Three years earlier ...

Adrien sprung onto the bed beside Marinette with a grin to rival the Cheshire Cat. The previous night had been amazing. A 'dream come true' in so many ways. Over the past couple of years, he'd fallen hook, line and sinker for Marinette, yet there was always that slight bit of panic in the back of his mind that she wouldn't like him back. That had all changed last night at her 21st Birthday party, where they'd danced, kissed and spent the night (and morning) fully exploring each other and he was determined to never let her go.

He started to laugh as she slapped his arm, "Adrien you're going to break the bed." She giggled as he climbed his way over to her and rested his head against her bare chest.

"I'm just so happy! I can't control myself." He pulled her closer and placed his lips against hers. The feeling so overpowering he thought he could fly. Well technically he could but that was another story.

She slipped her tongue in between his lips and he just wanted to devour her. To taste every tiny bit of her, just like he'd done last night. God, he was falling in love with this woman. She was just truly remarkable, a woman who he could see himself growing old with. He'd made peace with the fact himself and his lady would never be an item, and even though it stung, Marinette had been there to cushion the blow, and if he was being honest this was something more pure and incredible. It was deep and meaningful, and just perfect.

They had fallen into a comfortable and warm friendship, and that night when she asked him for a dance at her 21st birthday party, he'd made the most of it. He took her in his arms and danced the night away, growing bolder thanks to the liquid courage he was consuming, and took the opportunity to kiss her. He'd kissed her like his life depended on it, and to make matters better, she'd kissed him the same way back.

Later on in the evening, when she'd asked him to stay the night, it was a no brainer - literally. There was no blood left in his head and like the usual young adult male, only one thought was one his mind. There was nothing more he wanted than to be with this woman. Nothing.

Okay, maybe he was lying slightly to himself. He wasn't falling in love with Marinette, she already owned his heart.

So when he'd returned home the following morning, on cloud nine of course, his bad luck struck; taking away his perfect evening, his dream for the perfect life and his relationship with the perfect girl.

"Adrien, where have you been?" Nathalie greeted the young adult in the foyer of the mansion, her expressionless tone ripping Adrien's feel good mood out of his system and slowly destroying the small smile plastered on his face.

If it wasn't for the cold he felt from her words, he would have skipped right past her and up to his room. His mind set on calling Marinette and arranging to meet up with her later for their first date. Things might be a little backwards but it was worth it. This was the start of their life together.

"I was with my girlfriend." He didn't know what he expected? A 'well done'? A 'that's great news, Adrien'? Or even a 'that's nice' would have sufficed, but instead he'd been marched into his fathers office with the door closing and locking behind him.

The smile quickly left his face as he stood in front of Gabriel. His father, messing around with his tablet at his altar.

"I thought I told you to come home before midnight last night." His voice was as cold as ice and Adrien couldn't help the chilled reaction encompassing his body. It was bitter and resentful.

"I stayed with Marinette."

"Unfortunately son, that just won't do, you see your fiancée was expecting you home."

"Fiancée? I think you've got something wrong there, father. I don't have a fiancée."

Adrien watched as Gabriel made his way towards him, indicating Adrien to take a seat at the table.

"No, I'm not staying. I need to get ready to take Marinette out on a date. So if you'll excuse me." Turning to make his way out the door, Adrien was blocked by Nathalie.

"No, son, this isn't an option for you. Your engagement is being announced tonight and a quick wedding has been put into place. You'll be legally bound in three months."

"Three ... months? No." His defense was weak as he shook his head in refusal, the look in his fathers eyes menacing.

"Yes. It's already been agreed and the press notified."

"But ... Marinette."

"Yes, well, sorry to be the burden of bad news, son, but I think you'll find Ms. Dupain-Cheng hasn't been fully honest with you." Gabriel walked to Adrien's side and placed a hand on his shoulder, guiding him over to the table and pushing him forcefully into a chair.

