Part 14, and still so much to be done. We have some legal finagling, and making some interesting deals. Also, Chloe might become murderous.=^-^=
Ch. 14 - Let's Make a Chat
Max checked around the outside of the study room before closing the door behind. He was very satisfied with the immediate loss of any small chatter or keyboard tapping once he did so. His university had private study rooms, but the ones you could reserve were all in the common area of the library which allowed talking. There were even games set up in one spot. It appeared the library staff thought about the noise problem when creating the sound proof rooms. "We should be all set." He announced and Nino laid back in his swivel chair.
"Aren't you being a bit over the top, Max?"
"I'm being careful." He countered and turned to Adrien. "So, Nino mentioned Chloe recognized you awhile back?"
Adrien nodded. "Yeah, but that's it." He really didn't want to bring up Andre the Ice cream man of all people. "She hasn't given me away yet, and she really seems more mature than before."
Max waved that off. "I'm less worried about Chloe, and more about others, Aaron." He didn't want to break out of the habit of using the new name. "Chloe recognized you on sight."
"But she's known him his whole life, Max." Nino pointed out. "I mean, I get it, a hair color change really shouldn't be this effective but it is." He pointed to the still rather foreign black hair on his best friend.
"No, it really shouldn't, but that wasn't my main point. If Chloe could recognize him on sight, who else do you think could?"
"Probably my father." Adrien responded with a sour tone.
"Well… Not that I want to give him the credit, but he's not that stupid." Nino agreed crossing his arms. "I imagine that assistant lady of his would be able to recognize you too."
Adrien thought over it, and agreed. "Yeah, probably. I can think of a handful of people who could if they actually stopped to look at me. Then again, I don't really see them coming to the bakery. Maybe Stephen, but he just has a sweet tooth." He mused recalling the designer's need for sweets on a busy day.
"Stephen?" Max wondered.
"My father's lead designer. Whenever I modeled for a new line, I always worked with him. He's really nice unless you mess up his clothes." He'd accidently torn a shirt once and Stephen was in a real mood for a few days after.
"So if he spotted you, he wouldn't give you away?" Max asked curiously.
"Well, I if asked him not to, probably not. If he spotted me and I didn't know?" He finished with a shrug. Stephen might earnestly mention seeing him thinking he was helping.
"Well, you may want to send him some kind of message to be safe then. If you can really trust him it would be good to nip something like this in the butt." Max then pulled out his computer. "But my reason for calling you here wasn't just to talk about people recognizing you."
"Right, it's about Felix?" Nino recalled having mentioned it to Max when they spoke before.
"Exactly. Felix stepping into the shoes of Adrien Agreste wasn't something I thought about happening when you first approached me regarding this fake identity of yours, Aaron."
"Isn't it kind of a good thing though?" He at least thought so considering no one would think Adrien was missing now.
"It's got pros and cons." Max continued typing on his computer. "The obvious Pro is also part of the first con; Most won't see you as Adrien anymore."
"How is that bad?"
"Think about it, dude, you can't go back to being Adrien." Nino pointed out. "I mean, I know you don't really want to, but you are Adrien. The same Adrien that became my best bud in college, and also the same Adrien everyone else thinks is ignoring them." He wasn't happy with how everyone else felt about Adrien. Alya still didn't like looking at even pictures of the model.
"I don't, and at this point, why should I?"
"Because Aaron Bassett doesn't really exist for starters." Max pointed out with a stern tone. He wasn't trying to snap, but he wanted Adrien to understand what he meant. "This is an assumed identity with a fake ID, Aaron. I told you before it wouldn't fool officials. You wouldn't be able to leave France, or hold a job in an official capacity."
"I don't really care about leaving France or being some government official, Max." The baker countered.
"What about Marinette?" Nino asked next. "Are you really never going to tell her who-"
"Why? And it's not like I need to prove I was Adrien if I actually wanted to tell her." He'd spoken to Nino about it awhile back but the idea had become more and more distasteful. Why did Marinette ever have to know he was Adrien? Would that effect how she feels about him?
