A/N: I see you guys, speculating that I'm gonna add more trauma in here. Don't you guys trust me?! Hm?!

Anyway, all jokes aside this story does contain all sorts of NSFW if you are uncomfortable with any of these elements, I strongly suggest that you don't read.

No, there are no traumatic scenes in this chapter and I'm updating early to celebrate 12k on this story.

Thank you guys for all the love and support!


Her blood had run cold, and Marinette could barely feel the rain against her skin.

She could faintly remember running away from Nick, but before she could even comprehend anything someone had been following her.

Everytime she moved faster, they only grew closer and closer to her.

Before she knew it, she had been completely cornered with nothing but her purse to defend herself.

She cried, her heart squeezing in her chest at the feeling of someone's hand on her shoulder.

Marinette winded up the strap of her purse between her fingers, ready to start swinging at who ever was behind her.

If she had to run her ass all the way out to Paris in the rain, she would. She didn't care how long it took to get there, as long as she made it back to Adrien. That was all that mattered.

She had ran miles before, in fact, she had ran until she blistered that night she walked in on Alya and Nino going at it in the bathroom.

Marinette spun around, her free arm raising as she was just about to hurl her purse at her potential assailant.

She paused, her eyes wide as she noticed the familiar face of Audrey Bourgeois' assistant gawking at her awkwardly with an umbrella in his hand.

The blunette couldn't understand how she was feeling, as a ton of emotions had began to consume her at a rapid pace.

She was feeling relief; simply because it wasn't Nick who had been prowling for her this whole time.

She was confused; she was confused because she hadn't the slightest idea as to why Audrey's assistant who, in fact, just interviewed her a few hours away had been following her. Why did he think it was necessary to show up now?

Lastly, she was feeling embarrassed; her makeup had ran down her face, she appeared a nervous wet wreck and she looked like total shit. The last thing she wanted was for a potential employer to see her in such a bad state.

"Mrs. Agreste..." the Male prompted, attempting to level his voice above the sound of the rain around them.

"Your husband came into contact with my boss. He requested that we accompany you to Le Grand Paris. His bodyguard will pick you up to take you home by morning..."

Marinette exhaled, her hand clutching to her chest tightly. The blunette nodded, shivering as he stepped closer, placing the umbrella above her to shield her from the rain.

She wiped her face, feeling his arm around her shoulder as he gently guided her around the corner to his car that was parked on the far end of the block.

The blunette pressed her lips together, reluctance settling into her bones as she had such a hell of a night, she wondered if it was a good idea to climb into the car with someone she had only just met.

She glanced up at him as he opened the door for her.

She was so cold, she was so tired, and she was so hungry she simply couldn't care anymore.

Marinette offered him a weary smile before she eventually climbed into the car. She shivered against the heated seats, Marinette was sure she could fall asleep right then and there.

She could barely feel her toes in her wet sneakers and her sweater clung on to her skin.

The blunette leaned into the seats, closing her eyes as she could hear the sounds of the rain pattering against the vehicle.

She barely had a mind to grasp that he had climbed into the car and began to drive.

Marinette yawned, closing her eyes.

She knew it was going to be a thirty minute drive and from then the next morning the drive back to her home she shared with Adrien would be just as long. She just wanted this night to be over with.

If this man was going to drive her into a dark place, murder her and then dump her remains into a plot, she'd be totally fine with it.

"So...is your husband always this worried about you?" The Male spoke from the driver's seat, his eyes briefly glancing in the rearview mirror where he could barely just see Marinette leaning into the seats.

"Hm?' Marinette drowsily hummed, she furrowed her brow and lifted her eyes. She struggled to keep her eyes open as she allowed his question to sink into her brain.

"Adrien?" She mused, perking a sleepy brow. "Yeah, he's a worry wart..." she yawned, her heart squeezing at the thought of Adrien once more.

She heard the male chuckle in front of her as he paused at a stop light.

Marinette wanted to take the sweater off, but worried she'd probably have to put it back on the moment she climbed out of the car.

"You guys dated a long time before you two got married?" He inquired. "Our company was quite involved with the Agrestes' for a number of years. It was a surprise to know Gabriel's only son was getting married, we didn't even know he was dating."

Marinette sighed, sitting up slightly as she decided it was just better to take off the sopping wet sweater.

"That's because it was an arranged marriage-" she breathed softly, placing her sweater on to the space beside her.

The assistant widened his eyes, his hands gripping on to the wheel as he made a careful turn.

"I-I'm so sorry. I had no idea-" he sputtered, his eyes remaining on the road as he pulled up to a stop light.

"I wasn't even aware that was a still a thing...you know with how fast the times have changed."

Marinette chuckled, closing her eyes once more as she just wanted to sleep.

A small blush dusted her cheeks and she relaxed into the heated seats once more.

