"Wow. You look like shit."

That was not the first thing Marinette wanted to hear as she shuffled into the coffee shop, struggling against the remnants of her hangover. There were no patrons at the moment, which was normal for ten minutes to three on a Monday afternoon, but that didn't stop the guilty flush from lighting up her face. Tugging down her sweater sleeves, Marinette fought back the urge to roll her eyes as she made her way behind the counter. "You're being rude again, Chloe."

The snobby blond flipped her perfectly styled ponytail over her shoulder as she smirked, "And I care why?"

"Remember that next time I get more tips than you," Marinette shot back, securing her apron around her waist.

"Whatever," the blond snapped, turning her attention back to her fashion magazine.

Marinette busied herself with the menial tasks her boss's niece felt she was above actually doing. Honestly, filling and restocking supplies was simple enough to keep her mind occupied.

The bell above the entrance door jingled and Chole's head snapped up only for her bright blue eyes to narrow. An angry blush spilled across her pale cheeks as she glared at the young man approaching the counter. Obviously she was still sore over his awkward refusal for a date.

"He's all yours," she said disdainfully, abruptly turning from the counter and stalking through the swinging door that led to the kitchen.

Marinette rolled her eyes giving the young man a wry smile. "Good afternoon Adrien. The usual?"

Adrien nodded hesitantly, his lips quirking up in the corner, as if afraid to commit to an actual smile. As he handed her the exact tender for his coffee and croissant, she noticed the new book tucked under his arm.

"Ooh, what are you reading this time?"

He blinked, his stunning green eyes following her gaze to the book. It was another moment before he answered, his voice almost hushed in its softness. "Something I found at the library."

He didn't offer anything further, simply shuffled off to his usual seat in the far corner next to the window.

As she prepared Adrien's order, Marinette contemplated the unusual young man.

He was a regular, coming in the coffee shop every afternoon. Some evenings he only stayed for a short time and others he remained until she had to tell him they were closing. He always came alone and with a book. She couldn't recall ever seeing him with a cell phone. Come to think of it, he always paid with euros so she didn't even know his last name.

Something in her heart tugged as she brought his order to his table and he offered her that small, fragile half smile once more.

There wasn't much she knew about Adrien but something about him seemed lonely. Maybe because he was always by himself? Then again, maybe he preferred to be alone.

That had to be it. Handsome as he was, he had to be alone by choice.

Marinette suspected there were girls falling all over themselves for the chance to date him. Chloe certainly hadn't held any punches when she'd outright told Adrien he was fuckable and that he should give her his number. It had been quite comical when he had blinked as if he didn't understand what she was suggesting. Then his pretty eyes had shifted to Marinette and she was sure there was an s.o.s. in that look before he'd cleared his throat uncomfortably and said "No thank you,".

Chloe had fumed for a week. Adrien returned daily for his coffee as if nothing had happened, interacting with his usual cool politeness.

Marinette wondered if he got that kind of reaction a lot. He couldn't be much older than herself, mid- twenties at most and he was always stylishly dressed, leanly muscled with perfect hair and a really cute face...

But there was something she couldn't put her finger on, something that made her want to reach out to him. And it was more than loneliness that held Adrien's shoulders stiff and his mannerisms stilted. Maybe she noticed because she knew what it felt like to be awkward and uneasy in her own skin.

Adrien looked up from his book and their eyes met, his meadow green to her wildflower blue. She could feel the heat infusing her face at being caught blatantly staring, but unlike with Chloe, Adrien didn't look away.

She broke first, attention shifting as the door jingled, ushering in another customer.

Marinette pushed the conundrum that was Adrien aside. But It pushed its way back into her mind every time she found him watching her, making her wonder why he bothered bringing a book in the first place.

The dream started with the tinkling sound of voices coming at her from the darkness.

Then came a pinpoint of light that began to swirl out into a pinwheel of vivid colors until cohesive shapes began to form. The visual parade spiraled and spiraled as the murmuring grew louder, a few voices becoming a cacophony of many.

And then the scene was before her; a grand ballroom awash in flickering candle light reflected in a golden shower from an enormous chandelier. Beneath the glittering waterfall of crystal teardrops, men and women danced clothed doublets and gowns made from the finest silks and satins.

