Chapter Text

"This year the sales have dropped slightly."

Gabriel fixed his glasses and studied the data on the tablet given to him. Emotionless as ever, the old but sophisticated man gave the tablet to Natalie, who was standing behind him, and she hastily took it and stacked it on the number of other things she was holding for him. Adrien frowned at the sight in front of him.

Adrien wasn't in the mood to attend a meeting, yet alone listen to what the man he didn't know was saying while standing in front of a slide showing graphs and numbers he wasn't interested in. So he did what he normally did whenever he was bored in a meeting; he studied every person around him. And as Gabriel was sitting right in front of him this time, he had nothing better to do than study his own father.

Others were just boring, emotionless, plain people as well. A slightly aged woman, wearing a red formal suit, her hair held up in a rough but classy bun and eyes magnified by the round glasses she was wearing. Adrien could still see the bags under her eyes and exhaustion on her face, but she was pretty good at schooling it. Then there were others, all suited up and bored to death just like him.

One of them, a young man probably the same age as Adrien, wearing a perfectly fitted gray suit with thin framed glasses and neatly combed back brown hair. His eyes held an interested glint, and he was leaning on the table to listen to anyone who spoke. Now, this guy was really happy working here. Huh.

Adrien himself felt uncomfortable. He was never really keen of wearing formal, but working in Gabriel meant working for Gabriel, and since his father had already announced that he was soon going to be the CEO, everyone had been studying him like a hawk. Which led him to wearing this slightly itchy and fitted graphite-gray button down with a dark-colored tie and straight pants.

He instinctively scratched his neck, yawning loudly, and Gabriel shot him a glare while coughing lightly. Adrien got the message, and scoffed as he looked down, his pants looking rather interesting under the office lights.

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Adrien entered his office room, took off his tie, and threw it in a corner where there were many other stray ties lying uselessly. He grunted as he opened the first few button of his shirt, cursing the building as he ruffled his hair and took a few breaths. His eyes landed on the camera in the corner of the ceiling. He shot it a middle finger and sat down in his swiveling chair, cursing the building and the brand and his luck and his fa-

Someone knocked at the door and Adrien turned away from it, facing the window as he said, "Come in!" He wasn't in the mood of dealing with anyone right now. He expected another overly dressed female employee, wearing too much makeup to seduce him as they said in there sickingly extra sweet voice, 'Oh monsieur this! Oh monsieur that!'. He was sick of all of this.

"Adrien."

Hearing his father's voice, he immediately stood up and turned around swiftly. "Father." He replied, his voice monotonous.

Gabriel eyed him up and down, frowning. Then he looked around his son's office and pinched the bridge of his nose. Natalie, the always-present-behind-his-father Natalie, stepped forward and asked if Gabriel wanted a coffee and Gabriel declined her kindly.

He noticed her hand on his shoulder as if she was reassuring him and Gabriel nodded lightly. Well, it wasn't new. Everyone at the office knew there was something going on between the two for a while now. While both parties refused to admit it for a long time, at the end they must've realized it too because now they were open about it. Adrien wouldn't have been surprised if they announced they were getting engaged anytime around.

"Adrien, I have been observing you for a while..."

"Father, you have been observing me since I was a kid. It isn't new."

Natalie coughed uncomfortably. Gabriel's frown deepened.

"It's not going to work this way, son. You have to take over this whole family business one day and it's serious, so you might as well take it seriously."

"It's being forced onto me, and you already know that."

Gabriel remained silent. And as his father's eyes took an angry glint, Adrien realized he was screwed.

"What do you think you'll do if you get rid of this business, Adrien? I haven't seen you having any sort of an interest or passion over the years. What will you do, then?"

Adrien looked at him straight in the eye. "Anything but this hellhole."

His father turned around and took a few deep breaths. Natalie gave him a disappointed look. He had become too stubborn and had ruined his habits over the years. It was a good thing Gabriel had stopped him from going the wrong path before it was too late, because at the age of 17 he had started hanging out with bad boys and was caught before he started taking drugs. But whose fault was that? Adrien always blamed his father.

