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Saturday morning.
Every child's relief day to let out a sigh and not have to worry about homework until the very last minute.
What made it grander was the rays of sun stretching through the window, welcoming everyone to a warm and bright day. The birds happily cooed a song of their good mornings to Paris.
And here was Adrien in his bedroom, stuck in his shirt he was attempting to put on.
He stumbled around, blinded by the very thing he was stuck in. He nearly tripped a few times, collided his hip into his desk, and stepped on something that sent pain into his foot.
He eventually won the battle and tried to take out the wrinkles. Although, he didn't quite know why since he was going to put a nice suit jacket over top of it. Nobody was going to see it but Adrien's overly nervous mind couldn't comprehend that thought.
He's never been this nervous before.
The blonde had stolen from stores with the police on his tail, been to underground gang gatherings, and drove a hot-wired car when he was only twelve years old.
He had kept a calm and cool head in all those dangerous situations. But a small scheme that entitled no danger at all and was merely an act was making him lose his head.
"Adrien! Breakfast is ready!" Nathalie called.
"Be there in a minute!" Adrien replied, grabbing one of his nicest jackets he had. He had to make a good first impression. He sadly had to depart from his favorite leather jacket for the next week.
He grabbed a tie and stared at it for a moment.
"How does this thing work again?" he thought before glancing at himself in the mirror. Adrien looked suave until reaching his unruly mane of hair. He combed his fingers through his hair, not sure what to do with it. It definitely needed to be a lot nicer than a disorganized mess.
He glanced between the two things of his troubles, unknowing how to do either.
Adrien was going to need a little help.
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Nathalie scraped some scrambled eggs onto two plates.
Gabriel sat at the table, nursing a cup of coffee and going through some color pallets for a new suit he was designing. He was starting to become more popular in the industry and making his way to the top. It was a load of work but tried to save time to spend with his family.
The man continued to work, not looking away when hearing footsteps padding down the hallway. Gabriel was very close to finishing so he could talk with his son and wife for a little bit before indulging in his work again.
"Oh, there you are..." Nathalie trailed off before questioning, "Why are you so dressed up?"
This caught Gabriel's attention. He drew his eyes away from his notes to his well-dressed son. Adrien wore some nice black pants and a gray suit jacket. In his hand was a red tie.
Gabriel remembered it being a prototype outfit he made but was still doable to wear. So, he gave it to his son. Although, Adrien wasn't a fan of wearing anything nice. So seeing the teen wearing the outfit was definitely a surprise for the two adults.
"It's...uh...for a school project," Adrien feebly lied, letting a sheepish smile crossed his face.
Nathalie and Gabriel glanced at each other. That's when they instantly knew what was going on. Nathalie told Gabriel about her discovery a few nights ago and a theory about why he was studying proper equate.
It was all for helping a girl he liked.
The two adults knew more than what the teen thought. Yet, didn't question his appearance any further.
"Alright," Nathalie said. Gabriel went back to finishing up before placing his work aside. Adrien sat at the table next to his dad. The blonde fidgeted while stealing glances at his old man.
His father had struck up some small talk with Nathalie about ladybugs or something. He wasn't really paying much attention to their conversation, trying to figure out how to ask a very uncharacteristic question from the fashionista himself.
Adrien took a deep breath and decided to just rip off the bandaid.
"Dad, can I ask a favor from you?" Adrien asked, earning said man's curious gaze.
"What is it?" Gabriel asked. Nathalie listened in, wondering just as much of what the teen was going to request. Adrien skeptically paused before blurting out.
"Can you help me look nicer kind of like your models?" he asked, wincing at his own choice of words.
Gabriel and Nathalie did a double-take before briefly looking at each other.
"Uh..." Gabriel began, awkwardly. Nathalie nodded her head, silently telling her husband that he should. Gabriel turned back to his son, who was, surprisingly, patiently awaiting an answer. Adrien wore a very nervous face that Gabriel hardly ever saw.
This really must be important to the teen.
Gabriel gave a nod, "I can."
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"Why don't you sit down for a moment, sweetheart? You'll burn a hole in the floor," Tom offered, trying to lighten the mood by joking a bit.
Marinette paused in her pacing in front of her well-dressed father sitting on the couch. The raven-haired girl wore her ombre black and red jumpsuit with a lopsided train. She used to wear it around the mansion in China when there wasn't any special occasion going on.
