It had happened 2 years ago. To the young man it felt like forever. Two years was two years he was missing out on time with his lady. HIS prized possession. It was almost a crime… only he was meant for her. No one understood this. Not his parents, his friends… certainly not his classmates who all painted him as crazy. He was the school loner. He sat alone every day in the back, barely passing his classes. His hoodie always pulled low over his eyes as he watched the world pass before him with a sneer upon his face. Dark gray eyes narrowing every time HE entered the room.

Adrien Agreste… the prized pupil of the school. The golden boy. The son and heir to one of the biggest fashion industries in the world. He made the young man sick every time he walked by, with his stupid perfect smile… and hair… he was just stupid. Everything about him made him want to puke all over his perfect shoes.

Aubin was a loner by heart. He had accepted his fate long ago. The world and him were always at odds, never making sense and somehow always finding ways to screw the young man. He was sure it had started when he was young. His parents divorced when he was seven. His mother up and left without a word, only a signed divorce decree on the dining table one fall morning. It didn't take long for his life to spiral out of control. Constant evictions, home to home; each one a little worse than the last. They were lucky if they had lights and heat, as his father drunk himself to a state he couldn't stay employed. Every day it was work, home, beer after beer after beer. The yelling… there was always yelling. Somehow it was his fault his mother left. He hadn't picked up his room. Didn't eat his dinner. Grades weren't good enough… it didn't matter. Every day it was a new fault to find and everyday it made his heart a little harder.

Years had past before the young mad had stumbled home to find police and rescue outside his home. Caution tape surrounded the door, neighbors outside with their phones up. He could remember it like it was yesterday. The officer coming over to grasp his shoulder… his mouth moving but somehow, words not reaching his ears. The way the two police officers stumbled down the steps, the gurney between them. The black body bag strapped down securely between them, zipped tight to hide the body from the publics view.

Aubin didn't need to question or reason. His father had finally done it.

He remembered reading later the neighbors reporting a gunshot to dispatch. A single gunshot. His father had drunken himself to a state of no return and had chosen to take his own life, rather than live another day and stay for his only child. He couldn't blame him though. Aubin often thought of joining his father, especially after what followed.

The courts stepped in, a young woman by the name of Lise was at his side within hours. Her brown hair was always pulled tight into a bun on her head, a clipboard always in her hand. She explained what was going to happen.

Aubin couldn't help but sneer at the memory. She allowed him into the home, giving him 5 minutes to throw together a duffle bag of items. Clothes, valuables… anything he could carry in a single bag. He didn't have allot but his clothes were tucked in, his pillow under his arm, before he grabbed the last item. A single photo of him and his mom when he was only two. The photo showed a different time when he was happy, the arms of a woman with dark hair and shinning eyes tightly around him. He was laughing as they played at the beach, his wet hair stuck to his scalp, his plump cheeks a rosy red color. She was wearing a large shirt with the font "best mom ever" that he'd made for her in school.

It was his most prized possession. In fact, that photo was probably the reason he was in the current situation now.

His first three foster homes were horrible… almost inhumane if someone cared to ask him. They were full of illegal drugs and activities, with cruel living conditions. He was nothing more than a paycheck to them and it showed. His sleeping arrangements were usually the floor or couch if he was lucky, which left little to no privacy at night. With the constant flow of traffic in and out of the home during odd hours, it wasn't long before he started to run away to find peace. He often found comfort in the park at night, or in a quiet alley under the moon. Cardboard served as his bed; stolen blankets were the only thing that kept away the cold night chill. But of course, with his luck, it wasn't long before the local police picked him up and took him back to the foster home.

Every time it was the same thing. He'd make a report, pleading for help. And every time they would pretend to act shocked and whisked him away from one bad situation to the next.

Aubin scoffed at the thought. He was nothing more than a number… a picture of a stack of papers of another poor child who fell in bad times. That was, until, he met the Bouchers. They were a quiet elderly couple, desperately seeking to follow "the good lords will" or whatever they talked about every Sunday. They looked perfect on the outside, with a beautiful home and quiet demeanor. They dressed him sharply, gave him his own bedroom, demanded perfection… they were probably the worse of them all.

In their delusion they insisted they were called from the church to "guide the path of the less fortunate" and he happened to meet their criteria of a "lost soul". Everything was done with intent to "purify his soul". Aubin could recall in horrible detail the amount of religious brainwashing they forced on him, from writing scripture quotes till his fingers bled, to sermons that they locked him in his room for to listen on repeat for hours. The one thing they had insisted was one of the best schools in Paris, which happened to be College Francoise Dupont. It was there he met the blue-eyed, raven-haired beauty.

