Theme songs for this chapter: "A Whole New World," "I See the Light"...basically insert any Disney love song here!

"When I imagined myself climbing the Eiffel Tower," Lita said, "I didn't think it would be this crowded."

She gasped as yet another tourist pushed past her. She had to cling to Black Hat's arm to avoid getting lost in the sweaty muddle. Gazing up at the structure, Lita let out a groan at the fact that they were still on the first level after what felt like an hour.

"We just had to come in the middle of tourist season, didn't we?" she said in exasperation.

"Oh, trust me," Black Hat said. "It's like this all the time."

Lita reached back to check that her backpack was secure for the twelfth time.

"What did I say about being paranoid?" he said, eyeing her backpack.

"You can't blame me! Anyone could easily slip their hand in my bag or pocket and—"

He put a finger over her lips. "I'll add 'get Flug to invent a highly secured bag and or paranoia reducer ray' to my to-do list." He grinned as a playful thought occurred to him. "Of course, if you'd prefer to avoid the huddled masses, we can always take the shortcut to the top."

She eyed him suspiciously. "What exactly do you mean by—?"

"Hold tight."

Before she could protest, he pulled her close to his chest and for a moment, everything went black. The next thing Lita saw was blue. Lots of blue. Lita couldn't feel anything beneath her feet. Glancing down, she discovered that they were suspended high above the Eiffel Tower.

Black Hat had teleported them away from the crowds. And away from the ground!

Yelping, Lita clung to the only thing around, which was Black Hat. He was laughing as she attempted to climb onto him.

"Oopsie," he said innocently. "Must have miscalculated the distance."

In an instant, they were on the tower again. As soon as Lita's feet were down, she glared furiously at her boss.

"You did that on purpose!"

"Of course, I did," Black Hat said nonchalantly. "And it was worth seeing the terrified look on your face."

She pointed her finger in his smug face. "That wasn't funny! And if you pull something like that again, I'll scream really loud and the police will come running! Yeah, I know they can't really arrest you, but it'll at least annoy you for—"

Tired of her empty threats, Black Hat gripped her shoulders and spun her around. The spectacular view she was met with shut her up immediately.

On the top floor of the Eiffel Tower, one could see all of Paris. Her mouth agape, Lita went up to the rail and looked out at the city below. It was even more incredible in the daytime! Every detail of every tree, every building, every vehicle was now in plain sight.

The better part was that there were fewer people at the top, so no one was bumping into or brushing against her.

"Oh, wow," she whispered, leaning against the rail. "This view beats the one from the hotel! You can see everything from up here! Look! There's the Arc de Triomphe! Can we go there next?"

Black Hat shook his head. "We'll save that for this evening."

She frowned. "But it's so close by. Wouldn't it make sense to just go now?"

"Patience, dear. You'll see my reasoning soon."

"Ooh! There's the Notre Dame!" She cringed. "Sheesh. You really did a number on that one, boss." The next sight caused her to cock an eyebrow. "I thought the Statue of Liberty was in New York."

"That's merely a replica," Black Hat explained. "Shortly after the French presented the original Statue of Liberty to the Americans, the Americans returned the favor by giving the French a replica of inferior size."

Lita scrunched her nose. "So…they basically gave them the same gift, only smaller?"

He smirked. "Americans truly are my favorite kind of clients."

Eager to get a better look at all the monuments, Lita eyed a telescope nearby. Following her gaze, Black Hat reached into his jacket and produced a euro coin.

"Thanks!" she exclaimed, swiping the coin and dropping it into the slot.

Placing the lens in front of her eye, she swiveled the telescope around, trying to re-find the monuments. In her search, she came across a glass pyramid she recognized immediately.

"Hey, the Louvre! Papi told me about that one job he did there! Oh, but you know all about that, don't you? I've always wanted to see all the paintings he talked about!"

"We can go there next, if you'd like," Black Hat said.

"Cool!" She frowned. "Oh, but it looks like a bit of a walk! Sure you don't wanna grab a cab or—?"

"No need!"

As she was suddenly pulled to his side, Lita's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh no! Don't you dare—"

The two of them evaporated into shadow.

"I really thought it'd be bigger," Lita said as they entered the very crowded showroom for the Mona Lisa.

"It's not the size that matters," Black Hat whispered, "it's the value."

They couldn't stay still for long, as the mass of people was moving like a current around the tiny painted woman. People snapped pictures, their flashes glinting off the protective glass, despite the protests from the security guards to turn off their flash.

