The darkening sky and the strong waves could be seen from your table in the open dining hall. The family wasn't there yet, so you and Adrien had the whole place for yourselves. You had put your best clothes for the occasion, and from the way Adrien was staring at you, you knew you had made the right choice.
You were making small talk with him, pretending everything was normal while you ate the delicious food on your plate. You knew you'd already miss the food when you went back to Paris. Maybe you could find a Mauritian restaurant there, but it probably wouldn't be the same.
"You don't like modeling then?" You swirled the drink inside your glass.
"Not really, sculpture is my true passion," Adrien said, raising his fork. "I'm just a model because of my father."
You hummed and raised your feet, touching his leg under the table. His hand stopped midair and he stared at you.
You smiled at him as you kept caressing his skin through the jeans. "What is your favorite subject in sculpture?"
Laughter filled the air and you saw the couple walking into the room, their kids running in front of them.
Adrien went back to his food. "Figure sculpting. The human body is fascinating."
You let your feet go further up his leg until it reached his thigh. "Indeed." His green eyes went wide and he glanced at the family, now seating a few tables away from you. "It's interesting how the body reacts so quickly, don't you think?"
"Don't—" He began to say, but you pressed the tip of your feet against his crotch. He coughed so hard that the couple turned to look at him.
You shot him a sweet smile. "Are you okay, Adrien? Be careful."
"Stop," he said through gritted teeth.
"What?" You tilted your head as you applied more force.
He pressed his lips tightly together and pushed your feet back, but you just narrowed your eyes and put it back up again. His face was getting redder by the second, but you didn't know if it was from embarrassment or anger.
"You realize that if you tell me what I want to know, you can have me all for yourself, right?" You lifted your chin, exposing your neck to him. "Don't you want to mark me, kitty? To show to everyone I'm yours?"
You saw his pupils dilate and he gripped the fork in his hand until his knuckles turned white.
"So? What do you say?" You caressed him again and a moan escaped his throat. A wicked grin stretched your lips as the blonde stared at you with mortified eyes, a hand over his mouth.
You cleaned your lips with a napkin and got up. Adrien watched you, lust clear in his gaze. Your job was done for now.
You put your hand on his shoulder and leaned down a bit. "I'll be waiting in our room," you whispered and began to walk away, letting your fingers linger on his shoulder.
You lay down on the bed with a book, the handcuffs you had brought strategically placed by your side.
"Things are going to get a little intense, Plagg." You gave the kwami a meaningful look. "You might want to go to the lounge area."
"Oh." Plagg's ears perked up. "Are you going to make him pay?"
You grinned and, apparently, that was all the kwami needed to know, because he soon vanished, a grin mimicking your own on his face.
A few minutes later, the door beeped and swung open. A flustered Adrien entered the room, hair in disarray. You could almost see the paths his fingers had made on his scalp.
You went back to staring at the book and pushed the handcuffs under a pillow with your free hand. "What took you so long, love?"
"I couldn't get up with a boner in the middle of those people, could I?" Adrien's voice was rough, filled with tension.
You smiled, glancing at his crotch. "I doubt they would mind."
He narrowed his eyes. "That was dirty and you know it."
You lifted one shoulder. "I warned you when you left earlier." You put the book down and motioned for him to get closer. "Come here."
He walked up to you as if you were a dangerous animal ready to attack and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Don't you think you deserve to be punished for what you've done, Adrien?" You saw his throat move as he swallowed. "Don't you?" You raised one eyebrow and after a moment he nodded, lips pressed tight. "I want to hear you say it."
"Yes." You barely heard the word leave his mouth.
You leaned in and whispered, "And will you let me do it?"
He nodded again and a small smile danced on your lips.
"Good. Then take off your clothes and lie down for me." You put the book on the bedside table. "Oh, you can keep the boxers." That way you wouldn't get too distracted.
He opened and closed his hands but finally obeyed.
With him lying on the bed, you sat by his side and leaned down, letting your lips meet his in a slow kiss. His breath hitched in his throat and he closed his eyes.