She wasn't like the other kids… she wasn't like any of the other girls. She smiled at him every morning. She offered him baked good from her parents' bakery. She hugged him when he did good on a test, even if was a C. She offered to be his partner, or even into her group, when he was left out. She always left an empty seat at the table for him, even though he never ate in the lunch room.

He was always hesitant to befriend anyone, but was always grateful at how sweet she was to him. She never teased him, or made him feel less with a foster family. She treated him like a human. It wasn't until the school bully, Chloe, had managed to set her target on him, had he fallen in love with the beautiful young lady. The day made him smile and he could honestly say was one of the best moments of his life.

"What is this?!"

Aubin spun in the hallway, nervously clutching his bag to his shoulder at the shrill sound of a girl's sneering voice. His sites set on the young blonde who was just a few steps behind him. He paled when he saw what was in her hand.

"Chloe…" he stepped forward nervously, holding out his hand. "Please… please give it back." His voice was barely above a whisper as his picture… his only photo of his mom… was held precariously in the girls perfectly pedicured fingers. She held it away from her with two fingers, as though it was diseased.

"What kind of a gross image is this? That baby isn't even that cute." Chloe wrinkled up her nose, holding the photo above the school's trash bin. "This thing is disgusting to carry around… its all gross and yucky. And it smells."

Hyper aware of the crowd growing around them, Aubin stuffed his hands deep into his pockets, trying to remain as small as possible. "Please Chloe… that's my mom…"

"This is a ridiculous photo; it needs to be thrown away and a new photo taken." She sniffed, nose in the air. "Why would you even carry this ridiculous thing around anyway."

"Please just –"

"CHLOE!"

Aubin's gray eyes turned towards the loud voice that seemed to cut through Chloe's shrill voice, the crowd parting to let the petite girl through. Her bluebell eyes were blazing in irritation, fists clutched angrily at her sides. Behind her followed her three closest friends, Alya just a few steps behind. Nino and Adrien hung back several steps, knowing better than to get involved.

Marinette, no fear to her, stomped right up to Chloe, a finger aimed towards her face. "You are being absolutely cruel to Aubin! Give his photo back NOW!"

"Chloe that's not cool, even for you." Alya commented, hands at her hips. "We know you like the title of royal bitch, but you don't get a crown for this performance."

"Yea!" Aubin recognized Alix, another girl from their class, shout from the audience. "Not cool Chloe."

Chloe froze, a weird look on her face as her sharp blue eyes surveyed the growing crowd around her. After a few brief moments, she gathered herself and rolled her eyes, flicking the prized photo to the floor. It didn't take her long to realize the tables had turned. "Fine. Take your nasty photo. Not like its worth anything other than garbage." With a flick of her hair, she stalked away, the crowd quickly parting to let the school bully pass.

Marinette dove to the floor before anyone could move, quickly scooping up the small square picture. Raising back to her feet, Aubin caught the quick smile on her face as she looked at the photo in her hands.

"Was this your mom?"

Aubin nodded, fighting back the choking sound in his throat. "Yes."

"She was beautiful."

He couldn't believe it. Once of the most beautiful girls in school, with the kindest soul… had not only stood up to Chloe, but had talked to him. Literally had a conversation, no matter how small, with HIM. "Thank you…"

With a sweet smile, Marinette handed him back the picture. The crowd around them slowly started to wander off, kids anxious to leave school for the day. Aubin quickly folded the picture, shoving deep into his pockets. He shifted uncomfortably as the bluebell didn't move from her place in front of him.

"I'm sorry Chloe is like… that…" Marinette waved her hand in the direction the blonde had disappeared too. "She's a bitch sometimes and I'm sorry you had to deal with it."

He was shocked. "You don't need to apologize for her… what you did… what you did was enough." Aubin nodded firmly.

"Girl c'mon we got that project to work on." Alya flashed the young man a smile before grabbing her friend's wrist. "It was great to meet you Aubin."

"Bye!" Marinette shot him a friendly wave before heading towards the door with her friends.

Aubin watched the group run off, a weird feeling in his chest. The way Marinette had looked at him… the way her fingers brushed his when she handed the photo back. She wasn't scared of him. She wasn't repulsed by him in anyway. She treated him like a normal kid…

The feeling gripped him, leaving him breathless. What was going on… was this a crush? Love? Or just simple shock from the fact that a girl… a gorgeous girl at that… not only talked to him, but stood up for him. Aubin didn't understand what was happening but as the shock wore off, it left a pleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips for the first time in years. A real smile.

He was getting ready to turn around, to head to his locker when a shrill warning sound erupted from his phone. Within seconds the same warning sound filled the school halls of the remaining kids cell phones.

"AKUMA!" Someone shouted.

Screaming filled the hallways as kids bolted for shelter. Teachers ran from their classrooms, trying to gather what kids they could to usher them to safety. Aubin froze for a brief second before bolting for the doors. He had to get home.

