Note: Don't kill me...
Marinette sat on her bed, staring at Chat Noir. She worried her bottom lip and focused on him. He was hiding in his hair with his knees drawn up against his chest. She knew that he wasn't okay. That today had taken a lot out of him.
"Are you okay?" Marinette reached out to touch him and he flinched. "We don't have to talk about what happened with Roger if you don't want to. I understand, Kitty."
Chat took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he dropped his legs down to cross them, resting his forearms on his thighs. "I-" He peered up at her trap door for a moment to gather his tears before they could spill down his leather mask. "I didn't expect it to be so hard."
"I know. I'm so sorry, Adrien. So so sorry." Marinette felt a tear fall down her cheek as she watched him pick at her pink blanket.
"Why are you sorry? You only did what you should, but I- I really wish that I could have not talked about it. I wanted to just forget it ever happened, but- but that's not a thing." He awkwardly laughed as he peered up and away, sniffing back tears as his voice trembled. "That's not- pos- possible. Your touch… anything near this…" He gestured in a circle over his lap. "It shoots me right back in that ch- I can't even say that word."
"I know. It has to be scary and hard." Marinette swallowed hard as she scooted closer to him. She took his gloved hands in hers and held them for a moment with a warm smile on her face. "You're the strongest person I know. I'm so sorry that I let this happen to you. You didn't need this on top of everything else."
"And it sucks… because I want to do what we were doing before. I want to make love to you. I want to do what we were doing, but if you eve- even get- ge- ugh! I'm so frustrated! Why did she have to fuck it all up?" Chat Noir grabbed the front of his hair as he became angrier than before. "They asked what happened and it was so hard. So hard to answer it. So hard to even say what happened. And they wanted details, Marinette. DETAILS! I didn't want to give them- and I didn't want to talk about it. I wanted to just say this happened. Be vague. The end. But no. They- they don't give that as an option!" Chat peered out from between his wrists. "I just want to forget. Please just let me forget…"
"Come here." Marinette softened her voice and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into her chest.
He gripped onto her shirt and held her close as he fell apart. "That day was hard. Today was harder because- because I had to talk to people about it. I had to relive it and it was so embarrassing, Marinette. I can't do it again. I can't do this. I can't- I- I want to die and just waste away so that I never have to remember it or talk about it again."
"Don't say that." Marinette sniffed as tears fell down her cheeks. "Don't ever say that. I'll be sad if you leave. Everyone will be sad if you are gone. I love you. A lot of people love you." Marinette clung to him as he fell apart and trembled in her arms.
"No one cares about me. They care about my name." Adrien mumbled into her chest.
"That's not true and you know it." Marinette slightly scolded him and sighed. "People love you because you have such a big heart. Because you are protective, strong, and don't take shit. You stand up for people and did I mention you protect people?" She softly laughed and heard him chuckle. "I got you to laugh. That's a bonus. You'll get through this and I'll be here beside you to do it."
"I don't want to do this photoshoot. I want to skip it. Can we skip it?" Chat peered up from her chest with big emerald hued eyes. "Please?"
"I don't know if I can get you out of that, kitty." Marinette softly spoke as she ran her fingers through his hair.
"I'm just glad that you'll be there." Chat swallowed hard and Marinette nodded.
"Of course. And we don't have to do anything dirty. I'm okay just hanging out with you. Playing video games with you. Going to the movies with you. Fighting akumas with you." Marinette softly laughed at the last part, causing Chat to laugh. "Can I have my boyfriend back, please? I know he's hiding behind his mask right now, but I'd love to see him."
Chat nodded and spoke with a shaky breath. "Plagg, claws in."
Plagg zipped out of his ring and sat on his shoulder, nuzzling his jawline. "It's okay kid. You did what you had to and you did it with a lot of courage. You're a good kid. I couldn't ask for a better holder."
Adrien reached up to pet Plagg, causing the little kwami to purr deeply and close his eyes. Tikki flew out of Marinette's hair and landed on Adrien's other shoulder to hug his cheek.
"You'll be okay." Tikki sighed as she settled in on his shoulder.
Adrien broke down more and Marinette held him tighter as they let him fall apart.
000
Marinette straightened Adrien's ensemble as he took a deep breath. "You're going to be awesome. You always take amazing photos, Minou." She smiled warmly at him as she straightened the collar on his jacket.
