Adrien laid on Marinette's bed beside her, playing with his ring and staring up at her trap door. He worried his bottom lip and brought one leg up as he got lost in his thoughts.

Marinette stared at him and smiled. She rolled onto her side and moved his hair out of his eyes, resting her palm on his cheek. "Adrien?" Her voice was soft and it pulled him out of his depression for a moment.

"Huh?" Adrien's eyes were wide as he peered over at her like a scared fawn.

"Are you okay?" Marinette searched his eyes and watched them relax as he sighed.

"I've been trying so hard not to let my mom missing get to me. I've been trying so hard to not cry over it. Father, says Agrestes don't cry. That we are too strong." Adrien swallowed hard and brushed his hair in front of his saddened eyes. "But it's hard to bottle it up. I don't do it well. I sit in my room and get angry. I- I get upset. I find myself getting lost in my dark thoughts and sometimes I blame him or myself for everything. I mostly blame him. I don't know why. I know I shouldn't, but- but- I can't help it. I-"

"Adrien. It's okay to feel emotion. It's okay to feel anything. It's okay to be angry or sad… Stop saying the Agreste way. There is no Agreste way." Marinette smiled at him and moved his hair again. "I'm going to keep telling you that until you believe it."

Adrien licked his lips and nodded as he didn't meet her eyes. "My mom was in my father's office, last I saw her. They were arguing about something. Something about some illness or something. She was crying and my father was trying to keep her in a chair. He was on his knees and pleading with her about something. Something about saving someone. I don't know who or what. I- I don't know anything. I walked away, not wanting to see it. I didn't want to get in the way, so I just went to my room and tried to sleep. My father woke me up later and told me she had left." A tear escaped from the corner of one of his eyes and Marinette caught it. "I tried to understand. I tried to- to make a logical explanation, but- I can't. No matter how I try. I feel like she left because my father can be stubborn and not the best at showing love. Although, he had plenty for her. She was his sun. His light." Adrien shrugged and suddenly scoffed. "But what does a man do… when his sun burns out?"

"Becomes someone more to get that back." Marinette got lost in her thoughts for a moment. "You said they were arguing over an illness?"

"Yeah." Adrien cleared his throat and tried to calm himself down.

"Illness…" Marinette tapped her bottom lip in thought. "Was your mother sick?"

Adrien tried to think back to when he had seen her. Flashes of memories appeared as he stared at her ceiling, but only one stood out.

Emilie stood in the kitchen, coughing. She clutched a warm cup of tea when Adrien walked in. "Oh, Adrien! How are you?" Emilie smiled weakly at him. Her eyes were underlined in dark shades and her cheeks were slimmer. Everything about her was too skinny and too pale.

"I had a question." Adrien searched her eyes with a warm smile.

"What is it, love?" Emilie smiled for him and brought her cup to her lips to hide a cough.

"Do I have to model? It's not what I want to do." Adrien sighed and peered down at his feet. He was nervous to tell her that because he knew how important it was to them. "It's just- I-"

"What is it that you want to do, kitten?" Emilie smiled up at him and coughed behind her hand for a moment.

"I want to study and teach physics to change the world. I want to invent something that will help society." Adrien looked up at the ceiling and became excited as he talked about his future. His mother smiled as he lit up the room.

Adrien's smile faded as he peered down again, tangling his fingers together. "But I know that you and father want me to model for a living. To carry on the brand."

Emilie walked around the island to touch his chin. She brought his gaze up to hers. She brushed his hair to the side and smiled at him. "You can be whoever you want to be. You don't need the Agreste name to lock you in place, baby."

Adrien gasped at her words and he smiled with shaking emerald eyes. "Thank you, Mom."

"Anytime. Now, I think you should go to bed. Nathalie is teaching you in the morning and then you have a photoshoot after that." Emilie pressed a kiss to his forehead and he hugged her; before, he walked away.