"True, I imagine she would believe you if you told her, but you're not thinking of the future. Imagine if you ever wanted to get married? Using a false name would cause several issues and is a crime." That had Adrien hard pressed for words. It hadn't occurred to him how far a fake ID could really take him. His life had been going well so far. "And let's not forget medical records. Aaron Bassett never had any shots, and was never born. What would happen if you got sick?"
"Good point. Dude, you have no idea how lucky you are that Mr. Dupain and his wife never had you admitted to a hospital."
"Exactly." Max emphasized as he and Nino looked Adrien in the eye. "You need to understand exactly what you plan to do from here on out before you make a mistake you can't undo."
Adrien threaded his fingers through his hair as he thought. He really didn't want to go through all this technical stuff. Why couldn't he just keep the simple life he'd been living the past few months? Why did things have to be so complicated? "What should I do..?" He finally asked with a look of tired determination.
"That depends, do you want to keep being Aaron Bassett? If so then we'll have to be very careful, and it's not going to be easy."
"I don't want to go back to my old life, Max, ever." He responded with a ridged tone. The past five months have been better than his last five years! If he went back to being Adrien, his father would no doubt put a wrench in everything including his relationship with Marinette.
"Then the simplest thing would be to have your name legally changed." Max turned his laptop around. "Not the easiest thing to do, but it can be done."
"Wait, don't you have to have family records, and that change goes in a public announcement right?" Nino asked next looking as unsure as Adrien.
"Aaron isn't a minor anymore so it's not to say he would need his father's permission, but going about it without getting his attention will be the hard part. I'm sure we could make a case about his father's controlling nature, but it might end up making a big fuss if the media got a hold of it." Max didn't want to sugar coat the situation. This would be very hard to do in secret. Policy in France was very ridged.
"So basically it would give him away before it could help him." Nino groaned and leaned on his palm. "Is there anything else he can do? Man, movies always make this stuff look so easy."
Adrien chuckled. "Yeah, don't they? This is annoying."
"Well, movies have ways of making it seem easy. Usually changing the names in a movie isn't legal. In the case it is, it's usually some under the table work with someone who has political power. Basically someone who can bribe or convince a judge to push it through. Spy movies are even worse." Max groaned himself thinking about how unrealistically the process was portrayed.
"So, dude, I don't suppose you've saved up a fortune working at the bakery, huh?" Nino half joked in the tense situation.
"Nope… The only expense I've been saving for is an apartment, and I'm barely half way there."
"Dude, you're planning to move out?"
Adrien nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, as soon as I can do it without worrying about money. I don't want to lean too much on Marinette's family. They've been nice enough as it is."
"True, but don't they love having you there? And what about Marinette? Don't you like living with your girlfriend?" He added with a tease.
"Of course I do, but I've never lived on my own before. And it's not like I want to move very far. I want to be close enough to the bakery to still get to work on time, and visit Marinette whenever I want." He sighed. "That being said, apartments in the area are expensive."
Nino nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm only dorming right now because I couldn't afford an apartment either." University wasn't cheap so Alya was concentrating on that first and staying at home.
"I guess this is why Julieka and Rose moved so far out from the city?" Aaron lamented aloud. He didn't want to have to commute that far more than just once a month for his hair appointments.
"Not to state the obvious, but why not rent together?" Max interjected curiously. "According to my calculations the joint income of both of you should be able to afford you a two room in this area." Not a very big one, but it should serve the purpose.
"Hmm?" Aaron looked to Max and then back to Nino. "But… Then I'd just be relying on Nino."
"Hey, dude, I'd be relying on you too. It sounds like a cool idea to me." He'd already been rooming with a bunch of guys so far. "Cohabitation isn't that far from being on your own either. You're responsible for yourself unless you work something out with your roomie." Not a bad idea to be honest. About the only problem he could see would be Plagg.
"But, before you two make any solid plans, we need to get back to the matter at hand. Aaron wouldn't be able to sign for a lease without being a legal citizen. The ID I made him wouldn't get past any serious scrutiny and I doubt you'd somehow be best buddies with your prospective landlord. They do background checks, and financial inquiries to make sure their tenants will hold the lease."
