Unclean Hands 🫴🏻 (A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction)

4 | Keeping A Stray Company

One Week Before

Adrien sat in his bed with his phone propped up on his knee. He was watching an anime Nino had recommended and was eating snacks: some gummy bears, two chocolate bars, and a family-sized bag of potato chips.

He knew he shouldn't eat that stuff, but he couldn't help himself. His father sent him to his room without dinner—again.

How did Adrien get the snacks, though?

After the kitchen staff left, Plagg snuck downstairs to the kitchen pantry and brought the snacks up to Adrien. The kwami did offer to share his cheese, but his holder half-joked that he'd rather starve than eat 'stinky cheese'.

Adrien ate the last gummy bear and his stomach started to knot in pain. He ignored it.

The bedroom door swung open fast and slammed into the wall.

Plagg managed to hide before he was seen, and Adrien threw his blanket over the wrappers, but his phone was still in his hand, playing a new episode of an anime when he should have been asleep already.

"Why are you still awake, Adrien?!" Gabriel shouted as he stormed over and forced the cellphone from his son's hand. "And what is this crap you're watching?"

"It's an anime," Adrien defended. "And it's a really good show. If you took the time—"

"Is this what you waste your time doing? Watching pathetic, stupid, poorly written TV shows instead of reading, or practicing piano or your Chinese lessons?"

He scratched his arm, unable to make eye contact with his angry father. "I already do so much. Why can't I have this?"

"Excuse me?" Gabriel asked, stunned. "What the hell did you say to me?"

"N-Nothing, I just—"

His father raised his arm and backhanded him across the face. Adrien's head bounced off the wall. His bottom lip was busted and bloody. "Don't you ever talk back to me! I am your father!"

Adrien stared up at his father, frozen in fear with wide eyes.

Gabriel sighed and shook his head. "I don't like being the bad guy, Adrien. You know the reason I do this is because I love you. Your mother only wanted the best for you and I want to give you that."

He raised his hand and Adrien flinched.

Gabriel rested it on his son's shoulder. "I want to turn you into a young man your mother would be proud of. Don't you want to make your mother proud?"

Adrien nodded. "Of course I do..."

"Then why do you disobey me?" He asked. "Why do you go against my wishes when I only want the best for you?"

This is the best? "It won't happen again."

Gabriel patted his cheek. "Good. Now, get to bed. You have a busy day tomorrow." He set his son's phone on a high shelf and turned around and walked out.

Plagg flew over to his holder. "I'm sorry, Adrien. I should've warned you, but I was distracted by that show you were watching. I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

"He would have found a way to get mad at me, anyway. It's not your fault."

"I can't wait until your father's gone. When's his business trip again?"

"Next week, but he's only gone for a few days," Adrien answered.

Plagg crossed his paws. "Still, that's a few days without that waste of breath."