour has hardly been one which would encourage them to invite him to anything that they were organising. If it were anyone else but Marinette's birthday, he doesn't doubt that he would be left out.
He frowns, briefly contemplating refusing to turn up. He doesn't even need to be rude about it. There's plenty of good, viable and justifiable reasons for him not to go. He could be busy… The memory of her previous birthday party stirs in his mind. Befana asides, it had been a wonderful evening and hopefully one which she had enjoyed. Adrien had had fun as well that night. What he wouldn't give to go back to that evening and relive it, even just as a spectator.
"Okay… I'll be there."
"No funny business!" Alya warns him, her tone harsh and deadly serious. "This is Marinette's special day so don't you even dare think about ruining it."
"I won't… Now get out of my face."
He spins around on his heels and heads down the stairs to the metro. Thankfully, she doesn't give chase, apparently judging that he isn't worth the waste of energy.
It's not easy thinking of a present for Marinette. He'd had similar trouble last time and that was with an allowance greater than some people's salaries. There was something about the girl which made him think that she wasn't the sort to necessarily appreciate expensive gifts – not that he could afford her one right now anyhow. If he gave her a lucky charm like had last time, it would raise alarm bells in her mind. He draws a blank and asks Nathalie. She's precious little help. The woman struggles to come up with anything than stationary…
"The girl could do with a pen..." The woman muses as she watches him carefully iron one of her jumpers. "Unless she's changed, she could do with noting down that schedule of hers."
"That's it!" He gets a sudden flash of inspiration. "Thanks Man!"
"You're… Welcome?" She seems confused before turning back to the ironing and the growing smell of scorched fabric. "Now concentrate and stop burning a hole in my clothes!"
Alya only tells him (somewhat begrudgingly) the day before about the details, when and where he's expected to turn up.
It's a simple plan. She'll keep Marinette busy with something to do with the Ladyblog whilst the rest of them prepare the party in the park. Most of the class turns up, even a couple of individuals whom he's surprised to see given that as far as he's aware, they're not on friendly terms. He offers a helping hand or rather carries some stuff when they ask him to. He continues to play the role of the somewhat disinterested new kid who would have something better to do if it weren't for the fact that he plainly didn't. Most of the others don't interact with him other than to give the occasional tentative instruction.
It doesn't take long for the birthday girl to arrive. Despite his reputation, Dylan does indulge in a "Happy Birthday" shout along with the others.
The look on the girl's face makes it all worthwhile.
What follows is something of a strange experience to him. He finds himself a spectator of a scene which this time last year he was participating in. Dylan stands back and watches the others. As always, their interactions feel seem so strange. A part of him feels like he should be a part of it and desperately wants to join them. He wants to be as carefree as they seem to be, to chat and laugh and joke without the shadow of his father looming over him. He doesn't quite trust himself to be a part of their group. If Adrien were to shine through, even for a couple of seconds, he knows it would be disaster.
Watching, is reward enough or at least he tries to make it so. His friends are safe, happy and enjoying themselves. Part of the reason for that is because Ladybug and Cat Noir ensure that they are kept safe from Hawk Moth and his akumas. The city's heroes would struggle to do that without the miraculous of the Cat. In order to keep it out of his father's clutches, he ran and now is forced to hide his face. Watching like this without being able to be himself is his punishment and one which he gladly accepts if it will keep the others safe.
All the same… What he wouldn't give to be Adrien Agreste tonight.
Half way through the evening, the girl pulls herself away from a group of her classmates and pays him a visit. He greets her with a slightly tired smile.
"Enjoying your party?"
"It's great… Thank you." It's all genuine, she's not just saying it to be polite. "I'm a little surprised you came. I didn't think parties would be your scene."
"They're not but I figured you'd probably cling to me twice as bad if I didn't show up." The comment earns a giggle.
"You have a terrible opinion of me."
"An unfounded one?"
"Maybe not..."
Something seems a little off. He's not too sure just what it is. Probably something to do with the paper she's holding loosely in her hand.
There's a silence which speaks of that much. He doesn't pry, at least not at first. Instead, the subject of just how he came to be here is brought up. Of course, she knows about his interactions with Alya. Not just how she'd come to recruit him to help with this little scheme but also those during the previous few weeks. It's not a pleasant experience for Marinette to have to keep on trying to justify his actions to a friend who only has her best interest at heart. She tells him that much. At the very least, he could try to stop fuelling her dislike for him.
"Look. Alya's my friend… My best friend." She stresses that point to him. "I know that you two have your differences and I'm not asking you to become besties but do you think you could do me a little Birthday favour and promise to go a little easier on her or at least not try and provoke her?"
"She's the one who comes after me, Peuchère!"
"Only because you almost bit her head off that one time." Marinette argues in her friend's defense. "I'll ask her to stop, I promise but could you do the same… Please?"
There are those puppy eyes again.
He lets out a frustrated sigh and nods a couple of times. Okay… He'll make an effort. He's not entirely convinced that it will be enough. It's possible that his outbursts have permanently tarnished his reputation in their eyes. Something which would actually rather suit his purposes. Considering that he's just accepted to do her a favour, he takes advantage of the situation to ask a question of his own:
"You gonna tell me what's in the paper?"
"What do you mean?" She chooses to play dumb for a moment.
"It's getting you down and you came here to me as opposed to the others. So I'm going to guess it has something to do with Lila over there." He nods in the direction of the girl. "Right?"
"You're clever, you know that?"
"Of course I do. It's others who don't. So are you going to spill the beans Dupain-Cheng?"