"True, if we roomed together, you'd have to sign the lease. It's not like I don't trust you, dude, but if something did happen, I doubt I could afford the place solo if something happened."
"Okay… But now we're just back to the problem of getting my name legally changed." He thought some more. "I'd rather take my chances than risk my father finding me and ruining my life. He knows people, and he probably wouldn't stop with just me either. He'd make life hell for the people around me until I crawled back to him."
"He's such a jerk." Nino agreed with a scowl. "But wait… You know people too!"
"Hmmm?" Both Max and Adrien looked at him.
"What about Chloe?"
"Chloe?"
"Yeah." Nino proposed with a grin. "Just think about it. Don't you remember all the stuff she did back in college? She was able to manipulate the principal, producers, and even civil servants with her father's influence. I bet she'd be able to help you get your name changed before your father could get wind of it."
"But she'd need to ask her father, Nino, and he's 'friends' with my father."
"A valid point, but he has a better one." Max cut in with a sudden grin. "I think I can find a way this can work if we have Chloe's cooperation."
The Paris heiress was honestly surprised to hear from Adrien at this point. If he was going to ask for help she assumed it would be right away, but she was happy he was doing well even if it was with Marinette of all people. Even if she couldn't understand why he preferred to be some poor pauper, she was still his friend. Someone she had no love for, however, was Felix Graham de Vanilli. She never liked him period. Unlike Adrien, Felix pulled the worst pranks, and never did anything she asked. If he looked like he would it was just to mess things up later. This was the reason for the current cold front blowing through her penthouse suite at the moment. Sabrina looked on with a slightly nervous expression as Chloe glared and 'Adrien' smirked at her while lazing back on a couch. "Aren't you happy to see me Chloe? That face would make me think you wanted me dead." He pointed out with a musing tone.
"I do, I just haven't decided how yet." She snapped back and turned her glare to Sabrina. "Why the hell did you let him up here?"
"B-but, Chloe, you always liked his visits before." Honestly the whole thing was getting confusing.
"Not his, Adrien's." The blonde corrected and turned back to the irritation of a man.
"Oh, so you're not the same stupid, whinny, brat I remember, huh?" He almost looked surprised.
"Chloe?"
The blonde woman rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. "Get John Jacque in here to take out this trash!"
"But, Chloe! I-I… I don't understand?" The red head recalled the odd man Chloe had let in the hotel months ago and suddenly realized it made sense. "Wait… That's not Adrien? Then, Aaron-"
"Sabrina!" Chloe cut off before she could reveal too much.
Felix chuckled. "And you even know baker boy. When did you grow a brain?" He chuckled at his own insult. "Anyway, that makes this much easier. Let me hang out here for the day, would you? I'm tired of dealing with Uncle Gabe's shit, and Lila's getting on my nerves."
Chloe scoffed. "And why would I do that? If you don't want to deal with them then go back home." Or farther if he could.
"I suppose I could… But I don't want too." He sat up. "Being Adrien's replacement is pretty fun, not to mention how much money I'm getting out of Uncle Gabe for doing it." He chuckled as he recalled the amount they finally settled on. Gabriel's face looked like it would crack at any moment and he'd start breathing fire.
"As if your family isn't almost as rich as mine." Chloe countered with a snobbish huff.
"Yes, but I'm not." He pointed out with a fake humble expression. "Actually, since the contract was made when I was 17, my mother was the one to set it up. All the money I'm currently making is going into a trust that I can't use until I'm 21 so really, I'm not getting any of it for awhile." Adrien being a few months older had a few perks though since he was impersonating him. "At this point, it's just for entertainment."
"And why should I care? And more importantly, why did you bother coming here? I know you hate me as much as I hate you, Felix." She hissed with her arms crossed.
"Yes, but you do provide a good cover. Security so I don't have to actually hide, and Uncle Gabe can't complain later if I went to my dear friend Chloe's house for a bit." He finished with a sickeningly sweet voice.
She stared at him for a long moment before she responded. "Get the fuck out."
"Now now, Chloe, are you sure about that? Where do you think I'll go next? Oh, there was this nice bakery I hit up the other day-"
"Go to hell!" The blonde snapped in a rage.
