Sorry for the late upload, I was at comic con this weekend and haven't had any time to upload between the con and the after parties Saturday and Sunday haha. Would have uploaded on Friday but I was rushing to finish one of my cosplays so again, I really didn't have time :/ Glad I only had to proof read this chap or it might have been later. Anyways. I SAW LB, CHAT NOIR, MARINETTE AND ALYA cosplayers at con! I turned into a raving fangirl and ran at them screaming begging for pics, It must have been terrifying but we ended up fangirling about the series and exchanged pages ^^ Now I'm broke, happy, but broke haha.
Also, I noticed a bit to late that I got the time zones completely backwards in the last chapter and I should know this because I speak to people in the US quite regularly and know how the timezones work, I'm an absolute idiot and hope you can overlook it but there will defo not be any mistakes like that in future and I will go back and fix it at some point this week, It won't affect the story so you don't have to go back and read it :)
Anyways, on with the fic :) Sorry if this and the last 2 chaps seemed a little slow but the pace will be picking up as of the next chapter ^^
It was an early start on this especially busy morning, Monday mornings where always intense but this particular morning even made the usually cool and collected model fluster and almost drop his coffee on several occasions. The usually bad traffic was especially horrendous, people yelling at each other from their windows, beeping their horns in agitation and cussing furiously about how late they where. Adrien sat in the passanger seat, tapping his knees impatiendly while sipping his coffee more often than was necessary. Of all days the infamous traffic in NY had to be at it's worst today.
"Adrien, you're going to have the jitters if you drink that so quickly." Mark chastised, smiling. The man had at first been an unwelcome reminder of how even when on a different part of the planet, his father had to try and control his every waking breath but upon getting to know his chauffeur a little better, he found the man was a god send. He did what his father paid him to do but he let Adrien choose when he wanted to have his English lessons and if he really didn't feel like it, the silver haired man would simply bow in some sort of unspoken understanding and reschedule around his work. He seemed to appear out of nowhere when Adrien needed some company when he was sat at home, offering to cook or to take him to some sort of local attraction but at the same time phasing into the background when he needed to be alone. Maybe it was years of experience but whatever it was, Adrien couldn't be more thankful for having him around.
"It was almost like having a real father but he wouldn't let himself think like that. He did what he was paid to after all even if he doubted 'morale support' was in his job description.
"Just nervous. The tabloid generally tend to rip you to pieces if you don't play by the rules," he said, lifting the now empty cup to his lips and frowning down at it as if the lack of coffee was to blame. Mark chuckled.
"I know this is your first interview but they are the press, not mercenaries."
"I'd prefer the mercenaries any day." Smirking slightly at the memory of how many times he had faced groups of enemies and danced around then gleefully, swatting them down like flies. He cleared his throat, repressing the memory and resumed tapping his thighs. They eventually made it down the few blocks left and he practically dived out the passenger door, running to the reception where a familiar representative from his agency stood, her usually perfect hair and suit was slightly dishevelled and she narrowed her eyes at him as he jogged to the sleek marble desk. Naturally he had to be stuck with Kendal, the most hated and unpleasant rep to get stuck with.
"You're late." She said through tight, well lacquered lips.
"Sorry, traffic." She rolled her eyes in obvious annoyance and dragged him off for hair and make-up closely tailed by Mark who translated for him when necessary. Hair and make-up came and went and the buzz of excitement did nothing to help his nerves but he grit his teeth, his English nowhere good enough for him to really make sense of what the buzz was about but he could understand enough to put him on edge. Since his first job, his career had exploded across various magazines and billboards everywhere he looked. Clothes, shoes, cologne, hair products, glasses, watches, he had been hired for the lot by various companies and he had only been here for three months. Now he was being pushed into an interview with one of the biggest magazines in the USA, one he didn't have a chance at talking his way out of and flat out refusing without good reason would cost him his job. Once H&M was done he was finally lead to another room that reminded him of the recording studio at the TV station back home. Three small expensive looking leather chairs sat around a glossy table and in front of it was a camera, the crew flitting around adjusting light and moving the furniture around while the interviewer, an eccentric looking man in a well tailored suit bounced on the balls of his feet while someone touched up his make-up. Adrien immediately turned around to his agent, livid.
"You never said anything about the interview being filmed! I thought it was a for a magazine!" Kendal raised her brows a fraction of an inch.
"It is, said magazine also has a website they like to broadcast their interviews on as well as print the manuscript." She gave him a patronizing pat on the shoulder and leant down to him. "Atleast they can't twist your words. Don't fuck up the agencies reputation."
