It Started With a Piece of Gum

I loved plikki's Not-so-fake dating piece on AO3, which was originally inspired by a booster prompt from meirencollector. Even as I read it, I couldn't help thinking up different ways the story could go. None of those ideas matched the original, so this is my attempt at reconciling my thoughts into a coherent whole.

Thanks to my beta-readers JuliaFC, marlynmiro, and CoffeeBanana. They are all engaging writers, so please check out their work (all of them are on AO3, and Julia is also on FFN).

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As Adrien waited by the entrance to the ballroom, he wondered idly if André Bourgeois had been compensating for something when he rebranded his hotel all those years ago. Adrien and his father, along with Nathalie, had been dropped off at Le Grand Hotel Paris by the Gorilla earlier that evening. They made their way through Le Grand Lobby, checked their coats at Le Grand Cloakroom, walked past Le Grand Restaurant, and rode Le Grand Elevator up to the Le Grand Ballroom, where the annual Gabriel Charity Gala was in full swing.

Adrien was expected to mingle with the various investors, industry sycophants and local celebrities, but thankfully he would have more friends than usual in the room this year. Chloé would be there, of course, because nobody of any significance held a party in Paris without inviting her. Years of reporting on the Ladyblog meant Alya had enough status to score an invitation in her own right, with Nino as her plus one. Marinette's internship at Gabriel had also allowed Adrien to add her to the guest list without drawing undue attention. He would rather spend the night chatting with his friends than schmoozing on behalf of his father. Even hiding away in Le Grand Lavatory for a few solo rounds of Super Penguino would be preferable to that.

Audrey Bourgeois was monopolising his father's attention, so Adrien glanced over the assembled guests tittering away with their meaningless platitudes while he looked for a friendly face. He recognised many of those in attendance. Newlyweds Jagged and Penny Stone chatted with Clara Nightingale. Bob Ross had accosted the mayor over some new scheme. And XY was trapped near the restrooms by a handsy brunette with a pixie bob who obviously didn't know her target was gay. Adrien felt sorry for the poor guy despite his terrible music and was almost tempted to rescue him, but Alec Cataldi pointedly inserted himself between the pair. Adrien remembered reading some speculation about AleXY in the tabloids, but Luka had told him they weren't ready to go public yet.

Adrien also recognised familiar faces among the Gabriel senior staff and the more prominent investors. He would have to speak to them all at some point this evening. There was no getting around it. The only noteworthy absence was Tomoe Tsurugi, who had recently returned to Japan with Kagami to visit family. If she was the only one not present, then that meant...

Shit.

There they were, the tall rotund man and short skinny woman speaking quietly with Nathalie. Adrien didn't know how he had missed them. Étienne and Giselle Bergerac were the largest investors in Gabriel after his father and aunt. That explained why his father had decided to attend the Gala this year. Even a recluse like Gabriel Agreste had to put in the occasional appearance for the sake of his business empire. The Bergeracs were among the most powerful families in Paris, wielding enough influence for even Chloé to be wary. If they were here, then undoubtedly their daughter was too.

Adrien scanned the crowd more intently, eyes darting from face to face in search of the one he dreaded seeing. There she was, the handsy brunette who had now abandoned her former quarry. Adrien cursed himself for not recognising her sooner, but she had cut her hair since the last time he'd been forced to endure her presence. Turning away to shield his face from view, Adrien swore under his breath. Renée Bergerac had been the bane of his existence since she was old enough to notice boys. Although he didn't see her often, the girl threw herself at him in a way that made Lila Rossi look like a demure ingénue by comparison. Adrien did not relish the thought of an evening spent dodging her advances. He was contemplating his predicament when an unexpected sight knocked the breath from his lungs.