#not a reader insert

“Good morning, father,” Adrien said, and his father looked up from his laptop for a split second, grunting an acknowledgement, before going back to whatever he was working on.

Ignoring the sting, Adrien picked up his utensils, slicing into the pancakes on his plate.

“As you know, Adrien,” Gabriel Agreste said, “I’m hosting a charity gala tonight.”

Adrien nodded, placing the slice of food into his mouth. He knew where this was going. He was already dreading having to get dressed up, swarmed with stylists as he was fitted with a suit, airbrushed and tailored to perfection. He tried not to let his dread show on his face.

“Yes, father, I know.”

“Good,” Gabriel said, eyes still fixed on his computer screen, “I expect you to make an appearance.”

Adrien bit back his protest. “Yes, father, I know that, too.”

This was normal. He usually had to make appearances at these sorts of things, dressed to the nines in the brand’s best menswear. And sometimes, if he was really unlucky, he had to bring along a date. Usually, it was some daughter of whatever designer his father was working with at the time. That was a mixed bag. Sometimes, the girls didn’t want to be there just as much as Adrien, and the two of them made a mutual, pleasant agreement to avoid each other for the night. Sometimes, they got along, and became friends. And sometimes, if Adrien was really unlucky, they got handsy. What was lucky, however, was the Gorilla taking one look and prying whatever girl tried to shove her hand up the front of Adrien’s shirt off of him and tossing her out on her ass. Even if she was sneaky, all it took was a single frightened glance at the bodyguard and there would be absolutely no more of that.

Adrien didn’t mind parties. He enjoyed talking with designers, and other celebrities that made appearances at these things, and many of the guests had known him since he was a young child. But he did mind when his father picked a date for him. He’d much rather take Nino and hang out, eating fancy hors d’oeuvres and just being regular sixteen year olds.

“Can I bring any guests?” Adrien asked, hopeful, but not expecting a yes.

“You are to bring a date.”

Ah. There it is.

Adrien’s shoulders slumped. “Do I get to choose this time?”

If Adrien did have a choice, and if it was a perfect world, he’d bring Ladybug. Just the thought of her, dressed to the nines, was enough to make his heart do backflips in his chest. Hell, just the thought of her had that effect. But, this wasn’t a perfect world, and Ladybug had a more important job than being his date to a silly gala. But, he could always take Marinette. His fondness for her ran bone deep, and her nervous smile and pretty, melodic laughter warmed his heart. It gladdened him that they’d been growing closer, and he enjoyed her company. She, the creative and bright baker’s daughter, was one of his very first friends, and he treasured that more than anything he had, treasured her.

“I already have a date selected for you.”

Adrien ignored the frustration bubbling up inside of him, pushing it down with as much force as he could, instead opting to nod passively, the only hint of his annoyance in the tightness of his polite smile.

“What’s her name?” He asked, reaching for his glass of orange juice, taking a drink.

“You may already know her, she’s one of your classmates. Lila Rossi.”

Adrien almost spat out his juice.

He sputtered inelegantly, forcing himself to swallow, but the juice got caught in his windpipe, making him cough roundly. He could feel Nathalie patting him on the back, offering him the glass for another sip, which he took, gulping down another mouthful of liquid.

His voice sounded strained when he spoke. “Lila?!”

Gabriel looked surprised at his son’s outburst, the lack of his usually impassive expression reflecting this. “Why, yes. She’s a good influence, and since you already know her, you’ll get along quite well.”

Adrien was incredulous. “Father, she lies— about everything.”

“Adrien, honestly. It is very unkind to say such things about your friends. You will be taking Miss Rossi to the gala, and that is final. I have already informed her mother, and Signora Rossi agreed. I will hear nothing more about it.”

Adrien wanted to say that he and Lila weren’t as close as his father thought, and that he’d appreciate it if he didn’t just set up dates without his say, but he also had enough sense to know that argument wouldn’t make a dent in his father’s decision. Adrien didn’t like liars, and he didn’t like how Lila treated people, but if his father said it was happening, it was happening.

As much as all of this irritated him, and as much as he thought that Lila might be involved with this decision, Adrien wasn’t going to do anything. There wasn’t anything he could do. He’d just have to endure her, glued to his side all night, lying about everything under the sun as she giggled and smiled and charmed everyone like a siren, worming her way into Adrien’s life even further.

Oh God, he was going to die tonight.

Without much more chatter, and a frosty silence, Adrien finished his breakfast and retreated to his bedroom to gather his school supplies. Tonight was going to be exhausting.

“Adrien!”

There she was, the second Adrien was stepping out of the car, running towards him with a bright, wide smile. She had obviously dolled herself up, dressing in a pair of white skinny jeans, paired with a pretty orange blouse with long sleeves, tied at the throat with an elegant bow. On her feet were a pair of soft brown ankle boots with a slight heel.

Adrien sighed, plastering on his best friendly smile, waving at her.

“Good morning, Lila.”

He tried to walk past her, searching the throngs of students entering the school for someone, anyone he knew, even an acquaintance, but there was nobody. Nothing at all this morning was going Adrien’s way. He took a deep breath in, walking on, and not pausing even when he heard the clack of Lila’s heels on the pavement as she tried to follow him.

She eventually caught up, grabbing onto his arm, forcing Adrien to give her his attention. He tried his best to give her a smile, and she smiled back, bouncing on her heels.

“Aren’t you excited for tonight?” She gushed, “it’s so awesome of your dad to ask me to be your date, do you think I’ll be able to wear a Gabriel Original to the gala? Have I ever told you about the time I exposed a store selling fakes? The real designers were kind enough to send me some originals because they were just so grateful.”

