What even is an update schedule anymore? Someone please stop me before it's too late.


"Holy shit… they're real..."

Adrien's voice escaped his lips faster than he could catch up.

He was always respectful in front of his father. Hell, he barely said anything when he was in his presence.

Of course, there were things that Adrien didn't exactly agree on, and there were times were Adrien tried to reason with his father but usually to no avail.

His green eyes glossed over the jewels that sat in their respective places. The spotted earrings glistened by the sunlight that permeated through the window. He could even spot the black ring with a green cat paw right in the center.

Adrien pressed his lips together at the coincidence. He could spot many of the other jewels, but he couldn't help but be taken by the two main jewels that sat in the center.

The Ladybug and the Black Cat.

Adrien reached up to run his finger along the inside of his lip, his green eyes shifting towards his father who had closed the box and set it aside.

"Of course they were real. Did you think I brought the contract forward for a myth?" Gabriel mused, leaning into his chair and folding his arms.

Adrien chuckled, taking his bottom lip between his teeth as he could picture the dupes his father tried to create so that his mother could wear them. Of course, he wouldn't admit it, but the real jewels proved to be significantly better than the ones his father tried to recreate.

Although Adrien couldn't help but picture his little bugginette with the ladybug spotted earrings.

But the coincidence was uncanny.

He recalled many times when he had called Marinette his ladybug, and Marinette had even referred to him several times that he was her black cat.

"Assuming you've read the contract and decided to put it forth." Adrien murmured, his eyes lowering as he always had trouble looking his father in his eyes. "Do you think Marinette or I could possibly have a look at it? We both got married and fulfilled this, but it almost feels like a phantom. Honestly, I was surprised that the jewels actually exist, but I feel like if we could at least see the contract with our own eyes, the unexpected arranged marriage would seem a bit more purposeful." Adrien explained, his hands sliding into the pockets of his shorts.

"Are you implying that I fabricated a story?" Gabriel asked, his voice sharp as his blue eyes scowled down at his son who visibly flinched at the sharpness of his tongue.

Adrien cringed, his heart squeezing inside of his chest as he was indeed afraid of his father. A small blush dusted his cheeks and he nervously reached up to run a hand through his hair.

"N-No, I didn't mean that it was fabricated," Adrien stuttered, his eyes trained on to the ground. "I...I guess I got curious when it came to our families' backgrounds."

Adrien sighed, fearing that his father would lash out at him, but instead, there was silence between the two of them.

It wasn't that Adrien didn't think the contract was fabricated, it was that he wanted his marriage to Marinette to feel real.

Marrying her without knowing that he had seen the contract, and read it alongside his wife made the whole thing fruitless and completely devoid of reason.

"I'll have it arranged so that you and Marinette could both read it," Gabriel replied, his voice growing softer and cutting through the silence that had drowned the both of them. "Until then, we can look into lawyers to draft up an appropriate divorcing strategy. Now that I've been gifted what I needed, the marriage between you and Marinette is unnecessary. If you want, you can remain in the home that was gifted to you, or you can move back here so that you can resume your job full time. I have a few events that I need you to attend."

Adrien remained quiet, his face remaining completely impassive at the thought of having to move back home with his father.

Despite the marriage being a huge surprise, Adrien couldn't have found a better match himself. He still couldn't believe that he and Marinette had taken the extra step into exploring one another the night before, but he genuinely enjoyed his time with her.

He didn't have Kagami anymore, and Adrien couldn't help but wonder if his father would even allow Marinette to visit if they got divorced. He wanted to be with Marinette. The thought of being away from her almost made him as sad as the day he lost his mother.

Gabriel kept his eyes on his son, his brow furrowing as Adrien kept his gaze away from him. He remained as stiff as a statue, and Gabriel moved his eyes towards Nathalie who waited by the doors before moving back to Adrien who awaited his father to continue.

"I understand that it's a huge leap, but it's possible to return to normalcy once this is all done. You aren't obligated to remain married to Ms. Dupain-Cheng and you aren't obligated to continue contact with her. You can allow Nathalie to handle the press and keep the divorce as secretive as possible until we can decide a proper statement to make to the public."