"Wh- wh- what do you mean?"

"You see, Adrien, a relationship with Marinette just isn't viable."

"You're not making any sense. Of course it is, she likes me and I like her, well actually no, I love her. I'm in love with Marinette." The thought of losing her struck him hard. He couldn't lose her, he'd only just found her. They were building something good together, something special. He'd finally found someone he wanted to be with more than his Lady, a love so all consuming every time he thought about her he lost his breath.

"Did you ever wonder why your friend has never held down a relationship? Has it not once entered your mind that there might be something wrong with her?"

"I don't care what the hell you think father, there's nothing wrong with Marinette, she's perfect."

"Perfectly vile! Did you know your 'friend' Marinette is the reason your mother isn't with us. That she's the only one stopping us from living happily together as a family." Gabriel walked to the opposite side of his desk leaning down onto it with ironclad grips against the edge, his knuckles turning white from the clutch.

Nathalie stood behind Adrien, a hand clawing into his shoulder. He was numb; feeling no more than one of his fathers dressmaking dummies.

"Marinette has nothing to do with mother." Adrien said, the confidence in his voice disappearing as he considered his options of escape. He looked around the room without any avail. There was no hope of leaving until his father let him, not unless he wanted to compromise his identity.

"She has everything to do with your mother." Gabriel's voice was like venom. His bite digging into Adrien deep and painfully. Scaring him for what might come next.

He knew his father was about to offer an ultimatum, and he knew he had no escape. That his fathers wishes were the only ones coming true.

"You see, if she'd just done the right thing seven years ago, we wouldn't be in this mess now. Lila Rossi knows something that would ruin our family, and your behaviour recently has only made these options harder. It could have been simple Adrien, you marry Lila and all this goes away, but you just had to tell the press how you didn't like her, you had to stir the pot and bring us to this point. This is all your fault and now you're going to fix it. Marry Lila's girlfriend and it will keep her mouth shut. Having to stay away from Marinette should be quite easy if you want to protect her."

"No." Adrien said again, his voice only just heard over the pounding of his heart against his chest. He was 21 for God sake, he needed to stand up for himself for once. He began to form a plan, a statement, a question - anything! When his father struck him so hard with information he thought he was going to faint.

"After all, you wouldn't want knowledge of your little girlfriend's superhero activities getting out, would you?" Gabriel picked up an envelope and waved it around, confidential written on the front. "There's a few of these knocking around. I would hate for one to fall into the wrong hands."

"Superheroing activities? W-what do you mean?" Adrien's blood ran cold, freezing his veins and body to the spot, the loved up feeling in his heart shrivelling to the size of a raisin. No! His father had to be wrong.

"Oh, pure sweet Adrien, you haven't got a clue have you? Your little friend, the clumsy one who can't even walk in a straight line, she's our very own Ladybug. Paris' hero is nothing more than a baker's daughter."

Adrien watched Gabriel continue to talk, though he felt like he was underwater. He couldn't hear properly, a ringing loud and prominent in his ears. Marinette was Ladybug, his Ladybug was his Marinette. His Lady was his Princess. The girl he loved more than his true love was actually his true love.

His mind spiralled round and round, and suddenly it was hard to breathe. He closed his eyes, each movement of his lungs a pivotal point to keeping him alive. In and out, slowly and surely.

Marinette was Ladybug.

Ladybug was his Marinette.

Damn, it was suddenly hard to keep this rhythm of breathing going. Every thought of Marinette betrayed him, causing gaps in his struggling respiration. Nose and mouth, nose and mouth... he needed to get out of here. His vision was already starting to cloud, he was going to faint if he didn't get the fuck out of here now, he was going to faint.

Standing up and pushing the chair backwards, the sudden ricochet sounding through the room brought him to his senses and his vision returned, his heart and breathing however still couldn't grasp their mechanical function.

"Sit down Adrien." Gabriel commanded, his voice pulsating fear through Adrien's veins.

