This story was written at the request of BlueBelle Author 1600; the concept is hers, as much as I would love to take credit! Enjoy!

Chapter 1:

Marinette absent-mindedly let her pencil trace fluid arcs in her notebook as Mme Bustier continued the lesson on A Tale of Two Cities. She wouldn't be meeting Chat until later this evening, and Marinette pondered what to do with her free afternoon. She wasn't used to being bored. Her usually too-busy double life had been on the slow side for the last few months, as Hawkmoth seemed to become more choosey with his victims of late. While his strategy initially relied on sheer numbers, sometimes even akumatizing multiple victims in a single day, the villain now seemed to prefer quality over quantity. Most days passed by without incident, but when the rare akuma victim did appear, it would pose a considerable challenge. Even though she and Chat Noir had improved their skills with practice, she was finding it only more difficult to defeat the akumatized foes while protecting the miraculouses.

She giggled lightly to herself as an unexpected thought passed through her head: I miss the days of Mr. Pigeon! She imagined Mr. Pigeon facing off against Mesmer, the opponent they had defeated a few days prior, whose powers of misdirection and illusion could alter reality with a wave of his hand. "Roo, ca-roo!" Mr. Pigeon would say, as he happily leapt to his own death, flapping his hands in an attempt to fly away like the pigeon he thought he was. Actually… Mesmer-ized Mr. Pigeon wouldn't behave all that differently than the real deal! Her laughter bubbled to the surface again.

Hearing Marinette laugh lightly behind him, Adrien glanced over his shoulder. He couldn't help but grin in seeing her, red in the face, trying to stifle laughter that seemed all the more eager to escape due to its inappropriateness in the quiet classroom.

"A-HEM." Mme Bustier cleared her throat loudly, startling Marinette out of her giggling fit. "Mademoiselle Dupain- Cheng, Monsieur Agreste… would you like to explain to the principal why you believe Mr. Carton's sacrifice is so amusing?"(*** A/N: see note at bottom if you're unfamiliar with the story!)

Adrien whirled around to face front again, unaware that he had turned almost completely around.

"What? I'm sorry I… " Marinette froze as she noticed Adrien quickly turn around. Had he been looking at her? "N-no, he wasn't… I'm sorry, I was laughing at something else! I'm sorry Mme Bustier!"

Marinette's face was glowing with embarrassment, not only at being called out for not paying attention, but somehow she had gotten Adrien in trouble too. She made a mental note to apologize to him later. At least Mme Bustier seemed to take pity on the tomato-faced girl, as she resumed the lesson with a simple shake of her head.

Marinette sighed. Given the topic of the lesson and her perfect view of the golden-haired boy directly in front of her, she couldn't help but relate him to his polar opposite look-alike, Chat Noir. It's true, both boys had the same light blonde hair, green eyes, and slender but muscular build, but that's where the similarities stopped. Chat Noir was sassy and flippant, almost cocky at times. He couldn't seem to take anything seriously, and was brazenly (although, she suspected, insincerely) flirtatious with her. Adrien was the opposite: kind but somewhat shy, dedicated to his studies and extra-curricular activities, polite and respectful. Perfect in every way… except he doesn't even notice I'm alive, the blackette concluded her thought with another sigh. She wondered if she was just fooling herself, hoping Adrien would one day take her into his arms, declare his love for her, and start their happily ever after of kids and dogs and hamsters.

Another thought tickled at the back of her mid. As smart-alecky as Chat was, he was brave and utterly selfless. He had stepped in the way of many painful, sometimes potentially lethal, attacks meant for Ladybug, shaking off her gratitude as if anyone would make a similar sacrifice. Her stomach tied in a painful, nauseating knot as she imagined Chat giving his life to fulfil her fantasy of being with Adrien, as Sydney Carton had done for Lucie in the book. If she were in Lucie's place, could she choose between the two?

The bell signaling the end of class snapped Marinette back to the real world. What was she thinking? Choose between Chat and Adrien? Why was that thought even in her head? Chat was her loyal friend and ally. The strength of their partnership needed to be maintained if they wanted to defeat Hawkmoth. You can't have a romantic interest in him! She loved Adrien, not Chat. ….or maybe both? Forcing the intrusive thought from her head, she collected her books quickly and chased after Adrien to apologize for the earlier incident.

"Adrien, wait!" Adrien heard Marinette call out from behind him as he moved to leave the room. He turned around just in time to see her terrified face lunge toward him, having tripped over the protruding leg of her own desk chair in an attempt to round the corner too quickly. With reflexes befitting his alter-ego namesake, he swept an arm under her falling form, placing her gingerly back on her feet.

"Whoa, careful there!" He said with a grin.

