Miraculously Unrequited

He sighed to himself as he put his brown hat back on his head and rang the doorbell to the Agreste mansion. Clearing his throat he announced, "I'm here for Adrien Agreste's Chinese lessons. His teacher couldn't make it, so I'll be covering." The large metal caged doors slowly creaked open letting the old man through.

Stepping through the big white doors onto marble floors the old man bowed and humbly spoke, "Hello, I am Mr. Fu here for Adrien's lessons today." The short man smiled up at Adrien's assistant, Natalie until she sighed and turned around.

She glanced over her shoulder to make sure he was following behind her but was surprised to find him at her side. "If you'd follow me then, I'll lead you to him." They walked silently up each step until they got to the door to his bedroom, "just to forwarn you, Adrien has been very uneasy for the past few days. I apologize if he says anything inappropriate or out of character." She tipped her head then turned down towards the stairs again.

Without another thought, Mr. Fu knocked on Adrien's door, "it's time for your Chinese lesson." Pushing open the door, he looked around to see Adrien pacing his room while the news showed Ladybug, Sir Noir and Queen Bee fighting another Akuma. Sighing, Mr. Fu sat down on the couch across from the broadcast and asked, "are you a fan?"

In an instant, Adrien snaps back to reality and bows to his teacher only to look up and be caught off guard, "you're--!"

"My name is Mr. Fu, I'm covering for you chinese teacher for today." Adrien's expression went blank as he remembered walking into the old dojo and coming face to face with the man he sees in front of him now. "It's nice to meet you," he said with a gentle smile while he motioned for Adrien to sit beside him.

Adrien, not wanting to accuse his teacher of anything having to do with the Miraculous, sat down and greeted the man. "I'm sorry for not hearing you walk in I was just," he looked back at the tv in anguish then turned away with pain dripping from his face, "distracted."

His teacher chuckled then looked back to the news, "they're really remarkable, wouldn't you say so?" He tipped the boat the tiniest by tacking on, "especially that Sir Noir fellow." Putting his hat in his l.a.p he watched as Adrien boiled inside out like an egg in hot water.

Throwing the paper's that were on his desk to the floor he yelled at the tv, "what's so great about him huh?! He's just a stray that took away the one good thing about the Cat Miraculous! He's sloppy, unforgiving and cold to everyone he meets!" He slammed his fist right through his bedroom wall and whispered, "how could Ladybug be okay with him as her partner." He began pacing again, apparently forgetting about his Chinese instructor watching his every move.

By every move, I mean he watched his words, movements, and expressions against the new heroic duo known as Ladybug and Sir Noir. Mr. Fu didn't say a word but knew that his decision was spot on for the time being. Adrien was in no shape to redeem himself.

'Sir Noir just jumped in front of a Ladybug pushing back another attack from Malediktator! These three are on fire today!' The news broadcast echoed through the silence making Adrien go into an all-out rampage.

"He deserves none of this! Why hasn't anyone said anything about Chat Noir being replaced by this clown?!" He ridiculed his cousin time after time without even realizing it until he slouched back on the sofa in defeat.

Mr. Fu stood up without being noticed by the troubled teen and put on his hat. Standing behind the couch, he softly placed his hand on Adrien's shoulder and whispered, "maybe there's a good reason he no longer wields the miraculous, but no cares to hear it." Lifting his hand from the boy's shoulder he stepped out of the room faster than Adrien could turn his head to look up into his eyes.

Turning around, Adrien didn't see Mr. Fu, but a not in his stead. Picking it up, he read to himself:

'Maybe someone found out Chat Noir's identity that wasn't supposed to.'

Adrien sat there staring at the note for, in his mind, felt like hours. Feeling a sense of eyes staring into him, he stood up in a flurry and peered over to his window to see nothing but light filing into the room from a crack in his shades. Striding over in a puff, he threw open the curtains to his room and looked out to see Mr. Fu across the street.