"I don't believe you." He managed to say, knowing full well it was a lie as it bitterly left his mouth; there was nothing more believable. Not only did she express the righteousness of his partner, but also the beauty from within. It could only be Marinette, there couldn't be anyone else for the job.

"Are you willing to take that risk? I'm sure Hawk Moth would be incredibly happy to receive such information."

Gabriel had him cornered. No, he couldn't take the risk, he couldn't put her in that situation as her partner, friend, lover... ex-lover. He felt sick to his stomach, his heart shattering into a million pieces as his future was so coldly ripped away from him.

"Do - do you know who Chat Noir is?" He needed to stay calm, he needed to be rational and not give himself away, but right at this moment it would be so easy to just say the wrong thing, to not think straight and end up in a bigger mess for the both of them. It was on him. The balance lay in his hands. He could break down later, but right now he had to be strong - for both of them.

"I have my suspicions, but nothing certain. Though if he is who I think, it'll be easy to catch him, after all, I'm sure he'd go running straight to his little Lovebug. Sometimes all you need is a little surveillance and things can be quite easy to catch."

Any other day Adrien would be impressed with his fathers pun, but right now all it was doing was making him sick to the core. His father was right, he did want to go running to Marinette, every single muscle in his body wanted to run to the woman and tell her, to protect her the best he could, however, that protection for once wouldn't be staying close by. He had to distance himself.

No more Marinette, and oh, how his heart was continuingly being torn apart again and again and again.

"What do you want from me?" He asked. This was the only option, his life given away so she could keep hers.

"I knew you'd see it my way." Gabriel placed the one envelope down before removing another from his desk. "You'll sign these marriage license forms to marry Vivca. There's a prenup in there, one bad move on your behalf and one of my many folders of evidence will be released to the public, hopefully you won't be stupid enough to put the woman you love in the firing line. I hear Hawk Moth is getting quite blood thirsty."

Adrien looked down at the contract before closing his eyes and trying to absorb the information. "Fine." He said, opening his eyes knowing they'd hardened from the slight recoil of his father. Moving forward Adrien snatched the pen from Gabriel's hand, signing the contract that would protect his Lady.

"I'll be in my room," turning around he pushed past Nathalie, swiftly exiting. Flinging the door into the wall he stepped inside, turned around and slammed the damn thing closed with all his might. Not even worrying if he broke it.

He began to pace the room, hands firmly grasping in his hair. "Fuck!" He swore. "Fucking bastard! I fucking hate him, I hate him." Adrien walked over to his computer table and threw everything off it, stamping on his monitors for good measure, and beheading his many fencing trophies. He grabbed the remote for his stereo, turning his music on loud enough to cover any conversation with Plagg. His father could be listening in without him knowing and from now on he wasn't taking any chances.

His phone started to chime in his pocket. Another fucking reminder for another photoshoot. Well, that could well and truly fuck off.

He grabbed the phone from his pocket, launching it as hard as he could at the wall, smashing the screen and leaving a slight dent in the plaster. His anger continued to rage, as he used his room as a smash pad. Ripping photos and posters off the walls, before stopping suddenly as he reached his latest Jagged Stone signed and framed cover art.

'Happy 21st Birthday Adrien,Love Marinette'

He took the frame from the wall, turning around to lean against it for support as he slowly lowered himself down to the ground, tears he didn't even know he'd been shedding splashed against the glass casing of this sighed work of art.

"Kid, I know this is easier said than done, but you need to calm down." Plagg's voice was gentle and caring as he came to settle beside Adrien.

"I fucking hate him, Plagg."

"I know kid, I know." He snuggled into the crook of Adrien's neck, emitting a low purr to sooth Adrien's choked sobs.

"Is it true?" Adrien managed to squeeze out between sobs. "Is Marinette-," he took a deep breath before trying to speak again, licking the salted tears from his otherwise dry lips. "Is Marinette Ladybug?" He whispered, his voice barely there.

