Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

     Fantasies rarely survive the harsh light of day.

     Michelle took a deep breath as she slowly sank down onto the naked mattress in what would be her rather small room in her dorm suite. Things hadn’t worked out like she had hoped and, here now in the harsh physical reality of it, she was having a hard time finding that silver lining to cling to. She had hoped with Kylie and her applying at the same time and marking their preference to be with one another, they would have ended up as dorm mates. While she had known for weeks this wasn’t how it worked out, she had rather roughly shoved it aside. Kylie wouldn’t be living with her, but she was still going to be there with her. It wasn’t going to be an issue.
     Sitting there now, slowly wallowing in the creeping despair of the present, it was clear this was going to be an issue. She swallowed and pushed her negativity aside. Kylie was still in the area. She was in fact in the dorm just down the way. She knew these living quarters would be small, but she allowed the illusionary nature of the pictures provided to mislead her. The perverse need to clench at any and all positive spins on the situation proved to be too strong. However, this was truly small. Her mind couldn’t quite accept the lived truth of it. She started wondering if she was going to end up developing claustrophobia. Is that even a thing?
     Maybe this was just the first of many cultural adjustments she would need to make living here. With that thought in mind, she got up to work on finishing the final bits of unpacking and decorating she had put off. If nothing else it would give her something to do. It would ground her, help her clear her head. As she put away the last of her clothes and finished the final touches of her decorations, she mused about her initial first impressions of her new Kiwi roommate.
     First of all, she was sure English was spoken in New Zealand. She wouldn’t have been roomed with someone she couldn’t communicate with. It was something she remembered addressing in her application. But, for the life of her, she could not make out what the girl said a good portion of the time. She seemed nice, with her sparkling blue eyes and brown hair, curly and bouncy despite the heat at the end of summer. Michelle was disheartened though when she recalled Millie’s sour expression at seeing her viola and violin cases when she searched for a place to store them after hauling them in. Yet another person dreading her need for practice. She made a quick note to inquire of practice rooms on campus. It was clear her ability to practice here would be minimal at best.
     With that, she heard a rapping at the door and went to open it. Millie was there and was speaking to her. Keeping eye contact and her face neutral, Michelle struggled to piece together what was being said to her. The pause while Millie awaited a response hung in the air. Realizing Millie wanted her to come with her to the meeting for international students, Michelle quickly nodded her head and said she’d be just there. With that Millie turned back to the common area and Michelle finished up the last of her tasks.

     The meeting was a long and tedious affair that Michelle only half paid attention to. While normally a part of her would feel bad about being so lackadaisical, she was still recovering from a certain amount of jet lag. She had only been in Paris for two days now and one of those days was spent with her new roommate and her Aussie and Kiwi friends. They had gone on a brief outing just before starting their unpacking to get supplies, mainly toiletries and pantry staples for the shared bathroom and kitchenette. The whole ordeal was surreal. She had no trouble with understanding the Aussie; however, she could only really follow one of the Kiwis. It was odd. Why couldn’t she understand her roommate or her other friend?
     The droning of the last speaker faded, and the room came to life as people started to mingle. Turning, Michelle found her roommate and her friends had already drifted off. Probably to find others they knew or to otherwise mingle with new people. She sought out Kylie. She needed an anchor to help her through the malaise of her fatigue and the surreality of this new experience. Of the two, Michelle had always considered Kylie the social butterfly, and if anyone could tread through this, it would be her.
     Though it was difficult with the pack of people, her unease, and her inadvertent eavesdropping, Michelle eventually found Kylie in a small group by the front door. Upon eye contact and Kylie’s answering smile, she felt her nerves calm, allowing her to smile more authentically herself. Kylie looped her into the conversation through introductions to her new roommate and their neighbors. The tension and fear that had started to simmer in the background slowly cooled down. Kylie was there, and she had already made friends with her Canadian roommate and their neighbors, the Turkish gentleman and his roommate from Ghana. Michelle wasn’t going to be alone in all this.
     The rest of the evening was spent walking through the student night life event, perusing the different clubs, activities, and events to be found on their new campus. Michelle wasn’t necessarily as interested as some of the others. She had specific goals she wanted to accomplish with her time here and wasn’t sure if she’d be able to spend time on other pursuits easily. Best not to get invested to only let herself down. Maybe later, if she got things sorted out before the next semester, she could indulge in some of them.
     With promises of getting together the following day and with her spirits brightened with the hope of what could be, Michelle found herself walking back to her dorm with a certainty of having a refreshing night’s sleep and a proper start to her abroad experience.

     Adrien was feeling pleasantly buzzed. He was at that level of inebriation where he felt graceful, light on his feet, and still in decent command of his mental faculties. He would be on his game and able to overcome the self-loathing he would normally have in favor of confidence and unflappability. It had been months since his break up with Marinette, and he desperately needed to move on. Even if moving on at this point in time was simply bringing someone home to bed for the night.
     He surrendered himself to the melody of the music while the bass rhythm kept him anchored to the dance floor. While he and Marinette hadn’t ever had sex, despite their persistent adolescent hormonal drive towards such an outcome, he couldn’t really regret not going all the way with her. Theirs had been an infatuation driven relationship brought about by the last hour realization that both of them actually favored the other. He had been pining for her on and off since midway through their second year of lycee; she since their first. Now in hindsight, he could honestly say his initial interest had been hastened by the way she had suddenly filled out her gym top and the line the curve of her hips made.
     Not to say Marinette didn’t have other admirable attributes beside the physical, but he couldn’t really deny the importance the physical ended up having at the start of things. She was kindness, warmth, and love personified. She gave and gave, making all in her radiance and focus loved and cherished. And he rushed into it with the drive only one with a burning absence of such in his life could have. However, time has a way of ruining things when the luster and spark of initial bliss starts to fade.
     So much was against them and their longevity. First was the fact they came together in the middle of their last year of lycee, with all the impeding rupture of life paths and pursuits hanging over them. The second, of course, had to do with them being teenagers. With all the hormones and repressed lust and longing they had for one another, they had turned each other into sexual fantasies rather than real living sexual beings trying to figure out the difference between love and lust and the role sex plays in it all. Lastly, in the end, they were merely infatuated with one another, not actually in love. The reality of who and what they were slowly chipped away at their happiness and their idealized versions of each other.
     For him, it was a number of small things which seemingly blew up overnight after discovering they were Ladybug and Chat Noir. The small signs of anxiety she would display, the hints of judgment and disdain for others that would sneak out, and the need for control and things to be just so. It all dialed up to 11 afterwards. She would quickly fall into catatrophizing despite all his attempts to snap her out of it. It bespoke of her inability to trust him, which quickly became even clearer as her rebukes of him, his lifestyle, his career prospects (or lack of a solid one) started becoming more obvious and direct than her earlier oblique ones. He felt constantly criticized and harangued, driving him away from her and in fits of pique towards other women who didn’t have the same qualms about being with him.
     The breakup was a public spectacle. He was branded a womanizing cheat, his name slandered by any and all. His reputation destroyed and seemingly built anew, and confusingly enough with the same level of prestige but flipped. From famous to infamous. All of this a mere two months before graduation. All in all, they had only been together for 5 months, but it had felt so much longer. It had been intense, not only to make up for lost time but also physically as they both had pushed the other towards consummation. The reveal being the brakes that threw them both off the track.
     Now, here, in the club, with the looming new start of university hanging on the horizon, Adrien felt he had come to a new beginning for himself. He had come to embrace the bad boy image he had been given, indulging in a number of short term flings. Flings being a rather generous term as most were merely a series of glorified sexual encounters, but who was he to judge. Both parties got what they were looking for and no one walked away with any hurt feelings or damaged hearts. A win-win scenario.
     While he still ached for something more, it was too scary to really seek out. Not now. Things were still too fresh. He thought for a brief moment he might have sensed a spark of something more in one girl he was with, Kagami. But when he pushed for an actual date, the spark seemed to have vanished. What was worse, she started getting rather clingy, blowing up his phone with requests for further dates. He had let her down as gently as he could, but she hadn’t taken it well. However, she had backed off. Hopefully no more would come of it.
     Feeling the music and his confidence cresting, Adrien spotted a hot red-head in a short skirt sitting at the bar facing the dance floor. She looked to be enjoying herself, checking out the line up of available men. He sauntered over, trying to give physical finesse and presence to the cool unaffected image he wished to project. She eyed him rather hungrily and with that he knew he had the green light to approach more directly.
     Sidling next to her in a rather graceful maneuver, he tapped her glass gently with his knuckle.
     “What’s your indulgence tonight?” he said smoothly.
     “Vodka cranberry. And you?” the woman replied.
     And with that Adrien took the drink from her hand and took a sip. With a brief pucker that turned into a Cheshire grin he remarked rather cheekily, “Oh, I like. Sour but with a kick. Direct and no funny business.”
     The red-head cocked her head at him, taking back her glass. “Usually best to ensure both parties are satisfied,” she teased. He cocked an eyebrow in return and then offered his hand, turning towards the dance floor. With a wicked grin in return, the red-head set her drink down on the bar, took his hand, and proceeded to lead him onto the dance floor. 
     The night was going swimmingly. This red-headed siren, by the name of Raquel, felt amazing against him, gyrating to the beat. With just the right amount of bust to be alluring but not vulgar and with hips to comfortably grab hold of, he felt his excitement grow. If her legs were a touch longer, she would be perfection. Her hair was a tempest of sin when it would catch the strobing lights above, revealing it to be the fiery red rather than the copper-toned auburn. It would be fun tracing the plethora of freckles she would likely have on that ivory creme skin later.
     Losing themselves to their primal animal passions and in time to the techno beat, they were now unabashedly groping one another, heedless of anyone else on the dance floor. Other people were giving them clearance, almost as though in second hand embarrassment at the gratuitous display of sexual attraction and lust. Adrien had noted it but hadn’t really cared. However, there was a sudden burst of hollered recrimination behind his partner. Quickly sobering up and standing up straighter to take in what the matter could be, Raquel was suddenly seized by the back of her hair and dragged off the dance floor in front of him.
     In reaching out to grab the attacker’s shoulder to halt their progress, they turned, revealing themselves to be in actuality a short Asian woman with a striking turquoise colored side-parted mohawk. It took him a moment due to the shock of the hair color but recognition quickly dawned on him with the glare Kagami threw at him as she released Raquel’s hair and shoved her away.
     “Kagami! What the hell?!” he sputtered out in shock.
     “What the hell, indeed. How dare you chase away your carnal desires on sub-par trash like her!” she retorted angrily. “You and I both know you won’t be sated by that.”
     Raquel had some choice words in rebuttal to that but neither Adrien nor Kagami gave her any heed. Adrien gritted his teeth. This was not something he wanted to deal with, and he felt his frustration turn into ire.
     “Oh, and you think you’re the one who can satisfy me? Please. Where was this confidence? This dominance? This fire when it really mattered!” he hissed at her, hoping the blow to her ego would necessitate her retreat and an end to this scene. It unfortunately had the opposite result as she positively purred at the challenge, seemingly in arousal.
     What the fuck?
     “Everyone loves a challenge. You’ve finally made it interesting, showing there is more to you than simply a pretty facade,” she threw back at him, upping the ante as she stepped into his space to escalate the matter. He found himself aroused and empowered by the way he towered over her. She was so short and small in comparison.
     “Are you some kind of masochist? I’m not interested in you anymore. I’ve made that clear.”
     “And what’s it to you? All you want is sex, to find some hot piece of ass to fuck. I know I’m your type. So, you don’t want to date me. Fine. But why waste your time in the hunt when all you have to do is lay claim to your prize?”
     “And who’s to say I wasn’t going to get my prize?” he thundered back at her. It was at that moment a hushed silence fell, and Kagami stepped aside revealing Raquel bathing him in a scornful expression. Adrien’s eyes widened at the play Kagami made and the immediate result of it as Raquel turned and stormed away. Kagami sauntered back into his view with a smug expression on her face.
     “No one spurns me Agreste. No one. But there is a way in which to make this up to me,” she said slyly as her eyes sparkled in devilish amusement.
     “Fuck off,” he snarled at her as he moved to walk past her, deciding to call it a night.
     “Well, fucking is a part of it, but I’m not averse to bondage if you wish to swing that way,” her mock coquettish reply followed him on his way out.

     Felix was sitting at the dining table idly snacking on a pasta salad while looking over his tutoring schedule for the semester. The first week hadn’t been too bad. He had only been assigned six international students to manage for the term, and for the first two weeks they only had one session a week with him. Admittedly, after that point, there was the possibility they could opt up to three sessions a week with him. However, since it was clear the majority simply needed help with finessing their academic writing and becoming more comfortable with French academic cultural norms, his developing work schedule would not be a threat to his own studies.
     He didn’t really know what to think about this fresh start to his life. His parents were heavily pushing him towards a career in finance and business, following the footsteps of his father, but he wasn’t sure that was something he really wanted to pursue. He had been immersed in such an atmosphere and expected of such endeavors his whole life. At first he had embraced the allure and challenge offered by such a world, but it soon lost its luster when in his tweens the reality of such pursuits simply bored him to tears.
     It was in lycee when, becoming sought after for tutoring, his interest in learning and education became sparked. He felt this could be an alternative path to consider, but he wasn’t sure how to broach it with his parents. As such, he was straddling a compromise, enrolling in some finance and business classes while procuring a tutoring position alongside an educational elective.
     Disturbing him from his thoughts, Adrien came and sat on the other end of the table, commencing with his own lunch. While technically his cousin, for all intents and purposes Adrien was his brother. He and Adrien had only been born days apart of each other, and since their mothers were twins, they looked more like brothers than they did cousins. However, Adrien was to have a tragic fate as his parents died in a car accident mere days after his birth, leaving him to be raised by his aunt, who he had been under the care of when it occurred.
     As with any brother, Felix had mixed feelings about him. His parents never had any more children, so he was appreciative of having a sibling. Adrien was a steadfast playmate, a companion to share family life and experiences with. But at the same time, the differences with which his parents treated them left a sour taste in his mouth. To Felix, Adrien was the golden, precious child. He could do no wrong. His parents doted on him a bit too much. Admittedly though, their treatment was often mingled with a sense of pity and tragedy. He was, after all, a constant reminder of the loss of his mother’s beloved sister, and as such, Adrien wasn’t ever a person in his own right.
     However, Felix was not treated with kid gloves. Where Adrien needed to be coddled, Felix was met with expectation and firm guidance. It wasn’t so bad when they were kids. The distinction became more apparent in their tween years. These were the crucible years for them. It was during this time Felix developed a swell of resentment towards Adrien. He could do whatever and the result didn’t matter. His parents would shower affection and appreciation on him. With Felix, on the other hand,…
     Now though, things were different. His parents were still as they had ever been with him but with a bit more trust he would do what was right. With Adrien, however, there had been a shift. They were, without really any effort to hide it, simply, but gently, pushing him off. Since Adrien also opted to seek a licence, his parents were financing his studies as well as his own. Unlike with him, though, there was no scrutiny or discussion of what institution, what major, or what career path Adrien would be embarking on. He was free to make and pursue his own choices. The lucky bastard.
      Felix polished off the last of his pasta salad while taking a glance at Adrien. While Felix always sported a short, clean haircut and dressed in what amounted to be business casual, Adrien’s hair was longer and shaggier. He was currently pushing his bangs back out of his face while taking another bite of his sandwich. Unlike him, Adrien sported a more casual almost rebellious appearance in his disheveled and yet loud band shirt and strategically ripped black jeans.
     “How’s the start of the term been for you?” Felix asked casually before finishing his drink.
     Adrien shrugged in reply as he swallowed. “Alright. And you?”
     “It looks to be okay. The tutoring is going to be interesting. I’ve got two Americans, an Italian, a Brazilian, an Indian, and a Chinese.”
     “Lucky you. Any of them cute?”
     Felix took a moment to think. Well, only three of them were female. The Italian was a fox. There was no denying that, with her olive skin, bewitching hazel eyes, and caramel hair. The American was friendly and cute. However, she wasn’t very distinctive looking. The Indian woman was much older, a grad student. Of the two available options, the American was the more approachable. He didn’t think he’d have any chance with the Italian.
     “A few, but it’s early still. Don’t have a good read on who they are.”
     Adrien gave him a look. “I’m not asking about that. There’s nothing wrong with simply finding people attractive you know.”
     Felix diverted his gaze. “The Italian is really hot. The American is kind of cute, but chunky.”
     “Hmm…Well, that may change. They tend to lose weight with all the walking they have to adjust to.”
     “That’s a possibility.”
     “So, tell me more about this hot Italian. Is she all legs or does she have other notable assets?” Adrien wiggled his eyebrows at him.
     Felix sighed and immediately regretted, yet again, the drunken confession a year or so ago about his preference for long legs. His brother was still getting mileage out of it. It irked him, but it was also a way for them to be brotherly again despite everything. He gave him a smirk and decided to indulge him.
     “Legs for days Addy,” he popped out in English before reverting back to French. “With these bewitching hazel eyes and caramel hair. Ugh. I can’t think on it too long.”
     “I’ll say,” Adrien coolly replied. “Mayhaps you’ll get a proper girlfriend this year, instead of waiting on Rose to decide she’s bi.”
     Felix glared at him. “You know I gave up on that for years now, you little turd.”
     “Ah, yes. I remember now. The sulk of second year,” the taunt in his eyes.
     “Not all of us go through girls like flavors of ice cream on a hot day,” he retorted.
     There was a flash of something in Adrien’s eyes, but before Felix could make anything of it, it quickly passed. He wondered if he actually saw something or not.
     “Well, I do confess I’ve got a wondering eye, but I’m young yet and there are so many beautiful girls afoot. I can’t dally if I want to have a run with as many as I can while I have the chance,” he spouted off with an air of condescension.
     Felix cocked his head and considered him for a moment. The silence fell, but before it could get awkward he asked, “Is Kagami still stalking you at the clubs?”
     “I wouldn’t call it stalking quite yet, but yes, she’s made it a point to search me out at all of Nino’s publicly announced gigs. It’s irritating and flattering at the same time. I mean, at least it’s solidified my reputation. It makes it easier to initiate flings than it had been. So, all in all, it could be worse.” He shook his hair out of his face after finishing the last of his sandwich.
     “Well, if you are fine with things, then I guess it isn’t an issue. But if it ever becomes one, you know I’ll help you out as best I can.” He looked at him seriously.
     “I know,” Adrien replied in kind. And then after a beat, “But my reputation may give you an edge with this Italian. There’s always that to consider if you ever want to play that card,” he added with a wink, diffusing the seriousness that had threatened to fall.
     “You are incorrigible, you know that,” Felix answered with a smirk, knowing full well he would never take him up on that offer and Adrien knew it.

     It was the end of his tutoring day, and Felix was taking detailed notes on his international students. Two of them decided to keep to a once a week schedule. Three had bumped it up to twice a week, with the American girl having bumped her sessions to three for the next two weeks. As such, he was writing his thoughts out on her in more detail so as to anticipate and monitor how things were going. She was an interesting character to say the least. Her name was Michelle, and as he discovered with Americans in the past, she had a tendency to over share personal information. While it was a bit uncomfortable, he mustered through it, thinking it was her way of establishing a connection with him and dealing with all that came with being abroad.
     It would appear it had been a dream of hers for some time to come to France and become more functionally fluent in French. As such she came across as equal parts excited and nervous with the actual lived reality of being here. How it was compared to what she thought it would be like. He found himself taking a specific note of that as it had become known many Asian students suffered mental distress from their ideals of France, and of Paris in particular, not matching up with the actual lived reality of it. He may need to keep an eye out on it to steer her towards counseling if it proved to become an issue.
     Other than those concerns, Michelle came across as friendly, bright, and rather motivated to tackle the academic challenges she was going to face. So far her sessions had centered on addressing her syllabi and other course housekeeping concerns, cementing language and queries as to her food allergies, and getting more comfortable with thinking and conversing in French. Their last session was them simply conversing on their interests, hobbies, food preferences, and the like. Whenever they hit a snag, he switched back to English to smooth it over and used the breakdown as a teachable moment. Over the course of those two weeks, he found himself in better spirits after their sessions. He even found himself looking forward to those days he knew he had sessions with her. While not wanting to think too much on it, it was becoming evident he was nursing a crush on her.

Chapter Text

     In the hallway just outside the study rooms Michelle was sitting on a bench waiting. With her ear buds in and effectively blocking out the rest of the world, she was working on keeping her breathing even. She was anxious. The end of the third week of term was already creeping up on her. She had her paperwork firmly in hand. She was sure Felix would help her with this. He had made it clear he would help her with any issues she had regarding her time here, be it school-related or personal. While this eased her worries, she still needed to get things rolling with this.
     She was at a crossroads, and she was finally taking the first steps forward. One of her life goals had been to become fluent in French, and the best means of accomplishing that was through a year abroad in France. And, well, here she was. The next obstacle to clear was to determine whether she wanted to carry on with music or not. She’d been playing since she was 10, first with the violin and now with the viola. She was 20 now. She’d been playing and refining her skills for 10 years. At this juncture she could either elect to become a performer, a musician outright, or go a completely different direction. Even one that had nothing to do with music whatsoever.
     It occurred to her the best means of tackling this impasse would be to simply perform and see how she felt about the experience. She couldn’t really tackle this back home. There would be too much in the way of expectations, commitments, and pressure getting in the way. Here she would be free from all that. She would be just another person playing for money. Whether she decided to become a performer in an orchestra, a player in a band, or out on her own, this would essentially be what her life would revolve around. Stripping it down to its essence with busking would surely reveal whether this was really something she would enjoy focusing her life around.
     She had a year ahead of her. To gain fluency and proficiency in French and to figure out which direction she wanted to go. She already had her general education requirements fulfilled, so she would easily be in a position to transfer to whatever college or university back home she wanted to go to once she had it all figured out. And, if nothing else, this would hopefully provide her with some funds to supplement what she had, which wasn’t all that much considering.
     Her attention was caught by the opening of Felix’s study room door. She popped her ear buds out, gathered herself together, and made her way over as the student leaving was making his way down the hall. Felix stepped out, caught her eye and stated he’d be back in a few minutes. Michelle watched him leave as she made her way over. She entered the room and quickly settled herself on the chair opposite Felix’s, disregarding the mess on his desk.
     She took out her folders, one with her course materials and the other with the paperwork needed to apply for a busking license. As she was looking them over, Felix returned and settled himself.
     “Hello Michelle. How are we doing today?” he said while adjusting his frames.
     “I’m good. Have something a little different to address today.”
     “Oh.” He readjusted his seat to get more comfortable.
     Michelle flipped the forms she was looking over towards Felix.
     “I’m hoping to apply for a busking license, and here are the forms I found online about it. I was hoping you could help me with filling them out. I know where I need to go with them and such, so that’s not a concern.” Felix shuffled them closer, skimming them over quickly.
     “Busking? Why would you be interested in doing that? Are you in need of money?”
     She quickly shook her head while biting her lips, trying to figure out how to handle the question. “It’s nothing like that. I mean the extra money would be nice, but this is more so I can figure some things out.”
     He looked confused.
     “I’ve studied and played the violin and viola for a number of years now. I’m at a point where I need to decide what I’m doing.”
     “How is busking going to help with that?”
     “I need to perform and see what I think of the experience.”
     “Haven’t you already been doing that?”
     Michelle sighed and looked away. “Of course I’ve performed, but it’s not the same. It’s always been one aspect of my life, not the sum of it. If I follow this course, it would be the bulk of my life. I need to know if it will be enough for me. If it fits or not.”
     Felix looked at her, seemingly studying her for a few moments. Then he refocused his attention on the forms.
     “Where were you hoping to busk?”
     In reply she rolled off a number of nearby locations, including a few metro stations.
     “Are you prepared to audition for this license?”
     She faltered. “I…no. I didn’t think that was necessary.”
     “If you like you could play for a musician friend of mine. He could tell you whether you would pass muster or not. He’s played with groups that have busked in the past.”
     The dark cloud that had threatened to settle over her with that instantly dissipated with the lifeline he threw out, and Michelle found herself smiling brightly at him in gratitude. He really was going to be of help. Just like he said he would.
     “I’ll get in contact with him and set something up. Would you like me to text you or…?” he continued.
     “Text would be fine.”
     With that settled for the moment, the forms were set aside, and the rest of the session was spent on tackling various difficulties she was having with her coursework.

     While Michelle hadn’t been here terribly long, all the adjustments she had to make to accommodate her new life made her days interminably long and tiring. Everything from when she could take her meals to the amount of physical activity she was getting was a drastic shift from what she was used to. She was sure she was losing weight from it all. Being nervous about performing for Felix’s friend later made it difficult to eat, and now, out and about with Kylie and her new friend, Phillipe, she regretted not having had a proper meal. Thankfully, Phillipe was able to track down the address she was given. The two of them were up ahead, walking along the Seine, while she was trailing behind with her viola case on her back.
     It was clear from their jaunt to the bookstore earlier Phillipe was interested in more than just friendship, but Kylie was acting oblivious to it. It made Michelle wonder if Kylie was on the fence about him. While she had made it clear she wasn’t averse to potential French boyfriends during her year abroad, perhaps she hadn’t counted on it occurring quite so quickly. But that was Kylie, she was this embodiment of light and warmth that men, like moths, seemed to flock too. This was probably why she was more than eager to not only drag Michelle along but combine her outing with offering moral support for this performance.
     While catching up with the two, Michelle wondered why they were on the riverfront of all places. Things became crystal clear when the two stopped in front of a large houseboat and were now talking to a man with teal hair and piercings lounging on the deck. Her stomach clenched. Was this where she needed to be? She looked out to the water. Things were rather normal and still, not rough or anything. She’d probably be fine. Calm water wouldn’t make one seasick, right?
     As she arrived, Kylie and Phillipe turned towards her. Her worry must have been evident on her face as Kylie quickly asked what was wrong. Michelle bit her lip, but before she could answer, Felix made his way over.
     “I’m glad you made it. No problems finding your way here?” he asked in French.
     The three conversed while Michelle looked over the boat. Maybe it would be best to simply state her concerns and just get it out there. She fretted about it though. She didn’t like imposing.
     Clearing her throat to get their attention, she took a quick breath. “Would it be possible for me to perform out here on the walkway? I, uh, I don’t do well on the water.” She grimaced slightly, waiting for a reaction.
     “That’s quite alright. I’ll get some chairs, and we can stake out a spot. It will give us some time anyway as I’ve got some people coming over,” the teal haired man answered from on deck.
     While the men busied themselves with getting things set up, Kylie saddled up to Michelle while she was taking her case off.
     “So, which one of them is Felix, the blonde or the one with piercings?” she asked in English.
     “The blonde.”
     “I should have guessed.”
     “You’re incorrigible you know,” Michelle answered while opening her case. “So, are we still on the fence with Phillipe?”
     “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
     “You, and your trail of broken hearts,” she mocked in response.
     “Broken hearts? Isn’t it rather early in the day for that?” a female voice in accented English broke in.
     The two turned to see a short woman with multicolored dreadlocks eying them. She was flanked by a man with shaggy red hair and a petite half-Asian woman.
     Both Kylie and Michelle were taken aback, feeling sheepish. Neither of them had noticed their approach.
     After a beat or so of silence, the three started laughing, breaking the awkwardness of the situation.
     “What’s so funny?” the teal haired man asked, walking up to wrap his arm around the half-Asian’s waist.
     “Oh, just Mylene screwing with Felix’s new foreign friends,” she answered.
     “Don’t mind them. They’re harmless,” Felix said as he walked over. “We’re set,” he said gesturing to the semi-arranged array of mismatched chairs a short distance from the main traffic of the walkway.
     “Ivan and Rose will be coming shortly,” the red-haired man said as he made his way to grab a seat.

     Felix wasn’t amused by things. He was nervous as Michelle looked so out of sorts. Perhaps it was just her worry about having to perform on the boat. Perhaps she has problems with motion sickness. Well, with everything arranged and people settling down to behave, things should go more smoothly. He grabbed himself a seat.
     Michelle was prepping herself. She had gotten out a towel of some sort and positioned it on her shoulder to set the viola more comfortably against the crook of her shoulder and neck. Just as she was about to start, her face broke, revealing a state of agitation. Felix turned, seeing the brief look of concern Luka was sending his way. In glancing back at Michelle, he caught the eyes of Mylene and Nate, who seemed a bit confused. Wondering what the matter could be, he was caught off guard when Michelle’s friend quickly stood up and took a few steps towards her. Getting her attention, she locked eyes with her.
     “You’ve got this Mickey. You can do this. You’ve done it before. You can do it now.” All in English.
     Mickey. Is that her nickname?
     Michelle closed her eyes briefly and gave a brief nod. She took a deep breath, straightened herself, and a look of concentration fell over her features. Then she started. The notes floated off, slow, deep, and nostalgic. Recognition permeated as the melody established itself. It was the main theme from Howl’s Moving Castle. It was exquisite. She transitioned seamlessly into a set of other short songs, all of the same thematic nature. He wondered if they were all Ghibli pieces. After what seemed too brief a time, her viola stilled and she took a casual bow. The small gathering clapped loudly, sharing their enthusiasm and appreciation for her performance. She gave a small wan smile.
     Things had gone well. Michelle seemed relieved. Luka was sufficiently impressed and was currently chatting with her off to the side while the rest of the group mingled. Felix talked with Kylie, finally having been properly introduced. It would appear she and Michelle had been friends for a couple years, having met in college back in Chicago. The two had goaded each other into their current program, but alas, weren’t lucky enough to be roommates. Though Kylie felt more relieved about it than it would appear Michelle had been. She had tilted her head towards the viola case, and it became clear why she was relieved. Felix could only smirk in response while he turned to glance back at Michelle and Luka.
     Expecting them to be conversing still, he was surprised to see Luka and Marinette crouching in front of her while she sat heavily on a chair looking woozy. He started walking towards them, shifting Kylie’s attention to the scene. At his approach, Marinette left towards the houseboat.
     “What’s the matter?” he asked.
     Michelle was holding her head in her hands, looking like she wanted to hide.
     Luka looked up as he answered, “Just a bit light-headed. Went too long without something to eat. Marinette’s gone to fetch some snacks.”
     “Why didn’t you say something? We would have stopped for something before coming if you needed it,” Kylie admonished her in English.
     “I know…” Michelle sighed. “Just can’t seem to fall into a solid routine…the pace of life is just…ugh.” She covered her eyes.
     “Maybe you’re trying to do too much too soon. You need to ease yourself into things. That’s what they stressed in our orientation.”
     “We’re only here a year Kylie. It’ll slip by before we know it. I need to make the most of it,” she snapped back.
     “How are you going to make the most of it if you don’t take care of yourself? Lose yourself to burn out and culture shock,” she retorted.
      Felix took a slight step back, not knowing if this was going to erupt into a full-on argument. Marinette had come back and was trying unobtrusively to hand off a plate of fruit and lunch meats to Michelle. Luka had also put a bit of distance between himself and the two. Michelle took the plate and started slowly eating. Kylie huffed and looked off to the side. The air was thick with unresolved tension. Marinette and Luka slowly meandered off to mingle with the rest, leaving Felix in an awkward position. To leave now would openly acknowledge matters, which might set things off. Time ticked away and sensing that they weren’t even aware of him anymore, Felix slowly drifted off.

