Chapter Thirty-Two: Lick Your Wounds

She scrambled further from him on the bed, shielding her head with her arms. "S-Stop looking at me," she shrieked, panicked. Oh, God, what he must think of her! She couldn't take the judgmental stares, and she didn't want to know how much he hated her. She'd betrayed him. She wasn't sure how, or why, she'd done what she did, but she had. She'd woken up next to Luka, and they were both naked, and his marks were all over her body.

Had he forced her? The few scattered and frayed images she could manage to capture weren't entirely helpful, but she could almost remember being atop Luka, riding him. More images of her mouth wrapped around him, or his between her thighs. It didn't seem like he was forcing her…which meant she had gone to him willingly.

"I'm t-tainted," she cried softly, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes. "I'm s-s-s-so sorry," she croaked.

"You're not tainted," he growled low in his throat. "You're still my beautiful, amazing, lovely Marinette."

"S-stop!" She didn't want his half-truths or his sympathy. She knew what he really must think of her. "I fucked Luka! Doesn't matter h-how or w-why, but I did," she muttered helplessly. "I'm almost p-positive he wasn't…d-doing it against my will," she breathed, the sound barely audible.

"That's just it, Mari, you keep saying it like you're not sure. You also say you can't remember. So," he whispered, and she felt the bed shifting as he tried to shuffle closer. "Either you were too drunk and don't remember, which I find least likely, because you were mostly sober when you woke me. The adrenaline and panic would have burned most of the alcohol left in your system in a short time."

He was quiet, and she lifted her eyes tentatively. She flinched, his palm hesitantly outstretched towards her. She stared at it, glaring, fearful….but he didn't waver. The look on his face was soft, despite the heat in his eyes. Not sexual heat…something else. She swallowed, and lifted her quaking fingers to slowly touch his hand.

He gripped her digits with ginger strength, and kissed her knuckles softly. "Or, I think you may have been drugged, which makes far more sense," he whispered.

Her free hand went to her neck, sudden, jerking, and her eyes widened. Flashes of a woman, but when she tried to focus the image wavered uncontrollably, as if her brain refused to process the features. "Th-there was a woman," she squeaked.

He frowned as she stared at him harder, willing him to understand. "Alright," he said, scooting a little closer, reaching his other hand towards her neck, his gaze questioning. Oh, he was asking if he …could…

"O-Okay," she stammered, and he moved up beside her on the plush mattress, tilting her head gradually to stare at her neck.

"It does look like a needle mark here," he replied softly, touching his fingertip right near her pulse, and it sent electric shocks down her flesh. She shivered, eyes widening, and she scrambled backwards so fast, her back smacked into the headboard.

"I c-can't let you touch me. I don't deserve you," she grunted, sniffling loudly. "I'm such a wh-whore," she sobbed.

"You are not a whore!" This time his voice was angry, and it startled her. "Nothing that happened is your fault, Marinette, and I'm not going to love you less for it, just don't make decisions for me, okay? If you don't want me to touch you because you need time, I won't, I promise, but don't, please, for the love of everything, keep me from touching you because you think you don't deserve it or by some misguided logic that you will taint me. I get to make my own decisions y'know," he growled. "I want to touch you, still. I still want to kiss you, and caress you…lick you until all your worries are gone and you have nothing but pleasure filling you up. However, I will wait, no matter how long it takes, if it's because you're not comfortable now."

Her lower lip trembled, she couldn't help it. "H-How do you always say the most wonderfully beautiful things?"

He smiled, snorting, and it lit up her heart. "It helps when you mean them, and have the woman you love by your side, loving you back," he grinned, and it was lopsided, and goofy, even if she saw some of the strain.

She bit her lip, and she heard his intake of air, which made her let it go. She guessed that one motion really did drive him a little crazy. She pushed her gaze to the mattress and opened her arms a little, unsure. "Hold me?"

