The Consequences of His Actions

Chapter One

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Thomas Astruc

Song: Wolves by Selena Gomez and Marshmello

Adrien stared up at the tan building that was his school, his hands shoved into his pockets. The three-storied building towered over him, filling his stomach with a heavy uncomfortable ball. Glaring sunlight bouncing off windows threatened to burn him. It reached out with long bright tendrils, forcing him to look away. Adrien glanced back as the black limo pulled away, and he felt the ball expand.

"I can't do this," he whispered.

A black wisp flew in front of his face, obscuring the retreating vehicle, but Adrien continued to stare off as if he could still see it.

Plagg regarded his holder's face. Adrien's eyes were wide with an almost feral look to them, and his mouth opened and closed despite no sound leaving. Plagg sighed and said, "Hey, kid. Look at me."

Adrien's eyes focused in on his Kwami, blood roaring in his ears. The ancient being was staring at him intensely, arms waving, mouth moving, speaking words Adrien couldn't hear.

Adrien quietly closed the giant white door behind him, carefully pushing it in an attempt to avoid any noise. It clicked into place, and he allowed himself to relax.

"What are you doing home?"

Adrien whipped around. Emilie Agreste stood before him, her arms crossed and her face set in disapproval.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school right now?" She asked.

Adrien instantly dropped his gaze, his face reddening. "Yes, but I... I don't think I can go back yet."

"Why not?" Emilie gave her son a quick once-over. "You don't look sick to me."

"It's too early," Adrien said. He could feel his skin start to prickle at the idea of walking into the classroom, everybody staring at him, blaming him for his father's crimes.

Emilie rolled her eyes. "Are you referring to your father's arrest, Adrien? Isn't it time you moved on?"

"It was last night."

Emilie narrowed her eyes in thought, replaying her actions from the previous night in her head. She had held him close and spoken words of comfort. Emilie took a deep breath, feeling her patience slipping. "Surely you don't expect me to continue coddling you?"

Adrien's head shot up, and he took an involuntary step backwards. "No, it's just I thought that–"

"You thought what? That I would continue to hold you and tell you everything was going to be all right? You're not a child anymore, Adrien."

Adrien flinched. He could feel his cheeks heat up in embarrassment and his heart stung from the coldness in her words. Emilie stepped towards her son and pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. She handed it over to Adrien who wordlessly took it.

"The Tsurugi family," she began as he read over its contents, "has revoked any association with the Agreste household. They will no longer acknowledge us as an ally. I am expecting one from the Bourgeois family any moment as well. Audrey and I weren't exactly close, so she will be looking for an opportunity to pull away."

Emilie studied her nails, waiting for a response from Adrien. He only starred at the paper in quiet disbelief. Realizing he wasn't going to respond, Emilie continued, "This is only the start, Adrien. Soon the press will start to turn to us as well. We need to show strength and indifference in order for this to pass quickly. Your father's blunder has put a black spot on this household's reputation, but with the right political moves, I can recover."

Emilie grabbed the paper back from Adrien and began making her way to the atelier. "You can have the day off today, but there will be no exceptions for tomorrow."

"Adrien? Are you listening to me? Adrien."

"I can't do this." Adrien's voice cracked as he spoke. "I know I need to show strength and indifference, but what if I can't, Plagg? They're my friends. They were my friends. What if–"

"Then let's skip."

"What?"

Plagg circled his holder. "Come on, you always go to school. It's boring. I can think of a million better things to do," he said. "Also, if it means helping you then what better reason is there?"

Adrien smiled at the Kwami. Plagg flew back into Adrien's shirt as a small voice from behind called out to him. "A-Adrien?"

The blond stiffened upon hearing his name. He slowly turned around, forcing a smile on his face. Marinette stood a few feet away. Her cheeks were flushed, and he could easily make out dark circles underneath her eyes. He averted his gaze.

"Hey Marinette," he said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. He could feel his heart beat faster as he waited for the words that would condemn him. He could almost see her face twisting into disgust, ashamed she had ever considered him a friend.

Marinette took in Adrien's appearance. He was smiling, but she could see the tension in his stance and how the smile didn't reach his eyes. She felt the urge to say so much, but she didn't know how to say it. The words tumbled out of her mouth as if reacting on instinct.

"I–we were you about worried–I mean we were worried about you. Alya, Nino, and I." She bit her lip and furrowed her brow, trying to get her thoughts in order. "When you didn't show up to class yesterday... we thought you would never come back."

There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Marinette rung her hands as she searched for something to say. Adrien shoved his hands into his pockets, knowing that if it had been up to him, he might have never returned.

"I am," Marinette began. She looked up at Adrien. He was watching at her, waiting, and she realized in that instant how close he was to breaking. She felt her chest tighten at the sudden understanding. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I'm happy you came back. I can't imagine what you must be going through right now, but I'll be there for you."

Marinette reached into her school bag and pulled out the lucky charm Adrien had made for her birthday. She held it up with a small smile. "The one you made still brings me luck. Maybe there's a bit of luck left in the one I made you?"

An overwhelming sense of gratitude came crashing over Adrien, and the ball in his stomach unravelled. He found himself holding his breath, but he didn't feel confident enough to let it out., opting instead for a hard swallow.

His silence getting to her, Marinette turned away. "Ah, forget it," she said, her face reddening. "I don't know what I–"

"No!" Adrien grabbed Marinette's hand. "I liked it. The charm. I liked the charm."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a similar charm. He carefully held it up for her to see. "I carry it with me everyday."

Marinette's face turned a deeper shade of red. She cleared her throat and stiffly started walking to the entrance. "Well we should probably hurry. The bell rang a few minutes ago, and we don't want to be any later than we are now."

Adrien gripped the lucky charm tightly. "Right."