"Put your arms above your head." You whispered in his ear and were taken aback when he followed your command with no resistance. You had thought this would be more difficult.
He parted his lips slightly as if he was anticipating another kiss. However, you passed the handcuffs around one of the wooden pillars that decorated the bedframe and clicked them around his wrists.
Adrien's eyes snapped open and you grinned. "Now you can't run away anymore, model boy."
"Wait—" He tried to move his hands, but the bedframe held him back. He looked up and then looked back at you. "You said you wouldn't tie me up before. You said I'd like it."
You gave him an amused look. "I said Chat would like it. You said you're not into being dominated, right?"
He shook his head as if he couldn't believe what was happening. "This wasn't what I imagined."
"And what did you imagine I would do?" You put your legs on either side of his body and straddled him. "Spank you? Make you lick my feet?" Blood rushed to his face and you smiled down at him, feeling affection swell in your heart. "Are you sure you don't like submitting to someone, Adrien?"
"No..." The blonde turned his face away and you took the opportunity to lay open-mouthed kisses on his neck.
"You're so cute, kitty." You muttered with your lips against his skin, and he arched his back under you, a groan rumbling in his throat. You chuckled, pulling back a little. "But this isn't the punishment anyway. The real punishment is telling me what I want to know."
You bopped his nose and Adrien scrunched up his face, just like he did as Chat. It was still cute. "Tell me what happened in the war. Why people don't remember anything about it? Why Alya had her memory erased?"
He licked his lips. "Can't you ask me something else? Anything else?"
"Why are you so reluctant to talk about it?" You began to leave small kisses along his jawline in order to distract him.
He closed his eyes tightly. "I... can't."
"Why?" You insisted, pulling on his hair and making a broken moan leave his mouth. If he at least gave you a good reason, you'd stop bothering him and try to find another way to discover the big mystery. But here he was, refusing to say anything.
"You won't see me the same way again." He breathed out as he gazed at you through half-lidded eyes.
"Adrien..." You said in a gentle tone, softening your hold on his blonde locks. "I love you for who you are now, not for who you once were. Please understand that."
His eyebrows furrowed and he refused to look at you.
You sighed and leaned down, letting your forehead touch his. "You need to trust me."
You just wanted to understand, to finally be able to see past the veil that surrounded him and now you. However, the only sound in the room was of his breathing. His lips were closed, the truth held back behind them.
You began to let gentle kisses on his skin, going from his neck to his chest. "Answer me, Adrien. Say something."
"I—" He squirmed under you and the handcuffs clinked. "Chérie, don't do this to me. Just let me have you, please."
"No." When you sucked on his nipple, he bucked his hips up and you felt his arousal brush against your core. An electric feeling went through your veins and you stopped, lips hovering over his skin. Your own labored breathing mixed with Adrien's filled the room. It was time for a break.
You got up from the bed and grabbed a neatly folded towel from the coffee table.
"I'm gonna leave you alone with your thoughts for a moment."
"What? No!" Adrien pulled on the handcuffs. "You can't leave me like this."
"I can and I will." You walked to the bathroom, feeling his gaze on you.
"Chérie, don't you dare." The handcuffs clinked again and you turned around.
"Ah, ah!" You pointed your index finger at him and he stopped moving. "Behave."
His gaze darkened. "When this is over, it'll be my turn." His voice was subdued, yet it sent chills down your spine.
You smirked, ignoring the lewd images that popped into your mind. "I'm looking forward to it."
The fabric of the robe caressed your skin as you sat by Adrien's side. He was staring at your exposed neck, still humid from the shower. You had taken your time in the bathroom, taking care of your needs while also giving the model time to assess the situation. Hopefully, his frustration and yearning had grown even more.
"You're evil, chérie," he grumbled under his breath.
You touched his thigh and his muscles contracted. "Shall I remind you of when you tried to seduce me as yourself while I wanted to be faithful to Chat Noir?" His green eyes narrowed. "No?"
You left out a small chuckle at his lack of response. "Well," you leaned in and put your fingers under his chin, tilting his face upwards. "Shall we continue then?" Because you would get those answers. He had promised you. He had promised.