"As my Love wishes," he replied easily, and crawled over to her. His arms encircled her slowly, gently, and squeezed her body into him, protective, warm….safe…

She felt her muscles relax, an unbearable tension she hadn't been aware of leaving her body. "I l-love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too, Mari, always. No matter what happens, I will love you forever," he countered. "Don't ever forget that please." He sighed as she nodded, pulling back a little. "May I look, please?"

"I g-guess."

His fingers touched Luka's mark on her breast, and she flinched, jerking. He yanked his hand away, sighing. "S-sorry, I don't have to look, just…" He shrugged.

"N-no, it's fine. G-go ahead."

His fingers flexed, and she closed her eyes as he touched the bite again. "Permission to kiss it?"

She chewed her lips, but confirmed again. "Y-yes," she croaked, squeezing her eyes tighter.

The bluenette recoiled, only slightly, as his soft lips touched the mar on her supple flesh. He kissed the wound gently, repeatedly, until she stopped jumping every time his mouth met her skin. Then, she yelped in surprise as he dragged his tongue in a slow lingering motion over the set of teeth.

"A-Adrien?" The sound was half-pleased, but there was fear and doubt in her tone.

"D-Don't worry, my Princess," he growled deeply. "I'm not planning anything sexual," he whispered, dragging his tongue in languid motions over the mark repeatedly. O-Oh, he was…

He was licking her wounds, soothing…grooming…comforting. It felt…nice, actually. Her fingers loosened their hold on his body, finally realizing her nails had been digging into his shoulders, and his tongue continued that slow alleviating pace on her breast.

The comfort and affection behind it made her squirm, and things low in her body tightened, but she swallowed around the feeling. She just wanted to enjoy his soothing.

"I can't believe that bastard felt confident enough to leave one here, he could have hurt you," he snarled a little as Adrien's head nudged up under her chin, much like a cat head butting, and she let her skull lull backwards as he licked the one right above her collarbone on her throat. That one had definitely hurt. "I'm assuming it was to counter the one on the back of your neck," he muttered angrily before falling silent again, his strong agile appendage raking damp trails over the mark.

This time, the heat really did pool strongly between her thighs, making a knot tighten behind her navel, and she released a soft mewl.

Her hands roamed of their own free will, but his fingers grasped her wrists, firmly, but tenderly. "N-No, Mari, please," he whispered against her collarbone, his voice strained. "I'd love nothing m-more, but not today, and certainly not right after you've…had a traumatic experience. I want you to be absolutely sure of what you want, and if you're ready, and that time is definitely not now," he groaned, swallowing audibly. "Just l-let me soothe you, my mate," he murmured, lapping lazily at the wound once more.

She blushed, twining their fingers together. "M-Mate?"

He stiffened, and her eyes widened. "I j-just…that's what…I c-call you in my head. I think o-of you as my…m-mate, a lifelong mate," he stammered. "It's an animal thing," he continued, gasping. "Sorry…"

She smiled a little. "I l-like it," she admitted.

His head popped up, their eyes locking. "Really?"

"T-truly," she responded honestly, and he captured her lips suddenly. She gasped, loudly, and he jerked back.

"S-SORRY!"

"N-no," she countered. "I j-just was surprised. It's fine," she cringed, but part of her felt queasy.

He shook his head, gradually. "Will my Love roll over for me?"

She frowned, a little confused. "Wh-why?"

"Well," he smiled, and it was a little playful and heated in the sexual way. "How else am I going to cover the one on your ass?"

"O-Oh!" Her face flushed brightly.

***POV Change***

She jerked at every sound, and his arms continued to cradle her against his body. He'd offered to let her have the bed to herself, but she'd relaxed a little under his brand of soothing, and gentle caresses, assuring her that he wasn't repulsed or angry with her.