"Its alright." She replied in a soft quivering voice. "We both get along fine." She reached up and ran a hand through her hair.

There was an awkward silence between the two and Marinette was in no mood to keep it going. She was grateful for the ride, but she needed to sleep.

"That's good...I'm glad that you both get along..." he replied, settling into his seat as he had the gist that Marinette was totally exhausted and not in the mood to converse about her private life with Adrien.

Marinette yawned, curling into the seats. She furrowed her brow, unable to get Nick out of her mind.


Kagami stood outside his door with a grimace.

She could barely hear the sounds of the thunder behind her. Her heart squeezes in her chest as she needed every reason to leave Adrien behind.

She could feel her phone buzzing in her pocket and she could only suspect that Adrien was trying to get a hold of her.

There were more important things she had to worry about at that moment.

Kagami knew she had to be more careful with the conversations she had on the phone.

Adrien was starting to catch on to her little rendezvous, and despite her seeing someone else unbeknownst to Adrien, Kagami couldn't bear to lose him either.

It was almost as if her heart was caught between the two.

If it were possible, Kagami would have kept them both and she had every intention to do so.

Perhaps it was true that she was juggling too much, but she wanted and needed them both.

It was cruel to say that there was a void inside of her that she needed them both to fill, and they both had a special place in her heart.

She couldn't feel complete with just one and not the other.

Kagami couldn't understand why her lover was ignoring her, but she knew that she wasn't going to let go of him so easily.

The female dug into her pocket, glaring at her phone screen. Her features only fell as she scrolled through the missed call logs, most of which were Adrien trying to get ahold of her.

She knew that Adrien was only calling to make amends with the issue they were having earlier in the night.

Her heart felt heavy for that.

It only made sense to pay attention to Adrien in order to drive the suspicion away, but Kagami would take the risk of losing the other if she did so.

The female simply scrolled off of her missed call log and instead when through her recent calls in desperation to find the person she was looking for.

She clenched the phone in her hand, sending a quick text to her recipient.

It was only a matter of moments before the door opened and Kagami came face to face with her second lover.

The two remained silent, Kagami nearly falling over as she couldn't take the pain that seeped into the crevices of her heart.

She pulled up the text message she had received from him once she left Adrien's home.

"Who is it?" She asked, her voice quivering as she flashed the screen to him, referring to the text that was sent to her from him. "Tell me who it is..."


Marinette felt totally out of place. She could still hear the rain pattering against the large windows of her hotel suite. She glanced down at the card that Audrey's assistant had left for her in case she needed anything.

Theo Barbot.

He had to be a nice guy. He had dropped her off where she was meant to go and he didn't viciously murder her and dump her corpse into a pit.

Marinette made sure to keep that name in mind in case she really did need him later.

The blunette placed his card into her purse and she glanced up at the red curtains that decorated the lining of the ceiling.

She had a large balcony space right outside the bedroom balcony doors and it was incredibly hard for her to miss the colossal bed that stood in the center of the bedroom.

She had never seen anything so magnificent, so high maintenance...so...so...

"Expensive..." Marinette breathed, the young woman wandered to the extravagant curtains. She blushed, her fingertips tracing down pure satin.

The fabric was so smooth, Marinette could only wish she could afford to stitch with it.

She quickly glanced back, her heart squeezing in her chest as she spot a dry clean nightgown placed atop of the bed sheets.

She could even spot a room service menu on the bedside table.

She sighed, shaking her head with a weary smile as this had Adrien written all over it.

Marinette made use of the laundry unit and wasted no time in taking her wet clothes off and shoving them into the washer. She tiptoed naked back to her master bedroom and stuffed the nightgown beneath her armpit before treading back to the bathroom.

Her eyes widened at the jet jacuzzi bath in the center. Her body shivered and for a brief moment, Marinette felt completely spoiled rotten.

She bit her lip, a small blush on her cheeks as she carefully stepped into the tub and turned on the hot water and the jet bubbles.

She leaned into the bath, her body shivering at the warm water. Her feet ached and Marinette felt her tummy growl.

She quickly threw her nightgown on to the toilet bowl across the bathroom.

She gripped on to the edge of the tub, a small smile on her face as she had such a bad long day, she genuinely felt like she deserved this.

She'd have to remind herself to thank Adrien later when she saw him.

Marinette gently dried her hair with the soft hotel suite towel. She smiled sweetly, nuzzling into her nightgown with a subtle blush.

She had placed her clothes into the dryer so she could be ready by morning, and Marinette had left her phone to charge by the bed.

The rain had refused to let up and Marinette was glad that she got out of Montmartre. She wasn't sure how much longer she would last.

It was growing close to one in the morning and Marinette figured she could always eat something in the morning before she left.

She was much too tired to do anything else.