Black Hat was completely uninterested in the painting, but he noticed that Lita couldn't take her eyes off it. They were wide with intrigue and desire. Oh, he knew that look well.

"You want to steal it, don't you?" he said with a smirk.

"What?" Lita blushed. "N-No, I—"

"Oh, you're just itching to. Just admit it." He nudged her side playfully. "After all, to steal the most famous painting in the world would be an impressive feat."

She bit her lip guiltily, her eyes flitting between him and the painting. "M-Maybe a…a little?"

He chuckled. "While I admire your ambition, darling, I'm afraid we cannot afford to draw too much attention at the moment. Besides," he whispered, leaning in close, "you wouldn't want to steal a forgery."

"Say what now?" she said, looking back at the Mona Lisa in disbelief.

"I stole the original decades ago."

She gaped at him. "You're joking!"

He shook his head proudly.

"How?!"

"I took the shortcut." Black Hat said, wriggling his brow. "After that, it was like taking candy from a baby."

"But where the hell did you get…?" Glancing at the security guards, Lita lowered her voice. "A forgery?"

"Painted it myself."

"WHAT?!"

"Not so loud, if you please."

Lita whispered, "You mean you made an actual flawless copy of Da Vinci's masterpiece?!"

"Mmm-hmm," he said with a nod.

"And got away with it?!"

"The Mona Lisa's eyes following you everywhere you go was my personal touch," he said with a mischievous grin.

She shook her head. "I just…wow. You really are the master of villainy! I mean…seriously! What do you even need me for, dude?"

"What a ridiculous question."

She waited for him to say more. But he didn't.

"So, um…" Lita leaned towards him. "How much did you sell it for?"

"I didn't." He grinned wider. "It's collecting dust in my attic."

She cocked her head. "Then why steal it? Oh, wait. You were just bored, weren't you?"

"Yes. And no. I also sold several other forgeries to clients, passing them off as the original."

"That's…genius. Downright dirty, but genius." Lita hung her head. "I must…seem like an amateur, compared to you."

"Indeed," he said, pulling her closer. "But I like a challenge."

"Three months ago, if you'd told me I'd be strolling down the Champs-Élysées with the deadliest being in the universe—"

"Multiverse," Black Hat corrected her.

"Right. Still trying to wrap my head around that." Lita laughed. "I would've said, 'Shut the fuck up!'"

After a lunch cruise on the Seine—this had been Lita's first time on a boat—the two of them had toured all around town, from the Luxembourg Gardens to Cleopatra's needle, and then finally dinner at the Moulin Rouge! Lita had been so used to being the server, it felt nice to actually sit down and eat at a restaurant for once. The last time she'd done that had been with Paolo, and she didn't want to think about that period in her life. Black Hat had insisted they leave in the middle of the dinner show, saying he had one last surprise for her. Now here they were on one of the most beautiful streets in the world!

She gazed around in wonder at the illuminated avenue, the neatly trimmed trees giving it a natural touch. Now that night had fallen, the crowds had diminished somewhat, but there were still quite a few people about. Particularly couples of all kinds. Old and young, interracial and same-sex, the City of Love attracted them all.

Lita knew how she and the now human Black Hat must've looked, walking arm in arm. He hadn't complained about her hanging onto him, but he probably found it sickening. Even now, he was cringing at two women sitting in an outdoor café, holding hands and staring lovingly into each other's eyes. A man at the next table was kissing the cheek of the woman sitting beside him. Black Hat was about ready to gag.

"Why does it bother you so much?" Lita asked.

"What?" he said, turning to her.

She looked up at him. "When people show affection. Why does it bother you?"

He snorted. "I've explained to you, villains can't involve love."

"Yeah, but…they're not villains. At least I think so. Can't be sure. Why are you so repulsed by the idea of love?"

"Other than it being utterly disgusting?" He shook his head. "It's simply a waste of time, not amounting to anything other than preserving the species."

"But not all people who fall in love can…procreate," she said, tilting her head towards two men walking hand in hand. "Even if it is between a male and female. And falling in love doesn't necessarily lead to wanting kids."

"Then what is the point of throwing away everything you've worked for all for a single being? No one is that important!"

Lita frowned. "If you hate love so much, why did you let my parents get married?"

Black Hat groaned. "Your father was desperate to retire, I needed something that was…irreplaceable. So, I agreed to let him pursue the married life if he stole this item for me."

"The Fabergé egg?" she guessed.

