Adrien stood on the grand staircase outside his bedroom, the marble pristine and white. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he walked down them, the promising smell of fresh waffles luring him to the dining room.
The house was surprisingly quiet for how lively it usually was. It was almost eery, being the only one in sight in the large house. It was the weekend, meaning Nathalie and the Gorilla were off duty. So where was his father?
He peeked around the corner, turning into the room to be met with a table full of sweet breakfast delicacies not so common in France. More shocking, however, were the people surrounding it.
"Happy 13th Birthday, Adrien!" Emilie spread her arms wide open, her son running right into them with glee. "I was only gone a month, yet you've grown so much." Her smile was as sweet as honey, and as soothing too.
"What time did you get here? I thought filming wouldn't be done until the first!" Adrien breathed in his mother's scent, her hair pressing into his nose just like it did when she'd hold him as a toddler. His chin knocked on her peacock pendant, a gift from Gabriel for their anniversary, which left him feeling a little odd.
Emilie slightly grimaced but hid it well, not wanting to spoil her son's day. "The funding got cut, so we had to scrap the movie. But, I couldn't be happier. I can't miss your birthday! You only have so many of those before you stop being my sweet baby." She tussled his hair and stood, directing Adrien's attention back to the table. "How about you see your other guests, hmm?"
Looking around the room, Adrien saw just how many people were there to celebrate with him. His closest friend, Chloe, her parents, his cousin, Felix, his aunt and uncle, and Nathalie, the Gorilla beside her holding a modest pile of gifts for him.
Adrien looked back at his mother before sitting down at the table. Once he'd grown, he wished that he'd stood by her side instead.
It was one of the last times she was herself.
With a scowl, Chat Noir launched himself across the city. He'd been on the run for a week, and all the news consisted of was his damned face.
He had been mostly confined to the suit, which had made it easier to arrive at the nine akuma attacks at that time.
Ladybug wouldn't even talk to him except to use his special ability. It hurt, but Adrien could barely feel anything anymore. Plagg's concerns, and his own exhaustion, went unnoticed.
He couldn't even feel the crippling injuries of his legs - the notion that he was healing himself by isolation had popped into his head on more than one occasion.
Since being on the run, Adrien just couldn't get to sleep. He was plagued with even more nightmares than before, something he had expected to go away.
With no clue why he found himself running back to the apartment. Maybe it was for some company since Plagg wasn't too fond of him as of recent times. Or maybe it was for food. You could always count on Marinette Dupain-Cheng for free food.
Deep down he knew it was to talk him out of it.
The building emerged in his field of vision, the windows open to allow fresh air in.
With his enhanced vision he saw her. With her hair in a messy bun and her body fitted in pit-stained four-day-worn clothes. In her hand she held a near-empty bowl of cereal, Adrien's nose telling him it was Lucky Charms. She seemed fatigued, that near-dead look in her eye matching her appearance.
He felt his lip twitch as he swung through one of the open windows, his swish causing Marinette to fall backward and land in a defensive stance. When she recognized the source of the sound her eyebrows lowered and she stood up with great speed.
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Behind My Smile - EDITING SOON
FanfictionAdrien Agreste could usually pretend he was fine. He'd never faltered from his regimen of fake smiles since childhood. At twenty-six years old he was an accomplished model with nearly a million to his name. Some would look at him and swoon: a perfec...
