When Shizuke first saw Adrien, he saw a scared lost boy. It's why he didn't hold it against the boy if his first instinct upon seeing him was to scratch, demand answers and struggle against his hold to the bitter end. Legendary hero or not, he's a fourteen-year-old stuck in a new place, at a different time, away from everyone he knew. Now he needs to adapt to a lifestyle different from his own. Shizuke was expecting the boy would need more help adjusting - on top of being from old pre-Miraculous-warzone Paris, Tikki told him he's super rich and super sheltered. It wouldn't have been surprising if he stumbled around like a newborn deer.
"Here are your flowers madame."
Adrien neatly tied the ribbon with a free card onto the basket of roses the old lady customer bought with a big bright smile. One can practically see sparkles, the wind blowing his hair just right, and hallucinate flowers blooming behind him. He's almost as photogenic as Blair!
"Thank you, young man," the old lady said, smiling back at Adrien.
"Would you be interested in some of our other products? We've got soaps and lotions that can help preserve your soft-looking skin."
The customer cooed at Adrien's words.
"Well, aren't you such a charmer! Okay, I'll buy the whole skin care set too. I'll take your word it'll keep me looking younger than my seventy years," the old lady picked the bundle and placed it on the counter for Adrien to ring in the register.
"Thank you so much, madame. But I could've sworn you were only sixty," Adrien packed her items into a bag and handed it over to her.
"Keep that up and I'm sure you'll be a ladies' man when you grow up," the old lady took the bag and left Adrien a tip.
"Please come again," Adrien told her as she left.
"Oh, I definitely will," the old lady said.
When Shizuke divided their tasks around the flower shop, he gave Adrien the easier job of manning the counter while Shizuke continued unpacking merchandise and taking care of flowers around the shop. With his looks and politeness, Shizuke thought Adrien couldn't possibly mess up too badly. He gave him a quick tutorial on how to use the cash register and a price list just in case. Even so, Shizuke was prepared to maximize his patience and catch the boy if need be.
But instead, Adrien proved to be a quick study and was thriving! Even more amazing was how he got customers to buy more than they usually would. In addition to flowers, this shop also sells an assortment of natural products. Soaps, colognes, incense, candles, tea bags - if flowers are a main ingredient, Grandma sells it. Can't let a single flower go to waste as she would say. The way Adrien promoted those products to yet another customer…
"… It's like watching a commercial but in person," Shizuke muttered from the side, observing Adrien as he convinced the customer to buy some scented candles through his charms.
"Well, he is a professional model and actor after all," Tikki helpfully supplied.
"Uh huh…" Shizuke nodded thoughtlessly until Tikki's words sunk in. "Wait, seriously?!"
"He's the son of Gabriel Agreste. As in, the biggest fashion brand in Paris in the early 2010's. That is until… you know," Tikki uncomfortably said.
Shizuke's mind filled in the blanks. Gabriel Agreste. Their generation's evil butterfly holder. So that's what felt off whenever Shizuke heard his full name! This whole time, Shizuke could've sworn this Chat Noir's full name was Adrien Dupain-Cheng. He just didn't say anything because his grandmother should know better than him what Adrien's surname was. Shizuke wasn't mistaken after all!
Up until now, all he knew about Adrien referred to his time as Chat Noir: partner and spouse of Ladybug, savior of Paris and eventually the world. It's thanks to their reputation that more people were quicker to trust him and Blair when they took up their mantles no matter how hard the current Hawkmoth tried to paint them as the bad guys. Other than the common knowledge stuff history taught about Chat Noir, Shizuke doesn't know about the boy behind the mask. Heck, it was only within this month that he learned his real name - well, married name anyway. What's the male equivalent of a maiden name? Whatever it is, he didn't know it was Agreste… Or everything else the name came with… That's… That's…
"Don't tell him," Tikki preemptively said.
It might not save the boy from the upcoming fallout, but a warning could've at least helped him be better prepared sooner. It's a bitter pill to swallow. But if this is the path that would secure a happier future for him…
"I won't."
Duty over feelings.
0-0-0-0-0
To find that there are people who cling on to antiques in this time was a relief to Adrien. The cash register is an old thing even by his time's standards. It was simple enough to use even with the few tweaks in it. The whole shop has this cottage core vibe with all the woods and metalwork holding up the merchandise. It's like something out of a Disney Princess movie.