It would have been a charming picture, a moment right out of the golden age of Versailles, but for the eerie wail of a violin drifting in and out of the clamour of voices. That and the grotesque masks that adorned the dancer's faces.

With each step Marinette took, the dancers turned to watch her, their eyes glowing crimson behind their masks.

She shuddered, a tingle of fear running down her spine.

The dancers parted around her, close enough to touch and yet she couldn't sense them. There was only the pull of him , her feet following an invisible path that would inevitably lead her right where he wanted her.

And sure enough, there was Chat Noir.

Toxic eyes watched her intently from where the massive beast draped himself across an ornate chaise raised on a dais in the center of the ballroom. Under the candlelight his ebony fur shimmered, the dancing glow accentuating the skeletal contours of his body. It wasn't hard to count his ribs, the bones protruding against his fur.

He smiled, a show of razor sharp teeth, as he rose to his paws, lazily slinking forward to greet her.

It wasn't until Marinette ascended the first step of the platform that she realized her attire. Where the sea of dancers surrounding them wore rich, somber colors, her gown was vibrant red. If she could call the thin, gauzy cloth draping her slender form a gown at all. She could tell undergarments when she saw them, no matter what time period they were from.

The marble steps were cold against her bare feet causing chill bumps to rise along her exposed arms. Taking the last step, a shiver of want traveled over her body, her heart beginning to pound.

"My Lady," he purred, the sound deep and menacing even as his tail swished happily. "So good of you to finally arrive."

Marinette grinned ruefully, "I'm feeling a bit under dressed for the occasion, Chat."

The feline creature gave a sharp laugh and she felt the percussive sound in her chest. He butted his head against her stomach, the affectionate gesture nearly knocking her over. Anchoring her fingers in his fur, his purr rumbled louder, distorting his words. " I disagree. You look delectable."

Chat Noir's anger was impressive and frightening, but she preferred him like this, playful and flirtatious. His good humor made her smile widen as the uneasy undercurrent to the dreamscape seemed far less alarming.

Scratching his ears, she felt his teeth nip at the flimsy material and tug. The ripping sound caused her heart to trip into a faster rhythm, the anticipation making her wet.

"Why, I could eat you up," he chuckled, ripping more of the chemise-like gown from her body, exposing her most delicate areas. Her muscles trembled, stomach fluttering as his rough tongue lapped at her belly button. "And that is easier when you wear nothing at all."

Marinette gasped, her eyes squeezing shut as his tongue snaked lower, distracting her as a large paw reached up to swipe away the last fluttering scraps. She hissed, her legs widening of their own accord, an ache beginning deep in her pussy. She didn't feel Chat shift but she did feel his hands grip her ass and pull her hips forward, right to his waiting mouth.

"Oh god, Kitty," she groaned, her nails scraping his scalp as his tongue slid between her slick folds.

Suddenly every heartbeat was pulsing right there at the apex of her thighs as he swirled and sucked gently around her clit. Eagerly she pressed against him, trying to get closer, anything to bring relief to the tension slowly building inside her abdomen.

But Chat was in the mood to play and tease so he didn't rush, just steadily circled and flicked the tip of his tongue so that every pass tickled against her bundle of nerves. It was a torture that she relished as much as she wanted it to end, mewing and whimpering as she rocked against his mouth.

Forcing her eyes open, Marinette's knees trembled at the sight of Chat's blond head buried between her legs, his ravenous stare trained on her flushed face. She bit her lip, the erotic image they presented only adding to the delicious fire burning in her pussy.

He squeezed her bottom, pressing her closer, his fingers digging into her cheeks hard enough to leave marks. She clenched at his hair, panting, trying to beg please with every exhale, but he kept steady. Circling slowly. Deliberately going around her clit.

Then he sucked gently and she fell apart, her legs collapsing under her weight as her orgasm shook her body from head to toe.

Chat caught her around the waist, keeping her upright as he rose with her. "That was beautiful, my Lady," he whispered against her ear.

She offered him a lazy smile, dropping her head against his bare chest as he held her tight. "You're beautiful."

Chat laughed, his gentle purr no longer mumbling his speech now that he shifted to human vocal chords. "Hardly, love. You are enchanting." He nipped at her ear. "Utterly mesmerizing." He nipped at the skin just below and she sighed."And it seems our guests agree."

Marinette froze. How had she forgotten there were others...