Adrien shook his head to bring himself back. "I guess, she was coughing… But she kept it hidden from me. She didn't let me know she was sick. My father didn't tell me either. How long was she sick and I didn't notice? How long did I- did I ignore that? How many times did I not ask her if she was okay? How many times did I not care? How many ti-"

"Adrien!" Marinette grabbed his face to stabilize him. She searched his frantic eyes. "Your mother didn't tell you. She hid it. You can't be expected to see that or to know about it. She didn't want you to worry about her, so she hid it from you. So, did your father."

"But if I had known… maybe I could…" Adrien thought for a moment and his expression became more pained as he gasped for air when realization hit. "My mother isn't here anymore, is she?"

Marinette's heart hurt as he started putting the pieces together. The giant box that had showed up one day for his father. The flowers that had been delivered. The way his father was always sad or staring at his mother's portrait. The way he grew angrier and angrier as days went on. How he locked himself away at Christmas. How he threw himself into his brand and refused to leave the house.

"My mother isn't missing…" Adrien's voice cracked as tears fell. "She-"

"You don't know that!" Marinette shook her head and pressed her forehead to his as she curled up against him. "You don't."

"Marinette… my father told me she disappeared. He told everyone that." Adrien burst out. "The media, family, friends… his own son!"

"Maybe she is missing." Marinette tried to grasp at any stars within the darkness. "Maybe she is okay."

"She was sick, Marinette!" Adrien pulled away from her and rolled to face away. "Sick and I didn't even notice or offer to help." He curled into himself and raked his nails against his forearm to feel the pain. Anything to help his guilt.

Marinette grabbed his hand from his arm and peered down at his scratched skin. "It's not your fault." She wrapped her arm around him and buried her nose into his hair with his fingers intertwined with her own.

"It is my fault. I should have known. The box and flowers should have given it away." Adrien let the tears fall as his voice shook. "I'm such an idiot."

"You are not." Marinette rolled him over and he clenched his eyes shut so that she wouldn't notice his tears. "Stop hiding your pain. Stop bottling it up. I said I wouldn't judge and I'm not. You're the smartest guy, I know."

Adrien slowly opened his eyes, causing more tears to cascade down his cheeks. "I can't anymore. I've wanted to die. I've dreamed of never waking up. I get disappointed when I do wake up."

Marinette shook her head and crawled on top of him. She straddled his hips and embraced him with all her might, but he didn't hug her back. "I love you. I'd be so sad if you were gone. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." She began to cry against his shoulder as she imagined a world without him. "Please, don't. Please."

Adrien scoffed for a moment and peered past her at the ceiling. "My father wouldn't even care. He'd probably throw a banquette over it. He'd be happy if I was dead. No more would I be a nuisance to him."

Marinette peered up at him and brushed his hair behind his ear. "That's not true and you know it! Your father loves you."

"He loves my modeling and loves me wearing his brand. Even now… all I wear is Gabriel. I want my own style. I want my own… thoughts, aspirations!" Adrien put his forearm over his eyes and his body trembled.

"What do you want to do?" Marinette smiled at him as she watched him light up.

"I want to change the world as not just Chat, but as Adrien." Adrien smiled and got lost in his thoughts. "I want to make the world a better place. An easier place for everyone to live and have a home. I want to end homelessness and bring free energy to the world. Free housing."

Marinette warmly smiled down at him and suddenly kissed him with all of the love that she could give. "I want that for you too." She let tears fall down her cheeks and he brushed them away.

"Do you think that's possible for me?" Adrien worried his bottom lip.

"I think that anything is possible, if you try hard enough." Marinette sighed and he touched her neck to bring her back down into a kiss.

She parted her lips and he ran his tongue along her bottom lip. Marinette captured his lips with her own, running her tongue along his, and he deepened the kiss. She softly mewled as he tangled his fingers into her hair and rolled them over, so that he was on top of her.

He brushed her hair from her eyes and warmly smiled down at her as he got lost in her sapphire eyes. "What would I do without you?"

"Change the world for the better with fashion." Marinette blushed and he chuckled, capturing her lips again.

000

Gabriel sat on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands as he remembered talking to his wife about Adrien.

Emilie waited for Adrien to leave and gripped the counter as a coughing fit started. She clutched at her shirt and tried to catch her breath. Gabriel ran in to hold her as she gasped. He pressed the cup to her lips and she took a sip.