Okay, so Adrien was half right. He had no idea why his father had decided this, but he hardly had any idea why he did anything, even if predicting his changes in moods was like sixth sense to Adrien. It was hardly any use arguing with a brick wall, though, and that was something Adrien discovered long ago.

“That was kind of them,” Adrien said simply, not believing a word she’d just said, “and sure, tonight will be fun. I must warn you, though, these parties are kind of stuffy. I wouldn’t blame you for backing out.”

Lila scoffed, waving him off with a smile. “Of course I won’t back out, silly, and miss the chance to spend time with some of the biggest names in fashion? And most importantly, you.”

Adrien didn’t like the way she was looking at him, like he was a prime cut on display, or how close she was to him. He swallowed thickly, extracting himself from her grip.

“W-well,” he said, looking at an invisible watch, “we’re gonna be late to class.”

That was nowhere near true, but unlike Lila’s lies, a little white one like that was hardly anything to talk about, especially to get himself out of an uncomfortable situation.

Adrien took a deep, cleansing breath as he entered the courtyard, but he nearly toppled over when he bumped straight into Marinette.

She yelped in surprise, toppling over in a heap, peering up at him through tangled limbs. Her eyes went wide, a luminescent blush spreading across her cheeks as she scrambled to sit on her knees, rapidly straightening her clothing.

“Adrien!” She cried, “I’m sorry so— I mean I’m so sorry, I—”

Adrien chuckled, leaning down to pick up her dropped backpack, passing it back to her and offering a hand to help her up.

“My fault,” he said, “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you okay?”

Marinette’s expression was a little dreamy as she took his hand. “Now that you’re here— I mean— I— I’m fine.”

Adrien chuckled awkwardly, endeared by her, helping her to her feet.

She was dressed warmly, for the changing fall weather, in a blue sweater dress that brought out the vibrant cerulean of her eyes, fitted snugly at her narrow waist with bishop style sleeves, cinched tight at her slender wrists. On closer inspection, he noticed that there were little white ribbons, hand stitched at the collar of the dress. It was unique enough in its design enough that Adrien knew she herself designed it. It was paired tastefully with white leggings and pretty blue and white flats that matched her dress.

As always, she looked perfectly adorable. Adrien felt his heart warm at the sight of her. She looked nice like this, he noted, not that she ever didn’t look nice. Her hair was in twin braids instead of pigtails, fastened with little white ribbons. She was the picture of softness and beauty, and Adrien felt himself smiling, his heart fluttering in his chest.

A guy can platonically admire his friend, right?

…Right?

“You look pretty today,” he said, before he could stop himself, and he watched her face get so red he was afraid she’d combust, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Good going, Adrien.

“Y-you look pretty— pretty today,” she replied, as if on autopilot, “I mean, handsome— u-unless you wanna be pretty, you can be… pretty.”

Adrien smiled. “Thanks.”

A few, awkward beats of silence passed, and Adrien was about to excuse himself to go find Nino when she spoke.

“So,” she said, voice tight, “Lila.”

Adrian sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You heard that.”

Marinette panicked, shifting from foot to foot nervously. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to listen— I was just here, you know?”

Adrien waved her off. “No, no. Not your fault. It wasn’t a private conversation. And like you said, you just happened to be nearby. Also, just between you and me, I’d rather not be going with her, but it was my father’s idea.”

Marinette seemed puzzled by this. “Since when has your father even liked Lila?”

Adrien shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. They had some kind of chat, or something about something or other, but now she’s welcome in the house any time. I guess he started liking her after the whole Kagami incident. Or maybe it was after she charmed her way into the house to help me study. I haven’t really asked.”

Marinette nodded, her expression oddly sad, her arms wrapping tightly around her backpack.

“I’m sorry about that,” she said, her eyes staying glued to her feet, “you should be allowed to choose your own date.”

Adrien scoffed. “Yeah, well he doesn’t see it that way. I’d rather be taking anyone else.”

You, he wanted to say, but that wasn’t an option, because she was one of his dearest friends, and that would definitely send the wrong message, right?”

Marinette cracked a smile, laughing ruefully. “If I had to spend an entire evening with Lila, I think I’d combust.”

“Oh, come on,” Adrien said, “she isn’t that bad. Y’know, once you get past all the lying. I think she’s just… misguided.”

Adrien noticed, for the first time, that Marinette’s face was paler than usual. Hidden by her makeup, sure, but where her foundation cut off, her skin was a touch paler than it usually was, and her eyes were tired. Furthermore, at his frankly weak and half assed defense towards Lila, she reacted in a way he didn’t expect.

In that she didn’t.

Usually, Marinette would say something about how Lila was a liar, or get at least somewhat annoyed or angry. That was to be expected. Marinette was an emotional girl who wore her heart on her sleeve. It was almost unnerving to see her not react at all to something she normally would’ve.

Instead, her gaze remained on the ground, expression tight, her shoulders rising and falling shallowly in an apathetic shrug.  

“Have you been sleeping well?” Adrien asked, suddenly concerned at her unusual behavior.

Marinette blinked, finally looking up at him. “Huh? Oh, yeah, fine.”

Another beat, and she shifted uncomfortably. “W-we should class get— I mean, get to class.”

And with that, she turned on her heel, disappearing into the crowd.

Something was off with her. Adrien contemplated following her, but he refrained, watching her retreating figure. Her shoulders were hunched, making her look smaller, and it made Adrien’s heart hurt. She seemed even more nervous than usual, almost jumpy. She was usually jumpy, if something involved him, but never to this degree. There was something else going on.

Adrien intended to find out what that was.