Adrien nodded, keeping his hands into his pockets before he lifted his gaze back to his father who returned the gesture.

"I don't believe that's necessary," Adrien replied with a soft murmur, his heart beginning to pick up the pace. "But I decided to remain married to my wife."

Gabriel perked a brow, sitting up on the seat to glare down at Adrien who began to shift uncomfortably on both of his feet.

"You want to stay married?" He asked, his eyes flickering between Nathalie and Adrien.

Adrien nodded, lifting his head so that he could properly look his father in the eye.

"I would like to stay married," Adrien reiterated. "I'd like for all of the assets of the marriage to remain with Marinette if anything should happen to me. If Marinette and I decided to divorce, I'd like it to be a decision that we both made, not one made for us."

Gabriel remained quiet, his eyes trained on Adrien who shifted nervously in front of his father's gaze.

Adrien awkwardly ran a hand through his hair, offering his father a weak smile before turning and walking away.

Adrien exhaled as he approached Nathalie. He offered her a weary smile before he turned to glance at his dad one last time.

"The jewels are beautiful. I'm sure Mom would have loved to see them in person. She'd look even more beautiful wearing them as well," Adrien commented, his eyes veering down to the ground. There was a brief silence between them as Adrien began to contemplate.

"Oh, and it's -Cheng-Agreste. She added my last name to hers," Adrien reiterated before he turned his trajectory to the exiting doors.

Nathalie and Gabriel watched Adrien as he left Gabriel's workroom without another word.

Nathalie glared at the doors, slowly turning over towards Gabriel who chuckled with a light-hearted smile.

His son's headstrong attitude reminded him of someone.

Adrien exhaled as he entered the foyer of his father's mansion. His green eyes trained on the two large front door as he wanted nothing more than to escape the cold walls of his old home.

After living for Marinette for most of the summer, Adrien couldn't understand how he was able to live under his father's roof for so long.

It was cold, it was lonely and it certainly miserable.

He genuinely did love his father. He loved Nathalie and in fact, he did miss the small moments when he and Nathalie did bond, but he couldn't return to them.

This was a part of his life he wanted to move on from.

"Adrien!" Nathalie called out to him, closing the doors to Gabriel's workroom. "I'll send for a car." She explained, stepping into the center of the foyer by the grand staircase.

Adrien glanced back at her, a deep blush on his cheeks as he wanted to stray away as far as possible.

Granted, it was smack in the middle of the summer and he was well aware of how hot it was, but he genuinely needed the fresh air and some time to think.

"It's okay," Adrien muttered, pressing his hand against the front door. "I'll walk..."


Adrien pursed his lips, his eyes trained to the ground as the sun had begun to beam down against his back.

He could feel the heat permeate through his clothes and Adrien never once thought about the distance between his old home to his new home.

A deep blush covered his cheeks in part of the heat. The other was in part of some fangirls snapping photos of him from across the street.

Adrien prayed that he wouldn't be approached by anyone on the way home. Seeing as though he didn't have his usual crew with him, neither his bodyguards nor his friends, he had become more susceptible to a fandom entourage.

His eyes moved upward, focusing on the path home.

He couldn't help but rethink the way he approached his father. Adrien had hoped he didn't step on anyone's toes by protesting a divorce, and he certainly didn't want to appear out of place.

He had hoped he didn't pose an inconvenience by asking to see the contract, but Adrien allowed his curiosity to get the best of him.

The coincidences when it came to the black cat and the ladybug jewels piqued his interest. Adrien wondered if it was possible for him to attain the ladybug earrings simply as a gift to Marinette.

But that was a fruitless endeavor.

He loved his father, but he knew how stingy he could be. It was simply impossible to ask for something and actually get it from his father.

Adrien sighed, a small smile forming on his lips as he recalled what had happened the night before. He and Marinette had gotten really close to actually consummating their marriage, but he was pretty content with what they had done so far.

