Adrien was almost sixteen now and he was not interested in making costumes for the opera. He had heard and angel sing that day and he wanted nothing more than to sing with her. They had lived in the same opera house for nine years, and she still had no idea he existed. He had always been too anxious to introduce himself and found himself hiding whenever she was around.

Plagg had been sent back to China a few years back and Adrien had been hopelessly lonely since then. His father had strictly monitored anyone Adrien came into contact with and they were usually scared off. Adrien had resigned himself to stop trying to make friends.

Suddenly, Adrien heard footsteps. He recognized them as Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

He frantically searched for somewhere to hide. His eyes finally landed on a rope that was tied to some of the rafters. He couldn't find anywhere else to hide, so he quickly grabbed the rope and hauled himself up. He had asked Plagg to teach him how to climb the rope about a year after he had first set eyes on Marinette.

After reaching the rafters, Adrien looked down and saw Marinette. She was standing almost directly under him and he worried he would accidentally shift the rope and draw her attention.

She was talking to Tikki, who had stayed a loyal friend to Marinette the entire time they had known each other.

Tikki seemed to be trying to convince her of something, but she could only speak in broken French.

As Adrien hung above her, Marinette's scent floated up to him. After all these years, she still smelled of freshly baked bread, but she also smelled of fruit. Adrien could only think of bread and jam when he smelled it.

Marinette was wearing one of the simple ballet dresses and her hair was down. The dark hair flowed over her shoulders and looked beautiful against the red fabric of her dress. Adrien nearly lost his grip on the rope when he forgot where he was. He wanted nothing more than to be beside her.

Marinette moved away and Tikki followed. After a moment, Adrien slowly let himself down. He looked around before letting himself fall the last few feet.

A small stagehand scurried up to him and told him his father wanted him. Adrien thanked the stagehand, but groaned inwardly. His father would no doubt be wanting to see him so he could fully convince Adrien to take up the family business before his mother returned.

In his anger, Adrien didn't realize he had just destroyed the rope he had been clutching. He inwardly cursed himself for being so careless, but was grateful that no one had seen it.

He had always had the power to destroy things at will, but he had never liked using it. His mother had magical abilities and he had inherited it from her. She specialized in animal magic, which had amused Adrien greatly as a child.

He flicked his wrist as if to get rid of any lingering magic.

Adrien quickly walked to the area his father worked in. He walked past mannequins and stacks of fabric to a door at the very back of the opera house. He paused for a moment outside the dark wood door. His hand brushed the doorknob. He tried to go through how he would tell his father that he did not want to take on his business.

Adrien took a deep breath and looked forward with determination as he opened the door.

His entire train of thought melted away when he entered the room. His mother was standing with his father at the other end of the room. She was an opera singer, but she had been away for a year. She had been off training aspiring opera singers and Adrien's father had given her many beautiful dresses to increase his customer traffic.

Adrien ran over and pulled her into a big hug. He inhaled the smell of flowers that always followed her. Her long, blonde hair tickled his face and he smiled.

"Maman, I didn't know you were coming back yet," Adrien said.

Adrien didn't realize that he had interrupted an argument. Adrien's mom glanced at his father. Gabriel pursed his lips and turned away.

"Adrien, I didn't know I would be coming back so soon either. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever," she said. She ruffled his hair and Adrien grinned.

Adrien's father cleared his throat. Adrien released his mother and they both turned to Gabriel.

"Adrien. You are nearly old enough to take over my business," Gabriel started.

Adrien opened his mouth to respond, but his mother beat him to it.

"Gabriel, maybe he doesn't want to be a costume designer," she said.

Adrien smiled gratefully, but his father was not impressed.

"Adrien is plenty old enough to take on a career. I have been training him for this role his entire life. What other career would you suggest?" he said.

At this, Adrien did respond. "Pere, I want to sing in the opera," he said quickly.

Adrien's mother beamed at him, but his father scowled darkly.