And it wasn’t long until he did.

Talking to Alya, which was Adrien’s first plan of attack, went with little success. Alya told Adrien that Marinette was fine, just tired and stressed with new designs and schoolwork, though she did admit that she noticed something was off. However, she also said that when she confronted Marinette about this, the girl had simply brushed her off, assuring her that she was fine. Alya was worried before, but even more so now that someone else had noticed Marinette’s strange behavior. She agreed she’d keep an eye on Marinette, and that was it.

But it wasn’t. Adrien knew it wasn’t. Alya was smart, and she had the makings of a cutthroat journalist, so Adrien knew that when she said she was going to keep an eye on someone, she would do just that.

Adrien tried to keep his worry from his thoughts while he was in class, which had the usual banter throughout it, and there, Marinette seemed a little better, but she was still withdrawn. She spoke when spoken to, and didn’t even respond with her usual snark towards Chloé, but she answered questions when called on and smiled at jokes made by her classmates.

And, unusually, when Nino brought up going to the movies, Marinette declined.

It was during break that Adrien found out what was really going on.

He was passing the locker room when he heard voices. One of them was clearly Marinette, he knew her voice well. And the other was none other than Lila Rossi. She sounded nothing like she usually did, all sugar sweet; well meaning and pleasant. She sounded different.

“—that gala.”

“I know, Lila,” Marinette said, “he told me.”

“Oh, did he?” Lila replied, “then you know he’s taking me, as his date. He asked me himself, you know.”

Adrien felt his fist clench. Liar.

“No, he didn’t, Lila, stop lying. He told me that his father asked you to go with him.”

Lila laughed. It wasn’t a kind laugh. It was cold, unfeeling. Mean. “I’m sure he’s just saying that so he doesn’t hurt your feelings. But like everyone else, he likes me much better than you.”

“Why are you doing this to me, Lila?”

Adrien’s heart broke at the sound of utter defeat in Marinette’s voice. But mixed with the heartbreak for his friend, he was angry.

“Because,” Lila said, smugly, “I told you what would happen, didn’t I? I’d make sure that your life was miserable, that you’d have nobody left, and that you’d end up alone. After tonight, Adrien will be mine. And if you do anything about it, you’ll have more to worry about than just being alone.”

Adrien decided he was an idiot. All the signs were there. Withdrawn, poor sleeping, avoidance of social situations. Marinette was being bullied. How long had this been going on? What else had Lila done to Marinette? Why hadn’t she said anything?

Then, it occurred to Adrien that she had. Multiple times. And nobody listened. Everyone believed Lila instead of Marinette, calling her jealous, even when Lila lied more and more outrageously. It felt like a puzzle was piecing itself together as Adrien stood, thunderstruck, listening to one of his dearest friends get bullied.

She’s busy.

She needs to help her parents at the bakery.

I dunno, her grandma is in town.

She’s busy, Adrien.

I dunno, she said she was busy.

Adrien should have realized this so long ago. He should have put two and two together when she made an excuse and vanished after Lila was invited (or, rather, invited herself) to Alya’s party, or how she made every excuse under the sun not to even be in the same room as Lila when she could help it, keeping her head down when she did have to be within the other girl’s vicinity.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was being bullied by Lila Rossi.

Adrien felt like a horrible friend.

Fury was beginning to bubble up inside of him, threatening to spill over as he tried to even out his breaths, listening to Lila verbally abuse Marinette, his anger reaching an all out rolling boil when he heard Lila use an insult.

“You really think he’d want you? Stupid bitch.”

Lila’s venomous words rang out inside Adrien’s head, reverberating like a shout in a cavernous tunnel, only stoking his building fury.

“Um,” came Plagg’s voice from within Adrien’s jacket, “you’re really gonna let her talk to your friend like that?”

Adrien said nothing, ignoring the Kwami as a plot began to formulate in his head. Most of the people at this gala were probably people Lila had told lies about in her life. Adrien knew for a fact that Jagged Stone would be in attendance, much to his excitement, since Gabriel Agreste had designed many of his last tour outfits. And Lila loved to lie about Jagged stone.

But, unfortunately for Lila, Jagged Stone had a particular fondness for Marinette.

In one night alone, Adrien knew he could do a lot of damage.

At the sound of Lila’s approaching footsteps, Adrien hid behind a corner, out of sight as she exited the locker room. After she was gone, he slipped into the room himself.

Marinette was sitting on the floor, her head in her hands, narrow shoulders shaking with sobs. Adrien felt his heart crumble, dreadful worry and horrible, horrible sorrow overtaking his anger as he rushed to her side.

She started at the sound of his footsteps, scuttling back, but when she saw it was him, she was launching herself into his arms, desperate for human contact of any kind, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, tucking her head into the crook of his neck as he rubbed soothing circles into her back.

When Adrien found his voice again, he spoke softly, gently. “I didn’t know it was this bad.”

“Y-you heard—”

“All of it. She won’t get away with this, Marinette.”

“No, no,” Marinette said, tearfully, “you don’t understand, she always does. She won’t leave me alone, and I can’t stop her. I’m gonna— I’m gonna lose everyone.”

“No,” Adrien said, a little more firmly than he meant to, but he was angry. “no, no, you are not. You aren’t losing me.”

Marinette buried her face in his chest, and Adrien made a promise, both to her and himself.

Lila Rossi was going down.

“So, what’s the plan of attack?”

Adrien glanced over his shoulder, his fingers sliding down the length of his necktie as he fastened it to his shirt with an ornate silver tie clip. “Huh?”