     Michelle finished off the last of the food on her plate. She was already feeling a bit better and the grumpy fuzziness of earlier was waning. She saw Kylie standing in front of her, looking off to the river. Phillipe was still off mingling with the others.
     “I’m sorry Kylie.” Kylie turned to look at her. “I think you’re right. I think culture shock is starting to get to me. But to be fair, this is all just a rather drastic change all around. I’ve only ever lived at home and making sure I had food wasn’t something I had to really deal with the same way.”
     Kylie sighed and slumped, like she had been expecting a fight and wasn’t sure she wanted to let it go.
     “I’m glad you’re feeling better. I just wasn’t expecting that.”
     “Neither was I to be honest. I wasn’t expecting to be anxious and paranoid about time going by so quickly. I can’t believe it’s been a month already. I’ve never felt time go by so quickly before. I’m scared I won’t get everything in that I want to,” Michelle said.
     “I don’t know what to tell you. For me, things have been going the normal pace. In fact, if I were being honest, it seems a bit slow at points.”
     The two looked at each other, not knowing what to take of each other’s stances on the matter. It was a strange impasse, and Michelle didn’t know what to do with it. It was a bit alienating to be honest. She knew that she and Kylie were two different sorts. It’s what made them work so well together and helped to ground each other. Now, however, it seemed to be slowly driving a wedge between them. Was she going to lose Kylie like she had lost Monica? She pushed the thought out of her head. It was just a trying time all around. No need to make it into something it probably wasn’t.
     Feeling more stable and wanting to get out of the awkward mess this had fallen into, Michelle slowly stood up, setting the plate on the seat of the chair.
     “We’d best go and socialize a bit before leaving. Not leave a bad taste in their mouth as it were,” Michelle rambled turning towards the group.
     “Probably a good idea. You up for this?”
     “No, but don’t really have much of a choice. What’s the saying, ‘Fake it til you make it’?”
     “Oh, there’s my little ray of sunshine,” Kylie replied sarcastically.

     Felix watched while the two slowly made their way back to the group. He had been keeping tabs on the two on and off while fielding questions from Mylene, Nate, and then Rose and Ivan when they arrived. Marinette and Luka had notified them of the situation with Michelle so most of these questions pertained to their relationship to Felix, his tutoring, and his time at university thus far. Phillipe joined in to fill in what he knew of the two as he was also a fellow student at the same university.
     Upon hearing talk of their university, Kylie seemed to have perked up and started asking questions once the two had settled back in. Michelle seemed to just hang back, listening attentively. Perhaps she was a shy wallflower type. Felix hoped she was feeling better and that they had patched up whatever had been going on with the two of them.
     He couldn’t even imagine what it must be like for the two of them. While fluent in English and having traveled to various places throughout Europe, he had never really had an abroad experience. He had never been uprooted and lived somewhere else. Dealt with language barriers or culture shock. His trips were day trips, vacations, idyllic dalliances. He had learned about culture shock as a matter of course for volunteering to work with international students. The tutoring program for these students was more nuanced than simple tutoring services. It was a holistic service meant to aid these students in their process of adjusting to and persevering in their studies and struggles in their new environment. Which inevitably meant being aware of where they were at in dealing with their culture shock and the potential impact it was having on their mental health so as to direct them to needed counseling services.
     “What does anyone here know about a Ladybug and Chat Noir?” Kylie asked in a lull in conversation that instantly froze everyone in place.
     How could she have found out about that? The incident only happened two, two and a half months ago. While everyone in Paris had been aware of it, it was something not addressed or brought up. There was a sense it was a fluke, considering the end of things some 18 years back. That a foreigner so new to Paris would know about this. How would she have known of this? This wasn’t news that would have gotten out of France if the government could help it.
     “What do you mean?” Marinette answered stiffly.
     “It’s a story that’s been cycling through the international student community the last week or so. It’s all really hush-hush. Everyone’s acting like it’s some kind of French conspiracy. I wanted to see if there was any truth to it as I’m sick of hearing about it. And the negativity surrounding it.”
     “Is that the one where people are claiming they’re superheroes?” Michelle snorted. “The Ladybug being the Spider-Man rip off and the Chat Noir being just a furry, sex fantasy brought to life?”
     Luka and Marinette seemed to grimace at this while the others quickly looked away. Kylie and Michelle didn’t seem to notice as they excitedly started swapping half truth, half nonsense stories about the incident that occurred.
     “Oh my god,” Michelle was busting a gut with laughter. “Did you hear about Chat Noir’s boomstick? I mean, really? People can’t seem to decide if they are afraid of him or want to be railed by him.”
     Rose chuckled at that, causing the others to shift a glare at her.
     Kylie and Michelle caught the action and looked around the group, facial expressions dropping.
     “Wait…is there actually something to all this?” Michelle squeaked out.
     “It’s a complicated and delicate situation, but there is in reality entities known as Ladybug and Chat Noir. However, whether it was truly them that were seen this past summer is not known. They were last active some 20 years ago when the city was menaced by supernatural terrors but disappeared after said terrors were seemingly defeated by them,” Felix answered slowly.
     “You’re kidding me,” Kylie replied. “This really happened. Why don’t we know about it? I mean, something like that, it should have been worldwide news.”
     “It was 20 years ago, and I’m sure the French government tried to keep it locked down as much as possible. Seeing that it was all limited to Paris and the Ladybug fixed whatever damage occurred, it’s not surprising that it wasn’t necessarily known beyond France at the time or thereafter.”
     “Is this something we need to worry about?” Kylie asked, a bit of fear edging into her voice.
     There was no immediate reply, and the group looked rather solemn. Not wanting the two to spiral considering the delicate nature of their position, Felix broke in, “Not necessarily. Paris isn’t on any alert, and it’s quite possible the incident in question was simply a fluke. Unlikely to happen again. In general, we aren’t concerned about the matter so there’s no need for you to be concerned about it either.”

Chapter Text

     Michelle and Kylie hadn’t stayed for any length of time after the brief distressing discussion on Ladybug and Chat Noir. It was odd, to say the least, but as no real talk on the matter was ever brought up again, either by Felix in tutoring or by any of her other foreign acquaintances, Michelle simply let herself be swept back up in her newly establishing life at university.
     Once she got her practice schedule set, both through busking and in the practice rooms on campus, things started getting easier for her. She was able to set a steady flow to the rhythm of her days, balancing her courses, her tutoring, and her meal breaks astride it. The most challenging aspect of her new life here was of course dealing with her food restrictions, but she had expected that. As a person with a wheat allergy who was also lactose intolerant, she often wondered why she didn’t consider the staples of the French diet when choosing a language to study when she was 15. She managed to get by, buying herself staples to make for herself in the small kitchenette her dorm afforded her and memorizing all the terms to search for on packaging and menus. She had also become well-rehearsed in the sentences and phrases she needed to use to communicate this situation to others.
     All in all, things were working out. She was enjoying her courses. She was starting to enjoy the culture and appreciate the ways in which it differed from her own. While it took getting used to, she found herself adjusting to the change of pace and the perspective shifts that were accompanying it. Friendships were starting to form with her and some of her classmates. She was proud that some of these new friends were with natives and not just with other foreigners. Although, she wasn’t sure quite what to do with Felix.
     It became clear to her over the following weeks he had a crush on her. To his credit, he kept things professional during sessions and was never out of turn. But he was just a bit too attentive, too happy to see her. At first, Michelle wasn’t sure if her perspective on the matter was accurate. Perhaps she was simply misreading him, cultural differences and all. But it never went away, the vibes she was getting from him. Deciding it wasn’t really worth worrying about as he never pushed for anything beyond simple friendship and assistance, she let it lie. They had a good thing going with the tutoring, and it was really helping her with her French and with her courses. Why rock the boat unnecessarily?
     The only downside was as busy as she was, she wasn’t able to spend nearly as much time as she wanted with Kylie. Going from seeing each other practically every day to maybe seeing her once a week was a hard adjustment. It didn’t help that Michelle seemed to be the one more affected by it than Kylie.
     Despite it all, Michelle often found herself lost in the aesthetics of Paris in fall, with the changing colors, the chill, and the novelty of it. Fall was always her favorite season. Her birthday was mid-November after all, so it would always hold a special place for her. Being here, now, in her dream country left her in a comatose state of amazement from time to time. She’d have to remind herself to breath.

     Winding out the last note of her song, Michelle slowly lowered her bow. There was the expectant applause by the people mingled nearby amongst the background noise of shuffling feet, the clang of tossed coins, and the general roar of metro life. She lowered her viola and shifted her shoulders. She was feeling achy. The cold of the evening was seeping in too much. She started packing up, feeling a dull ache behind her eyes and at the base of her skull. The stirrings of a headache were making themselves known. It was the end of the week, so she could allow herself a long lie in the following day.
     Once she was all settled and set to go, she started off on her normal route back to the dorms. While a longer route than she would normally lay out for herself, it was one she rationalized would be good for her to help her lose more weight. While she hadn’t normally thought of herself as overweight, the fact she was heavier than most her age here made her more self-conscious. She was embarrassed over the rather valid stereotype of the fat American she felt she fell into when comparing herself to the rather slender French women ubiquitous here.
     Trudging along the narrow streets, lost in the aches and pains she was feeling, Michelle had come to the conclusion she was coming down with something. At this realization she decided to take a rest. Moving off towards an alleyway entrance, she leaned against a wall dominated by an elaborately painted piece of street art. Closing her eyes, she sighed and tried to will herself to feel better before forcing herself to move on.
     She was startled from herself by a series of loud crashes echoing from down the alley. Opening her eyes in fright, thinking perhaps there had been some kind of accident, she was shocked to see what appeared to be building wreckage and two figures recovering from what must have been a fall from a great height. One was all in black with a shock of blonde hair and the other in bright aquamarine with hair to match. Worried and wanting to render aid, Michelle found herself walking hastily towards them.
     “What the hell?” an angry voice barked. It was the blonde as he was raising up, turning towards the other. His right arm was up and rubbing a point between his shoulder blades.
     “You’re welcome,” the other retorted. He was about to say something else when he stopped, focused on Michelle heading towards them.
     At this Michelle stopped. There was something about the man’s expression that wasn’t right. He looked annoyed, like somehow, she shouldn’t be there or have come to help them. At this the blonde turned his face, following the other’s line of sight. He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
     Michelle realized she wasn’t that far away from them, being able to make out the two a bit better. The man in all black appeared to be in a leather cat costume of all things, with a black domino mask covering the upper part of his face. The other was in an aquamarine body suit of some sort. It was scaled and seemed like an attempt to make the man look like a snake. He too had a matching domino mask covering his face as well. What kind of gay fetish couple had she stumbled upon, she shrieked internally. This was immediately followed by a fit of disbelief as it was clear they had obviously fallen from the roof with the remnants of what could only be a part of a chimney beside them.
     “Second Chance.”
     Knocked out of her reverie, Michelle’s eyes caught the snake man’s as his expression suddenly fell. He was then fidgeting frantically with what appeared to be a bracelet of some sort on one of his wrists.
     “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” the blonde seethed out. He wrestled the other’s wrist from his hand to take a closer look.
     Not wanting to know what was going to happen next and fear finally starting to kick in, Michelle turned and rushed out the alley and ran the rest of the way back to her dorm. This hadn’t happened. She didn’t see anything. Nothing odd happened to her this night. Nope, nope.

     The training was not going well at all. It got worse when Viperion knocked him off course, and he collided with a chimney stack. The two unceremoniously fell in a tumble down to the street. The landing wasn’t the greatest. He felt it shoot through his body, which was something he hadn’t experienced before with being Chat.
     “What the hell?” he retorted angrily as he reached to rub a sore spot between his shoulder blades as he rose up.
     He registered Viperion’s ‘You’re welcome’ and then saw his look of annoyance at something further down the alley. Following his line of sight, he sighed in exasperation and rolled his eyes. Just fucking great, some random civilian had seen them. A wide eyed dark haired chunky chick who seemed to have suddenly stilled in recognition of who they were.
     Viperion called out his Second Chance. His go to solution when such shit occurred during their bouts. However, his expression crinkled in apprehension shortly after when it became clear absolutely nothing was happening. Usually with being in such close proximity to the Snake, Adrien was also looped along with him during the trek back.
     Viperion was frantically fumbling with his bracelet. Adrien seethed out a ‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding me’, as he wrested the man’s wrist to see what he could make of the situation. It was precisely at this moment the chick high tailed it out of the alley, like a scared mouse. Within a beat of her disappearance, the spell suddenly clicked into place, and they were both whipped back to the roof of the warehouse they had started the evening at.
     They stood there in a brief moment of silence trying to process what the hell just happened. Nothing had ever interfered with the Second Chance incantation before.
     “What the hell was all that?” Adrien spat out in irritation. “Did you damage the bracelet in your fall somehow?”
     Viperion turned his wrist this way and that, scrutinizing the bracelet; however, there didn’t appear to be anything the matter with it. There wasn’t even a scuff or a scratch. Seeing as they were now 5 minutes in the past, they waited for the arrival of Ladybug. However, she never showed. Adrien took out his baton, flicking it to its communication setting. They were not in fact 5 minutes in the past.
     Showing Viperion the actual time he watched as the man chewed on his lip. A ping from his bracelet alerted him Ladybug noticed their changed position.

     The three were sitting on some crates in a secluded section of the upper floor of the warehouse.
     “We’re going to need to tell Fu about this. He might know what happened with the Second Chance,” Ladybug said solemnly.
     “Yeah, that will go swimmingly. What are you going to tell him about the civilian that saw us?” Adrien hissed out.
     Viperion took a deep breath distracting Ladybug’s retort. “We may not need to tell Fu about her. I know who she is.”
     Ladybug looked at him in alarm. Adrien was positive his eyes were going to roll out of his sockets by the end of the night. “Are you going to be telling the class?”
     “It’s Felix’s friend from tutoring,” Viperion said catching Ladybug’s eye. The two shared a knowing look. Adrien chewed his lip and looked away. While it had been some time since their breakup, he was still uncomfortable knowing she had hooked up with Viperion of all people after him. And what was the fucker’s real name again, Lucien? Ugh. It was all so hypocritical considering all the times she ate up his ear over worrying about the ramifications of the two of them dating with them being Ladybug and Chat Noir.
     That, along with the eventual nagging mixed in with the weird white knighting she had done knowing his fucking backstory, is it any wonder he started finding other girls to spend time with? Now, she and Viperion were giving him shit about his attitude and his fighting acumen. For fuck’s sake, they all have only had their miraculouses for what, eight damn months. Who the hell were they to be making fucking judgments? But best to just let them have their little power trip. Fu preferred them anyway.
     So, it would appear Felix knew the chick in question. Guess he needed to start cycling in his brother’s sphere again.
     “Chat,” Ladybug said a bit louder, jogging Adrien from his thoughts. “Do you think this is something you can look into?”
     “Why? It would appear the two of you already know her. Wouldn’t it be easier for you to inquire?”
     “That the specific reason we can’t. It’d draw suspicion,” she answered.
     Adrien shook his head. Ever the paranoid over thinker, but he didn’t want to get into it with Marinette. It was often more trouble than it was worth.
     “It’d be good to spend more time with your cousin…” he heard her start rambling off, getting into the overly familiar refrain of how he was adrift and spending time around straight-laced favored Felix would get him back on track again. Gods, this was so irritating.
     “How many times do I need to tell you…he’s my brother,” he hissed as he got up and took his leave of the two. Knowing she wouldn’t give him any rest for the remainder of the evening, he made a point of shooting off a message informing her he’d look into matters and get back to them when he knew more before he detransformed and made his way home.

Chapter Text

     It is never good when one wakes up and feels exhausted. Blinking blearily at the sunlight filtering through the curtains above her bed, Michelle groaned. Her head felt like a pillow overstuffed with down. Everything was spacey and diffuse. However, at the same time, she felt a dull pressure behind her nose and eyes and at the base of her head. Thinking was difficult and her body ached all over. She laid there, waiting to see if sleep would take her for a bit longer.
     Luck did not favor her it would seem. She sat up and her head throbbed with it. She was feeling clammy, perhaps she had a fever during the night that broke. Regardless, a quick shower should help and probably some painkillers. If she indeed had come down with something she would need to go out and get comfort food, medicine, and the like. Her weekend was thus already called for it would appear.
     The day shuffled by. Her roommate, upon seeing her, kept a clear distance and then later left for the majority of the weekend. Probably an attempt to avoid whatever Michelle came down with, which made sense considering how small the dorm suite was. She got what she could in terms of staples and medicine. The days blurred by - in pajamas, blankets, intermittent sleep, and endless odds and ends of online streaming to wile away the time.
     Her school week started, and while she wasn’t 100 percent yet, she felt she was good enough to get through. Thankfully, she no longer had the stuffed pressured head scenario she had before. No, it was replaced with her nose becoming a steadily flowing faucet of snot. Well, there were tissues for a reason. She got by as best she could and kept her distance from others. She cut out her practices and her busking to take well deserved rest. Halfway through the week, the runny nose finally left. The downside was the pressure was back, and she was sapped of energy. Perhaps it wasn’t a cold but a lingering flu.

     Michelle wasn’t looking good. Not at all. She was pale, glassy eyed, and her nose was red and puffy. Her hair was in disarray as well as her clothes, all wrinkled and stained. At some point in his explanation, she had turned away to look off at something. From there she seemed to have become lost in a seeming daze, her hand held just in front of her face with a crumpled tissue she had just used mere moments before clutched in it. Taking a closer look, he saw her brow covered in a light sheen of sweat. Perhaps she was running a fever.
     “Michelle?” Felix asked softly, trying to catch her attention.
     Silence. He rose and settled himself just beside her on the other side of the desk and tried again.
     She startled and looked over at him, a bit confused.
     “Uh…sorry, what was that?” she answered back in English.
     “You’re not looking good. Perhaps you should head home and get some rest.”
     She eyed him a bit warily. “I wish I could go home, but that’s an awfully long plane ride I don’t think I could handle right now.”
     “You know what I mean,” he replied gently, wondering where this had come from.
     She sighed and seemed to get a bit teary. “I miss them,” she said shakily, “not that they’d ever been great even when I was sick…but when I was little, they were better. My dad would watch old Disney movies with me. My mother would make me my own special chicken soup…I had my Eeyore with me…his smile would comfort me.”
     Felix listened carefully, noting the sadness in her voice. Being sick and away from everything. It must be hitting her hard. He noted her shaking intake of breath. She was trying to hold back tears. He grabbed his phone and sent off a quick text for Rose to come. It would be a good idea to have someone walk with her back to her dorm.
     “It’s really hard right now…It’s embarrassing,” her voice caught, and she struggled to regain herself, “I mean, I always realize on some level that I’m not home…that I’m a stranger in a strange land, but right now it’s overwhelming… I mean things are new, different, and unusual, but there’s been an excitement to it. Like I’m discovering this new land, a secret new place…now though, I don’t feel like I belong here. I feel alone. It’s too different. It doesn’t make sense. I just want things to make sense. To be how it has always been. I want my family. I want my places…my things.”
     She’d wrapped herself in her own arms, trying to hug and comfort herself. He could tell she was starting to shiver slightly. He would check her forehead, but he had noted her resistance towards anything beyond friendship in regard to him. The last thing he wanted to do was make her any more uncomfortable than she already was. It had become clear she probably had a high fever. She was obviously not doing well with whatever illness she was down with. The fact she had been speaking English the entire time was telling as she had always striven to speak entirely in French if she could do it.
     They were both distracted from their thoughts by a soft knock on the door. Excusing himself, Felix rose to open it. Pulling it ajar, he saw Rose standing there looking expectant. He quickly stepped through, forcing her to step back.
     “Michelle is in a bad state. I think she should go to the clinic to get looked at. She appears to be rather feverish. Could you take her there and accompany her back to her dorm? I still have two other students before I can get out.”
     “Sure, of course. I’m sorry to hear it. It must be rather hard, with her being so far away from home and family.”
     “Yeah, it’s kind of doing a number on her. I think she would really benefit from some kind company,” he looked at her pointedly. Rose smirked and nodded her head.
     With some coaxing, he was able to get Michelle to go with Rose to the clinic. There was a bit of protest at the start but with a look from both him and Rose she acquiesced. With a quick bye and a promise from Rose to text him how things went, he watched them leave. He sighed and hoped she’d be on the mend from this point on.
     He hated seeing her like that. Maybe he could start trying to rope her into some outings with him and his friends. She said she had made some friends, but he hadn’t heard her say anything about outings and the like. Perhaps they were just familiar faces in her classes and nothing more. If she could get out more, she’d probably be better off. She could get more integrated and make better connections. That should help even off some of the bad aspects of culture shock that had started seeping through.

     Michelle was feeling awful, vulnerable, and like a lost little girl. The whole ordeal was rather embarrassing, but despite how uncomfortable she was, Rose was a solid, reassuring presence throughout. It turned out she had a bad sinus infection. The doctor believed she had gone through a bout of the flu and, in not recovering fully, had ended up with a sinus infection. She was given some antibiotics and advised painkillers to combat her fever.
     While walking back to her dorm, Rose offered to stay with her for the evening. She felt Michelle could use the company. As she was in no real state to argue with Rose about it, Michelle comforted herself with the thought of how a low-key night in watching Disney flicks wouldn’t actually be all that bad. It’s not like she had anything of real note planned. All that was on the docket was eating, taking her medications, and laying about.
     Shortly after coming back, Michelle warmed up some leftover soup for herself and Rose. Rose declined. Her friend, Nate, who she just invited over for the night, was coming with some takeout for the two of them. Feeling weirded out by Rose’s rather forward behavior, but not wanting to make a big deal out of it, she simply ate her soup and took her medications. The rest of the night passed rather pleasantly, and while nothing memorable happened, she could admit she started feeling better. In more ways than just physically.

Chapter Text

     Adrien laid on his bed with his eyes cracked open, slowing coming to terms with the fact he overslept. Thankfully, it was Saturday, and he didn’t have to be anywhere anytime soon. However, this didn’t do anything for his overall dour mood. It was as though simply being awake and needing to busy himself with life had set him off. There wasn’t even a memory of a pleasant dream wisping away to offer explanation for the funk.
     He roused himself and made his way to the bathroom. It would appear Felix was already up and out for the day as there were no signs of it having been recently used. It was an odd thing really, the two ending up in an apartment together after graduation. It wasn’t a secret how poorly Felix thought of Adrien. Its ubiquitous presence strained their relationship throughout college and lycee. Now with university on the horizon and the likelihood of no more comparisons being made between them anymore, Felix seemed to have let his animosity slide. Or he was simply bowing down to the merits of practicality. They would both save expenses by bunking together. They weren’t going to the same university, and as such, they weren’t going to cross paths often. This was an optimal solution.
     In the end, none of it really mattered to Adrien. He, himself, never really had a problem with Felix. In fact, he was rather envious of him. He got to be a person. A person that was seen for who he was, warts and all. Adrien, on the other hand, he wasn’t sure what he was seen as. All he knew was that it wasn’t as a proper person or for himself. People saw what they wanted to see, if they weren’t looking straight through him to something else entirely. As if he were a mist obscuring something deeper and more profound beyond.
     The shower was going, and he was drowning himself underneath it. So far, with the semester well and underway, the two hardly had any contact. Occasionally, they would be home at the same time for a meal, but that was getting rather rare. He knew he needed to get back into Felix’s sphere. The girl in the alley was one of his students. He knew it had to be one of the international students, but he couldn’t remember much of what Felix had initially told him about them. He wondered if he would need to get a hold of Rose and crash one of their gaming sessions to get an in back into his rhythms. The problem with that though is he didn’t have a relevant reason to be there. He didn’t game, preferring to go clubbing instead.
     He turned the shower off, slinked out, and quickly dried off while walking back to his room. Perhaps he could invite his brother out to one of Nino’s upcoming gigs to hang out. Maybe he would actually get traction with it if it was proposed as a group outing with Ivan, Mylene, Rose, and that new guy, the artist, they recently met. Wasn’t that one of Marinette’s friends? Adrien shuddered a bit. It was weird to think that despite having broken up there were still ties to Marinette lingering back to him, through his brother and his social circle no less. He didn’t really know what to think about that so quickly pushed it aside.
     While shrugging on a clean pair of pants, he heard the front door open and voices in the living room beyond. Thinking maybe he was in luck; he grabbed the first shirt he could find and tugged it on. As he opened the door to the hall leading towards the front of the apartment, he spotted Felix’s confused expression as he strode down.
     “Didn’t think you’d still be home. Sleep in later than usual?”
     Closing the door gently behind him, “Happens occasionally. What brings you by? Don’t you have a game this afternoon?”
     “Yeah, but needed to stop by to get some stuff as Michelle is tagging along today.”
     “Michelle?” Adrien’s voice rose as he debated whether to tease his brother on this or not.
     “Why don’t you be a good host and go engage her in conversation while I get what I need out of my room. That way you can kill your curiosity and be of use to me at the same time,” Felix shot back in mild annoyance.
     Adrien smiled while shaking his head at him as he turned to walk towards the living room. Felix huffed off, slightly less belligerent about matters. As he entered the living room he spotted her, back facing him as she was studying the framed family pictures set on the bookcase next to the TV. She was short, with dark brown hair, wearing a rather baggy sweatshirt over faded fitted jeans. Clearing his throat to notify her of his presence, she slowly turned around to take him in.
     He recognized her almost immediately, and as such, did his best to swallow back the surprise he knew must have come over him. While trying to school his expressions and calm himself back down, she was nattering something to him, gesturing to the picture frames on the bookcase she had been looking at. Well, things were working out in his favor as this Michelle was in fact the girl he and Viperion had stumbled upon in the alley. Maybe dealing with this wasn’t going to be as difficult as he had feared.
     Waiting for an appropriate point to say something, while trying to attend to what the overall topic of what she had been addressing had been, probably about his family connection to Felix, he finally just jumped in.
     “So, how long have you known Felix?” he asked. A fairly innocuous question, not likely to be too off topic.
     “Not long, since the beginning of term. He’s my tutor,” she replied, though she looked uncomfortable.
     Deciding to barrel along despite matters, he followed up with “Are you a gamer as well? Looking for a group to play with?”
     Michelle gave him a bit of a queer look but replied, “No, not really. I’ve not gamed before, but Rose invited me. She said Felix and Nate would be there as well.”
     “You know Rose. She’s a mother hen. Michelle had been sick, and Rose wanted to lift her spirits and thought gaming with us would help with that. You know how she can be,” Felix joined in as he walked in with a bag on his shoulder looking ready to leave.
     Adrien turned to look at him, wondering if perhaps Felix was trying to fix Michelle up with Rose. It wouldn’t be out of character for him. He had done it once before towards the end of lycee. Having realized he and Rose would never be, but wanting her to be happy, he had tried to set her up with a fellow classmate. If he remembered right, it was Sabrina of all people. It didn’t work out, but thankfully the whole affair hadn’t destroyed their friendship. Why would he be trying to do it again?
     “Is that so? I’m sorry to hear you’ve been sick. I hope this helps you get out of that funk,” Adrien said sweetly turning back to look at Michelle.
     Michelle simply smiled and nodded her head, seemingly at a loss of what to say. Felix walked over to her, reaching out to grab her elbow. “We’d best be going. We’re running late.”
     “Alright.”
     “It’d be nice if you came around again. Have a proper hang out. We could all watch a movie or play cards,” Adrien said.
     As Felix opened the door to leave, he turned his head to give his brother a confused look. Adrien knew he had thrown his brother off. He never really socialized with him or his friends, but he needed to throw it out there. He needed a means of keeping in contact with her and figuring out how things fared. He’d figure out how to address it with Felix at some later point.
     A moment passed and Felix’s eyes scrutinized him, seeking some rational reason for his brother’s interest in Michelle. Just as it appeared as though he was going to respond, Michelle had beaten him to it.
     “That would be nice. We should figure out something at some point.”
     Adrien beamed a smile back at her. She smiled back and then turned, walking out the opened door in front of Felix. Felix shot him one last queer expression and then walked out and closed the door behind them.
     Facing the now closed door, Adrien sighed. Well, that could have been worse, but hopefully he now had an in. If he could get Felix on board, they could have a few social outings together. He could determine what was going on with her, address it if there was going to be an issue, and then move on. The whole affair could be wrapped up within a few weeks. Then things could get back on track. On track to what, he wasn’t quite sure, but to things being better than what they had been.

     Days slowly passed and with them the haze of sickness and the feelings of being lost and helpless. While still not on great footing, Michelle was at least gaining some ground on feeling more like her normal self. Well, as much as she could considering the shifting cultural footing she found herself on. Thankfully, Felix and her new text buddy, Rose, didn’t draw attention to her off behavior, and for that she was grateful. She was already embarrassed enough as it was, being the foreigner.
     Since the day of the clinic visit, Rose had been texting on and off throughout the day. Michelle could only assume she had gotten her number from Felix. She could have gotten upset at the intrusion of it all, but Rose was a very sweet and motherly sort. It was something she found she needed, though she felt horrifically immature at the realization.
     Kylie and her hadn’t kept in contact over the time of her sickness, and her absence made it abundantly clear Michelle was the one upholding their relationship at this point. She wasn’t sure why Kylie was drifting off. Maybe her and Phillipe had actually blossomed into something. Maybe Kylie was simply busy, getting swept up in her own life and her own concerns. But the lack of contact still hurt. Were they really not as close as she had assumed? Had Kylie merely been putting up with her all this time? Maybe she was simply sick of her clingy nature.
     Thankfully, such thoughts were getting disrupted rather easily as Michelle found herself easing back into her earlier rhythms. She would get distracted with her busking, with her tutoring, and, truth be told, with her developing friendship with Rose and her attempts at roping Michelle into more social outings with her friend group. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to branch out. To engage in some activity that would take her out of herself, so she wasn’t dwelling on what if’s with Kylie, her dissonance at being in a foreign place, or her longings for home.
     The result of all this led her to her current situation, walking along with Felix while he was directing them back to his place to pick up some odds and ends he forgot to take with him for their gaming that night at Nate’s. It hadn’t ever occurred to her that Felix would be someone who walked so fast, but then again, he was in a hurry. Michelle was having a bit of a time trying to keep up with him, with his height and his long legs leaving her slowly behind. She briefly reprimanded herself on the setback her walking regimen had taken due to her illness and then snapped back at herself that European standards for fitness and beauty could just stuff it where the sun doesn’t shine.
     The whiplash of such heavily opposing thoughts and self-snark left her chewing her lips in agitation. Thankfully, with Felix ahead and distracted, she hadn’t had to worry about what impression she was leaving. The one awful thing about trying to settle and fit in was how horribly self-conscious she had become. It was quite aggravating as she had finally managed to break free of such mental tortures at the start of college two years back, and here she was, falling back into the horrors of self-doubt and recrimination. But, really, how could she not with trying to grapple with the foreignness of everything-from how she looked to how she conducted herself to how she interacted or failed to interact with anyone not themselves foreign or whose role was immersed with such people.
     Thankfully, they had made it to the building in question. Not spying an elevator and seeing the back of Felix as he trekked up the stairway, Michelle quickly followed, hoping his apartment wasn’t on too high a floor. While she was much better than she had been about all the walking and stair climbing, it wasn’t something she was necessarily thrilled by. This resignation about the reality of the moment of course kicked off internal strife as she fought with being angry about the differences between home and here in that regard and anger at herself about being such a whiny, fat American about the whole affair.
     Unaware as Felix was to her situation, once he reached his apartment, he simply left the door open while he transversed into the room beyond it to some hallway further in, probably to his room for all she knew. Trying to not read too much into things, Michelle walked in and closed the door behind her gently. She walked gingerly into the space, gravitating to the bookcases near the television where she spied framed photographs. She smiled softly to herself as she looked them over.
     She spied what was probably Felix’s mother and father, proper respectable looking sorts, not too different from her folks, and what took her by surprise, an apparent twin brother. In a photo of just the two of them, she gazed at the two blonde boys. They were probably 12, maybe 13, all gawky and awkward. The pair of green eyes catching her attention but with wildly different expressions belying each. One, serious and stoic seeming, with prim style and bearings. The other, goofy and silly, with wild tousled hair, and an overall messy bearing. She silently wondered if all twins ended up being so drastically different from each other as a matter of course.
     She was disturbed from her mental musings by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her. She turned around expecting Felix and was surprised when it was the twin in question. Feeling flustered, while also at the same time aware she needed to say something, she started talking about the photos she had been looking at, adding how the two of them were twins.
     It was rather odd as it soon became clear to Michelle that the gentleman in question either didn’t understand what she was saying (she didn’t think her accent was that much of an issue, she hadn’t had problems before) or was simply not paying attention. She wasn’t really sure which option was worse truthfully. Before she could really think about it any further, he surprised her with a question about her relationship with Felix and then another about gaming. It left her in a rather sour spot as it became evident he hadn’t paid much attention to what she had been talking about.
     Thankfully, Felix arrived, but as quickly as her relief at his presence came it left with his explanation of what Rose was hoping to accomplish with her invite in the first place. It would appear Rose simply pitied her and was using her ‘help’ to probably feel better about herself. Michelle simply let the feeling sink. There wasn’t much she could do about it. This was just how people were with her. There was nothing to be done about it. And of course, the twin in question had to jump on the same bandwagon even extending an offer to socialize at some future point as well. Felix interceded with the need to get going, but to not be completely impolite and leave things on a weird footing, she gave what she felt would be a sufficiently vague, glib answer to his invitation. Once done she was more than happy to leave with Felix.
     She idly wondered while sitting in the cab on the ride over to Nate’s if her presence tonight was something Felix really wanted. He was acting out of sorts and was in such a rush to get to his place earlier. Perhaps with things between them not proceeding how he had hoped, this imposition on his private life was something he didn’t really want. It was clear to Michelle that he and Rose were good friends. So perhaps he was just putting up with it to not offend her. Though, was this really ‘just putting up with it’?

