The Elites: A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic

Paris

Normally, Adrien loved visiting Paris. He hadn't seen much of it as a kid, and there was always a new part of the city to explore. Gazing out the window, Adrien took in the early fall scenery.

The leaves on the trees had turned bright red, providing his limo with a thick covering as it cruised down the street. He wouldn't have time for sightseeing on this trip, he thought sadly.

Catching sight of a bakery he'd never been to before, Adrien leaned forward to look out the window.

"Sit of up straight," Gabriel said from on the other side of the seat.

Adrien ignored his father's hard stare. He sat back in the seat and craned his neck to catch the name of the bakery. Boulangerie Patisserie. Adrien made a mental note to go there before he left for London.

"Are you listening to me, Adrien?"

Adrien finally looked at his father. "Sorry, Father."

Gabriel sighed. "This is an important collection. The last one your mother was working on with me before she..."

"I know," Adrien snapped.

His mother had been working on a collection based on the aesthetics of her acting personalities. Gabriel didn't know Emilie had let Adrien design some of the pieces, too. He was the only person who knew Emilie's movies as well as she did, and fashion was in his family's blood.

His father huffed. "I was merely reminding you that this is your mother's legacy. When you're on that stage you represent her and me."

Adrien gritted his teeth. "I know." He swung the car door open before it had come to a full stop. Adrien stepped onto the pavement, not waiting for his father.

"I'll be in my trailer," he called over his shoulder.

Adrien was relieved when Gabriel didn't follow him.

Nathalie, who'd been riding in the front seat with Adrien's bodyguard, followed beside him.

"Don't be so hard on him," she said softly.

"This is none of your business." Adrien stopped at a decently-sized trailer. He grabbed the door handle.

"Gabriel's doing his best."

"So am I!" Adrien whirled around. "But plucking me out of school for a random fashion show isn't helping me adjust." He shook his head. "I don't even know why I'm still doing this."

Adrien stepped inside the trailer, prepared for a long day alone with his mother's clothes.

***

"Bonjour!"

Adrien smiled in the direction of the woman wearing a flower dress who had greeted him as he stepped through the door of the bakery.

He wasn't supposed to be here, but he'd taken the staff elevator at the hotel and sneaked out through the kitchen so he could visit the bakery he'd seen the day before.

"Good morning," he said, greeting the Chinese woman manning the till. She didn't seem to recognize him, which gave Adrien some relief.

"How can I help you today?"

Adrien looked around the shop. There were basket of individually wrapped breads, displays with cookies and pastries, and even several large pies.

"I'm not sure," he said, turning back to the woman.

"Can I start you with some coffee while your deciding?" Her dark hair gleaned in the early morning sunlight.

Adrien nodded. "Espresso, black please."

Attracted by a bright rainbow of colors, he wandered to a glass display of macarons. The French cookie had been a staple in his home growing up. His Mother's favorite was pistachio. Adrien hadn't eaten a macaron since she had died.

"Are you from here or visiting?" the woman asked as she handed him his espresso. She had probably noted his accent was a strange mixture of French and English.

"I grew up in Paris," he explained. "But I go to school in London."

Her face brightened. "I have a daughter your age! She's at a boarding school in London, too." The woman seemed very proud of her daughter. 

Adrien took a sip of his coffee. "It's a beautiful city."

"I've never been, but my husband had. He told wonderful stories. That's why she wanted to go so much. I miss her terribly," her face sank. "But it's good for her. She needed to be away from Paris for awhile."

"Do you and your husband own the store?"

A pained expression touched her eyes. "I own the store. My husband passed away a few months ago."

"I'm so sorry," Adrien said kindly. He knew what it was like to lose someone who was dear to you. "I lost my mother almost a year ago."

"Two children losing a parent far too young." She shook her head.

"What's your name?"

"Sabine. And you?"

"I'm Adrien."

Sabine smiled. "Can I tempt you with a croissant? Or maybe a macaron?"

"Two chocolate macarons," he ordered. Adrien set his cup on the counter to reach for his wallet.

When he looked up, he saw Sabine with a pair of tongs, gently lifting the cookies into a small box. Adrien would have ordered more but he needed to dispose of the evidence before he got back to his hotel room.

He took the box from Sabine and his coffee from the counter, thanked her, and stepped outside. Sunlight danced across his face. Adrien closed his eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the smell of the coffee and autumn air.

Crossing the street, Adrien found a small park. A fountain sat at the center. It burbled, water rippling against the wall. He sat on the edge of the fountain and opened his box of cookies.

Adrien had just begun to eat when a girl a few years younger than him ran up to the fountain. "Oh. My. Gosh. You'reAdrienAgreste!" Her eyes widened in awe and surprise. "Canihaveaphotowithyou? Andanautograph?"

She spoke so fast he almost couldn't understand her. "Of course," he answered.

Setting aside his food, Adrien made room for the girl to sit next to him and smiled into her phone camera. Paris had begun to wake up, and he saw a group people passing down the street stop and stare as the girl took her picture. They murmured to one another, and then pointed. It was inevitable that people would start to recognize him.

"Thankyousomuch!" The girl scampered off.

The crowd started down the park walkway. Adrien rose and walked to the entrance on the other side. He tossed his empty coffee cup and uneaten macarons in the trash. He'd lost his appetite.

Adrien-centric chapters are so fun!