"Uncle Gabe's house? Good idea! I'm sure he'd find a nice bakery snack just what the doctor ordered." Felix threatened subtly.
Chloe's eyes narrowed on him so sharply, Sabrina thought they'd pierce Felix through. "Don't you even dare threaten my Adrikins, Felix." She growled out.
"Ouch, Chloe, if looks could kill." He continued to tease. "But honestly, I'd rather avoid Uncle Gabe finding 'Adrikins' if at all possible." He used air quotes to further tease her. "I'll leave it up to you. So? Can I stay?"
What Chloe said and did in the next few minutes were only kept secret by the very well made walls and windows of her penthouse suite and Sabrina called in the butler to clean it up once she was done. Felix chuckled to himself while skimming through TV channels on her sofa. Sabrina took Chloe into a side room to calm her down. "So, if I'm understanding this, Chloe. Aaron is Adrien, and Felix is the one sitting out there?"
"Yes, Sabrina and you know what will happen if you tell anyone."
"Of course, Chloe." She wouldn't dream of doing anything to cross Chloe.
The heiress understood this and didn't threaten any further. "Now, what about the real Adrien's request?" He'd called that morning to ask for help with some legal issue.
"Right, I contacted Max, and his idea was sound. The only trick will be getting your father to sign off on it without reading it."
Chloe scoffed. "Get to the hard part, Sabrina."
"I suppose that wouldn't be hard for you, Chloe." She corrected sheepishly before pulling out her tablet. "But Adrien would still need a copy of his real ID and he would also need to submit the application himself. Assuming that… Felix, is only using Adrien's name and image for Gabriel's work it won't be a problem." Felix would use his own name for public records, medical needs and the like. "Adrien is legally an adult so he won't need his father's permission."
Chloe nodded. "Good. I leave it to you, Sabrina."
"Oh, but-"
Chloe, who was moving to leave the room stopped. "What?"
"Well… Getting hold of an ID would take a bit more time if Adrien isn't the one requesting it. They don't just hand them out to anyone."
"Are you telling me you can't do it, Sabrina?" She almost dared.
"No, of course I can, it'll just… take time."
Chloe narrowed her gaze, but aimed it at Felix in the other room. "Then it would be faster just to get his real one, right?" She didn't blame Sabrina completely for her own inability to do everything all the time. She understood normal people had limits. She'd have to help this one along herself.
The nights really were getting colder, the young man lamented as he rubbed his hands together. Aaron had just arrived on campus to pick up Marinette from her late class as usual. It had become a habit since the first time. Tom always made sure he'd be free to do so, and Adrien wouldn't say no to taking time with Marinette whatever the weather. He'd even strike up a conversation with the campus security if he ran into him again. After checking his phone, he realized he was a little early and took a detour to the notice board by the campus map. The university sometimes had interesting events according to Nino, and sometimes they would make a fun time out or a date. That was probably Alya's influence, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. "Let's see, the school of design is having a winter fashion show." He read out with a chuckle. Would Marinette be joining that? "And… A Snow Ball? Maybe that-"
"Too easy." A familiar voice interrupted.
He turned to spy his cousin dressed warmly though in his normal stuffy attire down to his tamely combed hair. "… Felix?"
The other man chuckled. "Who else would I be? Adrien Agreste?" He asked with a knowing grin.
Adrien got the hint and schooled his surprise. "What are you doing here?" He wasn't a student as far as he knew.
"What? No sentimental greeting for your cousin? It's been years."
Adrien rolled his eyes. "That was your choice, not mine." He'd tried inviting Felix back to France several times especially when his attempts to visit were thwarted by his father or Felix himself.
"And yet I'm here of my own choice now? Come on, Adrien, don't be rude."
"Fine, it's nice to see you, Felix. Now why are you here?" It certainly wasn't to visit since he knew Felix was his current stand in.
"I already told you, Adrien. To visit you." The expression he wore as he said that painted a different story.
"Why?"
Felix chuckled. "What is with you? You used to be overjoyed to see me what with how sheltered you were. I suppose all this time on the outside changed your mind?"
"No, I just know you."