Marinette yawned as she climbed into her colossal bed. She nuzzled her face into the pillows with a fatigue that felt as if it had permeated to her bones.

Even while feeling safe, she couldn't get the image of Nick out of her mind. She could still faintly feel the sensation of his hands around her neck as well as the sick look of carnal desire on his features the moment he licked his lips when he saw her in the lobby.

She opened her eyes, sighing as her visage traced the droplets of rain on the balcony windows.

Her fists slowly clutched on to her bedsheets and Marinette felt a heavy and painful weight in her heart.

She had promised to call Adrien later in the night.

In fact, she was sure he wasn't getting a blink of sleep and awaited for her to call him once she made it to the hotel safely.

Marinette had wondered if it was a good idea to tell Adrien about who she had seen in the motel lobby, or if she should keep quiet about it.

She was well aware of the issues that he was having with Kagami, Marinette didn't want to be one of those people who continued to add on to his issues.

She pursed her lips, slowly sitting up as she reached for her phone that sat on the bedside table

The blunette scrolled through her contacts, her finger hovering above Adrien's number.

Perhaps a text would suffice?

Marinette was much too tired for emotional turmoil. She had gone through enough of it already. She swore up and down for the last twenty-three years of her life she had not received this much bad luck.

The female simply pressed her digit into the call icon and pressed the phone to her ear.

She carefully crossed her legs in front of her and glanced out the large windows to the outside. Her blue eyes captured the magnificent sight of the Eiffiel Tower as it casted a warm glow on to the city streets.

Marinette had felt so relaxed and warm, it took everything in her not to fall asleep right there on the spot.

"Marinette..."

She exhaled at the sound of his voice murmuring her name.

Her heart began to squeeze into her chest and as many time she had tried to deny it, it was nearly impossible for Marinette to ignore that she had fallen so deep into this man, that she would nearly crumble at the call of her name.

The fatigue that once plagued Marinette's bones all but washed away the moment she heard his voice.

"I know you're probably pissed because you asked me not to do something like this..." his voice trailed off as he exhaled, anxiousness pooled into his voice. " But I was really worr-"

"Adrien, its okay-" Marinette interjected, a small smile on her face as her heart did flips into her chest. "The room is nice...my clothes were wet and I'm able to dry them and get some sleep before I return home bright and early tomorrow morning..."

There was a slight pause and Marinette was almost worried that the line went dead.

"So...you're not mad?" Adrien inquired, a hopeful lilt in his voice that nearly made Marinette giggle.

"I'm not mad..." Marinette replied, slowly leaning into her bedsheets once more. She closed her eyes, the smile from her face dropping immediately as she could still see Nick's disgusting face behind her eyelids.

Her eyes immediately shot open and the blunette quickly turned to her side.

"I'm relieved you're somewhere safe. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, at least before I have to go to a charity event my father's corporation is holding. It shouldn't take me long though..."

Marinette pursed her lips, reaching up to curl a lock of her hair behind her finger.

"Oh? I'm assuming that means I shouldn't be in a rush to get home?" She teased, a small smile and blush spreading on to her face. "It really sounds like a boring affair..."

Adrien groaned, a bit of shuffling emanated from the other line.

"It is boring. My father barely ever leaves the house and yet he doesn't have an issue sending me so I can be a face for him..." he yawned, pausing briefly to shift once more. "I'm just glad that I won't have to suffer alone this time..."

Marinette furrowed her brow, her hand dropping out of her hair and laying flat on the bed.

"Oh? Does this mean you have a date?" She asked, her heart sinking into her stomach as she already knew the answer.

Adrien sighed, nearly hesitant to reply before he eventually did.

"I was thinking about bringing Kagami..." his voice quivered.

Marinette glanced down into her bedsheets, her heart aching in her chest, but the blunette managed to conceal.

"That's great! I mean...at least you have someone to kill the time with..." Marinette replied, clearing her throat as she briefly buried her face into the pillows.

Adrien sighed, a small groan emanating from his throat once more.

"I'm not sure anymore. We had a huge fight before the night was over. I've been calling her but she doesn't answer. I'm worried she's still pissed off at me, but now it feels like I'm trying too hard..." he explained.

Marinette maneuvered herself on to her pillow, a grimace tugging on her features as she lay down and listen to him.

"That's what we're supposed to do..." Marinette breathed, her heart continuing to ache in her chest. "We try really hard for the people we love...so that we could make it work..." the female chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes squeezing shut as she tried everything in her soul to keep herself composed. "That's what love means..."

Adrien briefly hummed on the other end, his breathing even as it appeared he was trying to think about something.

"It always feels like I'm doing something wrong. I wish there was some way to change myself or change the situation I got myself in..."

Marinette perked a brow, carefully rolling on to her stomach.