He nodded. "You have that egg to thank for your existence."

"I don't get it. What's so special about that egg?"

"Perhaps, one day, I will tell you. But not today." His gaze moved ahead. "I wasn't too thrilled that the mate Ricardo had chosen wasn't another criminal, but at least she wasn't a hero. I had also hoped he would pass his thieving skills onto the next generation, make me some more useful little pawns."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Gee, couldn't you have at least made me a rook?"

He burst out laughing. "Well, at least some good came out of Ricardo's foolishness."

"He wasn't foolish!" She was getting ticked off now. "Papi just wanted to be the best husband and father he could be!" She hung her head. "He…didn't always make the best decisions, but…he did it all because he cared about me and Mom. You might not get it, but…when you meet someone…someone who you feel understands you, you…you'd do anything for that person. Even…something stupid like—"

"Trading your soul to pay off his debts?" he asked in a serious tone.

Closing her eyes, Lita nodded. Her hands tightened around his arm. She'd been clinging to him all day, and Black Hat found it strange. Even if it was for appearance's sake, his body was still significantly cold. And yet she appeared comfortable, not showing any desire to let go of him.

In truth, Lita had gotten used to his frigid body temperature by now. The summer warmth and her new coat actually canceled the chilliness out, so she wasn't shivering as much.

"You know?" she said after a long pause. "I don't think you ever explained what it means to own someone's soul. I mean to own a body is one thing, but a soul?"

"I'm assuming you didn't read your contract thoroughly before you signed it," Black Hat said, a twinge of disappointment in his tone.

She shrugged. "I was too desperate to really care."

"Well, the difference between owning someone's body and owning someone's soul is that with the former, you have dominion over that body until it expires. With a soul, the contract is binding in the afterlife as well."

Lita stopped in her tracks. "You mean…there is such a place as," she said with a gulp, "H-Hell?"

She had never been religious. With so many supernatural beings in the world, Lita had found it impossible to pledge herself to a single string of beliefs. Obviously, demons existed, but if there actually was life after death, if there were karmic consequences to all her actions…she was pretty much screwed.

"Yes…and no," Black Hat said, smirking at her fearful tone. "Let us simply say that when a soul leaves the body, it wanders around and can end up in a number of spiritual planes. Some of them are less pleasant than others…and more difficult to escape from. But since I own your soul, I can summon you to do my bidding from whatever spiritual plane you may end up in after you die."

"And…you've seen these spiritual planes?" she asked, leaning closer in interest.

"I get around," he said nonchalantly.

She hung her head. "Do…do you know if…there are certain patterns for…I mean do you know which plane you might…does it matter what you do in life or—?"
"I have absolutely no idea where your mother's soul went, if that's what you're asking." His tone suddenly became bitter. "She never contracted her soul to me, so I didn't keep track of her."

"Oh," Lita said quietly.

Glancing sideways at her, he caught the sorrowful expression on her face. For some reason, he didn't like that expression. It created a heavy, unfamiliar feeling within his chest. Perhaps he'd simply gotten used to seeing her smile all day. If he could get her to smile again, maybe then he wouldn't feel so…perturbed.

Looking ahead, he found they were nearing their destination. He gently lifted Lita's chin so she could see the wondrous sight ahead of her, causing her to gasp.

The Arc de Triomphe was bathed in golden light, contrasting brilliantly with the black night sky. She could see the intricate carvings of the winged soldiers. For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Lita wished Hatsville had structures such as this!

"Ugh, we're going to be late," Black Hat said, glancing at his pocket watch.

"Late for what?" she asked.

"No matter." He said, shoving the watch back into his pocket. "I wasn't looking forward to dealing with any more long lines and extravagant admission prices."

Her face fell. "We're not going to the top?"

"I'm afraid it would take too long." He shrugged. "Oh, well. I guess you won't be seeing the surprise I had planned after all."

"What surprise? What are we late for?" She tugged on his arm. "Spill it, you're driving me crazy!"

"Doesn't matter." He moved to turn. "Unless we can somehow get up to the top within the next five minutes, we simply can't—"

"We'll take the shortcut!"

He turned back to her, a smug smile on his face. Then Lita realized what he had just done.

"Alright, fine!" She pouted. "Teleporting's convenient, I admit it!"

"I knew you'd see it my way," he said, pulling her close.

A second later, they were at the top of the arch. Apparently, everyone was too enticed in the view to notice that the two of them had appeared out of nowhere. And it was no wonder, for the Eiffel Tower was but a short distance away, all lit up and shining like an enormous star.