Felix loved to trick people and never went out of his way unless there was something in it for himself or his mother. She was the only one he did anything earnestly for. "Fine, be that way. You were never any fun anyway." He started to pout and crossed his arms.
"So what are you doing here?" Adrien reiterated.
"Oh, I'm here to do you a big favor is what."
Adrien was instantly skeptical and crossed his arms. "Sure you are."
"But I am. You see, a whinny birdie told me you needed your real ID for something. Of course she was too annoying to say why, but I figured it out." He stepped a few paces closer. "Looking to change your name legally, am I right?" He whispered as if there were other people nearby.
"What's it to you?" Adrien snapped at the manipulative boy. Felix may not have been a flat out terrible person, but he could be if he wanted something.
"Oh, nothing I just," He held up one hand and made a card appear from nowhere. "Happen to have this thing that resembles your ID." He smiled playfully as Adrien's eyes homed in on the card he'd discarded the day he first left.
"Let me guess, you want to give it to me, but I have to do something in return?"
Felix's smile twitched. "It's not as fun when you guess right."
"I know you, Felix." Adrien reiterated. "Now, what is it you want?"
"How about a date with your girlfriend? I'm sure with a little hair dye-"
"Cut the crap, Felix." Adrien snapped coldly. It was a look and tone Felix had gotten from plenty of others, but coming from Adrien it felt… real. Perhaps it was because he'd never seen it from the normally sunshine boy.
"Well," Felix started again covering the mild shudder the look gave him. "Looks like someone can't take a joke."
"I know it wasn't a joke, Felix. You were probably going to see if she could see through you like some twisted game." Adrien then grew a smile. "Too bad though, she already has. She knows the Adrien Agreste of the past few months isn't the same as before."
Felix was now glaring. "Only because she knows the real one."
"I guess, but she doesn't know it's me. I haven't told her yet."
"Oh, well I wonder what she would do?" Felix tried to redirect the conversation in his favor.
"Nothing would change. She was already in love with Adrien Agreste, and now she loves Aaron Bassett. There's nothing you could do to change that."
The blonde scoffed and turned away. "Whatever, I doubt she would be very interesting anyway." He glanced back hoping that got a rise from his cousin but Adrien appeared calm. Damn, since when was he so hard to tease?
"Now, what do you really want?"
"I have to admit, you are much cooler than you used to be even if it is more annoying." Probably the first sincere thing he'd said all night. "I suppose you inherited that calm façade from Uncle Gabe?" Felix mused before getting to the point. "Alright, I'll get right to it. I want the pin number to your bank account."
Adrien raised a brow. "You want… Money? Isn't my father paying you? And Aunt Amelie would probably buy what you want."
"My mother is back in London, Adrien, and I only bother her for important matters. As for your father's pay, I don't exactly have access to it aside from a small weekly allowance."
Now that sounded honest. If his father controlled the allowance it was probably pretty measly. Gabriel Agreste didn't believe in allowances. That was why Adrien got paid for his modeling even if he didn't have much of a choice. Adrien had to use his own money to buy anything he knew his father wouldn't allow. "So, you want to trade my ID card for free access to my money? Seriously?"
"Well, yes." Felix nodded with a more serious expression. "Should you succeed in changing your name then you'd be able to get free access to it under your new identity and I wouldn't." He popped out another card. "And having the card isn't enough to access your money. Even with an ID, that Nathalie woman has it set up so that it can't be accessed without the pin. Not even your father, who created it, can access it." And he'd checked. What had initially been a fun idea to go on a shopping spree was immediately halted by one short conversation with a bank teller.
Adrien looked at him closely. As far as he knew, that was definitely not how his account had been set up last he saw. Did Nathalie do this specifically to stop Felix from spending his money? And that part about his father. That didn't make sense at all unless… No, he was probably over thinking it. Nathalie didn't tell his father before because it made sense. It didn't make sense to purposefully block his father from the account too. "It was enough to see your statements though." Felix continued. "With all you had saved up, it makes me wonder what you were planning to spend it on."
"I wasn't really saving on purpose. I just couldn't go out and buy things whenever I wanted. Things like games and anime were all I could really sneak by." And Plagg's enormous cheese demand, but no need to admit that. "Seven years of modeling just adds up."
