16Everyone had always said Jeanne Agreste looked just like her mother, and she really did. She was the spitting image of the woman; long blond hair, a shapely body, green eyes, and the most adorable freckles and button nose. She shared her mother's face, her laugh, her smile, and so much more. Which had made things rather difficult after Mrs. Agreste's disappearance. Gabriel refused to so much as look at his daughter after that, leaving her to do what she wished. For the most part, that was just painting. She was five years older than Adrien, but the two of them were inseparable. Their rooms were next to each other, a door joining them. It seemed they were never apart, although this had had since changed with Adrien going to public school. Jeanne jumped at every opportunity to spend time with her brother, given that she wasn't really allowed out of the house unsupervised. Which was why she was with him now at his photoshoot. Adrien had told her she didn't have to come, but she'd insisted.
"I haven't gone out in days." She said as she packed her bag. "Literally, days."
"But you're sure?" Adrien leaned on the door frame. "It'll be boring. And there might be an akuma. I don't want you to get hurt." Jeanne turned and glared pointedly at him.
"It's not like I'm made of glass." She muttered. "I'm 19, I've made it this far just fucking fine."
"I'm just worried." Adrien trailed after her as she stormed towards the car. "Am I not allowed to be worried?"
"You're allowed to be worried, but you don't have to treat me like I'm gonna break all the time." She snapped. Nathalie said nothing, deciding it would be better to just let the siblings bicker it out. These things usually passed within a few minutes after all. They spent the car ride in silence, and Jeanne began furiously sketching once they got to the location of the photoshoot. Today it was a picture of her brother, as he was put through the wringer by the photographer.
"He's a pain, isn't he?" She said when he got a break and sat down next to her. "I worked with him once. He kept telling me to arch my back, I don't even know why."
"What were you modeling?" He snorted and took a sip of water.
"It was for some stupid perfume." She shrugged. "Innocence or something. I was like 12, I don't know what he expected from me."
"What do they expect from any of us?" Adrien sighed.
Jeanne grinned and laughed, punching his arm. "Fair point. This business is crazy." She looked back down at her sketchpad, adding a few new details to the picture. She'd drawn her brother as Chat Noir, fighting the photographer as an akumatized villain.
"Hey!" Adrien saw the drawing and made a grab for the notebook. "What are you doing?"
"I'm drawing. What does it look like?" She held the book out of his reach.
"You can't draw that!" He hissed.
"What? You think someone will just make the connection?" Jeanne laughed. "If anyone asks I can just say I have a crush on him." She adopted a dramatic pose. "Oh, Chat Noir! Your puns...They've taken my breath away! Pray, don't take advantage of a poor helpless lady like myself!"
"You're the worst."
"You love me."
"I do and I hate it." He couldn't help but smile a little as his sister ruffled his hair. When she laughed and joked, it was hard for him not to feel happy and ease.
"Hey." She stopped fluffing up his hair and pointed. "Aren't those girls in your class?" She knew full well that they were and the giant crush that Marinette had on her little brother. Adrien looked up.
"Oh, yeah. They are." He waved. Marinette's reaction was pretty much what Jeanne had expected. Nervous laughter, stiff waving. The girl had it bad.
"You better get back to work." She said, gently pushing her brother up. "The sooner we get this over with the sooner we can go home and I can cream you in Ultimate Mecha Strike III."
"I'm going to win this time." Adrien put his water bottle down.
"Sure you will, bro."
While Adrien did his duty as a model, Jeanne discreetly watched Marinette's little group. She'd seen Alya before, but the little girl with them was new. Marinette must be babysitting, she concluded. Maybe she should go talk to her. Jeanne was about to get up, then remembered that Marinette had never actually formally met her. The girl would likely just freak out and be starstruck. So the eldest Agreste child sat back down and looked at her sketchbook, flipping back a few pages. She'd been mostly drawing her brother or her room. What else was there to draw after all? She never got to do anything. She sighed and tapped her fingers on the paper. She had a few unfinished drawings, maybe she could work on those. She settled on the drawing she'd begun of a young man. She'd started it after reading a bunch of fairytales and starting to wish for a prince. It was stupid and she knew it, but this was the only way she was ever going to have a romance.
"Hey! Jeanne!" Adrien shook her shoulder, jerking her from her thoughts. "The photographer says we need a girl."
"A girl? Why?"
"Yes! Yes! Bring her up!" The photographer declared. "Miss Jeanne can bring us our romance!"
"Romance?" She blinked. "Um, don't you think it would be a little uncomfortable? We're siblings after all. Plus, I've been out of the business for a while now. It's probably best if you find someone else."
"Nailed it."
"Shut up, stringbean."
"Ah, I see." The photographer nodded. "I suppose you are right." He looked around then gasped.