"Oh!" Lita put her hand to her mouth as she walked up to the rail. "Is this why you saved this stop for the evening?"

"Indeed," Black Hat said. "Past experience has proven that it is much more fruitful to visit the Eiffel Tower during the day and the Arc de Triomphe at night." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Just wait a moment, and you'll see the real reason why."

Lita eyed the position of his hand suspiciously.

"Alright," she said, flinching away from him. "I give up. What's your angle?"

He cocked his head. "Angle?"

"You've been nice to me all day. You've taken me all around one of the most beautiful cities in the world. You took me on a lunch cruise and a freaking dinner show! And now you've got some other surprise waiting for me here? You didn't have to do all this. You could've arranged the flight so we didn't have a whole day to kill before meeting with the client. So…why do this for me? I know it isn't out of the goodness of your heart."

Black Hat took a moment to respond. "I can assure you, Miss Gris, that my reasons are entirely selfish."

"Ah." She nodded. "I get it. You're trying to butter me up, give me what I want so that I actually like working with you, and maybe want to be a villain because of it. Is that right?"

He sighed. "You read me like an open book."

"At least the dust jacket," Lita said, leaning on the rail. "I hardly know a thing about you."

Locking gaze with her, he murmured, "You know more than you think."

"Well," she said, turning back to the tower, "I appreciate your honesty, anyway. Even if this was a way of manipulating me to be your loyal lackey, I'm glad you brought me along." She scoffed. "Funnily enough, it sort of worked. I at least like you better."

"Really?" Black Hat said, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah. It's good to know you're not a complete asshole. And, for what it's worth," she said, elbowing him, "you make a pretty good fake husband."

He chuckled. "And you make a…decent fake wife."

Gasping, Lita pushed him playfully. "Nope! I was wrong! You're an asshole, one hundred percent!"

"And don't you," he said, pushing her back, "forget it."

As they both laughed, Lita noticed the light shining on his human face seemed to shimmer. When she turned back to the Eiffel Tower, she saw that the lights were no longer still, but moving all around the structure! This gave it a twinkling effect, making the tower more magical than before!"

"Wha…?" she said, leaning further onto the rail.

"Ah, right on time," Black Hat said, taking out his pocket watch. "They have this light show every evening, every hour, on the hour. I've seen it several times before, but I figured you would wish to see it at least…"

He trailed off when he caught sight of her. The twinkling lights from the tower were dancing all over her face, reflecting off her wide blue eyes. The smile that had graced her lips only illuminated her features more.

"It's beautiful," she murmured in wonder.

"Y-Yes," he whispered, his gaze focused on her. "I…suppose it is."

She'd been right about him wanting to gain her trust by fulfilling her dream to see the world. If she could see the benefits of being a villain, she'd want to be one more. But that wasn't the only reason.

Black Hat had been to Paris more times than he could count, with the number of clients that had lived there and the profiting revolutions that had occurred within its walls. He'd seen every nook and cranny, even if those nooks and crannies changed every few decades. He'd naturally become bored of the city, as he had with most other cities in the world. Since he was significantly less bored whenever Lita was around, he'd been hoping it would make this trip more interesting.

And he'd been right. He hadn't felt bored all day. But there was something else too.

As he glanced from Lita to the Eiffel Tower, it was as if he were seeing it for the first time. It actually was quite a sight, all those lights blinking rhythmically around the tower. Looking back at his companion, he considered what she had told him earlier about Paris being more alive than Hat Island. It certainly was brighter.

So was her smile.

Black Hat had been feeling strange every time that smile had appeared on her face. And yet, it was pleasant. Was he…happy? That she was happy? The heavy sensation in his chest suddenly became lighter. Lighter, and warm.

And it terrified him.

"Well, the show is over," Black Hat said once the lights had become stationary again. "I say we return to the hotel and call it a night."

Before he could turn, Lita suddenly grabbed his gloved hand. He looked up to see her bright blue eyes, big and pleading.

"Few more minutes?" she asked, her bottom lip curled into a pout.

He stiffened at the look she was giving him. For some reason, he wasn't compelled to disagree with her. After a long moment, he yanked his hand away.

"It, um…couldn't hurt," he said quietly.

Grinning gratefully, Lita turned her attention back to the Eiffel Tower. Today had been the best day of her life. And to think she had Black Hat to thank for it.