     The experience of that night of gaming was one she wouldn’t forget. While she had never role-played before, the group was very welcoming and helped her out with it. They had sidelined their normal game to come up with one for her to play with them. It turned out Felix had stopped at his place because he had toy figures they could use as avatars for their characters in lieu of miniature figures. There was even an Eeyore figure, which she selected as her avatar to play with.
     The game was fun, and she lost herself in that world for the hours they played. While she had initially been put off by Felix’s explanation of Rose’s behavior, she found her irritated state quickly fell away. Nate was shy but kind. Ivan and Mylene were fun and silly. Felix, who she had only ever really interacted with as her tutor, was warm, friendly, and ever his helpful self. Michelle found herself letting loose, allowing herself to simply be unapologetically her, and it felt nice. It was a reprieve she hadn’t realized she needed.

     Felix was trying to calm and sort himself during the entire cab ride over to Nate’s. Adrien’s sudden interest in his life and specifically with Michelle was vexing him. It was an irritation that left him with a sense of unease. What was Adrien trying to accomplish here? Was it simply to fluster and bother him as was his custom from time to time? The simple sibling nature to get under his skin because it amused him to do so. He found himself shaking his head at random points.
     While he was acutely aware that he himself had asked Adrien to interact with her while he was getting the figurine situation sorted, he wasn’t comfortable with how upset it made him. He hated the fact he was jealous of Adrien, of how easily he fell into relationships, or rather flings with such gorgeous women. That women found him so enticing and would flock to him. Felix was well aware of his crush on Michelle. As he was aware of the fact she really wasn’t interested in anything more than friendship with him. It was disheartening, but as he had learned from his experience with Rose, being a friend was just as worthy a relationship to have.
     What was probably driving him to such vexations was the potential of Adrien and Michelle being together. Of the horrible sting of having his crush, his interest, being taken by his brother when it was clear he would never have a shot with her. Even the inkling of such thoughts brought about a rather damning sense of shame in himself. She wasn’t his. She can go and do whatever makes her happy. His wants, needs, and feelings on the matter don’t pertain. They shouldn’t. But damn, did he not want it to be Adrien.

     Thankfully, once they were at Nate’s and getting things set and underway, his vexations melted away. Nate had decided to be the game master for the night as he had a run of inspiration from watching Disney flicks at Michelle’s. Felix was grateful as he had been running the games for the last several months in an attempt to get through the last of a campaign module. He definitely needed a break.
     It was a fun sabbatical from the more serious and heavy nature of their usual campaigns, and everyone was able to be silly and more spontaneous. Mylene and Ivan were having a rather wild time of it, letting loose and being outrageous. Rose was channeling her inner Twilight Sparkle, with figurine to boot. He had settled with the Evangelyne figure from Wakfu.
     Rose sent him a rather bemused smirk when they saw Michelle select the Eeyore figure. He found he had to look away as he knew what she was probably thinking. She had mentioned how Nate had drawn her an Eeyore after learning it was one of her favorite characters. Not wanting to be outdone, he made a point of finding and acquiring an Eeyore figure. Once it arrived, however, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with it. Giving it to her would be awkward as it became clear in the intervening time, they were only going to be friends. It might make her uncomfortable. Thankfully, with this game he had lucked out. She saw it, was using it, and it seemed to make her happy. That’s all that really mattered in the end.
     While the one shot was a rather pedestrian affair, it was enjoyable. Michelle seemed to really get into it. Perhaps they will make a gamer out of her after all. Though they would probably need to start her off with a rather easier system to start with. He was getting ahead of himself here. It was just so nice to see her smile. To see her eyes so bright and filled with mirth. It was such a nice change from the gloom and malaise her sickness and culture shock had left her with.

Chapter Text

     Michelle didn’t really know what to think. It was one thing for Rose to have gotten her number from Felix, but another for his brother as well. The whole situation just sort of unnerved her. While it was true that her relationship with Felix was still in the weird limbo between tutor and potential friend, it was strange he had never mentioned family before, nor the fact he was a twin. But then again, maybe she was over thinking this. The fact he may still be nursing a crush on her wasn’t helping matters. How much about him does she really need to know? Isn’t she being rather presumptuous? However, who else could his brother have gotten her number from. God, did Felix even know?
     At first, she thought someone had texted her by mistake, not recognizing the name nor the number. It was an innocuous enough message, just asking how she was. She thought nothing of it and simply ignored it, thinking the person would get the hint. However, it didn’t detract the person as they had sent little whimsical messages and the occasional funny meme over the last day and a half. The picture of him groggily drinking a coffee in front of a cafe sent that morning with a self-deprecating joke sent a jolt through her. At first, she thought it was Felix, but that made no sense considering he was already a contact on her phone. It then hit her that it was his twin brother, who she still didn’t know the name of.
     Wondering why he, of all people, would be interested in her, she dashed off a quick reply asking if he and his brother were pranking her. The reply was rather instant. He was not in fact pranking her, and Felix wasn’t involved whatsoever. Still perplexed by the situation, she asked his name and quite bluntly what his interest in her was. While she normally wouldn’t have done such a thing, she just wasn’t in the mood to deal with the strangeness of it all, whether it was really, just simply a strange situation or a matter of cultural misunderstanding.
     His reply was quite polite and open. He was simply wanting to learn more about her as Felix had talked of her on and off, and he thought she would be interesting to get to know. Nothing more to it. He even extended an invitation to come have lunch with him the next day. He suggested meeting at one of the metro stations near the university. Michelle hadn’t answered back and was at a loss for how to respond. The fact Adrien had heard of her from his brother…it may mean Felix was still nursing his crush. How would he feel about her going to see him? Was Adrien simply wanting to be friends? To see who this crush of his brother’s is? Or, like his brother, does he have more romantic interests in her as well?
     Michelle shook her head to try to dispel such notions. What the hell? She really was getting delusional. First of all, the two were twins. They both looked practically the same, except for their style. She had no idea what Adrien was like as a person. While she liked Felix, she didn’t have romantic notions towards him. He was her tutor for goodness sake. Knowing, while not truly knowing, he had a crush on her made her uncomfortable. She didn’t view him that way, and the whole idea just made her stomach bottom out.
     She knew she wasn’t a catch. That she didn’t really have anything to offer a potential partner. It would be transactional at best or a case of pity. It wouldn’t last. How could someone really want her? She wasn’t pretty. She was plain. Had always been plain. Now, being here, in one of the fashion capitals of the world, with all these beautiful, thin French women, she felt like an ugly, fat American. She wasn’t rich. She didn’t have style. All she had was her talent for playing the viola and violin. Hells, she couldn’t compose music, not anything that was worth a damn. She still didn’t even know what she was going to do with herself or her life. Was she going to perform or was she perhaps going to teach? Shit, the only thing she had going for her was her quick progress in French, which while being in France amounted to squat. Ugh.
     Well, Adrien seemed genuine and nice. She wanted to stay on good terms with Felix. Maybe meeting up with him won’t be so bad. It would be nice to have friends. Hanging out with Rose, Felix, and their friends had helped her to feel more stable. It was making up for the fact she hadn’t been able to spend as much time as she would have liked with Kylie. She and Phillipe were officially going out now. Kylie seemed so happy. It just made Michelle feel awful.
     It also fanned the flames of her jealousy. While she had always wanted to come to France to study and master French, the reality of being able to do so with one of her good friends (the only one, really, since Monica) had made it miraculous. Now, however, she was on her own. All alone and struggling with culture shock and isolation. The only lifelines she could find looked to be potentially problematic and not as secure as she would want.
     Taking a deep breath to quell and shove down the surge of unpleasant emotions threatening to overwhelm her, she rationalized the need to make due with what she had. To tread lightly and carefully so as to avoid drama and misunderstandings as best she could. There wasn’t anything else to be done. Perhaps Adrien would be a safer friendship to foster, especially if he wasn’t interested in her in that way. She nodded her head as if giving reassurance to herself while she typed out her agreement to meet. It will all be okay, one way or another, she repeated to herself as she set off for her day.

     Adrien heard the ping of her reply while he was finishing the last of his notes from the chapter he was reading. He set the book down as he turned the phone upright to face him. He quickly glanced down the other end of the otherwise empty bench he was at in the library to ensure he wasn’t disturbing anyone. He quickly skimmed her reply and softly smiled to himself.
     Well, that worked out better than he had hoped. He hadn’t expected her to be so cold and defensive when she finally replied. It made him briefly wonder about the nature of her and Felix’s relationship. But when she asked for his name and his purpose, it became clear Felix hadn’t mentioned him to her before their meeting at the apartment. He filed that nugget away to be pondered upon another time. It also bespoke of her immediate suspicion of him and in its own way her familiarity with his brother.
     If his brother had not spoken of him to her, him having her phone number and then texting out of the blue, even though they had technically met, would honestly garner suspicion. But the fact she thought Felix and him were working together to pull some kind of prank on her also spoke volumes as well. It had been ages since Felix had pulled a prank, but as far as he knew, he never did with girls. It was his close gaming pals or people he felt needed to be taken down a peg or two. Had the two of them gotten close enough for her to perceive this now deeply buried trait of his brother’s? And how come Felix never mentioned her? And here he thought they were bridging their differences and trying to be closer.
     How was Felix able to have someone who he just met a month or two ago be able to see him so quickly? And to see that aspect of him? One that wasn’t at all on the surface? Adrien felt himself grimace. People thought him a playboy. It was true he caught a girl’s eye easily. He’d show a little interest, and many would start to chase after him. He liked the attention. He could admit it. The adoration, the focus on getting to know him, to please him. It was a high, and it was pleasant. However, he didn’t have relationships. He had flings, purely physical. He couldn’t dare anything else.
     He knew Felix looked down on him for his many short-lived flings despite the veneer of jealousy he projected about it. While Felix hadn’t managed to have an actual mutual relationship yet, he did love Rose despite her not feeling the same towards him. They had had a close enough relationship where he could actually fall in love with her. And, to Felix’s credit, he was able to transform that love into altruism instead of jealous suffering and spite. He tried to set her up with someone else so she could be happy. Adrien was still in awe of it. It was a mess, but they were still good friends even after all of it. Felix took it all for granted.
     However, all that was neither here nor there. The whole point of this was to get a sense of Michelle and to gauge if she was going to be a potential threat for him and Viperion. Truth be told, things had been quiet on that front, and Adrien didn’t think it would even be an issue. If she was going to tell, she would have done it by now. But he knew how Marinette was. She wouldn’t rest unless he had proof to lay before her. He figured he would have all he needed with lunch, and it would be done. He’d report to Marinette and things would go back to normal.

     Michelle was worried as she power-walked down the street. After agreeing to meet up with Adrien, he had given her more details as to when and where. There was a specific small bookstore he wanted to meet in front of. It wasn’t too far from the metro station he frequented to get to that part of Paris. After consulting various maps, it became clear to her that Adrien didn’t go to the same university as her and Felix. She figured their apartment must have been a compromise to put both of them within somewhat comfortable distance between their two separate institutions. Well, at least what she figured would have been the case.
     Paris wasn’t at all like the greater Chicago metro area. Public transportation was more of a thing, as was walking. It threw her understandings of time and distance apart. At first the novelty and difference of it all was thrilling and exciting, but now there were times when it just vexed her. Things were crowded and dense, making it difficult. Things were technically closer, but sometimes it took an awful long time to get anywhere anyway. Not having a car and needing to carry stuff around was sheer hell at points.
     It all tied into how things were just done differently here. There was less space overall. The fridge her and roommate used. It was a college dorm fridge at best. The overall kitchen and cook space, claustrophobic at points. Almost no real pantry space. She had to store stuff under her bed. It meant having to get staples and shop more frequently. It was expensive and she couldn’t really buy in bulk. It was frustrating compared to what she knew back home. But she would have to admit, this was the first time she was really living the more expected college lifestyle. In the States she was living at home with her folks and commuting to college. As such, she hadn’t had to deal with such things as shopping, cooking, and fending for herself the same way. God, she was such a whiner. So immature.
     She double checked her directions and chewed her lip in frustration when she realized she was on the wrong side of the street she needed to be on. Thankfully, she had left early so that meant she still had time to find a means of crossing the street. While she lived and studied in what amounted to be the suburbs of Chicago, it was still pretty dense. She would take day trips to downtown Chicago, and she would hate it after a while. All the people, the busy streets, trying to navigate it, be it on foot or car. It was a headache. Paris at points was the same and she would irritatingly berate herself for choosing a program in Paris instead of elsewhere in France. But this was the best she found for her purposes and had the bonus of being one Kylie was interested in. Not that it mattered in the end anyway, the experience wasn’t at all measuring up to what she had hoped it would be in that department.
     Thankfully, she was now on the right side of the street, and if she was correct, she was coming up on the bookstore in question. She smiled and perked up when in the distance she saw a blonde man leaning against the wall conversing with a dark-haired woman. Maybe Adrien was already here, she thought cheerfully. But as she got closer it quickly became clear that the two weren’t having an amiable conversation. From the gestures of the two, volume, and tone of voice, it appeared to her they were having a spat of some sort. She slowed up and moved out of view, keeping tabs as to the progression of things. She was out of earshot, so she had no idea what they were talking about but from the facial expressions and then their aversions to each other’s eye lines, it wasn’t going well.
     She stopped and became engrossed with some advertisements on the wall, giving the two time to finish before she would arrive. Something must have happened because when she turned to eye the status of things, the woman was stalking her way. As Michelle was registering this fact, she became astonished as recognition hit her of who the woman was. She couldn’t remember her name, but she was Luka’s girlfriend from the audition. Feeling on the spot and frazzled by the recognition, she turned and huddled out of the way as the woman passed her by. After a moment, she turned to see the back of the woman leaving. She then turned to see if Adrien was still where he was.
     He in fact was. He was leaning his back against the wall, covering his face with his hand. He looked completely dejected. The world was a small place at times and that fact would mystify Michelle. It was all really dumb when you gave the matter any serious amount of thought though. Felix and Adrien were brothers. As a matter of course their social circles were bound to overlap, especially as they were living together and were still rather young. Had there been an age difference between the two or if they were living separately, then you wouldn’t expect such an overlap. However, the fact that this specific connection between the two was one that wasn’t going well for Adrien was concerning, especially with his reaction to it.
     A sudden thought hit Michelle as she gave him some space to recover himself. She had thought that Luka and this woman were together, but perhaps she was wrong. Perhaps Adrien and her were something. She shook her head. She really needed to stop eavesdropping on other people’s gossip, be it her roommate’s with her specific friend group or what was going on with the other expats at the international group’s gatherings. She didn’t know why she still attended the rare ones she was able to get to. People had already formed their cliques, which she wasn’t a part of, and the hangouts were really just bar hopping anyway. But it was something, a feeling of belonging to a rag tag group of people who themselves didn’t really fit in. It helped in its own twisted way. But that was neither here nor there. At the moment she was there to meet Adrien, and right now, it looked like he could use a friend.

     Marinette was so vexing at points. While she was the one who broke up with him due to all of his supposed character defects, she would still occasionally succumb to what he could only really decipher as jealousy tears. Yes, he was dressed up today. Yes, he was meeting with the girl Viperion and him stumbled upon in the alley to see how the state of affairs were, not that it was really an issue as nothing had come from it. No, for the love of God, he wasn’t trying to seduce her. What the hell? Yes, he had spent time with other girls towards the end of their relationship, but he hadn’t done anything with any of them. He just needed a respite from her constant bullshit.
     He railed back at her as to the gall she had to constantly denigrate his character when things were clearly over between them, and how she couldn’t get past things. She needed to grow up and figure out how to put her personal feelings aside as they were partners, group mates at this point. They needed to work together, and he wasn’t going to put up with her character assassinations anymore. The final straw that sent her huffing away was threatening to go to Fu to put an end to the matter. A dick move on his part, he will readily admit, but Fu was the only person that put the fear of God in Marinette and knocked the immature drama off her radar.
     He was getting quite tired of it all. These ideas people had of him. His supposed reputation. Either people thought of him poorly and superficially or they didn’t think of him at all. It was quite a shit place to be all told. What was so wrong with him? He didn’t think there was anything inherently wrong or defective about him. It was like he was some kind of mirror. People saw what they wanted to see or some aspect of their own reflection they didn’t like. However, he was the one who bore the brunt of their misperceptions as well as their ire at what they saw. It often made him wonder what exactly Marinette’s deal was. What demons and issues were she struggling with that she felt the need to project onto him?
     Adrien decided he wasn’t going to get anywhere with this line of thinking and decided to calm himself down with some deep breathing. He covered his face with his hand and leaned back against the wall. As he breathed, he felt his tension start to lessen. He felt a cool, dry breeze, reminding him that winter was just around the corner. Things slowly became lighter, easier. He’d get through this, like he has time and time again.

     “Adrien?”

     It was said in a soft inquiring voice, as if the speaker was afraid of the reaction it would get. He looked up over his hand to see Michelle standing a few feet in front of him with a concerned sad look on her face. He dropped his hand and offered her a smile. No reason to start this outing on the wrong foot.
     “You made it,” he replied cheerfully, taking a glance over her. She was wearing corduroy pants paired with a ribbed turtleneck and cardigan. She was warm, friendly, and casual. Like the embodiment of a mug of warm apple cider.
     “Yeah, though I was initially on the wrong side of the street. Thankfully, I managed to get over here without being too late.” She sighed and pursed her lips like she was hesitating on a course of action. “Are you alright?” she breathed out nervously.
     Adrien was briefly taken aback and then considered she might have seen him calming himself down as she was walking up. He looked down briefly and then ran his hand through his hair to loosen things up.
     “Yeah…just had a disagreement with an old friend over work matters,” he lied casually.
     Michelle cocked her head at him, like perhaps she hadn’t believed him. “That’s too bad,” she answered calmly. “Such things can be rather stressful… Do you want to talk about it or…” she left it hanging.
     “I’d rather not,” he said decisively, and she briefly looked away. Not wanting things to get awkward he quickly added, “Are you hungry? Do you want to eat now, or would you like to browse for a bit first?” as he gestured to the bookstore next to them. At this, Michelle turned to look into the windows of the store.
     “What type of bookstore is it?” she inquired.
     “I would say it’s your rather standard one. It has a small English language section if you’re interested. Otherwise, I find it relaxing to just peruse, see what strikes my fancy.”
     “That sounds like a good idea. I’m still getting a feel of how to navigate, and it stresses me out at points. A nice walk through should help with that.”
     The two walked in and slowly strolled through the aisles, checking out things of interest. Adrien wondered off to seek the store’s small used section, seeing if they had anything new from the last time he was through. He had just finished Murkami’s Wild Sheep Chase and was hoping to find another of his to read. Unfortunately, no luck. Seeing Michelle in the English language section, he slowly drifted over after looking over some photography books.
     She was holding up a copy of The Sun Also Rises, reading the back cover.
     “A bit on the nose, isn’t it?” he said quietly as he stepped up next to her, glancing at her.
     She looked over at him, scrunching her lips to the side. “I suppose it is, in its own way. Reading a work by an American expat from the 20s, being an American exchange student currently in Paris.” She sighed, “but honestly, my interest is mainly due to the other international students saying it still describes the supposed expat experience rather well, despite its age.”
     “Wouldn’t know. Do you get together with them often?”
     She put the book back down and turned to make her way back to the entrance. “Not really. I have occasionally. It helps as they’re in the same boat, but at the end of the day, they’re just as much strangers as everyone else.”
     “Not made a lot of friends there then, huh?” he replied, opening the door to the store for her to walk through. She walked through and then waited. He gestured the direction he wanted her to go. The cafe he wanted to take her to was just down the way, a block or so.
     “Not really. Not all of them are fluent enough in English or French for us to converse easily…It’s been hard.”
     “But it would appear you’ve made friends with my brother and his friends. That’s something.”
     She looked off for a bit at that, like she wasn’t quite sure of his statement. “I’d like to think so, but it’s complicated.”
     “How would it be complicated?” he asked, intrigued at what this portended. Were his earlier vague thoughts of Felix trying to set her up with Rose actually indicative of something afoot about things?
     She stopped and gestured for him to come over to talk with her off to the side for more privacy. He joined her, wondering what this was all about.
     Michelle took a deep breath before starting. “Are you and your brother not close?”
     He cocked his head slightly at her, certain he had a rather perplexed look on his face.
     “He has never mentioned you at all, and we’ve been having tutoring sessions multiple times a week for a month and change. It’s only been the last week or so we’ve spent time outside of sessions. It’s just odd, considering you’re twins and all…and well, I think he has a crush on me, so his interest and his friends’ interest in me…Is it even real or is this just to help set us up?”
     Adrien looked at her blankly for a moment while he tried to process everything she just said. Before it all settled in though he found himself blurting out, “We’re not twins. Technically, we’re cousins. Our mothers were twins though.”
     “Oh,” she replied, taken aback. “I suppose that would explain things.”
     There was a moment of silence while they took each other in, lost in their own realizations and understandings of things.
     “I take it Felix hasn’t actually done anything, and you’re not interested in him in that way,” Adrien broke the silence. Michelle’s only reply was to bite her lower lip and slightly nod her head. “Then I don’t think you have anything to worry about. He doesn’t hold that much sway over his friends. If anything, they would be pushing him to actually ask you out than interfere. If they want to hang out with you it’s because they like you.”
     At this she seemed rather relieved and gestured for them to continue walking down towards the cafe. There was silence as they walked the remaining feet to the cafe. They walked in and got a table in a back corner. After deciding and ordering, they sat looking at each other.
     “Felix being your tutor makes things a bit uncomfortable, doesn’t it?” he asked.
     “Yes and no. He’s a great tutor and has become someone I rely on to help with all sorts of stuff, not just my coursework. But the fact he’s so nice, goes a bit out of his way to be this person I can rely on…Is that how he is or is it because he wants something else from me? I…it has me concerned…when will the shoe drop?”
     “When will he stop being the go-to person for you and just be the tutor, not a friend, leaving you in a lurch,” Adrien filled in what he felt she was trying to get at. She nodded while she fiddled with her cuffs. “Felix isn’t that way. Yeah, the going above and beyond may start lessening, and maybe the attentive affection he shows you, but he’ll still be there for you. Not just for your course work either. As his brother, I can assure you that aspect of his character will not change. As for not mentioning me, well, it may simply not have come up.” It was a simple explanation, and one he sought to take solace in. He smiled at her, trying to show her she had nothing to worry about. It seemed to have worked as she seemed to brighten.
     “Thanks. That does help.”
     “I’m glad. It’s probably hard enough adjusting to things here with school added onto it as well.”
     She smiled and it was like a dam had broken loose. Their conversation flowed smoothly and easily. They talked about all sorts of things, from the mundane to the philosophical. Adrien felt a sense of comfort with her that he hadn’t felt with anyone in a long, long time. He felt free and open. There were no expectations, no weight of things unsaid but heavily implied. He shared his thoughts and views on things, and she did the same. It was a warm, comforting space to be in. While he initially felt bad about Felix’s crush not being reciprocal, now he was very glad it hadn’t worked out for him.

Chapter Text

     “Are you free this Sunday? There’s a gallery showing of one of my favorite artists, and I think you would really dig her style.”
     While he registered Lila was talking, Felix was lost in her captivating hazel eyes and the way her lashes curled as she blinked at him. He was usually better at keeping focused when he was tutoring Lila, but he was having difficulties today. Her olive turtleneck dress and sand colored blazer accentuated not only her delectable curves but drew his eyes to the perfection that were her long bronze legs. Her hair was in some kind of up do, leaving ringlets of caramel framing her face against dangling earrings.
     Failing to get himself together, all he immediately replied with was, “What’s that?”
     “I’m asking if you would like to go to a gallery showing with me Sunday night,” Lila giggled out with a smirk and mirth in her eyes.
     “I…I don’t know,” he stammered, at a loss. “I’d have to check my calendar.”
     This was met with a wide toothed smile. “Well, get back to me when you know. I would really love for you to come,” she answered slyly, writing out something on a post it and leaving it on the edge of his desk as she got up to leave. He watched her go, still not fully processing what had just happened. Once she was gone, he reached over and took up the post-it. It was a phone number with her name and a heart sketch next to it.
     This had really happened. Lila had just asked him out on a date. He sat there flustered, still not quite believing it. He never thought he would have a chance with her and so kept things strictly professional, or as best he could. He wasn’t cold or unfriendly, but he tried to stay in work mode. She apparently had no issue with this, and it was clear now she was attracted to him. He didn’t know what to do with it. As it sank in, he felt himself slowly smile stupidly at himself. There were no words for this.
     As he came down from the high, he quickly took out his phone and checked his calendar. No, he didn’t have anything scheduled for Sunday night. He could accept if he wanted to. Did he want to though? A part of him enthusiastically answered yes, while another was more tentative. What if things don’t go well? What if he screws this up somehow? What would that do to their tutoring relationship? His mind was starting to spiral and suddenly he was worrying about needing to assign Lila to another tutor.
     He took a deep breath and worked on calming himself. He didn’t have the time at the moment to really think about this. In about 20 minutes, his next session was starting. He needed to get back into work mode. Realizing his next session was with Michelle, he heard Rose’s exasperated, “Just ask her out already!” ring out in his head. It left him in a state of uncomfortable agitation. He had completely forgotten about Michelle.
     He was so ecstatic about Lila asking him out that the realization Michelle didn’t factor or deter his emotions on the matter left him not knowing what to think about himself. Was he really that superficial? Did Lila factor more for him because of how attractive she was? What sickened him was that a voice within him answered yes. But was he really to blame? He had given Michelle extra attention for a while now. She either didn’t acknowledge him or acted slightly uncomfortable with it. It had been a number of weeks, and things hadn’t really changed. It was pretty clear she wasn’t interested, not in that way.
     He remembered lamenting about what to do last time he was hanging out with Rose. A part of him felt he should just hang it up and settle with being a friend/tutor, remembering the catastrophe that was his unrequited love for her. While she agreed that things were an awful mess between them for a while because of how things fell out, Rose felt if he had been more direct with her from the start it probably would have been different. She would have been able to let him down more easily and with more finality by confessing her realization she was gay. At the end of the discussion, her view was that Felix should just put himself out there and ask her out. Michelle would know with certainty where he stood, which would probably help her figure out where she stood. Then the matter could be decided, and things could be handled more honestly and authentically.
     He saw the logic of what Rose was saying, but he had always been a coward about putting himself out there. He wasn’t Adrien. Girls weren’t drawn toward him. He cared too much, getting in his own way and messing everything up. God, his behavior while Lila was asking him out was evidence enough of that. But to be fair, he had no problem with being attentive and caring toward Michelle. It was just actually spelling it out to her and not having confidence as to what her reaction to it would be. How it could change everything. As such, he put it all on her. Like the coward he was. But even with reflection on all this, it didn’t change his excitement or desire to accept Lila’s invitation.
     Before he could ponder on this any further, Michelle had tapped on the door gently, letting him know she was there before walking in and getting herself settled for their session. Felix pushed his feelings and concerns on the matter to the side, focusing on the session and helping Michelle with what her concerns were for the day. Thankfully, it was stuff he was confident in tackling, and he was able to walk her through the edits and various revisions needed to make her essays better. It was welcomed work, which dissipated the conflicting feelings he had been wrestling with earlier.
     Their session was coming to an end and expecting her to leave once she had packed up her things, he was startled to see her still sitting, with her bag hanging off her shoulder while she fidgeted with her thumbs. Just as he was going to say something, she looked at him.
     “I know you don’t mean anything by it, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t pass my number to people anymore,” she said a bit nervously.
     He looked at her and blinked. “I…I’m sorry…You’re right. I shouldn’t have given your number to Rose without asking you…I didn’t know she had passed it on from there.”
     This seemed to have surprised her as she looked at him perplexedly. “Rose…I would’ve figured Adrien got my number from you.”
     “Adrien?”
     “Yeah, he started texting me and asked me to lunch the other day.”
     Felix felt himself tense as his jaw tightened slightly. What the hell was Adrien up to? He must have snooped through his phone at some point. But, why? Why the subterfuge? The whole thing made him uneasy.
     “Just out of curiosity, where do Adrien and Luka’s girlfriend work?”
     The question jarred him out of his sudden funk with the absolute randomness of it.
     “Excuse me?” he asked in disbelief, as if she had suddenly inquired at what speed fish walk.
     “Before I met up with him, Adrien appeared to have been in an argument with the dark-haired girl hanging out with Luka the day of the audition. I figured she was Luka’s girlfriend. When I asked Adrien about it, he said they had been arguing about work stuff. He didn’t want to talk about it any further, and well, I was just curious. Small world and all,” she rushed through quickly, embarrassed at Felix’s reaction to it.
     Felix wasn’t sure how to take all this. For one, Adrien and Michelle had gone out to eat together, and he wasn’t sure of the context of the outing. For another, it would appear Marinette and Adrien were, for whatever reason, still taking jabs at one another despite having broken up. Either she was of the same almost obsessive stalking type Kagami was turning out to be or Adrien was still hung up on her despite his protestations. Probably the latter, the former wasn’t something he really wanted to give credence to for Luka’s sake. He closed his eyes and shook his head.
     “They’re not co-workers. Marinette’s his ex-girlfriend. Could be anybody’s guess what they were arguing about. Though it is strange as they broke up months ago,” he responded.
     Michelle looked confused but said nothing.
     “So, what do you think of my brother?” he asked, breaking the lull in the conversation.
     She took a breath before answering. “He’s interesting and low-key. He’s the sort to have a lazy hang with. The type you’d talk to late at night with cheap, unhealthy snacks about everything and nothing.” Her eyes sparkled as she said this and her smile at the end set his guts twisting. He found his mood darkening. It just wasn’t fair.
     “We should all hang out at some point. Simply chill at a bookstore or cafe, talk, snack, maybe play some games. I think it would be fun. What do you think? Would you be up for something like that?” She looked up at him expectantly. He, on registering this, realized he was now standing. Although he didn’t remember getting up out of his chair.
     He forced himself to smile back at her. Even with how he was feeling about everything and how he wasn’t the one to give her that expression, he didn’t want to take it from her.
     “I think it could be something to work towards,” he answered as he started packing up. “Would you care to get a cup of coffee with me on the way out?”
     “Yeah, I’ll meet you after hitting the ladies’,” she answered before exiting.
     After getting himself settled and striding to the door after her, Felix stopped briefly to take out his phone. He took out the folded post-it he had shoved in his pocket and keyed in Lila’s number. He sent a brief text and then put his phone as well as the post-it back in his bag and exited the room.