"You!" He ran over and grabbed Alya's arm. "I need an extra!" Jeanne blinked. Okay, Marinette might actually end up on the shoot. And she hadn't even done anything.
"Who, me?" Alya asked.
"Si!" The photographer nodded enthusiastically. "To pose with Mr. Adrien!"
Alya laughed nervously. "You don't want me. I...Uhh...I think I'm having an allergic reaction to this apple. I know just the person you need! Hold that thought!"
Jeanne watched as the other girl turned tail and rain back to Marinette.
"That Asian girl would bring a good presence." She said, innocently doodling on her sketchpad. "You'd have some great shots with her."
"Hmm." The photographer narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin, looking in Marinette's direction. "Yes...Yes, she does have an air about her." Yes, this was going exactly according to plan. Jeanne mentally patted herself on the back, as well as silently praising Alya. The girl was clever. It was then that everyone in the park started screaming. This threw Jeanne for a loop. Her first reaction was assuming they were screaming about her and Adrien, but they'd been there for two hours with few reactions so it couldn't be that. She turned around. An outrageously dressed girl was floating in the air shooting ice at everyone and laughing maniacally.
"Oh shit." An akuma? Now?
"Distraction?" She whispered to Adrien. He nodded as he darted behind the tree to retrieve Plagg. Sighing deeply, she put down her sketchpad, brushed off her dress, and fainted. The photographer and his crew rushed to her side, fanning her and holding her up. She peeked out of the corner of her eye to see Chat Noir jumping away. Alright, good. Her work was done. She still couldn't believe people were still buying the faux fainting act though.
"Miss Agreste?" The photographer shook her gently. "Miss Agreste, we really need to get out of here." Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up.
"Right. Sorry. I was just...Really surprised." She laughed nervously. "A floating girl shooting ice out of a parasol isn't exactly normal." She let them help her up and away from where the heroes were fighting the akumatized villain. Jeanne took a few deep breaths and told herself everything would be fine. Adrien would defeat the villain and come home safe. Her brother's double life was doing nothing to help her anxiety issues.
"It'll be alright, Miss Agreste." One of the crewmen said, patting her on the shoulder. "Ladybug and Chat Noir will keep us safe."
"I'm sure you're right." She nodded slowly.
There was a crash behind them and she peeked out from the hiding spot. The freaky floating girl, who was apparently calling herself Stormy Weather, was throwing cars. Jeanne's eyes widened and she started to hyperventilate. Stormy Weather was throwing fucking cars at her little brother! And there was thunder and lightning and this was terrifying. Maybe this was why Adrien kept telling her to stay home while he did his thing. She was starting to think it might actually be a good idea. She ducked back down and closed her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing, just like her mother had taught her. In and out. In and out. This panic attack was not going to beat her.
"Just take deep breaths, Jeannette." Her mother placed her hands on her daughter's. "I'm here. Breathe with me." Hiccupping and sobbing, Jeanne wiped away tears and snot, following her mother's example. Her breaths were shaky at first, given that she was still crying. Gradually though, she began to breathe normally.
Her mother smiled and touched her forehead to Jeanne's. "See? I knew you could do it."
"Mama?" The door to Jeanne's bedroom cracked open, Adrien's little face peeking in. "Is Jeanne okay?"
"She's better now." Their mother beckoned for him to join them on the bed. He quickly ran over, latching onto his sister's arm.
"It's gonna be okay." He rubbed his face on her sleeve. "We're here for you."
"Exactly, dear."
Those had been better days. She opened her eyes again, much calmer now. It sounded like the fight was still going on. She fished out her phone and found a news feed to watch. They were on the roof of the TV station now, Stormy Weather shooting, creating twisters. Jeanne smiled softly and touched the screen as she watched her brother and Ladybug fight back. They were always so clever those two. They worked together so well. She swallowed the lump in her throat that always formed at moments like these. He was so lucky to have a friend like that. Before she knew it, the battle was over and the day was saved once again by Chat Noir and Ladybug. Once again her fears were put to bed and her brother came back to her safe and sound. She and the photography crew crept out from their hiding place and back to the photoshoot. She picked up her sketchbook, dusting it off as if nothing had happened. A few moments later Adrien came running up. The photographer wasted no time in getting back to business, asking for that girl they'd been talking to before to come back. And Marinette did come back. But it wasn't her that the photographer gravitated towards.
"Wait...Who is this angel?" He asked, pointing to the little girl Marinette had been babysitting. "She's perfect!"
"Looks like you get to see what it's like to be the older sibling." Jeanne said, grinning at Adrien.
"At least it won't be as awkward as doing it with you." He shrugged. The tone of the photos turned out to be more lighthearted than romantic, but that was fine. As long as they got the shots, nothing else mattered. Jeanne nodded to herself. Everything was fine.