Hi everyone,

Thanks for sticking with me. Anyway, I'm still opened to suggestions and any kind of criticism.

Enjoy!

Three weeks after they moved out to the mansion in front of the Tour Eiffel, Adrien woke up to the sound of thunder. He shivered. He had always been terrified of thunder storms. The sky boomed again and he yelped. He tried hiding under the covers, hugging his pillow. He just couldn't find comfort in anything.

His first thought was to go to Mother. She would stroke his hair and giggle when he screamed. She would make everything better. He stood up and started dragging his feet to the master bedroom. When he was halfway there, he remembered that doing that was useless. Alice had disappeared once again. Adrien was now old enough to understand that something was off in his family: his father did nothing but work, his mother spend more time god knows where instead of at home and his brother got into fights every day.

He sighed. Looks like he would have to face this on his own. He would have to be brave. For his family. He had to be strong enough so they could all go to him to find joy and energy. No ten-year-old should have carried that burden, but he did. He knew his role and how to play it. At least most of the time.

As a lightning bolt shook the house, he closed his eyes trying not to cry. He was too afraid to stay in character. He considered going to Father but decided against it, he would just tell him to go back to sleep, that if he was in his room to begin with. So he went to the only safe place he could imagine. He ran into Felix's room and jumped into his bed, shaking.

"What the?" complained his brother before he realized what was really happening. "Afraid of the storm?" Adrien nodded and the older blond made room for him in the bed. None of them could count how many times they had done this in their old bedroom, back in the house of their childhood. It comforted both of them.

They woke up to a sunny day.

Adrien wasn't scared of storms anymore. He had Felix now.

Stormy Whether shot lighting once again to the heroic duo of Paris. They had been fighting her and her blasted storms for more than an hour unable to find a way to end this confrontation. They didn't even have had a chance to use their powers yet. They both moved out of the way in time but the ice underneath them made them loose balance and they fell.

"Hahaha! Scared of a little storm?" mocked the akuma's victim.

Cat Noir didn't want to admit that was true. Ever since Felix had left to go to college in America his fear for thunderstorms had returned, as strong as ever. But she shook it off. Adrien was afraid of lightning, Cat Noir just made bad puns about it.

"I just don't like when it's raining cats and ladybugs" he joked even if it was half-hearted. He got an eye roll from his partner. Was she ever afraid to face an akuma? He doubted it. She was the bravest person he had ever met.

The current supervillain just ignored him and threw an icy blast their way and made a run for it. He groaned inwardly. Now they had to track her down. They didn't have to look far though, she was at the TV station announcing summer would be replaced by winter. They hurried after her only to fall into a trap. It was a recording. But the real nightmare wasn't far. She attacked from behind, leaving in complete darkness. They followed her to the rooftop where Ladybug was finally able to use her lucky charm, receiving a bath towel.

He contemplated her as she thought of a plan. Finally, she told him to destroy the support of the panels while she tangled her yoyo in Stormy Weather's ankle and used the tube in the rooftops to skillfully bring her down. He snatched her umbrella and gave it back to his Lady who broke it to liberate the akuma and purify it. She then made everything go back to normal. He sighed in relief. It was over for today.

He went back to his photoshoot at the park and then straight home. But as soon as he entered he was met with the unpleasant sight of his older brother and Father waiting for him. What did he do this time?

"Adrien I'm glad your home. We need to talk." Announced Gabriel Agreste with an unaffected appearance.

"What is it Father?" he answered looking between the two of them, filled with angst.

"It was brought to my attention that you've been neglecting both your studies and your professional activities. And so, I had to make a rough decision. You're being homeschooled again."

Adrien breath caught. No. Not again. He couldn't stand the cage his house had become. Not that much time. Not now that he knew what freedom tasted like. "What? But I… I promise I'll do better. Just don't take school away from me. Please Father." he pleaded. When he saw the fashion designer was unchanged he burned his last resource. "Felix, you studied in America, please tell him this is crazy".

For a second he thought he saw his brother flattering, but it was gone so soon he might have imagined. "I'm sorry Adrien, but your grades are falling and the outside world is full of dangers I don't which to expose you to."

Adrien's vision went red. So what if t was dangerous? He risked his life every day against bigger threaths. His notes were falling? Normal when he couldn't attend half the classes to go to photoshoots. He couldn't pose like before? Well try modeling with bruised ribs. It just wasn't fair. And he knew where the idea came from. His father couldn't care less. It was all Felix fault. This was his revenge for the other day. He wanted to protest but he knew it would only make matter worse. Reigning his temper was a huge effort but he managed, he still couldn't trust his mouth tough. Instead of speaking, he nodded and went straight to his room, ignoring how his father shouted after him. He barricaded his door with the heaviest furniture he could find.

"You ok kid?" asked Plagg hovering in front of his face. He almost told him the truth. That they were crushing his hope. No more hanging out with Nino, Alya and Marinette; no more laughing with his classmates; no more freedom. And how was he supposed to sneak out to save Paris with people following his every freedom. Maybe the best thing was to turn in his miraculous. The city of light deserved a better hero.

"Here Plagg" he said handing his ring to the black kwami. "Give it to someone who'll be able to use it. I'm good for nothing if I am stuck here." He was about to cry, but he put on an icy façade. It was a family gift. The ancient god seemed dead serous as he gave him his miraculous back. He even looked a little angry.

"Okay, listen up kid! You were chosen! That's not going to change over an argument with your father. Plus, I won't let you quit, and most definitely I am not leaving you alone. And seriously this people are hurting you so much I'll go give them a piece of my mind."

Adrien mood improved a little. At least he hadn't lost all of his friends. He would have Plagg for a while more. He suddenly felt no desire to find Haukmoth. As he pated his kwami's head and the latest poured, he slowly fell asleep in the cold floor.

Waking up the next day the last thing he wanted to do was get up. But he didn't want to upset his father, it would only cause things to worsen. So, he stood up, took a long shower and spent half an hour dismantling his barricade. The last thing he had to do for the morning was have breakfast. He thanked heaven that Felix wasn't there. He still couldn't trust himself around that hypocrite. All that speech about wanting him to be okay and safe was pure bullshit. He had no right to come waltzing back into his life and ruin it. He wouldn't hold it on much longer. If Cat Noir had thought him something was that just going along with the problems wasn't going to help anyone. However, everything became sour when his jackass of a brother walked in.

"Listen Adrien, we need to talk. I know you are upset over not going to that stupid school anymore, but you have to get your priorities strait. Modeling is your future. You should keep your focus on that."

Adrien wasn't going to take this bullshit anymore.

"Who do you think you are, acting like my boss and taking my decisions from me? You're no one to me. You used to be my favorite person in the world, you were my hero. But you left. You left when I needed you the most. You abandoned me. Don't expect me to act like that didn't happen. And then you come back and destroy everything I worked for! Well you know what? Go to hell Felix!"

"You're right Adrien. I'm destroying your life and so I think it would be better for both of us if we didn't consider each other our brother anymore." silence fell in the room. That was it, it was the end. He oficialy had no one left. He hated Felix.

Adrien stormed out of the room with tears in his eyes.

Felix knew how much he was hurting Adrien. He really did, he wasn't even surprised when his brother had lashed out on him. Well maybe a little; Adrien had never been the aggressive kind, but then again people changed. maybe he had been too harsh. He wished they could behave like before. But he just couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't pretend. instead he pushed him away, making sure their bond would not be mended. He wasn't going to risk anything. Not after what he knew. If they became close again he would never forgive himself for hiding the truth from him.