Adrien tuned out his father's bland, monotone voice. He had heard this speech many times before.

"Don't you ever come in that late again, or I will be forced to take drastic measures!" Mr. Agreste stated firmly, his gray eyes flashing in the dim lamp light. "Do you understand?"

The blonde that he was addressing didn't move from where he stood in the middle of the carpet, the dullness in his green eyes not wavering. "Yes father. I apologize for my lateness, and for interrupting the peace of this home. I will try harder to come home on time." Adrien bowed his head, dull eyes now holding a steely spark of anger.

Mr. Agreste narrowed his eyes at his son. "Of course," he drawled. He then turned sharply and examined the papers on his mahogany work desk. "You are dismissed."

Adrien raised his head and shot a glare at the man's back. Just calling that man his father left a bad taste in his mouth. Adrien turned on his heel, stiffly marching through the oversized doors of Gabriel Agreste's office. His caretaker Nathalie stood outside, closing the doors as he exited.

She handed out a digital pad saying formally, "I expect you to get a early start tomorrow, Adrien." Adrien glared at her, shoving the timetable into her chest, forcing her to take a step back.

Nathalie met his glare with a sneer of her own, a low growl rumbling in her throat.

Adrien stalked past her, heading to the grand staircase. When he met the base he turned back.

"Come ON, Nino!" he yelled.

Adrien's friend Nino slipped away from the wall near the office doors, where he had almost succeeded with his wish of not being remembered. Nathalie glared at him also, with obvious distaste. Nino gave the woman a nervous smile. "Uh, um...sorry lady..." he waved awkwardly, then chased up the stairs after Adrien.

>××××<

Nino and Adrien trekked down the long empty hallway, only one knowing where they where going.

"Just to say Adrien, dude, your dad is such a drag." Nino looked around the giant hallway, frowning at the thought of living in a place like this.

Adrien made an unintelligible sound of anger, his hands coming up in front of him as if to strangle someone. Nino nodded and patted him on his back. "Definitely."

They continued in seething silence until the hall ended at another pair of absurdly large doors, white paint outlined in green swirls of flowers and rose gold knobs.

Nino hung back as Adrien sighed and stepped forward, his hand resting on the knob, before slipping off and tracing the green swirls.

His mother had done that...she had carved the curls and spirals, painting them green....marking these doors as the entrance to his safe haven. This was the most calming thing in the world to poor Adrien, whose hand ventured back to the knob and opened the door.

His overly large room was not much of a sight to see. Numerous computers and televisions, large windows, couches, and bed that looked like it had to be remembered to be put there.

Nino strolled ahead, jumping on one of the couches as Adrien closed the doors again. Adrien locked the doors before falling face first onto the couch that Nino sat on.

Nino was the brightest thing in the room, his bright blue shirt and red shoes, topped off with neon orange headphones wrapped around his neck.

"Dude, I can't believe that at one point I actually wanted your life. But now, I feel bad because your life is like, totally gruesome!" Nino groaned, pulling a hand down his face. "Your dad seriously needs to get a life."

Before I decide to seriously end it, Adrien thought.

Nino peered down at his silent friend through his large glasses, a frown quickly being replaced by a smirk. "Adrien, dude. I can almost feel your homicidal thoughts."

Adrien growled into the couch. I can always make it look like-

"And you do know they won't fall for suicide, right?"

Adrien pushed himself up on his elbows. "I hate that you're right." he grumbled. Nino shrugged and smiled. "I'm like, always right!"

Adrien glanced up at his only true friend who was still smirking down at him. "Yeah. You are always right. That's why I need you so much." he said sincerely.

Nino shook his head. "To prevent murder?"

"Exactly! See, you do get me! And here I thought you wouldn't understand!" Adrien mocked dramatically.

Nino rolled his eyes and shoved him off the couch, "Shut up."

Adrien sat up, rubbing his head. "And why would I do that?" Nino crossed his arms looking down at the blonde.

"Because you're going to tell me what you did to make that dude so mad at you," he huffed, "because we just got back from school and he's talking about something that probably went down yesterday!"

Adrien grimaced. The one thing he hadn't told Nino ever...

"Well...I was out. Late...and I did come back...after a while..." Adrien stumbled over his excuses. Nino looked at him with a look that said, Seriously?

Adrien smiled nervously. "Okay, so I came in through a window. But, I only broke a vase! And a lamp... And a person...." Adrien quickly shook his head. "But that's not the point! The point is, he's getting paid three thousand more than usual, full pay away from work and a three week paid vacation!" Adrien grinned nervously, praying for a change of subject.

Nino stared him down with that same deadpan look, then leaned forward and flicked the boy across the forehead. Ignoring Adrien's cries of pain, Nino settled back into the couch, deadpan look giving way to a suspicious glare.

"Hey.....Uncalled for!" Adrien grumbled. Nino rolled his eyes, "Stop treating me like I'm stupid, because I'm not. I know that there's something you're not telling me. You keep disappearing all the time, and now you're always in trouble. Now tell me, before I kick you." he demanded. Adrien winced.

"Okay, alright....So yeah, I was out late last night. Really late. I was busy and I couldn't just cut out and go home, so I stayed out for as long as I could, because it's not like I was going to get a warm welcome anyway. So I climbed in a window, and broke a few.....things. Nathalie caught me on camera and I'm guessing that she showed my dad..." Adrien trailed off.

Nino scoffed and stood up. "And we all know how that turned out." Nino stood and gestured to Adrien's many windows. "I need to get going. Any of these a quick exit?"

Adrien pointed to the one directly over his bed. "Lamp post directly to your right, wall of vines to your left. Convenient, huh?"

Nino, who had marched over to the bed and climbed onto the bedside table, shook his head. "Yeah, it is. For a kid that that they don't want escaping, those idiots sure make it easy for you, don't they?"

Adrien smiled, "Too easy. And feel free to use this if you want to avoid the creeps downstairs every time you come visit." Nino nodded and pushed the window open, pulling himself up onto the ledge. Nino turned back one last time, frowning at the painfully fake smile of his best friend.

"Adrien," said boy froze as Nino called him once more. "You have got to let me try and help you, or you will fall apart. I know that this is another one of those 'I seriously can't tell you what I'm doing' situations, but you gotta learn that there has to be at least one person to trust. We both know that person is not your dad." Nino sighed.

"... And I'd...hate....to see you akumatized.... Later, man." Nino slid out the window and disappeared.

So did Adrien's 'smile'.