A/N: I'll apologize for the lack of quality in the next two chapters. This was actually a lot longer but I had to break it in two. My editor only notified me that she was editing between 40-60 pages and I just felt so bad.
Please bear with me.
"Who sets up intern interviews in the evening?" Adrien asked with a deep sigh, his eyes glowering down at Marinette whilst she folded her clothes and placed them neatly into her drawer.
Marinette rolled her eyes, before she glanced up at him, the blush in her cheeks beginning to swarm across her skin like a herd of angry fire ants.
"Uhh... someone who works late at night, and would kinda like some sleep and clear thinking space the next day?" The blunette replied sarcastically with a chuckle.
"It'll be fine," she sighed as she stood up. "It's only thirty minutes away, and the interview should only last an hour or so. If I calculated correctly, I should be home before midnight."
Adrien reached up to rub the back of his neck, his fingers gliding through his hair momentarily before he sighed, shrugging.
"I guess I'm a little worried about how you'll get home," his voice trailed off slightly. "If you'll just let me-"
"Can you not send your entourage to follow me?" Marinette interjected, her brow perked slightly as she caught his deflated attention. "I still would like to walk out with my independence you know. You don't have to babysit me."
Adrien narrowed his eyes towards her, casually sliding his hands into his pockets.
"They aren't spying on you," he bit his lip, shifting his weight slightly. "Its just to ensure that you get home safe, but if you insist on taking the train or bus or what may have you, by all means."
Marinette placed her laundry down, her blue eyes shifting back towards Adrien. Her heart squeezed in her chest as he smiled at her. The concern in his eyes was evident, but Marinette didn't mean to torture him.
She knew how much he cared for her in some ways, but she was a big girl. She could handle things on her own, and she had handled many things on her own long before Adrien was thrust into her life via contract.
"Look," the blunette prompted, moving closer to Adrien. "I will make sure I call you when I'm on my way back, if that'll help you sleep at night." She murmured, gently reaching up to fix the collar on Adrien's shirt. "Please don't stay up waiting for me, I know you have to get up early for work tomorrow. I promise I'll be quiet when I walk in."
Adrien pressed his lips together, remaining still as he felt her hands on him.
"I guess." he sighed, watching her as she pulled away from him. His green eyes captured hers and Marinette quickly glanced away.
"Please don't forget to bring a phone charger."
Marinette snorted, playfully shoving him away before she resumed her laundry. She carefully closed the drawers to dresser, and she shook her head.
"Are you my husband? Or my father? Don't you think I can take care of myself?" She asked, biting her lip as her heart soared inside of her chest.
Adrien chortled, sitting on the edge of the bed, but keeping his head lowered.
"No, I think I'll trust you. If you say you're fine and are used to doing things this way, I won't hound you to change what you're comfortable with." The blonde offered her a weary smile.
It nearly broke her heart. Marinette knew he was trying to help, but lately it appeared he had been so insecure. It was almost like something inside of him broke, and Marinette was afraid to ask what it was.
She bit her lip, her face growing warm, before she decided to sit beside him on the bed.
"I mean, you could always come with." Marinette suggested, her heart racing at the thought of her and Adrien spending the day together in a different city.
Adrien shook his head, his stare remaining incredibly impassive as he parted his lips to speak.
"I can't. I have a date with Kagami tonight." The male deadpanned, the lines under his eyes deepening as he recalled what had happened the last time he had seen Kagami in person.
"O-Oh," Marinette breathed, her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach at the mention of Kagami's name. "That's okay."
Marinette reached up, lightly running her fingers across her chest as the ache began to permeate once more. She tried not to make it noticeable, but it had hurt.
Every time he mentioned her, every time he was with her and every time she had him in ways that Marinette only ever craved, it tore at her heart relentlessly. She knew she couldn't be mad at him, because Adrien simply didn't know.
The pair remained silent, and Marinette screamed inwardly. She glanced away from Adrien, her heart aching in a painful beat. Marinette could vividly feel the soft sheets underneath them both.
"I feel like she's hiding something," Adrien murmured, his soft voice cutting through the silence with ease. "I don't know what kind of thing she's hiding, but there's definitely something."