"I'm nervous. What if… you know who shows up?" Adrien swallowed hard and played with the hem on his jacket.
"Your father took care of that. She shouldn't be anywhere near here." Marinette warmly smiled at him and brushed his hair out of his eyes.
"Yeah but… my father says things and really doesn't me-" Adrien was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Your father needs you to start the shoot." Nathalie held the tablet in her arms.
Marinette smiled and fixed her own outfit before she took his hand in hers. "C'mon."
Adrien nodded and followed her to the area of the venue that they were taking photos at. He sighed and waited for them to mess with his makeup and hair. He rolled his eyes and gave a fake smile as he adjusted his jacket.
Marinette ran her hands down her white dress and fixed her jean jacket. "Alright. We got this."
"Follow my lead." Adrien pulled her beside him and winked causing her cheeks to catch fire.
"O- okay." She squeaked as he spun her to the other side and dipped her back. Vincent's camera flashed around them.
He sat down on a bench and pulled her onto his lap, causing her to dip back and nearly fall. He caught her and held her with his eyes on hers and a genuine smile on his lips.
"Salut, Wonder Bug." Adrien's voice came out in a soft whisper that made her melt.
"Salut, Kitty Cat." Marinette sighed and Adrien leaned down to press his lips against hers causing Vincent to flip out.
"More… MORE! YES! Give me more, PASSION! ROMANCE! LOVE! I NEED MORE!" Vincent ran around them taking photos causing flashes to burst out around them like fireworks.
Marinette squealed as he pulled her up against him more and placed his hand on her thigh. He deepened the kiss and Vincent had his next promotional photo for Gabriel's new cologne.
000
Adrien laid on his bed and rolled over to pet Plagg on the head. "Thank you for being so amazing today. I really needed it."
"I'm here for you whenever you need it, kid." Plagg curled up on the pillow beside him and began to purr. "Nothing can take me from you."
"I'm glad that I have you." Adrien sighed and cuddled his pillow in his arm as he drifted off to sleep.
A purple swoosh of light phased through Adrien's bedroom door and quickly made it's way over to his bed. Nooroo worried his hands together as he became nervous. Plagg shifted in his sleep and before he could protest… Nooroo slipped through the blankets and stole the ring off of Adrien's finger, causing Plagg to get sucked into the silver jewelry piece.
Adrien shot up in bed and frantically looked around, finding no one in his room. He quickly took in how his hand felt lighter and he shot a look at his palm, realizing that his ring was gone.
It slowly sank in. The feeling of dread, panic, and dismay. The feeling of being truly alone and unprotected. The feeling of betrayal. The feeling of a pain that was deep in his chest. He threw the covers from his bed as his eyes grew wide and his chest rose and fell. He ran over to his desk to grab his phone, so that he could call Marinette, but he found that his phone was missing.
Adrien ran out of his bedroom and booked it to the stairs only to run into his father. He slowly peered up with tear filled eyes and parted lips as he panted in a panic.
"Were you looking for something?" Gabriel held his hands behind his back as he peered down at his son without so much as care in the world. "Seems like you've been hiding something from me for a long time, son."
"Why?" His voice was broken and quiet.
"For your own good. You'll understand someday, son." Gabriel turned to walk away and Adrien grabbed his coat as he peered down at the tiled floor.
"WHY?" Adrien sniffed and slowly peered up at his father with tears rolling down his cheeks.
"You will be happy once I get Ladybug's miraculous. You will see, son. I am about to make our greatest wish come true." Gabriel tore himself away from Adrien and heard him fall to his knees and sob.
"Can I at least have my phone?" Adrien burst out and peered up at his father's stoic back.
"I think it's time that you have a break from your friends. You have had enough to handle lately." Gabriel walked away, leaving him alone with the sound of his office doors slamming shut.
Adrien leapt up on his feet and ran out of the chateau. He didn't care where he ended up. Didn't care who found him or didn't find him. Didn't care if he ended up in the Seine. There was no point anymore. Not when he couldn't see his friends.
He slammed his hands down on the metal bars of the bridge that overlooked the Seine and gripped it as he peered down, sobbing. He brought a trembling foot up and placed it on the first bar, lifting himself up. His back muscles flexed along with his arms as he pulled himself up. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. The wind blew his hair and he peered up at the night sky, ready to finally let go.
