October Nights

Realizations

She said yes! She said yes!

Adrien's smile wasn't even coming close to faltering, in fact he wasn't sure it could. His soul had taken flight above the clouds, soaring faster and higher than he thought imaginable.

His entire life people had fallen for his looks, wealth or glory, but he finally felt that someone was falling for him, the real him. Even if Marianette had no idea who he was behind the mask, he felt like finally someone cared for both sides of him, good or bad.

His alter ego Chat was starting to feel like a gateway instead of an escape, a path to his actual home, the transportation to his heart. Chat brought him to Marianette, and all he wanted was more.

He knew he had to be careful, getting close to her on both sides of his persona was dangerous for not only him but her and her family as well. If Hawkmoth ever discovered how much she was starting to mean to him, he would be destroyed. Utterly destroyed.

Adrien was thankful that the school sent out a notice that it was canceled after the last attack. It would give Plagg time to relax until he went to Marianette's house later that night. He was enjoying the sun, the wind that tossed his air, the croissant smell wafting from the bakeries. Everything. Even Chloe and her Akuma attack couldn't dampen his spirits.

Once back at his house he opened the door making his way to his room when a deep voice rang out echoing the lonely halls. Adrien's spine immediately straightened, smile disappearing as fast as it came, mood plummeting to match the ominous black air that seemed to resonate at this house. He turned to the staircase where his father was making his way down, hands behind his back.

"What are you doing home so early?" His father's voice emotionless.

Adrien did his best to match it, "There was an Akuma attack. They let the school out early".

Adrien watched his father contemplate this information barely any recognition of surprise. His white gray tailored suit and red tie somehow making the lack of movement more disturbing.

After a long moment he nodded turning on his heel to his study. "Then you'll have more time to practice piano"

Adrien sighed sharply, irritation shooting through his veins. His father, hearing the sound turned towards Adrien who pretended to go into a coughing fit to cover up his disrespect. Adrien always planned to stand up to his father, but he couldn't help but feel that doing so would ruin the thin relationship they had, and he didn't want that either.

His father showed no signs of recognizing the disrespect nodded again and continued on into his study, turning only briefly to shut the doors looking through Adrien as if he was just another painting in the hallway.

As soon as the doors closed, the noise echoing off the halls, the air seemed to lighten up again. Not exactly the sunshine feeling Adrien had felt outside, but a dark gray instead of black. His father's personal touch to the world.

He made his way up to his room turning on his IPod of his last recital so that his father and Natalie would think he was practicing.

"You know if you keep using your IPod to fool them you'll forget how to play and be in a world of trouble when they ask to see what you've learned" Plagg commented flipping out of Adrien's shirt.

Adrien rolled his eyes, "I've put the same recital on speaker for the last year, if they haven't figured out that I'm playing the same songs I doubt they ever will"

Adrien made his way over to his mini cooler taking out a wheel of cheese for Plagg. He threw it behind his head knowing Plagg would catch it without needing to aim. Adrien could hear a loving sigh from his Kwami as he grabbed a water before sitting on the couch.