"Father, my pacing will not accumulate enough of even a spark to denature the floor. That is quite impossible-" Marinette stopped, dawning on her what her father's words truly meant.
"Wait, was that supposed to be a joke?"
"Don't worry, Marinette," Marinette's mother reassured, having exited the bathroom. Sabine wore a traditional red Chinese dress with gold trimmings and flowers decorating it.
"You both look absolutely radiant," Tom complimented. Sabine walked over with a lovely smile and kissed her husband on the cheek.
"You look very handsome yourself, dear," Sabine replied before acknowledging her fear-stricken daughter. Sabine frowned, wishing that it didn't have to come to this. Her parents were...not the best people, especially with everything they've done to, not only their family, everyone.
Sabine remembered when she still lived with her parents. They tried to do the same thing with Sabine—trained her to be a lady and marry some rich fellow. Sabine wouldn't be surprised if Marinette planned to marry her old suitor's son.
Unlike Marinette, Sabine defied her parent's wishes and ran away. She struggled a bit, having lived a sheltered and well-off life. She went through many of the same struggles Marinette did when she arrived. There was so much she didn't understand and learned.
Yet, she pulled through in the end.
She made friends that guided her, made a home here in Paris, taught her favorite hobby every Saturday at the school, married the love of her life, and had a beautiful daughter.
Sabine would never regret her decision with running away. Her only regret was handing over Marinette to her grandparents.
Sabine and Tom didn't have a choice in that though.
"Where is he? He should have been here by now," Marinette mumbled under her breath. Her bluebell eyes stared anxiously at the door, hoping her blonde "suitor" would be on the other side before her grandparents.
Sabine laid a comforting hand on Marinette's shoulder, "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be here soon-"
Knock knock
Marinette stiffened at the sound, her heart rapidly beating in her chest. Even Tom winced at the sound. He hasn't seen or heard anything from his in-laws since the day they gave Marinette away. Sabine seemed to be the only brave one.
Marinette nervously looked in the closest thing with a reflection, making sure her makeup was on point and combing any rebellious strands of her wavy hair down.
She had to look perfect.
Tom looked out the window as his wife went for the door.
"I don't see any fancy vehicles," Tom reported, earning a breath of relief throughout the room. Marinette relaxed, now noticing that her knees felt as if they were made of rubber.
"It must be Mister Agreste then," Marinette relaxed.
Sabine answered the door, opening it to reveal the said blonde boy. He sheepishly stood at the doorway, scratching the back of his neck.
At least, Marinette thought it was Adrien. She blinked and rubbed at her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Adrien looked a lot more cleaned up than he usually did—almost unrecognizable.
He wore a very nice suit, covered old scars with makeup, and fixed his hair nicely. He looked like a secret agent or a runway model. Marinette never knew Adrien could look this striking. It somewhat made her feel weird and uneasy seeing him like this.
Yes, he looked...extremely good but it wasn't him. He looked like a whole new person. Marinette supposed that was the whole point of this though. If Adrien can look the part (and pulled it off very well), he can play it too.
"Hello, Adrien. Why don't you come in?" Sabine welcomed the boy in.
"Sorry, I was so late. It was a weird trip here. For some reason, people kept stopping to take a picture with me and wanted my autograph. I had to take a...longer route to avoid...people..." Adrien trailed off once his eyes landed on Marinette.
Adrien has never seen Marinette dressed up so nicely before. She wasn't usually at any fun occasions at school where people dressed up like the school dance.
Although, the blonde was aware that Marinette had never been to a school dance before. The one coming up will be her first one...and there was a chance she may not get to go. Adrien wouldn't let that happen though!
"Thank the stars you arrived here just in time," Marinette said, relieved. Adrien didn't say anything. He was a bit slack-jawed, brain malfunctioning from the beautiful girl in front of him.
Sabine and Tom gave each other knowing looks. Marinette simply raised an eyebrow as she approached Adrien until standing in front of him.
"Are you alright, Mister Agreste? Are you experiencing some form of shock?" Marinette asked, worried. She had no idea how he ended up in shock but it sent her into a spiral of fear.
"I...dum...pretty—wait!" Adrien paused, trying to regain some kind of control back. He took a deep breath in and out to get his blood flowing to his brain.