Angry? Absolutely. With her? Not a chance. Whatever had happened wasn't her fault, and he wasn't going to look at her any differently for it, but now, she was on edge. He hadn't been here to protect her, and he had to live with his shame and guilt. He'd live better once he killed the bastard who drugged her. A woman? Well, the only woman with a nasty bone in her body that he could think of in close proximity was Lila. However, proving who it was would be another matter.

He sighed, and Mari jerked again, making him flinch. She was afraid to let herself sleep and be vulnerable, and he didn't blame her…even if it hurt a little because he was there. He hadn't been there before, so she wasn't willing to let herself sleep, not fully.

"What can I do? Anything?" His voice was soft as he kissed the nape of her neck, careful to be chaste. He didn't want her to get worked up or give her the wrong impression. She just needed to rest.

"It's…it's silly." Her voice broke a little, and he frowned.

"I promise not to judge, but if it's something I can do for you, tell me and it's yours. If it's going to make you feel better, I'll crawl on my hands and knees to get there."

She let out a soft sound, and he recognized it as a genuine chuckle, as short as it was, and he smiled brightly. Any happy sound was worth a million grins. "P-promise not to be offended?"

He cringed, but nodded. "I promise," he whispered, kissing her head, rubbing her arms with his hands as he held her from behind.

"C-Could you…" she let her voice trail off, and she sighed. "Nevermind."

For a moment he thought she was going to ask him to leave, because other than that, what could possibly offend him? "N-No, tell me, please? I won't be offended!"

"I'd feel b-better with…w-with Chaton," she squeaked, embarrassed, and his eyes widened.

He must have made a move or sound because she started apologizing, and he chuckled, shaking his head. "N-No! I was j-just surprised because I thought you were going to kick me out. I'd be more than happy to transform for you if it makes you feel safer." After all, his abilities were far more enhanced, so why would he be offended if she wanted to be guarded by his hero form?

Plagg groaned from under the bed. "Cheese first!" A smacking sound. "Okay…after…"

"Claws out," he murmured against her head, and the flash of green was immediate as Plagg was sucked into his Miraculous, grumbling the whole way.

Mari's fingers traced the leather on the back of his hands, and he felt a lot of the tension immediately leave her body, making him purr softly in his chest.

"I l-love when you do that," she gasped, nestling her back more tightly against him to feel the vibrations better. He purred louder, and she sighed contently. "Thank you," she breathed. "C-Can you control your tail, too?"

He let his eyes slide closed. It was based mostly on reflex, but if he tried hard enough…"Oui, most of the time. Sometimes it's reflexive to my emotions though."

"Will you hold me with…th-that too? I just…want as m-much contact as possible," she whispered, the embarrassment sneaking into her voice again, and he chortled.

"Of course, Puuurrincess," he assured, sliding his tail over her hip, and curling it around her stomach, 'holding' her tighter against him. "Better?"

Her body completely melted, and she nodded. "Y-yes, thank you."

He felt her breathing steadying, and soon, she was out, and he kissed her head. He'd already triple checked all the locks on the windows and door for her before they'd crawled into bed together. He'd even had the foresight to pull the curtains on the canopy, because she wanted the additional shield. So, if anyone happened to peek in the window, they wouldn't see Chat Noir lying with her.

Each noise that greeted him made his ears swivel, and as much as he wanted to relax and let the lull of her soft body pull him to sleep, he was going to stay awake and watch over her. He wasn't going to let her down again. She didn't blame him, she said, because Chloe had needed him, which was another…problem in and of itself. He'd asked the one person he trusted to go check on the blonde. Well, he trusted Nathalie too, but apparently she was ill, so the second person he trusted. Gustave had been kind enough to agree for his 'favorite eye candy.'

So, for now, he held her, comforting, alert, ready to strike anyone who dared look at her the wrong way.

***POV Change***

Luka was kissing her. His mouth was hot on her neck, and the swell of her breast, her hips grinding greedily against him as she rolled their bodies. She was pushing him down, strong, aggressively, tearing his pants open to match her own nudity before she impaled herself on his arousal, back curving as she cried her satisfaction.

