A/N: Hey all! So I'm morbid as fuck and watch a lot of Dateline and 48 Hours. One episode was about a guy who was killing models and inspiration struck!

I'm just here to warn you guys this series will be HELLA dark. If you don't like horror movies or you're a kid, this isn't for you. This will get disturbing and so I just wanna put it out there that this is going to be a messed-up series.

There is a room in Paris that not many people know about. It is not small and it is not large. It's on a second floor of a small, run-down apartment building. There's a fire escape but not many use it. It's rickety and whenever someone walks on it, it causes a rattle like laboring lungs crying for air. But it adds well to the air of dilapidation, the air of rot, that this building has. Not all of Paris is shrouded in light. Shadows dance on vacant streets to earn a living and darkness oozes from alleys, enticing monsters to take refuge in the pitch black abyss.

There is a room in Paris where darkness has taken residence, where evil lives, breathes, and procreates. Where evil tortures and rapes to thrive in a city full of light. Where the demonic spirit of spite lives. He is the only living soul here: the others are long dead. Everything that is wrong with the world plays here, among the black walls and corpses and disgusting pictures of men and women who are now forgotten by society.

It is called the Darkroom.

Adrien was a fairly light sleeper and had problems falling asleep. Last night had been no different. He'd gotten home late from a photo shoot and when he woke up, all he wanted to do was to curl up and go back to sleep. His eyes felt like they had weights in them as he dragged himself to his bathroom.

"What, no 'good morning?'" Plagg spoke up, darting out of the small plush cat cube he called his bed.

"It's too early to be a good morning," Adrien muttered, shutting the bathroom door in Plagg's face.

"It's Friday," the kwami called through the door.

"It sure is," Adrien called back.

"Don't you have something to do today?" Adrien rolled his eyes as he started to brush his teeth.

"Yeah, I have day three of the photo shoot," he replied.

"Are you kidding me?! You've been agonizing over today for the past week and the first thing that came to your mind was the photo shoot?!" Adrien choked on his toothbrush, frothy toothpaste spilling out of his mouth and onto the counter. Friday. It was Friday. How could he have forgotten?

A week ago, Adrien decided today was going to be the day he asked out Marinette. He wasn't sure when he started looking at Marinette more and Ladybug less. That wasn't to say his crush on his superheroine friend was gone; no, he still loved her, but as the years went on he realized that a relationship was highly unlikely. She was dedicated to their work and didn't want romance to ruin anything, and he respected that. He would still jump at the chance to date her, but he'd do the same for Marinette. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn't sure who he liked more. But he was never honest with himself. That question was one he didn't want to think about for too long.

"Fuck," Adrien hissed under his breath. Today wasn't the day to just brush his hair and go to school like he wanted to do. He had to look his best when he asked her out.

A scoop of hair gel, a generous amount of concealer for the bags under his eyes, and copious amounts of cologne later, Adrien rushed out of the bathroom. He grabbed his bag, Plagg tucked inside, and bolted down the stairs to the car waiting outside. There was an emergency stash of food in his bag; he'd just have some of that for breakfast.

The drive to school was boring as usual. Adrien's eyes were glued to the small TV screen in the car. Nothing terribly exciting was happening. A weather report, the fifteenth anniversary of the disappearance of supermodel Chanel Clement-Dupont, a heartwarming story about puppies, someone making another meme about the president. He preferred boring news to anything exciting. Exciting meant tragic and the world had enough sadness in it as it was. The last thing he wanted to hear was about someone else's misfortunes.

Marinette was standing with Nino and Alya outside the high school, all of them talking and laughing at something. It hadn't been five seconds and already the butterflies in his stomach were hysterical. You can't do this, a voice in the back of his head told him. You can't ask her out. You're going to mess up and she'll laugh out you. Why would a girl like Marinette want to go out with a guy like you?

The car pulled over and let him out before speeding away. Trying to channel some of the confidence of Chat Noir, Adrien approached his friends. Nino waved at him.

"Hey, man! We were just talking about you! How'd that shoot go last night?" he asked. Adrien groaned, running a few fingers through his hair.

"Fine, but we got done hours later than we should have since one of the models didn't show up and we had to pick up the slack. I got home around one last night," he said, a slight pinch of irritation in his body. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Alya and Nino, but he wished they hadn't been with Marinette this morning. He just wanted to ask her out and stop feeling sick with nerves.

"That sucks, man. Maybe you can get some sleep tonight," Nino shrugged. The warning bell rang and almost immediately the air was devoid of energy, as if the bell sucked it from all of the students milling around outside. Clearly, no one else wanted to go to class either. A dull panic seeped into Adrien's body: it was now or never.