Marinette blinked at him in surprise, the whole thing happening so fast she barely had time to process that she had almost face-planted in front of him. "Uuhh…t-thanks Adrien!" she stammered, offering him a weak smile.

Alya, continuing past her toward the door, turned to give her two big thumbs up and a cheesy grin before taking Nino by the arm and leading him toward their next class.

"Are you OK? Anything broken?" Adrien's voice held a note of concern that she was not expecting.

"Oh! Yes, of course!" her reply came tumbling out a little too soon. Flailing her arms animatedly, she corrected herself. "I mean no, nothing is broken, it's good, we're together! I'm together, in one piece! How are you?" She plastered a grin on her face, waiting for the earth to just open up and swallow her whole.

Adrien smiled softly, his emerald eyes catching hers. She is just so adorable when she gets flustered, he thought. The way her blush tints her cheeks to match the soft pink of her full, slightly-parted, and oh-so-tempting lips…

Blue eyes were swept into green as Marinette tried frantically to remember what she wanted to say. "Right! I wanted to tell you… I'm sorry I got you in trouble in class. I'll speak with Mme Bustier and tell her you had nothing to do with my… uh, distraction." Nothing, riiiight… "Anyway sorry bye!" Marinette ran from the room, before she could make an even bigger fool of herself.

Adrien turned to watch her go, his gaze trailing after her. After she disappeared into the hall, he shook his head, berating himself internally. Why are you behaving this way around Marinette? Your heart lies with Ladybug!

Actually, now that he thought about it, the two girls did share some similarities. The same big, clear-blue eyes framed with dark lashes, the same smooth, ivory skin, and same ink-black hair. In fact, Marinette was intuitive and brave, just like Ladybug, with her inspired design work and the leadership skills she demonstrated as class president. She was also loyal, caring, and… just admit it Agreste… beautiful. But he wasn't being fair. Marinette was her own person, not some Ladybug knock-off. She deserved to be treated with respect, not fawned over just because she bore similarities to his unattainable love. No, things between him and Marinette were strictly platonic, but if he didn't get these increasingly common romantic daydreams out of his head he would jeopardize the friendship that they shared. If he had to distance himself from his alluring classmate to get his head on straight, that's exactly what he would do.

Two weeks after the defeat of Mesmer, Gabriel Agreste sat alone in his study. The picture of cold composure on the outside, internally he seethed with impatience and frustration. Although he spent several hours each day in the moth-filled atrium as Hawkmoth, Paris was not offering him the depth of anguish that he needed to create the caliber of hero he required. He had noticed that, with each villain defeated, the skills of Ladybug and Chat Noir seemed to improve. Throwing weak, irresolute opponents at them had only served to make them stronger as a team. Truly, only two of his villains sought wholly to obtain the miraculouses: Puppeteer and Volpina. His little Puppeteer had been so close, she'd had Chat Noir! If only Ladybug had been just a little slower… And Volpina had Ladybug fooled. She was ready to hand over her miraculous, if only Chat hadn't been clever enough to see through her illusion. If the other villains hadn't been so distracted with their own vendettas….

No. Nothing can be gained from bemoaning the mistakes of the past. If one hopes to advance, he must learn from them, grow from them… and Hawkmoth had. If only the damned city would cooperate!

Gabriel's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.

"Come." His invitation betrayed none of the annoyance he felt from the interruption, but held no welcome either.

Nathalie entered the room at once, closing the door behind her. "I am sorry to disturb you sir." Her tone, as always, was entirely professional.

"What is it, Nathalie?" He had no time for her empty apologies. She had disturbed him, now get on with it.

"It's about your son, sir."

The figure of Gabriel Agreste sat stone-still in his chair, his back held straight in perfect posture, hands tented neatly atop the desk. Nathalie knew better than to expect a reply from this vague statement, but paused a moment to collect her thoughts. She couldn't just come out and say "I think he's depressed." She chose her words carefully.

"Over the past few weeks, he has become more withdrawn, sir. He has distanced himself from his friends, and his teachers have noted that his work is not up to his usual standards. The photographers, too, have begun to complain that his smiles lack their usual mirth." She swallowed, knowing that the next statement was a risk. "He is a teenager now, sir. Perhaps you-… perhaps his father should intervene?"

The silence hung in the air like an executioner's ax.

"Nathalie." The name was spoken as a statement, the signal for the ax to fall. "How dare you interrupt me with such drivel." The lack of emotion in his voice made it all the more terrifying. "I have no time for such nonsense as teenage angst. I employ you for a reason. Find out what the problem is and fix it. If I hear any word that my son is not performing at his peak, I will hold you personally accountable."