When her left hand suddenly felt cold, she glanced down to see a human hand. But it was far too icy to be a human hand. She didn't need to look at the owner's face to know his identity.

He had merely taken his glove off.

Black Hat looked up from the file he was reading after hearing Lita turn over in bed for the fiftieth time. "Aren't you asleep yet?"

Lita, now in her white pajamas with her hair back up in a ponytail, rolled over to scowl at the back of Black Hat's head peering over the white couch. "Well, excuse me, but there's a little something called jet lag!"

The demon huffed as he turned a page. "I never had jet lag."

"That's because you don't need sleep!"

"You've been awake for nearly twenty hours, and have been walking around Paris all day," he said, his head turning a hundred and eighty degrees. "How are you not tired?"

She cringed. "For one thing, it's a little hard to sleep with you in the room, watching me!"

He rotated his head back to hide the dark color coming to his cheeks. "P-Please, Miss Gris, you're not that interesting." He pretended to be invested in his file. "Personally, I don't care if you stay awake all night. As long as you keep quiet."

Sighing, Lita sat up in bed and took one of the champagne glasses to get herself some water from the sink. As she exited the bathroom, she noticed that Black Hat was re-reading Flug's report on their latest client.

"Do you ever stop working?" she asked.

"Do you ever stop talking?" Black Hat said with a grunt.

She approached him slowly. "You've read that thing at least a dozen times on the flight! Pretty sure you have it memorized by now!"

"One must always be properly prepared for a business meeting," he said, flipping to the next page. "Are you prepared?"

"Mmm-hmm," she replied with a nod.

"Don't give me that. I only saw you read this once."

"Yeah, and that was all I needed."

"Oh, really?" He scoffed. "Then explain to me what—?"

"Gabriel Agreste, aka Hawk Moth, is after these ancient magical artifacts known as Miraculouses," Lita said, setting her empty glass down on the coffee table. "He harnesses one of these artifacts, known as the Butterfly Miraculous, which grants him the power to transmit powers to others, and he does that to create other villains to go after his main adversaries Cat Noir and Ladybug, who own the two most powerful Cat and Ladybug Miraculouses, which grant the power of Destruction and Creation, and when they are supposedly brought together—"

"Alright, I believe you!" Black Hat exclaimed, using a tentacle to cover her mouth.

His eye was still on the open file in his hands.

"So," Lita said, pushing his tentacle away, "what do you not get?"

"I don't get why this idiot uses the same plan over and over," he said, flipping through the pages more rapidly.

"That's something you can just ask him. You don't need to re-read the whole file to—"

"IT PASSES THE TIME, ALRIGHT?!" he shouted, crumpling the papers in his claws.

Lita jumped back at his sudden outburst and watched bewildered as he magically reverted the papers to normal and continued reading.

Oh my gosh, she thought. He's just really bored, isn't he?

It made sense. He never had to sleep, which opened up a lot of free time for him. And he'd lived for a very long time. Lita could only imagine how mad that would drive a person, not knowing what to do with the infinite amount of time they had in the world. It explained why he'd awoken her with the organ that one night, and why he had asked her to stay at his side while he played. He'd been starving for entertainment and perhaps…company?

Was that the only reason he did anything? Was that the reason he had taken over the world? Was that the reason he had retired to run an evil enterprise? Was that why he kept her, Flug, Dementia and 5.0.5. around? Boredom?

Or…was it something else?

"Boss?" Lita said, crouching down to his eyelevel. "Did…did you ask me to come to Paris with you because…you didn't wanna be…alone?"

Black Hat slammed the file onto his lap. "For the thousandth time, Miss Gris, I am not lonely! I like time to myself, and do not need anyone around to make my time on Earth less bleak! Get that absurd idea out of your head!"

He raised the file up to his face so that it was hidden from her. He sounded like he was in complete denial. Lita knew he was in complete denial.

"I get it," she said, sitting down beside him. "I'm a bit of a loner myself. Didn't really have any friends before I met you guys."

He didn't lower the folder, but he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He was honestly surprise by this, with all her talk of friendship. Not to mention she wasn't as socially awkward or insane as his other subordinates.

Then again, she'd also proven to be distrustful of strangers. And now that he thought about it, the only person she'd expressed any interest in contacting had been her father.

"There just didn't seem to be much point in getting to know other people," Lita said, leaning back against the couch. "I never stayed at one job for very long. And even when I was a kid, no one wanted to play with the daughter of an ex-con. I essentially played by myself during recess and was always the last one picked for every game."

