Hi everyone
I forgot to tell you this story was inspires by the fic A witch's familiar and Once four, now two. Those stories are awesome, you should really check them out.
Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous
Six years old Adrien was playing with his toy plane in the living room, under the loving look of his mother. Alice Agreste never tired of seeing her youngest son smiling like that, she treasured every single of the moments in which he did.
"Mommy look, it's landing in Paris!" he announced as he put the plane on the ground. That got him another smile; his mother knew how much he wanted to visit Paris, but they just didn't have the money. Her husband was set in becoming a fashion designer and refused to get a job in the meantime, and her job as a saleswoman was barely enough to put food on the table. Such dreams would have to wait. That is if they ever came true. She wasn't exactly known for her optimism. She still smiled.
They both heard the door of their small house opening, Felix was finally coming home. He was hours late. "Fe" shrilled Adrien running to hug his older brother. He barely reached his hip but he could always hold on to his legs.
"Hi to you too" said the older brother as he ruffled Adrien hair. He knew he was in trouble, he knew by the look on his mother face. He was resigned. He always got himself into trouble, most of the time because people made fun of him or his family and he couldn't just let them. Today had been particularly bad and he returned with a black eye and some bruised ribs. Fighting wasn't really his thing. But he forgot all about the beating when he saw his little brother, that boy was a light in the darkest night, and Felix was lucky to have him.
"Fe? What happened to you? Can I make it better?" Adrien little pure voice filled the living room. Everyone smiled. How could they not? His innocence was a bliss.
"I'm okay, Ad. Don't worry. Why don't you tell what you did today?" His little brother started rambling on and on about school and the new games he had invented oblivious to the lie in those words. Felix was only half listening. His mind was too busy wondering about what kind of magic run throughout his brother blood. How could he take silent, cold, detached Felix and turn him into this sweet and caring person? It was beyond his comprehension. But he was glad it was that way.
That night dinner was silent. Gabriel was sketching his 'new collection' instead of talking to the others, Felix was skulking over his punishment, Alice was wearing her disappointed look and Adrien just felt it wasn't a moment for talking. And so, they all sat in silence, wishing today wasn't as bad of a day. Just when everyone was growing resigned Alice's phone rang. She took the call in another room but they still managed to hear small fragments of the conversation. They usually wouldn't eavesdrop but the silence was so heavy and any distraction was welcomed.
"… right now? It's just that today…. No, I know…. But the kids… Fine, I'm on my way."
The mood dropped even more. Every time mother had that kind of conversation it meant they wouldn't see her for at least a week, and thus they'd be left alone with their neglecting father. Plus, those days, they usually went hungry to bed. She always said it was a business trip, but they all knew she wasn't important enough to go on one of those. They were well aware of the lie and that hurt. Sweet Alice was hiding things from them. It just wasn't right. But what could they do about it? That was how things were.
As expected the liar came back with a lousy excuse and left to pack some clothes. They said their goodbyes and Alice left them to their one resources once again.
The tic tac of the clock was going to drive Adrien crazy. Seriously if it didn't stop he was going to use his cataclysm on it. Why couldn't he deal with this? He had dealt with supervillains for a whole year now, he had made puns in the most critical situations and found things to say every single time he faced an akuma. And now here he was, unable to talk to his own brother. For the umpteenth time, he wet his lips and cleared his troth just to find himself opening and closing his mouth like fish. He just couldn't talk to him. Not anymore. The mansion had never felt so empty. Felix, on the other hand, looked perfectly composed, as if the everlasting silence didn't bother him.
"So… How was college?" said Adrien, trying once again to break the icy wall that surrounded who had once been his best friend.
"Fine"
"Did you make new friends?" pried Adrien, wishing to hear just one anecdote. A sentence that included more than one word.
"No" The youngest sibling wasn't surprised. Ever since his mother had disappeared five years ago Felix just wasn't the same. Not that it was surprising. They had all changed that faithful day. But the already reserved child had become unreachable, it was as though he wasn't living in his own body anymore. No matter what people did his façade didn't change. He was barely human.
Finally, they finished eating and the youngest bolted out to his room and locked himself up. He didn't recognize Felix. He used to smile, to talk, to ask him how was his day. Now he only answered his questions with monosyllables and a bored faraway expression. It hurt too much. The only part of his family for which he still had hope had become a copy of his father. He was lonelier that when Felix was studding in the united states.
"What do I do?" he asked out loud as he let himself fall into his bed.
"Relax kid, he's probably just tired" said Plagg with a mocking tone. "Now on more important matters, I need cheese. I'm starved."
Adrien couldn't help it, he smiled. It was nice to know his kwami would always be there, even if he annoyed him to hell. He wasn't alone anymore. He had Nino, Alya, even Marinette who couldn't form a coherent sentence in front of him. He had Ladybug. She would never let him down. Heck he had the entire city of Paris with him. He had gained their affection. He didn't need to win his family's.
"Plagg, claws out!" he screamed. Once his transformation was completed he jumped out of his window and started his patrol. It was a little early, well actually he was about five hours early, but he was sure his Lady would forgive him for that. Plus, with the extra time he could investigate parts of the city that the usually neglected. He went faster than usual. He needed the speed to calm his nerves. The civilians looked at him and cheered. It made him feel better and worse at the same time. How could he be so natural as his alter ego and not as himself? How could they love him if they didn't know them? Was Cat Noir really so much better than Adrien? He shook his head. He wasn't going down that path again. It was hard enough as it was.
When he was done, he took some time to admire the sunset from the Eiffel Tower. He made a point on being there every single day to watch it. It calmed his nerves and made him forget about everything for a blissful minutes. It was his escape, the thing that got him going the rest of the day. Not that he was depressed but sometimes life as teenage model who turned into a superhero was overwhelming. He needed to rest every once in a while.
"Hi" said Ladybug as she sat next to him. His sad smile turned into a cheeky green.
"M'Lady" he acknowledged trying to kiss her hand, but she snapped it back before he even had a chance. He laughed. At least this much would never change.
"Are you okay? You look a little troubled" asked his partner. There was worry in her voice which made him feel great and guilty at the same time. He shouldn't let people see threw him. He was to keep his mask on and thus he swallowed every feeling and fell back into the personality of Cat Noir. His freedom and yet another cage.
"I'm pur-fect" he answered. That got him a roll of eyes. When he told her about going to patrol before and his plan to visit the poorer neighborhood tonight she looked oddly at him, but agreed nevertheless. And so, they parted ways.
The visit to Clisson proved even more illuminating that he thought. Not only did he forget everything about Felix, he also stopped two assaults and a rape. But most of all he realized how lucky he was. He had forgotten what being poor was like. Of course, his family had never fallen so low, yet when you lived as one of the wealthiest families in the whole country you forgot what real life was like. That it had this ugly and cruel part.
When that realization hit him, he made a promise to himself. He would never forget again.