This fic is already complete, and I will be aiming for two to three updates a week, just depending on my schedule. There will be twelve chapters total. This fic is rated T for implied child abuse.

Chapter One

"What's got you down, Bugaboo?" Chat Noir asked, breaking the silence that stood between the two heroes as they sat up on a beam of the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug let out a long sigh, leaning back slightly to look up at the dark sky. Only a few stars were visible through the glow of the city, yet they still seemed to shine in her blue eyes.

"When I first became a superhero... I knew it was going to interfere with my life," she began slowly. "I missed a few classes. Had to lie to my friends and family, hide things that I didn't want to keep a secret. But I was able to get by."

"I know how you feel," he said softly. He was able to pull out the most believable excuses at the drop of a hat, but that didn't mean he liked lying to those close to him.

"I'm going to be eighteen... eventually, and I'll be out of lycée. My parents are expecting me to go to university, and I've always wanted to, but..." she buried her face in her hands. "I've... I've always had a passion for a career I want to pursue, and my parents have been looking into good schools for that, and there's only so many in Paris– and I can't go anywhere else while I'm Ladybug! Only one of them here is one I'd be interested in, but it'll be next to impossible for me to get into!"

"I know a lot of universities can be tough to qualify for, but if there's anyone that can it's you," Chat Noir said, no doubt in his voice, and she pressed her eyes shut as tears stung them.

"Even if I could get in..." she swallowed. "There's just no way I could keep up with it! Akumas are happening left and right these days, and if I just get up and walk out of class every time people will start asking questions! Maybe we could get away with it in lycée but university will be expecting more from us! Missing classes, missing tests, missing time to work on assignments– I just don't know if there's any way I can keep up!"

"Bugaboo..." he began softly, but he didn't know what to say, because he knew she was right. Lycée was lenient, they could pull out random excuses, and make up tests and classes they had to miss. University wouldn't be as forgiving, and if it was a high end school she was trying to get into... one slip up and that could be it for her.

He shifted guiltily, because he knew unviersity wasn't in his father's plans for him. He was to keep modeling and being the face of the company, and slowly his father would start training him to take his place. Of course not with designing, just simply running and maintaining the family business. He was being handed a multi-million euro company for free, he would be set for life, and he knew that he should be grateful.

But he wanted nothing to do with it.

For a lifestyle where it seemed like one would have anything, he had little choice in what he could do. Everything was always mapped out from him, carefully planned just for the betterment of the family name. Never for him personally, yet if he complained it was always 'I'm doing this for you'. Even with his eighteenth birthday only a few weeks away it was quite clear it would not be freedom for him.

His father loved control, and he had Adrien Agreste's life planned out to a T. He would spend two more years modeling and single, and when he was twenty his father would find him a girlfriend. She would last him another two years when they would end it, and three months later he would be dating someone else. This dating would last for another two years, when he would be married at twenty-four and given access to his trust fund. His father had already made it clear he expected grandchildren, and once he was thirty he would be handed the company.

For a man who had married for love, he didn't understand why his father was setting up his dating life merely for the looks of the public. He didn't know if his father intended on letting him choose who he would end up with, but he had no intention of telling him that he already had a girlfriend that he intended to tie the knot with one day.

"It's the same situation if I were to go into an internship or a job as well," Ladybug continued. "One of the most important things is actually being there, and there's only so many excuses I can give for an akuma. It's hard enough working at my parents' ba– business, where I can get away with more, but now... I just have no idea how I can maintain a job or go to school. I make some money off of commissions but that can't support me forever. And sure my parents will let me live with them if I need to, but if I'm not working or going to school they'd... they wouldn't let me 'freeload'."

"Oh Bug," he said quietly, realizing how similar yet different their circumstances were.

She had freedom, she had a real home and family and the opportunity to pursue a career and a relationship without worry– but her life of a superhero was getting in the way of all of that. She couldn't tell anyone they were dating, and she couldn't tell anyone why she had to run off to fight– meaning that all those doors would be closing. Sure her family would be there and would love her, but their view of her might change because of the lack of understanding. She was just as stuck as he was, but in a completely different way.

All the money he had ever earned and his inheritance was all locked away in a trust fund he couldn't access until he was married. Once he was an adult he could finally start saving his money for himself... but his father controlled his paycheck. If he didn't comply he had financial weight over him. He had a career he didn't want all mapped out and ready for him, and as the boss's son (and eventually the boss himself) he had much more leeway when it came to sneaking off to fight akumas. As long as he stayed under his father's control he would have all the financial support he would need, and a job where he could continue being a superhero without worry.

Yet there was no love in the relationship, between him and his father, nor even a love for the business. He would run it because he was told too. His dating and marriage life would all be crafted for a show, and his children were simply means to make sure his father's money could stay in the family. Perhaps he could break free, but without his father he would have next to nothing until he was married, and going out on his own put him in the same boat as Ladybug. School and a job were possible, but would be a struggle to maintain and keep.

He had to hold back a bitter laugh. He technically had more than enough money to support both of them with ease, but unless he played his father's games it was locked away. Locked away as he was forced to stay near the man that belittled him, hit him, controlled him, and that most certainly didn't love him. To support his bug he'd have to end their relationship and marry whoever his dad wanted just to get a hold of the money. Or he should just get married now and take the money before his father knew what was happening.

He sat straight up, eyes wide with realization.

"Chat?" Ladybug asked, brow furrowing. "Everything okay?"

It was not a perfect solution. There would still be no university nor stable career until Hawk Moth was defeated– but there would be enough money for both of them to simply have the means to live until that time came. Marriage so soon didn't appeal to him, as much as he loved his Lady, they were both so young. Just teenagers with too much on their shoulders.

He hesitated. "My Lady, when do you turn eighteen?"

