Adrien doesn’t think he’s ever been truly content with his life. He’s not saying he hates his life,(or maybe he does??) but it feels unfitting for him. Like he’s missing something.

Back when he was younger, he thought if he got rid of all the photoshoots, all the extracurriculars his father made him do to make the illusion that Adrien had a personality outside of being pretty, maybe without all those things he would find peace in something else. For a while, being Chat Noir was his peace before things got difficult. And then, Marinette- Gorgeous, kind, Marinette was his peace.

He always was the odd one out in the friend group. Blame his father for sheltering him all his life and stripping him of real world situations with real world people who weren’t rich. He always felt like he didn’t fit in, he thought that feeling would fade once he got older and maybe got his own place but it never did.

Now this brings us to the present.

Adrien is an adult, he’s 22. He’s been dating Marinette for about 7 years. He takes online college classes on linguistics. Marinette is taking a fashion design class in a in person campus just like all of his friends were doing. It felt like everyone was going up in the world but him. He had no real hobbies, he liked thinking writing was a hobby but it’s more like a passing interest.

Lately him and Marinette have been… growing apart? He still very much loves her and she loves him as well it just that campus life for her is busy, with all the new friends, projects, events- it’s a lot and he completely understands. But can’t she atleast text him back? Would she even care if he just stopped texting.

They haven’t even been going dates as of lately. And I guess that’s semi partially his fault. He hasn’t been asking because all he does all day is bed rot, scroll on his phone to look at his friend’s lives through a screen, and sleep until the next akuama comes and he’s afraid of pressuring her and stuff, she’s a fragile girl with a lot to do. He can’t stop the feeling that- He used to be something, now he’s nothing.

Couple weeks ago Nino invited him to a ‘frat party’. Yikes. It’s really not his thing but Plagg was yelling at him to go out to have some fun. And Adrien himself was a bit worried Nino would get too drunk and pass out in some alley. So he went, but drank strictly water and apple juice, mind you. Not like he can drink without all the potential Akuamas.

Long story short, the feelings of not fitting in kicked back up again with Nino’s obnoxious friend group of college boys. The noise, and music, the lights- was too much. Adrien excused himself and went outside. Ugh, he already felt a headache coming on. He sat on the porch for a moment, absolutely exhausted and overstimulated. He resorted to scrolling on his phone, paying no mind to the passing party people going in and going out. Until he felt someone tap on his shoulder.

He turned his head and that’s when he first met you.

‘Yo, got a lighter.’ You ask. He blinked. “No, sorry.” He replied politely. You stared for a second before noticing the Megatiger sticker on his phone case. You point to it.

“You like Megatiger?”

And then you were friends. Sorta. Turns out your brother is Nino’s friend, so you tag along with them sometimes. So anytime he hung out with Nino, you’d be there most of the time. And being the angel you are- if you noticed Adrien’s little awkwardly polite face in the corner you’d talk to him so he wasn’t alone. It’s- nice. You eventually exchanged contact information and kept talking, you made him feel not as lonely.

One bad night, he had a depressive meltdown and first tried to call Marinette. But she didn’t answer, probably busy. But too busy to help her boyfriend? So, he called you. You came over immediately.

So you found yourselves sat outside his apartment, on the Parisian street curve. You smoking with one arm wrapped around his shoulder and Adrien nursing a mug of tea you made for him. The tears on his cheeks dried out, he stared blankly at the street before looking up at you. And he felt that peace.