The model glowered at her resentfully. If he was nervous before it was nothing compared to now. She pursed her lips and he wheeled around, trying not to storm away or let his rage show. The excitable interviewer caught sight of him and practically danced towards him, swinging his hips far more that was necessary as so many did in this industry.
"Ah Adrien! It's a pleasure! You're even more gorgeous in real life!" The man grabbed his hand and Adrien mouthed the word 'help' over his shoulder at Mark. The man gave an encouraging smile and trotted to his seat between the interviewer and the blonde. The interviewer sat down gracefully and reached over to shake both their hands. "Sorry, where are my manners, I'm Bunny, loosen up a little! I don't bite unless you want me to." The man laughed and Adrien listened to Mark as he translated for him, suddenly feeling queasy and uncomfortable but he smiled tightly.
"That's quite alright, and thank you for inviting me here today." Bunny seemed to flutter in his seat,
"Oh honey that accent, beautiful. Alright, down to business. So we're just going to ask you a couple of questions, readers everywhere are dying to know more about the mysterious French dream boy who appeared out of nowhere and took the industry by storm," he gave an excited little shuffle, wiggling his eyebrows in a way that made the blonde even more uncomfortable if it where possible. One of the crew members came over and spoke to Bunny and clapped his hands together, mark translated for him.
"Thirty seconds until recording." Adrien tried to relax his posture, looking around nervously and before he knew it, the camera man signalled and Bunny began his introduction. He asked questions about his career and what brought him to New York and he answered, managing to force his 'model' persona throughout, smiling, nodding and answering as required of him. He managed to keep himself composed until Bunny asked him with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"So do you have someone special in your life? there must be someone special you keep hidden away." Adrien froze but managed to brush it off, unconsciously reaching for the back of his neck as he reached for the answers he had rehearsed days previous.
"Sorry to disappoint you but no, I'm to focused on my career to be looking for love."
"Shy AND beautiful! But surely there is a special someone? Maybe a high school sweet heart back in Paris? Or maybe it isn't women that take your interest?" Adrien visibly paled, he needed a convincing answer and fast. He didn't trust himself enough to keep himself in check, he hadn't managed to smother his own feelings effectively enough just yet. Forcing a smile he laughed nonchalantly, trying to claw onto his diminishing false confidence. 'When did I become so unstable?'
"How could I possibly have time for romance when my father runs one of the worlds most successful fashion brands?" Bunny wilted a little in disappointment but quickly moved on to questions about what it was like being an Agreste and how he found living in New York. The questions where very personal and probing and it took all the blondes will to repress the words of hatred that would surely be plastered across every headline from here back to France about how his father neglected him and discredit the Agreste fashion empire along with the agency. Eventually Bunny gave a short closing statement and they waved at the camera before someone shouted 'cut'. Adrien stood and made to leave but was quickly hoarded into another room for the shoot he had completely forgotten about and it was many hours before he was dismissed, slipping between crew and staff who swamped him and he escaped into the Cadillac's passenger seat, mentally and physically exhausted.
"You handled yourself very well today," Mark said as he slid behind the wheel and revved the engine. Adrien sighed heavily in response, sagging against his seat. "Now I may be wrong but I'm a firm believer in the fact that jumping the next plane to another country to run from your problems, heartache, family issues, whatever it is, is not exactly a healthy one." Adrien's head shot up and he looked at the assistant in bewilderment. He kept his eyes on the road as they pulled away but continued. "But it's not going to just disappeared, you will have to face your problems sooner or later." They dissolved into silence while Adrien mulled the words over before responding.
"It's a little different when you're the problem. Remove the problem. Make everyone happy." Mark frowned, humming in thought.
"But is the sacrifice worth it?" The question hung heavily in the air and Adrien bowed his head, resting it on his knuckles as he leaned against the the window, his heart heavy as the question loosened his resolve.
"I don't know anymore." He bit his lip to stop it from quivering. "But I made my decision, I just want to make those I care about happy, even if I had to leave them behind." A few minute of silence trailed by until Mark broke it once again.
"You know, When I was young, Yes, I was young at one point, I watched a friend fall head over heels in love with a girl but she was infatuated with another," Adrien's head snapped around in surprise. "He reminded me a lot of you, young, attractive, kind hearted, a good hit or so he liked to believe-" Adrien wrinkled his nose, his cheeks turning pink "- But the girl he loved eventually turned to hate him because she saw him as a barrier between her and the other boy so he left, jumped the next flight he could find away from France and left his whole life behind. I do believe he was happy but he always had that looming loneliness that haunted him." Mark sighed, a nostalgic smile crept across his ageing features which confused the blonde. Adrien fidgeted, feeling intrusive and not wanting to know more but unable to help himself. Why the man looked so happy Adrien couldn't understand.