"Hey, Marinette, can I talk to you for a moment?" For her credit, Marinette didn't look very fazed at his request and Adrien was thankful for that.

"Sure! What's up?" she asked, ignoring the curious looks from Nino and Alya as they walked away. Talking to her and imagining himself talking to her were two completely different things, Adrien now realized. In his mind, he'd be smoother than silk, coherently asking her on a date. She'd enthusiastically say yes and they'd walk to their first class and she'd let him hold her hand and - "Adrien?"

"S-sorry, I spaced out." Why did his face have to turn red now? It was bad enough his heart was hammering in his chest; now he visibly looked nervous. "I, uh, I was, uh. Food. After school. Me. You. Yeah?" Oh God, why did he resort to doing a thumbs up to accentuate his point? He looked absolutely ridiculous and he knew it. Plagg was probably dying of laughter in his bag. Marinette, thank God, didn't look like she was going to laugh. If anything, she looked surprised. Maybe she was just confused.

"You want to have dinner with me?" she asked incredulously. He nodded, terrified to speak. "Wait, are you asking me on a date?!"

"Yes." Adrien wanted to die right then and there. His voice cracked. I thought I was done with that crap years ago! He had half a mind to just give up and trudge away, but one glance at Marinette's smile told him to stay.

"I, yeah! A wonderful would be date! I mean, a date would be wonderful" She was just as red as he was and he felt relieved she accepted (and was just as tongue-tied as him).

"There's, there's a little hole-in-the-wall not too far from my house we could go to," he suggested. His heart melted at her smile.

"I'd like that."

Adrien shifted his weight from foot to foot, eyes glancing up at the entrance of their school every few seconds. Seconds dragged into minutes as he waited for Marinette. His hand was tapping his thigh to a tuneless beat and his green eyes looked back towards the entrance of the high school frequently.

"Relax. It's going to go fine," Nino was saying, patting him on the back. "She's crazy about you and you're crazy about her. It's going to be fine."

"I guess. I-I'm sure it'll go well," Adrien lied through his teeth. Feelings were one thing and compatibility was another. Adrien knew that and deep down the idea of him and Marinette not working well together terrified him. But the only way to find out was to jump into a relationship and see for himself if they could work.

"It's about time you asked her out. Now we can finally have double-dates!" Nino said excitedly, putting his arm around Adrien. "You know how long Alya and I have been waiting to have one of those?"

"Sorry I've been ruining your life," Adrien joked. Nino snorted.

"Seriously though. I'm happy for you. Marinette and you are going to make a cute couple."

Nino squeezed his shoulder. Adrien looked up and saw Marinette and Alya walking towards them. The fluttering feeling of butterflies arose as he waved to Marinette. They said nothing, only smiling at each other as they waited for their ride. He wasn't sure what to say.

His car drove up and they said goodbye to their friends. Adrien opened the door for Marinette and let her file in first. Once inside he heard her squeak in surprise and getting in himself, he saw why. Nathalie was in the back of the limo, a critical eye on his date.

"Nathalie, you remember Marinette, right?" he asked. Perhaps that would break the ice.

"Yes, I remember her," Nathalie said shortly. "If I realized you were taking a friend to the shoot, I would have made arrangements."

"I'm sorry?"

"Your father thought it'd be best if we started the shoot earlier and moved the time. You should be there in six minutes and we should get done in time for dinner," Nathalie said. Adrien glanced over to Marinette. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her at a shoot bored for hours on end. "It's okay. I'm sure everyone will be fine with her hanging out in a corner."

"Unless you'd rather go home and we can have dinner another time," Adrien suggested.

"No, I'm okay with waiting a few hours!" Marinette insisted. She's so patient. Do I even deserve to be with her, he wondered.

The drive to the shoot was fast and Nathalie quickly ushered him off to get ready and enlisted Marinette to help her out. Guilt was starting to eat at Adrien's stomach as makeup artists perfected him. He didn't want Marinette to be waiting around for him. All he wanted was to sit down and spend time with her. And while he'd have downtime on the shoot, he didn't know how much and she deserved better than that. Marinette deserved his full attention and to give her anything less felt wrong. He just hoped she didn't mind too much.

"Are you kidding me?!" The photographer screamed. Marinette hadn't been helping out for more than five minutes and already she wanted to leave. Helping Nathalie wasn't bad, but the photographer blowing up wasn't something she wanted to witness. "Nicole isn't here?! That little . . . This is the third time she hasn't shown up! I refuse to let her drag down this photo shoot! Find someone else!"

"Adrien brought a friend along. We can put her to work," Nathalie suggested.

"Wait, what?" Marinette asked.

"She'll do," the photographer replied. "Pay her in trade and get her to the prep trailer. Have Marie-Christine show her ropes."

