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Beau and the Beetle	By : Cat_Eyes Category: +M through R > Miraculous LadyBug Views: 3721 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. Miraculous Ladybug is the intellectual property of Thomas Astruc and released by Zag studios. No profit was made writing this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Prologue: Alya
- 2-Adrien
- 3-Felix
- 4-Bridgette
- 5-Adrien
- 6-Sabine
- 7-Bridgette
- 8-Alya
- 9-Adrien
- 10-Felix
- 11-Sabine
- 12-Bridgette
- 13-Alya
- 14-Felix
- 15-Adrien
- 16-Alya
- 17-Felix
- 18-Bridgette
- 19-Adrien
- 20-Sabine
- 21-Felix
- 22-Alya
- 23-Bridgette
- 24-Adrien
- 25-Sabine
- 26-Adrien
- 27-Felix
- 28-Alya
- 29-Bridgette
- 30-Adrien
- 31-Sabine
- 32-Bridgette
- 33-Felix
- 34-Alya
- 35-Adrien
- 36-Felix
- 37-Sabine
- 38-Bridgette
- 39-Adrien
- 40-Felix
- 41-Adrien
- 42-Felix
- 43-Adrien
- 44-Adrien
- 45-Adrien
- 46-Epilogue
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Repeatedly bumping her forehead against her desk, Bridgette wondered why she kept falling back into a pattern of mourning Marinette’s loss, even after repeatedly telling herself she had moved on, just as everyone else seemed to be. It was a vicious cycle of grief, followed by a moment of clarity wherein she resolved to move on with her life, then suddenly, she would find herself plummeting back into mourning. It was frustrating, depressing, and unfair.
‘This time, for sure,’ she whispered.
Wiping her eyes, she sat up, sniffled, and turned on her computer. She had a test on Monday, and she hadn’t studied nearly as much as she ought.
Concentrating was difficult. Her mind kept drifting to other topics, like how Alya seemed happier lately, or how Sabine and Tom had behaved. There was a melancholy air about her aunt and uncle, but it was subtle, so most people wouldn’t notice. Bridgette assumed it was brought on by Alya’s memorial, the day bringing unpleasant memories and emotions to the surface for everyone.
Then there was Felix. He had settled into school life without mishap, and had even made some new acquaintances, despite himself. Felix remained aloof, often claiming he didn’t need their company, but always accompanied Adrien to lunch. He frowned, putting up a gruff façade, but Bridgette suspected he was secretly pleased.
Resting her chin on her hand, Bridgette smiled into her palm. Felix was a funny creature, full of contradictions and shy awkwardness. She found his idiosyncrasies endearing; if she looked beyond his manufactured detached attitude, there was simply a boy who didn’t know how to be a boy. She wanted to help him, as he had helped her, but she wasn’t sure how, or if he would even appreciate the offer. Above all, Felix was proud, and any perceived weaknesses or criticisms were dealt with harshly.
Bridgette resented Gabriel Agreste for leaving such an indelible mark on his own son. His beliefs had denied his children a normal childhood, and had warped their thinking. Felix’s actions against Adrien was proof enough that they hadn’t learnt valuable life lessons, such as dealing with rejection, or how to express negative emotions healthily. Bridgette decided she would have to take Felix’s education in hand herself, since no one else seemed so inclined. She hoped she wouldn’t wound his pride, or be thought presumptuous.
Slapping her hands over her cheeks, Bridgette turned back to her homework. It was easier to concentrate, now that she had the beginnings of a course of action.

After waving goodbye to Tom and Sabine, Bridgette approached the school with a new bounce in her step. She smiled and wiggled her fingers at students she recognised, then perched atop the sandstone bannister to await her friends’ arrival.
‘You’re in a good mood,’ Alya observed, as she stood to Bridgette's left.
Bridgette took a deep breath. ‘I feel better today. As if I have a sense of purpose.’
Alya cocked an eyebrow. ‘What would that purpose be?’
‘I’m going to show Felix that it’s ok not to be the perfect image his father expects him to be.’
Alya’s smile turned knowing. ‘Ah, so this is about Felix. I should have guessed.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Nothing,’ Alya sang, teasingly.
The Agreste family car pulled up at that moment, Felix and Adrien stepping out gracefully. Bridgette envied their effortless fluidity of movement. She had all the grace of a drunken bear, according to her childhood dance instructor.
Alya elbowed her gently in the side as they approached, her eyebrows waggling suggestively. Bridgette nudged her back with an exasperated huff.
‘Morning, girls,’ Adrien began. ‘You ready for the test?’
‘Yup,’ chirped Alya.
‘As I’ll ever be.’ Bridgette looked between Adrien and Felix. ‘What about you two?’
‘In the bag,’ Adrien replied, easily.