"It makes what I've gotten so far look like chump change, that's for sure." The blonde admitted as he spun the card on his index finger. "But back to the deal at hand. You cannot access your account because you don't want your father getting wind of it. I can't access the account because I don't have the pin. I have the ID card you need to help change your name. The way I see it we need each other."
"Okay, but what's stopping you from trying to sell me to my father? My guess is you did recognize me back in September and you've been sitting on my location all this time."
"Come on, Adrien, I'm not that mean. I know your father is an ass, and you're some kind of saint for dealing with him all that time." The young man griped thinking back on the last conversation he had with the old designer. "Besides, my mother is over the moon that Uncle Gabe has to constantly get her approval for everything." He mused. Adrien saw his expression and actually started to laugh picturing it himself. It was surprising for Felix, but he didn't hate seeing his cousin finally laugh since the tense conversation started. "Even you admit it's funny to picture."
"It is." He agreed. It was probably driving his father nuts. "But, anyway. Having my ID card would make it all happen a lot faster. Chloe said getting it the indirect way would take weeks."
"Yes, weeks I could save you with a simple trade." Felix restated with a grin.
"Yup, but this also brings up a good opportunity." The ravenette started which had Felix a little wary. A normal Adrien idea was fine, but this Adrien wasn't as naïve.
"What kind of opportunity?"
"Well, you see, Felix, as you've already pointed out, I can't access any of the money I'd been saving for the past seven years. What I currently make isn't bad, but there are certain necessary expenses I still can't afford."
"In other words, you're not planning to let me have all of the money you earned, is that it?" Felix knew this game though he never expected it from Adrien. Then again, Adrien never had to worry about expenses before.
"Yup, so what do you say to splitting it right down the middle? I give you my pin number, you give me the ID, and we'll share the money in the account 50/50."
"You want half?" The blonde asked looking curious. "Half?"
He almost looked amused. "Yup, half of what I have saved up is still nothing to sneeze at wouldn't you say?"
Felix smirked at his cousin. In all honesty he was expecting a far smaller share. Adrien really had all the power in this deal, and it was hard to tell if he was aware of that fact. The only thing he could do was tell Gabriel, which he wouldn't, and if he waited Adrien out he could miss out completely. "Alright, half doesn't sound too bad." He let out a hand.
Adrien looked at it a moment before taking it. He then twisted his hand mid-shake and grabbed his wrist with his free hand. "Drop it, Felix." He ordered while holding the other man's wrist tight.
Felix chuckled and released the ring he'd tried to pilfer. "It was just a little fun, Adrien. I was going to give it back right away."
As soon as Adrien felt the metal in his palm he released him. He looked it over a moment before sliding the miraculous back on his finger. Luckily Plagg hadn't been sealed since the ring never fully left his possession. "Do me a favor, and have fun at my father's expense instead of mine."
Though Felix was a little curious about the ring, he didn't see much point in prying into it. It was just a ring to him. "Oh I will, trust me." He smirked and rubbed the wrist he'd regained. Felix didn't want to admit how much Adrien's grip had actually hurt. "Now, when should we meet for this transaction? I'm obviously not going to give you the ID until I get the pin."
"Likewise, so let's meet… Friday at the bank. I have the day off and there should be a branch down the road from the Grand Paris Hotel."
An interesting location, but Felix didn't see a problem. "Sure, I'll see you then." He stashed away the cards and turned on his heel. Adrien watched him another minute before pulling out his phone. He was intending to text Chloe until he noticed the time and ran off towards the building where Marinette's class would be getting out in 2 minutes.
Felix was never a character I could really wrap my mind around so I hope I did him justice. He's an antagonist, but I have yet to decide if its going to be anything major. (And yes I know he knows martial arts, but work with me.) On the part of Chloe, I like how I'm doin her character so far, but let me know if anyone has any ideas for her in regards to this story. I want to include her a little more.
Thank you for reading! Please leave comments or questions!
Also, should I use Lila more? I've done that in my other stories, but still on the fence here.=^-^=