The images shifted, distorting, and someone was grabbing her from behind. They were saying something. Something about not playing games? It was muffled, like she was stuck listening to the audio underwater, and then the sting came, right in her neck.

The riptide pulled her under, and she swallowed a mouthful of shadow and emptiness, choking as she tried to scream in her panic. Her body jerked, and she sat up suddenly, panting, her body slick with sweat.

She almost jumped out of her skin when she scrambled around and saw a pair of green eyes glowing at her, but the racing of her heart lulled as she recognized the cat eyes, beckoning him closer with her begging arms.

"Sorry," he muttered. "You were struggling so I let you go," he explained, wrapping his arms back around her. "I didn't want you to wake in a panic, but that didn't work out well. I tried to calm you, but you…just wouldn't."

She thought about it for a moment and nodded slowly. "If I'd woken up trapped in your arms, I might have freaked out more, so thank y-you," she reasoned, nodding again.

He seemed to relax under her observation, as if afraid he'd made a mistake by letting her out of his embrace for a few moments. "I love you," he grunted, kissing her forehead.

"I love you too," she replied quickly, capturing his lips. The motion was light at first, but she wanted a little more. She wanted to chase the feeling of Luka from her skin, and the feeling of tension from his body. She didn't want this to destroy them, even as he promised he could wait. A kiss wouldn't hurt.

She moved her mouth more firmly against his, and he made a sound in his chest, licking her lips as he pulled away, making her whimper. "N-Not, today, okay?"

"You act as if one kiss will be our undoing," she teased, leaning forward to kiss him again, but he put a finger between their lips.

"Won't it?"

She thought about it for a moment and shrugged minutely. "M-Maybe," she admitted. "I want a kiss, Chaton, a proper one, please?" She gave him puppy dog eyes, and he snorted.

"I am immune!"

She drew her lip between her teeth, knowing it was a cheap shot, but he stilled, eyes widening, and she loved watching his irregular pupils contract. "P-Princess…not fair," he whispered hoarsely.

"Just…" She moved his hand gently from between their mouths. "One…" She leaned in closer, lips brushing his. "Kiss."

"One," he said firmly, and she crashed into him, pulling a loud surprised sound from the hero. She fed on his lips, and it felt good…he felt good. Natural, warm, safe, strong…mm.

Her tongue licked the line of his lower lip, and he gasped, allowing her entrance so their appendages fought for dominance. He won, eventually, but then, he receded, gasping as his lips tore free from hers.

"N-Now, more rest," he said adamantly, and she knew…by the look in his eyes…he wouldn't be swayed so easily.

***A few hours later***

Someone was nudging her. It was gentle, and reserved, before strong hands kneaded her shoulders, a mouth touching her head. Mari almost panicked, but she felt something else flicking against her stomach, twitching just under her shirt, and it felt like leather. It vibrated, flicking again, and she smiled.

"I like y-your tail," she yawned, reaching down to grip the belt gently near the end. Her thumb grazed the tip of the belt, and the length did the 'wave' jerking a bit, and he gasped.

"W-Whoa…" he croaked. "Um, let me have that b-back," he said, gripping her fingers to get her to release the object, and he kissed her knuckles. Interesting. Something she'd have to play with later. "Thank you," he breathed. "Time to get up, Chloe is ready to come home, and I want to make sure she gets here safely. Then, we're having words with father."

"You go ahead, I'll wait here," she muttered, and he snorted.

"You're funny, that's a good one. Yeah, when pigs learn to fuckin' wield Miraculous' then I'll maybe think of letting you stay here alone," he countered, his voice growing dark. "I will not let you out of my sight again, not for that long."

She sighed, but she knew he was right. "O-Okay, let's go get Chloe."

"Good, and when we get her, she's going to give us some answers," he said firmly.

Oh, boy. She didn't want to be Chloe.