The people were nice so far. Shizuke mostly hopped around the shop taking care of plants, moving boxes and re-stocking shelves. As busy as he is, he made time to check on him. Master Hisui was in the back, either making flower arrangements or making more of their flower products. She hasn't shown up much, but it's nice she left her door open in case Adrien needs help with something. The customers were all friendly to him… and it had nothing to do with his name.
Here, he's just Adrien. Not an Agreste.
The guardian explicitly told him to never reveal his full name to anyone out of the loop. When he asked her why, she told him his name was still famous and too recognizable. Really, huh? Kids get named after celebrities all the time. Adrien feels there's more to it than that, but opts not to press.
The bell atop the shop door rang as a tall brunet haired boy in orange plaid and a petite pink haired punk girl came into the shop. The contrasting duo scanned the shop until their eyes landed on Shizuke. The tall brunet practically pounced on Shizuke.
"Shizuuuuuu!" the boy squee'd - it's the only way Adrien could describe the sound he's making.
The petite girl simply waltzed in, pulled down her headphones and punched Shizuke in the arm.
"Yo, Shizu! How was the move?" the girl asked.
Adrien leaned over the counter as he watched the three. Shizuke reassured the two he had no problem moving in. They caught up with each other for a bit with excitable squeals from the brunet and playful shoving from the pink haired girl. It was clear the three were close.
"I see you have a new hire! He's cute," said the tall brunet, staring at Adrien appreciatively.
"Yeah, what's the special occasion?" the short punk girl asked with a brow raised.
"There's no occasion. He's only here for a little while," Shizuke stiffly said.
"It's unusual your grandma would keep new people for longer than a day. What makes him special?" the girl asked.
"Uh… It's hard to explain…" Shizuke was blatantly avoiding eye contact.
"Is he a family friend?" the boy asked.
"Uh, yes…?"
Shizuke was looking more and more purple as his friends prodded him. He's not a very good liar, isn't he?
"Hi!"
Adrien greeted loudly to redirect attention to himself.
"I'm Adrien, my parents are friends with his grandmother. I came to work here to save up for a phone since I broke my old one and my parents refused to buy me another," Adrien pouted like a spoiled child who didn't get his way. "It's to build character and learn to be more responsible with money, they said."
Fingers crossed; he hopes his lie doesn't sound improbable by this era's standards. The duo stared at him for a bit until the brunet reached over the counter to pat him on the shoulder consolingly.
"That's rough, buddy," the happy touchy feely boy said. "I can't imagine how hard it is to go on without a phone for a day, let alone for how long it would take to save up for one."
"Strict parents, huh? We feel that," the more reserved girl nodded sagely.
Adrien chuckled nervously. "Don't get me started."
No, seriously. Please don't get him started. Adrien's gonna have to make more stuff up if they keep asking about his family and he'd rather not lie any more than necessary.
"I'm Keagan Gerald Aurelio-Ashworth, by the way," the boy took Adrien's hand into an enthusiastic handshake. "But my friends call me Kaji."
"Fiona Kuznetsov. Fuyu for short," the girl introduced herself coolly.
0-0-0-0-0
The two hung around for the rest of the morning as the customer traffic died down. Shizuke looked on nervously behind them, redirecting the topic whenever Kaji goes on about his latest history research. Adrien learned a lot of how the future's current events from them. For one thing, Kaji bought the Ladyblog's domain and is the one currently running it. This generation's cat personally dubbed him, Monsieur Ladyblogger.
"You're a huge fan of the superheroes?" Adrien prompted.
"Who isn't?"
Fuyu raised her hand and tried to contradict him. "There's-"
Kaji flopped over her, wrapping his arms over her shoulder and covering her mouth. Fuyu was surprisingly holding his weight well for a girl over a head shorter than him.
"No one, that's who!" Kaji finished his sentence for her.
"Get off me, you overgrown twig!" Fuyu complained, getting a little pinkish in Kaji's arms.
Adrien laughed at their inelegant struggling.
"Could you tell me more about the heroes?"
When they asked him why he doesn't know about the heroes, Adrien told them he's not from around here. He's from France - his country still exists, doesn't it? He and his parents are only here to visit relatives for a week. Adrien mentally notes to himself to keep track of his lies. They really should've fleshed out his cover story for Shizuke's curious friends.
With that set aside, the two went on a roll telling him stories of this generation's Ladybug. Shizuke remained quiet at the side, getting flustered whenever his friends complimented his masked alter ego. He personally saved them a lot, so his friends in turn became his biggest fans.
