Adrien was going to die. He was going to die and he was going to love it. This girl was going to be the death of him. A slow, sweet, dizzying and incredibly erotic death.

He grabbed his belt and hurried to undo it. He opened the button and the zipper of his jeans, hurrying to get rid of them. He then did the same with his boxers, letting his already hard and tense erection spring free.

"What do you want me to do, Milady?" He asked in a hoarse and lustful voice.

He was excited at the idea of having to blindly follow his partner commands, elsewhere than on the battlefield. Especially when these seemed much more pleasant and less complicated, than an exhausting fight.

"Touch yourself for me, Chaton , and tell me how much you want me."

"It won't be hard," he cooed, as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I hope something else is hard," she retorted breathlessly.

"You have no idea, Bug," he groaned, wrapping his fingers firmly around his hard-on. He pumped it slowly, moaning as a thrill of excitement ran inside his whole body, warming the blood in his veins—which only coalesced south.

He whispered to his partner some lustful words, confessing to her some of the fantasies he had about her. He then let himself be carried away by the moans she let out. Moans he had dreamed of so many times coming from her as she was spreading underneath him or riding him wildly. More and more arousing, exciting images flooded his mind and he found himself quickly trapped in a bubble of dizzy pleasure, where every second, every hips' stroke, every noise she made, brought him closer to the edge.

"Chaton, I...I'm…so close," she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Fuck! Me too," he groaned, breathless as he accelerated his thrusting a little more and threw his head back, suddenly reaching an orgasm of unprecedented intensity.

"Ma... Milady," he moaned, biting his lip, all his body trembling with a fulgurating vigor.

He heard his partner's breathing suddenly quicken, and she followed him, exploding in turn with pleasure in a long, muffled cry.

A long silence punctuated by their breathless gasps followed, until Adrien heard the sound of water stirring and reverberating against the metal walls of the basin.

"The water is still warm... If you want to enjoy it too," she murmured, her voice sounding much more shy now than five minutes before, when she was succumbing to her impulses.

"I'd appreciate it," he murmured. "Be careful if you come this way. The floor is... slippery," he specified, a little embarrassed.

"Oh. There's a pile of towels over there. Wait... Ready to catch it?"

"Yes! This way," he guided her at the sound of his voice, before receiving a towel, right on the head. "Well aimed, Buguinette ," he chuckled, before wiping away the incriminating traces of his debauchery.

He got up from the bed, wavering slightly, always a little dizzy from his orgasm, but especially destabilized by the blindness provided by the scarf around his eyes. Blindly, he sought the bathtub, before unfortunately bumping into his partner. His hands clutched at her, preventing her from falling because of him.

"I told you I would always catch y—"

His words died in his throat when he realized that Ladybug was shirtless against his fully naked body. Adrien's crotch was undoubtedly rubbing against the resistant fabric of a pair of jeans, while his chest was undeniably pressed against warm, firm, and fleshy breasts. His hands were nestled on her bare back, and he withdrew them quickly, as if her soft skin was made of incandescent embers.

"Sorry," he promptly apologized.

"It's alright."

Suddenly he felt her lips against his jaw and his breath caught in his throat.

"Again, thank you for the save, Chaton ."

His partner pulled away and he slowly slid into the bathtub, his mind clouded by the mere thought that Ladybug had just let herself go in the same bath. He placed his hand against his cheek, where her lips had left a pleasant, intense tingle. He hoped that the water would quickly become cold, in order to calm the sensation of heat that was spreading from his cheek to the very tip of his toes, as well as his still heated thoughts.

"Chat?"

He heard the mattress and blankets being moved as his partner seemed to be settling in comfortably for the night.

"Yes?" He hummed slowly.

"What just happened... It was a moment of weakness."

It was a cold shower, without the water even changing temperature.

"Are you already regretting sharing this shameless and intimate side of yourself with me?"

"What I mean is... it was unprofessional. I shouldn't have given in to my impulses and it mustn't happen again," she admitted.

Adrien couldn't believe his ears. "Seriously, Bug!" he boomed. He stood up suddenly, fists on hips, adopting a stern posture. Even if his partner couldn't see him, he had no doubt that she could discern the annoyance and firmness in his voice, as well as the tension rising in the air. A tension far from sexual this time. "We went well beyond the bounds of a professional relationship quite a while ago, you and I!" He got angry at his partner's obvious denial.