"I dum pretty?" Marinette spoke under her breath in confusion. It was worse than she thought.
"Mister Agreste, are you feeling alright?" Marinette asked, placing her hand on his forehead. The reaction to her touch only made his face grow a shade darker of red.
"Y-Yes, all good!" he assured, gently moving her hand away, "It's just...um...nerves!"
Marinette smiled softly with a bitter taste in her mouth, "I as well. It is going to be a very difficult week but I am most grateful for your help. Thank you."
Adrien returned the smile with a dopey one, "It's no problem, Marinette. Even if I'm nervous, I don't regret my decision and do it all over again if I had to."
Marinette felt a spike of warmth shoot through her chest and change her cheeks into a pretty shade of pink. Adrien had become truly remarkable.
"While I'd hate to break up your adorable moment," Tom stepped in, "the Chengs are here."
Suddenly, Marinette felt an icy chill run through her entire body. She cleared her throat, fixed herself one last time, and made sure her posture was perfectly straight.
Adrien stood next to Marinette as he released a breath of air. It was now or never. He had drilled everything he managed to learn in his head and hoped it was enough. It had to be if they were going to pull this scheme off.
He placed on a different persona of a charming and eloquent young man. Much to his luck, he was pretty good at acting.
There was a knock on the door, making Marinette flinch. Adrien brushed her arm with his as a reassurance that he was there. Sabine opened the door, revealing two old folks.
The elder woman had her silver hair held back in a tight bun and stood at least a foot taller than her husband. She was very intimidating, eyes calculating and expression as solid as steel. The elder man looked like a grumpy bear about to lash out at the smallest thing.
"Hello, mother and father. Welcome to our humble abode," Sabine greeted with a bow, inviting them in. This was the second time Adrien had ever met Sabine but the way her voice sounded was so monotone that it didn't remotely sound like her at all. A whole new person.
"Daughter," Mrs. Cheng barely acknowledged Sabine. Her gaze scanned the apartment with disgust but didn't comment.
Adrien already didn't like these people. He wanted to glare at the two but had to keep up the facade.
Mr. and Mrs. Cheng entered the apartment. They walked past Tom as if he was nonexistent and approached the teenagers.
"Child, is this your suitor?" Mrs. Cheng questioned, analyzing Adrien as if trying to find the slightest flaw or blemish.
"Yes, madam," Marinette answered in the same colorless tone as Sabine did, "This is Mister Agre-"
"Silence," Mrs. Cheng cut off Marinette. Marinette immediately shut her mouth as her grandmother continued, "I did not ask for an introduction, merely a simple answer with which you have already accomplished. Also, fix your hairline. A strand is out of place."
Marinette did as she was told.
The blonde could see her soulless features etched on Marinette's face. The way her usually curious and chin-high stature had disappeared crushed Adrien. The ravenette kept her eyes low and lips thin. Her bright bluebell eyes were cloudy.
Adrien felt his eye twitch and set his jaw.
Oh, these jurassic bimbos were going to be a real thorn in his side.
He had to calm down. He could not break character even though he really wanted to beat the ever-living daylights out of this old lady.
Once Mrs. Cheng had completed her analysis, she gave a nod.
"Nicely done, child. He is acceptable but he still has to prove his worth. I will make sure our name is not tainted...again," Mrs. Cheng emphasized her last word, directed over at Sabine. Sabine winced.
"These people are terrible and that's saying a lot coming from me," Adrien thought. He glanced at Mr. Cheng, who kept silent this whole time. Adrien thought he was creepy.
If Adrien could think of one positive thing about Marinette's grandparents, it was that they were a match made in heaven.
A creepy, grumpy bear and the wicked witch of the north, east, south, and west.
"Suitor," Mrs. Cheng started.
"Oh boy, here we go. What does Mother Gothel want from me?" Adrien thought.
He bowed out of respect but if he were being honest, the most respect he wants to give this hag was a punch in the face.
"Madam," the blonde greeted, "I am delighted to finally meet you and Mr. Cheng. I have heard many great things about you both. It is an honor to be in your presence."
"Man, didn't think I'd be spewing so much bull crap today," he thought with a suave smile.
"Indeed," Mrs. Cheng agreed, satisfied with Adrien's response. Mrs. Cheng turned to Sabine, "Daughter, would you kindly show us to our room?"