Felix shrugged. ‘I don’t anticipate any difficulties.’
Bridgette admired their cool confidence, glad their antisocial upbringing hadn’t deprived them of a decent academic education, at least.
Nino joined them, slapping the other boys on the back, and giving Alya a peck on the cheek as he stood beside her. They endured Adrien’s good-natured teasing, then returned the favour two-fold, before the bell rang. The three of them fell into step beside each other, leaving Bridgette and Felix to bring up the rear.
‘You probably don’t need it, but good luck on the test anyway,’ Bridgette said as they walked.
Felix nodded, his cheeks turning a light pink. ‘Thank you. I’m confident you will perform admirably, but I wish you the best, as well.’
Inordinately pleased, Bridgette smiled brightly. ‘Thank you, Felix. I appreciate it.’
Felix nodded again, his face growing redder. ‘You’re welcome.’
The test wasn’t as hard as Bridgette feared, so she answered all the questions feeling reasonably confident she would score a decent grade. Her friends were similarly pleased, and congratulated each other loudly between classes.
At lunch, Nino suggested they go to the arcade to celebrate. Felix seemed reluctant to attend, hanging back, and declining to participate in the conversation as they all walked down the street together.
‘Are you feeling all right?’ Bridgette asked, resting a solicitous hand across his brow.
Instantly, Felix’s face turned bright red. ‘I'm fine,’ he stammered.
Bridgette withdrew her hand, frowning up at him in concern. ‘I realise arcades probably aren’t your thing, but you and I could go somewhere else, if you’d like.’
He regarded her seriously for a long moment. ‘You want to go, though, right?’
‘Well, yeah. But I can go any time I want.’
But Felix shook his head, and offered his arm. Feeling her face heat up, she accepted it, gingerly threading her arm though his.
‘Are you sure?’ she asked, looking up at him.
Felix’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. ‘You wish to go. It would be churlish of me to deny a lady her wants.’
Bridgette blinked as she processed that. Finally, she decided to let it go, in favour of focussing on her previous intentions.
‘Hey, Felix. I know you’re very intelligent, and you have your whole career mapped out, but you know it’s ok to fail sometimes, right?’
He wouldn’t meet her eyes. ‘Failure is not an option.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because Father expects me to excel in all areas. Anything less will not be tolerated.’
Bridgette’s heart went out to him. ‘That’s a lot to have to live up to. Doesn’t it get hard?’
‘It’s always been hard, but failing, and Father’s disappointment, is harder.’
‘Is it worth not having friends, or fun?’
‘I can’t afford the distraction. The only reason I attend school at all is because it was the punishment Adrien chose for me.’
Bridgette bit her lip, unaccountably hurt by the admission. ‘Would you prefer not to come to school anymore, go back to the way things were?’
Felix inhaled deeply, his hold on her arm tightening by a fraction. ‘I don’t know.’
Surprised, Bridgette could only stare at him. She wasn't sure what shocked her more, that he admitted to not knowing, or that he was unsure in the first place.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, then turned away to cough delicately into his free hand, his ears turning red.
‘There are some things worth coming to school for,’ he murmured.
Bridgette's chest constricted. She was sure she was on the precipice of discovering something significant, when Nino’s holler from the arcade’s open front door distracted her from her train of thought. She was pulled back into reality abruptly, the jolt feeling almost physical. She pouted at the lost chance, frustrated with the world.
Felix led her inside, then released her arm. Rather than let him stand awkwardly on the sidelines, Bridgette grasped his hand, and led him toward the games. She encouraged him to try many varieties of amusements, and was stunned when he excelled at the shooting and timing games. He wasn’t as successful at sport oriented or rhythm games, but he still tried, despite consecutive losses. Bridgette was proud of him, as he seemed undeterred by the setbacks, and kept going. He even looked like he was enjoying himself. She thought she may have misjudged his character, as she watched him pick up another basketball, and fail to make the shot. She was pleased to be proven wrong on this occasion.
They trekked back to school feeling calmer, their restless energy finally expelled. Bridgette, once more, had her arm looped about Felix’s, as they walked back in companionable silence.
‘Having fun isn’t so bad, is it?’ she asked, feeling coquettish.
Felix hummed in agreement. ‘I guess it depends on who you’re with.’
Bridgette's heart fluttered pleasantly. ‘So, you’ll be willing to try this again, some time?’
‘If there’s the right incentive.’
‘Which would be?’ she asked, leaving the sentence hanging.
Felix disentangled his arm, to raise her hand to his lips. His cheeks were pink, but he maintained steady eye contact.
Bridgette's heart sped up, and her breath caught. She smiled shyly as Felix lowered her hand, but did not release it. They returned to school, still hand in hand, their cheeks rosy, while exchanging bashful glances and small smiles.
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Beau and the Beetle