Age wasn't something they discussed often. They both knew they were born within a year of each other, but exact dates were left in the dark. They celebrated birthdays on the anniversary of when they had met, all to keep their identities hidden. Identities... that was another hurdle they'd have to face, but they had agreed to reveal who they were sometime after they finished lycée, so this wouldn't throw that plan off too much.

"Chat, you know–"

"Be vague if you must. Just give me a time frame to work with, please," he begged, his mind already reviewing this plan in his head to make sure this could truly work.

She bit her bottom lip. "...In a few months?"

He nodded slowly. "I'll be eighteen in a few weeks," he ignored the sharp glare she gave him as he said this. "So I'd have to wait a little bit longer, but I could start saving up everything I earn between then and now... this... this might actually work. It's a bit crazy and sudden, but–"

"Kitty, what are you talking about?"

Chat took in a deep breath. "Just promise me that you won't punch me off the tower?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what you're thinking, Chaton."

"...We should get married."

Blue eyes widened in shock, and she pulled back. He swallowed, but fortunately no fists or yoyos came flying at him. Or both. his Lady just watched him in sheer surprise, not saying anything.

Then she started laughing. "Oh Minou, I love you, but I'm definitely not ready to get married. Just because we're going to be old enough doesn't mean we should. I mean no one in my civilian life even knows I'm in a relationship, so to suddenly be married... well, that'd go over as well as you can imagine."

"I know it sounds crazy, but just hear me out," Chat said, turning to face her. She still had a half grin on her face, clearly not taking him seriously. "Look, I already know that I want to marry you one day, you're the only girl for me and–"

"Same here, Kitty, but I think we're much too young to be worrying about that–"

"But it could solve our problems!" he blurted out, before pausing. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "Okay, I promise that this is not bragging, but it's going to sound that way... but I'm pretty rich. Like, have more than enough money to spare."

She stared at him.

"Enough money to easily support both of us for a long time, the only problem is all that money my mom put away for me in a trust fund– and my father has been putting all the money I've been earning so far for working for him in that same trust fund. And I'm not allowed to access it until I'm married," he swallowed, trying to ignore the stunned look on her face. "You already know what my relationship is like with my father... and he's going to keep on being just as controlling as an adult. If I try to break free from him now I'll be in the same boat as you– no money, and I can't go to school or work at most places because we're superheroes. But if I could access my trust fund now, that wouldn't be a problem."

"Chat, I don't want your money."

"It's not about what we want, it's about what we need," he argued. "You said it yourself– until we take out Hawk Moth we're stuck in Paris, and what opportunities we have are slim. I mean money-wise I'm fine, but that's only if I continue to be my father's puppet, and I don't want that. While family-wise you have them to support you, money is where your problem is. If we get married I can support us. I can get out of my mess of a life," he closed his eyes. "I know that sounds selfish of me, but I don't want to see you struggle either, My Lady. You shouldn't have to worry so much about yourself because you have a city to take care of. You deserve peace of mind."

Her voice was much more hushed. "Don't tell me you plan on staying near that man if we don't do this."

He stiffened up. "I'm n-not trying to make it sound like a threat!" he stuttered out, because he knew how she hated his father. Ever since he had shown up at patrol a few years ago with a bruise across his face she vowed to make whoever had laid a hand on him suffer. "But my father has influence. I step out of line now and he'll disown me along with any chance of having a means to support myself until I get my hands on that trust fund. I mean it probably wouldn't be that hard to find someone to marry me for money... but I don't want that kind of relationship. I only want you, My Lady."

She lowered her head. "It does... it does make a lot of sense. It would work."

"But...?" he asked, knowing it was coming.

Ladybug looked away. "But this is no little thing. I need time to think about it first. This would mean a lot of questions from my parents, this would mean revealing our identities sooner than we planned, this would mean having to grow up sooner– but we've already been forced to do that, haven't we?" she scoffed. "It would also mean accepting that I'd have to put my life plans on pause. I want to be a designer, but as long as Paris is in danger... that won't be an option."

He grabbed her hand. "No, no it could. Maybe it would take more time, but you don't have to give up on what you love. There's online courses you could take, you wouldn't have to be stuck in a classroom that way. We can make this work."

"I need time to think about it," she said again, looking up into his green eyes. "I want you to understand though, if I say yes it's because I love you. I love you and I do want to marry you, and I want you away from your father. This isn't about the money, this is about our relationship– even if we are moving quicker than we planned so we can support ourselves."

Chat smiled, pulling her close. She leaned against his chest, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "And in no way am I trying to pressure you. This is just an idea that could help us, but don't you dare feel forced. Don't worry about me and father, things haven't been as bad lately, I want to marry you because I love you."

Despite these words to each other, they knew there was no denying that finances would be a major point in considering advancing their relationship. Not because they wanted the money, but simply because it may be the only stable way to support themselves as they fought for Paris. Still it was important for them to know this was about love, because there wasn't anyone else they held closer. He had never considered even marrying someone else but his Ladybug, though this was much sooner than he had ever thought.

"Call me once you've decided," he said as they rose to their feet, because he had already made up his mind. Marrying the love of his life, supporting her, and getting away from his father? It was a deal he would never pass up.

She nodded slowly, and he felt his heart tighten. She had been stressed about the future before they had even met up, but now she probably felt more pressure than before. At the very least there was a solution in their sights now, even if it wasn't one they could just easily settle for.

"I'll call you soon, Chaton," Ladybug said softly, going up on her tiptoes, pressing a kiss to his lips. He wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her close as they stood up there on the Eiffel Tower. He didn't want to leave her now, to go back into the loneliness his home offered.

But perhaps in a few months he'd have a new place to call home, and a new family that he could truly love.