His fingers found the buttons of his vest, doing them up, then straightening the lapels of his jacket. His hair was perfectly styled, his face airbrushed and made up flawlessly. He looked like a walking magazine cover, and he smelled like designer cologne, as well as far too much money for one person to have. From the tips of his shiny black dress shoes to the top of his preened head, he looked perfect in only a way a team of stylists could make a person look.

“I said,” Plagg groaned, “what’s the plan of attack? C’mon, kid, I live for pettiness. You know that. Now spill.”

“Is it petty to get back at the girl who’s been bullying my friend?”

Plagg was silent for a second. “That’s the definition of pettiness. But justified pettiness. You get me?”

“Okay, then I guess I’m petty,” Adrien said, then paused, “wait, when have I been unjustly petty?”

The kwami scoffed. “Seriously? Anytime someone has the hots for Ladybug, you’re the king of petty.”

Adrien considered a response, but gave up. “Point taken.”

A knock at the door prompted Plagg to zip into Adrien’s suit jacket with a snicker, and Adrien had a feeling that Plagg was going to be enjoying this more than he was.

“Adrien,” came Nathalie’s voice, “Miss Rossi is waiting for you.”

Adrien took a final look at his flawless reflection, reaching up to tousle his hair, just a little.

“Yeah, I’m coming.”

He followed Nathalie from his dressing room and into the sprawling ballroom of the Paris Le Grand, smiling politely at guests as he passed them. Lila was waiting at the refreshments table, a flute of sparkling water perched between her manicured nails.

She was dressed in an evening gown the color of a fresh peach. It was made of flowing crepe fabric, cinched tight at the waist. The neckline was low, revealing a tasteful amount of skin, with spaghetti strap sleeves, undoubtedly crossing at her back in an x-pattern. There was a slit on either side of the skirt, revealing her legs when she stepped forward, just a flash of them; hiding enough to be modest, but still revealing enough to be a little bit sexy. She wore strappy white high heeled sandals on her feet. Her arms were left bare, and her hair was fastened into a long French braid, worn tossed over one shoulder.

Adrien had to admit she looked lovely, even if his distaste for her had grown into detest in the last twelve hours.

Absently, he wondered how Ladybug would look in a gown like that.

“Adrien, hi!” Lila said, dark burgundy stained lips stretching into a grin.

She hurried towards him, catching his folded arm and tucking her hands against it. There was nothing wrong with the gesture, especially if she was there as his date, but the way she was standing so close showed a form of possessiveness Adrien wasn’t comfortable with. It told anyone who looked that they were a couple, which they most definitely weren’t.

Adrien forced a bit of distance between them, just enough to be respectful and impersonal, repeating the action when she tried to steal closer, after which she got the message.

“You know,” Lila said, taking a drink of her sparkling water, “the last time I was at a gala was when I was in Achu. It was Prince Ali’s birthday, and I was invited as his honored guest. He called me when he knew I’d be awake just to invite me, even though it was like four in the morning in Achu, then flew me in for the party.”

Adrien knew that was a lie. It was too tall of a tale not to be one, and it enraged him that his classmates would lap that right up. But Adrien wasn’t his classmates. Regardless, he forced a smile.

“That’s great, Lila. What’s a price’s birthday party like?”

Lila’s face lit up, undoubtedly thinking she’d snared him with that lie, her grin resembling a cat that got the cream.

“Oh my god, it’s incredible, especially as an honored guest. I got to wear the traditional dress of Achu, eat the food, and even dance with the prince. His other guests gave him all sorts of gifts, but he said he liked mine the most. It was just a handmade scarf, but he still appreciated it since I made it while doing all the traveling I was. He even gave me a gorgeous emerald necklace because he said it went with my eyes, as a thank you.”

Another lie. What kind of person gave gifts to someone else on their own birthday? And why would the prince of a tropical kingdom need a scarf? Adrien’s mouth twitched, but he hid it with a smile.

“That was so generous of him! I’m surprised you don’t wear it more.”

Lila chuckled. “Well, it’s so expensive that it would probably get stolen right off my neck if I did that.”

Adrien didn’t think the necklace even existed, but he didn’t let his doubt show. “So, your dress. It’s not a Gabriel, is it?”

Lila shook her head. “No, it’s a Lili Toussaint. She designed it specifically for me, you know.”

Adrien hid his grin. Bingo.

“I didn’t know you knew Madame Toussaint.”

A giggle, and her head fell to rest on his shoulder. Adrien tensed up.

“Oh, yeah, I did a summer internship as a model for her. We became great friends.”

“I see. How did that go?”

Lila leaned more heavily on him, and Adrien shifted uncomfortably. “Amazing. She’s super nice, it was a joy to work alongside a fashionista like her. She was even kind enough to design me a wrist brace to go with my outfits when I sprained my wrist while chasing down a thief that stole a poor old woman’s purse.”

That almost made Adrien laugh. Madame Toussaint was a dear friend of his father’s, who had practically watched Adrien grow up. She was like an aunt to him, and treated him and his father like family. But, unfortunately for Lila, Madame Lili Toussaint liked very few people outside of a collection of individuals Adrien could count on one hand, one of which included her purebred Pomeranian.

“Oh, really? I’ve worked with her as a model, too,” Adrien said, giving nothing away.

“I figured you probably had,” she said, “you’ve probably worked with so many more designers than I have.”

“Well,” Adrien said, “your career is still young. I’ve been modeling since I was a kid.”

Lila seemed to like this answer. “Yeah, you’re right. One day, I’ll be at your level. Maybe you can introduce me to some of your favorite designers?”

Not a chance, Adrien wanted to say, but he simply nodded.