Marinette frowned, her heart sinking at the pain in his voice.
"W-Why do you think she could be hiding something?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Adrien sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"I don't know. She's been acting a little weird around me. She was talking to someone on her phone and she said it was her father, but she seemed really distraught that he was leaving,"
Adrien closed his eyes, shaking his head as the guilt began to tear away at his heart relentlessly. "Or maybe I'm just suspecting her for no reason because I feel guilty about what we did a few weeks ago, and we haven't told her."
Marinette reached up, running her hands through her hair as her blush grew deeper the more she remembered how close they were to actually having sex that night.
"I don't think that's it," The blunette assured, attempting to take his mind off of it. "I think she's probably going through a tough time. Sometimes they don't like to show it."
Adrien leaned back into the sheets, his eyes glaring straight into the ceiling above him.
"I feel like such a shitty person," he breathed, his heart feeling heavy. "To suspect Kagami of anything when I'm less than impressive with my behavior lately myself. I accused her of changing, and honestly I deserved that whack to the face. I had no right stepping across that boundary."
Marinette pressed her lips together, her eyes widening as he spoke.
"Wait, she smacked you?" The blunette asked, scooting away from him.
Adrien maneuvered his gaze back to Marinette, who appeared completely perplexed at his confession. The male propped himself up on his elbows, a deep blush covering his cheeks as he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
"Y-yeah she did, but it was completely justified," He sat up, resting his hands into his lap. "I thought it was a good idea to start talking out of my ass, not entirely realizing that I was stepping on her toes and hurting her feelings. It wasn't a big slap, but it did sting just a little. I'll live."
Marinette shook her head, her lips pressing together as she genuinely wanted to face palm herself.
"Did you kill her first born?" Marinette asked, shifting her gaze back over to him. The bluenette steadied her breathing, trying her best the conceal the anger that wanted to emanated through her chest.
Adrien chuckled, patting his hands against his lap nonchalantly.
"No," he sighed, his eyes shifting back over to her. "I decided to talk a lot of shit. I'm usually reserved when it comes to my position in the relationship. I mean we argue, but I never really put up a fight. I told her she was ticking me off with how she's been acting-" the male paused. His cheeks heating up all the way to his ears as he recalled how desperate she had been lately.
"I told her I was getting kind of tired of her treating my virginity as some sort of prize to be won," He reached up, running his hand through his hair. "I guess mentioning change really bothers or..." his eyes veered off to a corner. "At least, at that moment it did..."
Marinette rolled her eyes, exhaling evenly as she tried to let it roll off her shoulders.
"Still, a really dumb reason to hit someone." the blunette mumbled under her breath, not entirely caring if Adrien heard her or not.
Alas, her words didn't fall upon deaf ears. Adrien chuckled, a weary smile on his face as he glanced up at Marinette.
"I don't know," the male yawned, his elbow playfully nudging into Marinette's side. "Maybe I'm just a submissive twat when it comes to being around Kagami."
Marinette scoffed, shaking her head as her blush began to rush up to her ears. The young woman cracked a smile, quite admiring how quickly Adrien was able to turn a situation. He was honestly a breath of fresh air, especially since Marinette felt like she had been drowning for so many years. It was one of the reasons why she had fallen for him so quickly.
"Then stop being a submissive twat Adrien! I can't be known as the woman who married Paris' biggest twat!" Marinette huffed, playfully nudging him away before she stood up.
Adrien laughed softly, shaking his head as he bit his lip. The male tugged at the edges of his shirt, carefully tugging it off of his body.
Marinette widened her eyes, the pupils of her blue eyes immediately dilating as she was suddenly blessed with the visage of his tan lean muscles.
The blunette could pinpoint every plain and curve, and even as he pulled the shirt over his shoulder, Marinette was graciously in the presence of his shoulder muscles pressing together.
Her lips parted, her head heating up and ready to explode. She wanted to look away, but the way his muscles shifted under his skin beckoned her in ways she never knew she could be bribed.
"A-Adrien?!" Marinette screeched, an audible gulp emanating from her as she was finally able to bring her gaze away from him.