Plagg's look said it all and Adrien couldn't hold back the primal scream he let out, his head throwing back to collide against the wall, an unconscious hope that it'd wake him from this nightmare. That he'd awake back in the hotel room buried deep in Marinette like he had been this morning. Being one with her smile, her laugh, and her soul.

Looking down at the artwork, he traced her signature before lifting it to his lips and pressing a delicate kiss against it.

Earlier that morning he was living in dreams that one day this signature would say Marinette Agreste, and it filled him with pride knowing she'd carry his last name. A surname that would be shared between them, making them one, and a name they'd share with their children, but now even he didn't want to be an Agreste himself.

"What are we going to do Plagg? Can I get out of this?"

Plagg shook his head. "You know I'm not the planner kid, usually that's Tikki's forte."

"That makes sense." Adrien said, placing the frame on the ground slowly. One last stroke of her name before heading to his bathroom. He needed something to do, he was restless. His heart was broken and now he'd have to break hers too.

He'd have to break her heart.

He crumbled again, clutching onto the sink to support himself, a wretch shaking his core and bringing up what little was in his stomach.

He was going to have to hurt Marinette. This morning he was bouncing around like a lunatic full of love for the woman, promising a future and dates and gifts and his unwavering love. Yet here he was less than an hour later engaged to another woman, all because his fucking father had made a deal with the devil. He hated Lila Rossi, he hated Gabriel and, without even knowing the woman, he hated his soon to be wife.

But Marinette. His beautiful, wonderful, sweet Marinette was about to have her heart ripped out because of him. He couldn't even face her for fear of his fathers 'threat'.

"I'm going to get Tikki," Adrien looked up at Plagg, his loyal kwami helping get some sort of plan together. "I think she needs to know. We can talk it out between us."

Adrien nodded, watching as his kwami left to get Marinette's.

Marinette's kwami, because Marinette was Ladybug.

Ladybug whose identity was compromised. Ladybug who he couldn't tell a damn thing to because then his and her identity would be compromised. Giving his father both identities to pass onto Hawk Moth.

He looked at his red rimmed eyes in the mirror. He looked fucking awful, but it was only a tiny inclination on how he felt. Moving back into his destroyed bedroom, he sat on the edge of his bed, head in his shaking hands. He needed to think. There had to be a way around this.

Could he see Marinette as Adrien? No. She wouldn't want to see the liar who broke her heart. The guy who took her virginity, promised her a life together and then, on the same day, became engaged to another woman. He could try and speak to her, but that would just... nope. She wouldn't accept, she was stubborn and he was a bastard. That combination wouldn't work.

Visiting Marinette as Chat Noir would be suicide. If his father had put surveillance on her apartment, he'd be figured out straight away. His father would piece it together with Nathalie's help, he was sure of it.

So the only time he could see her was during patrol. He'd need to get her to change their meeting points. Maybe have a rota for where and when, mixing it up and being unpredictable each day. He'd tell her as much as he could. Keep her in the loop but without fundamentals and intricate details, this was the only option. He needed her to know with hope of a future.

He'd tell her he was being forced to marry, that he was doing it all against his will, and maybe, just maybe, once this has all passed he could finally reveal himself and try to win her back. Try and make her understand that this was the worst decision he had made in his life. The worst but only option to keep her and them safe.

"What happened? Chat Noir, are you okay?" Adrien lifted his head coming eye to eye with Tikki, the small kwami reeling back in shock. "Oh, kitty." She said, zooming forward as she used Marinette's term of endearment for him.

Marinette.

Marinette was his Lady, and he was her Kitty.

He felt his breath hitch again as he tried to control a new wave of emotion from taking over him.

"He knows Sugarcube."

Adrien nodded as Plagg, being the greatest friend he could have, explained the situation to Tikki. Every now and then he'd add to the conversation but lucky for him, Plagg took control.