She hands him the note as opposed to actually reading it. It's a postcard from China. There's a bit of text written on the back. He reads it carefully. It's addressed to Lila but much of what is written seems to be intended for Marinette. Nothing mean. He's just asking his girlfriend to give his classmates his best wishes. An odd mix and one which he quickly understands. It's clear that the class' greatest liar has gone to quite some lengths this time, even somehow managing to fake his handwriting. It's quite the sinister little talent she has.
Rage takes hold. He trembles slightly, an action which he tries his best to conceal from her least she start asking questions. He has to remain in control and as emotionally detached from the situation as humanly possible. The simply fact of the matter is that he doesn't much care for his own name being used to inflict pain on one of his friends. He doesn't immediately hand it back to her. Despite his best efforts, some of his anger comes across as he speaks:
"Your friend didn't write this and if he did, he's the worst kind of jerk."
"I know that." She shakes her head glancing over towards where Lila is busily chatting to a somewhat unimpressed Luka. "The others don't know what she's like. They all think she's brilliant. That's the only reason she's here. It's actually the fact that Adrien didn't write that the disappointment."
"I thought you two were just friends?" He raises an eyebrow curiously.
"W-Well yeah…" For some reason, it's only now that she starts to stutter. "I mean we were never all that close- which isn't to say I would have liked to be – I mean he was great. Is great-"
From inside his pocket, Adrien can just about sense that Plagg is laughing or rather trying to hold back his giggles. He slips his hand into his pocket, eager to ensure the kwami doesn't unintentionally give away the secret of his existence.
This is the Marinette he knows: flustered and stuttering, nervous. It's hard not to think back to Nathalie. He knows it wouldn't be all that honest of him to ask her about it. In the teen's eyes, he's Dylan and not Adrien. Still, curiosity is quite the powerful driving force and given the current situation – he glances back down at the so-called letter from the boy. He'll regret it later, likely feeling some shame but he can't help but push the matter a little further:
"Did you like him?" The way he says the word leaves little room to misinterpretation.
"Me? Like him? What no! I mean I liked him but I didn't like him-" She pauses, taking note of his somewhat dubious expression. "Okay… Maybe a little."
That comes as news. He'd never understood why Marinette acted the way that she did around Adrien. This made some sort of sense. All that awkwardness was to do with a crush.
In the face of such a revelation, he's not too sure how to react. He feels the heat come to his cheeks, genuine shame for not having picked up on it sooner takes hold. He catches himself before he can apologize for being so dense. He has to stop thinking about this as "Adrien" and start approaching the matter as Dylan. There will be plenty more time for regret and reflection later on when he's not faced with the girl. For the time being, he has to try his best to stay calm and collected if he wants to avoid coming across as a fool and hopefully make things just a little bit better:
"Well… I understand a little better why it would bother you. Listen-" He takes a deep breath. "You're not the first kid to fall in love and for someone not to notice or not to feel the same way. If what you and the others said about him is true then I'm going to assume he was just too thick to realize and that Lilac is trying to get under your skin. What I do know is you shouldn't spend the rest of your life pining over him. There's plenty more fish in the sea… I'm sure he does think about you guys but the way I see it, your roads have gone their separate ways."
She mulls over his words for a few moments. He's not so arrogant as to believe she hasn't already thought similar ones. Marinette isn't a fool and has likely already come to the same conclusion. Adrien wouldn't have intentionally hurt her. He's being used by Lila right now as a tool for some form of petty revenge. He's gone now though and even Dylan can't say when, if ever, he'll be returning. As a result, she can either spend all of her time thinking about what might have been or move on her with her life. Surely, Luka would be a decent alternative and in his mind likely a better choice at any rate.
"You never answered Rose that time..." Marinette's statement catches him of guard. "Do you have anyone special in your life?"
"I-" He hesitates and contemplates lying for a few moments. "I used to. I liked this girl but she already had someone else. I spent a lot of time pining after her and ignoring everyone else… Besides, she was way out of my league."
"Dylan Lebrun, actually admitting someone was out of his league?" There's a teasing tone behind her voice, gentle, affectionate. "You must have had it bad."
"Yeah well… Keep it to yourself Dupain-Cheng."
The matter passes silently between them. He doubts it will ever be brought up again. Dylan and Marinette are both surprisingly good at keeping secrets. Once told, their lips are sealed. He has no one else to tell and she's too considerate to do so. For a few moments, they watch the others in silence. They don't seem to have noticed the birthday girl's momentary absence or perhaps have simply decided to give her a few minutes alone with the new kid who still stubbornly refuses to join them.
After a few seconds, she glances back towards him:
"I didn't see you have any cake..."
"No." He admits, his mind was elsewhere. "I didn't take any."
"There's still some left and I know you don't like crowds, would you like me to go get you some?" She offers in a kind voice.
"Yes… Please."
"Stay here. I'll be right back!"
She dashes off to go and grab a clean plate for him. Adrien watches from afar, still trying to process everything that he's just been told.
A sense of bitter loss takes hold. All of that time wasted last year. Just how he could have been so blind as to not realize or even suspect that she had a slight crush on him when Nathalie – a woman acknowledged to be cool and emotionally withdrawn who had only met the girl on a handful of occasions and scarcely knew her as a result - had been able to pick up on it, is beyond him. His kwami settles on his shoulder, laughing softly about the whole situation as he continues to watch the girl from afar.
"She liked me Plagg…" The boy speaks quietly to his partner. "How did I not notice?"
"Because you're stupid and blind?"
The teen doesn't argue.
Right now, he can't say if the regret is because Marinette spent all that time looking at him and he didn't pick up on it so as to tell him that another girl already had his heart or because he didn't act on it and give her a chance. Who knows… They might have been good together.