Suddenly, Adrien’s bingo turned into a jackpot. Because there, standing in a sweeping, pale silk evening gown, absolutely dripping with what were undoubtedly real diamonds, was Madame Lili Toussaint herself. Her broad, elegant shoulders were wrapped in a faux fur shawl (she hated cruelty to animals, and went great lengths to make her brand cruelty free), her hands encased in long, silk gloves. Her hair was done up in an elegant French twist, pinned in place with large lilies, made up of silk petals.

Adrien said nothing, simply leading Lila along by the arm as she blathered on about how she had many interested parties regarding her potential line of handmade jewelry, so wrapped up in her lie and continuing to have Adrien’s attention that she hardly even noticed they were moving.

The very second Madame Toussaint saw Adrien, she broke away from her conversation to approach him, her lips stretching into a friendly grin.

“Adrien, darling,” she cried, eyes glittering, “you’ve gotten so tall! My goodness, you so look like your mother.”

She leaned down to plant a kiss on each of Adrien’s cheeks, chuckling merrily as she examined his appearance, brushing invisible lint from the lapel of his jacket, straightening his tie.

“Good evening, Madame Toussaint,” Adrien said, and she huffed.

“Bah! None of that formal nonsense, Adrien, you know I’m Lili to you. How is your father?”

“He’s well,” Adrien said, smiling, and he was genuinely happy to see Madame Toussaint. He just wished it could have been in circumstances not involving Lila.

Madame Toussaint clapped her hands together, smiling widely. “Oh, wonderful. I’m gladdened to hear that.”

“Yes,” Adrien said, then turned, gesturing with one hand to Lila, “surely you remember Lila Rossi. She modeled with you last summer, as an intern?”

Her smile dropped as she turned to take in Lila, her eyes calculating, then she turned back to Adrien.

“Adrien, you know as well as anyone I don’t take intern models,” Madame Toussaint said, “furthermore, I have never seen this girl before in my life.”

Adrien looked at Lila under the guise of seeking reassurance, but had to hide his smile when he saw her expression. If she looked like the cat that got the cream before, now she looked like the cornered mouse. Her shoulders were tense, her eyes wide, her cheeks pale. Adrien almost wanted to snap a picture, but that would be too cruel.

“Well,” Lila said, “I-I’m sure you just don’t remember me. I’m sure you worked with—”

Madame Toussaint scoffed. “Are you deaf, girl? I don’t take summer intern models, or whatever nonsense you told Adrien. And believe me, I never forget a face.”

She turned back to Adrien, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, all smiles again. “Adrien, my dear, you should seek better company. This young lady seems to have a penchant for lying.”

Lila looked like she was about to combust, but she quickly composed herself, slapping an obviously fake smile on her face.

“It was amazing to see you, Lili,” Adrien said, “will you be visiting us later on?”

“Why, of course,” Madame Toussaint said, laughing richly, “silly boy, thinking for a mere second that I wouldn’t.”

The conversation wrapped up shortly after that, with Madame Toussaint excusing herself to go find Gabriel Agreste, leaving Adrien alone with Lila once more.

“So,” Adrien said, “I take it she didn’t design you that wrist brace?”

“I-I’m sure there was a mixup,” Lila sputtered, but it didn’t look like even she was buying that, “I remember now, it was her representative, since I couldn’t work remotely. You know, with all the traveling. She traveled with us.”

Adrien knew for a fact that Madame Toussaint preferred to work personally with her models, and that the representative in question was, in fact, male, but Adrien said nothing. Lila wouldn’t be able to keep lying for much longer.

Because now, Adrien had Jagged Stone in his sights.

He was dressed in a sweeping leather trench, dripping with chains and dotted with glittering gold studs, worn over a deep royal purple pinstriped suit. On his feet were steel toed wingtip shoes, lined with studs along the edges of the metal plating. His hair was slicked back, his face made up even more extravagantly than it usually was. His entire ensemble was awesome, Adrien thought, but then again, he did have a particular fondness for black leather.

Jagged Stone was holding a smartphone in one fingerless gloved hand, speaking animatedly towards it, undoubtedly on a live stream. This couldn’t have been more perfect if Adrien had set it up himself.

“Lila, look,” Adrien cried, “it’s Jagged Stone! I’m a huge fan. We’ve gotta go over and talk to him. You know him, right? Will you introduce me?”

Lila’s complexion turned absolutely chalky as she took in what Adrien said, but she hid her unease with a woolly smile, which looked borderline alarming when her eyes were wide with panic.

“Of course, Adrien,” she croaked, “but— he might not—”

Adrien bounced on his heels, giving her a smile. “Really?! You’re truly the best, Lila.”

Before she could say anything else, Adrien was dragging Lila across the ballroom towards the rock star, even as the girl tried to protest.

“He looks like he’s busy, Adrien, maybe we should come back later.”

Adrien scoffed. “I’m sure he won’t mind.”

But, heedless of what Lila said, Jagged Stone seemed pleased to see Adrien, his heavily lined eyes lighting up as he merrily walked over the rest of the way, draping a leather clad arm over Adrien’s shoulders. Adrien had to remember to breathe, taking two manual breaths and reminding his heart to keep beating.

“Adrien Agreste! You’re a friend of Marinette’s right? That girl is so rock and roll. If she’s a fan of yours, well, I am too. Say hello, kid, you’re live!”

That made Adrien’s stomach do backflips, since Jagged Stone had just said he was his fan, but he was here on a mission. Regaining his composure, Adrien waved to the camera, watching the chat function of Instagram Live go insane at his appearance.

“Marinette is awesome,” Adrien said, “I loved her design for your last album cover, I even got her to sign it.”