He was glad that Marinette had felt comfortable around him, and most importantly, he was happy that he was no longer feeling self-conscious about how he was with his wife.

As long as she was consenting and okay with it, he wouldn't deny himself the chance to grow closer to Marinette.

Granted, the morning after was a little weird. They had to wake up early to clean the mess on the sheets, and Marinette had to keep herself wrapped in blankets while trying to grab their clothing from the wash. She had met Adrien in the shower soon after, but Marinette wanted to rush so that she wouldn't have an awkward encounter with her parents.

Adrien chuckled at how her face remained red throughout the remainder of the morning. She waited for him at home, knowing that his dad had called to see him.

He casually slipped his hands into his pockets, his eyes veering off towards the blue warm sky.

He furrowed his brow, his heart squeezing in his chest the moment he heard someone step in front of him.

He immediately snapped his visage to the source of the noise, his smile dropping once his eyes connected with a pair of familiar blue eyes.

Luka stood in front of Adrien, forcing him to stop walking. His expression was impassive, but Luka knew by the look on Adrien's face, that he surely wasn't happy to see him.

Adrien pressed his lips together, his eyes glaring straight into Luka's. His fists clenched inside of his pockets.

It went without saying, that the moment Adrien saw him, his blood boiled with rage.

He pressed his lips together, calmly stepping aside to pass Luka, but only growing more frustrated as Luka stubbornly stepped in his way yet again, preventing him from moving any further.

Adrien sighed, keeping his gaze away from Luka while trying to calm the anger that had begun to fester inside of him. Each time he looked at Luka, he was pulled back to the memory of Kagami wrapped around him. It only fueled his anger for them both even more so.

"What do you want?" Adrien deadpanned, his voice cold as he kept his gaze behind Luka. "Here to rub it in my face that you were fucking my girlfriend while also trying to fuck my wife?"

Luka flinched at Adrien's sharp tongue. He realised what it looked like from the outside. Luka was painted as some dude who was trying to swing on both girls when in reality he was just being used as well. Of course, it didn't give him an excuse for what he did, but Luka wanted to explain what really happened.

Adrien hated him.

He had every right to. But Luka was pathetic enough to still want to be his friend.

"No. I understand what it must look like," Luka replied calmly. "But I've been looking for you. I want to at least explain what had happened. I know you probably hate me, and you have every right to - but there were things that I was not aware of either."

Adrien kept his face impassive, his heart pumping even faster while his skin grew hotter. He was well aware that Kagami was a liar, but the more that came out about it, the more it hurt him.

He was being fooled for years and knowing that Kagami had been seeing Luka only two weeks after they were together, Adrien was only growing sicker and sicker at the thought.

It was painful.

That everything he had dreamed and built with Kagami was a lie, and would never come to life ever again.

"I don't think I'm ready to listen to any of this," Adrien replied, his voice remaining cold. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really need to get home."

Luka clenched his jaw, stumbling back as Adrien shoved through him and began to walk down the pavement.

It was frustrating.

Luka didn't think it was fair that he gave Kagami a chance to speak her truth but Luka wasn't given a chance to speak his.

While it was true that he fucked up with Kagami, he wanted to take the first steps in the right direction when it came to Marinette.

Luka was in love with Adrien's wife.

He was ready to finally leave Kagami behind to find his true happiness and Marinette.

Luka felt it was only right for Adrien to know that.

"Would you please let me explain?" Luka asked, reaching over and grabbing Adrien's arm to prevent him from moving any further. "I want to be able to explain everything. I want to tell you the truth about everything that happened, and things that were not made clear to me."

"Get off me!" Adrien shouted, immediately jerking his arm away from Luka with anger. "I told you that I didn't want to hear it. You and Kagami fucked up my life. Do you honestly think I want to stand here and listen to more bullshit about how you both fooled me?"

Luka froze, his hand dropping to his side as Adrien jerked away from him. He sighed, his lips pressing together as Adrien kept a safe distance between the two of them. He didn't mean to hurt anyone, he worried there was no way to undo what he had done to Adrien. This was a reputation he was forced to live with.