"W-What are you doing?!"
Adrien paused, tugging his shirt off of his forearms and tossing it to the side before he wandered to the closet to grab some fresh clothes.
"I'm just going to grab a shower. Last time I checked, we don't do that with our clothes on." The male replied, a teasing lilt in his voice.
Marinette pressed her lips together, her hands cupping her cheeks as she would have stared daggers into his back, but the daggers would have likely turned into a full blown obvious gawking.
He really was trying to kill her.
Marinette never knew she could have felt some type of way over muscles.
"Y-Yeah, but do you have to undress here?!" She asked, her heart racing painfully in her chest as she did everything she could to keep her eyes off of him.
Adrien furrowed his brow, grabbing a simple black shirt, before he shot a quick glance at the bashful blunette who hid her face behind her hand.
"Marinette," the male prompted with a light hearted chortle. "I'm not naked. It's literally just my shirt. I'm usually topless all the time when I'm at my photoshoots."
Marinette rolled her eyes, her fingertips brushing against her heated freckled cheeks.
"Y-Yeah, but this isn't a photoshoot set. You're literally in private, just undressing in front of me!" her voice quivered as she spoke. The female inwardly scolded herself as she realised how ridiculous she sounded.
"Exactly!" Adrien rasped, a toothy grin across his lips. "I'm in the privacy of my own home! I'm just going to grab a quick shower," He murmured, throwing his shirt over his shoulder. "Are you going to join me? I swear we won't have sex..." he spoke, his eyes narrowing as he was simply got a kick out of teasing her.
Marinette froze, her entire body heating up as she recalled she mentioned a joke about that the night they both got drunk.
"U-Uhm... as much as that sounds tempting... I really think I'd have to decline." Marinette breathed, her hands nervously grabbing for her purse before she exploded into a million pieces, Adrien would have to spend his time cleaning up her lost limbs instead of preparing for his date with his girlfriend.
"I really should head out and catch my train before I miss it." Marinette replied, reaching up to tuck some of her dark hair behind her ear.
Adrien pursed his lips, simply shrugging as he couldn't help but shake the nervousness of her leaving him behind again.
"Alright, my Ladybug," the male murmured, his eyes following her as she slipped on her hooded sweater and approached the doors of their bedroom.
"Just make sure to eat something tonight if you're coming home late." he murmured softly, wandering towards the door of the bathroom. "And I mean real food, not residue off your body."
Marinette widened her eyes as Adrien turned to her to shoot her a firm glance, before he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
The bluenette sighed, her body slouching forward as she could hear the shower water running faintly behind the door.
Still confused as to why he was still stuck on that concept, she simply rolled her eyes and slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder.
"Let it go, you little shit-" she giggled under her breath, before she exhaled and left.
Marinette stepped out on to the street. The blunette lowered her gaze back down on to the street with a perplexed expression.
She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it surely wasn't that. Marinette couldn't understand why she thought that the interview would have turned out different.
Sure, she didn't bomb the interview, in fact she was pretty sure that she had nailed it. Marinette wasn't sure why she went in with the notion that she would meet Audrey Bourgeois herself.
After all, she was told that Audrey hand picked Marinette herself for the role of the intern. Marinette wasn't all too thrilled to be meeting Audrey's assistant, instead of Audrey herself.
The blunette knew that Audrey was a very busy woman, but she didn't know she was exclusive enough to have one of her assistants manage her main building, especially because it was in Paris itself.
Nonetheless, Marinette was still grateful for the opportunity.
The young woman glanced up at the sky, a deep sigh escaping her lips as she could spot a few storm clouds rolling into an already darkened sky.
She pressed her lips together, fixing her sweatshirt and throwing her hoodie over her head. The female dug into her bag, phishing for her phone. Her thumb swiped through her contacts, the young woman biting her lip as she couldn't decide which one she wanted to call.
It was a huge opportunity, she had many close friends and family members that would have been delighted to hear how it went.
