Falling in Lust

Chapter 14 - Once and for All

Marinette experienced relief that was surely visible. It was not Hawkmoth who had walked into the bakery, but Gabriel Agreste.

"Hello, Mr. Agreste," Marinette greeted him warmly. His usually frown was in place, but she was long since used to it. "What can I do for you?" She gestured to the vast assortment of tasty treats.

He reached behind him and gave something a shove. It was Adrien, who looked slightly subdued and gloomy. But when his eyes landed on her, they widened and she braced herself for what was to come next.

"Adrien has been begging to see you," he said coldly, wrenching his son's arm and thrusting him forward so he had to catch himself on the counter. "So take him."

Marinette narrowed her eyes. Something was wrong. Gabriel barely let Adrien out of the house. It was extremely out of character for him to come and dump him in her lap. Then again, he was still affected by the perfume. He might have been extra persistent to the point where Gabriel couldn't stand it any longer.

"Um... okay." Just three days ago, she probably would have been over the moon. She was being told to spend time with Adrien. So why wasn't she happy?

Well, for starters, Hawkmoth knew her identity.

And how could she possibly be merry with that hanging over her head? She was at Hawkmoth's will. What could she possibly do?

Maybe I should transform, she thought, tapping her lips and furrowing her brows. Then what do I do with Adrien? It'll be even harder watching out for him because of the perfume. How convenient -for Hawkmoth- that he just got placed into my care.

The bell jingled as the door fell shut and Gabriel disappeared down the street. Adrien bit his lip for Sabine walked into the room and he didn't want to disgust her with his need.

"Mrs. Dupain-Cheng?" He asked, struggling to speak. His whole body itched to run to Marinette but he knew he couldn't in front of her mother. "My dad let me out of the house today to hang out with Marinette." Just saying his name was difficult. He was so distracted by her and her bluebell eyes, he didn't even notice how strange his father had been acting.

Sabine smiled. "Alright." She smiled warmly at her daughter. "Marinette, you've been working hard today. Why don't you take a break. Go enjoy your day with you friend. I can handle things here."

"Oh, sure, Maman." Marinette nodded hastily, snatched Adrien's wrist, and pulled him out of the bakery. She was on the verge of a meltdown. How was she to protect her parents and Adrien while keeping a look out for Hawkmoth?

"Marinette..." Adrien murmured dreamily, his eyes clouded. They weren't even halfway up the stairs when he made a grab for her.

She pushed him away. "Personal space, Adrien!" She hissed, something she never expected to be saying to him of all people. "Let's go."

"Sit," she told him icily when they entered the room. He didn't seem to want to listen and attempted to pull her closer. She spun from his reach, grabbed his shoulders, and forced him to sit. She didn't mean to rude to him, but she could feel the pressure building in her chest. She needed...

Chloe. For what seemed like the millionth time today, she needed Chloe.

She dialed her number. Chloe picked up on the first ring.

"Hey. Are you at home?"

"Yeah," Marinette replied, speaking faster than she'd intended. "You won't believe it. Mr. Agreste came and left Adrien with me. I'm freaking out right now... I'm sure you know why. Please help me."

Ten minutes later, Chloe was in her room, holding Adrien by the collar of his shirt as he desperately tried to break free to Marinette, who was pacing about the room, assessing the situation.

I'm stuck at home with no clear view of my parents, Adrien is under my watch and is practically trying to lunge at me, Hawkmoth knows my identity. How did I let this happen? Where is Chat Noir?

She glanced at Adrien, who looked like he wanted to kiss the lips off her face. She needed to get rid of he -at least temporarily- and focus on her parents. Or she needed to make it so he could no longer see or hear her so she could speak freely and transform. The only way for that to happen was if he fell asleep, but he didn't look like he'd be doing that anytime soon.

"While you've been here," Chloe told her, "I've been looking for you-know-who and documenting all strange reported activity of Paris citizens. But this is extremely unlike Mr. Agreste. This could be, you know, a distraction."

She was right. And the more Marinette thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Gabriel Agreste was a hermit. He rarely left his house, mostly communicated by video-chat, and was all in all controlling. He was a very likely suspect.

Adrien let out a groan and tried to reach her. Chloe jerked him back even more forcefully. She was even more relieved she was here.

"We need to get rid of Adrien," Marinette said. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but it was imperative she take action.

Especially when she heard sirens wailing in the distance. Trouble was upon Paris and it was her duty to stop it.

A horrible thought occurred to her. She flung open the trap door and practically flew down the stairs.

"Mom? Dad?" She called, but the house was empty. No parents. She checked every room, but they were gone. She raced back upstairs, needing Chloe's help now more than ever, especially since Chat Noir was nowhere to be found.

Chloe's brows knitted. "Are they gone?" She asked as Adrien struggled more fiercely. Marinette only nodded, finding her voice unwilling to serve her. She choked on tears and averted her gaze.

Adrien suddenly let out another groan, his nails piercing Chloe's flesh as he attempted to break free. She gasped and her grip loosened. He surged towards Marinette, who narrowly dodged.

Chloe snatched Adrien's shirt and spun him around, shaking him purposely. She whacked him under the chin and he fell unconscious in her arms.

"Sorry, Mari," she told her, "but we have work to do and he's getting in the way."

Marinette nodded, swallowing a stab of guilt. Her parent's abduction was more than enough to redirect her focus.

"Tikki, spots on!" She shouted as Chloe transformed into Cammy. They both dashed onto the balcony and threw themselves off, leaving Adrien laid on the bed. It was time to save Paris once and for all.