Marinette had her feet resting on her desk with a controller in her hands. The comfy clothes she had changed into seconds after arriving home felt hot as the bluenette mashed the controller's button slightly, sticking out her tongue. Finally, "unliving" another player. She ran to the nearest bush and left her character in it. Then the designer set down her controller and took off her pink headphones. Her hair fell loose to frame her face. Finally, removing her beige hoodie revealed a black bra to match her joggers. A rush of air caressed her skin. She took in how her skin felt refreshed from the cool air, then her controller vibrated—shocking her out of the trance and causing her to drop her controller. Marinette looked at the screen to see her character model getting shot at. Scrambling to pick up her controller on the floor, Marinette could hear a male voice warning her about the upcoming fire from another player through her headphones.

"fuck, Shit, FucK." Marinette exclaimed.

He could tell she was far away from the mic, and then she was way too close to the mic. "Kitty kat, I need a revive." Her voice was muffled and was laced with static. Kitty kat winced, pulling one of his headphone's buds off his ears. Marinette adjusted her position and put her gear back on.

"You know sometimes I furget how much of a sailor you become when playing battle royale games." Then, in a quieter voice, he said, "I knew we should've played super animal royale."

Amusement played in her voice as she said, "What did you say?" Her voice, back to normal.

" I said, I wanted to ask you something before you took off your headphone, Bugaboo."

"Well, first don't call me Bugaboo. Second sorry I was taking off my hoodie and thir—, "

"Wait for a meowment, are you in your," He paused to lower his voice. "unmentionable, my lady?" She couldn't see a smirk, but she knew it graced his face.

"It's not like you could see anyway."

"I...M~my lady, you know I'm a real boy right."

"Good one, kitty. But we both know you're a cat."

"No I–"

"A black adorable kitten with beautiful emerald eyes."

"I'm a si— wait, how do you know I have green eyes?"

"Well, all black cats have green eyes, right?" She said all too innocently.

"Actually, no my lady. Not all black cats have green eyes plus you are more likely to see a black cats with golden eyes than green eyes because domestic black cats have gold eyes."

"Oh, well that still doesn't explain how you play this with your paws though…Actually how do you tal—"

"Cause, I am a Man. Who's in love with my buga~boo. Which meow that I think about it how do you play this game."

She groaned at his comment but answered his question with just as much gest. "I use my wings and legs." She watched as his character got closer to where she had died to pick up her dog tag.

"Oh…" He said blankly to her statement as he began to focus on getting her items and dog tag, shooting down one of the other players on the other team.

"Didn't you want to ask me something?"

She watched as Chat Noir got into a shoot-out with another player.

"I furgot…a~nd I just die. Start over?"

"I shouldn't have even started with you in the first place."

"Don't be like that, you know we need our downtime."

"More like you needed some downtime and decided it would be boring to do it alone."

"Well, yeah of course I do, I need you my lady. Today I had a headache and then you said you didn't want to play with meow–."

"Because I was busy–." She said, letting out a sigh.

"And the cafe I was working at had this barista who was flirting with the ."

"But…Chat you're a flirt."

"Yeah, only for you my lady." She laughed.

"Oh, I remember what I was going to say."

"Okay…"

"We both need some downtime, my lady I can tell you're stressed."

"I'm no–,"

"You are. Normally you mock my half attempted jokes and you haven't called me out once. You need to remember that you are human."

She blushed; he really did know her too well.

"Well, I just didn't see the point of doing that."

"Sure…"

She pressed (next match), and then it showed that Chat Noir had readied up. For a moment, it was quiet as she processed what Chat had said. Marinette was trying to be normal, but she should have known he could tell. Despite never meeting in person or knowing each other's real names. All she had was a visage of a person. Chat Noir was one of her best friends.

"Have yo–, I haven't ask you how your you, kitten?"

Silence, she could tell he wanted her to talk about it. Talk about the dread of the instructor that held the door to the end of her studies. She wanted to be great, and for the most part, she was until she wasn't, and when she wasn't, it hurt. Then, finally, she just didn't want to think about it. Chat sighed.

"It was bad too. But, I am close to being done, and h–he's pushing."

