"Oh, happy birthday Adrien," Mrs. Bustier said as she was taking attendance. It was the 19th of October, roughly three months into school and only a week since the encounters with Theo Barbot.

"Wait, it's your birthday dude?" Nino said in surprise. He'd recently warmed up to Adrien a little more and they were finally getting along. However, since it was Ms. Bustier's classroom, Alya was the one sitting next to Nino, as her wheelchair couldn't quite allow her up the slant of the oddly built classroom. This meant, Adrien was next to Marinette, and Nino was cranking his neck around to see him.

"Oh um- yeah."

"Sweet! You're an official adult now!" Nino gave Adrien a fist bump. "Are you gonna do anything fun?"

"Probably not."

"Aw, why not?" Nino frowned.

"I dunno, I usually don't do anything for my birthday," Adrien said casually as if this were normal.

"But dude, you're eighteen! That's a big deal! Don't you wanna have a birthday party?!"

"Um... well I don't think my father would want it, so I don't really want one either."

"Haven't you had a birthday party before?" Nino asked.

"When I was a kid. I've grown out of it now."

"Grown out of it? Nah bro that's insane. Let's do something fun!"

"You mean... you want to hang out with me?" Adrien asked in disbelief.

"Of course dude! You're my friend now!"

"I'll see if my dad will allow it."

Mrs. Bustier called for everyone's attention. "Tomorrow we will be gaining a student. He was supposed to be here at the beginning of the year but due to complications, he hasn't been able to come until now. You don't need to draw attention to that, or ask him questions he doesn't want to answer. I expect all of you to treat him with your utmost respect. Is that understood?"

The class made murmurs of agreement but it was clear that, as any curious teenager would, these promises were simply built to be broken. Perhaps it was a similar situation that Adrien faced to get into school that caused the complications.

"Happy birthday Adrien," Marinette whispered as Mrs. Bustier started their lesson.

"Thanks," Adrien whispered back.

"I can't believe you don't have birthday parties. That's like... the one thing I look forward to every year besides Christmas."

"Why?" Adrien asked.

"Free stuff."

"Oh, my dad usually just gets me a new video game for my birthday... and Christmas..."

"Surely he gets you other things. I mean, you're rich."

"Eh, not really. Well, one time he also got me a violin but then violin lessons got in the way of everything so we got rid of it so I could focus strictly on piano."

"Aw, that's too bad." Marinette frowned. "Every year I get a bunch of clothes and sketchbooks because no one else knows what to give me." Marinette chuckled.

"That's sweet though. People don't really... give me gifts besides like... Chloe and stuff."

"Well, then I suppose I just have to get you a gift then, huh?"

"Only if you want to."

They started a focus on medieval vocabulary which Mrs. Bustier was currently teaching about. It was only five minutes left until the period was over when out of nowhere Lila flipped out.

"Nathaniel! That's disgusting!" Lila exclaimed which grabbed everyone's attention. Nathaniel, who'd previously been filling out a worksheet, jolted upright, being dragged away from his train of thought. Lila had his sketchbook in her hands, which he immediately yanked away from her and slammed shut.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Nathaniel exclaimed defensively, holding it away from her. She had her face twisted in disgust.

"Why would you draw something like that!?"

"Why would you look through my sketchbook?!"

"I knew it! I knew it the second we were sat next to each other!" Lila tossed her hands up in the air.

"Lila, what's going on?!" Mrs. Bustier said sharply, irritated by the ruckus.

"Ms. Bustier! Look at his sketchbook!"

"No!" Nathiel said, hugging it to his chest.

"Lila, that's his property, you don-"

"Well it isn't school appropriate!" Lila said. "Drawing men sucking face-" she shuddered, "Is that what you fantasize about, Nathaniel?!"

Nathaniel shrunk in his seat, trying not to cry. His cheeks were already bright red. "I didn't give you permission to..." he muttered, his voice growing ever so quiet.

"Nathaniel's queer?" Kim asked and immediately got smacked on the head by Max.

"No I'm not-"

"You know, it's ok to be-" and suddenly everyone in the room was focused on Nathaniel. Some were disgusted with him, as Lila was. Others were giving words of validation. None of it was what Nathaniel wanted.