     Felix was standing in front of his wardrobe trying to decide between two different shirts to wear. He had opted for a more casual look for his date tonight. While usually his look was rather professional as it was convenient for tutoring right after class, he wanted a more casual look for the evening. As such, he had settled on a nice pair of black jeans and was now dithering on whether to pair that with a button-up shirt or go with a nice sweater. He was in the process of switching the two in question back and forth in front of himself in the mirror when Adrien walked in.
     “Nate’s stopped by. He’s in the kitchen grabbing a drink…” he stopped as he eyed his brother in careful consideration of the sweater against him. “What’s going on? (he smirked) Got a date tonight?”
     Felix’s expression fell as he side-eyed his brother. “I do and stop smirking like that.” He decided to go with the button up as it was a better match for his coat, and he wouldn’t get over warm at the gallery. While it was decidedly fall and cooler, it still wasn’t cold enough to be standing around in a sweater and coat.
     “Well, well, well,” Adrien crooned with a wide grin on his face, settling down on Felix’s bed nearby. “Who’s the lucky girl?”
     Felix took his shirt off and was putting the button up on when he turned to face Adrien. “If you must know, it’s Lila,” he replied exasperated, waiting for the teasing to commence. He shouldn’t have been surprised when he got a blank expression in response. His brother didn’t necessarily remember the people in his life.
     “The Italian I told you about at the beginning of the year.” He was met with a rather sly expression.
     “Is this the one with the long legs you were salivating about?”
     Felix rolled his eyes at him. “She’s more than just a pair of long legs.”
     “Oh, do tell,” Adrien answered with raised eyebrows.
     Felix decided to simply leave the room than indulge in such banter. It also gave him time to collect himself from the arousing images of said sensual legs Adrien’s rebuttal evoked. He felt Adrien stir and follow behind him.
     As he walked down the hall, he saw Nate settled on an armchair snacking absentmindedly on a bag of chips. When Nate saw him, he put the bag down and looked up at him.
     “Hey, no need to get dressed up on my account,” Nate teased.
     Felix walked over and took a seat on the opposite sofa. “There’s no need with you, you’re simple to please.”
     “Oh, we’re sassy tonight,” he snarked back, “but, seriously, are we going out?”
     Felix cocked his head at him. Well, there was no point in avoiding it now. “Yes, I have a date with Lila at the gallery tonight.”
     “Finally gave up on Michelle, I take it.”
     Felix caught Adrien’s odd stiltedness as he was lowering himself down to sit at the other end of the sofa. Felix shot him an odd look before redirecting his attention back to Nate, who was scrutinizing him.
     “Michelle will always be special to me but as a friend as it’s become quite clear she isn’t interested in me in that way,” he replied steadily, though he did send a brief glare in Adrien’s direction, who only looked back at him in brief confusion. He turned his attention back to Nate who gave him a gentle smile while nodding his head.
     “Well, Rose will be glad you finally had the talk with her.”
     Felix averted his eyes. He did not have said talk with Michelle. It was clear to him from their last conversation there would be no point to it. Not with the way her eyes lit up when she talked of her brother or the soft smile at the end of it. No, he didn’t have a chance. She was interested in him. Adrien always got the girls. It wasn’t the end of the world though. Lila was interested in him, and well, he hadn’t even let himself consider that option even with the attraction he had.
     “So, who are you going out with?” Nate asked.
     “Lila. She’s another international student I’m tutoring.”
     “What’s she like? You haven’t talked much about her.”
     “She’s an Italian majoring in International Relations. She’s into fashion and art. In fact, she invited me to a gallery showing of one of her favorite artists,” Felix said, finding himself getting excited at the prospect of the coming evening.
     “Oh, that’s cool. Are you meeting her there or is she coming here?”
     “She offered to pick me up here. As she put it, “She’s the one taking me out”.”
     Felix grimaced when he heard Adrien trying to stifle his laughter behind his hands. He narrowed his eyes at him in performative irritation. “Go ahead, Addy. Get it out now so I don’t have to face it when I get back.”
     He was met with a tight-lipped smile and a shake in the negative.
     Felix shook his head and held his face in his hand briefly. A sudden thought hit him, and he decided to roll with it.
     “You know, I see it as advantageous to let a woman have the reins in matters if she desires it. It just proves my regard for her. She’ll know I’m hers, and she’ll have no qualms being herself with me. I can only win in this situation.”
     He was met with silence from both parties. Perhaps he had overplayed his hand. Before he could start overthinking it though, there was a gentle knock on the door. He got up and answered it. Upon opening, he was greeted with a vision. There she was, standing in a warm glow of soft comfort. Lila was wearing knee high chocolate boots with a short plaid woolen skirt paired with a ribbed skintight sweater, layered with a crisp blazer topped with a beret.
     “Hi,” he said, at a loss of what else to say to her.
     “Hi,” she chirped back with a toothy grin. “Are you ready to get going? I have a cab waiting downstairs.” She gestured with her hands roughly downwards.
     “Ah, yes,” he answered. “I just have to get my coat. I’ll be right there.” Felix then turned and walked towards the coat rack in the corner, grabbed his coat, hastily put it on, and then back towards the door to her. Grabbing the knob on the way out, he closed it behind him to follow Lila as she turned to make her way to the stairwell.

     Well, that was something, Adrien thought to himself as Felix closed the door and left without nary a word for him or Nate. He was disturbed from his thoughts by Nate’s laughter.
     “He moves on rather quickly, doesn’t he,” he breathed after catching his breath.
     “I’m guessing so,” Adrien answered at a loss of what else to say. In reality, as far as he knew, Felix hadn’t been one to easily get past such things. The whole thing with Rose was proof enough of that. But perhaps he had changed, or he wasn’t as serious about Michelle as he thought.
     “Well, in any case, Rose will be relieved.”
     “Yeah, Rose can be a bit over-bearing,” he answered.
     “Oh, I have no doubts about that but seeing as she’s friends with both Felix and Michelle it could have been really awkward until they sorted this out.”
     “So, the talk you addressed was Rose’s push to get Felix to air things out?”
     “Yeah, he had a tendency to moan about it to Rose. I figure she got tired of it.” He looked over to Adrien then and after eating a chip from his previously disregarded bag added, “I’m surprised he didn’t chew your ear off about it as well.”
     “I guess I got lucky,” he remarked as he got up to get himself something to drink.
     “It’s all good. No worries about it anymore. Well, I’ll get out of your hair, seeing as Felix isn’t going to be in tonight.” He finished his chips, crunched up the bag, and then walked over to the trashcan just outside the kitchen and dropped it in.
     “Alright,” Adrien answered.
     “Catch ya another time,” Nate waved as he opened the door and let himself out.
     Adrien sat himself back down on the sofa with his drink and slowly drank. Well, if nothing else, this should make things easier for Michelle. She won’t have to be weird about Felix anymore. He’s dating Lila now.

     Felix was standing in front of a piece that he at best could identify as being a form of mixed media. He sipped on his drink while Lila beside him was admiring the piece in question. It turned out the gallery was showcasing a host of different artists that night, not just Lila’s favorite. As such, the place was full and the two of them had been lazily walking around, sipping and eating the appetizers provided. He was glad he went with the button-up as he was quite comfortable walking around the space.
     Her favorite artist, Francesca Mollett, had a few paintings present, but her presence wasn’t as dominant as Lila had been hoping. She had been a bit down about it at first, but as they walked through the rest of the show, she seemed to have brightened as she had found other pieces to be enthralled by. They chatted back and forth about their impressions of the pieces in question.
     Felix had never realized how much people could see and take out of a painting before. But to be fair, art for him, for the most part, was just something pretty to look at, maybe to escape into. It had never been a launching point for philosophical discussion on memory, life, and meaning before.
     He thought it was so endearing the way Lila’s passion came to life expounding her views on the meaning behind a piece and the impact it had on her way of thinking. She would switch back and forth between French, Italian, and English trying to get across the nuance she was attempting to capture. Thankfully, Felix was able to follow the thread of her discussion despite her struggles and frustrations with expressing herself. Her little sighs of vexation were actually quite adorable. The way her nose would wrinkle up and her eyes brighten with vitality. These little cracks in her otherwise perfect facade made her so human and thus less distant. He found himself rapidly warming to this little spitfire of passions.
     As he finished his drink, a waiter was making the rounds. He dropped off his drink and noting Lila hadn’t had a drink for a while grabbed a fresh one for her. The waiter sauntered off while Felix walked up to Lila, who had wandered off towards the last painting in their section. After casually bumping her shoulder, she turned and took in his smile and drink offer. She smirked and gently took the flute from his hand.
     “So, have you enjoyed the showing despite Mollett only being one of many?” he asked teasingly, wondering what she would launch into at that prompting.
     She swallowed slowly while her eyes took him in. She looked like she was giving careful consideration to her response. She took a breath. It would appear she had come to a decision.
     “Despite my initial misgivings, I would say I really enjoyed this show. I wish there were more of her pieces, but it is always a blessing to see them in the flesh. I found many of these other pieces quite intriguing. I never thought I would come to appreciate mixed media as being more than simply commercial or hobbyist art.”
     “Oh, a bit of an art snob, are we?” he ribbed her.
     In fake umbrage, she chuffed at him, leading him back towards the foyer of the gallery. “But of course I’m an art snob. Who else would go to such showings? I mean we have wine and fancy appetizers here. Only the elite of the elite come to such things and consider, shock and awe, buying such pieces.” She couldn’t keep it up and started laughing and shaking her head.
     They made their way out and were now walking down the street, taking a leisurely stroll with no real destination in mind. “In all seriousness, I wish I was an art snob, but I don’t come from money. While I would love to have an art piece from such a showing, I’ll probably never make enough money to really justify such an expense. As such, I indulge myself by simply going to showings when I can manage it,” she said in seriousness as the two synced up their walking strides.
     “Don’t you think you’re selling yourself a bit short? I’m sure with an international relations degree you could easily secure yourself a high paying corporate job, allowing you to buy all the snooty art pieces your heart could desire,” he quipped back at her.
     “I suppose that could be a possibility, but right now it seems rather distant. I’m still trying to master more languages and struggling with that I might note. And who knows if I would want to go the corporate route. I think I might be more comfortable working for the government.”
     “Business just not in the blood?” he asked carefully.
     “What about you?” she snapped back rather quickly. “You seem like you were born to work in the corporate sphere. I mean, your whole look and countenance puts off a rather business-like vibe.”
     Felix looked away at that, not really denying it. He had been groomed for it for years. She wasn’t wrong, his whole aesthetic had been formed around it. He didn’t know if he could even fully commit himself to acting in a manner not conducive for such work. Even in his role-playing off time, his group chastised him for his characters being wooden and rather stiff. Could he really be anything else? Was he anything else?
     In a softer voice, sounding rather contrite, “I didn’t mean to upset you. You just baffle me at points. Your appearance gives one impression. One of a strait-laced businessman. But as a tutor you have been so warm, friendly, and insightful. You’ve really helped me with getting used to how things work here. Your duplicity has made you rather intriguing and frustrating at the same time. Just who are you, Felix Mercer?”
     “Have you ever considered that the same can be said of you as well, Lila Rossi?” he replied gently back.
     The two stopped and looked at each other, contemplating the weight of what wasn’t said behind those words. At first their expressions were rather shocked and serious, not knowing how to really take everything. Lila’s expression softened first as the corner of her mouth twitched up. “Perhaps this is something we can discover alongside one another… you think?”
     There was a pause of silence.
     “I think I would like that,” he replied in a low voice, with a burr of restrained emotion.

Chapter Text

     Class was wrapping up and Michelle was in the midst of packing away her things when she heard the buzz of an incoming text from her phone. She found herself smiling, wondering what Adrien had sent. Since their lunch they had fallen into a texting correspondence. Sharing random thoughts, news, and memes throughout the day. He was indeed attending another university and was not often on that side of the city, so they couldn’t really meet up easily. Despite that, it was nice. To have a sort of text pal to share odds and ends with, no strings, no expectations. She could just be.
     Felix hadn’t changed a bit after their last conversation. He was still the nice and thoughtful sort he had always been. The coffee outing after was rather pleasant and a nice change of pace for them. He seemed more relaxed, and they were able to talk about things other than French, the differences in culture, and school. So perhaps there wasn’t anything off between the two brothers. Felix simply hadn’t mentioned his brother because it hadn’t come up.
     This realization gave her peace. There wasn’t going to be any weirdness about being friendly with both of them. She was a bit concerned about it after having that lunch as she wondered if Felix would be jealous about it. But maybe Adrien was right, and she didn’t really need to worry about it. Perhaps his crush wasn’t something he was going to take any further. Perhaps he was fine with how things were.
     Shrugging her bag more comfortably on her shoulder, she walked down the hall. As she exited, she went off to the side to pull out her phone and check her messages. Leaning against the building she pulled her messages up and started reading. She sucked in a breath, let it out, and then counted to three. Then she pushed herself off against the wall and walked out to a few tall trees in the quad between the buildings.
     Maneuvering herself away from onlookers, she quickly dialed and waited. She heard the ringing, praying someone was still home to answer. She was just about to hang up when she heard someone pick up.
     “Hello.”
     “Mom,” she said in a barely heard whine.
     “Mickey…I’m so sorry. We just found out about it ourselves, thus why we sent it to you,” her mother responded gently.
     “I need to come back. Could you help me with it?”
     “Mickey,” it was said with a bit of exasperation, “even if you could get a flight, it is going to be too expensive. You’ll be coming back for the holiday break. You can visit her family then and give your condolences.”
     “But Mom, I need to be there! I need to be with her! I can’t be half the world away!” she cried out as she quickly turned to see if anybody had heard her.
     “You are not half a world away, and sweetie, they are having her cremated. You’re not going to be able to see her or be with her anyway. Add in the jet lag and the short amount of time you’ll be here. I just don’t think it will be a good idea.”
     “But it’s Monica! She’s my best friend! I need to be there. You don’t understand!”
     “The best friend you haven’t had any real contact with for over four years. Now, really Mickey. You’re being dramatic. I know it’s upsetting to lose someone you were once close to, but you need to settle down. It’s no good to get this upset. It’s just how it is. You need to stay there, take what time you need to cope with this, and at the holidays you’ll come back and see them then.”
     “Mom, are you kidding me?”
     “You know it’s the best course of action, hon. Sorry, but I have to get going or I’ll be late to work. Try to get through the rest of your day,” and with that the call ended.
     Michelle stood there with her eyes blown, not knowing how to respond to the fact that her mother just hung up on her in that manner. She slowly brought the phone down and then looked back at the initial message. She tapped on the link to the story attached and started reading. It was agonizing, and she covered her mouth with her hand as she grimaced. It was a car accident. The car was going too fast and hydroplaned. They over-corrected and swerved onto the sidewalk, hitting her and her service dog. She had been rushed to the hospital and ended up dying in the middle of the night due to the injuries sustained. The dog had died on impact.
     Monica had been so thrilled when she had gotten her new service dog. It was a smart and loyal chocolate lab she had named Toby after her favorite chocolate bar, Toblerone. Michelle had seen all the photos Monica’s boyfriend had taken of him posted to her Instagram. Michelle pictured the scene in her head. Monica with her thick brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, one earbud in, walking at a fast pace with her umbrella. Toby guiding her down the sidewalk. Then out of nowhere the car colliding first into Toby and then knocking her to the ground, grinding over her.
     Michelle found herself sliding down the tree with the weight of her tormented emotions. She remembered the first time she met Monica. It was at the library; she was curious as to what this fuzzy brown-haired girl was doing with her fingers and how her book didn’t have any pictures. Flashes of their seven-year friendship spasmed through her with untold amounts of pain. The sleepovers, the singing, the playing of various pianos, the laughter underlying their tween and teenage antics, the absurd crushes. Her senses became dominated with all things Monica. The way her eyes were always closed in such a soft and calm manner. The way her voice lilted when she was teasing someone. The red and white sectioned cane that hurt like the dickens when she whipped you with it. The staccato tapping of that same cane, signaling Monica was coming. The smell of her favorite jasmine perfume drifting in before her entrance. The feel of her thick fuzzy locks in Michelle’s fingers when she was braiding it. The tears that had rolled down Monica’s face along with her goodbyes their sophomore year of high school when she moved to Minnesota.
     She was gone. It was all gone. That time. That dream Michelle had had. That somehow, someway, they would end up back together. That they would be in each other’s lives again at some vague future point. The little hope she would blow into life despite the news of Monica having a boyfriend. Despite the news of them moving in together. Despite the unacknowledged fact she wasn’t coming back to Chicago. The reality of how she had moved on with her life. Leaving Michelle behind. In the past.
     Michelle blinked and she couldn’t recognize where she was. There were trees and buildings. Then she shuddered as it hit her. She was in France. In Paris. She wasn’t in Chicago. She was half a day displaced in time and untold amounts of distance. Monica was dead and had been dead for a day already, and she hadn’t known. She hadn’t felt it. Nothing had changed for her. Why didn’t it change for her? How could she not have sensed that her best friend, her first real friend, was no longer alive!
     What was she doing here? How and why did she come here? What had she been hoping to achieve? Why hadn’t she done more to bring Monica back into her life? The stark reality of the present moment, however, was piercing mercilessly through her. She was in Paris. Cut off from home. Cut off from her. Cut off from then. She was lost and she was trapped. And there was nothing she could do about any of it. Nothing made sense anymore and something within snapped. And Michelle was simply gone.

     “How much longer until you get there?” Ladybug snapped through the speaker on his staff.
     Vaulting across the roof tops as fast as he could, Chat decided to ignore the question. He had been notified ten minutes ago of the disturbance at his brother’s campus from the news bulletin that interrupted the program he had been watching in the student center. Before making his way to the scene, he had glanced at his map to see where the other two were. He was indeed the closest, but seeing that Ladybug wasn’t too far behind, he didn’t think it was going to be a concern.
     Once on the outskirts of the campus he dropped down to find where people were congregating, that was likely to be where the disturbance was. People can be counted on to gather and gawk. All he had been able to gather from the bulletin before he left was that there was a swarm of purple-blue butterflies in a quad between two of the halls, supposedly crackling with some kind of energy. The campus authorities had sectioned off the area and were trying to get a handle on matters. However, there had been leaks of cell phone footage showing a person unconscious and trapped within the swarm. This led to the municipality sending out gendarme to investigate the situation.
     All he was certain of at this point was that this was a swarm of akuma, which meant Fu’s suspicions about the butterfly miraculous still being out there were in fact true. However, it wasn’t clear why they were simply swarming and not actually going after anyone. It also didn’t make any sense why they would be entrapping an unconscious person in their midst.
     Deciding to just go in and discover what the hell was actually going on, he concentrated on the idea of not being seen. He had learned over time with use of his miraculous that there was a connection between him and Plagg while suited up. He could direct the use of destruction towards abilities beyond his signature move of “cataclysm”. However, with experimentation he discovered he had to think about what he wanted to accomplish in unorthodox terms. Like with a sculpture, he had to think of what he needed to remove or alter to arrive at his goal.
     Raising his arms before him, he saw a faint ripple of light outlining the edges of his wrist and elbow. But when he moved them, they vanished. Satisfied, he slowly wormed his way through the crowds, being careful not to jostle anyone. He crawled around the barricades and slowly made his way to an area between the two buildings with a few tall trees. Expecting a swarm of akuma, he was startled to see maybe half a dozen giant moths slowly and lazily circling above the body of a woman laying on her side at the base of one of the trees.
     Not knowing what to make of this, he stepped carefully forward. As he did so, he caught flashes of black at the edges of his vision. He stopped and looked down. He was visible. He looked back up. Nothing had changed about the scene ahead. Pursing his lips, he took a breath, and carefully started inching his way closer.
     The woman on the ground stirred and raised her head to look at him. He stopped in his tracks as he recognized Michelle. She made eye contact with him but with eyes seemingly not focused on him. Still as a statue and not sure what to make of it, he then saw a purple-blue butterfly fly past him towards her. Watching it and watching her, ready to make a move as needed, Michelle hesitantly reached out a hand towards the butterfly. She seemed entranced as he noted a small twitch of her lips, as if to smile, breaking the otherwise blank countenance she had. The butterfly seemed to notice the move and flew closer to her. Bracing himself to pounce, he sucked in a breath of disbelief when upon making contact with an outdrawn pointer finger the butterfly slowly phased into a giant moth, like the others drifting about. At that transformation, Michelle simply blinked. Then her expression fell as she settled back onto her heels in a kneeling position.
     The moths’ activity changed. They had been lazily swirling about but with Michelle’s changed position started flying away, dispersing. A gentle breeze blew past Chat as he made his way towards her, and in that moment, he felt an odd sense of revelation. A feeling of sudden understanding and clarity, but it wasn’t his. Pushing it aside for the moment with a note of talking to Plagg later about it, he knelt down in front of Michelle, trying to coax her attention to him.
     Laying a hand on her forearm seemed to jar her from herself and her eyes became aware of him, losing that lost look she had been presenting earlier.
     “Miss, are you alright?” he asked calmly.
     She blinked at him, seemingly in an attempt to make sense of things. She looked around her and then back at him, ending with a shake of her head. “I…I don’t know,” she whispered in confused alarm. He then noted her bag on the ground beside her and what appeared to be her cell phone in front of her. He picked it up and offered it to her. She took it, looked it over, and then held it not knowing what else to do with it.
     “What happened?”
     Michelle took some breaths, trying to steady herself. A few moments passed and she appeared to be regaining her facilities. She then looked at him and apprehension slowly took hold of her.
     “You’re…are you?…don’t hurt me.” She crouched in on herself, raising her forearms in front of her in defense.
     Holding his hands in front of him in a soothing gesture, he quickly responded he wasn’t a threat. He was just there to help. It would appear she did in fact remember their encounter from earlier. She hadn’t told anyone about it because she was afraid of them, afraid of what she had seen. It likely made no sense to her, and one often fears what they don’t understand.
     “What’s going on?” It was Viperion, with an edge of reproach. Of course, this caused Michelle to further retreat into herself.
     Chat turned to see Viperion and Ladybug standing a few feet behind. They had obviously heard what she had said, and he could only imagine what they were imagining of the situation presented in front of them. Before he could reply, Ladybug brushed past to settle herself next to Michelle, exuding a warm, comforting, nurturing presence onto the scene. She sat and waited while Michelle looked her over and slowly unfolded herself.
      “I’m Ladybug. These are my teammates, Chat (she gestured towards him) and Viperion (then to the other). We’re only here to help. We’re not going to harm you. It appears something happened to you. Could you tell us what it was?” Her voice was sweet and soothing. Chat himself felt calmed by it.
      Michelle stole a quick glance at her phone before looking up at Ladybug. She chewed on her lip and her eyes started to glisten. Taking a deep breath that shuddered, she cried out in a hurt voice, “Monica died.” Tears started flowing as her shoulders shook. “And I only just found out. She’s been gone a day, and I didn’t know…I didn’t know…and I can’t go back. I can’t go back…and…she’s gone.” She burst into loud tears and pants as she hugged herself tightly, trying to hold herself together.
      Ladybug leaned forward and cradled Michelle’s upper torso gently. She hummed words of comfort and gently rubbed soft circles on her upper back. Michelle simply cried, seemingly unaware of everything around her. Ladybug looked over her head towards the two of them with an air of alarm. Chat figured she had come to the same conclusion he had. This was the butterfly miraculous at play. According to Fu, the akumas preyed on those overcome in negative emotional states. Michelle was obviously in grief, making her a perfect target, but somehow contact couldn’t be made. The butterfly had turned into an innocuous moth at her touch. Why? He had no clue.
      Michelle seemed to cry herself out after some time. The three simply waited in respectfully hushed silence, allowing the display of grief. She slowed up, pushing herself away from Ladybug while she reached for her bag. She searched through it for some tissue, instead opting for a small towel to blow her nose and clean herself up with. While Ladybug attended to her, Viperion tapped Chat’s shoulder. The two took a few steps away from the other two.
      “What happened?” he asked quietly so as to not draw attention to them.
      “I found her comatose on the ground surrounded by giant moths. I came in camouflaged, but upon getting closer to her it dissipated. She roused and looked at me. Just then an akuma flew towards her. She had reached out a hand towards it but when it made contact it turned into a moth. She seemed to settle and become aware of herself. It was then that the moths scattered. You came in just as I went to check on her.”
      "I see,” he said holding his chin in thought. “That would explain her fear of you and then us. And it’s the same girl from before no less.”
      “Yeah,” Chat replied.
      It was just then that a crowd of authorities and reporters stumbled onto the scene. It became a circus as the three were hassled and harangued by the authorities as to their involvement in the matter while poor Michelle was swarmed by reporters trying to get a scoop as to what had happened. In the chaos of it all, the three ended up vaulting from the scene to escape being brought into custody. The EMTs eventually forced the media aside to attend to Michelle, who looked to be completely shattered by it all. It was all a ridiculous mess. Chat felt awful about it. His friend had received shocking, devastating news, and she had to deal with all of this, whatever this was, on top of it all.

Chapter Text

     Michelle hid in her room for two days after the incident. Texts would stream to her phone on and off, pinging a twisted discordant melody. Before crashing for the night, she would read through them. The majority were the university detailing how to access grief counseling and the particulars of her exemption from the week’s coursework. Others were from Rose, Kylie, and Adrien inquiring as to her well-being. Those she didn’t recognize she simply deleted. From what little social media surfing she did, the incident had become rather publicized. Not because of what had actually happened but with the appearance and escape of Ladybug, Chat Noir, and a third yet unknown entity from the scene.
     She found she didn’t really want to think about all that. It was hard enough dealing with the crushing reality of Monica being gone and of her inability to attend the funeral. She was either in a constant state of tears and snot or rendered completely numb. Realizing she should reach out to someone, she decided to message Kylie back, revealing all that happened that day. If anyone could be there for her, it would be her. She knew about Monica, not personally or anything, but Michelle had talked of her friendship with her on and off in the years they’d been friends.
     Unfortunately, Kylie didn’t respond. A third day came and went and still there was no response from her. She didn’t know what to do with it. The weekend came and despite her lethargy, she forced herself to get dressed and leave her dorm. Being outside and in the sun should help. It just had to.
     She forced herself to the cafe just outside the student center, the same one she had coffee with Felix at. She sat at a table out in the sun, sipping some hot tea. After twenty some minutes she was actually feeling better. More alive and less like warmed up leftovers. She took out her phone and decided to text Rose, asking if she would like to hang out. Not a lot of people were out and about, not mid-morning anyway. Being a university campus, it was either a matter of people sleeping in or being off campus. And seeing the incident occurred here, it’s just as likely many left for the weekend to get away from it all.
     Rose asked where she was. Sending her the pin for her location, Michelle sat back and waited. Time was heavy on her hands, and since she had no real motivation to move, she fished out her earbuds, deciding to listen to some old playlists. It hadn’t been a well thought out course of action as she ended up listening to songs from her early days of high school. They set off pangs of nostalgia, which were quickly followed by aches of anguish. Her thoughts circled back to Monica, their exploits, and to her old hopes and dreams. Hopes and dreams which had long died but which she never had the heart to prune, threatening the life and recovery of the whole vine.
     She crumbled, face down on the table, and let herself cry. She pulled out her earbuds and fumbled for the napkins she had been given. There was no point in holding back anymore. No one was here anyway. She let the pain flow out of her eyes because she didn’t want to hold it back anymore. It was too much to hold back. It hurt too much. It was scary to let out. She felt so powerless. But what else could she really do?
     After a particularly hard bit of crying, cresting a rather intense wave of turmoil, she lay still on the table, feeling the coolness of the hard plastic against her cheek. Her focus became simply to breathe deep and slow, steadying herself while her body slackened from the tension of it all. She felt calmer now but also hollow, weak, and alone. Lost alone in the brief calmness of an otherwise raging storm within her.
     She felt a warm pressure on her upper shoulder, startling her. She quickly sat up to see Felix standing beside her.
     “What’s the matter? Is there anything I…” his voice died in his throat as he took her in. Michelle quickly looked away, suddenly feeling embarrassed and exposed as she must look like complete shit. She quickly wiped the tears from beneath her eyes and then ran her hands through her hair in an attempt to straighten it, which was pointless as it was probably a rat’s nest. She couldn’t remember the last time she had brushed it. She then straightened, trying to arrange her clothes to be less rumpled.
     During all this, Felix pulled out a chair and calmly sat down next to her. He reached out his hand and placed it tentatively on top of hers. The touch was gentle, and his hand was soft and warm. She felt herself still. His touch was comforting, and she felt herself gradually come to peace.
     She looked over at him and he looked right back at her. His expression…she couldn’t really describe it. It was just acceptance and presence. There was no real other way to ascribe meaning to it. She breathed and took him in, slowly feeling more stable - and seen.
     “My parents texted me just as I got out of class. My best friend…(she took a steadying breath)…she died. I called them and my mom picked up. But she said I can’t come back. It’ll be too expensive and even so, with the jet lag and how short of a trip. (She looked away briefly, grounding herself before turning back to look at him.) She was hit by a car that lost control and swerved onto the sidewalk. She died that night in the hospital.” She stopped as she couldn’t go any further. She was too tired of it all. Her face fell into her chest.
     She felt his hand rise from hers. Then before she knew it, he was side hugging her. She sat stock still, not quite knowing what to do. Moments passed and with no change from him, she leaned into him and buried her head against his shoulder. It felt nice to be held. To be cared for. To be seen and understood. She let herself be comforted. To be warm. To matter.