"Is that what we're calling it now?"

"He wants me to move back in."

"After all the hard work it took to get you where you are right now. You can't go bac–!"

"I know, I–I just don't know wha–."

"We will work through this…okay kitty."

"Okay, thank yo–" His voice broke off, and Marinette strained herself to listen to a muffled voice. Then he came back to the mic.

"Is everything okay, Chat." Marinette said with concern, Lacing her voice.

"Yeah, I just have to go. Have a good night, my lady." Chat said in a soft voice. The voice chat made a noise to indicate that the call had ended. Immediately after the screen displayed that Chat Noir had left the game. She was alone with her thoughts, and now she wished she had talked to him. The designer swallowed the emotion and started another match to let out her frustration.

Across Paris in a modern apartment, a blond rushing to close down his applications. And he opened one of his assignments.

"I do not have all day Adrikins." a female said in an overwhelmingly enthusiastic voice.

"One second!" He yelled from across his apartment. The cheerful voice was not a good sign. He brushed off his desk and shirt from the snack he had been munching on while talking to Ladybug. When it was clean, to his satisfaction, he walked to the front door and opened it. There stood his long-time friend Chloe. He took her in her outfit for the day. She wore a white cami with black horizontal stripes paired with high waist black pants that had a golden button at the waist. The pants showcased her model-like figure. To finish the look, she was wearing gold strappy heels. They appeared to have a snake pattern around the heel of the sandals. Not as noticeable was her hair, which was in its usual ponytail with bangs falling into her face, and makeup which was a natural look with matte dark pink. She did the same as he looked her over, and a scowl came over her features. He knew this wasn't a social call.

"Were you talking to someone?" as Chloe brushed past him and entered his apartment.

Her first thought was that it was dark and smelled of vanilla and chocolate. He had been snaking again; that much was clear. She looked and saw that the only light source in the space was some light peaking through the sheer blue curtains next to the blackout black curtains and the two monitors on his gray desk. He closed the front door.

"Yeah I was on the phone, sorry about that."

She scrutinized him again. Then she addressed him again. "Did you just get back?"

"No, I have been here for a while. I was busy with…an assignment." He gestured to his desk, shifting from one foot to the next. She hummed in response and walked over to the large window that had a window sit under it. Chloe pulled the black curtains back, letting the sheer blue ones take their place, casting a blue light over the space, allowing her to see the apartment entirely. His apartment was minimalistic in furniture and overall small; only the necessities marked the space. Chloe hated it. The aforementioned couch had forest green throw pillows and a white fur blanket. A kitchen was against the wall across it with a black counter. A door was to the far right of the counter, which she knew went to the bathroom. The appliance in the kitchen was high-tech and what she assumed was effortless to use. She didn't understand why he put himself through this; being normal, she eyed his gray joggers and a black t-shirt with his messy mop of hair. He dressed like he didn't have a father who could give him all he desired and some. It was bland, boring, and utterly infuriating.

A desk with two monitors rests against the left wall with a pc under it. Educational books and a tablet that rested next to his keyboard and mouse were on it. The chair that sat to the left side of the desk was a dark green gaming chair. Resting on the back chair was a light blue jacket with a hood. Next to the desk, closer to the kitchen, was a dark wooden bookcase filled with books. Across from the desk was a platform bed with black and green bedding that had dresser drawers underneath it. On top of the bed was a black cat with a green collar and a bell around its neck. A cat that she knew hated her as every time she got near him, he would start to hiss until she moved further away. The apartment screamed recluse, and this persona didn't help that case.

"How long are you going to keep this up, Adrien? This pathetic mask of some lesser than." She said, fully turning to him.

Adrien sighed. He wasn't up for this conversation again. "Chlo, I love you, but why are you here?"

"Your ex has been blowing up my phone Adrien because you're not pick. But that not why i'm here cause you've been dodging me too." Chloe put her hand on her hip. "So here I am to ask you what's up."

"It's the start of the semester and I've been busy." He glanced over to his PC. "On the matter of her calling I will talk with her and resolve it."

"Okay, then…" She uncrossed her arms. Chloe had lost her opening and asked him what she really wanted to know with that ability. So instead, she grabbed his arm and started dragging him to the door.