"Can do," Nathalie said. "Come on, Marinette. We don't have any time to waste."

"I-I'm sorry, what am I supposed to do?" Marinette asked the older woman as she followed her to one of the many trailers.

"You're filling in for Nicole since she apparently can't be bothered to show up on time. But that's her loss. Even if you want to do designing, modelling will still look good on a resumé."

"But I've never done this before," Marinette protested.

"There's a first time for everything," Nathalie responded unsympathetically. The door to a large trailer was open. Marinette and Nathalie slipped inside. A young blonde was sitting in a chair, letting a man straighten her hair. She was already dolled up and suddenly Marinette felt very insecure. The two looked over at them.

"Marie-Christine, this is Marinette. She's a friend of Adrien's and will be taking Nicole's place in the shoot today," Nathalie explained. Marie-Christine extended her hand to Marinette.

"Awesome! Nice to meet you!" she said cheerfully. Marinette shook her hand.

"Make sure she gets her makeup done," Nathalie instructed.

"Okay!"
"And her hair."

"Uh huh."

"And her clothes are -"

"Thanks, Nathalie! I'll take good care of her!" Marie-Christine said cheerfully. The older woman nodded and left. Marie-Christine sighed in relief. "Thank God she's gone! She's always so serious. It really kills my vibe," she confided in Marinette. "So, is this your first shoot? I've never seen you before in anything."

"Yeah . . ." Marinette replied, taking a seat beside Marie-Christine.

"Nice! I would've killed for my first shoot to be an editorial back when I started!"

"I, uh, an editorial?"

"Geez, has Adrien been keeping you in the dark about this? An editorial is the more prestigious kind of modelling work. It's the kind of spread you see in the best fashion magazines. It doesn't pay all that well, but it adds something great to your resumé. Jean, can you get started on her? I'm sure Dupont will be pissed if we keep him waiting and I can finish up my own hair." The man straightening her hair nodded, letting her do her own hair before moving onto Marinette.

"Yeah. Uh, I have a question, Marie-Christine."

"Shoot."

"The photographer said they'd pay me in trade?"

"It means you get to keep any of the clothes or accessories you wear during the shoot. I suggest keeping everything," she explained. "Me and the other girls, when we're paid like that, we meet up at my place afterwards and we trade clothes if we don't like anything. You're more than welcome to come."

"I . . . thanks. But I'm going to dinner afterwards."

"Okay! Maybe next time."

"Oh, I don't think there's going to be a next time," Marinette laughed nervously. Marie-Christine shrugged.

"You never know. The shoot is supposed to be for a few more days and since Nicole hasn't shown up to any of the past ones, you might be taking her spot in everything she was supposed to do." The thought scared Marinette. She wasn't a model. She designed clothes and that was it. She knew she wasn't cut out for modeling.

"How come she's not here?"

"I don't know. I kept trying to call her yesterday but it just kept going to voicemail." Marie-Christine sat back in her chair, looking up towards the ceiling. "You know, it's kinda weird now that you mention it. She was sending me nudes the day before but they were like, weird faux-artsy nudes. Now don't get me wrong, I love me some gorgeous naked women, but it was just so bizarre."

"You're oversharing again, Marie-Christine," Jean said, looking up from Marinette to glare at the blonde.

"Heh, sorry. I get caught up in things sometimes," she apologized as she put down her straightener. "Do you need help doing her hair? I don't have to be at the camera for another hour or two." He nodded and the two worked on Marinette, fixing her up for the camera. With Marie-Christine tugging at her hair and Jean spreading layer upon layer of makeup on her, Marinette wondered if this was what Adrien was put through every time he had to face a camera. Empathy tore at her heartstrings and she made a solemn vow to take down his modeling pictures and to never buy a magazine with him in it ever again.

"All right! You're done, sweetie," Jean said. Marinette could hardly believe it was her own reflection in the mirror. Her hair was tightly curled and bobbed, her lips bright red, and dark eyeliner making her eyes seem huge. Marie-Christine clapped her hands, a giddy look on her face.

"You look great, girlie! I can't wait to see what they put you in!" Jean went to a rack and shoved a few hangers aside before pulling out a dress.

"Get dressed and go to Jérémy, the photographer," Jean instructed her, leaving the trailer to give her some privacy. Marinette nodded and did as she was told, nerves boiling in her stomach. The dress itself was very cute. A short little number that conjured up images of Art Deco buildings and a good time. She put on the accompanying shoes (heels; did Gabriel Agreste not believe in flats?) and hurried over to Jérémy and the rest of the crew. Nathalie was right next to Gabriel Agreste, both in stools behind the photographer. Adrien was sitting on a stool waiting for her, phone in his hands.

