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. |
Adrien pitied Bridgette. She had been attending their school for two weeks, and had yet to make a single friend. She got along with the other students, but there was a barrier preventing her from making closer connections. Whether it was her family situation, or her awkwardness, or a combination of the two, Adrien didn’t know. But, he saw her sit alone in a corner of the courtyard every day, pretending she wasn’t affected by the isolation.
As Alya and Nino squabbled behind him, Adrien approached Bridgette with a friendly smile.
‘Hey,’ he greeted her, one hand raised.
Bridgette looked up at him with wide eyes, and blinked. ‘Hey.’
‘Do you mind if I sit with you?’ he asked, nodding to a place on the ground beside her.
She stammered for a moment, before clamping her mouth shut and nodding.
Smiling benignly, Adrien eased down on her right. ‘How are you finding school?’
Bridgette stared into her lap. ‘It’s different from my old school,’ she replied slowly, as if she were considering her words before she said them aloud.
Adrien nodded. ‘I imagine it was. I wouldn’t know, I was home-schooled before coming here.’
Finally meeting his eyes, she asked, ‘you were?’
‘Yeah, it was pretty boring, though.’
‘Lonely too, I should think.’
He nodded. ‘Yeah, that too. Everyone here is really nice and friendly. It’s so much better than being stuck at home with my brother and the stuffy tutors.’
Bridgette’s gaze fell back to her lap, where she wrung her hands. ‘Yeah.’
The hope that he’d felt when she engaged in the conversation withered. ‘Look, I can see adjusting to the new environment has been hard for you. So, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for not reaching out to you before now. I hope we can still be friends.’
Slowly, she looked back up at him. ‘Really?’
‘Of course. Maybe, I can help you make more friends, too.’
A shy smile chased the shadows from her face. ‘I’d like that. Thank you.’
‘It will be my pleasure.’
The bell rang, calling them to their first lesson of the day. Adrien hauled himself to his feet, then held out a hand to Bridgette. She grasped it firmly, still smiling as he hoisted her up.
He walked beside her to class, greeting his other classmates along the way. They joked and jostled each other, Bridgette dragged into their bantering by accident. She didn’t object, or shy away, instead joining their good-natured ribbing. She was tentative at first, but after she earned a raucous round of laughter at Kim’s expense, she relaxed. Even Alya gave a brief grin in response.
As they took their seats, Adrien gave himself a mental pat on the back. He was sorry he hadn’t tried to befriend Bridgette sooner, but he hoped that with continued exposure to him, she would eventually be seen as one of their own, not just as Marinette's Cousin.
Reluctantly, Adrien trudged home after school. He would have liked to go to the arcade with Nino, Max, and Kim, but Nathalie had been insistent. Gabriel wanted him home, and that was final.
Rather than wait for Gorilla, he opted to walk. Nathalie hadn’t been pleased, and he imagined Gabriel would have something to say on the matter, but he thought it was a waste of resources to drive such a short distance.
He pushed through the gate, dragging his feet across the yard and up the front steps. Opening the door, he looked around curiously. The foyer was empty, but voices drifted through the door on the left. Suppressing a sigh, he headed over and knocked before sticking his head inside.
Gathered around the podium where Gabriel worked was Gabriel himself, Nathalie, and Felix. They stood in tense silence, their expressions sour and their postures rigid. Adrien wanted to back out immediately.
Glancing up, Gabriel saw him hovering in the doorway. ‘Come in, Adrien,’ he instructed.
Picking up on the residual tension, Adrien approached the unhappy group. ‘Was there something I can do for you, Father?’
Years of experience dealing with Gabriel’s foul temperament had taught him that being unquestioningly obedient was the best way to calm his father’s moods. Gabriel responded to servitude positively, but would be quick to anger if he were questioned or disobeyed.
Gabriel turned back to his tablet, resting on the podium before him. ‘I have mentioned to Felix these last few weeks that if he could not provide an idea to improve our company’s standing, then he would not be considered fit to inherit the business. He has until the end of the week to come up with something unique, but if he fails, then you are to become the next CEO. Understood?’
Adrien didn’t understand at all. ‘Yes.’
Gabriel nodded. ‘Excellent. The board had responded well to the idea of you becoming the next head. They have followed your career closely and feel it would be beneficial to all for you to take over after I retire. As you have been the face of the company for the last few years, they feel it would be good PR.’
‘He’s a novelty,’ Felix argued. ‘Realistically, he’d be nothing more than a figurehead, designed to bring in new clientele and encourage younger customers.’
Gabriel turned to him with a frosty expression. ‘One would hope so. We are running a business, not a charity. If Adrien can make a profit simply by occupying the head position, then he would be a success. You, however, would bring in no such capital. You have hidden away from the public eye, burying yourself in your studies instead. No one knows you, and those who do, do not find you personable. You would make an adequate CEO, but not a great one.’
‘But Father,’ Adrien interjected, ‘Felix is better qualified than me. He knows how to run the business, while all I can do is stand around and look pretty.’
Adrien turned to Felix, hoping for support or approval. Instead, Felix looked at him with contempt, his lip curled and his skin darkening in anger. Adrien flinched, confused and hurt.
Gabriel held a hand up. ‘That’s enough, I don’t want to hear any more. Felix, you have four days to think of something, or Adrien will be declared my heir and protégé. That is all.’