The file lowered slightly. "Even with your athletic ability?"

She shrugged. "Not even the kids in the gymnastics club liked me very much. In fact, they once stole my clothes from my locker…while I was in the shower. One time…I got in trouble for punching another kid, even though he had pushed me down first, and I was the one suspended for a week. There…there were a lot of times at work and at school when something went missing, whether it was a pencil or a bracelet, and…I would always get blamed for it."

Her hands gripped together at the memories. "No matter how good I was, no matter how well I behaved, I was always treated like…like…"

"Trash?"

She winced. "Wouldn't put it that harshly, but…yeah. They'd always…pick on me, chanting that I was gonna end up a crook like my father. And I hadn't even done anything! Yet."

She hung her head. "Guess I proved them right in the end, huh?"

Black Hat didn't respond, only stared at her. Lita shook her head as she got up.

"Sorry. I'm probably boring you even more, rambling on like this. I'll just go back to bed."

But before she could take a step, he snatched her hand. Turning back to him, Lita saw that he'd set the file on the table, his attention entirely on her.

"Continue," he said bluntly, pulling her back down. "If you must."

"W-Well, uh," she said, twiddling her fingers, "that's…pretty much it, I guess. I'm a friendless loser with pretty much no social life. The point is…I know how you feel."

She looked down at her hands. "I…I'd come home so many nights, sometimes when Papi was already asleep, and…not be sure what to do with myself. I mean I'd work out or watch TV or check our finances, but…I could only do so much on my own." She chuckled. "One time I poured an entire bowl of oatmeal down the sink and then unclogged it, just to give me something to do."

Black Hat scoffed. "That's nothing. I was once so bored that I dismantled my home brick by brick, and then rebuilt it from the ground up!"

Lita laughed. "You probably get more bored than anyone else in the world, living forever, not sleeping, having no one to talk to…"

She stopped herself, thinking he was going to yell at her again. Black Hat merely held up his hands in surrender.

"Alright," he admitted. "So maybe I brought you along in hopes that your presence would make this trip slightly less dull." He gave her a warning glare. "But don't read too much into it!"

"Fine," she said, smiling at him. "Just confirming that your reasons for bringing me were totally selfish. So," she nudged him playfully, "have I entertained you enough?"

Black Hat sighed. "Enough to make me not want to kill you…for the moment."

"From you, I'll take that as a compliment." She glanced back at the television. "Since we're both up, why don't we rent a movie or something?"

She stood up from the couch while her boss groaned.

"I doubt you'll find anything on there I haven't seen."

"That why you always skip out on Movie Night?" Lita asked, picking the remote up from the side table and sitting on the bed.

Every Friday, she, Flug, Dementia and 5.0.5. would have a Movie Night. They'd take turns each week picking a movie to watch. She'd understood Black Hat sitting out of 5.0.5.'s picks—she wasn't a big fan of The Care Bears Movie either—but had been certain he would've joined them for Dementia's horror favorites.

"I've watched every single film ever made," Black Hat said.

"Even the really bad ones?" Lita asked as she browsed through the hotel's on demand library. "Man, you really are bored. Well, we'll just pick something you like." She turned to him, finding he was still pouting on the couch. "Oh, come on. Like you have anything better to do!"

With a heavy sigh, Black Hat stood. "Just as long as it's not some mushy romantic comedy."

"Way to stereotype, boss," she said with a huff. "For your information, I'm not much into those either. I like drama and action. Basically, anything that doesn't put me to sleep."

She started scrolling faster once the Marvel titles popped up. "Guess that's a no on the superhero movies, huh?"

"Unless you wish to turn this into a demonstration on how not to handle a hero," Black Hat said, coming around to the other side of the bed with his arms crossed. "Even Thanos ultimately fails as a villain, and he'd managed to wipe out half the population in a single snap!"

"Yeah, I've listened to enough of your orientation videos. Ooh! How about Bonnie and Clyde? You like crime drama, right?"

He shook his head. "Still a romance."

"Okay, uh…Beauty and the Beast?"

He growled dangerously.

"Kidding! Oh! Never seen this one in full. Silence of the Lambs?"

"Ah!" Black Hat grinned excitedly. "Now there's a film! And a fine example of an effective fictional villain!"

"Guess we're in agreement then," Lita said, clicking the rent button.

"You can actually learn something from this one," he said, sitting down. "See where one villain succeeds and another fails."