His father always blamed him.

But now it seemed like there was nothing Gabriel could do. All Gabriel wanted was his kind and obedient son that he was back in school. But Adrien had turned out to be this: A bad boy, a stubborn and disobedient and harsh man. Gabriel thought that perhaps nothing could change him.

And then an idea popped up in his mind.

If Adrien was not coming to this willingly, then surely Gabriel also had his own ways; force him.

"You're office work, as well as your whole day's schedule will be taken care of immediately. I am assigning you your personal assistant from tomorrow-"

"Father,"

"-And your assistant will look after you until I think you and your routine is back to normal again, as well as your behavior. This is not a suggestion, it's an order. And I expect a good result, Adrien."

Adrien frowned, "I don't want another Natalie around-"

"ADRIEN!" His father's voice boomed in the office and all three went quiet after that. Natalie was not hurt by his words, but Gabriel sure did feel offended. Said man turned around and marched out of the office, and Adrien leaned against his table, closing his eyes tightly. Then he slammed the table. Hard.

"Damn it!"

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The next day, everyone at work was staying extra cautious.

By now, everyone knew that Gabriel had another argument with his son and both the parties were breathing fire. So whenever any of them past by, people left their vicinity to make sure they didn't become a victim to the dragon's flame.

Gabriel marched into his building, entering the elevator with Natalie behind him, holding his fifth coffee of the morning for him.

After an hour, Adrien Agreste strutted in. His handsome features morphed due to anger and frustration. He stomped more than walked towards his office, and one of the employee who was brave enough, stopped him in his way, shaking from head to toe.

"What is it." Adrien gritted.

"U-Um, monsieur..." She was a young woman, her height way shorter than Adrien as he towered over her with his muscular body and she shrank back. She had big blue eyes and short blonde hair.

"Spill it." Adrien said, his frown deepening. The girl tensed even more.

"M-Monsieur, Boss w-wanted you to s-sign this..." She said in her squeaky voice as she extended a file to him. Adrien's blood boiled. He snatched the file and looked through it as the whole area remained quiet and curious. Then, as everyone watched with wide eyes, Adrien flung the file across the place. It smacked against the wall and landed next to a door, its contents flying everywhere.

"I DON'T GIVE TWO SHITS ABOUT WHAT YOUR BOSS WANTS." Adrien said to everyone around and briskly walked out of the building, having enough of it. The young employee was consoled, but everyone knew what was to come. Adrien Agreste was always like this. It was a miracle he didn't fire the woman on the spot.

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When Adrien came back again, no one paid him any mind. He silently walked up to his office, his anger now a little down. He knew what he was doing to his employees was wrong. Everyone probably despised him already, and knowing he was going to be the CEO soon must be hard for all of them. But that was what he wanted. He wanted everyone to hate him so much that his father made him get rid of this burden.

But the young blond was very well aware that Gabriel knew; the moment Adrien got rid of responsibilities, he would -without a doubt- return back to drugs and bad influences, and that was one of the reasons Gabriel wanted his son in his business.

Adrien sat down in his chair, closing his eyes and not minding to open his work just yet. He knew what the file in front of him had. It had information about his 'personal assistant'. Adrien rolled his eyes. It was a female assistant. He knew it was a female assistant because, God, his father thought that perhaps his love story could match his son's as well. Even when Gabriel knew Adrien had no interest in those cake-faced, ill-dressed, seducing machines. Just because his father found a sophisticated assistant, didn't mean they were all the same.

Natalie walked in at the exact moment, telling him that his assistant would reach him in a while, and that he could properly meet her ( Adrien didn't even bother scoffing at the fact that he didn't even get to interview the employee himself, because of course his father wanted everything his way. Instead, his mind was stuck on that one word. Her.) to get to know her and become comfortable with each other so that she started her job with him. Saying this, she went away.