"Are you implying that you finally broke down your submissive twat façade?" The blunette teased, reaching back up to twirl a piece of her hair into her finger once more.

Adrien chuckled, a small yawn breaking through the silence that had dawned in between the two of them.

"I guess you could say that..."

Marinette smiled, her chest feeling warm.

"I don't ever want you to change. You're fine the way you are, Adrien..." the blunette took her bottom lip between her teeth once more.

"Do you really mean that, ladybug?" He asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"Mhm..." Marinette replied without hesitation. She closed her eyes, dropping her heart as she attempted to calm her heart. "I genuinely mean that..."

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut, her heart once again doing flips in her chest the moment she heard him quietly laugh once more.

"I really feel like I can be myself around you, I don't think you understand how much I appreciate that..." Adrien murmured. "I'm grateful that I met you, Marinette..."

Marinette widened her eyes, her lips parting as she tried to withhold a surprised gasp that wanted to jump out of her throat. Her heart began to thump wildly in her chest and Marinette was worried she was about ready to drop her phone.

The blunette tried to keep herself composed. She wasn't intending on making herself appear like another fangirl, though she was aware that Adrien had many.

Hell, even Kagami suspected Marinette of being a home wrecking fangirl out to destroy their relationship and his money.

"I...I feel that way too, Adrien..." Marinette replied, the blush deepening against her freckled cheeks. "I appreciate you stepping in to help me tonight..." the blunette ran her hand through her hair with a stifled yawn.

"You know I'm always here to help out. I know this was an awkward way of meeting...but I'm really glad we became friends." Adrien murmured, his warm voice sending shivers down Marinette's spine.

The young woman bit her lip, her hand resting on her chest as her heart continued to flip within her chest. She parted her lips, attempting to steady her breath before Adrien took the initiative to guide the conversation in another direction.

"So...I think you promised me details for the interview." Adrien prompted.

Marinette gasped, a wide smile on her face as she rolled side to side against the bed.

"Oh! Right-" she giggled, her toes curling like a teenaged girl finally being able to talk to her crush.

The blunette glanced up at the ceiling, for the first time, putting the the thought and worry of her falling deeper into Adrien far into the back of her mind.


The morning was warm.

Marinette couldn't have been more grateful. She knew she always teased Adrien the night before that she would take her time going back home to him, but truth be told; she couldn't wait to get back.

Her clothes were fresh from the dryer and smelled nice. She had an English Barm cake with butter and lunch meat along side with some tea.

Marinette couldn't have been happier with how the morning wet.

She clutched her purse to her side, fingers tapping against her lap as she glanced out the window of the familiar car.

She never thought that she'd be thrilled to finally see Adrien's bodyguard again, but it was nice to see a familiar face after a long and stressful night.

The trees whisked by them, and Marinette stretched within the seat, feeling anxious to finally see Adrien again.

A blush dusted against her cheeks as the warm rays of the sun properly permeated through the tinted windows of his bodyguard's car.

The blunette bounced in her seat, her heart racing in her chest and a wide smile spread across her lips as they rounded a corner, and Marinette could vividly spot the front gate of her shared home.

The car barely pulled up to the curb and Marinette had already attempted to jump out of the car and run straight into the back slider doors.

The blunette gripped on to her purse, carefully climbing out of the car. She smiled, shutting the door behind her before she stumbled on her feet, staggering to the back slider doors.

Her eyes remained fixated on the doors, growing closer and closer until she felt someone grab her from behind.

Marinette gasped as she was tugged back, her heart racing in her chest as she hadn't expected for someone to be waiting for her arrival.

"Marinette..." a familiar voice emanated from behind her.

Marinette pressed her lips together, turning around to glance at the man who stood behind her.

She furrowed her brow, confusion washing over her completely.

"N-Nino?" Marinette asked, her eyes glancing around half expecting to see Alya around but coming up empty.

Nino glanced down, a frown tugging on his lips as he reached up to rub the back of her neck.

"I...I didn't mean to scare you-" Nino breathed, his voice quivering as he spoke.

"Erm..." Marinette glanced around nervously as she pressed her lips together. "A-Adrien is inside..." the female breathed, jolting her finger in the direction of the black slider doors. "If you want, I can go on in and get him..."

Nino shifted his weight, his brown eyes glancing back at her. His features began to twist in unimaginable ways, and Marinette was struggling to muster what he was trying to convey to her.

"I came here to see you, Marinette." Nino prompted blatantly, his hands sliding out of his pockets.

Marinette widened her eyes, her heart squeezing in her chest as Nino began to approach her slowly.

"W-Wait...you came here to see me?" She asked, furrowing her brow. "Um...what?" She breathed, her chest heaving as Nino leaned closer and closer to her.

Marinette blinked, a deep blush covering her freckled cheeks as before she knew it, Nino had tangled himself into her.