Lita blushed as Black Hat settled himself on the bed next to her. She realized this was the only piece of furniture facing the television, but that didn't make their position any less awkward. He wasn't touching her, but she could feel the frigidness of his body from a few centimeters away. He also didn't have his trench coat on, making it colder. Reminding herself that they were simply watching a movie like two non-romantically involved adults, Lita slid her legs under the covers to avoid freezing to death and focused her attention on the screen.

So far, Lita was intrigued with the film. She already related to the protagonist, Clarice, and Hannibal Lecter was pretty creepy. Though honestly, he was a sweetheart compared to Black Hat. Still, she could see why her boss liked this movie.

"…I ate his liver with some fava beans," Dr. Lecter said onscreen, "and a nice chianti."

Black Hat chuckled. "I would've gone with some black beans and a Pinot Noir."

Lita glanced sideways at him. "You mean…you eat…people?"

She'd been hoping that had been a rumor. After all, he hadn't asked her to prepare any…special dishes.

He shrugged. "Not as much as Dementia, but if I'm really furious at someone, or in a particularly nasty mood…"

Lita scooted to the side, putting a little more distance between herself and the demon. "Wait. Dementia?"

He smirked at her. "No doubt you've heard the early morning screams of heroes being torn to shreds."

"Ah," she said with a nod. "So that's why she sometimes misses breakfast. I thought she was just sleeping in."

Black Hat could see her shifting uncomfortably, and decided to elaborate. "I mostly save the real meat for Lil' Jack. But Dementia gets restless if she doesn't have a proper kill every now and then. What better way to dispose of intruders and failed test subjects?"

Lita glanced at him nervously. "Does it…does it taste…good?"

He leaned back against the bedframe. "Admittedly, you humans have become far too pungent and greasy over the last century, with all your gorging on junk food."

She sighed in relief. "So, not planning to eat me any time soon then, huh?"

"Tempting," he said, tapping his chin. "But I have other plans for you."

"Yeah," she said with a laugh. "Guess it'd be hard for me to steal if you ate me. I mean I don't know if ghosts are able to hold things cuz they're not really corporeal, so…"

Black Hat cocked his head. "You don't seem too…bothered by this."

"Well," Lita said with a shrug, "you already drank my blood once, so…I guess it doesn't surprise me as much as it should. And it's no secret that you're a killer. Though you don't really have a pattern like most serial killers, do you?"

"I like to experiment," he said, pressing his fingertips together.

It bewildered Lita how nonchalant this discussion was. In truth, the revelation that Black Hat was a cannibal scared her a little. Could he really be called a cannibal though if he was not human? But she was human, and he had already tasted her blood.

Strangely though, now that she had spent some time with him, she trusted him enough not to kill her, let alone eat her. Still, the fact that he expressed no remorse in his crimes against humanity was disconcerting. Lita knew her reasons for her crimes, but what justified his actions?

"Do you ever regret it?" she asked suddenly.

Psychically pausing the film, he glanced sideways at her. "Any of what?"

"The things you do," she said, bringing her knees up to her chest. "The…people you hurt. I…I know you enjoy it. It's…what you do, but…do you ever feel remorse?"

After staring at her for a while, he moved his eye forward. "I can assure you, Miss Gris, that in the thousands of years of my existence, I have no regrets." He paused. "Save one."

She leaned towards him curiously. "What's that?"

"Hiring Dementia."

She snorted. "That's just mean."

"What about you, Miss Gris?" He turned his head. "With all your mixed-up morals, any regrets?"

Lita took a moment to think about it. "I…regret I ever stopped stealing."

"Oh?" he said with a grin. "And why is that?"

"Well, if I'd continued stealing for my Papi, I'd have paid off his debts sooner and…I'd still be at home with him."

He frowned as he faced the television again. "I see."

Catching the disappointment in his tone, Lita elbowed him. "I didn't say I regretted meeting you though, boss."

He smiled in triumph. "Good to know."

"I have no plans to call on you, Clarice," Hannibal Lecter said into the phone onscreen. "The world's more interesting with you in it."

Black Hat snorted in annoyance. "Dr. Lecter does everything else right in this film, but the one thing I never understood is why he doesn't just eat the FBI agent who betrayed his trust and can use her knowledge of him to her advantage! How can such an intelligent, capable murderer show weakness for one insignificant…?"

He trailed off when he heard a light snore. Rolling his eye sideways, he saw that Lita had fallen asleep, likely more from exhaustion than boredom. But that was not what alarmed him.

Her head was rested on his shoulder.