     Felix was bumbling in the kitchen, trying to get a hold of himself. Michelle was in the living room lounging on the couch, seemingly drained. While she didn’t protest the idea of spending the day with him at his place, the transit via bus seemed longer than it normally did. Perhaps because he spent it keeping tabs on his silent companion, lost in her sadness and grief. He busied himself preparing some tea. It gave him something to do. Some snacks would be a good idea as well. She probably wasn’t eating. He scoured the pantry and fridge trying to find something that would suit. Something without wheat and dairy. All he could find that seemed applicable were some mixed nuts and sliced apples. It would have to do.
     As he gathered stuff together, he slowly made his way to the living room. While he had initially been put off by Rose’s insistence he go and spend time with Michelle as she couldn’t get away, he had to admit Rose made the right call here. Even if he felt the need for some distance as he worked on getting over her and moving on with Lila, Michelle really needed a friend to help her through all this. Thankfully, the incident didn’t seem to attract undue attention to her as there was no notice of them during the bus ride. Now knowing she was dealing with the loss of her best friend, the matter of what had happened to her and what the deal was with Ladybug and Chat Noir fell away in importance.
     He set the refreshments on the coffee table in front of the couch carefully as he took a seat beside her. Picking up a cup of tea he offered it to her. She sat up and took the offered cup with a soft murmur of thanks. While she slowly drank, he picked up the other and slowly drank from it. They were silent as they sat and sipped on their hot tea.
     Settling his cup back down, he turned towards her. “What would you like to do to pass the time?”
     “Pass the time?” she replied back a bit confused.
     “I’m sure you’ve been overwrought with grief and tears the last few days, which is proper, but it would be good to take your mind off all that, at least for a bit. You need your rest from it as well. Would you like to play a game, listen to some music, maybe watch a movie?”
     “Well, I’m not sure I’m up for a role-playing session, but I could go for a board game. Do you have any?”
     Felix smiled at that. It had been ages since he’d played a good old-fashioned board game. “I have some you might like. Give me a minute.” He went off to his room. Dropping himself to the floor he looked under his bed to look over the small assortment of board games he had. Trying to keep in mind her state of mind as well as her interests, he fished out three different ones, hoping one of them might pique her interest.
     Pushing aside the refreshments, he stacked the three for her to look over. He sat back and waited while she perused the offerings. After addressing her questions and concerns, she thought she wouldn’t mind having a go at Takenoko and Love Letter. Thinking Takenoko would be an easy bright game to start with, he moved aside the refreshments and put aside the other games. He unpacked it and started explaining the rules as he set things up.
     They were up and started shortly thereafter. The game progressed smoothly, and they were enjoying themselves. He had hit a jack pot with the game. Her eyes started brightening as her smiles grew. Her laughter was sharp and bright, such a welcome contrast to the dull withdrawn demeanor she had been nursing since the cafe. Michelle positively adored the panda figurine as well as the one of the poor bamboo gardener.
     He found himself taking her in, noting how he was feeling lighter, relieved, and happy she was in better spirits. He had been on edge with how upset she had been, finding himself echoing her discomfort. Now, he could feel that tension slide away. Her being happy made him happy. He found himself wanting to protect her, to shield her from hurt. This was dangerous territory, and he needed to reign himself in. She didn’t think of him that way. They were friends. He needed to keep this friendly, nothing more.
     He refocused on the game, trying to overcome his natural tendency to let her win. If they were to be friends, it would be more enjoyable and beneficial for him to simply be him. And he was by nature one that excelled in these sorts of games. However, it was quickly becoming clear that Michelle was one that seemed to do well in strategy as well as he found himself equally opposed. And before he knew it, he lost himself to the game, casting all other thoughts aside.
     He managed to beat her, but not by much. Michelle turned out to be a bit of a sore loser as she promptly pouted and when called out on it proceeded to then go on the offensive, nitpicking on the rules. He couldn’t help it, he started laughing at her as it was just too adorable. The way she was reacting to it all. He just couldn’t take her seriously. What surprised him though was her tackling him armed with a throw pillow against the other end of the couch.
     Deciding he wasn’t going to be bested, he too armed himself with a throw pillow. What followed was an impromptu pillow fight, which then resulted in the two of them tangled against one another on the floor, having fallen off the back of the couch. Not wanting to be left in a disadvantageous position, Michelle had rolled the two of them, so she ended up straddling him, forcing him down with a rather deflated small throw pillow.
     The two suddenly stilled, fighting to recover and catch their breath. Michelle eased up on her pillow and settled back slightly. Felix shifted so as to lay more comfortably on his elbows. Their slowing pants filled the air, being the only sounds in the room. It seemed the two of them realized exactly the position they were in at about the same time. Felix, with bated breath, unsure exactly why. He was looking at her while also not looking at her. It was as if he couldn’t make himself put her in focus, scared at what he might find. He had enjoyed the pillow fight. It had excited him if he was being honest with himself. However, now he was left in limbo. What did it all mean? Should it mean anyway? God, he wanted it to mean something.
     When he finally bit the bullet to actually look at her, he was left dumbfounded. She had leaned down towards him, with a wicked grin on her face. Her hair cascading down around her face, falling into his.
     “Well, well. Who’s the sore loser now,” she positively purred at him. He found himself swallowing. He was so turned on at the moment. He really liked the idea of being at her mercy. But he wasn’t sure of anything anymore. While he would love for this to be her true feelings for him, he wasn’t sure how much to trust the moment considering everything.
     He must have given some hint as to his thoughts because she had suddenly stiffened and slowly rose back up. He followed and the two were sitting up gazing at one another, with her still on his lap. She looked nervous and anxious but held his gaze. He held hers as well, trying to discern what she was thinking, feeling. What did she want? Was she waiting for him to make a move now? Was she unsure if he was rejecting her or not? Before anything else could occur though, the front door jostled open, and Adrien walked in.

     This was not what he had expected of his day. After dealing with a particularly uncomfortable three-way call between Marinette, Viperion, and himself rehashing the details of the incident and their escape from local law enforcement, it had been begrudgingly agreed that they all needed a sit down with Fu to address how to handle matters. From that waste of a morning, he had to trudge himself across town to meet up with various other students from his courses to grind away at various group work projects. While it made sense for courses to utilize discussions and collaborative projects as a means of varying their pedagogy and to stimulate critical discourse, Adrien often wondered if it was also a means by which instructors tried to shirk their actual duty to teach in favor of having the students stumble around teaching themselves the material instead. It was now late afternoon, and he was mentally fried. All he wanted to do was get home, grab something to eat, and just lay around relaxing for the night. It was the weekend. It was likely Felix either had a date or was off gaming. He would have the place for himself.
     To have stumbled in and caught Felix on the floor with a girl straddling him was not something he had ever thought he would need to mentally prepare himself for. The reality would more likely have been the inverse. As such, he found himself standing there gawking a few feet into the living room, trying to process the sight in front of him.
     Many thoughts and sensations hit him while he stood there waiting for his mental faculties to cycle back into functionality. One was good on Felix. He was making progress. This could only make him happier, more experienced, and thus less judgmental and picky about his own exploits. This was followed quickly by shame and secondhand embarrassment. God, this was not something one should be stumbling into like this. He would need to work out a system with Felix to avoid this in the future. Maybe something on the doorknob, cliche as that is.
     The second was on realizing who the girl in question straddling his lap was. It was Michelle, and he didn’t know quite what to do with this. The first thing to filter through past the shock of recognition was a feeling of irritation and hurt. Quick on its heels was anger at Felix. He said he was moving on. Why would he be in this position if he was truly moving on? From there it was a sting of betrayal at Michelle. Did she really have an interest in Felix despite her protests to the contrary?
     Following that was his attempt at questioning why any of this mattered to him. Felix was his brother, and his brother could look after himself. If he wanted to play around with his heart and possibly get hurt, that was on him. As for Michelle, yes, he was hurt she wasn’t honest with him, but maybe the girl wasn’t being honest with herself. For all he knew, it was simply a case of Felix being the closest person to her thus far while she was off here away from home. Then it hit him, like a ton of bricks…or it could be a means of dealing with the pain of her grief from losing her best friend.
     With that mentally in hand, Adrien roused their attention by clearing his throat. Whatever the real reason, this wasn’t something he needed necessarily to be witness to in his living room. It had the effect he was hoping for as the two sprang away from each other, looking chastised and embarrassed, looking anywhere but at him or each other. Deciding to be charitable, he threw out some muttered grumbling about needing to drop off his stuff as he quickly walked past them down the hall to his room. That should give them some time to compose themselves before he walked back in. He proceeded to drop off his bag on his desk and hang his coat off the back of his chair.
     Walking back to the living room, he saw the two of them resettled on the couch cleaning up what appeared to be a board game they had been playing. He didn’t even want to know how that led to what he just saw earlier. He dropped down into the space between them at the back of the couch.
     “Are you guys hungry? I was planning on making myself something to eat. We could share,” he said looking back and forth between the two. Michelle seemed to have winced at this, which then had Felix furrow his brow.
     “You should probably eat. I’m sure we could whip up something that would accommodate,” Felix stated in response to her.
     Michelle glanced at Felix and then at Adrien. “Are you sure? I know it can be a bother for people. I could just order something through Uber Eats.”
     At that Felix got up, took her hand, and yanked her up. “No, none of that. The three of us should be able to come up with something. If not, the two of us will be fine having a separate meal from you if push comes to shove,” he answered, taking a glance at Adrien. Adrien didn’t know how to take it. What was the deal?
     He followed the two as they made their way to the small galley style kitchen off the little alcove for their small dining table. There really wasn’t space for the three of them. He wasn’t sure how this was going to work.
     Felix opened the cupboard that served as their joint pantry and storage area, rummaging through some boxes of pasta and rice as well as a few bags of lentils and other beans. There were a few bags of chips, cookies, and the like. Then he bent down to open the small fridge under the counter. There was still some milk, juice, some eggs, and some leftover chicken from an earlier meal. There were also some leftover sautéed vegetables. He closed the door, stood up, and held his chin in thought. Michelle stood nearby looking sheepish and contrite.
     “Do you have food allergies or something?” Adrien asked, as it was the only explanation that would make sense.
     Michelle turned to him, “Yeah. I have a wheat allergy and I’m lactose intolerant.”
     “Oh,” he answered, trying to recall what she ate at lunch at their first meet up but drawing a blank.
     “It’s not usually an issue as I’ve gotten into the habit of planning out my meals and knowing what options are best to go with at other times. It’s just…lately…I’ve fallen out of things,” her voice got progressively softer as she went on. It was hard for him to be sure he heard it all.
     Felix looked up at Adrien at that moment with a spark in his eyes. “I think I got an idea that could work. How about we make up some chicken fried rice? We have everything here: rice, chicken, eggs, and the leftover vegetables.”
     “I’ve not made it before,” Adrien replied. This could be problematic as he was the one who generally did the cooking. Felix cooked but he preferred baking, and he hadn’t done that in a while. Adrien enjoyed cooking and coming up with stuff on the fly, so he co-opted the cooking for the two of them.
     “I could help out,” Michelle piped up. “I’m rather well versed in making fried rice. Do you have any bouillon or broth? What types of seasonings and sauces do you have?”
     Felix walked out of the way, taking a seat at the dining table. Adrien fished out the box of rice from the pantry Felix had been perusing earlier. “Don’t you usually use day old rice to make fried rice? We don’t have any made up. We would be needing to use freshly made, will it even work?”
     “It should be fine; it just means it won’t be crispy. But it also means it won’t get clumpy. I often prefer to make it fresh for that reason. Since the chicken and vegetables are already cooked, we would be mainly dealing with the rice…” Michelle went on while Adrien started fishing out a pot and some measuring cups to start with making up the rice. He set those down and then scoured a drawer to search for their stash of seasoning and bouillon.

     Felix watched the two as they bandied back and forth about how to go about cooking up the rice, how to flavor it, and so forth. He found it rather amusing truth be told. Adrien seemed to be enjoying himself. While Felix could cook, it wasn’t anything all that interesting for him. It was simply to have something to eat. Adrien took more interest in the process, diving into methods, seasonings, and the like. He finally had someone he could bounce off of in that regard.
     It made sense that Michelle would be rather proficient at cooking. Having food allergies and intolerances would often lead a person into learning how to cook as they would need to find alternative options that they not only liked but would suit. While he was happy his brother had someone to ‘play’ with in the kitchen, the quick intimacy they arrived at while working together was making him uncomfortable. He knew it was in all likelihood small undercurrents of jealousy as he knew Michelle’s regard for him, but he didn’t want to go there, especially after what Adrien had walked into.
     To distract himself from the situation at hand as well as the thoughts and feelings that were churning up, Felix got up and walked back to the living room to seek out something for them to watch as they ate their meal.

     “So, we wait for the rice to finish up, let it set for a bit, and then slowly sauté batches of it with the chicken and vegetables, adding the seasonings we agreed on as we go?” Adrien was looking at her, seemingly still unsure of how things were progressing.
     “Yeah. I mean, it won’t be authentic friend rice, but it would be our left-over attempt at it. It might not be the best, but it will be a meal. If nothing else, it’s a learning opportunity for the next time,” Michelle replied, trying to reassure him.
     He shook his head. “This whole thing has pushed me out of my comfort zone. I’ve not cooked anything resembling this before.”
     “Well, sometimes stepping out is a good thing. Although, at some point you should have some proper fried rice. See what you have been missing out on,” she said while smiling at him.
     “Perhaps…know of some good places?” he asked cheekily while playfully shoving her shoulder.
     “Perhaps,” she teased him back, cocking her head at him. Adrien arched an eyebrow at her.
     “Well, well, in a particularly flirty mood today…thought you weren’t interested in my brother that way.” He turned to her, pulling an expression of fake shock, all but raising his hand to cover his mouth. He noted how quickly she looked away from him. Perhaps she was embarrassed or blushing.
     An uncomfortable silence fell while she slowly turned her body away from him. Perhaps he shouldn’t have teased her about it.
     “Hey,” he said while reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder, “I’m sorry… If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. How’ve you been holding up otherwise?”
     She turned to face him but wouldn’t actually look at him. “It’s been crap. I’ve spent most of the week in my room either numb or crying.” His expression flattened at hearing this. It wasn’t surprising, really. She had lost her best friend, but ‘Adrien’ didn’t know this, so he had to play his part and poke at her as to what she was upset about.
     “What happened? Not much was stated in the news about it.”
     Michelle looked at him then as she pursed her lips. She closed her eyes and took a breath. He hated putting her through this, but he had to do it. She told him shakily and without much detail of how her parents had informed her of her best friend’s death. How she couldn’t come back for the funeral. About how she was feeling lost and alone in it all. She then followed it up by addressing how she hadn’t heard back from Kylie, the friend she came here with, and how that sucked. She finished by explaining how she ran into Felix at the cafe outside the student center and how he brought her back to spend the day with them so she wouldn’t be alone.
     “Well, I’m glad Felix ran into you. I wouldn’t let your imagination run away with you about Kylie. There’s probably an explanation for it. Maybe in a day or two you can visit her and see for yourself,” he said to her, holding steady eye contact. She nodded but appeared still distraught. “Why don’t you go and see what Felix is up to. He’s skimped out on all the cooking. Perhaps you can needle him into considering making up a dessert later to make up for it,” he added gesturing her back towards the living room.
     “That sounds like a good plan,” she replied and left to the living room.

     While Michelle agreed with Adrien that the fried rice worked out rather well despite it needing something more, she couldn’t agree with him on what that extra something should be. He felt instead of using scrambled eggs, topping it with a fried egg would be better. The whole idea just unnerved Michelle as it would make the dish closer to Korean bibimbap than fried rice. And, well, bibimbap worked best with beef not chicken.
     Thankfully, once they really started eating the conversation died down. There would be no need to further argue with Adrien’s ideas on it. She let the matter go and enjoyed the meal at hand, realizing she hadn’t had a proper one in days. Surviving merely on snacks and random sliced fruits and cold cuts of meat had gotten her through the days, but now with actually enough calories in her, her body was redirecting a good deal of her blood supply towards her digestive system. The result was she was feeling drowsy and rather fuzzy headed.
     Her company didn’t seem to mind. She even thought they looked rather relieved at her state. The two had picked out a movie they thought she would enjoy. Michelle had tried to stay awake and to give the movie its due, but she just couldn’t. She drifted off to a sweet, warm, and comfortable sleep.

     He knew she was truly out once the regular rhythm of soft snores set in. Felix glanced at the burrowed worn-out thing curled up in her blanket solidly between him and Adrien. She finally looked to be at peace, and he felt a wave of relief wash over him at it, along with a small soft smile. Michelle didn’t deserve any of this. She didn’t deserve to be in such pain. He wished he could do more. It wasn’t fair. Raising his head to turn back to the movie, he caught Adrien looking at him.
     A wave of irritation cascaded down as he tensed up, seemingly sensing a hint of judgment in Adrien’s expression. Whether it was really there or if he was simply lashing out due to his own conflicted state as to what his feelings and intentions towards the sleeping girl were, it was anybody’s guess.
     “What?!” he spat out at him, but not too loudly.
     “We’re a bit on edge, aren’t we?” Adrien responded smoothly.
     Felix glanced away at that, trying to regain his composure. He felt bare and vulnerable under his brother’s gaze and didn’t like how it tormented him further.
     “Are you no longer certain how you feel about her?” Adrien asked softly.
     Felix shot him a look, trying to ascertain where Adrien was going with this and to what purpose. “What are you trying to get at?” he snapped.
     Adrien scowled at the retort. “You two were in an awfully compromising position when I got back. What’s going on? Has something changed?”
     Felix felt himself clamming up. His feelings were a mess. He was trying to get past his crush on her. Michelle didn’t view him that way. She was falling for Adrien. That much was clear. Lila and him looked like something that could actually work out. But he couldn’t help himself. Seeing how hard she was crying and how lost she looked. He had to help her. He had to do what he could to help her feel better. Then with the pillow fight. He was having so much fun with her. She was smiling, and he hadn’t felt that good since Rose. He hadn’t expected what happened next, but he couldn’t really deny the hope and longing he had from it. Would they have kissed if Adrien not come home? There was no way of knowing. He just didn’t know, and it was eating him alive.
     “I wouldn’t give too much weight to how’s she’s been today,” Adrien said carefully, seemingly trying to arouse Felix’s attention back to him. “She’s grieving. She’s not herself. She may not even be sure of things.”
     Felix shot a glare at him as the weight of his words sunk in. She doesn’t really have feelings for you, was what his dear brother was saying. It’s just her grief, having her reach out for comfort. She’s just using him. It made him angry. Because of course, when in competition with his brother, a girl wouldn’t really be choosing him. His hope was unrealistic. She wasn’t in her right mind. She’s simply seeking comfort for her grief. He found himself tensing his jaw. Was it too much to think maybe her grief was simply opening her eyes to what was in front of her? Helping her to realize he did care, that he was there for her, that he could be depended on?
     “Look, I’m sure this is putting you in a rather shitty place. You’ve made it clear you’re trying to move on with Lila, which I respect. I’m just saying to keep the course. Give things time.”
     “What do you know of such things? It’s not like you’re that much more experienced than me with relationships. You’ve only really had one and a bunch of sex partners,” Felix angrily threw out.
     Adrien narrowed his eyes at him, and Felix was wondering if they would need to leave the room to have a proper go of it. He moved himself forward in his sitting position, reading to get up. Adrien leaned towards him in response.
     “Yeah, I can see how’d you’d think that. But I’ve had to deal with Marinette’s savior complex and then Kagami’s rebellious streak,” Adrien coolly replied.
     “What are you talking about?” Felix countered, confused. What the hell was he even going on about?
     Looking past Felix, Adrien explained curtly how when they first got together, he had confessed to Marinette how his origins in the family had always bothered him, what with actually being his cousin rather than his brother, of having lost his parents as a baby, and so forth. Marinette had slowly co-opted these things from him, making it her crusade to ‘fix’ him, make things right. How her attempts ultimately revealed her rather controlling and critical underlying nature. Towards the end, it had gotten rather bad, driving him to spend time with others to get a reprieve from it all.
     Felix sat there stunned, listening raptly to these rather intimate details of Marinette’s and of what things were like for his brother in that relationship. Realizing how he didn’t know of any of this when they were together. Adrien had had a mask firmly in place, hiding everything about how it was affecting him from everybody. Felix felt a river of guilt snake through him as it became clear how little notice he gave to his brother because of his jealousy towards him and his self-absorption with his own affairs. Before he could grapple with this though, Adrien had turned the focus to Kagami.
     The two of them were simply using each other, which was perfectly fine as they were both well aware of what the stakes were for their encounters. When Adrien wanted more and then quickly found it wasn’t really going to work, she had found in him a prize by which to stick it to her folks. Kagami came from an overly strict accomplishment driven home. Now that she was a young adult with more freedom in university, she was using that freedom to rebel and live her life counter to anything and everything her family stood for. A relationship with a well-known womanizer like Adrien Agreste would be the icing on the cake to the middle finger her life was currently giving her parents. That was the whole true sick reality behind her stalking him, cock blocking him from making moves on others at the establishments she found him at, and so forth. She needed to ‘claim’ him for herself, like one would claim a sought after prize. It was never about him.
     “So, as you can see, I do have some experience with people not necessarily being genuine with their intentions. Sometimes they are aware of it, like with Kagami, but often they are not, as with Marinette. I just don’t want either one of you getting hurt,” Adrien ended on a low note. And with that, he got up and walked out of the room, leaving Felix to his thoughts with a sleeping Michelle next to him.

Chapter Text

      This is so utterly ridiculous. Chat was inspecting his claws, waiting on Ladybug to finish up in the bathroom while avoiding Viperion’s gaze. They were waiting in Fu’s small living room above his massage parlor. Adrien still didn’t understand why they had to be suited up for the meeting. He thought about bringing it up once Fu arrived. To him, it made no sense anymore. He already knew Marinette was Ladybug. He could easily figure out who Viperion is, if he gave a damn, as it would obviously be whomever Marinette was going with. He doubted the two would hide their relationship in real life. Or at least, he doubted whoever Viperion was would put up with Marinette’s demands to keep it a secret in the long run. Logically, it made more sense for them to know who they were so as to avoid complications regarding their actual identities.
      Ladybug came back and settled herself next to Viperion. She looked over at Chat.
      “How’s she holding up?”
      He rested his hand on the table in front of them. “About as well as you would expect. She’s mourning. I don’t think she’s done much since it happened.”
      “How pissed do you think Fu is going to be about all the media?” Viperion asked nervously.
      “Well, nothing can be done about it now,” Ladybug replied.
      “It’s not like we gave interviews. We got out of there pretty quickly. From what I can tell we’re still an enigma,” Chat added.
      An uncomfortable silence fell as the three sat and waited for their master’s arrival. Viperion was all nerves, Chat was bored, and Ladybug was simply patient. They heard the old man close up shop and slowly make his way up the stairway leading to the front door off to their right. The door slowly opened, and Fu walked through.
      Closing it behind him with a soft click, Fu kicked off his shoes, and then walked to the kitchen to make tea. They listened while he set the burner on, rustled through his cupboards for cups, and opened his pantry for the tea bags and snacks. He was arranging things upon a tray when they all heard the tell-tale whine of the tea kettle. Carefully walking in, he slowly set the tray down on the table in front of them.
      Fu then proceeded to lay out each of their cups in front of them and slowly pour the tea out. How the man could make simply pouring tea a tense affair, he didn’t know, but he withered under the potent look he gave each of them as he poured. A mixture of disappointment, reprimand, and exasperation.
      After pouring, he settled back down on the cushion he chose to sit at and turned his attention to Ladybug, who sighed after taking a sip of the hot beverage.
      “Where do you want me to start?” she said as though she just wanted to get it over with.
      “The girl, obviously,” his low rough voice replied.
      “During a training session, Chat and Viperion had fallen to the street. They stumbled upon the girl in the alleyway, likely investigating what happened. Viperion went to activate his Second Chance as a means of dealing with it. However, it didn’t work. They reported back to me, and…”
      Fu raised his hand in front of him, gesturing Ladybug to stop. “What do you mean his Second Chance didn’t work?” He looked positively bewildered at the prospect.
      “The incantation didn’t seem to go off. I inspected the bracelet, concerned I may have damaged it in the fall. But I saw nothing amiss with it,” Viperion added, drawing Fu’s attention to him, to fend off his interrogation of his girlfriend. Fu turned his eyes on him, waiting for him to proceed. Viperion took a breath and continued. “She must have been spooked as she ran off shortly after. Then the spell went off and we were back at the start. We met up with Ladybug and informed her of things. Unsure whether the girl actually remembered the encounter due to the spell eventually going off, we had Chat track her down and keep tabs on her.”
      “Why would you think he would be able to track down some random girl? I’m assuming this girl is the same one from the incident?” Fu turned to glare at Ladybug.
      Ladybug looked down and away briefly as though in shame but then turned her attention back to Fu. “We knew who the girl was, but due to concerns about our identities, we had Chat keep tabs on her. He could discover if she remembered anything from that night or told others about it.”
      Before Fu could focus his attention to Chat, Adrien spoke up. “I befriended her in my civilian form. If she remembered that night, she gave no indication of it and hasn’t really spoken about anything of the sort. She’s an American exchange student and doesn’t have many friends. It wasn’t an issue.”
      “So, what exactly happened? How did this become a media circus?” It was said in a rather calm manner, contrasting greatly with the amped up tension his bearing was otherwise having in the room.
      Ladybug took the lead here. “As you are aware a news story went out about the butterflies being spotted on a university campus. Chat was the closest to the scene and went to investigate. By the time we got there it would appear matters had been resolved. The butterflies were nowhere to be seen. Only large gray moths were present. The girl had recently been told of news of her best friend’s death. It appeared she had been targeted but contact by the akumas couldn’t be made, for whatever reason. Chat confirmed this as with his arrival there were only those moths at play. It was shortly after our arrival and questioning of the girl the media swarmed in. We weren’t expecting it and made our get away as soon as we could. But, well, things are what they are now,” she finished.
      There was a tense silence as Fu seemed to be processing the news.
      “Any indication of a disruption to your powers this time as well?” he asked.
      Ladybug and Viperion shook their heads. Adrien became twitchy with discomfort, as though he was going to be found out. His powers had specifically been nullified upon closer contact with Michelle. But was it due to her? Adrien wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he felt knotted up inside and conflicted. Like he was struggling with an uncomfortable truth he didn’t want to really acknowledge. Adrien found himself suddenly focusing on anything but Fu, fiddling with his teacup.
      “Chat. Do you have anything to add?”
      Adrien wouldn’t make eye contact and simply shook his head in the negative.
      “Well,” Fu said sighing, “there’s nothing to be really done here. Your presence is known, which means whoever is behind the butterfly is now in full knowledge of the three of you being in action. But what’s done is done.” He paused to take a deep sip of his tea. “It’s not likely the girl will be targeted again. She was somehow able to resist possession by the akuma. It has happened from time to time in the past. Strong-willed people can often resist that magic on their own. It’s probably what happened in this case. As for the earlier incident, it sounds like the incantation was simply delayed, probably as a result of your anxious bewildered state at being discovered,” he said gesturing to Viperion with his finger. “While not ideal, I don’t foresee any repercussions as it would appear she has no memory of the earlier incident. However, we will need to work on mindfulness training with the three of you. Being young, you are still easily carried away by your emotions, affecting your use of the magic of your miraculouses.”
      The rest of the meeting was spent addressing the logistics of these sessions amongst themselves. Adrien found himself tuning out, trying to grapple with the reality of how goody two shoes Marinette didn’t mention the fact Michelle did in fact remember him and Viperion and was afraid of them. His views on Viperion shifted as well as he also didn’t bring up the matter or the fact he knew Chat’s powers had in fact been affected. He hadn’t contradicted his reply to Fu.

      It shouldn’t have been a surprise then that the two delayed his leaving when they got to the roof of the building to part ways. He stood before them waiting while they quickly conferred with one another.
      Ladybug decided to go first it would appear. “Why didn’t you tell Fu about losing your camouflage?” she asked rather nervously. Chat turned to look at Viperion who also wanted to know the answer.
      He stood and looked at them for a moment at a loss for what to say. Well, what the hell, why not?
      “I’m not sure…somehow telling Fu about it makes me immensely uncomfortable…like I shouldn’t be telling him…it makes no sense,” he answered slowly.
      Viperion nodded slowly with him. “Yeah, we were feeling the same way. It's why Ladybug didn’t bring up how we know Michelle remembers us.”
      “I was wondering about that,” Chat said rather pointedly at Ladybug, “it isn’t like you to bend the rules when it comes to Fu.”
      Ladybug appeared lost in thought for a moment, making Adrien wonder if Marinette was finally beginning to break out her tendency towards black and white thinking when it came to him. “I’m not really comfortable with any of this. But my gut has been giving me fits about it. I want to tell Fu, but everytime I feel like bringing it up…I get horribly tied up. It’s…it’s a bad idea. I want to trust Fu, and I always have. I’ve never had a reason not to, but with this…” She couldn’t finish.
      Viperion had his arms crossed next to her looking disturbed but seemingly in agreement with what Ladybug was saying. Adrien looked at the two of them and for the first time found commonality there. All three of them were on the same page with not wanting Fu to know the full truth of things.
      It was a first. He had always felt rather antagonistic and irate with them. It was a given with his breakup with Marinette, the still lingering hurt feelings from that, the presence of Viperion being a direct reminder of being replaced, and so forth. However, with this, he realized the truth of how they were in fact his companions in this new and strange experience they found themselves in, not his antagonists - not his enemies. The three of them were bound together in this burden, in this responsibility, and in this secrecy. Somehow it made him feel lighter, relieved, and gave him courage. He wasn’t alone in this.
      Adrien found himself chuckling, easing the pent-up tension and unease that had been brewing between them. “I get it…I’m glad I’m not the only one that was feeling that way... I agree. We need to keep this to ourselves until we have a better handle on things.”
      The other two eased up as well, relaxing their limbs, and shaking them off.
      “I think it would be best to keep an eye on Michelle,” Viperion said as the moment passed. “Not only because of this but because she could use a friend to help her through her grief.” He gave Chat a soft smile.
      “I’m worried that despite what Fu said, Michelle is going to get targeted by the butterfly. She seems to be having an impact on the use of the miraculous. The butterfly would have noticed that. It may feel the need to investigate further,” Ladybug added.
      “Yeah, and I’m not sure if it’s something she’s doing and is aware of doing or if it just happens in her presence,” Adrien said.
      The three stood and mulled it over for a few moments. Each seemingly contemplating their own ideas and theories on the matter.
      “Well, this isn’t something we’re going to figure out in one night. We’d best get going. It’s been a long day for me. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I could definitely use some rest. Keep tabs on Michelle and keep us in the loop as to what you find out,” Ladybug said as she readied her yo-yo to get going.
      “Sounds like a plan,” Adrien replied. Viperion agreed, and the three soon parted their own separate ways.

Chapter Text

      Michelle didn’t know what to make of her time with Kylie. After her night out with Felix and Adrien, she tried Kylie again. Instead of getting a text back like their usual routine, Kylie had called her back. It turned out she had spent the weekend with Phillipe and her battery had died on her. As a means of trying to make it up to Michelle, she had invited her out on a shopping excursion with Phillipe and his friends.
      It was an awkward outing, and perhaps the most uncomfortable Michelle ever had. The only person she knew was Kylie. She had expected to spend more time with her one on one (or at least with Phillipe in tow and respectful about their time) as it had come across as a trip to make amends for pretty much ditching her for her new boyfriend. Alas, she maybe managed 20 minutes with her at one of the bookstores they stopped at, and Kylie was barely attentive. Otherwise, Michelle was the seventh wheel to the three obvious couples the group consisted of.
      She barely had anything in common with these people. If she remembered right, two of them were into music. However, one was simply a fan of club music, and the other had ambitions of being a music producer. Not enough common ground there to really have an engaging conversation. Three of them barely had passable English, making conversations difficult. Doubly so when they insisted on only speaking English with her as they needed the practice. Things predictably would stall out in mutual frustration. The entire excursion was three hours with an hour taken up by a meal. It was boring, dull, and Michelle felt adrift. The only thing that saved her from taking Kylie to task for it were the looks of sympathy and concern she shot her now and then during their meal. It was all rather infuriating, and Michelle failed to do anything about it.
      She just didn’t know where she stood with her friend anymore. They had grown closer in the two years they had known each other. This was to be their third glorious year of friendship, out and conquering Paris together. Living their dream of being here, mastering French, and starting a new chapter of their lives. But perhaps their vision had been too clouded by rose-tinted glasses. Maybe they both weren’t as truthful as they should have been about what they were wanting out of the experience. Perhaps things weren’t as aligned as they appeared to be in their girl night ramblings on the whole affair.
      In truth, Kylie probably had more nebulous ideas of how she wanted her year to go and thus was going along with the currents she found herself in. She and Phillipe seemed inseparable, and if Michelle was being honest with herself, she was seeing a very different Kylie than the one she saw back home. And to be fair, Michelle had specific goals she was set on, which she threw herself head long into from the start, setting Kylie aside. Was it really fair of her to be upset that Kylie found her own path to keep her busy in the meantime? What right did Michelle really have to be upset when now that she needed Kylie, she wasn’t there for her? Especially when she hadn’t really been there for Kylie at the start, when she maybe had been floundering.
      It was all a mess, and Michelle didn’t know how to fix it. What troubled her the most was she wasn’t sure if she should do anything to fix it. Maybe this is what Kylie wants. She has a boyfriend now. You can’t really ask a person to choose between a friend and a boyfriend. Kylie was making other friends and carving out a life for herself here. They didn’t even share classes or a dorm. If Kylie was growing apart from her, what could she do? It was up to Kylie and no one else. Michelle texted and tried to reach out. It was going just like it had with Monica…and that slowly petered out as well. She decided she didn’t want to really think on it anymore. What will be will be. There’s no other real point to it, any of it.