Adrien thought of Alya. Though they're not close, it always made him happy to hear her admire him and his Lady. Mostly his Lady, not that he blames her. The two of them could sing a duet of how amazing his Lady is all day if given the chance.
Back in the present, Kaji and Fuyu are still talking about Ladybug, with Kaji significantly more enthusiastic than Fuyu. Is it just Adrien, or the longer Kaji talks about Ladybug, the more put out Fuyu seems? Is she jealous? It kinda reminds him of Nino.
His mood sunk when he thought of the last time Nino talked about Chat Noir - all bitter and jealous thinking there's something going on between Alya and Chat Noir. Amidst his venting, he revealed to him how Ladybug let him and Alya know each other's identity. Adrien wants to believe there's more to the story than that - that his Lady wouldn't break her own rules for no good reason. Before he could think more about it, Nino got akumatized and - no. Don't think about it. It was all a misunderstanding. That's not how he truly felt about Chat Noir. He doesn't truly hate him. He hasn't even talked about Chat Noir since… Sigh. It's best not to think any more of this.
Adrien looks over at Shizuke, who also noticed his other friend's sinking mood. Adrien decided to take a shot and ask about Chat Noire, praying Fuyu's not jealous of the other hero too.
This opened another box for Adrien: LadyNoire. A century and a half can pass, the continents can shift, but LadyNoire shippers will continue to exist.
"It's true love, I tell you!" Kaji cried, to the mortification of an increasingly flustered Shizuke.
"T-they're not like that!" Shizuke flailed, trying to no avail to swipe away Kaji's phone.
Kaji showed him a video reel of how this Ladybug and Chat Noire are like together. Huh. Adrien didn't know why he was expecting a dynamic closer to his and Ladybug's, but it should've been obvious considering how different Shizuke is from his Lady.
This generation's Chat Noire is quite the show off. Sure, Adrien does tend to go ham as Chat Noir too, but boy is she flashy about it. Almost arrogant. She also cracks jokes and witty one-liners in the middle of a fight. Lucky Charm is still mostly handled by this bug and he's the one who puts an end to the fight.
That's where their similarities end.
This cat is the one taking the lead. She's the brains and her bug is the brawns. Whenever an akuma swats her off, her bug is there to catch her. While the bug prefers to get up close and personal with the akumas, the cat makes sure no one gets in his way. The bug stands firm at the center of the fight, loud and forceful with his takedowns. The cat weaves in and out of the fray, reshaping the field to their advantage.
It's like seeing pieces of a puzzle fit in a different way from how they're usually put together. Same elements, but different execution.
"Et tu, Shizu!" Kaji cried dramatically with his hands to his chest like he's been stabbed. "You used to be the shadow lord captain of the glorious LadyNoire ship!"
"Sh-shut up! I've seen the light! THEY ARE JUST GOOD FRIENDS!" Shizuke pushed the last word through gritted teeth, like it personally pained him to say it.
As the two boys continued to squabble around, Adrien turned to Fuyu and asked her what that was about.
"Shizuke used to ship LadyNoire. Once upon a time, he had this huge celebrity crush on Chat Noire. He was probably projecting onto Ladybug. He seems to have gotten over it for the most part."
"Oh… That explains a lot," Adrien glumly said.
Over it, huh? It may not be him and his Lady, but it's still sad to see a version of LadyNoire sink. It was over before it got a chance…
"He hardly talks about LadyNoire anymore, now that he's crushing on Blair."
"FUYU!" Shizuke yelled with his cracking voice, his face going red to the ears.
Blair? As in Chat Noire's civilian name? Who this bug knows is the same person? Adrien couldn't help the huge grin on his face. What are the odds this bug fell for the same girl twice? That's so romantic! This Blair girl is definitely living Adrien's dream!
"When are you gonna ask her out?" Kaji asked.
"Not a chance! She's way out of my league," Shizuke shook his head and made an 'X' with his arms.
"Pretty sure she likes you back," Fuyu said.
It's mutual? This is getting better and better for Adrien! He's now invested in seeing this LadyNoire ship sail.
"You've got a better chance than all her fan boys put together!" Kaji said.
"Fan boys?" Adrien asked.
"Blair's a popular model, not that she cares about those randos," Fuyu shrugged.
"I'll show you her picture, but please don't develop a crush on her. You're too pretty and I don't want you competing with my bro."
Kaji squinted his eyes at Adrien as he handed him his phone once again. Is he trying to be threatening? It's like having a puppy growl at him for stepping on his toy.
