The Elites: A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic

Winter Break

Adrien had only been in Paris for one day, and he was already ready to do whatever it took to get back to London and away from his father.

He'd thought he would have some downtime before his father started making demands, but Adrien had barely entered his house when Nathalie approached him with a long list of things to do, places to go, and people to see, starting with a dinner event that night.

"I'm not going," he hissed. "I've barely gotten back. I'm staying in tonight." Adrien tossed his backpack down on the floor, ignoring Nathalie's pointed stare.

His bodyguard remained by the door, ready to grab Adrien if he tried to take off.

"You know that's not an option," she said. Her grip tightened on the iPad she always carried. "This is an important business dinner. Your father needs you there as an ambassador for the company."

"To model what excellence looks like," Adrien finished, quoting his father's catchphrase. "I'm not a puppet he can command with his every whim, Nathalie."

"Go upstairs and change. Your father left clothes for you."

Adrien saw his bodyguard subtly widen his stance in front of the door. He wrinkled his nose. There was no point in trying to escape it.

Adrien scooped up his backpack and rushed upstairs. In his room, he found a new Gabriel Agreste original draped over his bed. Adrien suppressed the urge to crumple the purple shirt in his hands.

He was a Gabriel Agreste original, wasn't he? That wasn't enough. Adrien was just like the constant stream of clothing his father cycled through. Except if the clothing was deemed imperfect, it was tossed. Adrien didn't have that option. He was forced into the mold of perfection.

Adrien swallowed hard. He didn't want to imagine what would happen if he didn't live up to his father's expectations. He couldn't bear to be taken away from his friends at school.

He smoothed out any wrinkles he had caused in the shirt before getting dressed.

***

Two days after arriving Paris, Adrien finally found an opportunity to escape his father's overbearing interventions.

He strolled down the street in the early morning light. The sun had barely risen on the horizon. Adrien shivered in his black hoodie. He had learned from his mistake last time and now had the hood pulled low over his head.

There weren't many people on the streets yet, but he avoided eye contact with those that were. Adrien wandered around, looking for the park near the bakery he'd been to last time.

Finally, he found it. Adrien stared up  at the sign, thankful bakeries opened early. He pushed inside, relishing the warmth from oven.

A girl with deep blue hair parted into pigtails sat at the counter. She leaned over a sketchbook, hair bouncing with animation as she nimbly drew.

"Marinette?"

She looked up from her work. "Adrien? Hi!" Marinette straightened in her seat.

"I didn't know you worked here." He brushed the hood off.

"Well, actually—"

The storeroom door opened and Sabine came through. "Marinette, did you mark the new order?"

Sabine suddenly realized he was in the store. "Oh, hello! It's nice to see you again."

"Hi, Sabine." Adrien smiled at her.

Marinette looked from him to Sabine. "How do you know each other?"

"Oh, he came once before," Sabine said. "A few months ago. This is my daughter I was telling you about," she said proudly.