"This is only going to get worse, Em." Gabriel sighed as she gasped for air.

"DON'T!" Emilie burst into tears as she thought about their son and how he'd grow up. How she wouldn't see it. How she would have to give her son up and she couldn't imagine it. She turned to face Gabriel and cried hysterically against his suit.

"Adrien will be okay." Gabriel ran his fingers through her hair.

Emilie couldn't even get the words out as she coughed and blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth. Gabriel pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the corner of her mouth. "I promise." He fixed her hair with a smile.

"Please. He wants to teach physics and make the world better. Please, let him be who he is." Emilie begged Gabriel with saddened eyes. "Let our son be himself. Let him grow and show the world what he can do."

"Okay. Let's go lay down." Gabriel scooped her up into his arms and carried her to their bed.

"I'm serious. I only want for him to be truly happy. If anything, just give me that comfort." Emilie peered up at her husband and heard him sigh.

"I'll do everything in my power to make him happy and to save you. I promise, love. Now, please get some rest." Gabriel put the blanket over her and kissed her gently.

She reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"I have designs that need finished and I have a strict deadline." Gabriel spoke and the way her eyes glistened in the low light of their bedroom made him relax and sit beside her. "Scoot over."

Emilie shifted over to his side of the bed and Gabriel laid down beside her. He held her against his body and ran his fingers through her hair and down her back.

"Adrien will be okay right? Tell me he'll be alright without me." Emilie let more tears fall.

"He won't have to be without you. I will find a cure for you." Gabriel shushed her and began to hum a sweet melody.

Gabriel took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes as he pushed the tears away. He refused to cry anymore. He refused to feel the pain of losing his wife. Of breaking that promise to her. He cleared his throat and a knock sounded on his door. "Come in!"

"Adrien is home, sir. He's in his room practicing piano." Nathalie held her tablet to her chest.

"Excellent. Do remind him that he has a photoshoot early tomorrow morning and will be missing classes." Gabriel put his glasses back onto his face.

"Yes, sir." Nathalie went to leave, but stopped for a moment. She slowly turned to face him. "With all due respect, sir… but are you okay?"

"Nothing I can't handle, Nathalie. You may have the rest of the day off, once you tell Adrien about his obligations." Gabriel waved her away.

"Are you sure? I could stay and help organize your office or work on your schedule…" Nathalie was worried about him and if something small could help, she was willing to do it for them.

"I'm sure, Nathalie. Have a good night." Gabriel stood up from his bed and saw her out of his room.

Nathalie walked over to Adrien's bedroom and knocked. She heard the familiar come in and opened his door. Adrien was sitting at his piano playing, but she knew that he had just started. She was familiar with the way his phone played it verse him. Whether he recorded his best job at the song to play over and over, or had a recording of someone else… she wasn't going to punish him for it. He had enough that was expected of him as it was.

"Your father wanted me to remind you that tomorrow morning you have a photoshoot and that you will be missing school." Nathalie spoke without emotion and Adrien sighed. She internally cringed because she felt bad for him. The more she got closer to their family, the more she felt like his mother. She knew what his mother would have wanted and it wasn't a life like this. "How would you like to go sit in the garden?"

Adrien peered up at her with surprised emerald eyes. "You'd let me?"

"Well, it's nice outside and I think you've been in here long enough. Besides, your mother would have wanted you to get out." Nathalie smiled at Adrien and he ran up to hug her.

"Thank you, Nathalie." Adrien walked out of his room and through the house, until he reached the back door. He stepped outside and looked up at a statue of his mother.

Adrien slipped his hands into his pockets and peered up at her. "Where are you? Why did you leave?" His words whispered past his lips as he teared up.

Plagg sat on his shoulder, eating a piece of camembert. "Do you really not know what happened to her?"

Adrien shook his head. "I don't. My father kept it hush hush. He never even told the media the whole story. All I know is that she went missing and no one found her or her body."

"Hm." Plagg sighed and stared up at the statue with Adrien.

"Race you to the end of the yard and back?" Adrien raised an eyebrow at Plagg.