"Don't worry, there's a girl back at home who holds my heart. I'm not giving it to anyone else over a picture," Adrien reassured with a smile and a hand to his heart.
Adrien covered up the gagging noises Plagg was making from under the counter with a cough. He flipped through the pictures of Blair in Kaji's phone - mostly group shots, with a few selfies here and there.
She's easy to pick out in the group. A striking beauty with long crimson hair, emerald green eyes and a mischievous smirk. Adrien's trained eyes can tell she's a skilled model with the way she made herself look great in every picture. She knew her best angles and posed appropriately. In most of the group shots, when she's not standing next to this red-haired boy who looked like a male version of her, she's hanging around a very flustered Shizuke. She's always got this soft smile on her face whenever she's looking at Shizuke. A far cry from the smirk she puts on everywhere else, be it as Blair or Chat Noire.
Before Adrien could ask more about her, a loud toll of a bell sounded twelve times. It's noon. Shizuke ushered them out of the shop.
"You guys have remedial classes to attend to! Don't miss any more schoolwork!"
"It's so unfair you don't have to deal with remedials," Kaji pouted on his way out the door.
"This is what you get for not taking those extra credit activities with me like I told you to," Shizuke nagged.
"Sorry, mom," Fuyu snarked, earning a flick on her forehead from Shizuke.
Fuyu glared at Shizuke, who glared back. There's no real bite behind it. It reminds Adrien of all those times Alix and Kim's bickering went overboard and Nino had to explain to him how it's different from an actual fight, no need to worry.
"Akumas aren't gonna interview themselves!" Kaji huffed.
Fuyu turned her glare towards Kaji. "I swear, Aurelio-Ashworth…"
"Oh! Adrien, we should totally hang out some time! I'd love to show you around Helios when you're free," Kaji said.
Adrien froze. He's not supposed to go out too much, isn't he? Don't interact with people more than necessary…
"It'll be a waste if he's stuck here and he can't enjoy the sights," Shizuke said before turning to Adrien. "What do you say? Are you up for it?"
"… I could go…? Really?" Adrien had to ask.
"I'm sure Grandma and your parents wouldn't mind as long as I go with you," Shizuke shrugged, trying to look casual but still a little stiff. "Do you want to go?"
Then it sunk in. Even though Shizuke is meant to chaperone Adrien, it didn't mean he had to be trapped in one place and do everything he's told to do. They've always asked for his input first. He actually has a choice with some things. When Master Hisui first told him how things were going to go, he was expecting restrictions similar to what he had to deal with back at home.
Adrien is once again reminded this isn't his home. Here, he could be a normal teenager, if only for a few days with a few rules to follow. Things could be different and he shouldn't waste this chance.
"Sure thing. Sounds like fun," Adrien said, lips slowly curling up to a smile the more it sunk in.
"We'll call you when we're free! Now go back to school!" Shizuke shooed them off.
After saying their goodbyes, Shizuke shut the door as his friends bickered away, muffling their voices. He leaned against the door as he slumped down onto the floor. Exhausted, he ran his hands over his face. Tikki popped up from his pocket, whispering something to him that relaxed him. Adrien picked out muffled phrases like "you did well", "they don't suspect a thing" and "you didn't slip up".
Adrien went to offer Shizuke a helping hand up, which the older boy accepted. As much as Adrien wanted to ask what's got him all stressed out, he decided to give him a break. He asked about lunch and Shizuke was more than happy to focus on food instead. They closed up shop and went upstairs to the apartment.
0-0-0-0-0
"You're telling me that Kaji's family owns this place?!"
Adrien nearly dropped his empty plate. He remembered seeing a sign on the way into this theme park. 'Aurelio Land'. Kaji's surname is Aurelio-Ashworth.
"Yes. It's thanks to them my grandmother and I have a place to stay," Shizuke took the plate off Adrien's lose grip. "His mother is from old money and his father is the mayor."
"Wow. I never would've guessed…" Adrien said in wonder.
It's why he didn't connect the dots sooner. Adrien's met his fair share of rich kids. They could be poised, elegant and disciplined like Kagami Tsurugi. Or spoiled rotten and demanding like Chloe Bourgeois. There are some people who fall in between like the sweet Zoe Lee or his shifty cousin, Felix Fathom, both of whom still carry themselves in a composed sort of way. One can tell they came from money and the expectations that go with it.