Tikki gasped and gorped as the conversation progressed, swinging looks of distress and understanding, along with the heartbreak he felt himself.

"She's going to be crushed, Adrien, you have no idea how much she loves you."

"And you don't think I love her," his voice raised to an unusual level of aggression, one forgein coming from the boy with the sunshine hair, anger lacing through every word twisting and holding on like venom.

"I know," Tikki sighed, looking towards Plagg as Adrien once again grabbed hold of his hair.

"What the fuck am I going to do?" He asked, praying Tikki had some sort of amazing plan that would fix everything. That's what she was a fixer; the Goddess of Creation.

"I'm not telling him." Plagg said, his arms folding across his body. "I don't agree with any of this and I don't want to see them hurt. For once, this is on you." Plagg sounded harsher than Adrien had ever heard him. A harshness that wasn't usually linked to his kwami.

"If he's not telling me I know it's bad news." Adrien responded.

"You need to stay away from Marinette. As happy as I would be to finally see you two together, your relationship is nothing compared to keeping the control over the Miraculous. And if what Plagg has told me is true, I'm sorry Adrien but you need to keep yourself and your Lady safe, that's your job. If you're meant to be, and I do truly believe you are, you'll end up together, but for now there's nothing you can do."

He couldn't believe it. After everything Tikki was telling him to back off and stay away, knowing the effect it wouldn't only have on him but Marinette too. He began to pace his room, stomach twisting with a tremendous squeezing pain, his hand stroking over his day old stubble.

"Fuck!" He turned sharply, taking his fist and slamming it into the wall. The bruises and cuts were only a fraction of the pain in his heart.

"Calm down kid. We can't afford for you to be akumatized in this state."

"Calm down?" Adrien laughed, "are you fucking kidding me? I'm about to destroy the one person on this whole fucking planet who truly cares about me, the woman who I love, and you think I can just calm down? Well, take a look at me because this is the closest thing I'm getting to calm!"

Storming over towards his phone, he bent down and picked it up, intent to call Marinette; there was no way this was how it was ending, not when it had only just begun. This wasn't fair on either of them, a complicated love square flattened down into a depressing and time wasting flatline. A line equivalent to an IKEA flat pack. Tapping on the severely cracked screen, the device failed to load, the screen as dead as his heart.

"No," he screamed, slamming his hand, complete with phone into the wall once again, his strength leaving a dent in the plaster.

"Adrien?" Tikki made her way over, but for all he cared he never wanted to see her again.

"Don't!" He warned, "don't try and make this okay! It's not okay! We didn't ask for this! I didn't ask to be a superhero, or have powers, or anything! If it wasn't for this Goddamn ring, I would have fallen in love with Marinette that day in the rain, the day she said she fell in love with me. Instead we've been dancing around each other because of fucking secret identities and guardianships of something we didn't ask to be part of! We've been doing this for seven years Tikki! For seven years you've both known how our emotions have been destroying our lives, yet you both just sat around and watched it happen because 'kwami's don't feel'. Well, I'll tell you both right now, if I could go back in time I'd throw this fucking ring in the trash and be done with it."

He slumped down on the sofa, body void of emotion, the current situation draining him of all energy. Adrien rested his head in hands as the tears cascaded down his face; tears he didn't even know he was holding onto.

"I'm just tired," he said, rubbing a hand across his forehead and through his hair, "so, so tired, and I can't even begin to imagine how Marinette feels. She went through it all when we were fourteen, I can remember it now as clear as day. The way she backed off from her friends, broke it off with Luka, pushed me to one side. It's just been one shitty thing after another." He breathed in, closing his eyes before exhaling. "But this one takes the cake."

"I'm sorry." Was all Tikki could reply.

"Yeah," Adrien scoffed, "me too."

Silence settled between the three whilst Jagged Stone continued to sing about his crocodile and God knows what else, he didn't care. All he could think about was how he was about to destroy the love of his life whilst 'saving' her. What a joke!