There were her parents; they would have been incredibly excited to see her years of schooling finally paying off. They knew she had spent years working her ass off and saving as much money as she could for this opportunity. Perhaps it would have been a chance of a lifetime. Marinette couldn't help but feel a little guilty that she had been putting off inviting them over. It had felt like forever and a day since she had even had a decent conversation with her parents to let them know any updates on how her marriage was holding up.
There was Alya: who had been her best friend for a good few years. Alya had been a bit distance lately but Marinette wanted to respect her space. She knew Alya still took an interest in Marinette's life and perhaps some pretty awesome news would brighten up and push away any clouds that had rolled in on her sky.
She couldn't go to Nino, simply because she didn't know him too much and he seemed to me a thing with Alya. To randomly call up Nino to talk about an intern interview which he had no prior knowledge of would have felt a little weird to the both of them. She never communicated with Nino outside of Adrien's and Alya's get togethers. It was an entertaining idea, she would have loved to know Nino more. Any friend of Adrien's was a friend of hers.
Of course there was Luka: Hell, he wanted to be a part of her life as much as Marinette wanted him to. She never mentioned to Luka anything about her intern interview, but she knew Luka would have loved to hear about it and support her in anyway that he could.
Marinette bit her lip, her eyes glancing in front of her as she contemplated. Her thumb carefully hovered over a specific contact, and even though she had scolded herself multiple times that she would let this go and be free from the confines of hurt and unrequited love, she always found herself somehow falling deeper and deeper into the one thing she wanted to get away from.
The blunette tapped the call button, very carefully pressing the phone to her ear as it rang. Her heart began to do flips in her chest and Marinette nearly held her breath as she heard the ring cut off and someone answered.
"Hey! How did it go?"
The blunette breathed out, her soul immediately feeling like it was put to rest at the sound of his voice. She had only spent a couple of hours without him, but she felt like she had spent months away, she had missed him terribly.
However, that wouldn't be something she wanted to admit to him.
"I-It went pretty great," Marinette replied in a quivering breath. "I'm not sure what I expected, but I kinda didn't know that I wouldn't be meeting Audrey-"
Adrien hummed subtly on the other line, his tone lilting in that of acknowledgement.
"Yeah, I think she's as elusive as my father. I only met her once or twice. I don't think even her daughter gets to see her that often."
Marinette cringed, the thought of never being able to see her parents, tugging at her heart painfully.
"Have you even met your father?" Marinette asked, a teasing lift in her voice as she tried to make this dark topic as light as possible.
Adrien chuckled lightly on the other line, his voice drawing out as it seemed as though he was distracted by something.
"I think I've met him once or twice." The male replied, a smile in his voice as he played along to her teasing.
Marinette stuffed her free hand into her pocket, the wind blowing against her skin as she worried it was about to storm soon.
"How did your date with Kagami go?" The blunette inquired, her eyes glancing around the streets for a place to possibly eat and shelter in case it started to rain.
"I hope you weren't being a submissive twat."
Adrien chortled, a small groan of frustration emanating from the other side.
"The date was fine, and yes. I was being a submissive twat. When do you think you'll be home?"
Marinette crossed the street, a small blush on her cheeks as she ushered to the corner, her eyes capturing the sight of a cafe on the other side. The young woman felt her heart sink as she stood by what she now knew was one of Felix's favorite places to eat.
Café des Deux Moulins
"I'm just waiting on the last train," Marinette replied dryly, her voice trailing off slightly. "I'm probably just going to grab a bite to eat while I wait."
There was a small pause, and Marinette was almost sure she could hear some shuffling in the background.
"I hope you brought something to cover yourself. I think it's going to storm tonight. Please be careful." The male murmured, concern seeping into his voice inevitably.
The lines underneath her eyes deep into slightly and the young woman pressed her lips together.
"I have a sweater, don't worry," she sighed, her spirit immediately feeling flaccid. "Thanks." Marinette glanced up at the sky, her blue eyes tracing the gray clouds that began to roll in at a rapid pace. She was sure it was going to rain at any minute.
"Hey, I'm gonna go," Marinette interjected before Adrien could inquire about her tone of voice. "I've stopped at a spot to eat, and I'm going to see if I can charge my phone. My battery is low." The young woman chewed on her bottom lip as she could faintly hear Adrien's apprehensiveness on the other line.