"Chlo come on now I got stuff."

"You haven't spent any time with me lately so we are going shopping."

He resigned himself to his fate. He was lucky he got her to back off the ex situation. He made a mental note to message her about calling Chloe to hunt him down. (Un)fortunately, right before they reached the front door, the model realized that he didn't have his phone or his keys which were in his jacket.

"Chlo–"

"No–! You're coming, that's final."

Adrien sighed and said, "I was just going to say I need my phone and jacket."

She released him from her grasp. Adrien stumbled slightly due to their height difference. 'She let it go, but I'm sure she will bring it up again…Damn' He walked to his desk, stuffed his phone into his pants pocket, and put on his jacket that held his keys. He took a breath to calm himself. Then, he turned to his long-time friend and held her stare.

"You have two hours then I need to get back."

"And we can do anything I want?"

He sighed again, 'This doesn't bode well.' He knew he was neglecting this relationship. 'Just a few hours it wouldn't hurt. I hope…' He grimaced. He knew some way; somehow, it would not be two hours.

"Sure," He gingerly smirked, "but remember I'm fragile."

"Like I could forget." She was already through the door. Adrien followed after her, locking up as he did so. When he turned to meet Chloe, she was ten steps ahead of him. Hastily walked down the apartment stairs and out the apartment building door. He stood then Adrien Contemplated going back into his flat, but he knew it would not end well for him. So instead, he started downstairs. His phone vibrates in his pocket, halting him from further descending the stairs. He pulled it out of its resting place and looked at the caller ID. It was the office. 'Shit.' He contemplated declining the call, but he didn't want to deal with the fallout. So he picked the call.

"Hello, this is Adrien Agreste speaking."

"Hey kid, I hope you aint fucking around." said a man with a gruff voice.

"Why are you calling from the office phone."

"Well shocker I am at the office."

"How can I help you?"

"Ah…yes down to business I guess. Now I want you to keep an open mind."

"Please just spit it out."

"I spoke with Natelie and.." He broke off, losing his jovial tone. "He wants to meet with you. I m—"

Whatever his manager said after that fell on deaf ears.

They were fighting; they spent all summer in a cold war. One in which He was winning. Adrien was only keeping himself from not losing by maintaining a distance from Gabriel. However, now He was summoning Adrien to his side, a private meeting behind closed doors. The feeling he had been running from since leaving that house came creeping back. Adrien was brought back to the Paris lights like stars as he stared out into the abyss. The cold clinging to his skin. He was standing at the edge of the world. The crushing realization that this place was all he knew, these walls, this gate, and the abyss beyond it.

"Hey—"

And he just stood there.

"Adri—"

There's nothing beyond this.

"Adrien!? Are you still with me?"

"Yeah," He let out a breath. "I'm here."

"Listen, I know this isn't favorable but on the plus side I have lined it up so it will be a month from today. The meeting/luncheon will be after your first tests of the semester at Mr. Agreste's house."

Adrien hummed in understanding, leaning his body on the stairway wall.

"All other information will be on your calendar." His manager sighed. "You want me to book you an appointment with your therapist."

He slumped down until he was on the ground "Yes, B." The next second, his phone vibrated; he pulled away to see that Beau Larue had scheduled an appointment.

"You will break from this and I even if you do Ill be here to put you back together. Okay?"

"Okay, thank you. I'm guess you already called her, didn't you?"

"Guilty sir."

"Thank you"

"It's my job, please enjoy your time with chloe."

"I never said I was with chloe." He paused. "It was you."

"At the very least you need fresh air. Plus I don't think you hate her do you."

"My sanity pays…."

"Have a good night Adrien, remember to breathe."

The call ended, leaving him in a daze staring at his phone. His thumb drifted towards discord and pressed down on the application. He was finally being awarded with ladybug's chat. He wanted to talk to his lady, sharing this pain with her, but he couldn't do that to her. So instead, he picked himself off of the dirty floor. Adrien decided he would win this and remove Gabriel from his life permanently. He opened the apartment building door and met the sun's warmth and Chloe's overly enthusiastic smile.