      Felix’s mind was still reeling. It had only been a few days, but the last date he had with Lila was sublime. This girl was bliss. It was a whirlwind day consisting of an initial rush to find her at the theater kiosk where she and her friends had purchased half off tickets to a new show, seeing said show in question, having a picnic with said group afterwards, and then a romantic leisurely stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries, just the two of them.
      Lila was so adorably exquisite in her soft chunky sweater, jeans, and boots. Her hair was down and lightly caught on the breeze, creating a warm curtain of caramel around her. Her smiles and bright eyes, always on him. Her laughs. Her sighs as they cuddled on a bench together. He was so lost in her.
      He greatly enjoyed their discussion of the play, of the season, their thoughts on life, their future, and more importantly what they wanted from their time together. He liked how direct Lila was. She wanted to be with him, but she understood she was only there for a year. Rather than angst about the passing of time, she wanted to re-frame their perspective of it. To focus on making the best of the time they had. As such, she wanted to brush past frivolities and declare herself his girlfriend if he was amiable to it. Her goals were simple: to enjoy their time together, to live out their desires for each other with each other, and to decide at the end where to go from there. If it wasn’t to be, she wanted to have had a great experience with memories to hold onto. If a future could be had, those discussions could be dealt with then.
      All of this was a thrilling challenge for him. She laid things straight out, and it was entirely in his hands to take it and move forward or not. Things were transparent here. He enjoyed the rush and the accompanying fear this need to sort himself out properly incited in him from Lila’s presence, energy, and proposition. And the strangest part of it all, this need for self-clarity was for him and him alone. There was no hint he needed to be any which way for Lila. She would accept whatever outcome he came to. There would be no hard feelings. She knew time was an issue for them due to her status and so was tackling it in the way that made the most sense for her. She didn’t want to be tangled up in emotions, what-ifs, and the like. She thought long and hard about matters, and she arrived at this conclusion. She brought it up to him and was waiting on him to decide from there.
      It really was the most mature approach to matters, and Felix found himself in awe of her. He didn’t really deserve someone like this in his life. She was absolutely stunning, intelligent, mature, cultured, and interested in him. He was on such a high; he wasn’t sure when he would be coming down.
      He was at his desk in his tutoring office, slowly shaking his head to bring himself back into the present. He wanted to be with Lila. He was very much attracted to her, not only physically, but in the way he felt he was really having to see and make peace with who and what he was. She already pointed out the division within himself as to whether he should pursue his parent’s aims for him in business or keep making tracks in education. It made him uncomfortable, but maybe he needed to be uncomfortable so he would be forced to come to a decision, one that he makes for himself-not for someone else. Maybe being with her will force him to be himself, the real version of himself, not what his parents would want or what he thinks he needs to be for others.
      If he was being honest, this was probably the best path for him. There was too much complication with Michelle, what with her interest in Adrien and no real interest in him as anything other than a tutor or friend. Michelle didn’t challenge him in this way. In fact, his affection for her entangled him in unpleasant emotions regarding his brother and feelings of inadequacy. He was often left in more conflict, especially as he was never sure of her regard for him. With Lila, things were clear. There was no competition. He could make a decision with more certainty.

      Adrien was hurrying down the walk towards what he assumed was the student center. Michelle was hoping to spend some time with him today. She had a session with Felix but would be free after. Due to timing, he would be getting there just before her session. His hope was to accompany her and kill the 30 to 35 minutes doing some reading for class. The weather was warmer this afternoon than it had been lately, so he was a little sweaty with his coat on, but there wasn’t much to be done about it.
      The last few weeks had been rather low key. It would appear Felix took his advice to heart regarding Michelle. He had gone on a number of dates with this Lila, who he had to admit was absolutely gorgeous, and seemed to be slowly getting smitten with her. As a result, Felix hadn’t talked much about Michelle. Nor did he hear from Michelle much about Felix beyond their usual tutoring sessions and the occasional outing with his friends. Michelle seemed to be getting by. Her grief was still there and coloring everything, but she was crying less.
      He was conflicted on and off about how things were. He needed to keep tabs on her due to the weirdness she seemed to be having on the use of their miraculouses and concerns about the butterfly perhaps targeting her as a result. He wasn’t happy with it, but he couldn’t really fault the logic of it with him already having a relationship with her due to the earlier monitoring. It made the most sense to keep it up. However, it made him feel horrible at the same time for the deception of it all since he at this point considered her a good friend. She was having a hard enough time as it was, adapting to living in a foreign country and having lost her best friend. She didn’t need him in her life being duplicitous and then potentially this magical villain dogging her. Life just wasn’t fair.
      “Hey, Adrien!” Michelle called out, waving at him. He dropped out of his thoughts and took notice of her jogging up to him from slightly off to his left. It would appear that in his musings, he had failed to realize he was coming up on the entrance to the student center. If she hadn’t called out, he would have likely just walked past it unawares.
      “What’s going on? You’re not usually lost in your thoughts like that. I mean, that’s my stick,” she said as she directed him towards the entrance.
      “Just have a lot coming up. It’s hard at points to let it go. I always think I’m forgetting something,” he causally lied while they walked to the elevators at the end of the hall to get up to the tutoring floor.
      As they settled into the elevator with Michelle hitting the floor number they needed, she looked over at him and said, “Well, I’m glad you took out some time to be with me. I do appreciate it. It helps to not be so alone all the time.” He grinned back at her but held his tongue.
      They made their way to the hallway just outside the tutoring rooms and took a seat on one of the rows of benches laid against the wall. Her session was going to start in a few minutes or so. Michelle had just informed him of an empty study room at the end of the hall he could do his reading in when Adrien spied Lila exiting a room with Felix just behind her.
      The two were standing just outside the door. Felix had initially been holding it open but at some point must have let it go as it gently fell shut behind them. At the moment it shut one of them must have said something of joyful importance as Lila immediately brightened up. Felix echoed the sentiment with a broadening smile. Adrien found himself smiling when out of nowhere Lila stepped up, embraced Felix, and kissed him fully on the lips. He was about to look away when he heard a gasp from beside him.
      He turned to see Michelle’s shocked face and another intake of air. Her eyes caught his and he could see a mix of terror and embarrassment there. Before he could say anything, she had gathered her things, got up, and shot out of the hallway. Adrien quickly rose and followed her but upon striding towards the elevator heard the door to the stairway fall shut heavily. He ran after to follow, only hearing her quick scurrying footfalls on the stairs. By the time he got to the first floor, she must have booked it outside already. At a loss of where she could have gone, he did a quick jog around the building, trying to look for somewhere private she would have sought shelter in.

      Michelle was wondering where Adrien’s headspace was as he appeared to only be half paying attention to her. Following his gaze, she saw an attractive tall brunette walk out of a room with Felix following. Michelle hadn’t thought much of it, but when their conversation suddenly brightened, her curiosity peaked. When the girl out right kissed him, she felt her stomach drop.
      What? What was going on? Felix wasn’t pulling away or even acting shocked by it. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it. Michelle felt her guts twist up. But…but didn’t he like her? She found herself suddenly sizing up the woman in his arms. She was stunning. Her long caramel hair was brilliant and looked oh so soft. She was curvy and had legs to die for. It all made sense. She never stood a chance. Not if someone like that was pursuing him. The twisting in her gut vanished, replaced by the settling of a heavy dark weight. Suddenly she was horrifically small, suffocating, and utterly alone. Everything was too cramped. She needed to breathe. Why couldn’t she breathe?
      It was then she saw Adrien’s eyes looking at her. They were shocked, surprised. They seemed to be screaming at her that she had no right to be feeling this way. She couldn’t take it. She couldn’t take the judgment and the awfulness she was feeling. She got up and bolted. She needed to be alone. Away from here.
      She flew down the stairwell, heedless of the world around, only of the need to be away, alone, and outside. Before she knew it, she had stepped out, momentarily paused at the vastness of the outdoors and of the presence of people milling about and walking to their destinations. She noticed a few people turn towards her with a brief look of concern before they went on with their day. Feelings of intrusion and judgment were pressing down on her and she fled towards the back end of the building. Finding space between the shrubbery and the wall, she plopped down and tried to get a hold of herself.
      Michelle felt herself trembling as her eyes watered up. She took great gulps of air as the heat of her upsets started coursing through her. What had she expected? She was just Michelle. She started curling her stringy lifeless hair around one of her fingers, desperately trying to ignore the grubby jeans and baggy sweatshirt under her fuzzy corduroy fall coat. Just a short, fat, plain American who was utterly useless. What was she thinking? She would never matter to anyone. He would slowly disappear from her life, just like Kylie had…just like Monica had before she died.
      Why did she think it would be different? What claims to him did she even have? She found herself physically calming down. The heat of her upsets dissipating and the chill of heavy dark numbness taking root. She liked Felix, but she didn’t know if she ‘liked’ liked him or if she just had a connection to him. She just didn’t know. In the end it didn’t really matter. She was alone. She didn’t matter. She never had. She had to stop deluding herself with ideas to the contrary. Michelle felt herself slacken as she shifted slowly down against the building, practically at a lounge. She just needed to let it all go. It didn’t matter anyway. What was the point of getting so upset? It would never change anything. It never did. It just made things miserable.
      Michelle had closed her eyes when she heard Adrien call out, “There you are!”
      Crouching down next to her at the corner of the building, Adrien held out his hand. She slowly took it, and he yanked her back up to a sitting position. He then settled himself next to her.
      “Want to tell me what’s going on?”
      “Not particularly. Can you just let it go?” she answered lowly, staring at her feet.
      There was a brief moment of silence. Michelle agonized, wondering if she was sabotaging her relationship with Adrien. Besides Rose, who she hardly saw these days, he was the only other friend she had here at this rate. God, she was so fucking pathetic.
      “You’re missing your tutoring session,” he observed.
      “It’s fine. It’s just a tutoring session…I can’t be there right now anyway.”
      “You know, it’s okay to be conflicted about Felix…” Adrien was starting.
      She side-eyed him, “Conflicted?”
      “Well, yeah,” he sighed. “I know you let him down, but it can still be hard to see him with someone else. It can be kind of a high to be someone’s crush, the letdown can be pretty harsh.”
      Michelle turned to him then, “What are you talking about? I never let him down. He’s never talked to me about anything resembling that.”
      Adrien’s eyes widened before he looked away, as though caught in the act of letting on something he shouldn’t have. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let her head fall into her chest. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe he hadn’t ever had a thing for her. It was all her…manufacturing an illusion to feed her delusion she was worth something. Like this entire fucking fantasy of a year here in the first place. What was she thinking? That she could really start over, direct her life, have it be better than it had been…that she could escape it all.
      “Michelle,” he said it lightly, like one calling out to a feral cat. She looked up at him. “It’s going to be alright. You can still be friends, if you think you can handle that. If not, I’m sure there are ways of working around it.”
      Her stomach dropped yet again. This was just horrible. Was she simply just hung up on Felix. Was this just jealousy and thwarted unrequited love? She had no clue, but it was clear this was what Adrien thought. This was how he was viewing her. As this pathetic love denied fool. She felt herself get further twisted and irritated. She didn’t want Adrien viewing her like that. No, not like that. And this was sharper and deeper than embarrassment and shame on her part.
      “Can we please not talk about this?!” she snapped.
      A stillness fell, and Michelle was waiting for him to gather himself and leave at how rude she was. At her pathetic immature behavior. At the overblown dramatic mess she had made of it all, whatever it was. But moments passed and there was no movement on his end. Just the sound of his breathing in the space between the shrubbery and building.
      Realizing he wasn’t going to leave and unable to hold it back, she simply let herself start crying. She hated it. She hated herself and her weakness, but it couldn’t be helped. As her nose started running and it became difficult to breathe normally, he handed her some tissue he had fished out of his bag. Michelle took it and absentmindedly blew her nose and kept crying.
      She didn’t know how long the two of them just sat there while she cried, but eventually it slowed down, like it always did. She could only cry for so long. She felt tired and drained. And unfortunately for her, this was the point where Adrien reached out and slowly gripped her hand for comfort.
      “I…I just don’t want to feel like this anymore,” she said tearfully.
      “Like what?” it was said gently and low.
      “Alone…and empty…and sad,” it was starting to flow out, against her better judgment, but she was too spent to really stop herself. That her had lost the battle…all that was left was the little broken one. “Why can’t anybody stay? What’s so wrong with me that they always leave?” She sniffled and simply breathed out while she closed her eyes and laid her head against the wall behind her.
      She didn’t know how long it was she laid there like that, but she was startled into awareness by Adrien lifting her into a hug against him. Too dazed to fight against it, she simply snuggled into the warmth of his neck and nestled against his chest. She needed and wanted comfort and let herself have it.

Chapter Text

     Felix didn’t know what to make of things. Michelle had missed the last session with no notice. The next session she was late, and it was pulling teeth to get her to stay on task for the work she had asked him to help her with. She was morose and unkempt. It was all rather alarming as she seemed to be taking a turn for the worse.
     At the moment, he was sitting in his chair sizing her up while she avoided eye contact and occupied herself with what appeared to be a planner. He waited patiently, as she was the one who set the agenda for each session, all the while debating whether he should talk to her about his concerns. She had taken out a pencil and then turned to look at him.
     “I’m going to need to wind things back. From here on out, I’ll be having only one session a week with you. I’m a bit stressed about it as I’ve got that big paper in my composition class, but I roughed out a schedule I think may work. If you see here…”
     Placing his hand down on the planner she set down in front of him, he stopped her oncoming explanation.
     “What’s going on Michelle? You’ve not been yourself lately…missing a session, not being engaged. You can talk to me, you know. I’m here to help,” he said softly, obviously concerned.
     She focused on the hand, seeming to weigh up what she was going to say. He lifted his hand off. She sat back in her chair in reaction.
     “I finally got myself in to see the grief counselor the uni set up for me. The only time I have available is when I usually have a session here. Been busy trying to get that up and going…otherwise, well, I think it’s pretty evident what’s the matter,” she replied rather matter-of-factly, like she wasn’t really interested in addressing it any further.
     Felix leaned back in his chair to take her in. She was putting distance between them, watching while she physically closed herself off by crossing her arms as well as her legs. He felt rather rebuffed by it. It didn’t make any sense. Why had she suddenly changed? Was it just the grief getting the better of her?
     “Well, I’m glad you are getting some help with matters. I can’t imagine how difficult it has been. I hope things ease up for you in the coming weeks,” he said, waiting to see her reaction. She simply nodded, her eyes looking off away from him. Deciding not to push the matter any further and simply revert to his professional tutor’s demeanor, he re-engaged her on the matter of her schedule.
     Sliding back into that particular form of interaction, the rest of the session was rather productive. They were able to work out what her goals and steps for handling the project with less tutoring sessions would be, and she seemed to gain some relief in the process. At least on that note, Felix was able to help her.
     As they were wrapping up and she was gathering her stuff to leave, Felix stood up to walk her to the door. She became a bit apprehensive at this as it was not how the sessions usually ended. Feeling a bit crestfallen at her weariness, he smiled at her in an attempt to soothe her.
     “The group was thinking of having a movie night soon. Do you think you would be interested?” he asked.
     She squinted her eyes at him as though lost in some disturbing thought or feeling on the matter. “I’m not sure. I would need to know more details before I could really consider it.”
     “Yeah, of course. I’ll ask Rose about it. She can probably text you…if you don’t have a problem with that,” he added remembering how uncomfortable she had been with sharing her number with others. He was feeling awfully flatfooted with her now, not knowing what was safe and what was crossing the line now being erected between them. Her response was a curt nod and “That’ll work. I need to get going. I’ll see you next week then.”
     “Alright, next week then,” he said as she left the room, all but clipping his last words off with the sound of the door shutting after her. He stood facing the now closed door, feeling hurt. Had he done something wrong? He found himself getting upset and worked to master himself. He was simply overreacting. It was obvious she was still struggling with her grief, and it was probably now affecting her mental health. That was probably all it was. It didn’t necessarily have anything to do with him.
     Would she even tell him if it did though? He needed to stop. All he could do here was respect her wishes and her newly enforced boundaries. She needed time. The best thing he could do was give it to her and then see where he stood. Engaging in worst case scenarios wouldn’t get him anywhere. Felix stepped out of the room and walked down the hallway to have a brief chat and a bad cup of coffee with the scheduler. He still had another three sessions before the day was over, so he needed to keep himself in a less agitated state of mind.

     Michelle found herself falling into a funk, or if she was being honest with herself, a depression. But that was something she didn’t really want to think about. As it was, she would be seeing someone soon enough, if that was indeed where she was finding herself. After embracing at the back of the building in the shrubbery, nothing more was said between Adrien and her as he led her away from campus and to a cafe. There he got her something to eat and drink. As they stood at the entrance to her dorm, he told her to get that appointment with the counselor. When Michelle tried to argue, he simply blocked her from going in. Unless she promised she would see them, he wasn’t going to let her in. It was all so stupid and childish, but she was getting cold and needed a nap. She acquiesced and he let her in.
     Thinking nothing more about it, she found herself receiving harassing texts from him on and off for the next two days about whether she had made the appointment. She finally caved so as to get him off her back. Now she had reset her schedule and was dealing with how to manage having one less tutoring session a week.
     She didn’t know how to act around Felix anymore. Beyond the stress of the schedule change and the impact it was having on her academics, she didn’t know what to do with the low-level hurt she felt every time she had to interact with him. Michelle hated herself for it as it was all so stupid. Why was she feeling hurt? She had no right to be hurt as she didn’t see him that way. At least, she didn’t think she did. She wasn’t sure anymore. It was all so confusing. She kept seeing that woman kissing him in her mind’s eye, and it was eating at her. What the hell did it say about her if she indeed had feelings for him and didn’t realize until he was with someone else? Or worse, if she didn’t actually want him but she didn’t want him to be with anyone else either. She just wanted him to be around for her, even if it wasn’t getting him what he ultimately wanted. Ugh…what was wrong with her?
     To try to clear matters, Michelle would work on imagining what it would be like to actually ‘be with him’. But the thing was, she really couldn’t. Not in a way that was any different from how they had been. The closest situation to ‘being with him’ they had had was when she was straddling him at his place, and she had boldly flirted with him as a lark. When he sat up it suddenly felt off, wrong. She froze, not knowing what to do or what to make of it. Perhaps she was simply nervous and afraid. It’s not like she ever had an actual relationship. A horrible one-night stand from a party was not the benchmark experience for navigating such things. Well, at least she could say she wasn’t a virgin anymore.
     The whole thing was awful. Michelle didn’t want to think about it, but it kept haunting her nonetheless. Despite it all, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being on edge, vacillating between being weighed down with debilitating agony or hopelessly floating off as this pathetic hollow shell of a person. To try to get herself out of her head, to stop thinking, and in a manner of speaking, force herself to be in the here and now, she threw herself into her busking. Instead of going to the metro, like she had been, she decided to hit the nearby parks. The concern was less with the money-making career deciding aspect of it and more about its soothing effects on her mental and emotional health.
     She found herself busting out her violin and playing all the soul achingly sad and haunting renditions of songs she spiraled with during her high school years. Losing herself to the technicality of it, she let loose with ‘Creep’, ‘Mad World’, and ‘Hold on’ among others. Patches of people would come, drop some money, and then eventually wander off. However, over time a sun-kissed man with inky black curly hair in jeans and a leather jacket became a fixture circling around her peripheral. She found herself feeling giddy when she would catch him at points gifting her a perfectly dimpled smile. It was so sweet, like a gentle breeze chasing away the feelings of gloom and despair that had settled around her. She found herself looking forward to his visits.
     At her last performance she was left riding a high as at the end he managed to chat her up before she had finished packing up to leave. He was even actively flirting with her, complimenting her, despite her greasy hair being hastily pulled up in a messy ponytail and her wearing nothing more than her now baggy jeans and layered tops to keep off the chill. She didn’t catch his name, his French being a bit accented, but he left her with his business card where he styled himself as DJWayzz.

     Adrien was annoyed. At the start of being Chat Noir the kwami behind his miraculous, Plagg, would often appear to seemingly vex him. From needling him about his ineptness at using the magic effectively to getting under his skin about his relationship with Ladybug, it seemed its goal in life was to make his as miserable as possible. Completely caught up in his own affairs as things went to absolute crap with Marinette and then consumed with matters pertaining to moving out to start a new chapter in university, Adrien came to realize Plagg had not made an appearance that entire time. Nor had it since.
     Now, when he actually needed to talk to it about what he felt encountering Michelle with the moths and his discomfort with talking with Fu about it, the kwami would not manifest. He was at a loss. Fu hadn’t really taught them anything about interacting with their kwami outside the suit. All they knew was how to call upon them to suit up and to modify the use of their powers within it. Now this ignorance was biting him in the ass. It was aggravating to say the least, as he had a feeling Plagg knew something.
     Since there wasn’t much he could do about it, he decided to push it aside to focus on his day to day. Michelle was in a bad place. It was clear she was dealing with more than just grief, however, tackling that would be a start. Knowing the university had offered her grief counseling after the incident, he forced her to seek an appointment to get it started. First from physically barring her from her dorm until she promised she’d look into it to hassling her for days afterwards until she actually did it. It wasn’t his proudest moment, he’ll admit, but something had to be done. But now that was one less thing to worry about.
     At the moment, the main concern he had was meeting up with Nino, who agreed to accompany him to a seminar he had to attend as part of one of his government courses. Nino was on board since it was addressing Parisian tourism and entertainment, aligning with his business interests as a self-employed DJ.
     Nino was a recently acquired friend made at the beginning of the fallout of his breakup with Marinette. Deciding to embrace his suddenly bestowed bad boy image, Adrien hit the clubs and indulged in meaningless one-night stands to soothe not only his frustrated libido but to stick it to his ex. If that’s how she and everyone else were going to view him, he might as well get something out of it. Over time he started recognizing the ever-present DJ at the clubs he frequented and struck up conversations here and there. They had bonded initially over tips and strategies to attract women, but a camaraderie developed between them as the summer unwound. A camaraderie forged from their joint endeavors to craft their roles and masks, letting slip glimpses of who they actually were to each other in the process.
     Adrien was waiting impatiently outside the entrance to the building, glancing at his phone to check the time. Just as he was about to give up on Nino, he heard his name called from down the sidewalk. With disgruntled complaints about punctuality being countered with good natured ribbing about his rigidness, the two took their bantering into the foyer as they made their way through registration and then to the conference room.
     Getting themselves set at their table, Adrien took a quick glance around to see who their cohort would be. He was stopped by the sight of cascading waves of honey blonde hair framing a heart shaped face with a full lower lip. The beauty in question was perusing the afternoon’s syllabus. Adrien quickly glanced at the name tent in front of her: Chloe Bourgeois. He blinked as recognition dawned on him. This was the newly elected mayor’s daughter. He had read an article about the mayor just recently, a puff piece meant to present him as a down to earth family man concerned with community. Well, it would appear the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. She appeared to be just as interested in government as her father.
     “Found your particular focus item for the afternoon I take it,” Nino quietly teased, distracting Adrien from his thoughts.
     He turned to smirk at Nino, “You know as well as I do, I’m quite capable of multi-tasking,” he quipped.
     Before Nino could respond, the speaker had drawn everyone’s attention to the podium to start the seminar. The first half of the session mainly consisted of a series of short presentations from various figures outlining not only the importance of tourism and entertainment on the economy and the country as a whole but also on the various organizations, both public and private, engaged in projects and activities guided towards such aims. From the more theoretical and conceptual stances at the start, the latter presentations before the break were focused on the logistics and operations of the aforementioned organizations and entities. It was all pretty heavy stuff, and while interesting, everyone was well ready for the break when it did arrive.
     Adrien and Nino were relaxing outdoors after having the meal offered by the catering staff. Small groups were milling about getting fresh air while others were vaping to get their nicotine fix. Nino was going on about something while Adrien found his eyes relaxing upon the form of said Chloe Bourgeois leaning against a railing at the other end of the verandah. The woman was stunning. Long and lean with a ballerina’s grace and presence.
     “Man, you set your sights too high at points,” Nino drawled out.
     “Who says I’m going to be making a purchase? Nothing wrong with a little window shopping.”
     Nino shook his head at him. “Oh, that’s how you want to play it. That’s fine. Me, I see nothing wrong with setting yourself a goal to work towards, but sometimes you just need to let off some steam. In those instances, you’re better off with mid-grade merchandise.”
     It was a nice change of pace being with Nino at the beginning since he often talked of such matters in such vulgar transactional ways. Instead of being shocked and disgusted by his approach, which would be the proper response to such things, Adrien felt freed by it. Maybe it had to do with being sexually frustrated and just wanting to get laid. Maybe it had to do with how he felt about himself and the way he was viewed at the end of everything. There was an honesty and forthrightness about this perspective that felt more genuine and real than the delusions of romance and connection he had believed in beforehand.
     “But are you happy with your experience?” he answered back. “Sometimes it’s not worth it to have a lukewarm outcome.”
     “Well, there’s no guarantee of a stellar experience with a high price tag. In my experience the price isn’t always worth the value of the experience. Often nothing is done to keep value commiserate with price. You’d be surprised by how some cheaper goods can knock your socks off, having you almost consider investing in the long-term.”
     Adrien side-eyed him. “Is it really the goods or a change in your mindset on them. Found something you didn’t know you needed or wanted?”
     “Starting to drift into dangerous territory there, Adrien. All I’m saying is that mid-grade are aware of their competition and the market. To achieve success, they give more consideration to their customer, improving their skill sets and abilities to ensure a more gratifying experience. Hopefully, for all involved.”
     Adrien thought on it for a spell, considering his various experiences over the course of the summer. He had managed to bed a number of women. Not a vulgar amount, but what he considered a healthy amount given his age. Since his goal was to just get laid, they all had to have a certain amount of sexual appeal. As a matter of course, he didn’t always score with the top contenders. Weighing the different experiences against one another, he did have to give some merit to Nino’s assertion. There had been one or two experiences where the sex had been a lot better than it had been with someone more sexually appealing to him.
     “I don’t know, Nino, sometimes you get lucky, and the experience is just as you expected from the price,” he said cheekily while letting his eyes roam over the blonde as she twisted and bent down slightly to inspect her stocking, causing her skirt to rise revealing an edge of a garter to peek through.

Chapter Text

      Michelle was sitting aimlessly on the small sofa in her dorm’s common area. Her roommate was out. She didn’t really have a handle on Millie’s schedule. All she knew was that her roommate didn’t often cross paths with her anymore. They tried hanging out a bit at the start with the hope of being more amicable with each other, but with the communication issues Michelle had with her accent as well as having different interests and hobbies, it didn’t really work out. They managed to live around one another well enough. She didn’t really have any complaints, and as far as Michelle knew, Millie didn’t have any with her.
      She was feeling restless. Her birthday was coming up, and it was making her feel down. She missed home and the familiar sense of belonging she got from knowing her way around. From knowing what she enjoyed and being able to acquire it easily. While she had gotten more comfortable with things here and was more easily able to get around and procure stuff, it wasn’t the same. She still felt foreign, different, outside of everything.
      Feeling herself sink, she quickly grabbed her phone to distract herself. Flipping Adrien’s contact on her messenger, she sent out an obnoxious emoji that jingled. That should get his attention. Moments passed and with no response she started feeling stupid and immature. Why had she done that? How the fuck old was she anyway? Ugh.
      She got up and started pacing around the small space, needing to move, needing to do something, anything. Memories of traipsing through nature preserves back home came unbidden. Of black topped paths through marshland. Of the safe hazy shelter of weeping willows. The dark shadows of geese gliding across water. She could almost smell it, the vague scent of mildew and wet. The feel of the cold dry wind coming off the plains. The honking of geese as they took flight.
      The ping of an incoming text knocked her from her reverie as she lunged for the phone on the sofa a few feet from where she stood.
      A bit obnoxious, aren’t we?
      Deciding to ignore the implications of his response and not having the patience to simply text back, she called him.
      “Talk to me,” she blurted out once she was assured he had picked up.
      “What, no warmup? No pillow talk? You need to up your game Michelle. This just reeks of desperation.”
      “I don’t care. Just talk to me.”
      “Alright. What’s the better pet, a dog or a cat?”
      “Um…I think it would depend on the person. Some people prefer dogs because they like being needed. Others prefer cats because they like being sought after for companionship. Why? Are you guys considering getting a pet?”
      “Well, that’s interesting. Instead of discussing the merits of the animals, you address the people making the choices. A bit judgmental, aren’t you?” he remarked.
      “Uh…” Michelle stammered, not expecting the criticism. Her thoughts slammed to a halt as all she could focus on was the sting of being in the wrong. Before she knew it, she found herself getting irritated. “Well, to be fair, not all dogs are pets. Many are working dogs. Monica had a guide dog, and she absolutely loved Toby,” she snapped back defensively.
      “Monica?”
      “Yeah, Monica. My best friend from back home…the one who…” she let it hang there, not really wanting to finish.
      “Your best friend was blind?”
      “Yeah…is that so strange?”
      “I suppose not. Can you tell me about her?”
      Michelle took a breath, not knowing where to even start. How can you really describe a person that meant so much to you? How can you address the heartache of drifting apart, being left behind. The agony of the never will have been?
      “That is, if you are comfortable with it… it may help to talk about it… to remember the good times.”
      Not wanting to have such a conversation in a public area, she walked back to her room, slithered in and plopped herself in the only clear spot within, on her bed. It was dark and she didn’t bother with the light. It would be easier to talk in the dark. There were no boundaries, no expectations in the dark. It was just you, your thoughts, and your feelings. They float in the air unanchored to you. They can drift and be free. You can be free.

      Adrien got himself comfortable on his bed after listening attentively for a few minutes. While he had started the conversation with an intent towards banter and mild flirtation to tease her about her rather unorthodox attempt to get his attention earlier, he soon realized she had a need to unburden herself.
      As she talked about her friend, recounting how they met, how she came to terms with the drastically different lifestyle Monica led, and the preadolescent antics they got up to, he could hear the younger, chirpier version of this young woman come out. He could picture this younger Michelle, with her messy hair, her rather tomboyish facade, and the attachment she was developing with this rather stark, no nonsense, cavalier blind girl that had become her best friend as though he had actually known her the entire time. He even found himself rather amused by their collective nickname of “M&Ms”, bestowed due to the two’s ubiquitous paired nature as well as the obviousness of both their names starting with M.
      But despite the youthful charm of her presented memories, he recognized the resigned ache of loss snaking through. Though it wasn’t what he would have supposed. It wasn’t the ache of having lost this friend to death. Michelle had lost her before all that. He heard it through the change of tone, the choice of words, and what was left unsaid. It took form in the distance that took up residence between them with the move. In her becoming a viewer rather than a participant in Monica’s life. With her helplessly watching and waiting to get a word in, to spark back a connection that was slowly discharging. Adrien felt sorry for her. It wasn’t her fault any more than anyone else’s when relationships fade over time and distance. But it made it clear Michelle wasn’t one who had many friends or made connections easily. This loss was harder for her than it would have been for others.
      Expecting her to go silent as her memories wound out, he was surprised as she kept on, speaking out her truth and her pain as though he wasn’t there listening. Pontificating as though keeping it all philosophical and intellectual would somehow soften the blow. She discussed the worth and value of a person, the inequity of relationships, the problematic nature of simply being. Though trying to distance herself from the things she spoke of, the brittleness of her voice and the rather specific details seasoning her elaborations betrayed her. A sad, lonely, misunderstood soul was leaking through, one that he found himself resonating with.
      Though their circumstances were different as were the particulars of their distinct benchmark experiences, he recognized her pain for he felt it as well. His parents were after all not his true parents. They cared for him and loved him in their own way, but he knew it was different from how they regarded Felix. Their mother didn’t have that hesitancy with Felix. Their father, that sense of distance and discomfort. While he had their rather vocal accolades for his accomplishments, they were somehow hollow. There wasn’t that same sparkle in their eyes or sense of pride in their features that was present with Felix.
      He never had their full attention or interest for any real length of time. It was a double-edged sword in the end. Adrien was given leeway and freedom, but it wasn’t satisfying. He had no guidance from them. He floundered with his lack of direction and purpose. Was it because he wasn’t theirs? Was it because he was a constant reminder of what they lost? Why couldn’t he have what Felix was getting? Why wasn’t he good enough?
      He had a reprieve from that sinking, haunting state of mind in his friends, and he had many. He occupied himself with extracurriculars and with having fun. Things were good despite it all. Adrien had thought he had hit perfection when things started off with Marinette. Here he was valued. Loved. Enough, just as he was. And he saw this sweet fun soul he could share himself with, enjoy life with. However, it was never true. It had been an illusion.
      She hadn’t seen or valued him for him. She valued his good looks and what he could give her carnally. He was someone with a tragic backstory she could rescue and uplift, a means by which to masturbate her own ego at his expense. Adrien was a slab of marble carefully and strategically attacked, assaulted, and injured, all in the name of helping him become the best version of himself. But how is that really determined? And is it something that can be objectively known? And what about the person him or herself? Don’t they get a say in any of it?
      Michelle’s gauntlet of fire had been in having this wonderful best friend and then losing her slowly due to time, distance, and the different paths their lives had taken them. He saw his as his failed romantic relationship with Marinette, where he thought he had been truly seen and valued to realizing he had been wrong. Her relationship with her family was just as complicated as his. She was the accidental last child, eight years younger than her brother, who suffered from her parents’ shaky financial turn while still rather young. The toll was evident, and things hadn’t ever been the same. He was thrust into his aunt and uncle’s lives to be raised as theirs with the death of his parents shortly after his and his cousin’s birth. Their grief, their shock, and perhaps their burden to deal with colored their rearing of him for better and for worse.
      Adrien didn’t know what to do with all of this. To hear remnants of his own sentiments and his own pain echo back at him but in a different voice. It was shocking. To know with certainty he wasn’t alone in his feelings, in this awful state of being he would find himself falling into from time to time. He felt an immediate kinship with Michelle as a result. Here was someone who understood. Who got it. He desperately wanted to reach his hands out and feel hers grasp against them. To hold them fast. It was almost a physical ache. But he couldn’t. She wasn’t there. All he could do was murmur his agreement and let her carry on, adding what he could but not as eloquently as she rendered it.