The doors slapped the brick walls as they slammed open, Aubin darting out. People were running around him in blind panic, the ground shaking under his feet, buildings trembling. Worried mothers scooping up kids, random folks trying to usher people into stores, off the street. Screams and shouts filled the streets.

Aubin darted to the side alleyway, bracing himself on the side of the building. He looked around anxiously, trying to find where the monster was. He knew it wouldn't be long before Ladybug and Chat Noir showed up, and any damage would be fixed… but it was terrifying all the same.

"LOOK OUT!" He could hear a girl's voice scream at him moments before the building he was pressed against started to shake horribly. Glancing up, fear strangled his body as a large brick from the top was headed his way. He couldn't move. This was it. It would be over soon. Aubin closed his eyes.

"I got you!" A gasp tore from his throat as a slender arm wrapped around his waist, jerking him from his frozen spot mere seconds before the large brick hit the ground, bursting into thousands of shards. He was midair for a second before his feet touched the ground, the grip releasing.

"Are you okay?!"

There was that girls voice again. Why did it sound familiar?

Grey eyes met blue as Aubin forced his eyes open to view his savior. Familiar black spots hugged the skin tight red suit of the girl who saved him. Her hand was on his shoulder and she was yelling at him. What was she saying?

"Are you okay Aubin?"

Reality slapped him back into the present. "I… I…"

"You're in shock." Ladybug soothed; her blue eyes frantically searched his body for any injuries. "You're okay… go. Go get to shelter. This will be over soon."

He didn't have a chance to utter a thank you before the masked woman stood. He watched her speak into her yo-yo for a brief second before she throwing it at a building, quickly slinging away from the stunned teen. She was right. The fight couldn't have lasted more than a few more minutes before the cry of "Miraculous Ladybug!" filled the air and magical ladybugs occupied the streets of Paris, redoing thousands of dollars' worth of damage within seconds.

Standing up, Aubin brushed his pants as he surveyed the rooftops. He could see the slim figures of Chat Noir and Ladybug from the roof. They were laughing, giving each other their legendary "pound it" before darting off.

Relief took over his body for the second time that day. First Marinette than Ladybug? He had to thank her.

He watched the direction the red clad hero darted in, rushing in the same direction. He urged his legs to move quicker, hoping to catch her before she dropped her mask.

He wasn't supposed to see what happened next. He wasn't supposed to be there.

For a brief second, he thought he lost her before hearing a young girl's voice in a small alley. He rushed in the direction, ready to yell. He stopped quickly, peering around the brick corner, the words of gratitude on his lips.

"Tikki spots off."

No.

There was a flash of pink.

Standing before him was none other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

He threw himself back around the corner, out of site of the girl. His hands pressed urgently against the side of the building. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. Marinette… sweet kind Marinette from school was Ladybug!

His mind raced a million miles a minute. Should he introduce himself? Should he run and forget this ever happened. He couldn't breathe. No one could know. Marinette would be upset with him if she found out he knew. The thought of her knowing was like a knife to the stomach. No… she couldn't know. This would be his little secret that he would carry to his grave.

Aubin smiled at the memory. That was the day he fell in love with the blue-eyed beauty. Honestly, it was her fault he was like he was now. It was her fault all he could think about was her velvet soft skin, her vanilla scented shampoo… it was her fault he couldn't move on anymore. No. why would he? She was everything he ever wanted.

But of course, only a few people stood in his way. Aubin frowned at the thought… her best friend might have to go away too. The nosy reporter was constantly hovering around her, laughing obnoxiously at everything. Then there was Nino… he didn't have to worry too much about him. The DJ would cower at the first sign of a fight.

The real problem was going to be the sunshine boy. He sneered, bile rising in his throat at the mere thought of the star. For months, he'd watch Marinette fawn over him. The way she giggled like a school girl, the way her cheeks would pinken at his voice. He watched as her eyes would follow him everywhere, laugh at everything he said… the way her delicate fingers would reach out and touch his arm just so… the love sick look on her face every time he stepped in the classroom.

The real issue was the day he made he cry. The way she had overheard him talking to Nino and Kim about her being "just a friend" and to "lay off on the love jokes." It was the day he saw her light dim in her eyes and tears stream down her cheeks. He had watched her rush out of the classroom that day, choking down a muffled sob and then witnessed Alya walking over with a book, promptly smacking the teen star on the head with a satisfying thud… the way Adrien paled as he realized the damage he'd done to the young girls heart.

He wanted to end the golden boy right then and there. How dare he make the love of his life cry. How dare he not realize the sweet girl was not only a goddess… she was fucking Ladybug, hero of Paris. He should be groveling at her feet in worship. The whole class should. The fact Adrien rejected her made the boy sick.

