It had been hard, suddenly missing the one person who shared his ability in lying, shared his distaste of restraint in his life, shared the growing dislike of his father. Of course he noticed his father closing off from him, noticed him not giving two shits about his only family, only giving Nathalie the time he so wanted. Why was HE never enough?! Why wasn’t his mother?!
School had always been one of his biggest wants in life, to actually be free of the pristine prison and join kids his age, see if he could use his skill to charm and keep them as friends…the only friend he had was the blond harpy and her shrill voice.
Plagg was a welcomed change in his life. Hawkdouche? Not so much.
But if it meant he was a hero, he’d gladly take it. He always loved watching those cartoons, sure he villains were always much cooler but this Hawkass was just plain creepy and USED people’s hurt against them. Not cool.
Thus began his new life as Adrien Agreste, naïve and innocent teen model, and Chat Noir, teen cat themed hero of Paris.
Marinette…was a special case for him. She was smart and called him out on the gum-though it was all on Chloe-and he had to hand it to her, not many people would stand up against someone rich and powerful enough to squash any kind of chance she had in the world. So, he tried not to use his skill on her-other than covering for his escapes as Chat Noir-and genuinely tried to be friendly.
She was apparently nervous around him, always stuttering or being an adorable klutz, but she was never once mean towards him, never once made him feel bad. So, his sweet princess was special.
Of course, Ladybug would forever and always hold his heart. She was nervous at first, a true display of a typical hero on their first go, before she allowed herself to bloom and become Lady Luck. She called out Hawkmoth, stood up for Paris, and saved the day-and his butt- nearly every week! She was AMAZING and he loved her, would always love her.
His two special ladies.
Lila was a definite surprise to their algorithm. She was a liar, a really BAD liar, but he sat through her stories and feigned interest about the idea of a heroine blood line. She couldn’t even keep her damn story straight, saying she was Ladybugs’ best friend-definitely not, that title went to HIM- and then talking shit about her saying she was jealous. It was stupid and her skills were lacking, but her charisma likely saved her, as well as quick thinking.
He thought that after that day, it would mean less time to deal with the pathetic liar. Fate enjoyed letting him feel all of his badluck.
She was an annoying thorn in his side, his charade hard pressed to slip each time she made a lie, each time she caused nearly the entire class to melt in the palm of her hand. Not his princess, his princess-like his lady, called her out on her bullshit. And like all bullshit, she drew quick excuses explanations out of her ass.
He hated it, hated how it tore at him and Marinette alike. But she was a smart, tough cookie, they’d get through it.
Lila enjoyed pissing him off, though she didn’t know that. But she likely knew she was pissing off Marinette, loved to play victim and turn the class on his poor princess, forced her into the back ALONE, and her predatory smile towards him only made him want to slip the mask off. She likely didn’t know who she was messing with.
So he tried to play his act, tried to calm her down, let her know he knew she was lying, and he was willing to be her friend! The others would be too if she admitted the truth, it wasn’t too late! She stormed off. Chameleon was a hell of a villain to fight, nothing compared to Volpina or Trouble Maker but the record stands; he coaxed Marinette out of calling her out, reassured her they should take the high road and he’d back her up.
Like hell he would let his princess suffer.
But if only he knew. He visited not three days later, happening to be passing by when he saw her upset on the balcony. That no good, horrible lying bitch had threatened Marinette, told her she’d separate her from all her friends, how she was already starting the plan by alienating Mari from a girls’ hang out because she apparently bullied Lila.
He held her close, reassured her things would get better. Maybe not tonight, maybe not the next day, but it would.
He got a macaron for his words.
The little liar found him leaning against her locker that Monday after classes, most everyone gone and the locker room deserted. “I guess we need to talk.”
“Oh Adrien, have you finally realized we’re meant to be?” She practically purrs, though she acted more on the shy act. God, she was pathetic.
“No, no, nothing like that, sorry.” He reassures with an ‘apologetic’ smile. “I wanted to talk to you about Marinette.”
A flicker of a scowl settled over her expression, letting him see her true feelings towards the noirette, before it shifted to one of feigned hurt. “She’s such a bully! She’s called me such awful names, Adrien!” Her ‘tears’ never fell as she cried into her hands. “Please tell me you don’t believe her!”
Moving away from the lockers, he gently tuts at her, shaking his head. “Now, we both know that’s all a lie.” He frowns at her before releasing a sigh, running his fingers through his golden hair. “Honestly, you think I’D believe you over her? Our everyday ladybug?”
His scoff was followed by sinister laugh, sounding wrong coming from him. It always did. He should’ve been a villain, he had the laugh down.
“Your lying is subpar, pathetic even, I’m surprised none of our class figured you out.” He smiles ruefully, shaking his head before feigning a whisper to her, “But they’re not the brightest lot, are they?”
Her shocked expression filled him with sick pleasure. “A-Adrien?”
“Honestly, I was going to leave you alone for your lies. It’s only a matter of google, a slip of the tongue, your mother visiting, and POOF! All of this kingdom you’ve obtained GONE.” He shook his head, beginning to walk around her, a cat toying with it’s prey.
“You’ve got charm and quick thinking, I’ll give you that but you’re bad at keeping stories straight. At least work on that if you want to be believable. First thing mother taught me. Put enough truth in a lie so it can live.” He hums, peering down at her. “You could’ve kept your little kingdom, could’ve kept lying to our gullible classmates but then you went after Mari…and no one goes after my princess.”
He didn’t realize he growled until she released a shocked gasp.
Clearing his throat, he continued on, “Now, I can’t exactly expose you. Then I’d been berated for not backing up Mari and not telling my friends the truth, but I can leave some bread crumbs.” He hums, smirking as she began to look nervous.
Seems the fox was nothing but a rat.
“You may think you’re a liar, but you’re NOTHING compared to me. You make Chloe seem believable. But, go ahead. Tell someone we had this conversation. Go on and spread those lovely little lies you adore, attempting to ruin my and Marinette’s reputation. But then you’ll see what a TRUE liar can achieve.”
“Y-You wouldn’t dare. I could ruin you, make all your friends leave you. Make your precious PRINCESS leave you.” She tries to bluff, her hands shaking, her eyes flicking back towards the exit for escape.
Adrien felt the wild thrill of the hunt run through him, the kind of exhilaration he got from catching an Akuma, his eyes narrowing as he smirked. “Try me. Leave her the fuck alone.”
Standing back straight, he slipped his mask back on, giving her the cheeriest of smiles, the one he knew people melted at due his ‘innocence’. “Glad we had this conversation! I’ll see you tomorrow, Lila, don’t forget to study for the quiz, I wrote down those notes for you for a reason.”
Off he went, leaving the broken girl behind.