He'd been so invested in the film that he hadn't even noticed. It shocked him that someone could let their guard down in his presence so much that they were able to fall asleep. At least that night in the organ chamber, she had thought he wouldn't discover her. But to fall asleep on him?! How could someone be that comfortable around him?

It then occurred to him that due to her tiredness, she probably hadn't realized what she was doing. He was about to push her off, but then paused. If she were to wake and discover their position, she'd be so delightfully embarrassed! But he couldn't wake her now, as she was finally asleep like he'd wanted. He would have to wait until morning.

Oh, well, he thought, levitating his folder over. It'll be worth seeing the look on her face.

Black Hat tried to re-read the file to pass the time, but he kept returning his attention to the woman slumbering on his shoulder. It didn't help that she kept snoring and moaning every few minutes. After what felt like an hour, he finally lowered the file and started watching her sleep, as he'd been doing all week.

A strand of hair fell out of her ponytail and over her face. Without even thinking, Black Hat lifted his right hand towards her face and gently brushed the stray hair away. Now that the hair was gone, he could see her face again.

Funny. He'd never paid much attention to her face before. It was what one would call heart-shaped, with a slightly pointed chin and firm jaw-line. Her skin was a fair shade of brown, and though they were closed now, he could picture how it clashed with her brilliant blue eyes. Her short black bangs framed her forehead perfectly, and with the rest of her hair pulled back, her simple, yet pleasing features were there for all to see.

Even in these plain pajamas, she really was rather lovely for a human. Not like those Hollywood actresses with their plastic surgery and over-the-top makeup. There was nothing particularly striking about her, except perhaps her eyes. But he supposed she was pretty enough for a man to desire her, as he recalled the way those strangers had looked at her today.

Then there was her scent. Not the scent of her fear, but her actual scent. She'd used green apple shampoo and citrus bodywash during her shower a few hours earlier. Her clothes smelled of lavender detergent and fabric softener. But there was another smell. Something subtle beneath those artificial scents. He'd smelled it on other humans before, but had always ignored it. The smell that emanated from particular parts of the body.

Pheromones. Hers smelled particularly…pleasant.

He shook his head. Why was he noticing all of these things just now? He'd seen her every day for the last three months! He hadn't acknowledged her looks or scent in all this time! Why was he taking an interest in them now? And why her? These things had never mattered to him before!

Black Hat had thought solving the puzzle that was Adelita Gris would satisfy his need. But the more he learned about her, the more compelled he was to be near her. Perhaps it was because he had yet to gain her full dependence. Much progress had been made today. She certainly trusted him more. Now all he had to do was convince her that villainy was the best path for her to take.

After all, she and him were one in the same, even if she didn't realize it.

Was that why he'd been so invested in her today? Because of the old memories she'd reawakened within him, with her enthusiasm in the city's sights and her personal confessions? Was it because of how…normal he'd felt around her? They weren't even in public pretending to be a married couple, yet they'd just sat down and watched a movie together, as if it was an everyday occurrence.

Even when he was in his demon form, she still treated him like a human being. He wasn't used to that. He'd been treated like a demon, a god, a villain, a child, even…trash. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been treated like a human. His disguised moments didn't count. But Lita knew what kind of creature he was, what he had done to others, yet she acted like she was with a regular person.

She also wasn't shivering. It took a while for Black Hat to figure out why. His body temperature had increased, and was no longer freezing.

What was happening to him? Why did this woman have this effect on him? And…why did it feel so good?

Black Hat couldn't let his guard down. He silently reminded himself that he had to get her attached to him, not the other way around.

Then there was the selfish part of him that told him he could do whatever he wanted, even if that want was to be close to a mortal being with no evil ambition. And perhaps Lita had been onto something. He would never admit to being lonely, but the sleepless nights were definitely less excruciating when he wasn't alone.

As Lita snuggled further into his shoulder, that strand of hair fell in front of her face again. This time, Black Hat removed his glove, so that he could feel the softness of her hair between his fingers, sending a tingling sensation through them.

He didn't understand affection, but he understood possessiveness. Yes, that's what she was to him. Another one of his trophies to admire, a triumph in his career of villainy, a shiny object to possess.

At least that's what he kept telling himself as his hand moved to stroke her skin.

Yup. You all pretty much guessed the client right off the bat. Let me assure you, the streets of Paris are a LOT more crowded than they are in "Miraculous Ladybug!"

I'm moving in a couple of days, and next chapter is going to be a big one too. So, it might take a while.