Adrien got out of the bathtub and blindly grabbed the wet towel that his partner had used and that was lying on the edge of the bed. He wrapped it around his waist without bothering to dry himself, and let the water droplets trickle down his body, bringing him a little freshness to calm his obviously broken patience. "It's about time you made a decision! Because, as much as I adored hearing you moaning and losing control thanks to me, I'd like to avoid being a sextoy that you use when you feel the need and that you throw in the dustbin when you get tired of it!" He shouted indignantly. "Just be honest with yourself for once, Ladybug!"

"I'm sorry..." she sniffed suddenly, her voice trembling.

"Bug? Are you crying?"

No answer came to him but he discerned faint muffled sobs, which became louder every second. He knew instantly that she was in the grip of a new crisis that made her emotions fluctuate like a real roller coaster.

"Er damn…" he mumbled. "Come on, make room for me." He slipped into the bed and passed an arm around his partner's waist, drawing her against him, while his free hand firmly held his towel around his hips.

She cried a long moment, snuggled against his chest, her tears streaming down his bare skin. He gave her the time she needed to pour out her grief, while caressing her back in what he hoped was a soothing, comforting way. Gradually, her frail body stopped shaking against his: she seemed to have calmed down.

"I'm afraid... Chat Noir. I'm scared of what the future holds...for us."

The future? He didn't understand why she was projecting so far ahead, when what seemed to be most frightening was the present moment and the situation they were trapped in. Well, from his point of view, it was terrifying.

"It's the present that scares me," he admitted in a whisper that gave substance to his thoughts.

"That's the problem... the present... what's happening now... could have serious consequences for the future…" she hiccupped, as she began to cry again.

"Shh, I'm here, LoveBug," he murmured softly, placing a kiss in her hair. "I'll always be there, we will always be there. You've seen it yourself... Ten years from now, I'll still be the partner who shows up whenever you need him. We'll be fine. I believe in us ."

Adrien tightened his embrace. The urge to prove to her the truth of his words was so strong that he wanted to be able to convey his hopes to her and ease the doubts and fear she felt, by the simple act of keeping her safe against him. But he knew that wasn't enough. Not in the current state of the situation and their ambiguous relationship, not while this lack of communication remained between them.

"Why are you so afraid of the future? Have I done something that makes you think that I won't be there for you anymore?" he questioned his partner in a low voice when he felt that she had calmed down again.

However, he did not have the expected answers, because he noticed that her breathing had become slower, deeper and steadier: she had fallen asleep. Nothing surprising after the series of crises, sexual and emotional, that she had just went through.

"Good night, Buguinette ," he whispered, kissing her forehead before getting up to put on his boxer shorts, as well as a t-shirt, in order to be able to sleep eventually.

A sharp cry suddenly woke Adrien. At first he was out of phase with the darkness created by the scarf in front of his eyes, but he quickly remembered where he was, why and with whom. And who…was Ladybug, now stirring beside him with rapid, jerky breathing.

He turned to her and did not waste a second before taking her in his arms to calm her agitation. "Shh, it was only a nightmare, everything is fine."

"Don't touch me!" she shouted, struggling hard.

"It's me, Milady. It's Chat Noir."

Adrien's words did not reach his partner, who was becoming more and more distraught in his arms and seemed to be having a panic attack.

"I must remove that," she exclaimed. "Take it away!"

He understood that she spoke about the blindfold which certainly had to upset her and prevent her from finding her bearings. Shit , he thought. But before he could do or say anything, he felt the young woman struggling and pulling it off abruptly. Adrien hurried to firmly press his torso against her back, so she couldn't turn around. He didn't want to risk her discerning his features. The Guardian had made it clear that this was not the right time yet. Rushing things could make their situation even more unstable and he didn't want to risk having all their efforts wasted.

"Okay, Buguinette , open your eyes and take a deep breath: I'm here with you." He tightened his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, breathing deeply to encourage his partner to do the same. "It was a nightmare. It wasn't real, you see: we're still in 1670, in the guest room of Monsieur de la Fontaine, and I'm with you."

"Chat…"She almost choked on his name.

"I'm here, it's me. Breathe slowly. It's over."