Jagged laughed merrily. “Did you now? I may have to get her to do that for me, too, yeah? I’m thinking of asking for her to design the next one, too, you think she’d do it?”

“I don’t think she’d let anything stop her,” Adrien confessed, and Jagged grinned widely.

The rock star straightened up, still resting a hand on Adrien’s shoulder as he hand turned, taking notice of Lila. He looked at her blankly, without any form of recognition, but still, he smiled politely.

“And who’s your friend, Adrien?”

Jagged turned the camera towards Lila, who was now white as a ghost, looking supremely uncomfortable. She waved to the camera anyway, trying her best to smile.

“Oh, don’t you two already know each other?” Adrien asked, feigning innocence, “Lila Rossi, she saved your kitten from an airplane runway, even though the jet engine burst her eardrum and gave her tinnitus.”

Jagged looked deeply puzzled, staring at Lila for a good few seconds in a mix of astonishment and confusion.

“Well,” he said, with an awkward chuckle, “deeply sorry ‘bout your ear, love, but Penny’s deathly allergic to cats, even though I do love the little buggers. I’ve never owned a cat in my life, ‘least not since childhood. Fang’s all I need now, yeah? You must be mistaken, Miss Rossi.”

Lila swallowed thickly, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to calm her breathing. “E-excuse me, Adrien, I need to… t-op off my drink.”

With that, Lila turned unsteadily, heading towards the refreshments table.

Adrien pretended to be shocked, watching her leave with a dumbfounded expression.

“Well,” Adrien said, coughing, “I must’ve misunderstood her. I’m sorry, Mr. Stone, I didn’t mean to—”

Jagged chuckled, patting Adrien on the back. “Oh, no sweat, kid. Some people like to lie because they think it’ll make people like them. Don’t hold it against your friend, there, she probably just wanted to seem impressive to you, yeah? Besides, no trouble to me, I’m glad to meet you, and your… misguided friend. On the bright side, she can say she met me now and have it be the truth, hey? I wish her no ill will.”

He turned, winking at his camera, pulling Adrien in against his side for another shot together.

Adrien thanked him, promising to return later for an autograph, and then turned to go after Lila. He found her, hiding by the chocolate fountain, freezing like a deer in the headlights when she saw him coming.

“You feeling okay?” Adrien asked, and Lila didn’t answer for a second, busying herself with downing the contents of her drink.

“F-fine.”

Her voice was tight, barely controlled panic laced throughout it. She knew what had just happened. She’d been exposed, by a celebrity the entire class— no, the entire world loved, as a complete and utter liar. On a livestream. Adrien would be surprised if she even showed her face at school tomorrow. And if she hadn’t realized what Adrien was doing now, she would, without a single doubt, later.

“I think,” Lila said, “I’d like to go home now.”

Adrien pretended to be disappointed. “Oh, really? I mean, if that’s what you want.”

Lila forced a smile. “I’m a little tired. Maybe partying just isn’t for me, y’know? Pretty stuffy, like you said this morning.”

Adrien nodded, sympathetically as he could, before going to find Nathalie, who called a car to bring Lila home. Adrien waited with Lila for the car, and she was uncharacteristically silent the entire time, simply fiddling with her skirt, buttoning and unbuttoning her coat, and shifting her weight from foot to foot. Adrien played the attentive, chivalrous date when the car arrived, opening the door for Lila and bidding her farewell with a soft, easy smile.

The second she was gone, Adrien pulled out his phone. His Instagram followers had grown substantially, even from that one livestream, but that wasn’t important. What was important was that the tabloids were eating what had just happened up.

Who is the girl who lied about Jagged Stone?

And, to Adrien’s pleasure:

French Teenager to design Jagged Stone’s next album cover. Learn more about Marinette Dupain-Cheng here.

Adrien knew what he was doing the second he saw Jagged Stone live streaming. Was it petty? Sure it was. Was it a bit much? Yeah, probably. But nobody would believe any of Lila’s lies after all of that.

The damage had been done, irreparably.

With that, as if nothing was even wrong, Adrien tucked his phone back into his pocket, ignoring the raucous laughter from Plagg from his jacket. Shushing the Kwami, Adrien stepped back inside, intent on enjoying the rest of his (rather stuffy) evening.

     “Hey guys, does Professor look sad?” Deuce quietly notes as he feels the history professor’s gaze as he fleetingly glances over to the older man’s desk. The blue-haired boy ducks down to his friends and whispers. Spade noticed that the older man was more critical of his punishments and stinging remarks as he taught his class today, which wasn’t a huge difference, but today, Trein’s eyes seemed more sunken in, and his eyes wandered to the clock.

As the young man comments, the others look in Mozus’ direction on cue and inconspicuously. Ace hits his dormmate’s shoulder. His cherry-red eyes lazily scan his professor’s face as he shakes his head and lightly grabs Deuce and Yuu’s shoulder; Trappola doesn’t notice a difference in the history professor’s demeanor. But it wasn’t that he tried to make an effort either. Ace scoops up his books and paper and hastily shoves them into his school bag. The first year groaned as he felt his stomach roll with hunger, “C’mon, I’m hungry hurry up, let’s go.”

“Yeah, Ace’s right. I’m starving! I wonder what they have at the cafeteria. Maybe they’ll have the carbonara again!” Grim happily exclaims as his soft grey ears perk and his tail sways. The furry creature looks up at Yuu to see their reaction. Grim and Yuu became closer as Trein thought to himself. It oddly reminded his relationship with his loyal familiar Lucius.