A knock on the door made you freeze and turn around, almost growling. Who can it be? And at this hour?
"Just ignore it," Adrien said when the person knocked again. You sighed and got up. So much for a peaceful night. The handcuffs clinked against the bed frame as Adrien tried to move. "Wait, chérie."
"What?" You asked, but he remained silent. A smirk made way to your lips. "Are you embarrassed?" You had no idea why he would be since no one could see him from the front door.
"No." His mouth said, but his red cheeks told another story. Adrien really had to work on being more honest with himself.
"Alright then." You adjusted your robe and went to open the door. When you did it, a young woman with bright red hair was standing in front of you. "Yes?"
"Oh, hi..." Her raised eyebrows told you that you weren't the one she was expecting to see. "Hmm, is Adrien Agreste here?"
Your forehead furrowed. "Who are you?"
She pushed her bangs out of her face. "I'm Alix, a friend of his."
"Alix?" Adrien's voice came from the bedroom.
The girl's eyes lit up and the moment you blinked, she walked past you.
"Hey!" You exclaimed and chased after her as she crossed the lounge.
The girl froze as she entered the bedroom, eyes fixated on Adrien's almost naked form.
"Oh," was all that left her mouth.
Adrien's face was even redder than before. The blush was creeping down his chest and shoulders. "I... can explain."
You were almost trembling with fury as you walked and stopped in front of the girl, blocking her vision from Adrien. You crossed your arms and scowled at her. "Get out."
Her blue eyes were wide as she stared at you. She opened and closed her mouth a few times. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't know—"
"Get. Out." You gave one step forward and she gave one back.
The handcuffs clinked behind you. "Chérie, wait. It must be important," Adrien said, breathless.
"She can come back later," you said through gritted teeth.
"I-it's kinda urgent." Alix put her hands up.
You tightened your jaw but didn't move. How dare she appear out of nowhere and ruin your plan? After all that?
You heard Adrien say your name in a gentle voice. "Can you untie me so I can talk with her?"
You turned to look at him and blurted out, "No."
He chewed on his bottom lip. He was pleading with his eyes for you not to do this, but he'd have to do better than that. All you wanted to do was to push the girl out of the room and be done with her.
"Please." The word finally left his lips in a whisper. His voice was vulnerable, but his eyes were intense, his pupils wide. "Please, my love."
Your shoulders sagged as you sighed. Goddammit. Why did he have to look at you like that?
The girl had her back turned to the bed and was looking with attention to an expressionist painting on the wall as you fiddled with the handcuffs. They clicked open and Adrien rubbed his wrists. "Merci."
When he tried to get up, you put a hand on his bare chest and whispered, "This isn't over yet, Agreste."
You watched his Adam's apple bob up and down, and let him go.
After he was fully clothed, you turned to Alix. "You can look now."
She and Adrien hugged each other tightly and you averted your gaze, feeling discomfort in your chest. Stop it, you said to yourself.
"Sorry for interrupting your honeymoon," Alix said as they both sat on armchairs near the wall.
You almost choked on air. Honeymoon? Did everyone think you were his fiancée now?
"Oh," Adrien gave you a bashful look. "It's... It's nothing like that."
He introduced you to her and said Alix was an old friend from high school.
You grabbed a book and sat on the bed, your body still calming down from what had happened. You were trying not to let annoyance take control over your mind, but it was hard.
"I didn't know you were into that kind of thing, Adrien." Alix laughed.
"Oh, shut up," Adrien said, which only made her laugh harder.
"Does she... Does she know?" You heard Alix whisper. She wasn't as subtle as she thought she was.
"Yes, she found out," Adrien answered.
"Damn. Well, you can come out now, Fluff."
"But—" Adrien began to say but the girl interrupted him.
"If you trust her, I trust her as well."
You looked up from the book and saw a small bunny creature fly from the girl's backpack. You gaped as it stretched midair. Another kwami. That meant that Alix was the hero responsible for the Mauritius Islands! You wanted to ask what was her hero name, but you were still pissed at the red-haired girl.