Chapter Text

     Michelle was standing idly by the table, snacking on the refreshments offered: chips, dips, and various appetizers. The last couple of days had been rather exhausting. She hadn’t slept well and was feeling like she was in some kind of haze. Still reeling from how much she overshared with Adrien over the phone, she was trying to put some distance between them due to embarrassment. As such, she left texts unanswered and hadn’t called him since that night. While it felt good to vent, reminiscing on her time with Monica, giving air to the reality of her life with her folks back home and her unsettled emotional state on it, it left her feeling small, vulnerable… exposed. Her guts were tense, waiting for some kind of fallout, some kind of attack.
     She decided she needed to get out more and took up Rose and Felix’s offer of a movie night out with the group. So, here Michelle was, at Mylene’s parents’ house, mindlessly eating while they were setting things up for the night’s movie. Rose’s new friend Alix was there, though it appeared to her that this was Rose’s new crush rather than friend, considering how flustered and awkward Rose was acting. Mylene and Ivan were of course there and busy dealing with technical issues. They had wanted to use the digital projector and were arranging a cloth tarp against a bare wall. Nathaniel and Marinette were also there, deep in discussion as to some kind of project the two were undergoing. Felix was hanging with her at the table, seemingly nervous as Lila was going to be joining them that evening.
     Michelle was still on edge around Felix, but it would come and go. If she got engrossed in work, she would revert to their earlier camaraderie. As soon as that focus fell and she realized what she was doing, things would chill as she would retreat, not knowing what else to do. It was all rather uncomfortable. She wasn’t happy about the situation but had no clue how to address any of it. In all honesty, it was all rather childish and immature, and she would often later berate herself for it.
     After swallowing the last of her celery stalk, she decided to just broach the issue and be done with it. Perhaps talking about it will set things in motion for her to stop being whatever it was she was being about the whole thing.
     “So, how are things going with you and Lila?” she asked, turning towards him.
     Felix looked briefly confused at the question before properly schooling his expression. Figures, as she hadn’t mentioned his girlfriend or his dating life before.
     “I would say going well. It’s a bit sudden, the whole official nature of it, but…”
     Michelle didn’t know how to respond to that and decided to just leave it be as it would probably make him uncomfortable. This was turning out to be as awkward as she feared.
     “Have you been dating for a while then?”
     “Not long.”
     Michelle simply nodded not knowing what else to do.
     “How have things been going with you?” he asked softly, attempting to not draw attention to them.
     “Well, you know, the same old same old. Going to class, going to sessions…trying to get out a bit more. It’s been hard, but it’s just going to be for a while. Not much to be done about it really,” she replied trying to be truthful as he seemed rather genuinely concerned.
     “Still doing the busking?”
     “Yeah, not as much as before. Been playing more for myself than for the crowd or money. It helps. Even got a little following.”
     “Oh,” he smiled slowly at her.
     “Yeah,” she said looking off briefly. “I have a few people I recognize coming back to listen when I hit certain parks. It’s nice.” She found herself smiling despite herself, thinking back to getting the DJ’s calling card.
     Just then their attention was called as Mylene and Ivan were ready to begin. The group scattered to sort out where they were going to sit and with who. There was a couch, two small armchairs, and various beanbags and cushions to picnic on the floor with. Feeling weary and knowing she was likely to fall asleep, Michelle opted for one end of the couch. Felix sat next to her and saved the spot on the other end for Lila when she arrived. Rose opted for one of the armchairs with Alix nestling just below her while Mylene and Ivan opted for the other, Ivan in the chair with Mylene nestled beneath. Nathaniel and Marinette made themselves comfortable on the beanbags and cushions. Once properly settled, the movie began.

     Felix was sitting in the middle of the couch feeling nervy. Michelle was sitting next to him and looked like she was slowly relaxing the tension she almost always seemed to be carrying around of late. He was currently in a rather perplexing state. Things with Lila were going well, and he felt like he needed to pinch himself. It just couldn’t be real. What had he done to deserve such a girl in his life, let alone as his girlfriend? The overall result was he was always slightly nervous, scared he was going to mess things up somehow or in some way. It was starting to leave him on edge during other moments in his life when Lila wasn’t even there.
     He was surprised Michelle was here tonight as she had refused the first movie night invitation. She had become an enigma of late. At tutoring she would seem to relax and revert to how they had been before, but once the session was up, the wall she had hastily erected would suddenly shift back into place. He didn’t know what to make of it. So, when she asked about Lila and his relationship, he was briefly thrown for a loop.
     Having retreated to a more distant type of relationship with her, thinking that was what she had wanted, the question seemed rather personal. Something he would have expected with their earlier dynamic, not the one they were currently dancing around. He tried to answer, but it turned out awkward as he didn’t really know how to answer. The whole conversation ended up rather awkward. Luckily, they were saved with the start of the movie.
     The conversation became uncomfortable because he never told her he was dating Lila, an international student she may have been aware of. It just didn’t feel right to tell her, especially since things changed so drastically between them at the time. He figured she must have found out through Rose or the others in the group. Felix wasn’t sure why she asked, truth be told. Why would she have an interest in his dating life? Especially when she wasn’t interested in him…or was she? The nagging question was soft in the back of his mind.
     He tried to tune it out. The memory of them on the floor of his apartment together flashed before him. Her straddling him, all flustered. Was there something there? Was it nerves that prevented things from going any further? Was it really just Adrien coming home?
     However, Adrien was right. There was no way of telling if that was how she was genuinely feeling or if it was her simply seeking comfort in her grief. He knew his feelings for her. Despite being with Lila now, he still cared for Michelle. Those feelings hadn’t just disappeared. They were less intense, for sure, as new ones for Lila were slowly taking dominance, but they were there. However, he wasn’t sure Michelle really knew where she was at with things. He couldn’t put himself out there to be rejected.
     Maybe that was why she was asking…Could it be? Could it be he was the reason behind her recent change of behavior? He couldn’t dare to hope. He knew that path led to madness. The whole thing with Rose taught him that. With some deep breaths he pushed all the clutter out of his mind and focused on the movie.
     About a third of the way in, Lila arrived. The movie was briefly paused while Felix helped her out of her coat. After sorting her things, they both settled back on the couch. At first, she was lounged back against the armrest with her legs in Felix’s lap while he idly stroked her calves. It was leisurely yet intimate. He noticed out of the corner of his eye how Michelle seemed to shrink into the end of the couch, collapsing in on herself. It sent a brief jolt through him, imagining she was hurt by their affection. Perhaps she was jealous.
     He tried to push the thoughts and feelings away. They weren’t appropriate. Michelle wasn’t an option. She was problematic, and he had Lila. He turned and focused his attention on Lila, stroking her shoulder and her hair. Eventually she ended up settling in his lap while they cuddled watching the movie. She was soft, warm, smelled divine, and was perfect. But despite his attempts to dive into all things Lila, he found himself cautiously side-eying Michelle, waiting and hoping for further reactions from her. What the hell was wrong with him?
     Felix forced himself to still. He snuggled into Lila and focused his attention on the movie. Eventually, it became less of a struggle, and he was caught back into the story despite his earlier lack of attention. Unfortunately, just before the climax, Lila got a text from her mother. Some kind of emergency dealing with her great aunt, so she had to go so she could address it. The movie was paused yet again, and with well-wishes from everyone and his promises to call her later that night, Lila left in a rather agitated state. After a few minutes with which to process and calm down, the group started the movie back up to finish it.
     After resettling on the couch, Felix looked over to Michelle, wondering why she had been so strangely silent during the entire affair only to find she was dead asleep. Her mouth was slightly open, with a bit of drool coming out. He chuckled lightly to himself, realizing he had been over-thinking everything. She was simply tired, that was why she curled into the end of the couch and into herself. She was trying to conserve her warmth and get more comfortable while she was drifting off. Felix slowly shook his head. He did have to admit she did look rather adorable asleep like that. Best to let her have a little more sleep while they wound out the rest of the movie. She’ll have to get up soon enough and make her way back to her dorm afterwards.

Chapter Text

      It would appear the crunch time of the semester was coming up. Adrien noted that many of his courses had their big assignments and projects come due within weeks, and some mere days, of one another. Looking at the calendar, it meant the next month or so would be spent knuckling down to get through. Thankfully, it also meant that Nino’s big event this weekend would be a good opportunity to cut loose and party before it all, which was something he felt he really needed as he had cut down on his clubbing quite a bit with school starting.
      Nino was enthused as he had missed spending his breaks and lulls with Adrien during sets. He was also stoked as it turned out to be an event booked with a university student organization, his prime audience. It meant he would get to test out some new mixes, take some video for his Instagram, and generally proliferate his presence on the DJ scene in the area.
      With the goal of maximizing the enjoyment of the night and spending a bit more time together, Adrien showed up rather early. Saddling up to Nino while he was laying out the ambient background music to accompany the mood lighting being set up to start the night out, Adrien did a brief once over to ensure his outfit was on point.
      “Any specific goals for the night?” Nino asked slyly while finishing up.
      “Depends on the turn out and how the night goes. What about you?”
      “I texted this girl I’ve been interested in to come out. It’d be nice if she did.”
      “Oh,” Adrien replied, suddenly mischievous. “That isn’t your standard MO. Who’s the girl?”
      “A violinist. Found her busking at some of the local parks I like to clear my head in. Wicked talented. Not exactly a looker, but I can tell I’ve caught her eye. Has a sweet smile.”
      “So, a backup if nothing else pans out for the night?” Adrien eyed him in challenge.
      “It could be, but I’m not necessarily counting on it. It’d just be nice to swap roles for a change. I’ve seen her work. Now she can see me work.”
      “Wow, it sounds like you might want more than just a night,” Adrien said while giving him a look.
      “Whatever, man. Nothing wrong with keeping things open.”
      Adrien just smirked and nodded his head at him. It was then that more people started arriving, marking the official start to the evening. Noting it might not be bad to eat before starting the drinking of the evening, Adrien excused himself to get the two of them some snacks from the bar.

      It turned out Lila’s great aunt had had a stroke and was in the hospital recovering. She was going to be okay, but they were wanting to keep her in a few days to monitor. Lila was upset at first but when more information became available, she was able to calm down. Now she was just concerned and a bit frazzled by the whole affair. So, when she mentioned the club night the international student group was throwing, Felix readily agreed to attend. She needed a night out to enjoy herself, and Felix was stoked to have his first official clubbing experience, with a beautiful woman at his side no less.
      Lila said the event was starting at around 8:30 with no exact end time, probably whenever the club in question closed, if it did. As such, the pair had opted to have dinner beforehand so they would be properly fueled up for a night of dancing. Felix was a bit nervous as he wasn’t the best dancer but figured in the dark, with the music, and with Lila it might not matter much.
      As the two made their entrance, Felix was overwhelmed by the scene in front of him. The sheer number of people, the lights, the music throbbing through his body. It was intoxicating and exciting. He could understand now the allure it had for Adrien, finding himself feeling a brief pang of guilt for thinking so illy of him for his obsession with it.
      He must have been standing too long, mesmerized by all he saw, as he suddenly felt hands wrap around his waist and a body slither around towards his front. Lila’s hazel eyes had him enthralled as she closed in, trailing one hand up and down his back while the other took a firm hold of his tie. In a voice that was sultry but sweet, setting off a bomb to his ability to reason, she let out a “Let’s go make some mischief!” Felix flushed and caught his breath. It was all too much, and he couldn’t believe any of it was actually happening. But it was. It very much was, and he found himself giddy at it all, not knowing how to really act. So, he simply followed, with a smitten expression on his face as Lila dragged him by the tie to the dance floor to start their evening.

      Michelle was staring at herself in the bathroom mirror. She was taking slow deep breaths trying to steady herself. Things were a complete mess. She was bouncing back and forth between conflicting opposed emotions, all because she was desperately trying to make herself happy. With the culture shock coloring everything, the persistent low-level sadness of her grief, and now whatever had been stirred up with Felix’s relationship with Lila, Michelle had found herself imploding. Everything was gray. Empty and horribly heavy at the same time. She found herself not feeling anything far too much of the time. And if she wasn’t feeling numb, she was feeling like a yawning black hole of negativity and pain.
      She was tired of this state. All she wanted was to feel something good, something positive. After all, it was her god damn birthday. Finally, she was 21 and could legally and officially drink. Not that it mattered being in France where the legal drinking age was 18 but it was the principle of the thing. Michelle wanted to be the typical college-aged woman. A woman who was hot, who went out and clubbed, who got laid. Not whatever the fuck she ended up actually being.
      While she hadn’t paid much attention to the campus’s international committee due to the rather off-putting experiences she already had with Millie and her friends as well as the few bar crawls she did manage to go on, when she heard about the clubbing event, she figured what the hell. It was her birthday, and it was clubbing. She could gift herself the present of having a night out and getting laid. She just didn’t care anymore. She was sick of caring, sick of feeling only bad things. She was due to have fun. To feel fucking good for a change.
      The result was here she was, in Rose’s bathroom, trying to get a handle on her slipping emotional stability. Rose had heard of the event from Felix, who was of course going with Lila. She had asked Alix to go with her. Michelle asked if she could tag along with them, as she didn’t think it would be fun going on her own. Thrilled with her interest and wanting to indulge in making it a proper girls’ night out, Rose had stated she would get her a dress for the evening as well as do her hair and make-up.
      Now being here, trying on dresses and getting fussed over, she got the impression from Alix she was crashing something that had been meant for solely them. Fighting herself in her head as to whether she should bail to fix the situation or simply get through it as the damage had already been done was what was currently driving her to madness. Damn it, she wanted someone to deck her out for the night. She was absolutely clueless on all this. God, was she even a fucking woman?
      Slowly getting a grip, she decided she just didn’t fucking care anymore. She would be selfish for once in her life. If Rose wanted to doll her up, she would let her. Michelle wanted to be pretty. Being pretty meant you had a better chance of getting someone to sleep with you. If you were pretty, there was more of a chance they’d treat you better and you could actually get off as well.
      With that overriding the potential spiral, Michelle straightened out, schooled her expression, and left the bathroom to finish things up. In the end, Rose had worked her magic. With a gown designed by her friend Marinette, daring and figure hugging, and hair styled in punked out fringed low twin buns, Michelle found herself at a loss looking at her reflection in the mirror. It was her but not her. She was still the plain rather boring self she always was, but at the same time, she was this rather mesmerizing vision one couldn’t take their eyes off of. It was rather perplexing and disturbing she could be enamored of her transformation while at the same time hating it was still her. But there it was.
      She smiled and thanked Rose, who lit up in appreciation. Alix’s attitude towards her changed after that, and Michelle decided not to really give it any further thought. The three got themselves set and were later off on their ride to the club.

      The night was alive. The music was pulsating through him and around him. The turnout was phenomenal and diverse. Adrien was weaving through the dance floor, keeping an eye out for what looked fun or challenging. He had danced with a few women, and while fun, they were clear they were there simply for the dancing and drinking, pushing him off. Not wanting to make anything of it, he simply gave them distance. Maybe his image was more predatory than he needed. Too late to do anything about it now. The night was still young. Something may turn up, and if not, it’s not like he wasn’t having a good time.
      He felt his phone vibrate against his thigh. Digging it out he saw a message from Nino letting him know he was off on a break. Adrien headed to the bar, seeing Nino relaxing at the end with a drink in hand.
      “How’s it been going for you?” Adrien asked, settling himself adjacent.
      “Not bad. Got a text from the violin girl. Said she’s here but haven’t met up yet. Just messaged her where I’m at, so here’s hoping.”
      “Sounds good. Who’re we looking for?”
      “Short girl, dark brown hair. I think she’s American going by accent. Probably an exchange student going by age.”
      Adrien nodded while scanning around the club. It was then he caught the high ponytail as it weaved off the dance floor. There in all her stunning glory was Chloe, in a tight-fitting little black dress, deliciously revealing her toned dancer’s body. He found himself catching his breath as his temperature rose. At least he had the decency to close his gaping mouth, while keeping her in his sight.
      “I’ve got to…” he stumbled out while pushing himself up and off the bar.
      “No worries, I saw her too. Good luck with that.”
      Barely registering Nino’s reply, Adrien strode through the throng of people in pursuit of Chloe, who was making her way towards the restrooms. Slowing up to not be as obvious in trailing her, he found himself a pocket among the crowd to loiter nearby. It would appear there were two maybe three other women with her. Perhaps she was on a lady’s night out. He waited and tried not to be conspicuous about it.
      Moments later the group exited and slowly made their way towards the bar. Adrien decided to stealthily cross paths, brushing up against her shoulder, causing her to turn towards him.
      Just as her expression turned to reveal a rebuke, he put on an air of surprise as he called out her name.
      “Do I know you?” she asked rather irritated.
      Smiling in the captivating manner he had mastered, he answered, “You, you were at that seminar at the Plaza weren’t you? (He waited for a beat while she seemed lost.) The one addressing tourism, the role of organization and city government…” (She seemed to suddenly remember.)
      “Yeah… (looking at him more closely) …You were at my table…Anton, right?”
      “Adrien.”
      “Yeah, your friend was with you, the Algerian right?”
      “Yeah, Nino. What are you doing here? Do you go to the University hosting the event tonight?” he asked, hoping to get more information about her.
      “No, this is one of the clubs my girlfriends and I like to hit up. Happy accident tonight. How about you? You go there?”
      “No, my friend Nino is DJing tonight.”
      Chloe nodded. One of her girlfriends rubbed her upper arm to get her attention. She briefly looked away and had a brief chat with her friends before turning back. He waited casually, hoping she would stay and catch up with them later.
      “We’re going to the bar to get some drinks…(she looked him over, giving him a quick appraisal)…would you like to join us?”
      “I’d like that,” he smirked and followed.

      Thankfully, once the three of them got to the club, the weirdness of things faded off. Rose and Alix took to the dance floor and quickly became completely consumed with one another, forgetting Michelle entirely, which was fine by her. She had quickly realized she was the third wheel and was thankful to be taken off the hook, as it were. Taking her phone out she brought up DJWayzz’s number.
      She had texted him shortly after receiving his business card. They hadn’t texted much. Little things really, all very adolescent. Michelle simply didn’t know what to say and was hesitant to call, not knowing his schedule and thinking she’d made it even more awkward. His text inviting her to the event tonight not only sealed the deal for coming but gave her hope. Of what specifically, she wasn’t sure. But at this point it was the best possibility of scoring, and she was going to give it her best shot.
      When her phone buzzed, she felt a thrill of excitement. She wasn’t expecting to hear back from him so quickly. But to be fair, they had gotten here rather late. It did take some time to get her ready and then wait for the other two to get set. She read his reply while cracking a smile. He was at the bar. Two birds with one stone. She could have her first ‘legal’ drink while setting things up for later. She felt the rising bubbles of happiness flit through her, making herself absolutely giddy from the foreignness of it.

      "So, Americans can’t legally drink until 21 but most of you drink before that anyways,” Nino parsed out while Michelle was looking over the drink menu.
      “Pretty much, but it’s still a rite of passage to get properly sloshed on your 21st. This being my 21st, that’s my plan for the night. Amongst other things. Do you have any suggestions?”
      “Happy Birthday!” he said sounding excited on her behalf. “Do you have any preferences?”
      She smiled back at him. It was nice for someone to be happy on her behalf. It felt like it had been a long time. “Well, no beer as I have a wheat allergy, and no dairy as I’m lactose intolerant. I’ve had rum before and liked it. Do they have any good mixed drinks with rum?”
      Nino’s face broke out into a wide smile. “I have just the thing then. Let me flag the guy down.”

      Michelle didn’t remember what the name of the drink Nino ordered was, but she was intrigued by how the bartender just gave them all the supplies for it while Nino insisted on preparing it for her. She really enjoyed it, and Nino was also drinking it with her. The conversation flowed as she felt herself slowly flush and get buzzed from the alcohol. They were talking about the current song playing, a trap remix of an old Spice Girls song. Nino knew so much about club music, mixing, and everything. But it only made sense, being a DJ and all. Her musical expertise was only in playing, mostly classical pieces, and for fun finding adaptations of songs she liked for the violin and viola. That was pretty much the extent of things. It was all rather lame really.
      He assured her it wasn’t, making her realize she had said those things out loud. Oh well. He still seemed to like her. He was smiling at her, those dimples begging to be squished. Those light caramel eyes seeing her. Really seeing her. She found herself positively giggling, smiling like an idiot. She grew bold and flirted. He flirted back. This…this was good, and she wanted it to last.

      Felix and Lila were relaxing in a booth just off the dance floor. Tired and needing refreshment, they had ordered some snacks and drinks. With their empty plates and glasses in front of them, Felix was wondering if perhaps they were going to call it a night. Lila was snuggled against his shoulder, soft and warm. It had been nearly twenty minutes now like this, perhaps it would be best to retire for the evening.
      He slowly reached over and softly shook her shoulder, trying to rouse her. She lifted her head up and looked at him. He leaned down towards her ear to ask if she wanted to leave. She blinked, took a deep breath, and nodded her head slightly. As she was straightening up, Felix slid himself off the bench and rose, leaving Lila room to get out beside him. Facing the booth with his arm out to help her up, Felix felt a presence behind him.
      “What do you think you’re doing?” said a woman’s loud strangled voice. Quickly following were other women’s voices, beseeching her to come with them. Turning to figure out what the commotion was, Felix’s face was suddenly jolted sharply to the side, whipping his neck unnaturally. Stumbling off balance, he met Lila, who steadied him as she examined his face. He felt the blistering aftershock of a well-placed smack across his cheek, burning him. His eyes were stinging while Lila laid a gentle hand across the welt.
      “What the hell?! Why did you do that?” Lila roared at the woman trembling before them, a small Asian woman with a turquoise mohawk. She was red-faced and clearly intoxicated. Her girlfriends were attempting to drag her away from the scene she just caused, but she was shaking them off in apparent anger.
      “He knows why…don’t you Adrien?” her voice positively hissed at them. “Such a god damn tease. Always coming and then going…it was such a fun game, but then you just dropped me…Me! And then just disappeared, for months…. Then you come back… and you’re in a relationship…with her? She’s not even your type!” The last part spat out. Lila’s eyes narrowed at her, hatred dripping from her gaze.
      Felix took a deep breath and sorted himself before simply stating, “You must be Kagami.”
      Kagami reacted with a strained expression as if not sure how to take the statement. Lila simply turned to look at Felix in surprise. Just before Kagami could respond he added, “My brother, Adrien, has told me about you. I’d figured you would have given up on him by now…Can’t seem to take a “No” can we?”
      She looked at him in apparent confusion, stilling her earlier frantic movements. “Brother…You’re Adrien’s brother? You look just like him.”
      “Odd, siblings looking like one another, who would have thought?” he snapped back sarcastically. “Seeing as you are in a state, I’m not going to push the matter any further. However, (he glared at the girlfriends who were again trying to herd Kagami away) you need to leave, or I’ll have you bounced from the club.”
      At that threat the group was finally able to drag Kagami off. Felix kept them in sight until they were well and lost amongst the crowd before turning back to Lila. She slyly smirked at him.
      “Does it still hurt?”
      He raised his hand to briefly touch the cheek in question. It stung and would be sensitive for a good while yet. He hoped the redness would pass soon. “It smarts, but I’ll live. A new first, taking a blow for my brother.” He grabbed her hand and gently pulled her along as they made their way to the coat check.
      “Didn’t know you had a brother, and one you could be mistaken for… It sounds like he’s got a bit of drama about him,” she said with a hint of mischief as she hurried along to keep pace with him.
      “Now you can see why I’m not necessarily enthusiastic about bringing him up,” he countered.
      “Is he even here tonight? (She briefly scanned around the club for nearby blondes once they were stopped, waiting at the counter.)
      “Not sure, but I should probably drop a text warning him just in case,” Felix said after handing the clerk their coat tickets. He then pulled out his phone and started texting.
      “Probably a good idea. Spare him a potentially worse scene.”

      Adrien was having a blast. He was dancing with Chloe, and it was so much fun. She was quite the dancer, keeping Adrien on his toes. The warmth and buzz of his earlier drinking slowly burned off in the intensity of their activity, but he didn’t mind. There was no drop in his excitement or pleasure at being with her. She was attractive, there was no doubt about that. He would love to take her home, but there was no rush here. They were vibing and enjoying each other. He hadn’t felt like this in a long time. The joy of being with someone, doing fun things, in such an almost innocent wondrous way. This was how things had been for him in middle school, before hormones, lust, and relationships had tainted everything. Adrien found himself liking Chloe. She was someone he wanted to have in his life, no matter how things played out. If it included romance and sex, he wouldn’t complain, but right now, he just wanted to embrace and enjoy the moment they were having.
      The song was coming to an end, and Chloe motioned them off the dance floor towards some high tables and stools nearby. Adrien followed, feeling a bit relieved as he was beginning to tire out. They each took a stool at a corner of a nearby table.
      “Glad you could keep up,” Chloe panted out, catching her breath.
      “Yeah, but just. You a professional dancer?”
      “Almost. I studied ballet, tap, and modern over the years growing up. Not good enough to go pro, but it’s still fun. Good way to keep in shape as well.”
      “I’ll say,” he smirked at her. She rolled her eyes but smiled back at him, nonetheless.
      They simply sat, smiling, and enjoying each other’s company as they calmed down and rested from their earlier exertions. The music had settled down as well as slower and more ambient pieces played, giving the room a bit of a reprieve.
      His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he smiled at her awkwardly as he went to get it. She shook her head at him as if he was being silly. He tapped the screen and read the text he was just sent. His face fell. Crap. Not what he wanted to deal with tonight, but he was thankful Felix gave him a heads up. He was glad Felix had a night out at the club with Lila but felt guilty at how it ended due to Kagami. But there wasn’t anything he could really do about that.
      “Why so glum? Bad news?” Chloe asked, stirring him from his thoughts. He looked up at her, seeing the concerned expression on her face.
      “Sort of. My brother was here earlier. I have an ex of sorts who’s still hung up on me. She mistook him for me and created a bit of a scene in front of his girlfriend before they left for the night. He texted me to give me a heads up on her being here.”
      “That’s no good. I take it you and your brother are similar looking.”
      Adrien nodded his head in assent. “Doesn’t help being in a club with low lights and with alcohol involved as well,” he added.
      “No, not at all. I take it the relationship was fairly recent.”
      “Wasn’t really a relationship. Started out as hook ups from the club. Went on a few dates to see if there could be something more, but I wasn’t feeling it. Let her down but she wouldn’t let it go. This was about the end of summer,” Adrien confessed, strangely feeling at ease with revealing this to her. Which was odd as this would pretty much sink all his chances with her, but it felt more important to just come clean about it.
      “Yeah…that sucks. It happens though. I’m sorry she seems to be still hung up on it. The club is pretty large. You might not even cross paths,” she said, seeming to try to reassure him.
      “That’s the hope,” he replied lowly.
      “Hey,” her voice rose to draw his attention. “We can still have a good time together. This doesn’t ruin things, okay. We can keep a look out. (She took out her phone, readying herself to text.) What’s she look like?”
      Adrien just looked at her, not believing what he was seeing. She wasn’t rejecting him nor was she judging him. She was offering to help and making it clear they were still going to be having a good time. He felt relieved and happy. He blinked, gave her a small smile, and then proceeded to describe what Kagami last looked like. Chloe listened attentively and then texted her girlfriends so they could keep a look out as well. It then occurred to him he should text Nino. Kagami knew him and might decide to harass him as well, which wouldn’t help his chances with his girl.

      Michelle was definitely drunk. Things were fuzzy, pleasant, and didn’t always make as much sense as they should. She seemed to have gotten drunk rather quicker than she remembered. Admittedly, since she could only really drink liquor, she was quick to get rather blitzed anyways. It was just the nature of things, especially mixed drinks. It occurred to her that perhaps she had lost more weight than she figured. Being smaller would account for getting drunk faster than she had before. Hey, a plus in amidst everything.
      She and Nino, she finally got his name, were swaying at the edge of the dance floor. She couldn’t really dance and being drunk did her no favors, but Nino didn’t seem to mind and was holding her close. He was taller than her but not by much. He was warm, comfortable, and smelled divine. Whatever cologne he had, it was really doing it for her. The music was slow and almost hypnotic.
      He was nuzzling against her ear and now her jaw. His breath, hot and heavy. Her eyes closed as she leaned into him, enjoying the sensation. This was bliss. She felt happy, giddy even. He was into her, and she was into him. Things might work out in her favor. Her heart started pounding in anticipation. Then, she felt his lips slowly and delicately place kisses on her ear. From there, they started trailing down her neck and then back behind her ear. Dry and soft at first, they quickly gained pressure and moisture. The growing slickness against her skin ignited electric tingles to snake through her, causing goosebumps to erupt along her arms. It felt so good. Her mouth trickled open as she lost herself to his administrations. Yeah, she could go with this. He was looking to be a really good time. She slowly wrapped herself around him, pulling him close. She didn’t want him to stop.
      She felt a buzzing vibration against her hip. He must have his phone in his pocket. She stopped their swaying in alarm, causing him to pause. He lifted his head and gently pushed himself off her so he could get his phone. She moved back to give him space, while he quickly tapped his phone and looked it over. Michelle worried he had to get back to work. It made sense, but damn, timing. His face fell and he chewed his lip. Well crap.
      “Have to get back to your set?” she asked.
      He looked up at her, softly smiled, and shook his head. “No, not that. I‘m back in about 45 minutes. Just alerted about someone who might be here. Someone I don’t really like.”
      “Well, that sucks, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see them, right?”
      He simply nodded in response. Michelle stepped up to him then, “45 minutes hmm. There’s a lot we can get done in that time (she looked at him rather wantonly) and in private where no one can interrupt us. What do you say?” she punctuated this with a soft caress of his cheek.
      “Darling, be careful what you ask for…you may just get it.”
      “That’s my hope,” she breathed out.
      He looked at her with softening eyes and pulled her into a hug. Then he straightened, grabbed her hand, and pulled her towards the bar. Standing at the end, he flagged down the bartender. Michelle was confused. Was he rejecting her? What had she done wrong? Didn’t he want her? She was spiraling and then suddenly felt him put a tall glass of water in her hand.
      “Drink up Mickey.”
      “What?” she spluttered.
      He leaned over her ear, “If I’m going to rock your world girl, I want you to be sober enough to properly enjoy it.” This sent a shiver down her spine, and her breath briefly caught in her throat. When she got enough air and snapped out of it, she squeaked out, “But…you have to get back to work…I probably won’t be sober until you’re working.”
      He smirked at her, “Are you saying you’re going to be leaving before I’m done?”
      “I…I,” she felt sad as the reality of things starting slamming in. “I might not be able to stay awake…I usually crash pretty hard after…” she couldn’t finish.
      “Hey”, he said, grabbing her attention. Michelle looked over at him. “I’ll make sure you get your birthday present.” Before she could respond, he kissed her, effectively pausing her mental noise and her perception of anything beyond the feel of his lips on hers.