"Will we get to talk tonight? I want to hear the details of the interview." Adrien replied, his voice strained, and for a brief moment Marinette was worried that she was becoming annoying.
"Y-Yeah," she replied, her voice quivering as the blush began to run to her face. "I'd be more than happy to."
Adrien exhaled, his eyes remaining locked on to the screen of his phone even after she hung up. The male couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was a cruel kind of wanting that brewed deep in the fibres of his soul. There were no words for it, but all he knew was that he felt empty when she wasn't around.
The blonde glanced up, his emerald eyes fixating on to the bathroom door as Kagami stepped out. The young woman fixed her shirt, her fingers brushing through her hair as she tried to straighten herself out.
She maneuvered her eyes back to Adrien, who seemed to hold on to his phone awkwardly. The day they spent together went smoothly, but Adrien couldn't deny that there was tension between the two of them.
Aside from the fact that Kagami had slapped the crap out of him, Adrien couldn't help but to wonder if there was something that she was hiding from him.
The male pressed his lips together, his hands remaining still as Kagami very delicately snaked her arms around his neck, drawing his body closer to hers.
"I hope you didn't have to much fun without me." she murmured, leaning up to press a small kiss to his lips.
Adrien compiled, resting into her and kissing her back. He hummed, leaving the kiss to be quite chaste as he wasn't really in the mood to rush into things so that she could have her way.
Kagami furrowed her brow, his brown eyes locking on to his as her hands very delicately began to make their way into his hair.
"Adrien?" She mused, her eyes moving away from his. The young woman leaned into him, her fingertips fumbling with the fabric of his shirt.
Adrien leaned into her, his chin resting atop her head whilst he perked a brow curiously.
"Yes?" He replied, drawing the word out, as he was almost afraid of what she had to inquire. The last thing he wanted to do was to let his tongue slip and get whacked across the face once more.
Kagami hesitated, her fingers tracing against the smooth planes of his chest through his shirt. The female bit her lip, her eyes remaining on his shirt rather than his face.
"H-How much of my conversation did you hear yesterday?" She asked, her voice quivering almost as if she was afraid of his response.
Adrien furrowed his brow, his eyes veering off towards the corner and he shifted his weight. The male cursed himself, wondering if he was imagining the red flags that had began to spring up into his head like popcorn kernels.
"Erm... I don't believe I heard much of your conversation," Adrien replied promptly. "I kind of just accidentally walked in on you begging your father not to leave."
Kagami sighed, her face turning into his chest as she attempted to bury herself into him. Her hand clutched on to his clothing, keeping him close to her as if she was afraid to let him go.
"I'm relieved," she murmured into his chest, her words muffled by the soft fabric of his shirt. "I was worried you had heard me arguing with him. I had been so upset before you walked in." the female pulled back, her chin resting against him as she glanced up at him.
"I know you hate seeing me cry, and I didn't want to display that to you," Kagami reached up, her hands softly cupping his face. "I know you care about me," she whispered, leaning up on her tippy toes, her lips brushing against his lips.
"And I want you to know I care about you. I want you to know how much I appreciate and how much I love you. I know we have our ups and downs and we fight, but I know that I don't want any other person here at my side." she breathed, her face inclining closer to his.
Adrien furrowed his brow, his eyes moving back to lock on to hers once more. His heart squeezed in his chest and his hands rested on her hips. Just as Kagami leaned in to kiss him, Adrien very subtly and gently moved his head, allowing her lips to rest against his cheek.
"Kagami," Adrien uttered out, his voice remaining firm as he spoke. "Was I not supposed to walk in on you talking because you purposely didn't want me to know something?" Adrien felt Kagami step back, and only then he was finally able to get a better look at her.
"I mean, something that doesn't actually include an argument with your father."
The young woman narrowed her eyes at Adrien's implication, her vexation spreading across her features distinctly. She lightly shoved herself out of his grasp and her chest heaved.
"What are you trying to say? That I'm going off or doing something behind your back?" She seethed, her arms crossing tautly against her chest.