"Chat!" She hissed, turning to look behind her as the shame of her nakedness set her face on fire. Her eyes widened at the ballroom's change.

At some point Chat had shifted their surroundings, sequestering the dais off behind gilded bars, as if they were on display. No longer were the people dancing, now they were crowded around, every pair of crimson eyes focused her, what she had thought were horrible masks actually their faces, all watching her with leering grins.

Caught off guard by her embarrassment, Marinette didn't resist as Chat faced her toward their audience, painfully aware that all that remained of her gown was the beaded neckline that now adorned her throat like a glittering collar.

"They want you," he growled, pressing close against her back and holding down her arms as she moved to cover herself. "They desire to have you."

"Can't you make them go away?" She asked, stricken with embarrassment.

There was a definite smirk in his playful tone. "Why? Your beauty has them enthralled."

"Chat," she pouted.

"Tell me it doesn't excite you to see their lust. Tell me you don't like knowing they want to watch me fuck you," he challenged.

Marinette wanted to say he was wrong, but the truth was that underneath her discomfort there was also excitement. Their stares roamed over her skin like a physical caress and her body responded in kind as her nipples stiffened.

Still, she should probably clarify... "I don't want them touching me. Only you."

"Oh, they won't," Chat promised, his breath tickling her neck. "You're mine."

Marinette gasped as his grip on her wrists was replaced by shadowy tendrils of his misfortune. The dark energy carried a cool chill yet felt as solid as his hands and her pulse spiked as they guided her over to the chaise. More tendrils snaked around her ankles, prompting her movements until she was kneeling on the brocade fabric with her legs spread wide, ass out and elbows bracing her against the top of the lounge.

She shivered as the tendrils crept higher along her arms and legs acting as restraints as they held her in place. Unable to move, the position left her feeling vulnerable and exposed. Her unease was heightened by the eyes watching just beyond the bars. All of it was like adding tinder to her smoldering arousal.

Sensing Chat hovering but not touching, Marinette whined, "Kitty..."

"Patience, my Lady. I will give us what we both need but first I want to savor you just like this."

"Maybe hurry it up a little," she muttered under her breath earning a bright laugh from her lover.

"Do you ever ask yourself why you allow me to do these things to you? Why you want me to break down your reservations and bend you to my will?"

Of course she knew why. She'd just never said as much. But maybe it was time.

"Because these are only dreams," she admitted. "You're not real. Chat Noir is just a fantasy no matter how much I might wish otherwise."

"What is "real" and what is not is only a matter of perspective," Chat countered. She flinched from the anticipation as he settled his hands on her hips and slowly slid them up along her sides until he cupped a breast in each palm. "Does this not feel real?" He teased, pinching her nipples and making her gasp. "Or this?" He asked as he pressed up against her ass, slowly sliding his cock along her soaked pussy. She moaned as the blunt head hit her clit with a brief tap.

"What we have is very, very real," he warned huskily, his breath catching on a hiss as he rocked his hips seeking more friction.

Chat felt wonderfully real but there was a point she needed to make. It was just so hard to form words when he alternated tugging on her nipples with rubbing her clit. "Dre.. dreams a..ar-ah!- are differ..nt..."

"True. Reality has rules," he conceded from behind clenched teeth, "but here, in my world, there are no rules or limits."

The return of his hands to her hips was the only warning he gave before fucking into her with a hard, penetrating thrust.

Marinette cried out, trembling and unable to move, completely at his mercy.

"Your trust is mine. Your love is mine." Chat punctuated that truth with another thrust. "Your every thought, every breath, is mine," he vowed, groaning as he fucked into her again.

"You..."

She tried to push back, to meet him as he hit that spot that had her muscles quaking.

"Are..."

He felt so good moving inside of her, taunting her with shooting tingles of pleasure.

"Mine!"

Marinette practically screamed in frustration when he pulled out, leaving her aching and empty.

Chat's hand fisted in her hair to urge her upright and the tendrils of misfortune around her arms loosened to allow for the change in position. Then they tightened, lifting her arms above her head to keep them suspended with just enough slack to remain painless yet keep her immobile.

Tilting her face up, Chat waited until she opened her eyes, forcing her to meet the lascivious stares of the creatures watching them. "See those poor bastards? They can't have you." Slowly, gently, he slipped his hand from her hair to rest threateningly at her throat. "No one can have you but me. You chose me, my Lady. You gave yourself to me and now you are mine just as I am yours."