"Nathaniel isn't gay!" Marinette suddenly flew from her seat. The eyes of the room honed in on her. "He's- uh-" Her eyes darted up to where Nathaniel sat, staring at her in utter horror. "He's my boyfriend!"

"WHAT?!" Alya whipped her head around so fast she may have broken it. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!"

"ENOUGH!" Mrs. Bustier called for silence. "This is inappropriate behavior! Now for the last THREE minutes of my class I expect all of you to be silent! Is that clear?"

Everyone just nodded silently. Marinette glanced back up to Nathaniel who was hiding his face with his jacket. She felt utterly terrible. Alya whispered a "what the fuck" to her before repositioning herself with her back towards Marinette.

When the bell rang, everyone silently left the room, not daring to make a sound. Marinette wanted to hide away forever from her shame and embarrassment. She could tell her cheeks were burning up as she slid out of the room and scurried down the hall with a stiff walk. Alya didn't join her, she was probably off with Nino somewhere. And Marinette wanted to be alone.

"Marinette!" Nathaniel ran up beside her, tapping her shoulder to get her attention. Marinette couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"I don't know why I said that, please don't be mad at me." Marinette said, refusing to look at him.

"Why did you say it though?" Nathaniel said sternly.

"Because... because... now's not the best time to talk about this, I have library this hour."

"Well, so do I."

"Ah- great- uh-" Marinette picked up her pace, only to find that so had Nathan.

"Marinette, please!"

"I'm sorry Nathan!" Marinette said and hurried into the library which was quiet, as usual. The bell rang again, signaling the start of the period. She went to the back of the library where no one usually would be, but, to her dismay, Nathaniel followed her. It's not that she didn't want to talk to him, she was just too embarrassed to say anything at all. She wanted to shrink up into a little ball and disappear forever.

"Marinette!" he said through his teeth. "What just happened?!"

"Um-" she finally looked up at him. He was way taller than her, but she didn't feel the least bit intimidated by him. His eyes were begging for answers. "Alright, fine." She sat on the floor. He did too, sitting across the aisle from her on the floor. "When you were akumatized you broke into my house-"

"What-"

"Shhh, let me explain!" Marinette demanded, "I agreed to meet you at the Notre Dame and while we were there you sorta maybe kind of came out to me."

"What-"

Now he just looked panicked.

"And you explained your whole situation with your parents to me and I felt really bad and I didn't know what to do because obviously you don't remember any of this," Marinette explained. "I hoped maybe you'd come out to me as yourself, with your free will, because... well, we're friends. But you didn't and now I just feel guilty because I never told you any of this until now and you probably deserved to have known immediately but- yeah...."

"Crap." Nathaniel ran his fingers through his hair nervously.

"I just... I know how important it is to you that it's kept secret... That's why I said that because- well- I didn't want Lila to just out you to the whole world! That's a shitty thing to do!"

"I..."

"I'm really sorry I shouldn't have-"

"No it's- it's great actually." Nathaniel's eyes lit up. "If everyone thinks we're dating, then my parents will finally treat me normally and I could actually go to college-"

"Wait- you going to college is at stake because you don't have a girlfriend?!"

"Well not anymore! You're my girlfriend!" His face paled. "Wait- I meant like- well only if you want to. It would be fake, of course."

"If it keeps you safe, then sure. What have I to lose?"

"Dignity."

"I ain't losing dignity!" Marinette folded her arms. "Tis an honor to "date" someone of such high aesthetic, m'lord."

"Pfft-" Nathaniel snorted.

"So it's a deal then?" Marinette held out her pinky finger.

"Are you seriously trying to make a pinky promise right now?"

"Yes, absolutely!" Marinette said, "It is my sign of word, a vow that cannot be broken."

"Until we "break up" then," Nathaniel said with a smile.

"We can break up at the end of the year now take my pinky promise and be alleviated of your glass closet." She waved her pinky at him. He sighed, a smile spreading across his face, and took the pinky promise. An unbreakable vow.

"Thanks Marinette."

"So...."

"Hi?"

"Hi."

"Um..."

"What do we do now then?" asked Marinette.

"I dunno..."

"Great. Well uh..."

"Don't tell anyone though, please?" Nathaniel said.

"Of course not, that's the whole point of me being your "beard", you know?"

"Right, yeah."

"I really do hope the best for you Nathan. And I'm proud of you."