"I'm lazy, kid. I don't do races." Plagg crossed his arms.

"Ah… c'mon Plagg! Have a little fun! Let loose!" Adrien laughed with his arms out and spun in a circle.

"Alright, fine. But only for you!" Plagg flew up off of his shoulder and they got ready to run.

Adrien leaned down and touched the lush grass. "Ready… set… go!"

He took off and Plagg zipped along, phasing in and out. "HEY! That's cheating!" Adrien laughed as he caught up to his kwami.

"You never said I couldn't use my powers." Plagg winked and Adrien burst out laughing harder as he tried to catch his breath.

"You're right. You're right…" Adrien raised his hands above his head. "You win. C'mon, let's go get you more cheese." He opened his overshirt for Plagg.

Plagg flew into his shirt and Adrien walked back inside to his bedroom.

000

Marinette sat at her desk and sighed as she sketched up a design for Adrien. Tikki landed on her desk and nibbled on a cookie.

"Do you think Adrien is okay?" Marinette worried her bottom lip as she tapped her pencil on the desk.

"He'll be okay." Tikki smiled and ate the rest of her cookie. "He's handled it for a long time now."

"I just worry about him." Marinette sighed and peered at all of the photos of him and their friends.

"If you're going to… just go." Tikki gave up.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette called out and was coated in a red light.

She opened her trap door and flung her yo-yo across the way to his house. Ladybug landed on the balcony above his massive window and dropped over the edge to peer inside. She nearly lost control of her yo-yo as she saw him on his bed.

She watched his knees bend and spread as his hand ran up and down his cock. She watched his other hand slide beneath it and run along his balls. Ladybug blushed and felt her yo-yo slip as she began to fall.

Her scream made Adrien stop and throw a blanket over himself. He transformed, opened his window, and leapt out to catch her. "You okay?" Chat Noir peered into Ladybug's eyes and she shook her head. She watched his chest rise and fall as he set her down in the garden.

Her feet touched the ground and she gently touched his chest and her eyes scanned down his body till they rested between his legs. Her gaze shot back up to his and her lips were on his within moments. Chat Noir fell back against the grass as she straddled him. She ran her tongue past his lips as she rolled her hips, rubbing herself against his hardened length. She moaned against his lips as he groaned.

"How long were you watching me?" Chat gasped as she grabbed his bell and shoved it down, exposing his chest.

She began to kiss down his neck to his chest. "Long enough."

Chat moaned as she slipped her hand between her legs to caress him through his suit. He purred against her ear and she gasped as it grew louder.

She experimentally ran her hands up his abs and along his pecs, till she reached his chin. Ladybug began to scratch beneath his chin. She ran her fingers up through his hair until, she reached his leather ears. She began to scratch behind them and he rolled his hips against her and moaned. His tail flipped up and wrapped around her thigh as the metal end ran along her folds. She gasped again and moaned as his tail teased her.

"Inside, bedroom. Please." Ladybug begged and Chat rolled her onto her back. He got up and pulled her against his side as he extended his staff to take them up to his bathroom window.

"Where are we going?" Ladybug held onto him with her arms around his neck.

"Bathroom." Chat breathed hard as his voice came out deeper than he had meant for it to.

"Bathroom?" Ladybug raised an eyebrow and he hopped down near the tub.

"Less stressful, if I pretend to shower, Bugaboo." Chat Noir turned on the water and dropped transformation.

Ladybug's eyes ran down his body, from his piercing green eyes to his cock between his legs. She breathed hard as her heart raced and her lips parted.

"You okay?" Adrien smirked at her as he walked back into the shower.

"Yeah- yeah. I'm okay." Ladybug cleared her throat and dropped transformation.

Plagg locked the door as Tikki followed him out of the bathroom.

"I feel so used." Plagg grabbed his stash of wine and poured himself a glass.

"Plagg, Plagg, Plagg. It's totally normal for two teens to-" Adrien and Marinette's moans cut her off. "Well, they could at least not be so loud and obvious about it." Tikki grabbed a bottle of liquor and poured herself a drink.

"My point exactly." Plagg sighed as he took a sip.