Kagami lied to him as well, and this was what he got for believing her.

While Adrien had fallen victim to Kagami's manipulation, Luka had fallen victim to his own poor sense of judgment.

Adrien turned his back to Luka, his chest heaving as he began to walk away, attempting to leave Luka far behind him.

Luka sighed, sweat beading at the back of his neck from the heat of the sun. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his black skinny jeans and glanced down at the ground.

"I'm in love with Marinette," Luka confessed, his eyes lifting up to glance at Adrien who paused the moment he had uttered his confession. "She's an extraordinary girl. Clear as a music note, sincere as a melody. She has been the song I hear in my head since the moment we first met. I fucked up before with Kagami, but I won't fuck up this time with Marinette. I won't allow myself or anyone else to hurt Marinette..."

Adrien widened his eyes, his chest feeling as if a dagger had gone through it. He was completely defeated.

Luka had the audacity.

He had taken his girlfriend away from him when he barely had her, and now it appeared that Luka was trying to take his wife again.

Adrien couldn't decipher between jealousy, or simply anger of betrayal. He was willing to go back to the night where he had caught him with Kagami and slam his fist straight into his face.

But then he remembered how Marinette begged him to stop. He remembered how fearful she was at the scary face he made when he allowed his anger to overtake him.

Adrien wanted to believe he was good enough, in fact, he was so close to believing it the night before.

But who was he to compete?

In the end, it was Marinette's choice, and Adrien would support the choices that she made, even if he wasn't the one she picked.

She had options, and she had people who could do better than him.

It was as if Luka knew how to break his soul.

Adrien simply couldn't compete.

Luka remained quiet, studying Adrien who seemed to be at war with himself regarding whether he should respond.

Adrien simply said no words, his shoulders slumped forward and he finally continued walking, leaving Luka as far behind him as he could.


"I think I had sex." Marinette sighed, glancing at herself in the bathroom mirror.

The young woman blushed, quickly looking down at Tikki who sat beside the bathroom sink with a soft purr.

Marinette pouted, reflecting back to the mirror so that she could examine the marks on her neck. She was mortified.

There wasn't a single space on her neck that was not marked. It was all purple and red. She looked as though she was attacked by a vacuum cleaner.

"I guess I'll have to resort to wearing turtle necks for the rest of my life. I was barely even able to get out of my parents' house without them noticing." Marinette groaned, lowering her head into her hands.

Marinette had told herself many times before that talking to the cat was incredibly insane, but Marinette had no one else to talk to.

Adrien went out to see his father, she was sure that Alya and Nino were busy planning a wedding and a baby. Waiting for Adrien's return was complete agony. She needed to get her thoughts out somehow.

A deep blush coated her cheeks, as she could still feel Adrien thrusting between her legs. She felt his hands on her, and she could still hear the way he moaned into her ear every time he moved.

Her head was sure to explode off of her shoulders.

"I've been deflowered." Marinette whimpered, glancing at the marks on her neck once more. "Everyone is going to see this, and know that I've been deflowered. I'm not a virgin anymore."

Tikki mewed, the black cat stretching before the feline trotted out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom where she could knead the blankets on the master bed.

Marinette sighed, reaching up to rub the back of her neck.

"I mean, he didn't actually...do it to me," Marinette murmured, feeling awkward to say that she almost had sex with Adrien out loud. "But we got really, really close to it."

Marinette trudged down the hallway, her face feeling impossibly hot. Her mind reverted back to how close they were the night before. They were both needy with one another, and Marinette felt like her head was about to explode.

She almost hated herself for not giving her virginity to him that night, but the fact that Adrien was willing to wait until she was ready, only made her feel all the more comfortable around him.

She liked the things he did do to her, and she enjoyed how tentative he was when it came to the things that she liked and disliked.

Marinette bit her lip, her heart racing in her chest as the thought sent butterflies in her stomach. She genuinely did trust him.

But then came the hickeys.