Outside, Adrien could hear a rooster crowing in the distance. He could imagine the first rays of the sun breaking through the bedroom windows.

"I need some fresh air," Ladybug muttered breathlessly. She abruptly broke free of his embrace and rose from the bed.

"Don't look back at me." He trusted her, but she had seemed so disoriented a few minutes earlier, that he was afraid she would act without even realizing it. He knew she would blame herself afterwards. He knew she would blame him next.

Better safe than sorry.

But he got no answer in return, only a slamming of the door.

When Adrien finally made it to the dining room, after getting dressed, he was greeted by their host and a breakfast that smelled extremely good.

"Your partner is in the outside courtyard. She wanted to see some light and get some fresh air."

"Did she eat?"

"She politely declined to eat."

Adrien sat down at the table and ate the scrambled eggs on his plate with little appetite. After a few minutes, he heard a door open and someone silently entered the room.

"Milady?" He waited a few seconds before trying again. "I know it's you: I can smell your vanilla shampoo...he confessed. You have to eat something, Bug…"

"I'm not hungry."

"Will you tell me what's wrong?"

Once again, there was only a heavy silence in response.

"Is it because of your nightmare? Do you want to talk about it?" he asked worriedly.

"No, I don't want to."

"If you don't put some effort into it, we'll never get out of this and go home, Ladybug!" He was annoyed that he felt like he was the only one of the two making an effort.

"Thanks to the Rabbit's Miraculous, I can get us home the same day we left. No one will know we were gone. Two days, a week, a month... whatever."

She may have had a point with that explanation, but it didn't justify her lack of commitment and will.

"Okay, let's stay here for a year if you want!" Adrien retorted, annoyed.

"Nobody's going to stay here for a year," the Guardian intervened. " Monsieur Noir , why don't you go get some fresh air for a few minutes and enjoy the beautiful sunshine of this summer morning. We'll wait for you in the living room for an exercise of communication," proposed the Guardian, probably sensing the tension, more than palpable, that was in the air.

Adrien went out into the backyard for a moment and removed the blindfold that was blocking his view. He was first assaulted by the bright light and forced to squint. After a while, he blinked several times, gradually getting used to the brightness. In front of him, he discovered a small space composed of a terrace made of blue stones, as well as a garden full of tulips and daffodils colored in purple, blue and white. He took the time to contemplate the very poetic space that surrounded him and to air not only his lungs but also his mind, before finally returning inside the house.

With his arms stretched out in front of him, and his hands feeling the walls and the furniture, he walked slowly towards the living room, before being interrupted by the voice of a kwami: Ladybug's.

"Chat Noir," she whispered, attracting his attention. "She had a nightmare again, didn't she?"

"What do you mean, 'again' ?" he asked, surprised. "It's been happening to her for a long time?"

"Years…" Tikki lamented.

Adrien felt his heart and chest tighten at this admission.

"She never told me anything…"

"She doesn't like to talk about it…"

"I see... always more secrets... always more lies…" he spat bitterly as he abandoned the little ladybug and finally entered the living room where his partner and their host were already waiting for him.

"Hold hands, please," the Guardian ordered calmly.

They both complied, holding hands without asking questions, respecting the Master's request.

"I would like each of you to tell your partner something he or she does not know about you. It must be something personal."

"I like candied lemons," Ladybug said suddenly.

Indeed. It was unusual. But Adrien was pretty sure that wasn't what their host really had in mind when he spoke about personal confession. In fact, he was certain it wasn't what he had meant.

"Bug..." he protested, clasping his partner's hands.

"What? You didn't know that. I've done my part of the exercise."

"I think I'll start. It's better..." he sighed, gritting his teeth. He took a deep breath before he began to speak again. "Sometimes I have nightmares," he whispered. "You are akumatized into Blackbug. Your suit is similar to the illusion created by Hawk Moth on Heroes' Day and your eyes are red. A crazy, bloody, murderous red... And you don't even want to take my Miraculous…" he explained, his voice shaking. "You... you just want to see me suffer... make me suffer…"

His confession left him almost breathless.

Unexpectedly, he felt Ladybug squeeze his hands and heard her take a deep, shaky breath. "Chat Blanc... A few years ago, you were akumatized into Chat Blanc... my nightmare...is a memory... that haunts me every single day…"

To be continued...

More is coming soon, probably on Monday!