"Ah, much better." The bunny flew around the room. Her wide blue eyes taking everything in. "What time is it? Where's Plagg?"
Adrien shrugged. "Probably sleeping somewhere."
"I'm not sleeping." Plagg's drowsy voice came from under a pillow. He had been there the whole time?
"He hasn't changed a thing." Fluff shook her little head and Alix chuckled.
"How's Ladybug?" The girl leaned back on the armchair, crossing her legs. "Being the miraculous guardian is probably tough, right?"
You glanced at the two and saw Adrien doing a 'no' gesture with his index finger. Alix's eyes widened and she nodded. You went back to your book, feeling like smoke was about to leave your nostrils. More secrets, cool.
"She's doing ok," Adrien said. "But how did you find me?"
"I always keep an eye out for Paris' news and there was an article about you coming to the Mauritius Islands," Alix said. An article? Damn, those reporters were quick. "I could really use your help, so I decided to pay a visit. But I didn't know you would be... busy."
You resisted the urge to huff and tried to pay attention to the book again. Where was I? Oh, right. The heroine was about to release a demon from its cage.
"What's wrong?" Adrien asked Alix.
The heroine resisted the temptation, but the demon called out to her friends.
"There have been cases of child trafficking on the island and they all link to one group. I plan to stop them, but it would be better if I had a helping hand."
When she held one friend by the arm, the other opened the cage and the demon was set free.
"Tonight?"
You looked up from the book, your concentration gone.
Alix nodded. "Yeah."
Adrien turned to you and the girl mimicked him. Even the bunny kwami was staring at you with its deep blue eyes.
"What?" You lowered the book. "Are you going to ask for my permission?" The blonde remained silent, and you sighed. "Child trafficking is more important than this, Adrien. Just go."
The model got ready to leave as you tried to go back to your book. The girl was still about to release the demon. You had forgotten what had happened, your mind just couldn't remember the words you had read moments ago.
Your hands were gripping the cover tightly when Adrien approached the bed.
"I'm sorry. I'll come back soon." He leaned down to kiss your cheek, but you turned your face, making his lips meet yours. You put a hand on the back of his neck, and he staggered forward as you pulled him to you and kissed him harder.
"I'll... wait outside." You heard Alix say.
You pulled back after a moment and looked into his wide pupils. "Be careful."
He licked his lips, eyes not leaving yours. He kept staring at you for a moment before he shook his head and turned around quickly. "Plagg, let's go." The kwami murmured from under the pillow. Adrien groaned. "Plagg."
You heard a muffled tsk before the kwami appeared. He snuggled into your neck before flying away.
"À plus," he said while yawning.
You smiled. "Bye Plagg, take care of him for me."
He shot you a sleepy grin. "Will do."
"Call me if anything happens," Adrien said before closing the door.
The girl's friend had released the demon and they had fled the cave, which crumbled to dust. You had managed to read until the end of the page, but that was it. You couldn't do it anymore. The words were scattered by your tumbling thoughts and refused to stick to your mind for more than a few minutes.
You let your head hit the pillow behind you and looked around. There was no TV in the bedroom, so you couldn't even watch the local news to see if Chat was ok. Maybe it was better this way. You had to trust him. He was going to come back.
You glanced at your phone before grabbing it. Marinette had just texted you, asking if you were okay and where were you. After you gave a vague answer and said you were traveling, she asked if you had seen Adrien anywhere. You had bitten your lip and said that no, you hadn't seen the blonde. You didn't want to lie to her, but she couldn't know the truth.
You walked to the glass door and opened it. The sea breeze met your skin and pushed your hair back. You took a deep breath and walked on the grass-covered path until your feet touched the sand. Life with Adrien would always be like this. He'd go to places you'd never be able to follow, and you'd have to stay back, unable to help him. It was frustrating to not be a part of this magic world of his, but there was nothing you could do.
Your phone vibrated in your pocket and you almost let it fall down into the sand as you grabbed it. However, the name on the screen wasn't the one you were expecting to see.
You took the call. "Allô?"