She knew it would take weeks for them to go away, and putting cold spoons on them certainly didn't work. She recalled the marks that Luka had left on her, and that didn't work out too well.

Marinette groaned as she threw herself on to the bed. She pressed her face into pillows and screamed.

She'd have to spend the rest of her summer, packing makeup onto her neck. She still couldn't believe that she allowed Luka to give her the first hickey, and Marinette still couldn't believe that Adrien's length was wedged between her legs.

He came into her underwear for goodness sake!

When did she become such a lewd woman? Marinette would have never thought that she'd be up to this sort of thing at the beginning of the summer.

In fact, she had planned to stay in her room inside her cozy little apartment after her semester ended for the summer.

She was going to continue to tease Alya about her underwear, eat cup noodles and cry while moping about how Felix fucked her over and took their cat with him.

But then the contract appeared at her parents' bakery, and things were never the same since.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Marinette screamed into the pillow, her skin grew flushed as she began to kick and punch the mattress beneath her.

Tikki perked her head up, judging Marinette's little fit with her green cat eyes before curling into the corner and closing her eyes.

Marinette sighed, turning over onto her back as she reached up to brush the hickeys on her neck delicately with her fingertip. She pressed her lips together, the blush contrasting on her freckled face.

She'd need to find a shade that matched with her neck. Marinette had many public appearances to make at work, and the last thing she needed was for Alya to hound her with a shit ton of questions.

Marinette knew her coworkers, and the thought of them making assumptions about her and Adrien due to the marks on her neck almost made her head explode into a million pieces.

Marinette sat up, her shoulders slumping forward as she turned her head and glanced out at the balcony door. The warm breeze blew through the curtains, caressing her skin, and immediately calming her.

She was sure she had some foundation somewhere in her room down the halls.

"I think I can pull it off. I mean, I pull off talking to a cat all the time!" Marinette piped to Tikki, carefully sliding off the bed so that she could return to the room with her things inside.

Marinette hummed, scratching her head as her pyjama shorts nearly rode up her hips. Her pink spaghetti strap top rolled off her freckled shoulders, and Marinette began to confidently stroll to the end of the hallway.

And then there was a knock.

Marinette froze, her blue eyes widening as she quickly glanced back to the room where she had left Tikki.

Tikki perked her head up, glancing around before eventually sitting up to glance back at Marinette who seemed just as surprised as she was.

"Did he forget his key again?" Marinette mused, perking a brow as she then changed her trajectory towards the stairs. "Don't worry," Marinette assured Tikki who simply stared at her. "I've got this covered."

Marinette hummed, climbing down the stairs towards the first floor where the knocking on the backdoor continued.

A small smile formed onto her lips and her heart squeezed inside of her chest at the thought of seeing Adrien. She hadn't seen him since early that morning and she was nearly embarrassed to admit that she had missed him.

Her blue eyes latched onto the back glass slider doors that led to the garden and she could easily see the silhouette of her husband that waited on the other side.

The young woman sighed, shaking her head as the knocking grew harder.

"I'm coming!" Marinette exclaimed, hopping over toward the door with an excited grin. "What's the matter?" Marinette teased as she unlocked the door and began to slide it open. "Did you forget your-"

Her sentence was cut short, and Marinette swore her heart was about ready to spill out of her mouth. Her limbs grew cold, and Marinette instantly felt dizzy.

She knew the man outside the door, and it certainly was not her husband.

She knew that face.

She knew those eyes.

She knew that figure.

She knew that smell of his cologne.

The image of him instantly plagued her mind with memories, and Marinette swore she would have dropped to her knees the moment he smiled at her.

"It's been a while..." Felix spoke, sliding his hands into the pockets of his tanned suit. He bit his lip, his eyes sought out for hers as he shifted his weight.

"You look as beautiful as ever, Marinette..."

Marinette gulped, her head spinning almost instantly as it felt as if everything was happening faster than she could possibly comprehend. The sound of his voice nearly sent her down to the ground on her knees.

"F-Felix?"