"Thanks."

"THERE YOU ARE!" Alya had suddenly wheeled around the corner with enough force to knock over a horse. "MARINETTE!"

"ALYA-"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU FRIGGEN TELL ME-"

"Quiet in the library!" The librarian raised her voice.

"Why didn't you friggen tell me you and Nathaniel were dating?!" Alya whisper screamed.

"Uh-"

"Cause it's sorta new... ish..." Nathaniel said.

"Oh? When did you get together?! Who asked who?! OH! MARINETTE!"

"Quiet!" said the librarian.

"Uhhhhhhh..." Marinette glanced at Nathaniel who was now bright red in the cheeks, as the boy did get flustered rather easily. "He uh... well I asked him.. Mutually?"

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"I dunno! It just sorta happened."

"I would have never guessed you had a thing for redheads," said Alya. "It's a shame though, I shipped you and Adrien."

".... you what...?"

"Oh nevermind it. You never had feelings for him anyways because, well, look!" she pointed at Nathaniel. "I suppose he's kind of cute."

"Alya."

"Um-" Nathaniel looked away.

"Well, Nathaniel Kutzburg, I formally welcome you to sit at our table at lunch. Now that your secret relationship is out of the bag," said Alya.

"Oh um- thanks." Nathaniel fidgeted with his thumbs, picking at the skin around his fingernails anxiously.

"It'll be fun, don't worry," Marinette assured.

***

Gabriel Agreste was considerably one of the busiest men in all of France. All through his career, it seemed he was always working. It became so much for him and his assistants that over the years, it became harder and harder to have even an ounce of time to spend with his son, Adrien agreste.

Natalie, his best assistant and secretary, had to step in for him. It was Natalie that bought Adrien gift's in Gabriel's name. It was Natalie who scheduled Adrien's life away. It was Natalie who sat with Adrien during his meals rather than Gabriel. It was Natalie who had basically raised him.

It's not like she was his mother though, of course. To Gabriel, only his wife Emily could fill that role. But she'd gotten very sick after Adrien was brought into the world and before Adrien was old enough to even talk, she left in life. And so, Adrien never knew his mother. He was raised by Gabriel's assistants for the most part, though in his early years Gabriel had spent a great deal more time with him than he did now.

But nevertheless, Gabriel loved Adrien. Adrien was what Gabriel loved more than anything.

"Excuse me, sir?" Natalie said as she tapped the side of the door, entering his office. 

"Yes?" He was a middle aged man. His dirty blonde hair was faded and turning to white, gray hairs already adorning his hairline from years and years of built up stress over his industry. He wore small oval shaped glasses which made him look older than he really was, and a creme colored suit.

"Adrien's birthday dinner is in a few minutes."

"I am too busy tonight, Natalie. I'll join him some other time."

"It's his eighteenth birthday," Natalie reminded, "He's been looking forward to this meal with you for quite some time."

"It will have to wait, Natalie. I am buried in work."

"Only if you insist, sir."

"I insist."

"Very well then." Natalie straightened her moon shaped glasses as she turned to leave. "Tonight then? When he's unwrapping gifts?"

"We'll see."

Natalie sighed and shut the door. She was getting too old for this. Her black hair had only a few grey hairs and was tied into a low bun. She was a Korean woman, but after joining the Agreste firm, had practically lost all connection to her family. It's not like she wanted that connection anyways. She came to work for Gabriel just to spite them.

Her heels clicked against the floors, echoing around the spacious halls of the mansions as the approached the white dining room next to the kitchen. Adrien had just made his way down the stair case, looking rather excited.

"Happy birthday, Adrien," Natalie said as if she hadn't already told him that a handful of times that day.

"Where's father?" Adrien asked, hope still lingering in his eyes.

"I'm afraid he's... busy..." Natalie said reluctantly. "But I will eat with you."

"Oh... I'm... not really hungry anyways..."

"Are you sure?" Natalie said cautiously. "The chefs have prepared a wonderful meal for tonight."

"I don't think I can eat... thank you though..."

"Ah... ok... is there anything I can do for you?"

"No... well, actually, maybe."

"Maybe?"

"One of my friend's from school wanted to see if we could hang out tonight for my birthday? I know it's a school night but..."

"I'll see what I can do." Natalie smiled.