"Oh course, mother," Sabine consented, gesturing for three men in the hall into the apartment. The Chengs and the men with the Cheng's luggage followed Sabine down a hall.
The heavy and tense air loosened only slightly. A breath of fresh air swooped across the three remaining people at the door.
"Yep, I hate them," Adrien declared with a blunt tone, earning an elbow in the ribs from his best friend. Marinette gave him the coldest look he had ever seen. Right, this was not the time for jokes, especially when the expired raisins were still in the facility. They could be around the corner any minute-
"Child," Mrs. Cheng appeared from the hallway. Tom and the teens nearly jumped out of their skins.
"Yes, madam?" Marinette asked as Mrs. Cheng approached.
"Have you been keeping up with your studies?" she asked.
"Yes, madam," Marinette lied, having answered a little too quickly. This earned a narrowed-eyed stare from Mrs. Cheng. She hummed but did suspect something was afoot.
"Then, you shall prove to me on Wednesday that you have kept up with your studies," Mrs. Cheng declared, "We shall go over everything. It will take all day so be prepared."
Adrien bit down on his tongue to not argue and did his best to keep from seething. He wanted to yell at her.
"Are you kidding me?! That's her birthday!" Adrien shouted in his head. He was so ticked off!
"Yes, madam," Marinette robotically agreed like a broken record. Mrs. Cheng returned to the hall.
"I may not be able to flip one with my actual fingers but she'll never know that I'm doing it in my head," the blonde thought, death-glaring the spot Mrs. Cheng had stood.
Later that evening, they all sat down to eat dinner. Sabine had cooked a traditional Chinese meal. Adrien looked at the noodles, dumplings, and duck. He made a face for a split moment while adjusting his chopsticks.
"I think I'd rather have pizza or a cheeseburger," he thought.
"Thank you for the meal, mother. It looks delectable," Marinette complimented, earning a nod from Sabine. Adrien could tell Sabine appreciated it by the twinkle in her gray eyes.
"Do not mix such claims with only a suitable meal and a perfect meal," Mrs. Cheng corrected.
Adrien nearly snapped one of the chopsticks.
"Of course, you are right. It was foolish of me," Marinette replied, bowing her head.
Adrien secretly brushed his foot with Marinette's, which she leaned her own with his touch. She sought out the comfort, gratefully soaking it in. The two discreetly kept their feet pressed together under the table as they ate. They felt slightly better with the simple contact.
"These seats are not only distasteful but very uncomfortable," Mrs Cheng commented.
"I apologize, mother," Sabine said, holding back a growl, "We are unable to afford better ones."
"You would have had no troubles with affording better ones if you had stayed and betrothed the correct man. Honestly, daughter. I could have introduced you to the son of the Wan family but you had to to unruly and run off with a peasant.
"It is too late now. Mr. Wan is married and has a heir—the one I would have arranged for Marinette to marry. Although, even if Mr. Wan were not taken, you have already shamed our family name and left your own daughter to clean up your mess. Disgraceful."
Adrien, Marientte and Tom froze. Mr. Cheng continued to eat as if this was a daily occurrence.
"Mother," Sabine seethed through gritted teeth, holding in her boiling anger with all her might, "You are under my roof, sitting at my table. Do show respect and do not be rude when you are merely a guest."
The two Cheng woman stared each other down. The room grew tense, awaiting for something to happen. Adrien gulped, nervous that he was about to be in the middle of a live-action movie ninja-kung fu fight or something.
"Respect," Mrs. Cheng began after so long.
"Respect has to be earned. It is a privilege for those who deserve it. You had lost it and more when you decided to leave. It is all your fault and you should own up to your actions. But it does not surprise me with how much of a failure you are. You are lucky that I still acknowledge you because of your child."
Mrs. Cheng gestured toward Marinette, who kept her head low and played with her food.
"So, no. I had lost all respect for you the moment you left," Mrs. Cheng concluded. Sabine's shoulders sagged before readjusting to sit properly again. She had lost all her fight and kept her head low.
Adrien couldn't imagine what the rest of the week was going to look like. This was only day one! How were they going to survive another six days?
"Now," Mrs. Cheng spoke in a steely voice with warning, "You better show me the upmost respect from now on or there will be consequences."
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