... so sad... no one said anything on my last chapter here... *sigh* so this chapter actually happened because of a comment on the first one. So yeah, if you want more like this, I need ideas. Please comment at the end!

So enjoy this chapter!


One Stupid Photo

Adrien had a headache, and he knew what that meant. He started getting either headaches or sneezing fits every other akuma. He'd like to think of it as an early warning system developed after years as a superhero, but he was honestly convinced Le Paon's feathers and his allergies were a coincidence, and he didn't have that many years of superheroing to back it up anyway. Nothing explained the headaches.

So when he started getting a headache behind the hotel lobby desk, he wasn't about to just brush it off as anticipating a day of Chloe trying to claim him as her own. Again. Could that girl just take a hint? He saw an excuse to break away from her when Jagged Stone came into the lobby. Awesome, on so many levels.

Chloe ran over to her father, encouraging him to accept Jagged as a guest there. Honestly, Adrien wanted to go over to the man and ask for his autograph, but something else caught his eye. Another person in a Jagged shirt carrying a camera slipped into the building. He had a bad feeling and his headache was starting to build up quickly. This guy had a strange look in his eye too, one that, if pushed the wrong way, he was certain would go horribly south.

Well, it was his temporary job at the hotel to welcome new guests, right? Time to do his job.

"Hello sir!" Adrien came up to him eagerly, playing up the cute kid factor as much as he could. Sure he was fourteen, but the younger you acted, the more likely people did what you wanted. The man jumped, acting immediately as if he knew he shouldn't be there. Having met a few stalkers himself, Adrien knew exactly what was going on. Still, he played up innocent as much as possible. "Can I help you find a room?"

"Um… er… maybe…" The guy was so nervous, it was laughable.

Adrien looked at the camera and gasped dramatically. "Is that a Canon camera?"

"Uh, yeah…"

"That's awesome!" Play it up, play it up. He looked at the man as if starstruck. "You must be a famous photographer if you're here."

"Uh… kinda?"

Eloquent, wasn't he.

Thinking several steps ahead, Adrien took his arm excitedly. "Hey! Could you take a picture of me with Jagged Stone? It'd be so awesome!"

That took the man back a step, and it also got the attention of others in the lobby, especially Marinette and Chloe. "Wait, he's a famous photographer?"

"Can I have a picture too?" At least Marinette was on board for this ruse. She came over and helped Adrien tug the man to the celebrity he was clearly following.

Jagged Stone looked horribly confused. "I thought he was a crazed fan."

"Well that is a very professional camera," Marinette pointed out.

"I think I've seen him at one of my father's fashion shows," Adrien added, not technically lying because a kid's memory isn't to be trusted, especially since he spent most of his time backstage being bored out of his mind. This got the group coming in's attention.

"Who are you?"

The teen ducked his head bashfully. He really did hate using his name, but here goes. "Adrien Agreste. My father owns the Gabriel label."

That seemed to be enough to make them second think what was likely the truth. If a well known son of a fashion mogul said the guy was a famous photographer and not some deranged fan, maybe a few pictures couldn't hurt? Adrien chewed on his lip before asking innocently, "So… Mr. Jagged Stone? Sir? Could we get a picture? With you?"

"Please?" Marinette added, looking as sweet as sugar. Okay, she was cute. Adrien would be blind and lying to not admit it. Still no crush though. Nope. Not one.

Jagged and his assistant exchanged looks before the man grinned broadly. "How could I say no to my fans! Come here!"

Quickly he brought both teens before him, and Chloe took Adrien's other side without being asked, and smiled for the camera. The guy took a shot of them together before doing a few individual shots. Adrien then took the camera and put the fan next to his hero. "Alright you two! Say 'Spaghetti'!"

"Spaghetti!" Came Jagged's reply while the fan just tried to not die from happiness as he took the photo for them. There. One photo. Mission accomplished.

"Alright! That was awesome!" Adrien grinned cheerily at both men before returning the camera. "Thank you so much Mr. Stone."

"Call me Jagged, kiddo." The rocker's grin kind of reminded him of Plagg but that didn't matter. What mattered was defusing the situation quickly. "Anything for my biggest fans."

"Can't wait to see your next concert. Ah, sir," he returned his attention to the fan, "I should probably get you your room key and get you the mailing address for the pictures. If you'd come this way. Have a good stay here, Jagged!"

"Thank you, monsieur!" Marinette finished off the fan just as Adrien managed to separate him. Everyone over there settled down pretty quickly afterwards, giving him a chance to clear the air.

The fan was ecstatic. "That was… wow… that was amazing! How did you – Fifteen shows, and I never once got him to look my way like that!"

Internally Adrien wondered if he actually did a good thing. Stalkers were scary. He tried to shrug it off. "I know a photographer when I see one. You don't work for the tabloids, right?"

"No no no," the man insisted, still over the moon. "I run a Jagged fan site, among others. All my photographs are for personal use only."

Now he really hoped he didn't make things worse for Jagged later. Coughing, Adrien wrote down a PO box address his father set up for delivery when they didn't want people to know where they lived. Had to be careful after all. He also grabbed a hundred euros from his wallet and put it with the note. Make this a transaction instead of a distraction. Smiling, he gave the fan both. "Good to hear. Please send our photos to this address. This should cover the printing and shipping costs."

The man gasped at the money before looking up at him again. "Cover? You just saved me from ramen dinners!"

"So… will you be staying with us this evening?" He already knew the answer, but he had to play his part anyway. School project and all that. Even if it meant being fawned over by Chloe for most of the day.

The fan shook his head sadly. "Way over my budget. Besides, I have a flat nearby. Why pay double rent?"

"Nice way to put it." Adrien smiled reassuringly at the man, hoping he'd get his act together soon. Man seemed so strange. "Well, thank you for taking pictures with us anyway. It was a lot of fun."

"Nah, thank you for helping me get the one thing I've wanted for a year." He tapped his camera gleefully and pocketed the note and cash, ready to go. "You're a miracle worker, kid."

And he left, with Adrien waving and smiling at him. His headache lessened greatly and the stress of the moment dissolved in his stomach. Mission accomplished.

A brief image of a large white space and Chloe being next to him flashed through his mind painfully. He hated these image attacks, but as soon as the flash was gone, so was his headache. He took a slow breath, balanced himself out, and stood straight again. He was okay. Everything was okay.

"Kid," he heard from his pocket, "everything alright up there?"

Adrien looked down to his pocket and Plagg watching him carefully. He smiled best he could and nodded. "Everything's fine. All because of one stupid photo."

The cat gave him a small glare. "You humans are weird."


A/N: Yeah, the episode wasn't great for the plot, except to drive a wedge between Adrien and Chloe. So being pointed out as a silly reason to be akumatized was great for me. Pixilator is down.

Got any more ideas? Leave me some inspiration and I'll get to it! So leave me a comment and tell me what you'd write out of the series.