"Do you know what happened to the girl he left behind?" Mark gave his signature chuckle.
"She married him, they had a son, it didn't work out as he was too controlling and they divorced years later. You see the other man didn't really love her and nobody really knows what changed but I believe money had a lot to do with it, she was the hair to a wealthy family of course." Adrien stepped out of the car as they finally pulled up at their apartment block, lost in thought, all sorts of questions circling his mind. If only he had known who Ladybug was, he might have answers. What if the other guy she loved was cruel? What if he hurt her feelings? What if he made her feel like she was anything less than amazing in every way, shape and form? A headache began forming as he waited for the lift to reach his floor. "I'm sorry for telling you that story, Like I said you remind me a lot of my friend, I do apologise." Adrien nodded, not tearing his eyes away from his shoes while lingering behind the assistant as he lead them to their floor.
"She- She was amazing." He breathed a heavy sigh, a tiny smile pulling at his lips as he let the memory of her smile, only her smile, flash across his mind. "She was my everything but she loved someone else. I'd do anything to make her smile.£ He trailed off, biting his cheeks to stop the tornado of emotion that racked his brain from surfacing and shook his head. "What happened to your friend?" Adrien blurted out, flushing at his little confession and reaching for anything to change the topic. Much to his amazement, Mark practically beamed.
"That's a story for another time, but he lead a long and happy life." Adrien raised his eyebrows in surprise, his curiosity pushing him to press but not wanting to be rude and we all knows how the saying goes. He thanked the assistant once more and they parted ways at his front door. For the first time in three months he woke up the next morning feeling we rested and refreshed from a sleep untouched by his usual nightmares.
Alya sat at her desk at an ungodly hour of the morning, head slipping from its place on her palm and she startled, jumping a few inches off her chair and fumbled for the pen that had slipped out of her hand for the umpteenth time. She stared down at her notes as she had every few nights for the past month before smacking her pen against her notepad, arching backwards over the back of the chair and thrusting her fingers through her hair in frustration.
"Alya?" A sleepy voice came from behind her and she almost fell back in the chair, whipping around to see a dazed Nino rubbing at his eyes in a way she found ridiculously adorable. "You should come back to late, it's bed." He screwed up his eyes, "Let me try that again, it's 3am, you should come back to bed."
"I'll be back back soon Nino."
"You always say that," He tsked, coming over and dragging his desk chair over next to hers to look over the pile of notes, newspaper clippings and more notes that completely covered her desk. "How is the search going?" Alya immediately threw her hands into the air, slamming her notepad closed, banging her forehead on top of it.
"It's so frustrating! Every time I think I've found something I end up back at square one! Why can't she just tell me who the father is?! That would make my life so much easier!" She let her head rest on her boyfriends shoulder, making a whining noise into his shoulder and he put a hand on her head in comfort.
"Maybe she doesn't know?" Alya leaned away from him in mock disgust, the mere thought was ludicrous.
"Nino. Honey, Have you MET Marinette? She's about as likely to have a one night stand as a nun!" He leaned in and gave her a kiss, silencing her animated rant.
"I love you when you get sassy," He uttered with a cheesy grin plastered across his face when they broke apart and she playfully slapped him away. She tried to give him an unamused glare but couldn't stop the corner of her lips from curling.
"You're not helping." Nino pulled the closest piece of paper to him and tried to make sense of it, failing epically.
"And not sleeping isn't going to help either. Maybe Marinette won't tell you for her own reasons, maybe she's embarrassed or doesn't think you'll approve-"
"I know she has her own reasons for not telling me and it's nothing like that or she'd tell me anyway, Which is what makes me even more determined to figure out who it is. If some asshole thinks he can get my girl pregnant and just disappear and leave her like that then I'm going to track him down even if the only thing I get out of it is burying the bastard myself before someone else gets the pleasure." Nino's previously droopy eyes shot open and he quickly decided that attempting to tell her to calm down would probably make him enemy number 2. It was times like this he missed his best friend, He knew how to deal with women better than Nino did. He chose his words very carefully.
"Look, Maybe Marinette won't tell you because she wants to forget and move on, Why can't you let her?" Alya looked up at him defensively before sighing heavily and slumping against him again, her arms snaking around his waist.