      While Adrien was sad Chloe was leaving when her girlfriends decided to call it a night, he was more than happy to have come away from it with her contact information. This was such a positive sign. Here was a real shot at a relationship, not just hook-ups. He hoped against hope they would be something that would work out. She was such a knockout and would probably be heaven in bed. But, for now he would be happy having repeats of what they had tonight. He made his way to the bar to grab some food to further sober up before heading out.
      Nino was in the midst of his last set. The club had been emptying out slowly so it was less packed than it had been earlier. As such, he was able to catch Nino’s eye while at the bar and nodded towards him. Nino responded by directing his eyeline to the right of him. Adrien followed and spotted a woman at one of the tables nearby. Perhaps this was the girl Nino had been talking about earlier.
      Realizing she was probably waiting on Nino to finish his set, he walked over to keep her company. As he got closer, the girl straightened and looked at him bewildered.
      “Adrien?!” she squawked out.
      He pulled up a stool and sat down, taking a closer look at her. It was clear she recognized him, but he was initially at a loss. Then it hit him. Something about the color of her hair and the combination of her other miscellaneous features-the turn of her lips, the shape of her eyes, the line of her cheek… this was Michelle. He sat there rather stunned, simply staring at her. She was obviously all dolled up. With make-up and stylized hair the distinctness of her features were more on display. The outfit was form-fitting, showing off her figure. She had indeed lost weight. And there was something about the dress that was familiar, but he couldn’t quite put a finger on it.
      “Michelle? You’re Nino’s violinist?”
      Michelle just started laughing and then gradually settled down, shaking her head. “A small world, my ass. It’s downright incestuous.”
      Adrien didn’t know what to say to that. “I take it you’re waiting for Nino to finish his set then” was all he could really offer.
      “Yeah,” she replied sounding tired. “But I’ll probably be heading home afterwards. I don’t have a lot of stamina after getting drunk. And it hit me harder than I’m used to.” She punctuated this with a huge yawn.
      “This doesn’t seem like your usual thing. Is this just to see Nino?”

      “Is this your girlfriend?” It was said with a tone of sad desperation, loud and nearby, causing Adrien and Michelle to flinch and look in the direction of it. Standing a few feet away, looking at them, was Kagami, seemingly sober but tired and dejected looking. She was alone.
      Adrien scooted off the stool and stood up. He noted Michelle did the same. Perhaps she was worried, seeing him react this way. Kagami was, after all, simply a short, small Asian woman. He took a step closer to her, trying to place himself between her and Michelle. He didn’t want Michelle to get involved in this.
      “Is she your girlfriend?”
      “Kagami…you need to stop this. I told you it was over months ago. This isn’t healthy,” Adrien said in a calm even voice, trying to soothe her.
      “Is she or isn’t she? It’s a simple question, Adrien,” Kagami’s voice rose as she started advancing on him.
      “Yes…yes, I am…and we’re very happy together…So, you see, you need to move on…find someone to make you happy,” Michelle said slowly, stepping up next to him.
      Kagami stopped, shifted her gaze to Michelle, and then back to Adrien. He stood stock still and held his breath, waiting to see how Kagami was going to react. Her eyes narrowed and her expression darkened.
      “Prove it,” she declared.
      “Why? Is that your kink?” Michelle said, looking rather disturbed by the idea.
      Kagami’s expression fell. It was quickly replaced by one of disgust before it was schooled into a more neutral expression. She took a deep breath. “No,” she said. “But maybe seeing it will help me to let go so I can move on,” she rushed out.
      Adrien looked at her, surprised by the vulnerability in her tone. Maybe he had misjudged her. Perhaps he hadn’t understood what her true feelings actually were. It was possible the real her was hiding under a mask all this time. And all he knew was her mask… What a mess… But it was too late now, with all the bad blood she had created with her behavior. However, he didn’t need to be cruel. If a simple act of affection between him and Michelle would help Kagami come to terms with things and move on, what real harm could it do? Settling himself with these thoughts he came to a decision and caught Kagami’s attention.
      “If that’s all you need, then I don’t see a problem with it.”
      Not waiting for a response from Kagami, he turned, stepped up to Michelle and kissed her. He prayed she understood what he was trying to accomplish here and would wait to slap him until it was done. He could explain things to Nino. He was sure he would understand. He had been there the entire time with Kagami.
      As expected, Michelle had made a surprised gasping sound, which he quickly muffled. He pushed past his recriminations and focused on giving the best performance he could to convince Kagami. Thankfully, since Michelle wasn’t expecting this, he was able to take lead. He focused on what he wanted from such a kiss and what he figured his love would want. He started with tender, languid kisses and found himself moving towards hungry, passionate ones. He finished with a chaste peck on the lips as if it were a final seal.
      He drew back and turned to face Kagami, awaiting the impact it would have, hoping it would finally resolve things. He wanted it to be over. She looked immensely sad but also resigned. He waited to see if she would say anything. Her eyes caught his and he thought he saw a flash of recognition in them. She closed them briefly and then opened them again. Her overall expression was one of grim acceptance.
      “Thank you. I saw what I needed to see. I will bother you no more.” And with that she turned and walked off.
      Adrien let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding; grateful it was finally done and over with. He turned to face Michelle, expecting to be cursed out for what he had just pulled. She appeared to be dazed and unfocused. He squinted at her, trying to make sense of it. When he finally caught her eye, she steadily became more focused. Once she was more present, she became flustered and angry, which was what he had been expecting from the start.
      “Why?!” she screeched out in apparent agony.
      “I know…” but he got cut off with another screech of “Why?!”
      “Michelle…”
      “You can’t do things like that!”
      “I’m sorry.”
      “Especially when you don’t mean it!” she spat out.
      “I know you’re….what?” he croaked out as he registered what she said.
       Michelle was crying now, looking at him like he had stabbed her rather than kissed her.
       “All I wanted for one night… my fucking birthday night, was to get drunk and to get laid…and you’ve fucking ruined it…how dare you…how dare you!” her voice was getting louder and higher despite the crying, causing people to turn and take notice. Adrien heard the tell-tale scratch of a record being stopped, followed by an abrupt silence.
      She wiped her face quickly, smudging the make-up, making her look quite ghastly. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. Lowering her voice so only he could hear, “I’m not pretty. I don’t get the guys. I never get the guys. I know I won’t ever be blessed with love. But I can have sex, okay. I can at least get laid. And all I was hoping for tonight was to get laid and potentially have my own ‘o’. Can’t I at least have that?”
      He looked at her rather horrified.
      “You can still have that. I’m sure Nino is more than willing to sleep with you,” he bit out at her lowly. “From what I understand, he’s rather accommodating. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied.”
      When he finished, he noticed the stillness of everything. They had become a proper scene with everyone around them paused, waiting for her response.
      Michelle collapsed in on herself, face down to the ground.
      When she briefly looked up at him, with a look of absolute misery, he felt a growing knot of pain and heaviness collect within him.
      “Looking like this,” she gestured to her awful, smudged face, where tracks of tears were glistening in the dim light. “After causing this scene (she gestured to the people around her) …after that kiss,” the last spoken in a barely heard whisper. She closed her eyes, sniffling as her sadness intensified the grimace on her face. It was at that specific moment Adrien felt stabbing pains rip throughout his whole body. Like something was struggling to burst forth from within. He collapsed onto the floor in abject misery.
      As he waited for the waves of agony to pass, he screwed his eyes shut, unwilling to deal with any more sensation. In what felt like an eternity, the waves of pain eventually slowed, lessened in intensity, and finally faded. Only when he was sure it was over did he dare open his eyes. He found himself surrounded by a ring of people gazing upon him in concern. Nino was beside him, helping him into a sitting position. Getting his bearings, Adrien took a brief look around. Michelle was gone.
      “The girl booked it,” a man opposite said when Adrien caught his eye. “She was an absolute mess.”
      Nino looked at him concerned. “Adrien, what happened? I heard her screaming. Is she okay?”
      “I don’t know…I don’t know what happened with her,” he said tiredly. And it was the god’s honest truth.

Chapter Text

     Michelle was waiting in the empty elevator as it rose to the floor she needed. She didn’t really know why she was bothering with tutoring today. It’s not like she’d been to class the last two days. But she knew she couldn’t let everything fall apart. She needed to get a grip and push ahead. It was the ending stretch of the first semester, and she needed to pass. She needed to succeed in this, if in nothing else in her life.
     The doors opened and she passed through, barely registering the world around her, familiar as she was with the layout of things. Counseling didn’t really seem to be helping. It just seemed to make her more unhinged. What could be accomplished if all she did was fucking cry and feel awful? The point was to not feel bad. To push through, to feel better, and move on. Now she found herself crying but for entirely different reasons of awfulness. It was exhausting. Her eyelids were going to be permanently red-rimmed. Michelle simply didn’t want to feel anymore.
     But in all truth, it was a lie. She just didn’t want to have these mixed emotional states anymore. Michelle wanted to feel the comfort, the thrill, and the joy threading amongst everything to exist on its own, unfiltered and uncomplicated.
     Nino’s kisses were so soft, so tender, and really sweet. She wanted to believe the genuineness he was putting off, but she just couldn’t. He wasn’t a bad person, far from it. He was kind, attractive, and amicable. But most importantly, a safe and willing partner for sexual escapades. He wasn’t going to hurt her, physically or emotionally. They were both on the same page. This was nothing more than a hooking up type of relationship. It was all physical, which was what she wanted. She simply wanted to allow herself to lust, to be sexual, to be selfish in chasing her own needs and desires. To free herself from this fucking emotional prison she found herself locked into. Focus on the flesh, on the physicality. That should give her a reprieve from the illness of her soul.
     But then Adrien kissed her, and the world was knocked from under her feet. She knew, she knew, God damn it, it was nothing to him. It was all a ruse to stop that poor girl from probably harassing and stalking him. Michelle wasn’t an idiot, at least not all the time. But how can something be both agonizing and absolutely incredible at the same time? All her senses seemingly peaked when he started. His lips on hers, so slow and careful at the start. His presence enveloping her. That pervasive sense of safety, warmth, and comfort blooming within her. Comfort like being enveloped in your favorite warm blanket on a chilly night, as fundamental as a small child’s when embraced in the arms of their loving parent.
     How does that even work? A kiss should turn you on, get your pulse thumping, unleash your inner lecherous animalistic self. You’re supposed to lose yourself in the need to screw, not into whatever the hell that had been. A void completely unknowable but so damn alluring. She had felt herself falling in willingly, only to be yanked out when he stopped. It had pissed her off, left her wanting, and then overwhelmingly frightened all at the same time. She simply lashed out in her inability to handle the intensity and contradictions of it all. As it was, Michelle was still left overly agitated at the whole affair, leaving her either moody or in outright tears at the frustrations of it all a good amount of the time.
     What made it a new and different version of hell was her mind kept bringing her back to Adrien. She would check her phone, wanting there to be a text or meme from him but at the same time, for there not to be. No matter if there was one or not, she was left in a state: both excited and happy and then annoyed and on edge, one quickly followed by the other. It was horrible. Michelle didn’t know how to interact with him anymore. She desperately wanted to talk with him, be with him; but the same idea terrified her as well. All his calls were left unanswered, shunted to voice mail. Damned either way, doomed to just be miserable.

     With the state Adrien was in the last few days, Felix wondered if there was a scene with Kagami at the club. Adrien spent the majority of the time asleep, and when he was up was rather cranky and snappish. Either something happened or Adrien was down with something, as this was not his normal disposition. Even during his more active clubbing days, when he hadn’t adequately recovered from the night, was he ever like this.
     Annoyed at being grunted at when he called him out for lounging on the couch in his robe, Felix decided enough was enough. Lila was going to be coming over later, and he needed Adrien to be decent and sociable and if not, off in his room.
     “What happened Addy?”, he bit out, glaring at his brother, who was screwing with his phone.
     Felix was met with silence, leaving him to fume.
     “Cut the childish crap, what’s the matter?” he snarled while he sat down next to Adrien and grabbed the phone away from him, forcing Adrien to look at him in irritation.
     “I feel like shit, okay? I’m either coming down with something, someone spiked my drink the other night, or I ate something god awful. Just leave me be, it’ll run its course, whatever it is.”
     “Well, sucks to be you, but I’m glad it wasn’t the fallout of running into Kagami.”
     “No, but it’s not like that helped matters.”
     “Damn it… Well, what happened? How bad was it?” He scrutinized Adrien, trying to see how much he was actually going to get out of him.
     “Not stellar,” he breathed, “But it seemed to have come to a resolution. She won’t be bothering me anymore.” Adrien was avoiding his eyes. This can’t be good.
     Felix let out a sigh. “How big of a scene was it?”
     “Not much of one. However, Michelle ended up getting roped into it. I don’t think she’ll ever want to deal with me again.”
     Felix’s stomach dropped. He felt his expression harden as he glared at his brother. Whatever had happened, Adrien must have hurt her somehow. How could he? Did he not realize how Michelle felt about him? His irritation was getting the better of him. He cared for Michelle, even if nothing was going to come from it, and he couldn’t just sit there and let this stand.
     “What the hell did you do?” he snapped out. Seeing Adrien’s surprise, he closed his eyes, placed his fingers between his knitted brows, and tried to contain his ire. “You know what, I don’t even want to know. But you need to apologize to her. It’s well within her rights to have nothing to do with you, but you still need to apologize. She likely didn’t deserve whatever the hell it was.” He was puffing out angry breaths now. He hastily stood up to glower down at Adrien, who was looking aghast on the couch.
     “She’s a kind and sweet soul who’s been struggling. Were you unaware of the impact you’ve had on her? You’ve made her smile and glow in a way I couldn’t…She likes you, and you…you hurt her?! How could you?” Felix turned his head away, “Just…just talk to her. Make it up somehow.” He then stalked out of the room.

     Felix was sitting at his desk, finishing and tidying up paperwork before his next session. He had spent the last night trying to figure out what he actually thought and felt about things, disturbed as he was with Michelle’s involvement in Kagami and Adrien’s drama. While it vexed him, he had to admit he still had feelings for her. But at the same time, he was also having growing feelings for Lila as well. He wasn’t sure how to handle this. He knew Michelle didn’t see him that way, and it was a dead end. Yet, he didn’t necessarily want her out of his life. Maybe this was just going to be like it was with Rose. He could be her friend and by keeping tabs on himself things would settle out over time. The feelings would lose intensity, and there would just be friendship. At least he could hope.
     Things with Lila were progressing. Felix enjoyed his time with her. He was slowly getting to know more and more about her, like peeling layers off an onion. While it was embarrassing how easily he would turn to butter around her, he realized she was well aware of her sexual allure and often used it to get what she wanted. At the moment, their mutual desires coincided, so when he would become aware of it afterwards, it didn’t bother him so much. But it was something he felt he needed to be aware of, like the direction of one’s hair swirl.
     He felt himself loosening up when they were together. She was surprisingly open and honest about her insecurities and doubts. Lila was trying to forge a path for herself, and while she was ambitious and hard-working about it, it felt like a persona she felt she needed to put on to accomplish it. It was clear it was exhausting for her at points, and he felt a certain kinship in that. He had always felt like he needed to be put together at all times, to have a plan, to be in control. It was how he was groomed his whole life for his anticipated role in the business world his parents expected from him. To see echoes of that and honest discussion voicing doubts as to whether it was what was really wanted or needed was refreshing and healing.
     He admired Lila and had a lot in common with her, but he also had to admit there was a good deal of sexual attraction and physicality to their relationship. It weighed pretty heavily in what they had going so far. They talked and did things together, but it was often a prelude to making out and pushing limits with one another. He wasn’t sure what to think of it. A part of him felt he needed to stop over-thinking it and just let go. Enjoy it. Felix never had a relationship before. He never made out or pushed his sexual limits in his teens. Maybe he just needed to get it out of his system. But did he ‘love’ Lila or was he simply having a good time? A voice deep inside only answered “Does it matter?”

     The alarm on Michelle’s phone went off. She tapped on it and was about to gather her things to walk down the hall to Felix’s room when her phone started ringing. After getting set and slinging her bag on her back, she answered while making her way down the hall.
     “Hello.”
     “Mickey! Finally got a hold of you. How are you? Doing okay?” Nino’s warm and relieved voice greeted her. Michelle found her lips twitching into a lop-sided smirk.
     “Nino! I didn’t know you had been calling. I’m sorry, things have just been a bit crazy. Catching up on sleep, things picking up towards the end of the semester. You know how it can be.”
     “Oh, thank goodness. I thought something bad happened at the club with my friend Adrien and you were avoiding me.”
     Michelle shook her head while stopping just in front of the door. “Oh, no, no. I mean, yeah something not so great happened with Adrien with a supposed ex of his, but no, I’m not upset with you. Not at all.”
     “Ah, that must have been Kagami. I’ll have to get more details later. Sorry about that. Just wanted you to have some company while you were waiting, not get sucked up into drama.”
     Michelle found herself smiling as she reached for the doorknob. “That was sweet of you. And yeah, it was drama, but I’ll have to talk more on it later. I have a tutoring session I need to get to, so I’ll call you later. That okay?”
     “Completely. Looking forward to it. Bye.”
     “Bye,” she replied, ending the call, turning the knob, and then walking into the room.

     “Please give me a call back.”
     Adrien ended the call and tossed the phone to the other end of the bed. He didn’t know what to do. At this point, he had left, what was it now, 6 voice mails on her phone. He left texts as well, mainly asking her to call him. This was too big of a thing to leave to text. What else could he do?
     He still didn’t know what to make of things. The awfulness of that night and the following days finally left him, but he was still out of sorts. He was relieved, angry, annoyed, perplexed, and guilt ridden. The relief was pretty evident. The whole problematic issue with Kagami was now officially resolved. He would no longer be stalked at the clubs anymore. This meant he could more freely go back to clubbing and pursuing Chloe without her interference once the semester was through.
     The anger and annoyance were directed at both Felix and Michelle. With Michelle it was because of how she blew up at him, creating that awful scene. He understood kissing her was unwanted and uncalled for, but there was more to it. With Felix it was because the man was such a coward about his own feelings. He never said he needed to drop Michelle entirely if he was still interested. He merely said to give her time. To let her grieve and be mindful of what he could possibly be getting himself into.
     The perplexity was with Felix stating Michelle had feelings for him. That couldn’t be true though. Yes, they were friends. Yes, he felt a kinship with her. She voiced and shared similar issues, but that was all there was. They hardly saw one another. Michelle was hit rather hard seeing Felix with Lila. Adrien was sure it was Felix she had feelings for. She was a mess overall. If anything, her hope to hook up with Nino was an indication she wasn’t interested in either of them. Obviously, Felix did not know about Nino and was just taking his unresolved thwarted feelings about Michelle out on him. Poor Lila.
     Lastly, underlying all these emotions was a foreboding sense of guilt. An obvious contender for this, of course, was his stunt kissing Michelle to assuage Kagami. He was in the wrong for that, and he shouldn’t have given in to the easy solution that had presented itself at the time. He had been expecting her anger over that, but the anger she presented wasn’t what he had assumed it would be. In truth, it hurt knowing his kiss had upset her as much as it did. To have seen her cry over it. To know she thought it ruined her chances with Nino. That he had in fact hurt her a great deal with such an action.
     But then he would just start getting angry. Anger was easier and more justified than getting sad and despondent. Because there was nothing between them. She was just an assignment to keep tabs on after all. She had seen Chat Noir and Viperion, and somehow and in some way, she screwed with the magic of the miraculouses. That was all that mattered, right?

Chapter Text

      The two landed quite heavily and awkwardly, sprawled too close to the roof’s edge for comfort. Ladybug twisted, rolled a cumbersome Chat Noir off her, and took in a gasping deep breath. Chat, in turn, rolled onto his back, wincing in pain at the hit. He heard the tumble of another pair of feet nearby, Viperion’s.
      While he was steadying his breathing, Chat heard Viperion offer comforting words to Ladybug, seemingly trying to help her sit up. Chat rolled his head over to look, confirming his suspicions. Minutes ticked by while the two recovered as best they could from their tumble. Viperion, all the while, fretting back and forth between the two, with the majority spent hovering over Ladybug.
      “I don’t understand. The suits should have protected you from the fall. It’s as if the miraculouses are malfunctioning,” Viperion muttered under his breath.
      Chat shook his head, trying to clear it, as a disturbing conclusion was forcing its way to the forefront. He didn’t want to voice it, but it was the only thing that fit considering how tonight’s patrol and training session was going. Forcing himself into a crouch, he took out his staff.
      “I thought it was just me, but perhaps you’re on to something Vi. My transformation has felt off all night, and for some reason my staff isn’t working properly.” He held it up and went to activate the screen and phone function. It glitched; at first releasing the screen, then stalling. When it finally fully pulled out, the screen was nothing but static with punctuations of horrific screeching. He slammed it shut as it got higher in pitch and volume.
      The two looked at him in alarm, then tested out their own com devices. Viperion’s worked just fine, while Ladybug’s had a slight delay. Ladybug went to stretch and yelped out in pain, reaching behind one of her shoulders to soothe the ache. Viperion was soon behind her, offering gentle strokes and light massage to help. She hissed a bit at first and then later groaned as it offered some relief.
      “How about you Chat? You should try to get up, stretch, see if it’s gotten better,” Viperion said as he kept up his ministrations.
      Chat stood up and tried a stretch, immediately regretting it as he was hit with a string of pain across his shoulders. He winced and sat back down, trying to slowly move his arms and shoulders in an attempt at relief. It hadn’t helped.
      “That’s it. I’m going to get Fu. He needs to be looked at, and we can bring back some pain meds for you,” Viperion said sternly, glancing down at Ladybug. She took a breath, let it out, and then nodded her head.
      “I’ll stay here. Keep an eye on Chat. Best not push myself any further tonight,” she replied. Viperion nodded, quickly kissed her on the cheek, and then ran off. Once he got to the opposite edge of the roof, he jumped and bounded off to find Fu.
      Chat watched him go, trying not to give too much thought to the display of intimacy he witnessed between them. Unfortunately, it was rubbing him the wrong way. She had never been that way with him. Marinette never allowed herself to be vulnerable, to be taken care of. Seeing Viperion take care of her. It was sweet. It made him feel a pang of jealousy.
      “How you holding up?” Ladybug asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.
      He looked over at her and shrugged. “Been better…You didn’t have to do that, you know.”
      She squinted at him. “Well, you’re welcome,” she deadpanned, looking put out.
      “No,” he shot out, reaching out his arm, worried she was going to move away, “I don’t mean it like that. I’m grateful you caught me, it’s just, you could have gotten seriously hurt.”
      She made an irritated noise as she shook her head. “I wasn’t going to just let you get hurt if I could do something about it. Jeez, Adrien. It’s alright. Yes, I’m hurt, but not as bad as it would appear you are. Hopefully it’s not dire, as it could have otherwise been.”
      He held his mouth shut and turned to look off at something else, not knowing how to deal with her frustration with him or really wanting to. Silence descended, and it stretched between them. It made dealing with the pain of his injuries burdensome. Just as it was getting to be too much, Chat broke the tension. Talking, even about the things he knew he shouldn’t, would be something to distract him from everything. And he needed that right now.
      “Are you happy with him?” he said softly. He waited a few beats and with nothing but silence, he turned back to face her. She was looking at him as though she was baffled.
      “Is that something you really want to touch?” she answered snarkily.
      “We weren’t good together, Marinette. You know that as well as I do.” He sighed, letting out a breath of pain as well as something else. “It’s just…the two of you…” he couldn’t finish, not finding the right words amidst the tangle of his thoughts.
      “I suppose we weren’t,” she said with a note of sorrow in her voice. “But what about the two of us?”
      “I don’t know…you’re so soft with each other, like just now, when he was fussing over you.” The implication of his unspoken question hung there, like some kind of damning indictment.
      “I couldn’t be.”
      He looked at her perplexed and a bit hurt. “Why not?”
      Marinette looked off at that, and Adrien swallowed, dreading what her response would be. Whether she would give him one or not.
      “I couldn’t because I had to be the strong one. The one to save you, protect you… and then you resented me for it,” she bit out, her jaw tightening.
      He was shocked. “I never asked that of you!”
      She turned back to face him, wide-eyed, and obviously upset. “Oh, yes, you did. Not in so many words, but it was very clear…It was the way you looked at me. The way you held me. The way you sought refuge in me, like I was the answer to everything you were seeking. To you, I was what hung the moon and the stars in the sky. Do you have any idea how screwed up that is?”
      Adrien found himself falling back as Marinette was in a proper tear now, having moved slowly towards him, encroaching on his space. “Oh, at first, it was so romantic. It was thrilling to know I was of such importance to you. That I was your world, but then things started turning bad. You would complain about your life - the way your folks were, how they weren’t actually your parents, the issues you had with your brother, or whatever - then you’d give me those damn eyes, like expecting me to somehow do something about it. So, I did what I thought you wanted, I nudged you towards making changes to remedy all those things…”
      “Alright, that’s enough. You’re just getting upset, and it’s not going to fix anything,” he interrupted, stopping her from menacing over him. She retreated back, resettling herself to get comfortable. She let out an irritated huff.
      “You want to pin all the blame on me, but you weren’t exactly free of it either, sunshine,” she spat out. “You made me out to be some kind of angel, some kind of divine form of love or something. Of course I couldn’t measure up. I’m only human, and I should have been loved for me, not what you wanted me to be.”
      Before he could make a retort, Viperion had arrived with Fu in tow, essentially ending the conversation, leaving him to stew on what Marinette unloaded on him.

      Laying on a rather large mat on the wooden floor of Fu’s Massage parlor, Adrien was feeling rather morose. Fu was busying himself in some kind of ritual at the other end of the room. His kwami, smaller in size than normal, was balled up in a fuzzy cat bed nearby. He had been given a tonic and was currently sleeping it off. In examining Chat on the roof top, it was discovered there was a fine hairline crack in his miraculous. The ring had somehow been damaged, and Plagg was suffering either from an illness or an injury. This was likely the reason behind the issues he was having with his transformation and why he sustained injuries from his fall. The transformation had held, so he wasn’t as injured as he would have been. As a result, he only presented with a sprained shoulder and miscellaneous pulled muscles. Not ideal, but nothing he would need to seek further medical assistance for. There was still no explanation as to why Ladybug’s transformation was affected or why she also sustained minor injuries, specifically pulled muscles.
      Adrien laid there and fought uselessly against the self-recriminations swirling inside him as a result of the accusations Marinette hurled at him. He wasn’t as free of blame as he had set himself out to be. He couldn’t deny he clung onto Marinette, to her love, as a lifeline. He unloaded too much of himself, his woes and his issues, on her. He hadn’t expected her to fix any of them. He simply didn’t want to bear them alone anymore. But in the end, he caused her pain, intentionally or not. And what was worse was he didn’t realize it. He didn’t see it. This, of course, had him ruminating further over the hurt he inflicted on Michelle with his kiss… Adrien, at the end of the day, was just a selfish jackass, heedless of what his actions did to others. He deserved his reputation. People were seeing him as he truly was. He was the one who couldn’t see and accept it.
      At that realization, Adrien stopped fighting with himself. He laid on the mat, closed his eyes, and waited for the pain meds to fully kick in. Once they were in effect, he would have to drag his ass back home and call it a night.
      “Adrien?”
      At his name, he realized Fu had finished his chanting. He opened his eyes and looked over at the man. Fu was sitting with his legs crisscrossed at Adrien’s knee, looking at him with concern. Taking him in, Adrien realized Fu wasn’t as old as he previously thought. Maybe it was because he wasn’t solemn at the moment or currently scolding him. While he initially thought Fu was in his mid-fifties, here he saw a man a decade or so younger. His hair was not as deep a black as one would expect. It was rather faded looking all considered. But his face wasn’t as wrinkled and thin as one would expect of someone in their fifties. In fact, while his facial features were worn, there was still a certain youthful charm to his expressions. His build was still strong and lean, with only hints of potential softness to come.
      “Yes,” he answered after a moment.
      “It is important to remember when using a miraculous you are bonded to the kwami within. What affects you affects the kwami and vice versa. Have things changed in the last few months?”
      Adrien didn’t know how to answer that, and it must have shown in his expression as Fu’s changed as he chewed on his lower lip.
      “I know the two of you broke up, and it was a messy affair. Things are still tense, especially with her being with your comrade. (Adrien’s eyes widened, but Fu simply closed his briefly and shook his head before continuing.) Plagg has baggage as well… From 18 years ago. It is possible the two of you are syncing and creating a vulnerability within the miraculous as a result…”
      Adrien rose up onto his elbows to study Fu further, cocking his head in response.
      “I don’t know how to help Plagg with what he may be dealing with. (Fu looked off as he continued.) It wasn’t something the previous guardian wanted to address. There is nothing in the teachings or resources I have to approach the matter… Su-Han is gone now anyways, and he was the last to have contact with the previous holder. (He sighed heavily at this.) But, with you, there are resources and means by which you can get help and heal from your breakup. I beseech you to seek help and handle the matter. For both you and Plagg’s sake. It may be enough to reduce the issues with your miraculous.”
      “You’ve known this entire time,” he let out in a soft whisper.
      Fu caught his eyes but with a warmth and tenderness Adrien wasn’t expecting.
      “Of course I did,” he answered. “I’m the guardian. It is my responsibility to be in the loop on the lives and affairs of my chosen holders…I was hard on you when it came to being exposed to the public and potentially with each other due to the realities of how human experiences can muddy things. However, I knew the two of you got together as yourselves not as holders. It was inevitable the two of you would discover each other…I’m sorry it seemed to have been the death knell to your relationship, but I must say you both have handled it in a rather mature fashion for your age. It hasn’t destroyed your partnership or your ability to work as a team. But, on a personal level, it appears to be something that is still wreaking havoc in your lives.”
      At this Adrien looked away, not really denying it. But after a moment, he turned back to see Fu looking out across his legs towards a print on the wall.
      “If you know, why is it still a thing? Why can’t we all know each other?”
      Fu took a deep breath. Then looked at Adrien with a rather tired expression.
      “I don’t have any problems with it,” he said rather dryly. “If you’ve paid attention, I’ve not mentioned the issue of knowing identities for some time. It’s the matter of public exposure…If anything, it is Ladybug who is hung up on the matter…which is understandable. She knows who Viperion is, but would you really be comfortable knowing who he is? (Fu couldn’t help but smirk at this and chuckle.) This is what I meant by muddying things.”
      “How has the matter been dealt with in the past?” he asked, hoping to find a solution there.
      “It has been handled well and it has been handled rather badly. There is no magic solution or procedure to follow here, Adrien. It all depends on the people involved. Guardians have all tried various ways to handle the issue to varying levels of success. I chose to have you keep each other in the dark at the start as you’re still teenagers. Then it was going to be a wait and see game. To see the type of people you would become, how you interacted with other potential holders down the line, and so forth. As always, life had other plans. Your situation is delicate. Ladybug is the leader of the team at the moment, and so I deferred to how she wanted to deal with it. You may bring up the matter with her if you want. But I would wait until you have done some work on yourself, so you’re coming from a better place within you.”
      Adrien chewed his lip for a bit and then nodded. He couldn’t really argue against it. Maybe seeing a counselor to help him with things wasn’t such a bad idea. He can’t have the situation with his miraculous continue. And if nothing else, he couldn’t be responsible for hurting yet someone else with his issues and existence.