"How the hell am I going to see her walking down the street, knowing full well I can't be with her. I can't just ignore her."

"I can extend the glamour on both of you in civilian form, it won't be perfect though," Tikki announced. "She will find it hard to recognise you and you, her, it'll only be face to face though, I can't stretch the power to any type of media platform."

"I rarely use those anyway, I can remove myself from what I do have. Do you think I could see her one last time?"

Tikki shook her head and clenched her mouth tightly, "I don't think that would be the best idea."

"What if she finds someone else?" Adrien's voice cracked with emotion. His head spinning with Marinette married to someone who wasn't him, having a long happy life and three children. His stomach flipped at the prospect.

"Then she does. Don't you want her to be happy?" Tikki said, the model staring at her in bewilderment. He'd never turned against the kwami's but she was doing a damn good job at making him furious.

Happy with me, he thought.

"She's going to be destroyed when she finds out he's engaged." Plagg started to say, his voice soft and uncharacteristic of him. "How are we going to stop an akuma? Can you try and get her to call him, he'll be the only one who could attempt to calm her down?"

"My phone doesn't work anymore." Adrien said, looking between the two kwami's.

"I meant you as Chat Noir. It'll give you a chance to see her and it'll give her a chance to have some comfort." Plagg continued.

"She'll want to go out, I'll persuade her to go to your normal rooftop opposite the Eiffel Tower." Tikki said, her own voice laced with apologises, one's he could have used an hour ago.

"Make sure she transforms and calls me. I'll sneak away somehow, but I'm quite sure I'm going to be watched for a while." Adrien stood and moved to his window, looking down to see Lila, his father, Nathalie and an attractive blonde near his mothers statue all in what seemed an intense conversation. They began to move away, back into the mansion, when Lila looked up towards him. A smile on her face reading 'checkmate'.

"Tikki, just do me one favour. Let her know her identity has been compromised. I can't have this information without her knowing too."

"I'll find a way, Adrien. I promise."

•••••

The call came later that evening, her gut wrenching sobs echoing down the phone line and kicking him hard in the chest.

He was the reason she felt this way. He was the reason her heart was broken.

The engagement had been announced and he'd had no choice but to play the lovesick fool. The devoted boyfriend and fiancé finally revealing to the world the depths of their love after secretly dating for two years. She'd violated him, touching him in ways he only ever wanted Marinette to, the parts of his body reserved for his lady only. He felt sick, his ashen face evidence to allow him to escape from the 'celebrations' early and go into the streets of Paris for some fresh air, disguised and hidden from prying eyes, giving him a chance to transform.

"C-chat? I-I need you."

Holding back the tears of his own, he bounded over rooftops and into the night in search of his Princess, his Lady. The moment was like a memory, a memory of past mistakes, their rooftop where they'd loved, laughed, cried, argued. Their rooftop which Hawk Moth knew. He needed to remain in control of his emotions, locking them away and repressing them. This wasn't about him now, this was about her and keeping her safe. If anyone was around and saw them meeting, he couldn't show he knew. He had to be void of emotion, he had to be blank.

"I've got you," he whispered into her hair, burying his face against the soft fragrant strands as she held onto him like her life depended on it. "Whatever happens next, Bug, I'm not leaving you. I love you."

She let out a soul piercing cry, pulling him down with her onto the rooftop, deep in her own despair and hurt, one she didn't even realise she was sharing with him. Equally broken, equally in pain. He felt it all too. But he was here with her now, and he got the luxury of knowing he was with his love, whereas she was spiralling into a black hole of hate and deception, and he'd never felt less like a hero in his life.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair as her strangled cries filled the night sky, "I'm so, so sorry."

Luckily, as the two heroes sobbed together they were left alone. No akuma's in sight, no Hawk Moth, no reality.

Left alone too wallow in their own grief.