Oh my God, oh my God, don't freak out, she thought, eyes surveying Adrien. His golden hair was slicked back and the suit he wore accentuated his broad chest and revealed a little bit of the muscle he had developed. Don't stare! The worst thing you could do is drool right now! Adrien gave her a warm smile, eyes widening at the sight of her.

"You look amazing," he told her and she could feel heat burning under her cheeks.

"You look amazing yourself," she replied, smiling and desperately trying to keep her cool. How was she supposed to work when Adrien was so looking so attractive?

"How do they look, Mr. Agreste?" Jérémy asked. Gabriel nodded.

"They're good to go," he replied tersely. Clearly, he wasn't one to waste words.

"All right, let's get this done so we can move on," Jérémy said as he clapped his hands together. "Sit down across from each other and hold hands." The small set was simplistic. A wrought iron table and chairs, and an elegant table setting of china and crystal glasses. Marinette was careful as she sat down, trying not to rip any of the beads off her dress. "Look like you're on a date." Okay, Marinette, be natural, she told herself, giving Adrien a warm, loving smile. "Perfect! Hold!" The camera went off a few times, bright flashes stinging her eyes.

"Adrien, look like you just told Marinette a witty joke and Marinette, lean back and react," Gabriel instructed them. Adrien leaned forward, elbow resting on the table and his facial expression almost identical to Chat Noir's whenever he told a lame joke. Channeling her inner Ladybug, Marinette leaned back and gave him her trademark "I'm faintly amused" look.

"Fantastic!" Jérémy cried as he took more pictures. "Boy, scoot your chair back a little bit so she can sit on your lap." Marinette felt her soul leave her body. This was it. She was dead. Slowly, she got up and made her way to Adrien. She dared not look over at his father and Nathalie. Who knew how'd they react? Adrien pushed his chair back for her and she slowly sat down. She sat on Alya's lap all the time, but the feeling of Adrien's legs underneath her and his body so close to her was an alien, albeit amazing, feeling.

"Okay, act like you're in love." Marinette, heart racing, put her arms around Adrien's neck while he put his hands on her waist. "Girl, kiss his cheek." Marinette was internally screaming as she leaned in, planting a very red kiss on Adrien's cheek. The camera went off. "Good, now lean back and boy, turn slightly to the camera to show the kiss mark." Somehow, she felt kind of proud leaving a bright red mark on Adrien. And for sitting on his lap without melting into a puddle. "Girl, pull your skirt up more. Show more thigh," Jérémy instructed her. She stiffened. Sitting down, the dress was already pretty short. Did she really have to hike it up?

"Absolutely not." Marinette jumped at the harsh voice, looking over at the deathly serious face of Gabriel Agreste. "She's a child and we're not going to be sexualizing her. This is a fashion shoot, not a porno." Jérémy pursed his lips but didn't fight back.

"Boy, put your head on her shoulder." Marinette made a mental note to thank Adrien's father later. Jérémy took a few more photos before they were dismissed, sent back to their different trailers to get ready for the next part of the shoot.

Six hours later they called it a day and Marinette was ready to go have dinner with Adrien and get some sleep for once. She was in the mostly empty men's trailer, texting her parents her plans while waiting for Adrien to finish removing all of his makeup.

"I'm really sorry this took so long," he apologized, throwing away the foundation-saturated wipe and ducking behind a curtain to change back into his street clothes.

"It's okay! This was an experience," she replied. "I can't believe you have to do this all the time, though."

"Yeah. It gets kind of crazy," he laughed. "But I promise I won't drag you to another shoot. Unless you want to come," he added hurriedly. He came out and shoved a few things into his bag before hanging up the rest of his clothes.

"I don't know. I guess I'm neutral about it. But then again, I got to take some photos with you so that might be clouding my judgement," she said. He grinned back and walked over to her, putting his arm around her as he laughed.

"This is probably one of the better photo shoots I've been in thanks to you," he said. He moved in front of her, hands resting on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes. He looked so happy, like he enjoyed this process for once and Marinette felt a rush of pride. She'd made this a little more fun for him. She smiled back at him when a metallic knocking went through the trailer.

"Adrien Agreste?" A police officer called out, stepping into the trailer. Adrien coughed, hands retreating from Marinette's shoulders. What are police doing here, Marinette wondered.

"Yes?" he asked. The way the officers looked around the trailer terrified her. It was if they were avoiding Adrien's eyes. A pit was growing in her stomach and absentmindedly, her hand reached out for his.

"We . . . we need you to come with us down to the morgue. We may have found your mother."

So this chapter wasn't that dark, so if you're wanting that the next chapter will def. have what you want!

Also, feel free to message me here or at my tumblr, amaranthprincess21. I love hearing from you guys! uwu