        Yuu concedes and gingerly retrieves their sprawled-out belongings on the desk. They bow to Trein and thank him for his teaching. Ace and Deuce clammer to exit hastily, covering their eagerness to leave with a loud thank you. The students leave their classroom, their talking fades, and the older man slowly relaxes in the refreshing silence of his lecture room. His stern face never leaves as he looks around the room. The students left his room in relative peace as some worksheets were left behind in a rush to leave. ‘Goodness. They seemed to be in higher spirits than usual. Each year, the students get easily distractable and impatient.’

The grey-haired man comments as Lucius meows in agreement that the younger generation is getting more unruly and disobedient. The yellow-eyed cat glances up to his master and friend to see Mozus’ guard lowers as the lap cat remembers what today’s date meant to the Trein noble household.

       Trein looks to the clock, the minute hand ticks. The classroom was now empty, and not a soul was there save for his beloved feline. Lucius yowled once more as the cat hopped from the human’s lap to the desk. The cat’s fur stands on end as he extends his reach. His claws come out as he stretches himself out. As the older nobleman reaches down to one of the drawers, a neatly stacked paper and clips slide into his view as the older man retrieves something more personal than school papers in his well-used drawer. The well-dressed man fishes out a picture frame as he brings it up to the light pouring into the glass windows.

His gloved hands clasped one of his dearest treasures. His hands held a simple picture showing a handsome young Trein with his wife and two daughters in front of a grand piano.

Mozus narrows his eyes, inspecting the picture. His wife’s smile was radiant as she wore an extravagant blue dress sitting on the piano seat. Next to his wife were two girls dressed in bright and eye-catching dresses, and the girls were trying to look presentable.

     Trein could remember it like yesterday, his daughters complaining that the dresses were too stuffy while his wife patted them on their heads with a sweet melodic laugh as she cooed, soothing their standoffish nature.

     “Ladies, Ladies, your father and I asked a very dear friend of ours to take a photograph of us, just one, and I promise we can continue our music lesson without delay.” His wife had a way with their girls and himself. Mozus’ noble daughters were well endowed with the finest education in the arts, history, language, and sewing, courtesy of their mother. Noble status ensured that the family of four was living comfortably in his family-owned château. His wife was his beautiful enchantress, as he’d teasingly call her after she’d come off stage from her concerts.  Her modesty would always get her best as she’d hug her husband and kiss his cheek.

   His small daughters would crowd around their parent’s legs and cling to them as the girls groaned in playful disgust as Mozus returned his wife’s affection with a gentle kiss on her forehead. He was still stern and had high expectations with his family, no doubt about that, but only they had the privilege to see the strict Night Raven College professor smile so softly and tell stories to his girls. Only they were allowed to see this precious scene. The older man recalls when it was a holiday, and she gifted him a hastily wrapped box on his birthday with his daughters eagerly looking at their father’s reaction and shushing each other in childlike glee.

       The raven-haired man raised his brow at his gentle wife and children, then gazed down at the poorly wrapped box. There was something inside. “Love, what’s this?” Mozus skeptically asked as he pulled the bow and opened the lid to reveal a chubby black and white kitten peering up at the Trein. Giggles erupt in their living room as the girls surround their father, “Father, Father! Mother wanted to get you a kitten because she knew how much you loved cats, and we didn’t have one too.” His outspoken daughter peered up to her father as she clung to his arm while his quieter one shoved and groaned.

“Ladies, Ladies, that’s not how upstanding daughters of society would act, now would it?” Mozus sternly says as he gently reprimands his girls and looks at the curious cat. The daughters quieted down as they listened but still wanted their father’s attention, “So, beloved, what do you think of the gift? While on one of my trips out, the girls and I picked him.” Mozus’ wife asked with a soft smile at the picture of cute domesticity. She tried to suppress an upcoming coughing fit as she sat beside him, lying on his other shoulder. Coaxing the inquisitive chubby cat into his hands, he tenderly picks the creature, looks at his wife and children, and gives a soft smile.

“I am blessed to have this family. I think I’ll call him. Lucius.”

      Trein’s grip on the picture frame tightened as he deeply and slowly inhaled. His eyes started to water as he looked down at the precious memories in his hands, and they quickly flooded his mind at the mere sight of this photographed happy family. The now older man reveled in the memories of the sweet past not so long ago.

Unbeknownst to Trein, his loyal pet turned and looked down at the frame to see the memory forever frozen and a beautiful woman in blue as he slowly blinked. The older cat looks away from the picture and rises his feline face to start to lick the older man’s cheeks, which faintly tasted like salt. Mozus closed his eyes and patted his cat’s head as he proudly straightened his back and blinked slowly.

        His daughters and himself had a plan for the rest of the day as he rose from the desk and held his arms out to their equally older cat to jump up. They made it a tradition to visit the Trein matriarch’s grave and spend the day together. As the years passed, his daughters grew into their personalities and started their families, so there were times when he’d be alone and visit his lover. But as they grew further and further away from him, the prouder, he became to hear of their accomplishments. Yes, the pain of losing his wife will always be there in his heart, but her best reprise will always be their daughters.

.:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:.

“Daddy, where are we going?” asks the small girl as she pulled at the taller man’s large warm hand to get his attention. Modeus looks down at his daughter and smiles softly. He is still surprised at the miracle that brought her into his life. She was the spitting image of her mother, who left him shortly after their daughter was born. Her long onyx locks pulled back into a simple braid and tied at the end with a ribbon of brilliant sea foam green. Today she was wearing dark brown boots with corded laces, dark blue jeans and a shirt of a matching green to her ribbon.