Adrien's features became impassive, the blonde attempting to remain relaxed as he knew she would storm out if he didn't comply.
"I'm not saying that at all," he replied, his voice remaining soft. "I just want you to trust me. I know there are things in your life that you don't want to share with me, and I'm not suspecting that you're seeing someone, but rather that there's someone or something hurting you and you're afraid to let me in on it."
Kagami kept her eyes fixated on his as he spoke, the young woman remained obdurate as she wouldn't let her guard down.
"Please... talk to me..." Adrien pleaded, the male hesitant to reach out to her.
Kagami shook her head.
"I already told you. My father wanted to go away to America on a business trip. I barely see enough of him as it is." She bit her lip, her nails digging into her arm as she remained closed off.
"I just didn't want him to leave in case he decided he wouldn't return."
Adrien frowned, he knew that there was much more to the story, and she was holding out on him.
The blonde couldn't suspect Kagami of cheating on him. They were together for four years, and they had been going strong even up until his father discovered the contract that would eventually lead him to marrying Marinette.
Adrien always made it a point to see the good in people, and, despite Kagami's rocky behavior, he couldn't see her cheating on him.
He just couldn't.
Perhaps he was in denial, but he knew her. He knew that she wouldn't do something like that.
At least, that was what he wanted to believe.
"Kagami," the male tried again. "I don't mean to piss you off." his voice trailed off as he looked down shamefully. "But if we want to make things serious, move in together and officially get married, we have to start working together a bit more. We've been stepping on each other's toes lately and I feel like all we've been doing is arguing-"
"Well you try making things work when someone you love is married to a complete stranger," Kagami interjected, quickly turning the tables on to Adrien once more. "We were fine Adrien! Everything was fine, until you got married. She came into the picture and ruined everything. You let her ruin everything-"
Adrien clenched his jaw, his heart began to squeeze in his chest as he was just about sure the anger was about ready to explode from his chest.
Kagami was always quick to turn the table, and each attempt never failed to piss him off.
"I'm so sick of you using that excuse!" Adrien exclaimed, his voice overlapping hers. "You made it clear that you were hurting Kagami!"
Kagami paused, her eyes widened slightly as Adrien rose his voice towards her.
"Do you think either I, or Marinette, had a say in this marriage? Do you truly believe that you are the only one suffering throughout this whole ordeal? You say so much shit about Marinette, but all you do is bully her! Do you think she wanted to marry me?! Do you believe that I wanted all of this to happen?!"
Kagami clenched her jaw, her heart racing erratically within her chest as she tried everything in her to remain composed.
"The situation is fucked for all of us." Adrien continued, his voice strained.
Kagami shifted her weight, her phone gently buzzing in her pocket. She glanced away from him, her brow eyes fixated on the back doors towards the pool.
"If you're implying that I'm selfish, maybe it's better that I just leave for tonight." she sighed, keeping her gaze away from Adrien.
Adrien frowned, shaking his head as his heart nearly spilled out of his mouth.
"N-No. I don't mean for you to leave," the male reached out to grab her hand. "I love you, Kagami. I just... I want to put my all into my relationship with you. I want us to communicate better."
Kagami remained silent, almost as if Adrien's words began to fall on deaf ears.
"I think I'm going to go," she mumbled, her hand immediately dropping out of his. "I'll call you if I'm feeling better." She slowly glanced back at him, relishing in the visage of Adrien slowly falling apart in front of her.
"K-Kagami, please!" Adrien begged softly, his heart aching as the young woman simply turned her back on him.
"Goodbye, Adrien." Her voice was flat, and cold, the female didn't even give him the last glance as she walked out the door.
Adrien sighed, his spirits completely falling as he had felt defeated once more. There was no winning when it came to Kagami. The male ran his hand through his hair, closing his eyes as he exhaled with mental exhaustion.
"Fuck."
The air was silent and Kagami stood outside the gates of Adrien's home, her eyes glaring down at her phone. The warm breeze permeated through her hair evenly, as her brown eyes skimmed over the text message on her screen.
The female furrowed her brow, her heart thumping in her chest as she clutched onto the phone with pure anger.
She was getting really sick of Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