Felix shoved by Adrien, his gaze fixed on the door, with cheeks a dangerous shade of pink. Staggering, Adrien nearly collided with Nathalie, who had remained silently beside Gabriel throughout the whole exchange.
Adrien opened his mouth, but closed it again. He knew it was futile to try to change Gabriel's mind, and would only be punished for insubordination. Silently, he turned around, and went to his room.
He collapsed face down onto his bed, groaning pitifully into his pillow. He had no idea what game Gabriel was playing, or why he thought Felix needed to prove himself. It was madness, that only alienated both his sons.
Felix was clearly outraged by the decision, and just as obviously, thought Adrien was somehow to blame.
He thumped his pillow with his fists, feeling hopeless.
‘Good morning Felix,’ Adrien said cautiously, as he sat down to breakfast the following morning.
Felix glanced up momentarily before rising. ‘I’ll be busy. Don’t bother me.’
No longer shocked by Felix’s abruptness, but hurt by the cold undertones, Adrien fiddled with his fork until he heard Felix’s footsteps on the stairs. With a weary sigh, he resigned himself to another meal alone.
Gabriel had taken to eating in his office since Emilie’s passing, declining to join his sons even on special occasions like birthdays and holidays. Adrien didn’t like it, but he was getting used to it.
He still longed for the old days, when there was warmth in the too-big house. Emilie’s bright smile could light even the darkest shadows, and heat the coldest winters. She had loved readily, and easily, and life was better with her around. However, she’d taken all of that with her when she died.
Adrien shook his head and returned to his meal. It had been a year already since she departed, and so Adrien believed it was time he began to look forward once more.
He’d had many dreams in his young life. When he was six, he wanted to be a martial artist. When he was ten, he’d wanted to represent France on the Olympic basketball team. By the time he was twelve, he just wanted Gabriel to be proud of him, so he’d gone into modelling.
It was during that time when Emilie first became ill. Under the pretence of turning him into an educated and well-rounded young man, Gabriel had insisted Adrien take up fencing, piano, and Chinese. Adrien had leapt in enthusiastically, not recognising the distraction for what it was.
Unfortunately, Emilie had deteriorated quickly, and not even Gabriel could hide her fading condition. Adrien still strove to make his parents proud, though. Emilie praised even the smallest achievements, while Gabriel nodded in quiet approval. It was enough for him. He was beginning to understand the seriousness of Emilie’s condition, so he didn’t begrudge Gabriel his unresponsiveness.
Neither Gabriel nor Felix had gone back to how they used to be, especially Felix, who grew colder and more distant as time went on. Thought now, Adrien had more of an understanding of his recent aggression.
He forced himself to finish his breakfast. Dealing with his brother doused his appetite, but his body needed the fuel. Adrien then decided it was preferable to eat alone, if this were to be their norm from now on.
He pushed away from the table, stooping to grab his bag before he stood up. He didn’t bother to call out his goodbyes as he left. No one would answer, anyway, except for Gorilla who would insist on driving him to school. He disliked Gabriel’s belief that they were better, or above such things as walking, and interacting with regular people. His elitism and intolerance were what made people lesser, Adrien thought.
Sticking his tongue out in distaste, he closed the door quietly behind him.
As he neared the school, he saw Bridgette standing alone by the base of the front steps. She was tapping at her phone, pretending not to hear the other students talking about her.
He still felt bad for her. She had come to Paris with the intention of helping her family, and was ostracised for attempting to fill the space her cousin had left. He was certain the rumours beginning to circulate were entirely false.
Madame Bustier had stated on her first day that Bridgette was only there temporarily, while her aunt and uncle learned to manage without their daughter. But the rumour mill churned out misconceptions with startling regularity.
Squaring his shoulders, Adrien strode purposefully onward, determined to keep his promise from the day before.
‘Good morning, Bridgette. How are you?’ he asked, a bit louder than necessary.
Bridgette flinched, then returned his smile, though it was brittle and tremulous. ‘I’m well. How are you?’
Her voice was soft and hesitant, her body language defensive. He immediately felt awful.
‘Can’t complain. Listen,’ he went on, lowering his voice, ‘ignore what they say. Whatever rumours are going around aren’t worth getting upset over. Once the novelty of a new student wears off, they’ll come around.’
His gaze dropped to the ground. He hoped what he said was true.
Bridgette shook her head. ‘No, it’s ok. I get it. It’s weird, me being here. I make everyone uncomfortable, and they don’t like to be reminded of her.’
Adrien didn’t know what to say to that; she wasn’t wrong. But she wasn’t being treated fairly, either. Bridgette was surely hurting more than any of their classmates were, and she had to live in Marinette's old house. She was faced with reminders from the moment she woke up, to when she closed her eyes at night.
He hung his head. ‘She was already gone by the time I came along. I can see her disappearance affected everyone, but you must be grieving more than anyone. Your whole family,’ he trailed off.
Bridgette’s expression eased into a genuine, albeit small, smile. ‘Thank you, Adrien. That means a lot. I know Marinette would’ve liked you.’
He returned the smile, a pleasant flutter stirring in his chest. ‘You think so?’
‘Marinette always did have a soft spot for a kind soul.’
Adrien felt himself blush, and ducked his head, not knowing how to respond to such high praise. He was saved from further awkwardness when the bell rang. He and Bridgette ignored the questioning looks from students in other classes, content to speak of more mundane issues as they went.
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