"Adrien. You are not thinking clearly. I believe there is something, or someone, that is clouding your judgement. I refuse to allow you to do this," he said.

Adrien's heart sunk. He knew his father would respond like that. He had been hoping to convince him, but his mother being there had derailed his train of thought. What he was most worried about now was that his father would somehow connect Adrien's decision with Marinette. He would be forbidden from ever associating with her and his father might even go so far as to send Adrien away so he could not possibly be affected by her.

"Pere. If there is an error in my thought, it must have been in existence for several years," Adrien began, "I have never wanted to be an apprentice to you and I have tried telling you as much. You have never been interested in what I might actually want to do and I cannot force myself to take on a career that would be torture for me."

Adrien's father looked less confused now, but his eyes were filled with pure rage and Adrien worried that he may have gone too far.

Adrien's father turned so his back was to Adrien.

"Adrien. I think you have grown up under the wrong conditions," Gabriel said, "I am going to send you away for a year or two so you can think about what you want to do with your life."

Adrien could feel his eyes begin to sting and he hoped he wouldn't start crying in front of his father.

His mind raced with thought of what this might mean. He would be away from Marinette. He would be away from his mother. He would be away from the opera house and the wonderful people who filled it. He would never be allowed to sing in the opera or even sing with Marinette. Marinette would never know he existed. She would probably fall in love and marry someone else while he was away. He would never be with her.

"Gabriel," his mother suddenly said, "I thought we agreed that we wouldn't make any decisions yet. He is old enough to make his own decisions. He is very good at singing and would do an amazing job. He knows the people around here. He likes it here. We can't possibly send him away unless it is what he wants. It would crush him."

Adrien's eyes flicked to his father, who turned and stared at the blonde woman next to him. His jaw was set and his mind seemed to in a similar state.

"We made no such agreement. I have made a decision that I think will be beneficial to all of us," Gabriel said.

Adrien's mother straightened. "Gabriel. Will this be beneficial to all of us, or only you?" she asked, "I haven't seen my own son in years and I think it would be cruel to send him away."

Adrien could feel the tears welling up in his eyes as his father began to respond.

"I have made my decision. I am sending him away."

The tears flowed down his face and Adrien ran out of the room. His mother called after him, but he didn't answer. He raced through rooms and hallways. He eventually found himself at the edge of the opera house. He had two routes he could take at that point. He could leave the opera house, or he could go down a trapdoor and under the house.

Adrien walked to the door that led outside of the opera house. He put his hand on the doorknob.

He could be far away from his overbearing father, bolts of fabric, and pincushions. He would never be forced to stitch another piece of clothing. Never have to sit through another of his father's lectures or be scrutinized with his stare that could never be satisfied. He would never be called a disappointment again. He would never be told what to be or how to live.

He closed his eyes and turned the knob.

Marinette.

The thought came suddenly to him. His eyes shot opened.

Marinette. He would never see her again. He would never sing in the opera. Never sing with her. Never smell her fresh bread and jam scent again. Never even speak with her.

He would be leaving his mother behind. He would never curl up with her next to a fire and hear her tell him another story. Have her caress his head as they both stare into the flames. He would never hear her sing again, with the magic she could weave in and move any heart.

He would be leaving his home. The one place he felt he truly belonged. Where he felt he could be himself.

He slowly let go of the doorknob and turned to the hatch that was hidden in the floor.

He could stay in his home. Meet the love of his life. Talk to her. Get to know her in person. Be around his Maman. Eventually, he could even pursue his dream career. He could sing with Marinette. He could make some real friends. He could avoid his father. He might even be able to get his pere to leave him alone. His father might go to another opera house out of spite. That sounded like him.

Adrien lifted the trapdoor. He stared into the darkness below. It seemed to call to him. Darkness was safe. It was without judgement. Without expectations.

Adrien could hear two sets of footsteps. One was light and graceful. The other was hard and heavy. His parents.

Looking back once, he could feel a broken smile light on his face.

He dropped into the darkness.