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It was the next day and Adrien hadn't gotten any sleep the previous night. Ladybug's rejection was still fresh on his mind. Plagg had tried to help but nothing seemed to cheer him up. Ladybug seemed to be all he had. She was the one person he felt he could be himself around. When he wore that mask and suit, he wasn't just Chat Noir. He was Adrien Agreste. The real Adrien. Even if nobody knew it. His friends knew him for the prim and proper image his father wanted him to disclose. When he wore that mask, he could truly be himself.
Adrien sighed and made his way down the street. He had told Gorilla that he didn't need a ride to school that day and that he needed some fresh air so he could clear his head. His protective bodyguard had reluctantly agreed. But it wasn't the same as when his father reluctantly agreed. Gorilla seemed to have the best intentions at heart. He cared for Adrien's safety and had his best interests at heart. But Gorilla knew when something really mattered to Adrien and he would allow it. Natalie and his father would never have to know.
Thinking back to his original train of thought, Adrien couldn't help but realize that it was truly sad. Outside of that suit was the one time he was truly wearing a mask. Because of his father, Adrien had to conceal his true feelings all the time. It was exhausting. His father had placed him on such a high pedestal that it was hard to maintain the image his father and everyone else expected of him. Adrien could never be the cocky, pun-oriented, confident person that he was when he was Chat Noir. It stung to know his friends would never see that side of him. He was a stranger to them.
When he was Chat Noir, he could be all those things and more without worrying about spoiling his perfect image. To be honest, Adrien didn't care about his own image. If it wouldn't ruin his father's image then he would have shown who he truly was a long time ago. But as Gabriel Agreste's son, his image projected onto his fathers. Adrien shoved his hands in his pockets. It wasn't like he chose this way of life. He never wanted to be the son of Paris's most famous fashion designer. He never wanted to be a model with all the fame and fortune. He would rather live a normal life. Maybe then he would know who his true friends were.
Adrien's thoughts drifted back to Ladybug. She was the one person who didn't fawn over him because he was Adrien Agreste. Maybe if she knew he was Adrien Agreste she would treat him like all the others do. But then again, maybe she wouldn't. But if Adrien knew one thing, he knew that Ladybug cared about him. She treated him like her equal. Like he mattered. That was more he could say for his own father. He had his friends, but he barely got to see them and none of them truly understood him. That may have been his last attempt to gain her love, but he would never stop loving her. For now, he would just take a step back and let Ladybug decide for herself if she wanted him eventually.