"Hey beautiful," Julien drawled the words, his voice sounding strange. "Where are you? Do you want to go out?"
"I can't," you said, wondering if he'd be able to hear the crashing waves near you. Why was everyone suddenly asking you where you were? "I'm traveling right now."
"Oh." He went silent.
"Is something wrong?" You asked, pushing the sand with the tip of your feet.
"I... I saw a photo of Luan and me together." His voice was barely audible. "I really miss him, so I just wanted to go out and forget."
"Why don't you call him or send him a—" The image of Julien with another guy by his side surfaced in your mind. "Oh, but you are going out with Marius..."
"Marius... Nevermind, I'm sorry for bothering," He hiccupped. "Your trip." Oh, he was drunk. You could understand the weird tone in his voice now.
"Julien, you're not bothering me. You can talk to me if you want." You groaned a little as you sat down on the sand, careful not to get sand inside your pajamas. "I'm actually feeling really alone right now."
"Are you traveling by yourself?"
You made little scribbles on the sand, remembering Adrien's plan. "I'm with a friend, but they went out with someone else."
"That's rude as fuck." Another hiccup.
You let out a small laugh, which was muffled by the crash of the waves. "Yes, it is."
You talked on the phone for quite some time, not touching on the sensitive subject of love anymore. The conversation, along with the sound of the sea and the cool breeze touching your skin managed to calm you down. Julien's voice got groggier with each passing moment and at one point, he stopped speaking altogether.
"Julien?"
You heard a snore. He had slept.
An affectionate smile curled your lips. "Good night, Jules," you muttered and ended the call.
----
The sound of something falling made you open your eyes with a start. You sat up on the bed and saw Plagg trying to lift a knife from the ground.
"Désolé." He gave you a shy smile. "I was trying to cut the cheese and it fell down."
You searched around the room, heart hammering against your chest, but no sign of your blonde muse.
"Where is Adrien?" Your voice cracked and you cleared your throat.
"Oh, he's sleeping on the sofa on the lounge." Plagg motioned to the side with his head.
You walked to the other part of the room, squinting at the harsh morning light coming from the open curtains, and there he was, sprawled on the sofa in the middle of a mess of pillows.
"Why is he sleeping here?" You whispered, tiptoeing to the curtains and closing them.
"You said he can't mark you, so he decided to not sleep on the bed." Plagg munched on a badly cut piece of cheese and the strong smell reached you.
You looked at Adrien, at his parted lips and the way his chest moved quietly, and felt an urge to touch him, to wrap your arms around him and be lulled back to sleep by his steady heartbeat. But you didn't want to wake him up. He was probably exhausted.
You rubbed your eyes, walking back to the bedroom. "How did yesterday go?"
Plagg followed you. "Oh, Alix said to tell you hello." You scowled and he snickered. "We actually arrived an hour ago or so. We were able to stop a boat that was leaving with twenty children. The police are taking care of the culprits now."
"What will happen with the kids?" You put a hand over your mouth as you yawned. You were still tired, even if you had just woken up. The tiredness of the trip was finally catching up to you.
"Alix is taking care of that right now. She'll try to find their homes, or find a new one for them." Plagg sat on top of a box and you tilted your head. That box wasn't there yesterday.
"What's is this?" You pointed in its direction with your chin.
"A gift for you." Plagg grinned, and it dawned on you. He was probably waiting for you to ask what it was the whole time.
You opened the box and grabbed the dodo plush that was inside. You rubbed your face in it, the soft material making you sigh in happiness.
You lay down on the bed again, the dodo tucked into your arms. "Why does Adrien keep buying me stuff?"
Plagg sat by your side. The stuffed toy was 4 times bigger than him. "His father always did that. Instead of expressing his feelings, he bought him presents." The kwami shrugged. "I guess the boy picked that from him."
You brought the dodo close to your chest, feeling a lump in your throat. If all Gabriel did was buy him things, Adrien must have been really lonely. You'd have to talk to the blonde later and explain that this wasn't necessary. He didn't need to buy you anything. All you wanted at the moment was his trust.