“Birdie, we’re going to visit my friend and his family. He also has children, twins, but they are a bit older than you.” Modeus knelt in front of her and lay his right hand upon the crown of her head. Gently he tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear with his thumb, and rubbed the faint point of her ear. Giggles erupted from his daughter as she looked at him smiling widely and happily.

“Ok, Daddy.” Then her brows furrowed as she contemplated asking him another question.

“Are you going away because of work?” She pauses here a moment then continues with, “Am I staying with them? Are you gonna be gone long? Are the twins gonna make fun of me?”

Modeus sighs, pulling her into his arms. That last question was new. The young lady that was tutoring her, Rosalia, had mentioned that some of the girls she was sometimes around made fun of her ears.

“Birdie, you’re very special and these boys are also special, much like you. I don’t think they’ll make fun of your ears, but boys can be mean too. Just make sure you speak up for yourself and tell them to stop.” He gave her a final reassuring squeeze and stood. He took her hand once again and led her to the large front door of Paradise Manor, his mentor Sparda’s home.

As they made their way in through the front entrance Modeus could see Eva, Sparda’s wife, already scolding the twins at the foot of a grand staircase. From the looks of things the boys were fighting again. Their clothes are thoroughly rumpled and their hair disheveled. The boys were unaware of his approach so he made sure to step a bit heavier. After all it wouldn’t be good to scare them unnecessarily. He glanced down and saw Birdie copying his change in step.

Eva half turns and smiles at him, her gaze dropping down to his daughter. Eva’s features soften and it seems as if her gaze is a bit longing. Perhaps Eva wishes to have a daughter Modeus wonders. Modeus smiles, filing away the thought to pose to his friends later. Modeus then glances towards the boys. Dante already messing with Vergil’s hair. Vergil turns, smacking his twin’s hand away from his hair, and for good measure pushes him hard enough that he stumbles backwards. As Dante trips and tumbles to the ground, Modeus stifles a chuckle by clearing his throat. Both boys freeze and while Vergil hurriedly rushes back to a more formal posture Dante takes his time getting to his feet.

Eva claps her hands together turning fully to the boys again. “Vergil, Dante, this is Modeus. He’s a friend of your father’s,” her left hand sweeps towards Modeus at the introduction.

“Surely I’m your friend as well, Lady Eva,” Modeus states with a soft smile. He takes her hand and places a light kiss to her wedding ring. His long brown hair slips forward slightly covering one eye as he bows over her hand. This is his way of showing his respect to his mentor. He feels Birdie’s hand slip from his as she ducks behind him, grabbing onto his long black trench coat.

“Lady Eva, truly, thank you for agreeing to watch Birdie for me. I hate to leave her in the care of strangers.”

Eva laughs lightly, waving away the comment. “You mean you hate to leave her behind at all. It’s alright Modeus, really. I would love the chance to have another girl around. I feel a bit outnumbered.” Modeus laughs softly at being called out, eyes shifting slightly away. Eva glances towards the boys as Dante makes a rather loud and fake yawn. Vergil, on the other hand, is trying to look behind Modeus without moving from his spot.

Modeus also sees Vergil’s curiosity and reaches back to place his left hand upon his daughter’s hair, gently pulling her out from behind him. He takes a step towards the twins noticing that her foot falls have returned to her normal soft and quiet steps.

“Go ahead and introduce yourself Birdie.” Modeus watches as his daughter looks at the boys with curiosity, but then drops her eyes back to the ground. Modeus’ brow furrows slightly. His little Birdie isn’t shy, but perhaps the recent teasing has made her a bit self conscious. Modeus sighs at her continued silence, and places a hand on her back to encourage her to take the last step forward.

“This is my daughter Raven.” Modeus turns his warm gaze upon the twins. “She’ll be coming with me when I come to visit with your father.”

Vergil glances to his mother as she smiles and nods in encouragement. Vergil swallows and takes a deep breath determined to prove that at least one of Sparda’s sons had manners. He takes a small step forward and holds out his hand to the younger girl.

“Lady Raven, welcome to our home. Would you like me to show you around?” Raven lifts her gaze to meet his with curiosity clear on her face. He’s momentarily mesmerized by her deep brown eyes. Vergil had thought she looked nothing like her father, but her eyes were just as warm and brown as his. Vergil’s moment of hesitation cost him as Dante jostled his brother out of his way.

“Hey I’m Dante!” he beamed at Raven. “I’m way better at showin’ you ‘round than my brother.” At this point Dante turns slightly to smirk at his twin. “It’ll be more fun with me anyways. I’m not gonna bore you with history or whatever.” Dante lightly punches Vergil’s arm, then turns back to the girl in front of him. “I’ll show you some cool stuff.” Dante boasted. Raven turns her curious gaze toward him and tilts her head to the side.

“What kinda cool stuff?” she asks him her voice soft but clear. Dante stumbles a bit over his words upon hearing her speak.

“W-well I can..” Dante begins but is quickly cut off by Vergil.

Vergil huffs at his twin, turning back toward Raven. He holds his hand out to her again. “Raven you’ll be safe with me. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” That last bit definitely directed at his sibling though Vergil doesn’t look at him.

Raven reaches out with her left hand to take Vergil’s right hand, but hesitates as her eyes flick toward Dante. She quickly reaches out for both boys’ hands and holds them tight. Almost as if she’s afraid they’ll both pull away from her.

Raven smiles at both in turn and says, “How ‘bout you both show me ‘round. I don’t wanna leave either of you behind.” Her smile is infectious and the twins smile back at her. The back of Dante’s ears turning pink meanwhile Vergil’s checks are dusted in an equally pink hue.

“Looks as though Birdie has two protectors now.” Modeus chuckles happily as the three walk away hand in hand. He turns toward Eva.