And then there's Kaji. He's closer to Alya or Kim in terms of behavior. A peppy happy-go-lucky dude one could meet randomly on the streets.
"I know, right?" Shizuke snorted as he filled the sink with water. "He's a little spoiled, but far from a snob. He… He never once looked down at me for being a poor immigrant. I wish he'd take his studies a little more seriously, though."
"His parents must give him a lot of freedom to do as he pleases, huh?"
If Adrien were to do bad enough in school to need to take remedial classes, his father would've pulled him back into homeschool. Yet there's Kaji, still as carefree as ever.
"… Yes they do. They're nice generous folks once you get past their intimidating reputations."
The silence was filled with Shizuke's vigorous scrubbing of the dishes. Adrien busied himself by drying them as they come.
"Miraculous! Simply the best! Up to the test when things go wrong!~"
Shizuke dropped the utensils he was cleaning into the basin with a splash and hopped over to where he left his phone.
"What's going on?" Adrien asked.
"Akuma alert," Shizuke opened his Ladyblog app and played a video.
They were greeted with Kaji's manic smile as he cheerfully narrates what's going on. It's impressive how he casually dodges the akuma's attacks without looking. Fuyu can be heard yelling at him to get away from the akuma off screen. Dread filled the pit of Adrien's stomach. His new friends - or rather, friendly acquaintances - are in danger!
"Urgh… why did those two have to skip remedials for this?!"
Adrien gave Shizuke an unimpressed look.
"Someone's got their priorities straight."
Shizuke turned his head to Adrien so fast, he almost gave himself a whiplash.
"Adrien, you stay here and watch the store! I'll save them! Tikki, spots on!"
Shizuke transformed then and there, his clothes replaced with a red padded suit with black spots. He took his yoyo out of his belt holster and swung out the fire exit.
"Come on, Plagg! We gotta go after him," Adrien said, calling for his kwami who was currently hiding.
"He told you to stay put, kid."
Plagg whined when Adrien found him behind a cookie jar.
"Why do we have to go?"
Adrien thought back to what he knows about this bug. He's as transparent as he could be to his partner. He learned how to bake for his kwami. He's a diligent and attentive coworker. He's like a mother hen to his friends. Most of all…
"He's doing his best to keep things together without his cat."
Seeing this other Ladybug and Chat Noire duo in action through Kaji's videos brought him back to the days when it was just him and his Lady against the world. While he's sure his Lady can do fine without him, he's not too sure if this jittery bug is as used to handling things without his cat.
"She's not here, but we are."
Plagg didn't look convinced.
"From what he said yesterday, his enemies might be dangerous," Plagg warned.
"That's all the more reason why we should go help him. It's the least we could do. He needs us!"
The people here treated him kindly when he was lost and had nothing. They'll never meet again once the week is over. Adrien decided he should pay them back while he could.
"But the guardian-"
"Is taking an afternoon cat nap. Besides, her first order was for me to not go anywhere without a chaperone," Adrien grinned like he thought of something clever.
Plagg matched his grin. Part of it is him being happy his kitten felt empowered enough to make choices like this on his own. Another part is just Plagg's bad habit of wanting to mess with a guardian. Old habits die hard, even if this one appears to be nice.
"And your chaperone jumped out the window."
"Exactly. We should follow our chaperone. Guardian's orders."
Adrien poised himself by the fire exit, feeling a thrill he hadn't felt since he the day he first transformed and left the house without his father's permission.
"Plagg, claws out!"
0-0-0-0-0
The Ladyblog
The very first site that documented the adventures of Ladybug and Chat Noir. The domain was preserved as a digital archive and the name came at a steep price to buy off – the Ladyblog itself is considered a piece of history. One of France's most priceless artifacts. The reveal that the person who made the site, Alya Cesaire, was also Rena Rouge further increased the site's value and credibility, much to the fox heroine's pride and mortification. Both her extensive Miraculous related research and her cringiest crack theories have been immortalized.
Over a hundred and fifty years later, a different set of Miraculous wielding heroes appeared. There's finally a clause to open it up once again, and a certain teenager pounced on the chance. With bullheaded determination and his father's stolen credit card, he now owns the domain.
Keagan is not allowed to overwrite anything on the original blog itself, but he is allowed to use the name and run its spiritual successor. The blog now comes with an app. In addition to interviews, theories, news reports, and alerts, helping coordinate people as they evacuate the premises of an akuma attack is its main use. Too bad the Ladyblogger himself never practices what he preaches.