White gloves came back to your mind and you worried your bottom lip. Talking about trust... You hadn't told the Plagg about those dreams. Maybe he could help you understand them.
"Plagg, I've been having another dream." You said and the kwami hummed. "It's about a guy with white gloves that laughs like a maniac. Was it your doing?"
His mouth fell open, eye going round. "How did you...?" He covered his mouth with a paw.
"What is it?" Your heart began to beat faster. "Is it related to Chat?" It had to be, for Plagg to react like that.
The kwami just kept staring at you, not even blinking.
"It's about the war, isn't it?" You said. Plagg quickly looked away and his reaction was everything you needed. Your shoulders slumped. "You really can't tell me?"
He shook his head and began to lick his paw. "I promised."
You leaned back on the pillows as a sigh left your lips. God, this was frustrating. If only you could control the dreams you had... Your eyes widened and you sat upright. Maybe you couldn't, but the reason for your dreams could.
You looked at Plagg, your heart now hammering against your chest. "Can you show me?" He lifted his face, his tongue stuck out of his mouth. You continued, "You said you can't tell me, but maybe you can show me."
His ears perked up and his eyes widened a fraction. He could.
The kwami looked down. "But I don't remember what happened."
"You too?" You passed a hand through your hair, cursing under your breath.
But then how were you able to have the dreams? The thought bubbled into your mind and your hand stilled. Maybe the memories were still there in Plagg's mind.
"I want to try it." You blurted out. The kwami just stared at you. "Please, Plagg."
He glanced at the arch that lead to the lounge area and nodded, green eyes shining. Maybe he was as curious as you were.
His tail was swishing from one side to the other as you lay down on your side. You felt Plagg's little paws on your neck as he moved to get comfortable.
You filled your lungs with air and let it out slowly. "Alright. Try to do the same thing you did when you showed me the secret room in Adrien's studio."
He hummed. "I can't promise anything."
You didn't let his words dampen your mood. You closed your eyes, relaxed your body, and waited for sleep to come and whisk you away.
An endless black void surrounded you. You passed by many closed doors, but something compelled you to go forward. You heard laughter coming from one of the doors and your steps slowed. Waves of happiness and love, along with the smell of fresh rain, emanated from it. Something within you stirred, but you continued to walk. Somehow, you knew that wasn't what you were looking for.
Your feet took you forward until something – someone? – told you to stop. You looked to the side and saw a door, barely visible against the black void. You reached out to it and a bright, gelid light enveloped you.
You let out a laugh when another building crumbled under your touch. People ran away like rats as the houses beside it began to collapse as well. A man tripped and fell, holding his left leg. Your slow steps made dust rise from the ground as you approached him. You could smell the terror in him. A grin pulled on your lips. He was going to feel what you did. The searing pain that threatened to crack your chest open. He'd feel it. He'd feel the agony.
You raised your hand to touch the man when a rope wrapped around you. But it wasn't any rope... It was a yo-yo cord.
"Ladybug," you said as your lips curled into a half smile.
The cord sent a wave of electricity through your body and your knees slammed into the ground. You growled as you managed to grab the rope and ripe it away from you.
You looked up and saw the almighty Ladybug jumping to the top of a building, the injured man in her arms. She was running away. Again. You smirked as you got up and dusted your white suit. She didn't have the book. She knew she couldn't defeat you.
You turned your head to the abandoned store to your right. The cracks on the windows distorted your features. The white mask covering half of your face and your purple eyes, now free from that man's control. All disfigured. The glass showed you what you really were: broken.
And you hated it.
You called your power and purple energy surrounded your hand. Ladybug could run away now, but she was going to have a surprise. Your palm made contact with the wall of the store, which began to disintegrate. A laugh left your lips as your distorted image turned to dust. Soon.
You gasped for air as you sat up on the bed. Plagg was flying above you, staring at you with a mix of awe and shock in his eyes. "You did it."
You gripped your chest tightly as the images kept repeating in your mind in a loop. Chat. Chat had been the one that destroyed Paris, not Hawkmoth.