Dimly, she thought that Chat's possessiveness should anger her. His obsessive need should terrify her. If he were real, perhaps it would. But she wanted him to want her and she had the added luxury of knowing he only existed in her mind. Therefore, he would always be hers. She would never have to share him. She would never suffer losing him. He was what she created him to be. Because wasn't his unconditional promise what she wanted most?

Someone to love her.

To need her.

To want her above all else.

He rubbed against her, the head of his dick catching on her entrance and she crooned, "I need you, Kitty. Please."

"One day I will make you love me," Chat vowed darkly. Distracted by her arousal, she didn't catch the subtle inflections of sadness and resentment in his tone as he said, "Until then I am your slave."

Grasping her throat tighter, Chat ran his other hand down over her flat stomach and slipped it between her legs. Replacing his cock with three fingers, he plunged them deep, pushing her ass against his dick.

With pressure on her airways, Marinette could only draw a shallow breath as he inserted the tip, slowly pushing it in to give her time to adjust. Unable to fully breathe she couldn't really focus on the pinching pain as he stretched her tight bud. There was so much sensation; the pumping of fingers was a delicious torture as he moved them in tandem to every inch he pushed into her ass and all of it was enhanced by the wooziness that had everything spinning-

Chat let up the pressure and she gasped, sucking in air greedily, barely registering that he was fully buried inside of her until he moved. Then she felt it- and oh god did she feel it- when he pulled back out and thrust his fingers deep to press against his cock from within.

"So tight... Fuck!" he gasped into her neck, sounding completely wrecked as her muscles clenched around him with every push and pull.

His mouth was right there. If he bit down she thought she just might shatter apart from the pleasure but.. but she wanted to know how it felt for him. She wanted to be one with him in a way she'd never be able to with anyone else.

Dropping her head to the side, Marinette managed to gasp a shaky, "Feel you… please."

Chat grinned against her skin, "Anything for you, my Lady." Mouthing the spot, he teasingly scraped with his sharp incisors before sinking in his fangs.

The connection hit Marinette like a sledgehammer and suddenly her own pleasure was growing exponentially. There was no room for pain, not from his bite, not even when she pushed her ass back as he rocked forward, because to Chat, she felt amazing and the echo of that just wound her tighter. Then he wriggled his fingers as he worked them as far as they would go and, just like that, it was too much.

The dam broke, a deluge of pure bliss carrying her away as every nerve in her body lit up like a firecracker, the pleasure tingling from her head to her feet. And it didn't stop because then Chat fell over the edge and his orgasm ripped through her cycling the sensations all over again.

By the time she stopped whimpering and shaking, Marinette was hanging by her arms, unable to even hold herself up.

Chat withdrew from her body, severing the connection and then released her limbs. Groaning at having to move, she curled herself against his chest, sighing happily when he began purring, holding her close. His heartbeat thrummed in her ear and it was all so real…

"I wish," she hesitated, dreading that the dream would soon begin to fade, "I wish you were real."

Chat nuzzled her hair, his lazy voice barely above a whisper, "I'll always be exactly what you allow me to be."

It took effort for Marinette to lean back and look up at her kitty. "What does that mean?"

It was just the two of them now, entwined on the chaise and surrounded by shadows. The ebony fur around his slitted eyes only brightened the green until it fairly glowed in the darkness, even as his lips turned down in the corners. "I've told you before, you keep me powerless."

Marinette frowned. "I don't understand…"

But Chat only grinned, his head tipping forward to rest against hers. "I request a kiss from my Lady before she's gone again."

Helpless to resist, Marinette gave Chat his kiss, pouring everything she felt for him into it, silently wishing that he were more than just a delusion of her imagination.

A.N. - I'm going to go back and change some of the tags because I'm probably not going to get as extreme with this as I first mentioned. Apparently I'm a bit more squeamish than I expected. For example, this is the fist anal sex scene that I've ever written and I'm pretty sure my face was beet red the whole time I was writing it. I'm not sure of I pulled it off but I figure 'eh, may as well give it a shot.

So next chapter the shit kind of hits the fan. That's all I'm going to say. Oh and there still will be a wee bit of gore and violence but... well you'll have to see how it plays in to the plot. ;)