But he wasn't alone. Out, across the way with no one around because of the Akuma, stood Master Fu with a teacup-sized green Kwami floating next to him. Tilting his head, he gave one last smile then vanished into and alleyway.

~~~

Storming down the stairs after the man, Adrien rips open the door to reveal Felix standing there with his hand on the knob. Stepping back he stumbled, "s-sorry. I was about to go look for you because of the Akuma and all..." Adrien twiddled with his thumbs then looked up and asked shyly, "could I uhm, talk to you for a second?"

His cousin stared back at him shocked then quickly wiped any sort of expression off of his face and stiffly spoke, "if only for a little bit, I have my Italian session soon." He stepped inside and softly closed the big white doors behind him letting Adrien lead him away.

Walking back up the stairs and into Adrien's room, they both sat side by side on his bed. Taking a deep breath, Adrien asked, "have you ever been warned by a--" Adrien froze and realized who he was talking to, "a friend not to get ahead of yourself but you just never cared to listen until their warning became reality?"

Felix tilted his head, "I don't think I understand what you're asking me." He unfolded his arms and sighed, "you'll have to explain further if you want me to understand what we're talking about Adrien."

He took a deep breath and tried to think of a way to explain everything without bringing up kwamis, miraculous or the fact that he was Chat Noir. "Well, I had a friend."

"Yes, I think I could've acquired that on my own." He turned to see his cousin in distress then softly continued, "what about this friend?"

Adrien slouched at the question, "well he always warned me that if I wasn't careful with his secrets that he'd end up disappearing. I didn't listen and was careless and now he--"

Before he could continue, he felt a buff arm wrap around his shoulders as Felix comforted him, "you can't always control how these things turn out. I'm sure you didn't mean to do whatever you did to make your friend leave." He ruffled Adrien's hair but was stopped when he turned away rejecting his cousin.

"No!" Adrien stood up angrily and pounced on Felix's comfort, "I should've been more on top of the whole thing! I didn't have to be so careless all the time, I knew how dangerous it all was!" He turned towards Felix again with melancholy dripping from his eyes, "why couldn't I be more m.a.t.u.r.e like you? I was too childish when I— when my friend was around..." he trailed off and slid down the wall until he hit the floor curled up in a ball.

Staying on the bed, Felix watches Adrien intently as he asks, "what is this really about Adrien?" He feels a sense of deja vú as he asks. Afraid to inquire what he knows, he waits for the answer.

Without lifting his head from the burrow he's created, he mutters, "I accidentally told the one person I wasn't supposed to tell who I am." Adrien shifted as he sniffles through his words, "and she- well let's just say she told my friend and Marinette making them both leave." Adrien looked up after awhile of not hearing anything from Felix.

Staying down at his cousin that could very well be his brother, Felix didn't know what to say as he has heard this same story before from Master Fu. "Why does Marinette have anything to do with this? I'm sure the both of them are still around you." Felix tried to make sure the two stories were different for both of their sakes but his hopes were crushed.

"Of course I still see Marinette but it's awkward..."

Lifting his eyebrow he inquired, "and you're other friend...?"

"He's gone, for good." Adrien puts his head back down in defeat.

Getting up from the bed cautiously, Felix sat down beside Adrien and patted his shoulder, "you need to have hope that you'll be forgiven." He pulled his carbon-copy closer and sighed, "I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to show your friend that you have m.a.t.u.r.ed. Everyone gets a second chance, you just need to catch it when it comes. Don't count yourself out just yet." Felix realized he was acting very out of his own character but then remembered what a girl with bluebell eyes once told her.

Adrien didn't look up at his cousin but instead digested his wisdom the best he could without bursting into tears. "Thanks for the advice but if you'll excuse me..." without waiting for an answer he gets up and runs to his bathroom. With a click of the lock, he trapped himself in and collapsed on the tiled floor sobbing just thinking about who Plagg to s beside now.

Felix was about to get up but was stopped when his kwami, Plagg flew out in front of him, "in a situation like this, there's no words you could say to him to help him forget." He flew back into Felix's inside pocket to his vest and whispered, "a part of his everyday life has been taken from him. It's like losing his mom, there's nothing anyone can do for him that will make things okay."

Felix hung his head and depressed, "I know. I still remember the feeling of losing her that day, you say it's not my fault but..." He clenched his fists and spit out, "the way she looked at me."

"Don't beat yourself up kid..."

"I'll never forget the way she looked at me." Felix looked back towards the bathroom Adrien locked himself in and mumbled, "he'll never forget this either."

Stepping out of the room, he closed the door softly behind him as Adrien's sobs echoed throughout his empty room.