Nathalie's eyes widened in shock. How was she supposed to help a depressed, lonely teenage boy?

"But sir, I—"

"You may go now." The volume of his voice raised almost imperceptivity, but it was enough. Nathalie was out the door before the words faded from the room.

Gabriel was irritated at the audacity of his assistant, but her intrusion had given him an idea.

Teenage angst indeed. If Paris did not produce the depth of despair he needed, perhaps Gabriel should intervene….

The following morning, Adrien sat alone with his breakfast in the expansive dining hall, as was the norm. He poked at the undisturbed plate of eggs and fruit with his fork before pushing it away with a sigh. The last few weeks had been torture. Ever since he decided to be more mindful of his interactions with Marinette, he found more and more instances where he would casually, inadvertently flirt with her. Small compliments, teasing winks, "accidental" brushes of the hand… and each time, she would blush and stammer. He realized with dismay that Marinette's demure, almost awkward behavior around him was in direct response to his advances. Unintentional as it was, Adrien was appalled at his behavior, blaming himself for making her feel so uncomfortable around him. He was even more embarrassed that, try as he might, he couldn't seem to correct the habitual flirtation. So, instead, he distanced himself from Marinette, and with her Alya and Nino, to give himself a chance amend his behavior toward her. To make matters worse, Marinette made every effort to reach out to him (in true Marinette fashion), offering her help or at least a friendly ear to the increasingly withdrawn boy. She was such a wonderful friend.

Meanwhile, Ladybug seemed to be pushing him away as Chat Noir. Over the months they had been together, they had developed a comfortable comradery. He would openly flirt with her, making suggestive remarks and corny cat puns, and she would light-heartedly deflect his advances, teasing him in return. He knew she did not view their relationship as romantic, but thought that they had at least bridged the gap of pure professionalism to friendship. However, these past weeks, her coquettish reactions to his flirtations had ceased. She seemed to withdraw from him when he reached for her, trying to put distance between them when there was none. While he was trying to break down walls, she seemed to be fervently building them. Adrien had no idea what he done to ruin their relationship, and furthermore, hadn't a clue of how to fix it. If only he could show Ladybug that his affection for her was sincere, maybe she would give him a chance.

"Adrien."

His head jerked up with astonishment at the sound of his father's voice.

"F-father?!" What was he doing here?

"Adrien, you have not been yourself for some weeks." The older man stood at the head of the table, looking down at the figure of his son, his expression holding no identifiable emotion.

Making an effort to sit straighter in his seat under his father's scrutiny, Adrien nodded. "Yes father… I know."

"Is there a problem?"

Adrien couldn't remember the last time his father had shown any interest in his well-being. Almost to himself, he replied with honesty, seeking an answer even if from an unlikely source.

"Father, we never talk about…" mom, his mind finished. Recognizing the risk of bringing up the tense subject, he changed his approach.

"…How do you prove to someone that you love her?"

A moment passed in silence. Uncertain that he had been heard, Adrien glanced up to meet his father's steely eyes.

"Don't be stupid." Gabriel's reply was harsh and blunt. "Your teenage hormones, what you call love, is no excuse for your slipping grades and poor performance of late."

Adrien's mouth hung open, wordless. Maybe he was foolish to believe his father could give him advice about love, but he didn't expect anger.

"Your juvenile behavior is embarrassing, and you should be ashamed of yourself. You need to get over this naïve, childish romanticism and behave like an adult before you ruin everything I have built for you. Now go to the school that you so desperately wanted to attend, and try not to be such an utter disappointment." With this, Gabriel turned on his heels and left, heading directly to his moth-filled sanctuary.

As the observatory window slid open, Hawkmoth was not surprised to see that his son had not moved from the spot where he had left him minutes before. The boy was staring blankly at the tablecloth, seemingly unaware of the tears that had begun to stain the pristine white fabric. His pain was at his peak, his despair engulfing him. This is the depth of emotion he was waiting for! With only a moment of hesitation, Hawkmoth released the dark-winged butterfly to seek out his son. While he regretted having to use his own son as a pawn in this game of catch with Ladybug and Chat Noir, once they were successful Gabriel would have the power to make up for the unfavorable means that brought the desired end. Even if they failed, Adrien would have no memory of being turned, and Gabriel's demanding expectations of his son were not altogether unusual. Now…. Make me proud, son.

*** A/N: If you haven't read "A Tale of Two Cities," Sydney Carton (a roguish, insolent drunk) stands in for Charles Darnay (a wealthy, privileged, honorable man who is married to Lucie, the love of Carton's life, and to whom he happens to bear a striking physical resemblance) at the guillotine. He dies so she can live a happy life with another man. YUP, heartbreaking.