"Maybe you're right. I'm not really being a good friend by dragging this out, and behind her back to top it off. I just want to face him once and ask why he left. What am I supposed to do? First I find out my girl was LB all along, then I find out she can't be her anymore. Next thing she's pregnant. There's a new Chat, Adrien left the country without so much as a warning and Marinette is depressed and I just have to do something!" She froze where she sat, skimming over her research and looking over her notes, scattering bits of paper as she looks for specific pieces of information and then moved her mouse to wake her computer up again and went straight to her old blog she had barely touched over the past year or so.
"W-wait, You're gunna be up for another few hours aren't you?" Nino said, feeling his energy drain as he watched her spring into life. "Alya, sweetie. Please just leave it for tonight, you have work in a few hours."
"Just a second." She went straight to the 'theories & comments' section of the Ladyblog, unable to comment or contact anyone who posted in case Marinette looked at the blog and noticed her digging, no matter how much she doubted her friend would look at it now after having to give up her miraculous. She scrolled through the comments and sighting pictures from over three months ago, looking for something, anything. Eventually after much scrolling, she came to a thread someone had started of LB - namely Marinette - and Chat on top of a roof. One clearer video in particular catching her eye. It looked like the civilian had taken the video from the garden of the house Ladybug and Chat where standing on and it looked about as close as she was going to find. She clicked play on the video and waited while it buffered. She watched the scene play out. There was no sound other than a TV from somewhere close by and some late evening traffic while Chat and Ladybug greeted each other, they had some sort of exchange and Marinette turned away from Chat who stepped towards her. Alya turned up her speakers to max to try and let her hear any of the hero's conversation when Marinette turned around, her face one of hurt and rage and she said something at Chat which made him visibly flinch. The two stood still for several moments before Chat bowed and ran, the observer following him as he loped from building to building, disappearing into the night. Alya sat back in her seat, the gears of her brain grinding together.
"What could they have been arguing about?" She thought aloud, chewing the inside of her cheeks. The rest of the video played, the camera turning back to Ladybug who had sank to her knees, the street lights reflecting off the wet streaks on her face and it tore Alya's insides up watching her friend hurting so much. In the video, Marinette sank to her knees, extended forward and picked something unseen up off the floor and held it close to her face before running off. Alya's eyes widened as watched and she replayed the video, putting it back to the moment Ladybug leant forward and put the video into full screen mode. She watched again, leaning in close to the video trying to make out whatever it was that she picked up, asking what it was out loud like it would answer all her questions. even on her twenty four inch monitor, she still couldn't make out what it was. She captured the entire scene frame by frame and opened each picture in separate tabs. She studied the each picture, zooming in as much as she could without distorting the image too much and then went back to the point where Chat ran off and seeing the small black box dropping from his pocket. She spent a good half an hour flicking between each frame, not even noticing that Nino had fallen asleep and was currently drooling slightly on her shoulder before she slammed her hands down on her desk and stood up, sending papers, pens and other items flying in all directions. Nino jumped, toppling out of his seat in terror at his other half's sudden movement.
"Alya Jesus! You nearly gave me a heart attac-"
"Chat HAS to be the father! He has to be! Look at this!" She shouted excitedly, leaning towards her monitor and almost touching it with her nose before standing back and pointing at the screen triumphantly. He studied the picture before looking back at her in bewilderment.
"He made her cry?" Alya slapped a hand to her forehead in irritation. She pointed at something the former Ladybug was holding in her hands and increased the brightness of the display. He squinted, seeing her holding what looked like a box with something small and sparkling inside it.
"What guy in this day and age proposes to a woman without having some kind of intimate relationship?" Nino looked between the screen and Alya, letting it sink into his sleep depraved brain.
"So maybe I was right?" He asked hopefully. Alya's triumphant post slouched and she slumped forward shaking her head.
"Maybe you where, Marinette would know where to find Chat if she knew who he was, or at least be able to contact him." She lifted her head, a comical expression of annoyance and trudged towards the door. "Marinette said she didn't know who Chat was. My best friend is an idiot. And that sleezy duchebag! He just left after one little argument! Sure the timing was bad and all but what the hell? Wait until I get my hands on him. Okay, I'm coming to bed. I'm done with today. DONE!"
So Alya is getting close to the truth! And this is almost at the half way mark unless I write an extra chapter but hope you enjoyed anyways, I'm still loving writing this fic! Hope you enjoyed and leave a review if you can, I need to know what you think :)
Until next time :3