"Look, it'll slow down eventually. Besides… what are the odds that an akuma would show up right now…" Tikki shrugged as she drank another sip from her glass.

Adrien's glass window shattered as an akumatized teenager showed up. "Oh… Adrien… I have a message for you… since you didn't respond to my love letter… I'll make you MYSELF." A girl with dark hair and blue eyes smiled like a half crazed demon.

"Well, that's purrfect..." Plagg and Tikki snuck back into Adrien's bathroom as fast as possible.

"Kid!" Plagg called out as he heard panting from inside the shower. "Seriously… you have to get out."

Adrien peered down at Marinette, who was busy running her tongue along his cock. He tangled his fingers into her hair as he pressed his head back against the tile wall.

"Not now, Plagg." Adrien spoke through his clenched jaw as Marinette took him to the back of her throat. He hunched over and thrust his hips. Marinette caught his hip bones with her palms to still him from choking her.

"No, you don't have a choice, kid. An akum-" Plagg was interrupted by the bathroom door being flung off the track.

"Fuck." Adrien cursed as Marinette abruptly stopped what she was doing when she heard a female voice.

"Oh… Adrien… don't you want to read my letter?" Her voice came out as a song and made a chill go up his spine.

"Sorry, Plagg." Adrien called him to transform.

"Tikki." Marinette whispered and transformed in front of Chat, who quickly pushed her behind him.

He peered around the shower door. "Adrien's not here."

"You better let the cat out of the bag! Where's Adrien Agreste?" The akumatized girl put her hands on her hips, leaning towards him.

"Modeling, of course. What else does he do?" Chat rolled his eyes and cross his arms over his chest.

"Chat…" Ladybug rubbed her thighs together. "I- I don't know if I can defeat an akuma like this." She bit her bottom lip as her gaze fell to his rounded ass and how the suit contoured to his muscles and the very thought of him wearing nothing beneath the suit made her breath tremble.

Chat peered over his shoulder at his lady and swallowed hard as he felt himself become aroused again. "You know what? I think I suddenly remember where I put Adrien. He's at the Eiffel Tower. Quick before he leaves there!" Chat called out and heard the akumatized girl leave them be.

"Just bought you about… ten minutes, Bugaboo. Drop transformation." Chat set an alarm on his staff, stuck it back into place, and she did what he said.

Chat spread her thighs and ran his tongue between her folds and she bit her knuckles to keep quiet with her eyes clenched shut. Her lips parted as he circled her clit and licked it until it swelled more and hardened. Marinette rolled her hips against his mouth and gripped the wall with her hand as he wrapped his lips around her swollen clit. He sucked and flicked it with his lips and tongue until she was moaning and pressing her pussy closer to him.

Chat groaned as he felt her thighs tremble and he caught her as her knees gave out with his arms. He began to purr, vibrating against her clit. Marinette gasped and cried out as she came. Chat helped her balance and he stood up, wiping the back of his mouth with his gloved hand. "Ready to fight?" His chest rose and fell as he flexed in his suit.

Marinette shook her head. "Five minutes, right?"

Chat looked at his staff to see the time. "Five minutes."

She unzipped his suit and got onto her knees, finishing what she had started earlier. Chat moaned and fell against the tile wall as she wrapped her fingers around his hardened length and moved it in tandem with her mouth. "Ah, Marinette…" Chat groaned as she slowly increased the speed of her hand and mouth.

She swiped her tongue along the underside of his cock as she sucked. Marinette ran her mouth from the base to the tip and swirled her tongue around it. Adrien gasped and clutched at her as she worked him with her hand and teased his swollen head. She flicked the tip and took him back into her mouth. Within moments, he was trembling and cumming for her.

Marinette stood up as he caught his breath, slowly zipping up his suit. "Now, I'm ready Kitty." She transformed back into Ladybug and Chat cleared his throat as he followed her to the Eiffel Tower from his bathroom window.

Songs I wrote to:

Birdie by Avril Lavigne

Walk Me Home by P!nk

Waving Through a Window from Dear Evan Hansen

Ease My Mind by Ben Platt