But of course, in typical Marinette fashion, she had returned to school the next day. She smiled at Aubin, as normal, but he could see she had been crying. Her bloodshot eyes looked dim, no longer sparkling, her smile sad. His fist clenched at the mere memory…

"Marinette… are you okay?"

Aubin had gone to the bakery that afternoon at lunch, slightly shocked to see no one else was there to comfort his queen. He could hear her quiet sniffles from the back room and she came forward. Her cheeks were streaked in giant tears and she was shaking.

"Oh… hey Aubin." Her voice was quiet, sniffling.

"I overheard… I'm… I'm so sorry." He wanted to reach out and give her a hug.

"Its… It's fine." She rubbed the back of her wrist across her eyes. "I knew I didn't stand a chance but…"

"NO!" His loud voice made her jump a little. She looked at him, wide eyed. "He doesn't deserve you! You're so nice, and beautiful and –"

"You… you think I'm pretty?" She gave him a weird look, not sure how to respond.

Aubin nodded firmly. "You are by far the more stunning girl in class – wait… no. The school. No one holds a light to you."

Marinette giggled a little, making the boy smile. "Oh Aubin… I'm not but thank you."

He insisted. "You are… really… any… any guy would be lucky to have you."

The small laugh bubbled up in her throat. "Oh Aubin thank you so much… but sadly… I don't think half the guys see me that way but… it's nice to know I have a friend like you."

Friend.

No. That wouldn't do.

"I was thinking maybe… " He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe you and I could… I don't know… go grab a movie together."

"OH."

The way her voice squeaked made his stomach jump. "I just thought we could get to know each other better… see…."

"Marinette…"

Aubin could feel his face turn red, his fists clench at the voice that popped up behind him.

Adrien fucking Agreste.

The young model was standing a few feet back by the door, rubbing his hands together anxiously as he starred at Marinette. She ducked her eyes, avoiding him in total.

"Can… can we talk?" He whispered hoarsely.

Aubin snapped his head back to Marinette, waiting for her response. She refused to meet his gaze, staring intently at her socks. All she needed to do was give him the word and he'd drag that no good two timing-

"Yes."

What…?!

"Yes, Adrien we can talk." She looked up, staring at the model, tears in her eyes again. She was blinking rapidly, willing them away.

What the actual fuck

"Um sorry dude… do you… do you mind?" Adrien was now staring at Aubin, green eyes meeting grey. They seemed to stare each other down for a few seconds before Adrien took a step to the side, clearly hinting the young man should leave.

"You think I'm just going to walk out after what you did-" Aubin took a threatening step towards the blonde. Adrien eyeballed him, refusing to step back.

"Aubin you can go. I'm okay."

Marinette sounded so tiny, weak… she walked up to Aubin, shifting to the front. She met his eyes, breaking the stare down between the men. Reaching her hands around his neck, she pulled him down for a quick hug.

This was NOT how this was supposed to go

"Thank you for coming but… we need to talk." She whispered, reaching his face over to give his cheek a quick kiss.

Good lord she smelled like heaven

He leaned his face into her hair. His eyes closed as he breathed in her earthly scent.

"Ahem!" Adrien's cough broke the two apart.

Yep the boy was dead

Aubin stood up, brushing off his pants as he moved to the door. His eyes met Adrien's and they held the stare till his hand hit the door handle. Opening the door a crack, he turned back.

"About my proposal?"

Marinette blushed a deep red. "Aubin you're so sweet and thank you for coming to check on me but…" Her tone carried off. She didn't need to finish. He knew he'd been rejected.

"I just thought we could-"

"She said NO." Adrien stepped forward, green eyes flashing dangerously. Aubin wanted to laugh at his attempt of being threatening. "You can go now." His voice said that was the end of the conversation.

Fine… Aubin shut the bakery door behind him. She just needed time to get to know him. She was confused and upset… no didn't really mean no. She just had to take care of the fuck boy. Aubin nodded to himself. Yes that was it. She'd learn in time who she really loved… and who loved her.

With a final shake of his hands, the young teen finished mopping up the bloody mess on the floor of the kitchen. The bleach canister sat a few by the door, the house reeking of its chemical smell. The towel… he'd have to burn it. It was such a shame they couldn't die like they were supposed to. Quickly and quietly. But no, they had to fight back. He was shocked, for being as ancient as they were, they put up a fight.

Aubin stood, surveying the now clean floor before him. Yes. Yes, this would do just fine.

All that was left now was to drive the two barrels to La Seine tonight. With the quick dry cement, he'd put in with their fresh bodies, they'd sink and stay just fine. No one would find them.

Aubin smiled, sitting down in the kitchen to watch the clock. With the Bouchers out of the way, and at the legal age, no one would check on him anymore. He knew he was their last foster child. They had no family, no friends… their home was now his.

All he had to do now was wait.