He knew he should've prepared himself to meet the woman, but he didn't want to. If the assistant wanted to see him, then she could see him the way he is. He leaned back against the chair, closing his eyes. Adrien heard the door slowly open and smirked internally. He was going to make sure that this woman never came back again after day one.

"Monsieur Agreste?"

Well, that was a sweet voice.

"Come in." He said with disinterest lacing his deep, masculine voice.

He heard her heels clicking on the floor as she came up to him. He didn't open his eyes, letting the woman study him. Where he expected an uncomfortable silence on her behalf, he didn't expect her to say,

"Wow, you sure have changed a lot."

Adrien opened his eyes in confusion, looking at the person standing there with a sweet smile gracing her face. The face held familiarity. It was the face he could never forget, after all.

"M-Marinette?!"

Marinette smiled even more, her eyes wrinkling at the edges as she looked at him warmly through her- Wow, her eyes are still the bluest blue. "So you remember me. Long time no see?"

Adrien gulped, his heart rate multiplying at every second as he opened and closed his mouth. "Marinette... Dupain-Cheng?" He asked in a weak voice as if to make sure, and she nodded.

He was pretty sure his eyes fell out of his sockets. "Please, take a seat." He quickly said as sat up properly and motioned for her to sit, only then realizing the first two buttons of shirt were open. God, he probably looked like a freak. Adrien hastily buttoned his shirt again.

Oh shit, He thought, my hair. It's a mess. I'm a mess.

"So..." He said, trying to smile, "That was unexpected. It's been so long since we last saw each other. You've changed." A hell lot, holy shit.

She was curvier, no more the skinny girl she was back in school. Her hair had grown longer, obviously, but it was a surprise she hadn't cut it. From what he remembered, she liked short hair. Her eyes, still the lively blue. And her smile- It never changed. It was still amazing and mesmerizing and- holy shit.

He never got over his school crush, did he?

"Well, you've changed too!" She said, "I remember you as that awkward nerd, always studying. But now look at you! It's like this is a completely new Adrien Agreste." She laughed and he chuckled weakly.

Marinette checked her watch and her smile dimmed just a little. "Oh well, the fun's over I guess. We can laugh and talk all we want to cover up for the past, but probably outside work." When she saw his questioning gaze, she answered, "Your father, um I mean- boss, said that I have to remain serious and only talk about business and your schedule. I was supposed to start working the next day, but I guess I'll start the next hour because," She looked around his office, "I think I did the right thing taking up this job."

Job. Job.

SHIT.

"You're my personal assistant?!"

Marinette looked at the file on the table, still sealed, and she sighed. "Mister Agreste, we have a lot to cover." She flashed him a small smile and a thumbs up, and then she walked out, saying that she'll be back.

Adrien sat there for five seconds.

And then he jumped for the file.

Of course, along with the picture of the beauty herself, all of her information was written on the page. Adrien read it all. Again and again and again. Sure, there was information but it wasn't enough. Why hadn't it mentioned her favorite color, or favorite food, or her habits or-

He looked around his room, lost and confused. For the first time in a long while, Adrien realized what a mess his office was. His face flushed.

Shit shit shit shit shit-

Father, you're going to pay for this.

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"YOU DID IT ON PURPOSE DIDN'T YOU?" Adrien barged into his father's office, ignoring the security. His father looked up calmly and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Marinette. You made her my personal assistant-" His heart skipped a beat as he said it, "-on purpose, didn't you?"

Gabriel studied his son's disheveled demeanor, and as emotionlessly as possible, answered.

"I didn't ask her. She signed up for it herself. She was looking for a job here for a while."

"You- You-" The blond spluttered. When Adrien didn't find anything to say against his guardian, he thought better and marched out of the office with a flushed face. The gray-haired president of the company heard his otherwise stoic son's profanities on the other side of the door. After many years, Gabriel saw the Adrien he was once in high school. Gabriel's lips lifted into a small smirk. Everything was going perfectly according to plan.

Perhaps it was a thing for the Agrestes to fall for their blue-eyed, dark-haired personal assistants.